By Sarah Hollenbeck

When you’re leading a team who is working on digital projects (or if you are in the process of becoming a project manager), you may normally seek advice on how to manage different personalities, how to keep everyone on track and tips on how to stay sane juggling multiple projects at once. But have you ever stopped to think just how important other aspects of your company — such as the connection between project management and eCommerce — directly affect your projects?

While it might not be common for Project Management Practitioners to dive deep into eCommerce trends, the information can be more valuable than you’d think. By gaining a better understanding of what your company’s customer base is looking for as well as how they interact with your brand online, you can strengthen your current projects and ensure they meet their goals.

Say for instance you are a product manager, leading a small team to create a new product line. How can you even begin to launch a new line of products without first understanding your consumer’s sale patterns, their needs and what they are willing to pay for similar products? And while you could rely on another team to get you that information (which is the easier route by far) you will get the most value diving into the data yourself.

To help Project Management Practitioners of all kinds take the leap into research, the team at WebsiteSetup has created a Guide to eCommerce Trends that you need to know about. From industry-wide statistics to a deeper breakdown of consumer behavior both before and after the pandemic, check out the top stats below or visit WebsiteSetup for even more information.

How the eCommerce industry has changed

Before you and your team dive into your target market’s specific preferences and trends, it is crucial to understand how the eCommerce industry behaves as a whole. Though online shopping has always been popular, it has taken on a new life in recent years, surpassing previous records on an almost yearly basis. And this past year, thanks to the global pandemic, this trend has only continued to rise.

You may ask: “Why exactly do consumers flock to brands with eCommerce sites in place?”

For one main reason, the convenience. Being able to shop for what they want when they want it! It means no waiting in traffic to get to the store and no lines at the checkout counter. Plus, they can shop on their own schedule, even late into the night when traditional brick-and-mortar stores would be closed.

Another aspect of the eCommerce industry that consumers really love, is delivery. Whether through the brand directly or through a third-party service provider, consumers are almost always willing to pay more for expedited shipping straight to their door.

View these statistics to better understand how eCommerce industry as a whole, influences the market:

• eCommerce sales hit $794.5 billion in 2020, which is a growth of 32% from the previous year’s sales.
• During this year (2021), over 2.1 billion people are estimated to make purchases of goods or services online.
• The eCommerce industry is expected to grow to over 450,000 jobs by the year 2026.
• Over 95% of all purchases will be completed through eCommerce websites by 2040.
• To help business owners create a website with ease, online platform use has skyrocketed in the past few years:
  • WordPress powers over one-third (39.5%) of all websites currently live.
  • From March 2020 to April 2020, the number of stores created on Shopify grew by at least 62%.

Looking Deeper into Consumer Trends

Now that you and your team understand a little bit more about how businesses operate online, lets dive deeper into specific consumer trends. While of course, your proprietary data about your own customers will always offer the best insight into how to manage your products, and the related projects, looking at consumer trends is a good place to start (especially if you are working for a new business that doesn’t have a large customer base yet).

Find the most important statistics on how consumers interact with eCommerce brands:

• Convenience drives sales. In fact, 11% of consumers admitted that even before the pandemic they let convenience drive their purchase decision.
• Even older audiences have mastered eCommerce, as shoppers 55 and up have moved to online shopping and say they plan to continue shopping this way.
• When it comes to user experience, having a properly run website is crucial as 84% of customers say that they will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience.
• Customers of all kinds prioritize convenience over cost, as they are willing to pay more for an easier online shopping experience.
• When designing a customer service program, go with real people over bots. Studies have shown that over 65% of consumers trust a brand more if they can talk to a real person.
• Delivery is important, as 98% of consumers will be more loyal to a brand if they offer these types of services. Even better if it’s free and fast!

Check out the infographic below for even more tips on eCommerce trends from WebsiteSetup!