Surprising E-Commerce Statistics You May Not Know.

A few short years ago, buying something without first seeing it in person would have been unthinkable for most people.

But today, e-commerce is the norm, and brick-and-mortar stores are struggling to keep up.

There are several reasons for this shift, but the most important one is the convenience of buying online.

With just a few clicks, you can have almost anything you want to deliver right to your door.

No fighting traffic or dealing with impatient salespeople—just quick, easy shopping from the comfort of your home.

Moreover, as e-commerce continues to grow, it’s becoming easier and easier to find exactly what you’re looking for online.

With so many options at your fingertips, it’s no wonder that more and more people are doing their shopping online.

In this article, we compiled some of the most surprising e-commerce statistics to show just how big online shopping has become.

E-Commerce Buyer Statistics

E-Commerce Shoppers by the Numbers

These days, finding someone who hasn’t shopped online at least once is hard.

In fact, according to a recent study, 69% of Americans have made an online purchase at some point. 25% of Americans shop online at least once per month.

The website Statista estimated that the number of global buyers who shop online would increase to 2.14 billion by the end of 2021. That’s a significant jump from the 1.66 billion international buyers who shopped online in 2016.

So it’s safe to say that e-commerce growth will not stop anytime soon.

Regarding online shopping, it’s no surprise that most consumers are under 75 years of age.

95% of online shoppers are between the ages of 18 and 74.

Millennials (those between the ages of 18 and 34) account for 30% of the online shopping population, while members of GenX (ages 35-54) account for 34%.

Boomers (ages 55-74) are right in the middle at 31%.

A recent study found that 58% of consumers leave a website that doesn’t have reviews without making a purchase.

Reviews have become the backbone of trust for online shopping. As a society, we have come to rely heavily on the community to influence our decision making. We trust our peers and we want their insight. A site without reviews completely is a red flag to consumers that your brand cannot be trusted.

Christi Carnahan, Digital Strategist

These days, people want to see what others think about a product before they make a purchase.

A Global Business World

If you thought online shopping was extensive before 2020, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Last year, retail e-commerce sales grew by an impressive 27.6%.

That means online shopping accounts for around 18% of all global retail sales.

2020 was a banner year for online shopping, with over two billion people making online purchases. This marks a significant increase from previous years, and the trend will likely continue in the coming years.

The total value of e-retail sales also reached a new high, surpassing 4.2 trillion US dollars worldwide.

Amazon is back on track after a rocky Q3 in 2021.

In the final quarter of 2021, the company reported net sales of over $138.41 billion — its highest quarter ever.

This is a typical pattern for Amazon’s quarterly report, but the growth is undeniable. In the next quarter, Q1 2022, Amazon reported $116.44 billion net sales, its highest Q1 on record.

E-Commerce Social Statistics

Influence of Social Media Platforms

A recent survey found that under half of the respondents had purchased a product directly from a social media platform.

Of those who have not made a purchase, 9% said they eventually plan to do so.

Out of the total pool, 40.5% claimed they favor e-commerce websites when buying products.

Regarding social commerce, Facebook is leading the pack in the U.S. Facebook Shops was launched in 2020 as a way for small- and medium-sized businesses to bring their storefronts online.

According to Search Engine Journal, Facebook saw $86 million in revenue during the first eight months of 2022.

Traffic From Social Media

There are 4.7 billion social media users worldwide, and 227 million more people started using social media last year.

A 2021 survey found that social media users were most likely to use the platforms to stay in touch with friends and family (almost 50 percent).

Celebrity or influencer following (21 percent) and connecting with good causes (17.4 percent) were also popular reasons for using social media.

Search Before You Shop

Before making any big purchase, it’s now normal for people to consult the internet for reviews, recommendations, and the best deals.

A recent study found that 89% of consumers look at reviews before considering a purchase.

It’s also been found that customers spend up to 31% more on companies that have positive reviews.

E-Commerce Website Statistics

Website Traffic Statistics

Of all the different sources of web traffic for e-commerce, paid search ads are the most effective, generating 19% of all e-commerce store traffic.

This is followed by email links, which account for 5% of traffic.

Desktop vs. Mobile

Desktops convert customers by 3 to 7% more than any other type of device.

With mobile devices accounting for more than half of all internet traffic, it’s clear that people are increasingly using their phones and tablets to shop online.

A study from earlier this year showed that phone-based CPCs are 40% more efficient than desktops, with a 24% lower cost.

AI Usage

Even when the discounts are less than 30%, 9 out of 10 people say they would instead buy AI-suggested goods. The study’s authors say that this preference is because people trust AI to give them personalized recommendations.

According to business leaders, AI is very effective.

On average, chatbots increase sales by 67%. That significant increase can significantly affect any company’s bottom line.

Increase in E-Commerce Shoppers

Global retail e-commerce sales are expected to reach a whopping 7.4 trillion by 2025. That’s an incredible 50 percent increase from 2021 sales of 4.9 trillion dollars.

In 2021, revenue from retail e-commerce in the United States was predicted to reach 768 billion US dollars.

Effect of Social Media and Mobile on E-Commerce

Clothing, consumer electronics, and home decor are expected to be the highest grossing social commerce purchases globally by 2025, according to a report by Accenture.

The report found that beauty and personal care products are also predicted to significantly increase social commerce sales, capturing over 40% of digital spending on average for this category in key markets by 2025.

Fresh food and snack items are also expected to represent a large portion of social commerce purchases, although sales for this product category are nearly exclusive to China.

These findings suggest that consumers will increasingly use social media platforms to purchase various products in the coming years.

A recent study found that one factor that can help guide consumers’ decisions is whether or not the store has a social media presence.

On average, stores that have a Facebook and Twitter account see 32% more sales than those that don’t engage in social media.

Did you know that 79% of smartphone users have also purchased online using their mobile devices in the last six months?

With mobile commerce growing at an incredible rate, it’s clear that businesses need to optimize their website for mobile if they want to stay ahead of the competition.

E-Commerce Shopping Behaviors

Any business owner knows that the key to success is generating revenue. Without revenue, there would be no business.

However, companies can sometimes become complacent and lose sight of sales when they create a lot of income.

The potential for increased revenue can lead businesses to focus on other areas, such as marketing or product development, and neglect their sales efforts.

Cart abandonment is a huge problem for e-commerce businesses.

The average cart abandonment rate is 69.57%.

That means that for every 100 visitors to an e-commerce site, nearly 70 will leave without making a purchase.

Dynamic Content

There’s nothing worse than feeling like just another faceless customer.

That’s why it is essential to engage with your customers and make them feel like valued individuals.

There are many ways to do this, but one of the most effective is creating dynamic content that includes their name, sends them special offers, and makes them feel like they’re part of a community.

This may require a bit more work, but it will pay off in the form of loyal, engaged customers. They’re worth their weight in gold!

By doing this, you can increase the likelihood that they’ll make a purchase from your store and help you contribute to the e-commerce statistics of businesses seeing an increase in sales.

Optimizing Your Website To Better Suit Your Customer

1. SEO: Search engine optimization is another important aspect of e-commerce that you can’t afford to ignore. Making sure your website is optimized for the right keywords will help you attract customers looking for what you’re selling. It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s worth ensuring that your store is visible to those looking for what you have to offer.
2. Navigation: Making it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for on your website is also essential. If potential customers can’t determine how to purchase what they want from you, they’ll likely take their business elsewhere. Make sure your website is easy to navigate and everything is clearly labeled so customers can easily find what they need.
3. Aesthetic: Designing an attractive homepage, About Us page, Check Out page, and product pages, etc. is another excellent way to increase your e-commerce store’s conversion rate. Customers who like what they see when they visit your website are more likely to make a purchase. Remember to keep your target customer in mind when designing your pages — what will appeal to them?

Regular Updates and Redesigns

All business owners know that having a website is essential in today’s digital age.

However, many people don’t realize that a website is not a static entity. Like any other technology, a website must be regularly updated and maintained to function properly.

Otherwise, it will quickly become outdated and ineffective.

This is especially true for e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.

With these platforms, it’s vital to ensure that your website always uses the latest version.

This ensures that your site is fast and optimized for search engines. It also helps to prevent security vulnerabilities.

If it’s been a while since you’ve updated your website, now is the time to do it.

Your website is your most valuable asset for e-commerce.

It is the first impression potential customers will have of your business, so it is crucial to make sure it looks professional and is easy to navigate.

Potential customers will determine whether or not to do business with you based on how well your website looks and functions, so it is essential to ensure it is ready to handle an influx of new visitors.

You could lose out on significant sales if your website is not up to par.

Take care of your website and ensure it is ready to handle an increase in traffic to maximize your e-commerce sales.