How to define the customer of the future?

#1. The growth of online shopping

Online shopping continues to grow as armenia mobile phone numbers database a share of total purchases. With more than half of all spending online, consumers are becoming more comfortable with technology. They expect more digital solutions to make it easier for them to purchase products and services.

Last year, researchers asked consumers in a survey to predict what their online spending would be in a post-COVID-19 world. The response was 51%. And now, global consumers are spending even more, at 57% of their spending, online. China spends the most online (66%), while Japan spends the least (48%). Those numbers should motivate any company to go online.

Forecasts show that the growth of online spending will not stop. 73% of consumers said that online shopping will be more important to them in 2022. Only 6% of respondents disagreed with this statement. And a full 60% said they want to increase the use of digital shopping channels in the future.

The question you need to ask yourself: is your company ready for a world where the main channel of communication and sales is the Internet, or do your customers use solutions in the online space?

#2. Omnichannel thinking

The direction should not be just one (online), but it is high time to focus on multi-channel, i.e. using more channels that would give consumers inspiration, the ability to search and buy products and services. This is the integration of experiences physically and digitally.

Data from the report confirms this megatrend. 60% of consumers said they prefer to shop with retailers or brands that have both a physical store and an online store . Audiences want to switch between channels quickly and easily. Even when shopping in-store, 72% of consumers first researched their items online, and 60% admitted to always checking reviews of products or services on various online platforms, even when they’re already in a physical store.

Running multiple brand channels requires commitment and thought about strategy and logistics. Consumers are particularly demanding when it comes to how well these channels work together. 59% of respondents want brands to communicate seamlessly across channels.

The question you need to ask yourself: Do you have a cross-channel strategy that enables consumers to interact and shop through any medium, no matter when they want to communicate or where they are?

#3. The Triumph of Marketplaces

Today, e-commerce platforms provide consumers with the best shopping experience and are the most commonly used channels in the three key stages of the shopping process – inspiration digital accessibility: brazil has only 1% of websites with accessibility research and purchase. The power of marketplaces can undoubtedly be attributed to the ease and convenience they offer consumers. 64% of respondents said they were happy to order all the products they wanted through a single vendor (e.g. Amazon).

Inspiring consumers is a critical step because this is where a brand can grab, retain, or lose a consumer’s attention. This is a phenomenon known as “compressed commerce,” which reflects the consumer’s desire to move from inspiration to purchase as quickly as possible. In fact, 80% of consumers agree that they want to move from inspiration to purchase quickly, easily, and pleasantly.

This means that brands should prepare a two-pronged strategy. First, they should inspire consumers. They must also ensure that, given the large competition, they should take care of the right strategy and communication across search engines, social media and their other channels. The strategy itself becomes omnichannel, in order to minimize the risk of losing potential consumers at the first stage of their shopping journey.

The question you need to ask yourself: do you have a scalable marketplace strategy, one that won’t cannibalize other channels?

#4. Consumer experience rules

We can no longer afford to deliver poor or ill-considered online consumer experiences. Regardless of the channel guatemala lists consumers are becoming less tolerant of poor quality experiences. They expect lightning-fast delivery, easy returns, and product availability. 

There is still a lot to do in the area of ​​consumer experience. 32% of respondents stated that shopping is boring for them, and 62% would like online shopping to be more exciting and enjoyable. At the same time, more transparency, meticulousness and reliability in creating offers are required. 74% of consumers expect improved visibility of products and services and better offers. Focusing on the recipients’ experience is incredibly important. More than half (58%) of shoppers declare that they will not buy from a brand that does not meet their expectations related to the shopping experience.

What influences the experience the most according to consumers? Service, and it is this that determines their subsequent purchase decisions. The speed of delivery comes first, followed by convenience (i.e. available payment and delivery options) and greater transparency of the entire process and flexibility. The concept of speed covers the delivery time. On average, consumers were happy to wait for the delivery of products ordered online, which did not exceed 3 business days. However, there are also more demanding customers. 41% of consumers expect their products to arrive in less than 24 hours, and 24% want them at their doorstep in less than 2 hours! And this is a huge increase from the previous year, when 30% expected delivery within 24 hours, and only 4% wanted it in less than 2 hours. Fast is supposed to be faster.

The question you need to ask yourself is: are you committed to the highest quality of service and meeting the expectations of your customers throughout the entire online purchasing process?

#5. Shopping for social media

Another channel that is gaining importance is social media commerce. More and more consumers are buying on social media and intend to do so in the future.

What percentage of shoppers have actually made a purchase via social media? The answer is 65%, which is a huge increase from the 44% who answered this question in last year’s report. Consumers want quick purchases and don’t want to leave the platforms they’re on (to complete a transaction).