The year is almost over and looking back at the e-commerce results from the first half of the year, as well as the numbers from the recent Black Friday, it is expected that the segment will end 2017 with an increase of 10% to 15% in revenue. Throughout the year, it was possible to observe improvements in the country’s economic scenario, which have stimulated the consumption market. Because of that, the growth perspective for the Brazilian e-commerce sector in 2018 maintains its positive trend.
Businesses that want to succeed in the Brazilian market in 2018 should keep an eye on these e-commerce trends and start planning their strategies:
Top 3 E-commerce Trends
Greater Share of M-commerce
More and more digital consumers in Brazil carry out their online purchases on mobile devices. In H1 2017, such devices were responsible for 31% of e-commerce sales in the country. During last Black Friday, the m-commmerce segment generated 26.5% of the total e-commerce revenue, in comparison to only having a share a share of 4.4% in 2013.
Because of this, the increased importance of mobile devices’ for e-commerce is evident. If an online store is not mobile friendly, it is time to update the layout and make the website easily accessible on smartphones and tablets. Furthermore, even the checkout and the payment methods must be fully responsive. For instance, PagBrasil provides some features optimized for these devices, like its responsive boleto bancário and one-click purchase technology, which are bound to provide buyers with a better purchasing experience.
Real-time Customer Support / Chatbots
We have already discussed the particularities of what Brazilian consumers expect in terms of customer support. For 2018, the more online stores can provide real-time customer support, the better. In that scenario, chatbots are great allies for online businesses. In addition, chatbots that work with social apps, like Facebook Messenger, will also have a greater importance next year. As such technology can assist with simple requests, e-commerce stores will be able to provide faster customer service, in addition to freeing up staff so that they can focus on more complicated cases.
Selling Through Social Media
The social commerce, as the segment is known, started of as a way for businesses to engage with their followers and develop their brand, hoping this would eventually convert the users into paying customers. The next step for the segment was the advance of influencer marketing, which helped retailers reach their consumers through influencers networks. However, it was just recently that selling through social media became easier. Thanks to a better integration between e-commerce platforms and social media channels, such as Shopify with Facebook, and the advance of social media marketing, online businesses now have a great opportunity to drive further sales.
Brazilians are avid internet users and spend most of their online time on social media. Although social media selling already drove additional revenue for merchants this year, 2018 should bring even better results.
Overall, the e-commerce trends for 2018 in Brazil are aligned with those of the e-commerce segment as a whole. The more mature the Brazilian market becomes, the easier it gets to replicate some strategies that work in more established e-commerce markets. Ultimately, the trends are also in accordance with the needs of a growing market and with listening to what buyers want. It is important to keep in mind that if buyers can’t get what they want in one place, they will get it elsewhere. Thanks to the internet, elsewhere can really be anywhere in the world. Therefore, focusing on providing great buying experience, regardless of the channel used for the purchase, as well as an excellent pre and post sales customer support, are key to stand out and benefit from the opportunities the Brazilian e-commerce market has to offer.
