Compared to developed and emerging economies, the UAE e-commerce market has taken an upward trajectory. E-commerce is built on two basic principles of convenience; shop anytime, anywhere, and this initiative has been spearheaded by the UAE government that has adopted e-commerce payments through the widely acclaimed Dubai Smart City program. Elsewhere, restaurants and the transport sector have embraced quick service by laying the logistics infrastructure required to support e-commerce growth in the UAE.
These trends have helped establish UAE as an attractive global hub for startups in 2021 with e-commerce profits quadrupling in the last five years from $2 billion in 2015 to $8 billion in 2020. But aside from the evolving consumer base that has driven the upsurge, let’s explore some of the trends that we have observed as a web design agency located in UAE.
Enabling Government Initiatives
Dubai’s e-commerce landscape is continually evolving with the application of digital mediums which has made it the top online shopping consumer base in the region, with more than 55% of shoppers based in Dubai. This growing trend has seen nearly 45% of Dubai’s existing brick and mortar stores transition to online platforms to cater to the needs of the evolving consumer base.
In recognition of how this new e-commerce trend was attracting spend both locally and globally, the government set up an innovative merchant payment system through the Dubai Smart City program that has overhauled how vendors, online stores, web developers approach business. Currently, leading e-commerce websites in Dubai have been carefully crafted to match top-notch functionality that connects sellers to diverse consumers. Other e-commerce inputs from the government include:
- Laying logistics infrastructure.
- Innovative merchant payments in the service and hospitality industry.
- Improved funding.
A recent study conducted on Dubai’s leading e-commerce website regarding buyer demographics revealed that:
- The majority of buyers fall in the 25 to 35 years age group.
- The main e-commerce products purchased online included fashion wear, household appliances, electronics, and air tickets.
This is evidence that more people in this tide of technology now trust e-commerce platforms for their shopping needs. An analysis of UAE’s leading e-commerce platforms further reveals that the industry is enjoying an all-time traffic high, and the success is down to websites having the following sales-driving trends:
- Easy checkouts on landing pages.
- A variety of reliable shipping methods.
- Hassle-free means of payment.
The general idea of a functional website is usually its robustness, professional design, and its capability to drive sales. In this regard, we have shortlisted some of the key trends emerging in the wake of the post-pandemic economic boom.
Ecommerce Dark Mode
Considered the trendiest and most aspiring in 2021, website dark modes have taken the e-commerce platforms by storm. Supported by science, dark modes are favored as they cause less strain to the user’s eye, and they create an ultra-modern appearance while making popups more accessible on websites. Global brands such as Facebook, Apple, and Instagram use dark modes too.
Artificial Intelligence
For decades now, industry experts have been predicting that future web design would be rooted in Artificial intelligence (AI). Current e-commerce landing pages have ditched the traditional ones and are deploying use cases and context that automatically collect buyer details such as users’ location and their browsing history. This information is then used to predict users’ products of interest. Amazon Prime and Netflix use AI to personalize user experience.
3D Elements
Immersive 3D elements technology is on an upward trajectory and is expected to become even better for e-commerce websites, even as Virtual Reality (VR) tech continues to grow. This tech continues to conquer landing pages and user screens, and the trend has also been used to prettify websites to increase users’ session durations.
Voice Search Capability
Amazon Global has used Google’s voice search use case to cater to the needs of diverse customers and has surpassed expectations. Web developers in the UAE are taking advantage of this voice search feature to enhance e-commerce platforms’ ability to reach a wider audience.
The Bottom Line
The tide of internet use has grown and has taken e-commerce platforms with it. Therefore, retailers and online store vendors should look to evolve and adapt to the needs of the ever-growing and evolving consumer base. People’s dependency on e-commerce stores has grown; from the purchase of hyped luxury merchandise to basics like groceries, e-commerce websites should look to adapt to cater to the needs of customers.
