Does your e-commerce site fail to reach your expected results, even though your online store is run by Shopify?
One of the probable reasons is it is not fully optimized for 2024.
Like in any Shopify website, seeing that your ecommerce site runs smoothly is not enough to ensure its profitability. You still need to apply technical tweaks and fine tuning to improve its marketability, especially in the eyes of your customers and search engines like Google.
The success of your e-commerce store optimization depends on how fast you adapt to the trends and technological developments. Even the most established platforms need constant care to stay ahead. In 2024, optimizing your Shopify store is no longer an option but a necessity for survival and growth.
That’s where LeapOut comes in. If you’re one of 8,328 Shopify store operators or are planning to open up an e-commerce store on this platform, our digital marketing experts provide an actionable roadmap to optimize your Shopify site.
We’ll equip you with proven strategies and practical tips to maximize your online presence, attract more customers, and unlock the full potential of your store in the exciting year ahead. Read on…
2024 E-commerce Landscape Trends
The pace of the e-commerce landscape evolution has stepped up in 2024, presenting both challenges and opportunities for businesses of all sizes. To stay relevant in the market, you need to understand these trends and emerging consumer behaviors:
Mobile-Powered Shopping Experience
In 2024, our mobile phones will be the primary touchpoint of our shopping journey. It is an integral part of the shopping journey, with over 83% of e-commerce activities utilizing it. According to Statista, the Philippine mobile e-commerce market registered a total retail sales of US$4.28 billion in 2021, reflecting a massive six-fold increase within five years from the total sales value of US$608.1 million U.S. dollars in 2017.
Mobile e-commerce is seen to continue growing, with an estimated retail sales value of roughly US$8 billion in 2026.
Experts attribute the impressive growth in m-commerce sales to many factors, including convenience and flexibility of shopping only through consumers’ fingertips. The use of mobile payment options with local mobile wallets like GCash, Maya, PayMongo, and its counterparts like Alipay, Apple Pay and Google Pay also makes m-commerce a more convenient choice.
These advanced features allow shoppers to complete transactions with just a few clicks, eliminating the need to fumble with cash or credit cards. This frictionless payment process encourages faster, more convenient transactions.
Experience-driven commerce is on the rise
Consumers are already bored with simply clicking and buying online. They crave immersive and engaging experiences throughout their shopping journey especially after being restricted by the pandemic. Here are some of the rising trends to look out this year:
- Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications, allowing virtual try-ons, product visualization in their homes, and interactive experiences.
- Livestream shopping is booming, opening up the avenue for real-time interaction with brands and influencers.
- Social commerce competition heats up, especially with platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, integrating seamless buying experiences directly within their apps.
Personalization Becomes a Norm
Generic and shotgun marketing methods no longer work in 2024. AI tools empower your website to give personalized recommendations, offers, and content tailored to your customers’ unique needs and preferences. By analyzing vast amounts of data, AI can provide relevant experiences to make your buyers feel special when purchasing in your store.
Treat Your Customers with Quick and Easy Shopping
In today’s fast-paced world, customers look for convenience. They expect quick and easy shopping experiences, including:
- Frictionless checkout processes that support multiple payment options.
- Fast and reliable delivery with transparent and reliable tracking information.
- Seamless omnichannel experiences, allowing them to switch between devices and channels effortlessly.
Voice Search Gains Momentum
Alexa, Siri, Google Home and other voice assistants are expected to take center stage, leading to a rise in voice-activated shopping. As human-computer interaction is rapidly becoming a norm and devices are slowly accommodating both typing and voice interaction.
Because of this, e-commerce sites are slowly adopting Voice UI (user interfaces), making them accessible in mobile phones, TVs, smart home gadgets, and other devices.
Optimizing your website for voice search has these benefits:
- Convenience – Voice commands are fast and hands-free, perfect for shoppers on the go or multitasking.
- Enhanced accessibility – Voice search empowers those with disabilities or who find typing difficult to still shop effortlessly.
- Improved search experience – Customers can quickly find products, ask questions, and even complete purchases with simple voice commands.
Tips to Optimize Your Shopify Store
As an existing e-commerce site owner or are new to this business model, you need to adapt to these trends to gain a headstart in 2024. Fortunately, Shopify has the right features and tools to optimize your site according to the latest developments in the market.
Embrace Mobile-First
For many years, many websites, including online stores, still lag behind in terms of mobile optimization. While their sites look impressive on desktops, their mobile versions cause lots of frustration to customers leading to abandoned carts and decrease in sales.
Here are some ways to optimize your website for mobile phones:
Responsive Design
Think of responsive design as the flexible foundation of your mobile store. It’s the magic that makes your content, images, and buttons dance beautifully on any screen size. Choose a responsive Shopify theme or hire a developer to ensure that your site provides top-notch mobile experience.
Page Load Speed
Understand that mobile users are impatient. Imagine this, a one-second delay can reduce conversion rates by 7%. Seek help from developers, SEO specialists, or UX designers to keep your store loading at lightning speed:
- Optimize your images
- Minify code
- Invest in a reliable hosting
Frictionless Checkouts
Offer a simple, one-page checkout process tailored for touchscreens with auto-fill options. This design will reduce frustrations in using your site due to complexity in design.
Integrate Social Media Accounts
In today’s digital landscape, social media isn’t just a way to connect – it’s a powerful sales driver. Integrating your social media accounts with your Shopify site can expand your website’s reach, drive traffic, and boost your online sales.
Shopify Sales Channels
Shopify makes it easy! Go to Sales Channels under the admin dashboard to add platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Create Shoppable Posts
Tag products directly in your social media posts, allowing for a frictionless buying experience.
Social Sharing Buttons
Include prominent sharing buttons on your product pages to encourage customers to spread the word.
Integrate AR/VR in Your Site
Immersive virtual experience from AR and VR are reshaping the e-commerce landscape. Fortunately, you can integrate these immersive technologies into your Shopify site, making integration easier than ever.
Here’s what you need to leverage AR/VR on your site:
Create 3D Models
You can hire a 3D artist or use 3D modeling software to create high-quality 3D models of your products optimized for AR/VR.
Install AR/VR App
Explore Shopify’s App Store for compatible apps like Angle 3D Configurator and Odyssey 3D that fit your needs and budget. Many offer simple setup processes.
Optimize for Voice Search
Building and operating an e-commerce store can streamline the buying journey of your customers, that can boost its performance and profitability. Aside from the usual voice search optimization practices like understanding voice search behavior, keyword research, product page optimization, technical optimization, and local SEO, you can also leverage these features:
- Shopify Apps – The Shopify App Store offers several voice search and commerce apps providing varying levels of functionality like Voice Search by MyAppGurus consider search accuracy, multi-language support and others.
- Smart Speakers – Optimize your product listings and website for voice search engines that power devices like Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
- Conversational AI – Consider advanced solutions for a highly personalized, human-like voice shopping experience.
Power Your Site with AI
AI is welcome (or frowned upon) by many sorts of professionals, including e-commerce specialists and digital marketers. By utilizing this technology, e-commerce pros can work with ease by automating routine tasks such as:
Product Recommendations
The Shopify App Store has tons of AI-powered recommendation engines like Recomify, LimeSpot, and more. These apps often plug in seamlessly with your store. Meanwhile, those with complex or highly specific needs may hire a developer to build a tailored recommendation system using AI frameworks.
Smart Search
Apps like Searchanise, Findify, and Algolia provide advanced search capabilities powered by AI.
You can also consider a custom solution if you have unique requirements or a large, complex product catalog.
Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
Use apps like Gobot, Ada, or Heyday for easy chatbot setup optimized for e-commerce.
You can also utilize chatbot building platforms like Dialogflow or ManyChat and integrate them with your Shopify store.
Image Recognition
AI can analyze product images, allowing users to search visually like uploading a picture of a dress they like to find similar items in your store. Consider using Visual Search or Syte offer image-based search functionality.
Inventory and Demand Forecasting
AI provides tremendous help to business owners and specialists like you. It helps them analyze sales data, trends, and external factors to predict future demand, optimizing stock levels, helping prevent dead stock, and minimizing lost sales. Apps dedicated to forecasting like Lokad or DataQlick will do these tasks for you.
If you are operating larger stores with complex data sets, you may need to work with a development team on data modeling and prediction.
Get More Sales from Your Shopify Store With LeapOut
Setting up and operating a Shopify store is a challenging venture, especially if you’re not a tech-oriented person. To succeed in this field, you need to keep updated with the latest trends to keep up with the competition and attract more customers. You should also know the latest features and capabilities of your online store to optimize your e-commerce site.
To ensure your store’s continuous success amid changing times, you need Shopify experts like those in LeapOut’s Shopify development team. Contact us now to boost your site’s performance in line with the latest trends and requirements.
Tony Chua is an adept Web Content Specialist and HubSpot-certified professional, with an Economics degree from the University of Santo Tomas and over ten years in content creation. Specializing in SEO articles, blog posts, and social media content, Tony has a diverse background encompassing news writing, press releases, and editorial work.
His multifaceted expertise also covers desktop publishing, graphic design, web development, and video editing. At LeapOut Digital, Tony applies his versatile skills to enhance digital narratives and engage a global audience through compelling content.
