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The top four fintech trends on the horizon 

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David Jarvis, CEO & Founder, Griffin 

 

On a global level, there has been an explosion of innovation in the fintech space fuelling investor confidence. In turn, the value of the global fintech market has risen from $127 billion in 2018 and expected to grow to $309.98 billion by 2022.

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With record investment levels comes snowballing trends, which begs the question; what is the next big thing in fintech?

  1. Embedded finance is going mainstream

This year, embedded finance – the seamless integration of financial services within non-financial environments – is set to go mainstream. The pandemic accelerated consumer demand for seamless digital experiences in every aspect of life; from managing money and making payments to accessing credit with minimum hassle. As a result, financial service institutions have been forced to adapt their roadmaps to meet ever-evolving consumer demands. Disruptive companies are at the forefront of recognising this, embedding financial products into their customer experience. This enables brands to further monetise themselves and create satisfied, loyal customers, and if A16Z is anything to go by; every company will eventually become a fintech company.

Now, it is becoming increasingly easier for brands to embed financial services into their products. With this in mind, as the ecosystem matures and a host of new technologies enter the market, it is likely we will see embedded finance become intrinsic to new ventures. Mid-sized businesses, tech startups and even traditional highstreet brands are set to be focusing on updating their customer experience to host financial features within the fabric of their business operations.

  1. One-click checkout will be front of the queue

Manually inputting contact details and credit card information at point of purchase can leave 69.82% of online carts abandoned. Now, it has been over a decade since Amazon spearheaded the one-click check out, removing arduous shopping cart forms and allowing customers to purchase goods with just one click. Since then, one-click purchases have become a standard convenience within the world of e-commerce and a collection of game changers are entering the space such as Stripe, Apple Pay, checkout.com, bolt, PayPal and more.

Retail is set on a digital pathway with an accelerated shift to omnichannel purchasing methods as consumers buy items through platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Convenience is king, and brands know that by removing layers from the checkout process they stand a better chance of closing the deal.

From this I expect we’ll see digital payment methods spell the death of the physical credit card, giving way to consumer expectations for brands to ditch manual check-out processes. In addition to this, new players will look to go even further with integrated options such as one-click insurance or BNPL schemes.

  1. Web3 will become accessible and take a first step in safeguarding consumers

It’s no secret that the majority of apps and content on the web is being run by a concentrated group of “Big Tech” companies. Web3 is receiving a lot of noise at the moment, with good reason too. Comparatively, Web3 will be built on a decentralised system with distributed, user-driven ledger technology (blockchain), the same tech that already underpins Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The aim is to decentralise finance and redistribute the market share. On this platform, users will be given “tokens” for participating, used to vote on decisions, and even accrue real value.

Though Web3 is growing in popularity and shows great potential to democratising the web, there is something fundamentally contradictory about its promise. We’ve seen the uproar over personal data being shared with Big Tech companies, yet Decentralised Finance (DeFi) – Web3’s primary financial exchange mechanism – leaves consumers at huge risk. Blockchain inherently makes data public because DeFi is built exclusively on blockchain and does not rely on any financial intermediaries (brokerages, exchanges, banks, etc) for people to exchange funds. This enables direct peer-to-peer transactions, but the lack of oversight or accountability disables adequate user protection.

With such technical barriers to entry for new Web3 users remaining high, new users will frequently struggle to engage with the technology in a positive and safe way. When a person becomes the victim of fraud or any other type of financial crime in the world of DeFi, the algorithms that power the technology don’t have any remit for recourse. As we move forward, I expect Web3 developers will deliver solutions to the three challenges of accessibility, usability, and consumer protection, giving the public the confidence they need to adopt it at scale and create a safe environment for financial transactions.

  1. Compliance and regulation will set the tone

In 2021, the fintech community saw dramatic growth; as the State of Fintech Report findings show there were 43 fintech unicorns in the third quarter alone – double the number recorded for the same period last year. This comes as no surprise as financial UK tech firms grew by sevenfold last year to £27.5bn. With this, challenger banks and neobanks have been able to deliver the mobile-first user experience that consumers now expect from all transactions. Brands favour these new features and partnerships as a way of side-stepping slow onboarding and compliance processes associated with legacy banks. But whilst fintechs swiftly leap and evolve in line with consumers, others are close to getting their fingers burned. Due to rocketing customer growth, Monzo was feeling the heat from the FCA due to concerns the bank was struggling to stay in line with compliance and know-your-customer processes.

In 2022 compliance will continue to come to the fore, and not just for the sake of ticking a box. Rather, it is a mission-critical pillar for every financial services institution or fintech looking to bring a product to market. Whilst customers expect a speed-driven experience and accountability, regulators are cracking the whip on compliance. The challenge here will be for CIOs and CTOs to meet customer standards without compromising financial crime checks and controls.

 

What’s next?

The trends discussed above are just the tip of the iceberg, and we will continue to see the fintech sector gain momentum as the industry matures. The rise of new platforms like Web3, cryptocurrency, instant checkout and brands incorporating embedded finance goes to show this year will be pivotal for fintech innovation, and what an exciting time to play a part in it!

 

 

Business

How app usage can help brands increase their online revenues and customer retention

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Arunabh Madhur, Regional VP & Head Business EMEA at SHAREit Group

 

Brands are continuing to invest heavily in the e-commerce market despite current market and economic challenges – and they need to. Indeed, the current global e-commerce market is valued at around $5.5 trillion. Further to that, estimates show that online retail sales will reach $6.7 trillion by the end of 2023 – and e-commerce making up 22.3% of those sales.

So despite the economic and market climate, businesses must still plan for success and cater to customer demands to make the most of the global e-commerce opportunity.

 

Mobile apps are key

Mobile apps are now a fundamental component of retail, as they provide customers with a convenient and engaging way to shop from their phones. The past couple of years has been rocket fuel for digital transformation, providing an opportunity for the retail industry to innovate. Whilst global trends continue to point to the user growth of Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, the trends underneath the headlines highlight significant opportunities to drive new customer acquisition, which in turn demands a targeted customer retention strategy from companies.

According to research from Baymard Institute, 69.82% of online shopping carts are abandoned and with demand expected to continue, pressure is growing on retailers to expand current offerings and create personalised experiences to tackle this. One of the big challenges e-commerce companies face, though, is analysing and maximising the behaviour of users, and bringing down the cost of their marketing and engagement against how much is earned through a customer making a purchase.

To meet customer demand, mobile apps offer a variety of features such as push notifications, product recommendations, exclusive discounts and offers, and easy checkout processes, to make the shopping experience easier for customers. By leveraging the power of mobile technology, brands can create an immersive shopping experience tailored specifically to their customer’s needs, and this in turn helps increase customer loyalty, customer return rates, and maximise online revenue.

 

Re-targeting and re-engaging customers

Brands should focus on re-engaging with returning consumers through a personalised strategy as this can help increase the lifetime value of users, which in turn helps brands bring the cost of their marketing down knowing that brand loyalty has been achieved. According to research from Google and Storyline Strategies study, 72% of consumers are more likely to be loyal to a brand if they offer a personalised experience.

Optimising the online shopping experience is crucial in retaining customers. Today, consumers need a more ‘human’ touch, i.e., smart product suggestions based on buying history & behaviour that helps build a one-to-one relationship between brand and buyer. In particular, push notifications haven’t just enhanced personalisation but also increased app engagement by up to 88%. Push notifications have also proven to get disengaged users back, too, with 65% returning to an app within 30 days of the push notification.

Another strategy to consider is the option of adding buy now pay later (BNPL) options at checkouts for customers. Brands that add the option of financing at the checkout allow customers to spread the cost over time, which according to Klarna has resulted in a 30% increase in checkout conversation rates.

Publisher platforms allow brands to leverage their reach and sticky user base. Especially with open platforms such as SHAREit, which can help e-commerce brands create a strong revenue conversion with higher average order value with unique retargeting and user acquisition solutions. Because users are not just sharing product links, but also sharing e-commerce apps and deals among their community. Users of these publisher platforms are also encouraged to share products and apps through platform activities.

 

What the future of e-commerce holds for brands

E-commerce is positioning itself as a key facet in retail, and its future. With Advancements in technology, customers can access various products and services worldwide through their smartphones – making shopping more accessible than ever. Brands must put consumers at the heart of everything they do, like never before. Offering incentives and payment options, personalising customers’ experiences and re-engaging them, as well as targeting new customers, in an effective and un-intrusive way, are all ways in which they can influence purchasing decisions and improve retention figures.

 

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Business

Does the middle market have a financial edge?  

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Ilija Ugrinic, Commercial Solutions Director at Proactis

 

Companies tend to look up the ladder when searching for ways to improve efficiency and business performance. What are larger competitors, or others outside their industry, doing right that they can learn from and implement?

What smart technologies or bright ideas do they have that could create efficiencies for them, too?  

As we enter yet another likely volatile year for business, punctuated by recession, should businesses continue to only look up? And could the approach of a slightly smaller business offer more of a competitive edge? 

Large corporates tend to pioneer innovation in automation by simple virtue of the resources they have. Home to transformation directors and departments, with the ability to implement large overarching software systems, they pave the way for others and are often the first to digitise their source-to-pay cycle at pace. 

Ilija Ugrinic, Commercial Solutions Director at Proactis

While growing businesses understand the merits of full automation, implementing it is often too expensive and it doesn’t bring the rapid realisation of benefits that they need. They need to consider what will bring them the biggest return on investment – and the reality is that those in the middle market don’t necessarily need all the elements of an ‘all-doing’ piece of software. What’s more, without dedicated personnel to project manage a transition, they frequently lack the currency of time to be able to comfortably transform working practices, and take staff with them on the journey, without taking resource from other areas of the business.  

For SMEs, digital transformation has never been quite as seismic a shift. Instead, they tend to take a modular approach, employing digital solutions only for particular areas of their finance department, where they need them. This has never been a particularly strategic move. Rather, for a growing business that values quick results and watches their outgoings with greater scrutiny than their larger counterparts, it’s something that suits them better. A modular approach also comes with very little disruption and can be implemented relatively seamlessly into their existing organisational setups. 

But while growing businesses are opting for a modular approach because it’s the most cost and time effective option for them, the benefits go far beyond that. The beauty of a modular approach is that it is agile. The last three years – with pandemics, an increasingly challenging climate and shifting geopolitical tensions impacting our global economy – have only served to remind us of how suddenly, and drastically, a business landscape can change. The companies that have weathered the storm are those that have reacted and adapted quickly – those that have been capable of changing the way they do things with little impact on day-to-day operations. A modular approach can offer just that.  

Businesses using modular finance technology can integrate small solutions that sync up with the rest of their processes, quickly and seamlessly – and these systems can be integrated into their existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), too. There’s no restriction of a monolithic or aging piece of software either – finance teams can add and update small solutions to their daily operations without the upheaval of having to replace or update large IT infrastructures or wider working practices within the business to accommodate the new software.

Unrestricted by entrenched and hard-to-change systems, the speed with which SMEs are able to react to market changes is miles ahead. A prompt software add-on to manage risk, or create a quick fix in response to a market shift, can be virtually a knee-jerk reaction. SME’s abilities to bend and flex to today’s world efficiently is seeing them reap the benefits of a modular approach. It’s lean, it’s fast and it’s facilitating their growth with a strong competitive edge. And as some of these companies’ growth propels them into the large corporate sphere, they’re choosing to keep a modular approach to finance.  It will certainly be interesting to watch those middle-sized companies which grow to the extent that they find themselves competing in the same space. With no financial remodelling to assume a large ‘all-doing’ piece of software, they’ll be competing against their counterparts with completely different tools in their arsenal.  

With technology, working life and business needs continuing to change day to day, we have another year ahead of us that will see companies running to keep pace with each other – and fast-growing companies’ approach to finance could be the silver bullet that enables them to catch up with, and even take on, big enterprises. It might just give them a competitive edge against large corporates in these turbulent times.

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