Consumers are now more connected than before and more source of information choices at their single fingertips today. They are now leaving their traditional interests, behavior and choices and attracting towards new products it will helps e-commerce companies to analyze interests and offer more better and competitive products. This digitization of everything affecting the e-commerce business model and it is driving growth for e-commerce merchants in Indian market.

Let's now see the current scenario and upcoming trends in e-commerce market:

As by study of Accel partners, online shopping of physical goods will be growing to US$ 8.5 billion in 2016 and strength of online shoppers will be more than double to 40 million in India. And internet users should be increased to 300 million by 2015.

Does it mean that e-commerce is trying to do this for staying in the market, and every small and big fish wants to? This is not the real case. But these are the deep pocket incumbents who show great interest to succeed in e-commerce business and they have experience, concepts and also have variety of offerings and try to grow faster as compared to other existing players in the Indian market. Even Indian e-commerce players are trying hard to bring the concepts of international competitors.

The trends of current market and technology that define e-commerce in near future include:

Loyalty of Brand:

Price has been the main factor in Indian market and customers never hesitant about changing brands frequently if they met great lucrative offers presenting by competing brands. So, Indian e-commerce players would have to do much to make their customers feel special to retain them, as loyalty wear away fast when the shopper is confronted with promotions and deals. Know what your customer 'interests and behavior.

Retailer's Own Planning and Management i.e. Logistics:

It have been a great issue for online retailers in India, which leads to making strategies to handle cash-on-delivery and same day shipments. Online market leaders are selecting for building logistics such as Flipkart, who has launched ekart that is open for its rivals.

Need of Reducing Cash on Delivery:

Indian market is not yet comfortable to adopt payment via credit cards or debit cards. COD is accounts for 60% of transactions in India. It adds 3% additional costs on Cash on Delivery and also some additional process is required for COD orders, higher instances of returns and associated costs are affected margins.

Improve Customer Experience With Attractive Offers and Options:

With the advancement of technology, online retailers are focusing on attractive delivery options such as same day delivery or delivery within an hour, buying by mobile apps and buying on social media like via Facebook "Pay now" button which leads to improved customer experience. The other special features or services you provide will be added more customer experience like drones and pop up and fulfillment stores. The technologies that will affect these trends and help in shaping e-commerce business include:

Big Data:

It is must for running the e-commerce business. It is necessary for identifying the customer behavior, interest. Suppose a customer visits a website and purchases some things and saw some things then this data is saved in database of website and when customer next time opens this website or email registered with it shows these type of items, hence data saved is the big data that capture the customer's behavior and increases the brand loyalty, adoption. It is used in target base marketing.

Mobile:

Online retailers have realized that most of the customers using mobile phones for online shopping, so they are concentrating on mobile phones so that they can provide more features and they can easily shop like provide mobile app and they can directly shop by using this shop. Moreover E-commerce website should be mobile friendly as consumers grow more if they more comfortable with using mobile devices for browsing and shopping. Now they are more open to getting messages from brands via mobiles. Thus mobile helps in increasing online shopping and online marketing.

Social Media:

This becomes more important consideration for marketing because feedback via social media channels has an impressionable effect on the customer's mind.

Conclusion:

Indian e-commerce and online shopping are trying hard to touch heights in the next few years. This is not done by just increasing internet population but by increasing infrastructure, so, digitization and utilization both should be considered to increase e-commerce percentage in India.

My buddy just purchased a top branded perfume from online shopping by using a coupon code deal. He bought the perfume online by just spending Rs 300, which on the display of some stylish store at a shopping mall would definitely price anywhere between Rs 500 - 700. Thanks to the online shopping and coupon deal system, with all this a new shopping trend has emerged in the Indian market. Not only this, but online shopping also gives a comfort of avoiding shopping in crowded stores with stressful last-minute shopping for friends or a family in situation you forget to buy a gift for them on a special occasion.

Nowadays online shops in the Indian market are not limited to one or other kind of specific product, but sell variety of products which range from home decor, designer outfits to electronic gadgets etc. Though in Indian market, like any other country, people started online shopping Flipkart Coupons very tentatively, but eventually assurance in online shopping stores is building up. To further gain the assurance of their customers, these online stores are giving an option of 'Cash on delivery' and "Free delivery within India'. It will allow you to pay if you like the product and that too provided at your doorstep without any charge. Another reason for using feature of 'cash on delivery' is that, people in India are not open to share their credit/debit cards details on the internet. Some even do not know how to use it for shopping, even though they are tech savvy.

Although it is still at its aspiring level in Indian market, but financial experts are predicting a very significant growth in this field in the future. According to an article from Times Of India it is approximated that online shopping niche will probably touch USD 34.2 billion dollars by 2015. It is also predicted that by 2015 the number of mobile users in India will reach to 1200 million. In the present scenario, people purchase online not only through computers but use their mobile phones as well for the same and in the future will see a huge customer base in this classification.

To further motivate more people about this in India, the major brands of this Industry have started new concepts like 'Deal Of the Day' and occasional discounts. Many e-commerce sites like Homeshop 18, Snapdeal, Makemytrip and Flipkart has started to use these types of offers for their customers. By having new ideas like this best online shopping websites are increasing their customer base exponentially.

The main of this transformation in shopping style is due to the changing lifestyle of people in India and the expansion of online niche. Major trump cards of this trend is the ease and discounted rates you get on various products. Above all that, it really helps you to save your time and effort, patrol, and if you don't like crowded places then it gives you the total comfort doing it from your home.

Everything has its pros and cons and online shopping is no different. Indian consumers believe more in real shopping where they not only can see but touch, feel and compare the products before purchasing. Then, by knowing the growth in e-commerce industry, there will be many bogus virtual stores as well. But the customers have to be very careful while purchasing and must check the credibility of the online shops before purchasing any product.

There are still many questions without any answer in this field if you look through the user's perspective. Ecommerce is came a long way in India but there are still many things that it can offer to the customer, considering the new age of social shopping.