When it comes to WordPress plugins for ecommerce, WooCommerce takes up the majority of the market share. 95.7% of online stores built with WordPress use WooCommerce. The web developers at TheeDigital use WordPress exclusively and often choose WooCommerce over other plugins for websites with online stores.
WooCommerce is a free plugin that works seamlessly with WordPress websites. It’s flexible and offers many options for store owners and developers. It also offers numerous extensions and is consistently updated. WooCommerce is a driving force behind many ecommerce trends that you will be seeing in 2024 and beyond.
1. Hyper Focus on Mobile Usability
Over 75% of global e-commerce sales are reported to be from mobile devices.
This means online stores are required to be responsive so they function and look appealing on any device. Page load time is also important when it comes to mobile. Consumers are likely to lose patience with a page that refuses to load on their device. Luckily, almost all WooCommerce-friendly themes available for WordPress are 100% responsive and flexible meaning they work great for mobile devices.
2. Augmented Reality (AR) Product Pages
With the constant onslaught of new technology and faster internet speeds, web designer has been able to include things like video, virtual reality & 360º visual content more and more. This is great news for ecommerce, as it means more enhanced product pages that can include a video to show your product in action. WooCommerce even offers a 360º Image feature, which allows users to add a dynamic 360º rotation to your product images. This is only the beginning. Early-stage virtual and augmented reality startups are the biggest new technology, so expect more of these features to be added to WooCommerce in the future.
But don’t forget: content is always key. Support those videos and AR features with robust content that fully describes your products. Boost your SEO by including your top keywords and phrases as it makes sense.
3. Personalized Shopping Experiences
While artificial intelligence helps provide personalized customer service, this technology also helps in providing more personalized shopping experiences. Personalizing a shopping experience is more than just greeting your customer by name. Knowing your customer’s location, language, and shopping habits allows you to show them local events or sales that would be of interest to them as they browse your online store. WooCommerce offers a variety of features to help you provide a more personalized shopping experience for your customers:
- MultilingualPress – Speak your customer’s language with MultilingualPress! If your online store has gone global, translating your product pages is vital to increasing conversions.
- WooCommerce Extra Product Options – The WooCommerce Extra Product Options Extension gives you the ability to build forms with conditional logic so customers can easily customize products to their liking.
- WooCommerce Darwin Pricing Integration – Add geo-targeted coupon codes and tracking codes with the WooCommerce Darwin Pricing Integration plugin.
4. Chatbots Customer Service
Chatbots are available 24/7 and can take on simple questions. These artificial intelligence bots are doing wonders when it comes to customer service. With machine learning, chatbots can get even smarter as they learn more about your customers. WooCommerce is ahead of the game on this trend. There are already several chatbot plugins that work with WooCommerce:
- WooWBot – The WooWBot is a standalone chatbot shop assistant that doesn’t require any 3rd party service integrations.
- Facebook Messenger for WooCommerce – Facebook Messenger is leading the way when it comes to chatbots. Easy to install and familiar!
- Tidio – Tidio serves multiple needs by offering live chat, chatbots and email integration features all in one plugin.
5. Unique E-Commerce Websites to Catch Attention
It’s always important to stand out from the crowd, especially in the large world of e-commerce. Making your site’s appearance more unique can help your business cement itself in the minds of visitors and potential customers and we predict that we’ll be seeing some specific aesthetics that help keep people interested. These days trends like using high saturation, minimalistic design, and vibrant, eye-catching colors can draw interest and may help you win more on-page time and ultimately, conversions.
An experienced WooCommerce website developer can help you achieve the design that gives your business’ site a memorable and engaging feel and look.
6. Sustainability and Ethical Shopping
As consumer awareness of environmental and social issues continues to grow, WooCommerce stores will prioritize sustainability and ethical practices.
This trend reflects a growing consumer demand for products that align with their values, particularly concerning environmental and social responsibility. WooCommerce stores will want to increase and emphasize sustainability throughout their operations, from sourcing materials to manufacturing processes and distribution. Expect to see more eco-friendly product options, such as organic, recycled, or upcycled goods, prominently featured in online stores.
Transparent supply chains will become the norm, with businesses providing detailed information about where and how their products are made. Some stores may also implement initiatives
7. Social Commerce Expansion
Social media platforms have already become powerful channels for driving e-commerce sales, and this trend will continue to gain momentum in 2024. WooCommerce stores will deepen their integration with popular social networks like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to facilitate seamless shopping experiences directly within social feeds.
This integration may take the form of shoppable posts, where users can browse and purchase products without leaving the social platform. Additionally, businesses can leverage influencer marketing strategies to promote their products to engaged audiences, capitalizing on the authenticity and trust built by social media influencers. User-generated content will also play a crucial role in social commerce, with customers sharing their purchases and experiences, effectively serving as brand ambassadors.
By harnessing the power of social commerce, WooCommerce stores can expand their reach, drive sales, and foster deeper connections with their target audience in 2024 and beyond.
8. Voice Commerce Integration
With the increasing popularity of voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, voice commerce is expected to revolutionize the way people shop online, offering a hands-free and convenient shopping experience. This technology allows users to search for products, add items to their carts, and complete purchases simply by speaking. To support voice commerce, stores will optimize their product listings with descriptive and natural language keywords to improve search accuracy.
In addition, they will focus on enhancing the voice recognition capabilities of their platforms to accurately interpret user commands. By embracing voice commerce, WooCommerce stores can cater to the growing segment of consumers who prefer hands-free interactions and capitalize on the convenience of voice-enabled devices.
Contact Us for Expert WooCommerce Website Development
Looking for an experienced web development agency that can create a responsive online store with WooCommerce? Contact our award-winning WooCommerce website developers and ecommerce marketing professionals in Raleigh, NC at 919-341-8901 or schedule a complimentary consultation and website review.