Online shopping habits are exceptionally fluid. As technology moves forward, consumer preferences and behaviors evolve at a rapid pace. That’s a real challenge for those who own e-commerce stores. They must recognize and pivot with these changes to keep customers happy and grow their revenues.
But freelancers should take notice of the evolving e-commerce landscape too, as the emerging trends can lead to new business opportunities. By staying on top of these trends, you can identify the skills you need to develop and find new ways to meet the needs of your clients.
So, which trends should have your attention right now? Here are the top three most notable ones.
1. Ninety-seven percent of online shoppers did not proceed with a purchase because content on a brand’s website was incorrect or incomplete.
This is an important statistic that should grab the attention of freelance writers and conversion optimization specialists in particular. E-commerce business owners who are relying on themselves or other staff members to write landing pages, product descriptions and other web content may not realize the full impact it has when their content is lacking.
When freelancers communicate with potential clients about the value of their services, this is an important point to mention. Draw to the prospect’s attention that they may be losing a significant amount of business because their customers are not getting the information they need to make a purchase decision. Than communicate how you can make proactive fixes to this issue.
2. DIY and cosmetics are among the fastest growing niches in e-commerce.
In just two short years, it is predicted that the DIY industry will have a value exceeding 13.9 billion dollars. In addition to this in Europe alone, internet-based beauty and care industries have been growing significantly. According to an A.T. Kearny report, growth in online channels is quadruple compared to the brick and mortar stores in this sector.
Natural beauty products and cosmetics that use natural ingredients are trending particularly well. Take agarwood or oud oil as an example. This oil alone represents $87.8 million dollars just in the beauty sector.
Catherine Leon, CEO of Oud & Partners further strengthens that their company is “increasingly reaching out to freelancers who understand the industry drivers’ and have previous significant experience in the natural beauty sub-niche. It’s important for us to work with contractors who are already familiar with our customer base – their unique needs, preferences and shopping habits. We’ll always go after partnering with someone who has past experience in the domain, over a well-accoladed cross-industry specialist”.
How do you exploit this trend as a freelancer? Be on the lookout for new and growing trends and sub-trends in e-commerce. Then, work hard to develop and display your competencies in these areas. For example, a freelance web designer might highlight work they have done for a local health store that sells natural beauty products. A copywriter might find that a certain type of supplement is trending in the fitness world and share their blog posts on that topic in their portfolio. Having even a small amount of subject matter experience or expertise can give you a significant advantage when it comes to landing clients.
3. Voice-based shopping is hindered by difficulties in comparing products and searching for them.
Customers aren’t just asking their home speakers or similar devices to repeat the latest sports scores or play music. They’re also making purchases. Voice commerce is on the rise. In fact, according to Amazon, voice shopping tripled during the 2018 holiday season.
Just what is voice commerce? It’s any voice-driven activity that is related to the process of shopping for and purchasing products. This includes searching for goods, looking for deals, comparing prices, placing orders and making payments.
The problem with voice shopping, however, is that many customers cite difficulties such as troubles with searching for and comparing products when using this option with retailers. And this opens up another opportunity for freelancers, especially anyone who wishes to take on a reasonably lucrative side gig. Voice testers are now in high demand. These specialists conduct a variety of tests to ensure that voice driven technologies hear and interpret the commands they receive correctly. This is especially important as voice commerce demands a high standard of accuracy.
Freelancers should always keep an eye on emerging trends. By following them and reacting quickly in terms of services offered and skills development, you will find yourself better prepared to find work. Even better, you can ensure that your skills are in demand and that you command top rates.
This article was originally published at: https://www.forbes.com
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