Ecommerce trends come and go, but the stakes of delivering a great customer experience have never been higher. Chalk it up to fierce competition: today’s online shoppers choose from more brands than ever, and it only takes one misstep to make prospects reconsider hitting “add to cart.”

But online retailers are taking on those stakes with high expectations of their own. In fact, according to Klaviyo’s “2024 State of the Ecommerce Industry” report, 89% of ecommerce retailers are forecasting robust growth—even while nearly half (46%) of all consumers expect their own spending to remain flat.

With competition intensifying, now’s the time to make sure your marketing strategy and customer experience deliver what today’s consumers really want.

Get started by considering these takeaways from Klaviyo’s latest report.

1. Watch out for “influence gaps.” Even major brands can get tripped up when once-important tactics become less impactful. Case in point: influencer marketing is the third most popular channel among large ecommerce retailers in 2024, but consumers rank its influence as low relative to other channels. Instead, consumers feel more swayed by paid and organic search, broadcast advertising, event marketing, and email.
2. Grow your brand-building team. As the ecommerce landscape evolves, major retailers report plans to hire numerous marketing roles, with a slight emphasis on brand-centric positions such as brand managers, content marketers, digital marketing managers, and community managers.
3. Don’t underestimate in-store experiences. Sure, online shopping is easy, but today’s consumers are still far more likely to purchase when they’re browsing products in person. If your business operates physical locations, consider how your digital customer experience can complement and benefit from them—from special in-store events to new opportunities to drive subscribers.
4. Keep customers engaged on the go. Looking to tap into an underrated channel? Consider boosting your investment in SMS marketing. Right now it presents a unique opportunity: while 39% of consumers report feeling influenced by SMS, only 50% of marketers say they plan to increase their investment in it. And when other brands aren’t texting their customers, your messages can make an even bigger impact.
5. Personalize messages to make a bigger impact. Over half (54%) of ecommerce companies surveyed report using personalization to connect with consumers. It’s not just becoming a norm—it’s setting a new standard for the customer experience. Nearly 60% of consumers say personalization is important, and out of those who’ve engaged with it, nearly 90% say it’s benefitted them.

Of course, every business is different, and the most successful tactics are sure to vary from one industry, brand, and audience to the next. How these insights apply to your strategy is up to you. By staying on top of the latest changes in the ecommerce landscape, you can ensure that your business is ready to delight customers and position itself for long-term success.