What is Web3 all about and what impacts does it have on eCommerce?
The eCommerce industry has been growing at an unprecedented rate over the last decade, as more and more businesses shift their operations online.
In fact, they predict it to reach a global turnover of over $4 trillion this year with an annual growth rate of above 11%.
This will be a 25% share of global retail sales from a current 20% despite the falling growth rates in sales because of inflation and a poor global economy.
Despite this growth, eCommerce businesses still face numerous challenges, including intense competition, rising customer acquisition costs, and the need to provide exceptional customer experiences to ensure customer loyalty and a high lifetime value.
To achieve this, they must focus on providing personalized experiences to their customers, understanding their customers’ needs and preferences, and delivering products and services that meet or exceed customer expectations.
Also imperative is the need to focus on leveraging analytics, automation, and AI technologies to optimize customer journeys and create a seamless customer experience.
This is where Web3 technologies come in.
Meanwhile, while still in their early stages, Web3 technologies have been gaining momentum, providing new opportunities for online businesses to improve their operations, enhance their customer experiences, and drive growth.
Some of the key technologies that fall under the Web3 umbrella include blockchain, decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs).
In this article, we will explore how each of these Web3 technologies can be leveraged for eCommerce and the potential benefits they offer.
1. Decentralized Marketplaces
One of the key benefits of Web3 technologies to eCommerce is the ability to create decentralized marketplaces.
Traditional eCommerce marketplaces like Amazon and eBay are centralized, meaning a single entity controlled them.
In contrast, decentralized marketplaces like the Origin platform use blockchain technology to enable peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries.
By leveraging decentralized marketplaces, eCommerce businesses can reduce their reliance on centralized marketplaces, which often charge high fees and take a percentage of each transaction.
Decentralized marketplaces can also provide greater transparency, security, and privacy for buyers and sellers.
2. Cryptocurrency Payments
Another key Web3 technology that eCommerce businesses can leverage is cryptocurrency payments.
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum provide a fast, secure, and decentralized way to make online payments.
By accepting cryptocurrencies, these businesses can reduce their reliance on traditional payment processors, which often charge high fees.
Cryptocurrency payments can also provide greater privacy and security for buyers and sellers.
Transactions are recorded on a public blockchain, which means they cannot be altered or deleted.
This provides an extra layer of security for the industry, particularly those that deal with high-value transactions.
Such eCommerce platforms as Microsoft Store, Overstock, Namecheap, NewEgg, ExpressVPN, Shopify and Rakuten have jumped on this opportunity.
3. NFTs for E-commerce
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are another Web3 technology that eCommerce businesses can leverage.
NFTs are unique digital assets that are stored on a blockchain. They can be used to represent a wide range of digital assets, including artwork, music, videos, and more.
By leveraging NFTs, eCommerce businesses can create unique and exclusive products that cannot be replicated or copied.
This can help drive customer engagement and loyalty, particularly among collectors and enthusiasts.
They can also use NFTs to create new revenue streams by selling digital assets and collecting royalties on secondary sales.
The past year saw brands like Coca-Cola, Adidas, GAP, Budweiser and many others launch various NFT collections to boost sales.
4. DAOs and Customer Loyalty
DAOs are digital organizations that are run using smart contracts on a blockchain.
They provide a decentralized way to manage and govern an organization without a centralized authority.
These digital communities are collective organizations owned and managed by their members, and they leverage the power of the blockchain to ensure transparency and trust between customers and brands.
With DAOs, eCommerce businesses can create a more democratic and transparent organization.
This can help build trust with customers and stakeholders.
They can also use DAOs to make more informed decisions by leveraging the collective intelligence of their community.
DAOs offer customers a direct say in how the brand is run, which may foster loyalty and dedication.
Through DAOs, brands can also create loyalty programs, such as rewards and incentives, that give customers real benefits for engaging with the brand.
This can help to build a sense of community and connection between customers and the brand.
5. Decentralized Storage and Content Delivery
E-commerce businesses often need to store and deliver large amounts of data, such as product images, videos, and descriptions.
Web3 technologies can provide decentralized storage and content delivery solutions, which can be more efficient and cost-effective than traditional centralized solutions.
By leveraging decentralized storage and content delivery, eCommerce businesses can reduce their reliance on centralized cloud providers, which often charge high fees and can be vulnerable to data breaches.
Decentralized solutions can also provide greater security and privacy by encrypting data and distributing it across multiple nodes on a blockchain.
Undoubtedly, Web3 technologies provide a wide range of potential for eCommerce businesses to enhance consumer experiences, streamline operations, and spur development.
Online stores may save expenses, boost income, and win over customers by utilizing decentralized marketplaces, cryptocurrency payments, NFTs, DAOs, and decentralized storage and content distribution.
As Web3 technologies continue to evolve, eCommerce businesses that stay ahead of the curve will be well-positioned for success in the years to come.
