How can the growth of e-commerce help your e-commerce business grow? Hold on tight only to those online trends that are good for your brand, and keep your eyes wide open.

Just a while ago, things looked pretty simple: the consumer had to leave the house and find you. Now, with the online revolution, the role play has changed: he doesn’t need to drop by your store anymore. You are the one who must find him.

As of today, the Internet seduced nearly 3.2 billion users and the numbers are still rising due to cost effective technological advancements. The e-commerce business environment is facing constant change, which makes one wonder: should you welcome these trends with open arms or closed doors?

The growth of e-commerce has its perks, true, but it also adds to the pressure of staying in the game.

1. Swim with the tide, every now and then.

Don’t try to resist the power of social media. In 2014, it increased e-commerce business orders by 202% on its own. Your hyper-active target is going global every minute, and they can walk out on you as soon as a stronger competitor walks in.

Buying products from a retailer abroad ceased to be just an illusion with the help of big companies, e-commerce businesses such as Amazon, and this makes selling a lot harder to achieve.

2. Choose a tailor-made approach.

Personalisation is the core of any consumer-oriented brand. Niche businesses have a better chance at customising, but, even for them, things get trickier when trade crosses the border. Therefore, avoid any mistakes by taking into consideration the importance of cultural factors - all the more so if you are an e-commerce business operating outside national borders.

3. Have a mobile mind-set.

Retailers and FMCG players are bound to respect new patterns of personal consumption and accept mobile e-commerce not as an alternative, but as a must. Stay alert nonstop and make sure your target audience finds you fast, never underestimate the value of a flexible on the go experience.

It’s not just flexibility that counts but promptitude. Take Zulily for example: it's an e-commerce business which offers great apparel and short delivery time, or discount if otherwise. “Flash sales” is the keyword.

4. Give them a story, not a headline.

Originality, alongside a strong insight, tidy packaging and, why not, a video-marketing campaign, will keep users scrolling. Don’t overplay it though. A brand that tends to be somewhat of a misfit can easily backfire.

5. Complement the online with the offline.

Regardless of how many online platforms you use to reach out to your consumer, the circle is complete only if you go offline as well. For instance, WordPress 2016 will conquer your visitors' eyes with its new themes, but only you can win their heart by approaching going where they are: offline.

When it comes to adjusting to new tendencies, you have every reason to feel like it’s a race against the clock.

Trust is hard to consolidate and yes, the dream is to have followers rather than simple consumers, but this race is a never-ending one. Even when you achieve your goal, don’t sleep on it. Loyalty works both ways. People will stop worshipping a brand once it fails to be loyal to them, which is more important than any forthcoming trend.