10 eCommerce trends transforming CX in 2023

In 2023, eCommerce trends will create a more immersive, personalized, accessible and altogether more human digital customer experience. Customer expectations continue to increase and eCommerce brands need to not only match expectations but exceed them.

Brands need a deeper, more holistic understanding of their customers to provide the experiences they crave. The CX your brand offers can directly impact its growth, revenue and ROI in 2023.

Here are 10 eCommerce trends we’ll see in 2023:

1. Live-stream shopping experiences will take off

Live shopping is a part of social commerce that combines entertainment with real-time shopping. It’s not just more engaging; it also delivers results. Companies see up to 10X higher conversion rates with live shopping than in conventional eCommerce.

Today, over 35% of all live streamers are in the apparel and fashion category, but in the future, it’s likely to get widespread adoption across all industries.

Already in action

Kiehl’s, a skincare brand, ran an Instagram Live events campaign hosted by beauty content creators. During the events, Kiehl’s customers could learn about their products and make purchases directly via their Instagram Shop. The ​​seven-week campaign delivered an 8X return on ad spend.

2. Employees will be content creators

Posts shared by employees get 800% more engagement than those shared by corporate brand accounts.

As social media helps content creators grow their personal brand, it can also help corporate brands better connect with their audience by humanizing their messaging and products. Having a human share a message on social media helps cuts through the clutter of countless ads and promotions.

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3. Building community-driven brands

Community building is all about engaging customers beyond just selling your products. It fosters customer loyalty, building long-lasting relationships with brands. The online communities market is projected to increase from its value of $7.3 billion to $27.6 billion by 2032—a compound annual growth rate of 14%.

“In the next five years it’ll not only be about customer journeys, but it’ll also be about life journeys.” —Gary Roth, Director of Business Value Engineering, Contentsquare

Already in action

The sports apparel company, Lululemon has led the way in building a loyal community around its brand. After acquiring Mirror, an in-home smart fitness mirror, they launched a loyalty and content memberships program. By combining the two products—apparel and fitness tech—they’re able to create more compelling experiences and cultivate positive change in the lives of their customers.

4. More holistic, personalized omnichannel experiences

Brands will continue to optimize their personalization strategies to create a holistic brand experience through every channel. Whether it is on social media, email, SMS or any other type of digital touchpoint, consumers want a seamless experience. Brands need to anticipate consumers’ unique needs and expectations, demonstrate empathy and deliver a personalized experience while remaining uncomplicated and enjoyable to use.

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5. Testing will be embedded into eCommerce company culture

Today, experimentation and testing are usually owned by one department and used to increase conversion rates. However, it will soon be integrated and owned across all departments. It will become part of business culture.

Testing is about understanding your customer and letting them have a voice in the development of their experience. —Mary Kate Cash, Head of Growth Marketing, NA, AB Tasty

6. VR & AR implementation will skyrocket

Brands are offering more interactive experiences that build a strong emotional connection between the consumer and a product. Mimicking in-store experiences like tasting a sample, testing out a potential couch or feeling the softness of a sweater are challenging to replicate digitally, but augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and 3D content help bridge the gap. They can also provide a deeper understanding and attachment to a product that builds trust with consumers and makes the purchasing decision easier.

7. AI will help companies form stronger connections

The adoption of Artificial intelligence is taking off at an unprecedented speed. A study by PwC found that 52% of companies accelerated their AI adoption plans due to Covid. AI will help brands build stronger connections with their customers by personalizing every step in the customer journey.

84% of C-level executives believe that they need to adopt and leverage AI to drive growth objectives.

8. Sustainability will be embedded into CX

Sustainability is an increasingly important part of consumer purchasing decisions, 70% of consumers think it’s important that a brand is sustainable or eco-friendly. In the future, this will be embedded into company culture, products, services and the experience they provide their customers. Consumption will also go beyond buying physical things.

9. Digital accessibility will be prioritized in all channels and experiences

Accessibility isn’t just a trending buzzword—it’s a strategic shift brands across industries will continue to prioritize in 2023. Increasing accessibility will not only increase your audience and expand your opportunities for conversions and additional revenue but also save you from expensive lawsuits and litigation.

In 2022 there were over 4,000 lawsuits regarding digital accessibility, with 77% targeting eCommerce brands.

10. Digital trust and data privacy along the customer journey

Third-party cookies are phasing out, so brands will need to rely on first-party data. This means building trust with customers and finding direct ways to capture customer data is the key to creating meaningful and unique experiences.

We want to be respectful of the trust that consumers give us. And also, be able to come back to them with personalized, unique experiences. —Diana Zaccardi, SVP, Digital Marketing & Base Management, Verizon

Looking for more eCommerce trends? Check out our virtual event, CX circle, for more trends, predictions and insights into the future of CX.