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Ecommerce is growing—and fast.&nbsp;In recent years, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/251666/number-of-digital-buyers-worldwide/" target="_blank">80% of internet users</a> in the U.S. made at least one purchase online. With the pandemic speeding up online shopping adoption, that order volume continues to rise. And despite challenges around the global supply chain, things are looking rosy for the ecommerce sector.&nbsp;Even so, ecommerce changes fast and consumer preferences can be, well, fickle. That’s why we asked some of the sharpest minds in ecommerce today this question: What’s next for ecommerce in 2022?Here’s what they had to say.<h2>1. Growth of Influence: Social Media and Creators</h2>Every week, <a href="https://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2019/10/2020-video-marketing-and-statistics-what-brands-need-to-know/" target="_blank">78% of people</a> watch videos online. TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat are basically omnipresent in modern society. With video becoming such a popular mode of consumption, marketers have taken note. The video marketing industry grew to <a href="https://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2019/10/2020-video-marketing-and-statistics-what-brands-need-to-know/" target="_blank">$135 billion in 2020.</a>But where’s that money going? Retail expert Nicole Leinbach Reyhle thinks it’ll be social media companies and creators cashing those checks.“As we push forward in 2022, live social media selling will rise among all social media platforms and across the generations. Companies such as Comment Sold and Open4Sale will help drive this, with retailers and consumers alike leveraging these opportunities to connect with each other in engaging, interactive ways despite social distancing and the continued desire for many customers to want to shop from the comfort of their homes. This also gives brick and mortar stores a chance to reach customers and move inventory from their businesses, something that is always appreciated," said Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, founder &amp; publisher at <a href="https://retailminded.com/">Retail Minded</a>.<blockquote>"As we push forward in 2022, live social media selling will rise among all social media platforms and across the generations."NICOLE LEINBACH REYHLE, FOUNDER &amp; PUBLISHER AT <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://retailminded.com/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1643217755290988&amp;usg=AOvVaw0XN16fPu-VrFKOoV23Uypk" target="_blank">RETAIL MINDED</a></blockquote><h2>2. Educational How-to Content</h2>Kat Ambrose, Content Marketer at Shogun, thinks the future of ecommerce in 2022 is going to be all about one thing: education content. Here’s why:“Scaling DTC brands are starting to see the value of creating sites with not only a fast, engaging shopping experience but one that customers keep returning to learn. Plant-based protein brand, Daring, is a great example of this. Their “How to Cook” page includes several videos on how to cook each type of “chicken” they offer, while they continue to update their recipe page for fresh inspiration,” said Ambrose.&nbsp;And she’s not wrong. A study by The Content Marketing Institute asked respondents what the most important content marketing methods were. A whopping 77% said educational content marketing.Educational content marketing works because you’re putting the needs of the customer first. Rather than just selling products to them, you’re helping them make a decision about a problem they’re trying to solve. And if you do that right, then they’re more likely to look to you to solve that problem.<h2>3. Brands Getting Into NFTs</h2><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147262/unnamed_1_611c5682c4.jpg" alt="unnamed-1.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147262/thumbnail_unnamed_1_611c5682c4.jpg 245w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147262/small_unnamed_1_611c5682c4.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw">NFTS (Non-Fungible Tokens) aren’t just expensive .jpgs of CryptoPunks. Even ecommerce brands are starting to buy into the buzz surrounding them.There’s no clear one-size-fits-all strategy about how to use them. NFTs and ecommerce are still sailing in uncharted waters, but the opportunities abound in this new frontier. Some brands could look to sell them for profit, and others to use them as part of a loyalty program.Here’s what Jenny Gyllander of ThingTesting had to say:“More brands will start to dip their toes into the world of NFTs, whether it be to finance their business, activate their community by offering perks or incentives, or using them in marketing to signal that the brand is active in the space. There will be trial and error as brands determine what works for them and look into what kind of technology they'd need to use to create and sell their own NFTs. I expect to see digital assets more integrated into ecommerce experiences for brands as they figure out their own approach to the buzz around NFTs.”&nbsp;<blockquote>More brands will start to dip their toes into the world of NFTs, whether it be to finance their business, activate their community by offering perks or incentives, or using them in marketing to signal that the brand is active in the space.JENNY GYLLANDER OF <a href="https://thingtesting.com/" target="_blank">THINGTESTING</a></blockquote><h2>4. Highly Personalized Customer Journeys</h2>The next ecommerce trend of 2022 will be focused on highly personalized customer journeys.&nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147337/unnamed_2_f69ff96143.jpg" alt="unnamed-2.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147337/thumbnail_unnamed_2_f69ff96143.jpg 245w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147337/small_unnamed_2_f69ff96143.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw">Take a look at DTC brand Doe Lashes: They have an interactive quiz on their website that matches customers to the perfect lashes. Their quiz gathers details about customers’ eye shapes, natural lash size, and even what cartoons they watched as kids—all as part of a strategy to create a personal experience that’s unique to the customer.Nik Sharma over at <a href="https://www.sharmabrands.com/" target="_blank">Sharma Brands</a> is in full agreement:“I believe that a huge ecommerce trend is going to be personalizing the customer journey. That doesn't mean that your name is going to be written on the page, but when you get to a site, there is going to be a very clear angle in which a product or brand is marketing itself to you. For example, if you go to JUDY's site in San Diego, it might have a message about wildfires and earthquakes, versus going to the same page in Florida, it would speak about hurricanes.”&nbsp;<h2>5. Product Line Diversification</h2>It’s harder and harder to stand out as a DTC brand online—there are now thousands <a href="https://www.semisupervised.com/2021-state-of-direct-to-consumer-brands/">of them</a>. It’s no surprise that a lot of ecommerce brands are shifting strategies to get their voices heard. That’s why we think product line diversification is set to become an ecommerce trend in 2022.“Expansion can help brands respond to shifts in consumer behaviors, not just product preferences or trends. In 2016, Dyson released the Supersonic hairdryer after observing the uptick in hair coloring and studying the global hairdryer. Their solution put their core technology in the hands of a new market by solving their everyday pain points, making a product that was lighter, faster, and less damaging," said marketing consultant Grace Clarke.A great example of this is swimwear brand Summersalt. Once known for their colorful line of swimwear, they now offer outerwear, clothes for traveling, and even underwear.We’re sure to see more and more companies spinning out from their hero product and pivoting to <a href="https://www.bolt.com/landing/report-etail-the-d2c-revolution/" target="_blank">more diverse product lines in 2022</a>.<h2>6. Post-Purchase Experience</h2>The job isn’t over once a customer has made a purchase. The entire post-purchase experience is a golden opportunity to create a loyal customer, not a one-time buyer.<blockquote>“Post-purchase experience will be more important than ever as the acquisition of new customers becomes more challenging. The last trend of personalization helped improve the customer experience on the site and brands are now going to take that data to be more intentional with how they communicate with their customers after the purchase.”<a href="https://jasonwong.co/" target="_blank">Jason Wong</a>, CEO of Doe Lashes</blockquote><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147508/unnamed_3_a5572badec.jpg" alt="unnamed-3.jpg" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147508/thumbnail_unnamed_3_a5572badec.jpg 245w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147508/small_unnamed_3_a5572badec.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw">The post-purchase experience has always been an important part of ecommerce. It sets the bar on whether your brand met their needs and whether they’ll recommend you to friends and family in the future. And like Jason said, in the increasingly crowded online marketplace, taking care of your customers every step of the way will only become more important.<h2>7. &nbsp;Speedy Checkout</h2>Modern customers aren’t always known for their patience. Ecommerce platform loading times are a key part of the buyer’s journey, and websites that lag are sure to be left behind in 2022. But brands that can deliver lightning-fast checkout experiences? &nbsp;<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147660/Screen_Shot_2022_01_24_at_10_10_24_AM_8347bd4137.png" alt="Screen-Shot-2022-01-24-at-10.10.24-AM.png" srcset="https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147660/thumbnail_Screen_Shot_2022_01_24_at_10_10_24_AM_8347bd4137.png 214w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147660/small_Screen_Shot_2022_01_24_at_10_10_24_AM_8347bd4137.png 500w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147660/medium_Screen_Shot_2022_01_24_at_10_10_24_AM_8347bd4137.png 750w,https://res.cloudinary.com/dugcmkito/image/upload/v1671147660/large_Screen_Shot_2022_01_24_at_10_10_24_AM_8347bd4137.png 1000w," sizes="100vw">As one Lulemon customer put it:“One-click checkout is a must. I had a recent online shopping experience with Lululemon and it legit blew my mind how fast I went from cart to ordered," said writer <a href="https://www.michaelkeenan.co/" target="_blank">Michael Keenan</a>.The ecommerce brands that will win big in 2022 will be those who can guarantee a rapid checkout experience. That means providing:<ul><li><a href="https://www.bolt.com/thinkshop/why-guest-checkout-degrades-online-shopping-customer-experiences/">A well-designed che</a><a href="https://www.bolt.com/thinkshop/why-guest-checkout-degrades-online-shopping-customer-experiences/" target="_blank">ckout experience</a></li><li><a href="https://www.bolt.com/thinkshop/how-to-measure-your-checkout-load-time/" target="_blank">Lighting-fast one-click checkout</a></li><li><a href="https://www.bolt.com/blog/order-tracking-and-notifications-real-time-updates/" target="_blank">And next-day delivery with order tracking and notifications</a></li></ul>A fast checkout experience means fewer abandoned carts, a higher sales conversion rate, and happier customers.&nbsp;Getting all that right can be tricky. At Bolt, we’re focused on helping ecommerce brands provide a checkout experience so fast you barely realize it’s there.<h2>Get Ready for Ecommerce Success in 2022</h2>With an eye on these trends, you can be sure to stay ahead of the curve with your online business in 2022. Start planning and taking action now to make the coming months your most profitable to date.