Top 23 E-commerce Marketing Trends in 2023

Online shopping continues to be a popular trend in Vietnam, with more and more people preferring to buy over the Internet instead of going to a store in person. Although traditional stores won’t disappear anytime soon, the growing number of online shoppers promises a bright outlook for e-commerce in Vietnam. The article below will help you learn more about the top 23 e-commerce trends in Vietnam in 2023.

A Look Back at E-commerce Marketing in 2022

Over the past two years, the pandemic has changed Vietnam significantly. For example, it’s no surprise that the number of online shoppers kept rising from 2021 to 2022 and now into 2023. But what does a growing number of online shoppers really mean for e-commerce businesses?

By combining SEO with your e-commerce website, you can take advantage of the increase in online shoppers to attract more customers. In addition, applying an SEO strategy also helps raise your website’s ranking on search engines and improves your organic visibility.

When it comes to e-commerce marketing and promotions for online businesses, you can take advantage of several trends from 2022. Some of the e-commerce trends in 2022 include:

• Shopping on mobile devices
• Fast checkout
• Quality customer service
• Influencer marketing
• Building engaging e-commerce websites
• Using content marketing

The Top 23 E-commerce Marketing Trends in 2023

The Omnichannel Marketing Trend

Multichannel marketing, or Omnichannel marketing, is an approach in which companies let consumers access their products and services across many different platforms, devices, and channels to drive lead generation and user engagement.

The shift to multichannel, or Omnichannel marketing, became a fundamental part of the e-commerce trends of 2022, but it will remain relevant until at least 2030, according to McKinsey & Company.

Consumers and potential customers will discover your company in many different ways, including social media, search engines, or commerce platforms. This can be a challenge for marketers, especially when it comes to running e-commerce marketing campaigns and collecting consumer data.

Switching to omnichannel marketing makes it easier for an e-commerce company to run marketing campaigns that are unified and connected across all channels, devices, and platforms. What’s more, companies can collect personal data across all channels.

The Data Protection and Fraud Prevention Trend

With online shopping and online payments becoming more and more common, it’s no surprise that many people want to make sure their data is protected. Data protection and fraud prevention are an important part of the growth of e-commerce. With them, you can head off problems such as canceled payments or fraudulent credit card purchases before they happen.

As e-commerce becomes an ever-growing trend in Vietnam, fraud is becoming more common too. By using artificial intelligence (AI), companies can protect their customers’ data. Companies can also build specific, secure data protection policies to make sure important information is not leaked.

For example, by using AI, financial institutions can build a customer’s shopping profile based on their behavior across financial and non-financial transactions. When a transaction doesn’t match the saved pattern, the system can flag it as potentially suspicious.

Many companies also struggle with fraud. Online stores face around 206,000 cyberattacks every month, and that number can climb without strict online security and prevention measures. With the support of advanced technologies and AI, companies can filter out fake orders with false information and reduce the risk of cyberattacks.

The Online Marketplace Trend

The online shopping trend in 2023 is gradually shifting toward online marketplaces, especially among Gen Z. Marketplace platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, and Sendo are refining their interfaces to improve the user experience, not only for consumers but also for the small and medium-sized businesses moving to this channel.

According to one study, 32% of Gen Z expect to do their shopping online during the holidays. Businesses should seize this opportunity by applying a range of marketplace strategies, such as personalizing and customizing product orders, omnichannel strategies, and expanding commerce across borders.

The Supply Chain Solutions Trend

Given the outlook for e-commerce trends in the coming years, supply chain problems caused by rising demand are unavoidable. Investing in supply chain solutions is one way to prepare for Vietnam’s market trends as they grow at a rapid pace.

76% of consumers say a poor delivery experience affects whether they will order from the same company again. Beyond lost revenue, this also breaks down trust in the brand.

Causes of supply chain problems include holidays, labor shortages, extreme and unexpected weather, port congestion, and rising shipping costs. Businesses have to find ways to resolve these supply chain issues. Open communication, online shipment tracking, and optimized retail operations can help smooth out e-commerce supply chain problems in Vietnam.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been a constantly evolving trend. However, 2023 is expected to be a pivotal moment when AI becomes a deciding factor for online businesses. How can AI benefit your business?

One aspect of AI you can put to use is its ability to learn on its own

By using AI, you can also create customized search results based on your customers’ purchase history and browsing history. This makes it easy for customers to find the products they need and products related to their interests.

In any case, there are many other ways to put AI to work for your e-commerce business. 2023 may be the perfect time to start using AI, so give it a try and experience the benefits it brings to your business as the new year arrives.

User Experience (UX)

User experience (UX), also known as user interface design or usability, refers to the process of creating a relevant and engaging web experience for users. In 2023, UX will remain an important part of e-commerce marketing, so focus on giving your customers a high-quality website experience.

UX has always mattered for e-commerce, but 2023 is when it becomes even more important for online businesses. An outstanding shopping experience is what every customer needs, so make sure you focus on improving UX to make a positive first impression of your business. Don’t forget that most online shoppers will leave a website if it lacks high-quality images and engaging content, which makes improving UX even more important.

The Social Commerce Trend

Popular social media platforms already have their own e-commerce systems, such as Facebook Marketplace and Instagram Shopping. In that case, why not create a social media page for your business and set up a second e-commerce platform alongside your website?

Social commerce will become an important part of e-commerce in 2023, and it may be a good time to keep up with the trend as it continues to grow. With so many people active on social media apps, these become the perfect platforms for advertising products, because sellers can upload a product catalog with prices, which saves time. Moreover, this e-commerce marketing and advertising strategy encourages users to click the “Call to Buy” button when they find a product, which takes them to your e-commerce website. That’s how social commerce helps increase traffic and expand your customer base.

The Voice Search Trend

In recent years, the smart speaker trend has joined the market trends in Vietnam and become increasingly popular thanks to the growth of the smart home market. For many consumers, using a smart speaker is convenient because they only need to connect the device to their Wi-Fi network, and the voice assistant then carries out the everyday tasks they ask for.

A forecast from Research And Markets shows the global smart speaker market growing to $16.47 billion by 2027. By then, they expect every household in North America, Europe, and the Pacific to own a smart speaker for online shopping, ordering food, and scheduling important events.

With the rise of voice-activated solutions, e-commerce businesses can take advantage of them to promote their brands through keywords and content. Their customers can easily find the products they offer through voice search.

Augmented Reality Interaction

A key element of effective digital marketing is capturing customers’ attention. Sometimes, though, attention alone isn’t enough. To persuade customers to buy, brands need to get creative in their digital marketing campaigns to attract target customers online and drive them to take action.

Fortunately, there are many different ways to capture customers’ attention. One of them is augmented reality interaction, also known as AR. It’s a type of technology that brings the imagination to life.

Over time, AR has completely changed how the e-commerce industry operates and has become part of the business trends in Vietnam. Thanks to AR, your online shoppers can see the product they’re interested in, which helps them compare options and make the right purchasing decision.

According to Facts and Factors, the AR market is expected to reach $90.8 billion by 2028. This shows that e-commerce business owners should expect AR to have a significant impact on the e-commerce industry in the coming years.

Multiple Payment Methods

The trend toward diversifying payment methods plays an important role, because every customer has their own preference for how to pay. This means that if a customer’s preferred payment method isn’t available on your e-commerce website, they may not complete their purchase.

Offering a variety of payment options helps attract more customers. Using secure payment gateways so customers can save their payment information on your e-commerce website makes checkout quick. Convenient payment also encourages customers to come back and buy more products from your website.

The Growing Importance of Environmental Protection

In the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have become more aware of the environment. This has made consumers more discerning when shopping online. They will often research more carefully to find out whether products from an e-commerce store harm the environment or are linked to environmental issues.

According to statistics, as many as 90% of Gen X consumers are willing to pay 10% more to shop from an e-commerce store that is committed to protecting the environment. This means brands should focus more on being eco-friendly in 2023. Besides reducing paper use, they should also use biodegradable packaging and recyclable materials. Highlighting the eco-friendly aspects of your brand in your digital marketing campaigns will help attract more customers.

Customer Awareness

As the e-commerce industry grows, there will come a day when your store attracts many more new customers. To expand your customer base, you need to build broad awareness of your brand so that more and more people know about it. This is extremely important in digital marketing campaigns.

Brands should understand that building an online presence goes beyond posting content. They need to build trust and transparency in how they offer products and services, because one third of online shoppers will switch to another brand if they don’t see these qualities in a brand.

To keep this from happening to your e-commerce business, you need to run marketing campaigns that inform customers about the products and services you offer, including how they perform.

Here are some customer awareness goals to keep in mind when creating a digital marketing campaign:

• Understand the different types of customers and their interest in your products.
• Build an effective digital marketing plan to reach a specific target group.
• Help potential customers understand your products and services better.
• Communicate the benefits of your products.
• Explain how your products can help customers solve their problems.

Brands should also make use of user-generated content (UGC). This is content created by your audience or users. Some examples include product unboxing videos and reviews. Brands should also leverage different UGC formats, including images, videos, podcasts, reviews, and testimonials.

Conversion Rate

Being able to attract customers to your e-commerce website is one thing, but getting them to make a purchase is another story.

Since 2021, many e-commerce businesses have been looking for ways to improve their conversion rates. Some improve their product pages, while others advertise their products on channels beyond their website, such as Facebook ads or Google Shopping ads.

With growing competition in the e-commerce industry, you need to be more creative in your digital marketing campaigns to win customers over from the start. However, you also need to be careful with design and messaging, because not all customers share the same beliefs, and this can cause misunderstandings.

That’s why your digital marketing campaign needs to be easy to understand and appealing at first glance. Use these platforms wisely so your brand stands out and attracts customers, encouraging them to make a purchase.

The QR Code Trend

QR codes will continue to play an important role. In 2023, anyone with a smartphone can scan a QR code, helping businesses increase traffic to their e-commerce websites and engage with customers.

To use QR codes effectively in your digital marketing campaigns, here is what you need to do:

• Add QR codes to product packaging to send customers to your online store.
• Add QR codes to offer discounts or coupons for specific products or services.
• Add QR codes to redirect customers to your feedback page or social media.

You can also use QR codes to track marketing metrics. There are software tools and apps that let brands see how many times a QR code has been scanned, from a single scan to many repeat scans. You can also sort these results by location, date, and operating system. This data will give you insight into how you engage with your audience.

Video Marketing

Video is a great tool for e-commerce SEO; you can expect plenty of people to find your content online, especially when you tag your videos accurately. This will show up in search results when your customers search for something related to your brand.

You can also use video marketing on social media as posts or ads, since potential customers are very likely to see your campaign there and on online video platforms such as YouTube. You need to be aware that videos are more engaging than strategic image posts, and they are likely to draw more attention. That’s why you should roll out video marketing across multiple platforms if you want to promote your business in an appealing way.

The Live Stream E-commerce Trend

Live stream e-commerce has also changed how people shop online. Much like in a traditional setting, sales representatives can promote their products and services as if the customer were standing right in front of them.

Over the past two years, this e-commerce marketing trend has become very popular. With the pandemic still dragging on and people still wary of online shopping, live stream e-commerce has become a perfect way to get customers to make a purchase.

The Website Personalization Trend

Whether your customers are B2C or B2B, they all want a personalized online shopping experience. As an e-commerce owner, you can do this by using data collected from customers’ previous visits and browsing on your website. By applying artificial intelligence (AI), you can create customized product recommendations and provide detailed customer service.

When you build personalization into your e-commerce marketing and SEO strategy, your customers will feel more valued. This means you can push your expected revenue higher.

The Influencer Collaboration Trend

With social media growing relentlessly, influencer marketing will continue to expand in 2023. This e-commerce marketing trend will become more important because many customers trust brands that collaborate with influencers.

For example, Shopee became a trend after drawing huge attention by having Jackie Chan as the face of its e-commerce marketing campaign “Ngày Siêu Mua Sắm 9.9” (9.9 Super Shopping Day) in 2021. This collaboration drew particular attention from the actor’s fans.

According to a recent HubSpot study, as many as 30% of customers say influencer opinions affect their purchasing decisions. So if you want to use this e-commerce marketing trend for your campaign in 2023, you should start looking for influencers who fit your brand’s vision. Doing so will make your influencer collaborations more effective.

The Conversational Commerce Trend

With the sudden surge in time spent on messaging apps, many brands have started adopting the conversational commerce trend. This is a new digital marketing method that helps brands connect with their customers at a more personalized level.

For example, by adding a WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger icon to your business page, customers get the chance to communicate directly and send you their questions. If implemented properly, you can create an excellent customer service experience.

That’s why, with the pandemic still not over, e-commerce business owners like you should seize this opportunity by integrating chat commerce into your customer service, as in the example below.

The Live Chat Support Trend

Even if you already provide frequently asked questions (FAQs) or product descriptions on your e-commerce website, they sometimes aren’t enough to answer the questions customers have. If they send an email, it may take several hours before they get a reply. Likewise, if they decide to call your e-commerce store, they may have to wait in a queue until it’s their turn.

To spare customers these annoyances, adding live chat support is a must. With it, they can interact, connect, and chat with real people, resolving their issues in real time.

The Retail-as-Entertainment Marketing Trend

The COVID-19 pandemic forced people to stay home for a long time, yet this situation opened up opportunities for e-commerce marketing to grow. Now that restrictions are gradually easing, people are eager to get out of the house and experience shopping in person at stores.

However, the return to in-store shopping doesn’t mean e-commerce will come to an end in Vietnam. That isn’t quite true. Today, people have recognized the importance of both e-commerce trends and online shopping. Consumers who want convenient, fast, and personalized shopping will keep using e-commerce platforms. Meanwhile, shopping in person still serves the purpose of enjoying the physical feel or being able to touch and inspect products in a showroom, creating a different kind of shopping experience.

See more: Netflix’s Outstanding Marketing Strategies

The Searchable Content Trend

Most regions of the world are facing inflation. Inflation affects consumers directly by raising the prices of goods while wages don’t rise in proportion. This situation also affects people’s spending habits and influences online shopping trends.

For example, consumers will prioritize basic goods such as food and housing over products in the ‘want to have’ category. They also become more careful when choosing products to spend on. They look into products that deliver value in proportion to the money they spend and skip the ones they consider not worth their hard-earned money.

E-commerce businesses in Vietnam need to take advantage of this situation by making sure there is searchable content about their products, explaining why each product is worth every penny customers spend.

The Micro-Influencer Collaboration Trend

This article has covered how consumers are influenced by big influencers in their purchasing decisions. However, in 2023, e-commerce businesses in Vietnam don’t necessarily have to partner with influencers who have millions of followers.

Micro-influencers are social media users with fewer than 100,000 followers or subscribers on social media platforms such as TikTok. Micro-influencers on TikTok influence audiences in small but tightly engaged segments that closely follow their content. Rather than relying on popularity, micro-influencers build their audiences on trust and friendship, especially when they take an active part in the community.

Although their audiences are smaller, micro-influencers have a strong impact on them, something e-commerce businesses in Vietnam can put to use. They can do this by sending PR packages so influencers can review products in their videos.

Conclusion

2022 was an important year for e-commerce, with a significant rise in consumer engagement through online platforms. 2023 continues to see the industry advance, with breakthrough trends that create more diverse, more personalized shopping experiences and integrate many more immersive elements. To succeed, businesses need to respond to these changes and make good use of the new opportunities in an ever-evolving e-commerce environment.