Soapbox Engage Blog

The fundraising world continues to change, and nonprofit organizations are changing alongside it. One major fundraising adaptation that nonprofits have adopted in recent years is the use of e-commerce stores.

The e-commerce industry continues to grow. If your organization has begun to use an online shop as part of your fundraising, it is important that you stay up to date on trends, so you can adopt them in your practices.

Here are e-commerce trends to have on your radar as we prepare to head into 2024:

1. More Payment Options: Credit and debit cards are still the dominant form of payment for online retail, but many online buyers are opting for newer payment methods, like digital wallets, mobile phone apps, and even cryptocurrencies. Offering these options to customers increases your sales opportunities. The Soapbox Engage Shop app offers a wide variety of options for seamless payment processing.


2. More Voice Activated Searches: Many customers are using their smart speakers or assistants on their phone to search for products and shop online. When optimizing your sites for keywords, consider natural speech patterns.


3. Mobile Dominates Online Sales: Online buyers love convenience, which means they are often going to make a purchase directly from their mobile device. Online sales from mobile devices topped $430B and accounted for 62% of all online sales in 2022. By 2024, mobile sales are expected to exceed $600B. Make sure your e-commerce shop is optimized for mobile devices.


4. Chatbots for Immediate Assistance: Chatbots provide natural language interactions with online shoppers and can be an alternative to after-hours help desk representatives. Chatbots can answer questions and suggest purchase options, including upselling and accessory items. If online shoppers are confused or frustrated, chatbots can resolve their issues and encourage the sale.


5. More Video: Customers continue to respond well to video, and including videos on your site can boost sale. Videos are more engaging than static images because you can easily show your products from multiple angles, demonstrate how the product is properly used, offer troubleshooting tips, and suggest items to accompany the sale.


6. More Social Media Promotion: Just like you need to utilize social media when advertising an event or campaign, you need to use it for your e-commerce stores. Many social media platforms are adding e-commerce marketplaces and product search tools that you can utilize to advertise your shop.


7. The Need for Sustainability: No matter what the mission of your nonprofit organization, caring for the planet should be one of your principles. Make sure you are thinking about sustainability when planning out our shop. Many e-commerce shops are following environmentally friendly processes to lower carbon emissions, using recyclable and biodegradable packaging, and demanding ethically sourced products from their suppliers.


8. More Loyalty Programs: Personalization is always key for a good customer experience, and just like a donor, it is important that they feel appreciated. Consider a loyalty program where customers can earn discounts, coupons, cash-back rewards, and invitation-only sales. This has been shown to improve customer retention, increase sales, and increase customer satisfaction.

As you build your fundraising plan for 2024, get ahead on these trends so that your e-commerce shop is as successful as possible. Check out the Soapbox Engage Shop app for an affordable e-commerce store that can be integrated with Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics. Not sure if a shop is right for your organization? Reach out to us to ask questions or schedule a demo.

Here are some more resources to help you on your fundraising journey:

• 10 Best Practices for Nonprofit E-commerce: Maybe this is your first time even thinking about getting an e-commerce shop, and you’re not quite ready for the new trends. If that’s true, check out this blog post with 10 best practices for a nonprofit e-commerce store, to help you get started.


• How to Write Product Descriptions for Your E-commerce Store: Product descriptions are one of the most important pieces of your e-commerce store. This blog post offers seven tips to help you write the strongest descriptions that are sure to help you meet your goals.


• 6 Ways to Make Your End-of-Year Fundraising Appeal Stand Out: Need more help to reach your 2023 fundraising goals? As you prepare to write your year-end appeal, check out this blog post that offers 6 ways to help your appeal stand out.