5 Trends Changing How People Buy Online in 2026

Your customers aren't finding you the way they used to. Traditional funnels—landing pages, email sequences, and retargeting ads—are being replaced by a new, fragmented journey. If you’re still marketing like it’s 2023, you’re invisible to your customers.

In this video, I’m breaking down the 5 major consumer trends for 2026 that are fundamentally shifting how people research and buy products. From visual search taking over Google to AI becoming the first destination for shoppers, you’ll learn exactly what you need to do to stay competitive.

What You Will Learn:

– Visual Search Mastery: Why 20 billion monthly searches on Google Lens mean your product imagery is now your most important SEO asset.
– Live Shopping Strategies: How to compress the decision timeline and turn browsers into instant buyers using platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
– AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): How to structure your brand’s data so ChatGPT, Rufus, and Perplexity actually recommend your products.
– Conditional Loyalty: Why 60% of consumers switched brands in 2025 and how to build "Value-Exchange" loyalty that lasts.
– Search Everywhere Optimization: The blueprint for ranking across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and AI tools—not just Google.

Chapters:
0:00 The Death of the Traditional Marketing Funnel
0:45 Trend #1: Visual Search vs. Text Search (Google Lens & Amazon)
02:30 Trend #2: Live Shopping and the Compressed Decision Timeline
04:15 Trend #3: Why AI is the New First Research Destination
06:00 Trend #4: Comparison Shopping is the New Default
07:45 Trend #5: Search Everywhere Optimization (SEO 2.0)
09:20 The Paradox of "Trend Loyalty" in 2026
10:30 Final Verdict: How to Win the New Consumer Journey