The world of ecommerce within South Africa is only at the start, there is still so much potential for growth. As more users have access to fast internet and as more payment options become available to shoppers, users within the ecommerce environment will surely increase. This is an industry with a big potential growth, so let’s take a look at the expected ecommerce trends for the current year.

1. Website sustainability

Certain days like Black Friday, Christmas or any big sales promotion warrant a reliable website that is able to sustain large amounts of traffic. There are cases where websites take long to load, do not load, or crash – this has become almost unacceptable today. These days, excellent technology, expertise and preparation mean there is no reason for your website to fail at any time.

2. Hot deals

Shoppers, especially within an online environment, are drawn to excellent deals that have the biggest discounts. Many would say that due to the high rates of unemployment and low growth rates in South Africa, shoppers are looking for affordable deals with high discount rates. You will find that these deals are normally advertised using email marketing, which is an effective way to advertise products on a daily basis. Social media is also a great platform to inform shoppers about these daily deals. Ecommerce platforms will use elements such as email marketing and social media to direct product information to people who have shown interest in the company by either subscribing to their newsletters or following them on various social media platforms.

3. More payment options

You might be shocked to read, this but there are still many South African shoppers who are afraid to shop online because of credit card theft. This is why ecommerce platforms such as bidorbuy have implemented different payment options. Ecommerce players need to be aware that shoppers may find certain payment options more convenient than others. If ecommerce platforms limit the amount of payment options they offer, they will in turn drive away potential shoppers. A great example is a potential shopper who does not have a credit card or feels uncomfortable using this method; he or she will still be able to shop if you provide other payment options such as EFT payments. At bidorbuy, we offer over eight different payment options, including internet transfer, major credit cards, mobicred and SnapScan, to name a few.

4. Efficient and affordable delivery

One of the most important elements of ecommerce is delivery. If we compare South Africa to the rest of the world, we still lag behind. However, we have seen many leaps in delivery services over the years. Parcels are being delivered at a faster pace and clear communication about parcel details are provided. One of the big issues is, of course, the high cost of shipping. On bidorbuy, the addition of shipping options offered by Pargo and uAfrica has made life easier for both sellers and buyers. In 2018, we expect to see lower shipping costs and even faster delivery.