Since lock down in March how we all live and work has changed so inevitable so does our buying behaviour. The most obvious change is that unlike any other period of time we are buying more online. Whether your buying more ‘locally’ online or buying from Amazon for the foreseeable future and beyond we will continue to buy online.
Did you know….- The United Kingdom (UK) has the most advanced e-commerce market in Europe.
- the country’s e-commerce revenue in 2018 amounted to 688.4 billion GBP
- In 2020 it’s predicted to be £99.31 billion pounds.
Thinkwithgoogle, 2018 stated that 63% of shopping occasions begin online. That means that no matter where customers are finally making their purchase or buying decision their customer journey starts online. The unprecedented situation we find ourselves in means that this will have significantly escalated.
What does this mean for service companies?
This is not just about the retail or ecommerce marketplace. Customers buying services including B2B companies have changed how they are buying. Pre-COVID we could network, make recommendations and good old word or mouth got us a lot of business. And while we do still get business from these routes, the fact is we just aren’t having the conversations we used to because we aren’t in the office, we aren’t networking, we don’t bump into people (certainly not physically) in the hotel lobby.
The result is that customers are relying more than ever on your website and your online presence to make their buying decision. They do all their research online first before they get in touch with you. They determine how credible you are. They work out if your service is the right solution for them.
The question is how much information is there on your website? Is there enough there for me to make a decision to buy from you? Does your website and marketing demonstrate that you understand my challenges and situation and therefore how you can help me? How much information is there about the service itself and your process?
Is your website light on information and you’re therefore missing out on the sale?
