Why customised e-commerce solutions will dominate 2019

Even those who are relatively unaware of the online business sector have taken note of the powerful role that e-commerce solutions are now playing in regards to retail transactions.

This industry has been steadily increasing for the past four years and it is now estimated that e-commerce sales represent 18 per cent of the entire category. Online organisations are therefore needing to think outside of the box in order to capitalise upon such potential. What are some of the latest trends and why are traditional platforms no longer able to provide sufficient resources?

The State of the 2018 Online Retail Sector in the United Kingdom 

Customisation is now king within the online business community. This observation is just as relevant for organisations as it is for the end user. Shoppers have become more discriminatory than ever before. However, this does not necessarily have to represent a negative paradigm shift. While their demanding nature could appear to be challenging to some, others are learning to leverage the power associated with optimised e-commerce platforms. Thus, they are able to target the right demographic when it matters the most. 

Mobile responsiveness is another very real concern. A growing segment of the population is accessing retail websites via portable devices such as tablets and smartphones. Websites need to be certain that they are fully integrated within the remote community. This is the very same reason why many firms are now specialising in mobile-responsive website designs. Experts expect that such a trend will continue well into 2019 and beyond. 

Why Only Modern Online Interfaces are Appropriate 

The role of customisation and bespoke e-commerce platforms is just as critical when examining the operational needs of the average online retail portal within the United Kingdom. Simpler configurations and generic options will no longer suffice. Business owners need to be able to leverage specific sets of tools based upon their current and future operations. This is why the presence of Shopify Plus continues to impact the entire industry. Some of the amenities associated with this package include: 

  • Automated marketing campaigns.

  • Expedited drop shipping options.

  • Cross-channel sales analyses.

  • Full social media integration.

  • Streamlined and intuitive inventory management.

All of these features clearly signal that businesses are beginning to rethink the ways in which current operations are taking place. So, what might the future hold? 

One interesting observation is that most online e-commerce systems now boast a user-friendly layout. In the past, it was assumed that enterprise-level organisations already possessed the required expertise. This is no longer the case. The presence of intuitive platforms has now opened up the marketplace to an entirely new type of entrepreneur. Those who would have previously thought such options to be impossible are now seriously considering a foray into the virtual retail community. This is great news for the average customer, as he or she will now be presented with more choices than ever before. The online future of e-commerce looks very bright indeed.