Whatever product or service you sell, stay on top of buyers’ shopping actions.
The most important thing you can do to maintain your online target market is pay extremely close attention to the actions of your buyers.
Buyers must have a variation of online shopping method options, from laptops to mobile apps. It is also important to ensure all methods are user-friendly.
The goal is not only to draw in targeted audiences but to keep them coming back. This can be accomplished through means such as offering good customer service, personalized experiences, and quality products.
Marketing is shifting to an online environment, and entrepreneurs in both the e-commerce and brick-and-mortar spaces must understand how this shift is affecting consumer potentials and loyalty to effectively target these individuals.
As online retail gains more share at the expense of old-fashioned brick-and-mortar retailers, entrepreneurs should be aware of the following trends in buyers’ online purchasing habits and what it means for targeting these individuals.
1. It is a multi-device, omnichannel world now.
Going online does not just mean using desktops and laptops anymore. It is anytime, anywhere connectivity afforded by tablets, smartphones, and smart watches. Buyers use multiple devices on their path to purchase – starting their search on mobile phones, purchasing products using tablets or laptops, and telling their friends about their purchases using all these devices. In a multi-device, omnichannel world, a business cannot operate a website optimized only for the desktop or laptop. It must be accessible on smartphones and tablets. Businesses need to provide as seamless an integration as possible for an optimal customer experience.
What does this mean for entrepreneurs? If you are going online, then enhance the understanding for all devices, providing clear guidance for a continuous customer experience. Remember, if you are targeting them with an email, they could open it on any device, especially on a mobile device, and your website should be ready for admission from that device.
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2. Buyers shop around much more than before.
Smartphones and mobile apps allow quick searches for products and services across different retailers and businesses, so shopping becomes extremely easy for buyers. These devices also allow vendors to target buyers with appealing offers, coupons, and deals while they are on the go. Investigators have found that all these accessibilities have made buyers heavier shoppers than ever before. Even if they are loyal to some retailers, they easily switch to rivals when overwhelmed with attractive offers. These trends are not easy to fight, but it also means retailers need to fight for a share of buyers’ interest early in the purchase funnel as buyers shop around.
3. Consumers expect personalized experiences.
Devices and networks also provide more opportunities for customizing the customer experience. Collecting data on customer preferences and shopping habits and making use of their past purchase data allow vendors to personalize the experience buyers have at their websites. Such customization can increase conversions and is the best way to counter consumer promiscuity and keep buyers coming back.
4. Word of mouth is still powerful.
This is the age of social media and networks, where buyers share their experiences, likes and dislikes with their friends and acquaintances online – on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Retailers should have a clear social media strategy to encourage their customer base. Retailers can connect the power of word of mouth to increase their achieve and reduce their marketing budget on paid media by earning their standing through customer satisfaction. This also makes retailers take a long-term view of their customer relationships and reputation rather than depend on short-term techniques to increase revenue.
5. Consumers take their privacy seriously.
As much as the online environment provides opportunities to collect data and information on buyers’ preferences, likes, and dislikes and to enable customization and personalized experiences, it is important to take buyers’ privacy anxieties seriously. Do not sell their email addresses to others, do not spam them, and make sure you manage their data securely.
6. Buyers want easy checkout and payment options.
Many shoppers who make their purchases online want quick and easy checkout. An successful way to accomplish this is by saving your buyers’ billing and shipping information, which allows them to check out faster, without entering a lot of tiresome data. More and more e-commerce websites are developing payment options such as PayPal and Apple Pay.
7. Sustainability is becoming important to online shoppers.
Online buyers are becoming more aware of the effects their purchasing decisions have on the earth’s resources. Many modern customers are shopping with sustainability in mind. Keeping this in mind and showing you care about sustainability may help you drive targeted objective marketplaces to your site and increase your loyal customer list. For instance, consider letting buyers know that many of your products have sustainable packaging or that sustainable items were used in the production of your products.
