Selling online in 2024 is no longer what it was two years ago. The European regulatory framework has changed, shopping habits have fragmented, and artificial intelligence tools have altered the way content is produced and customer relationships are managed. Rather than listing all the passing trends, this article focuses on the developments that are permanently changing the rules of the game for online entrepreneurs.
Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act: the new regulatory framework for online business
Do you sell through a marketplace or advertise on a major platform? Since February 2024, the Digital Services Act applies to all online intermediaries, not just the tech giants. The obligations focus on advertising transparency and the removal of illegal content.
Specifically, this means that third-party sellers on a marketplace must provide verifiable information about their identity and products. Recommendation systems that promote certain items must be explainable. Manipulative interfaces, those buttons that make unsubscribing more difficult than signing up, are now regulated.
The Digital Markets Act, fully applicable since March 2024, targets platforms designated as gatekeepers: Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, ByteDance. It regulates self-preferencing and data sharing between services.
For an entrepreneur who relies on these platforms for visibility or sales, regulatory compliance becomes a competitive lever, not just an administrative constraint. Keeping up with news on these topics, particularly through business on Scoopzilla, helps identify obligations that directly affect their activity.
Artificial intelligence applied to digital marketing: beyond the chatbot
Artificial intelligence in online business is not limited to chatbots. In 2024, the most transformative uses concern content production, customer data analysis, and the personalization of shopping journeys.
Let’s take a simple example. An e-commerce site selling accessories can use AI to generate product descriptions tailored to each customer segment. The same item will be presented differently depending on whether the visitor arrives from a Google search or a social network.
What really changes with generative AI
Content production for a blog or product sheets takes less time. But content generated without human supervision loses reliability. Search engines value signals of expertise and real experience. A fully automated blog post, without proofreading or editorial input, risks getting lost in the crowd.
AI excels, however, at analyzing behavioral data. Identifying the moments when a customer abandons their cart, detecting seasonal buying trends, and adapting product recommendations in real-time: these tasks previously required entire teams.
- Predictive analysis of buying behaviors to adjust stock and promotions before demand peaks
- Dynamic personalization of web pages based on the visitor’s profile, history, and traffic source
- Assisted generation of marketing content (descriptions, articles, emails) with mandatory human proofreading to maintain quality
Online search and content: how habits are changing in 2024
Search behaviors are evolving rapidly. An increasing share of buyers begins their product searches directly on social media or via voice assistants, rather than on Google. This does not mean that traditional web SEO is disappearing, but that the content strategy must cover multiple entry points.
Short video has become a dominant format for discovering products and brands. A buyer who is hesitating between two accessories often watches a demonstration video before checking a technical sheet. Written content remains useful for SEO and conversion, but it is no longer enough to capture attention at the top of the purchase funnel.
Retail media and paid visibility on marketplaces
A less discussed but structuring phenomenon: retail media. Marketplaces now sell advertising visibility on their own results pages. For sellers, this means paying to appear where customers are already looking to buy. The cost of customer acquisition is rising on marketplaces, prompting some entrepreneurs to invest more in their own sales channels.
Social commerce and shopping on social media: a sales channel in its own right
Social commerce has moved beyond the experimental stage. In 2024, buying a product without leaving a social app has become commonplace. Integrated shop features on Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest help shorten the shopping journey.
Why does this channel deserve special attention? Because it changes the relationship between brands and customers. The purchase is no longer triggered by active searching but by discovery in a content feed. Influencers play a role as recommenders here, but brands that rely solely on influencer marketing without mastering their own social presence risk becoming dependent.
- Prioritize partnerships with content creators whose audience precisely matches the target, rather than aiming for subscriber volume
- Test livestream shopping, a format where live demonstrations generate higher conversion rates than traditional posts
- Maintain control over the customer experience by redirecting, when possible, to their own site for finalizing the purchase
Online business in 2024 hinges on the ability to combine multiple channels, integrate European regulatory constraints from the outset of their strategy, and use AI as a tool for efficiency rather than as a substitute for human expertise. Entrepreneurs who master these three axes have a lasting advantage over those who merely follow the latest technological trend.
