The rise of a new customer
In many ways we couldn’t have scripted the past 5 years, let alone the past 3 years. One of the many changes that have occurred is how our customers buy and engage with us. In recent years, there has been a shift in shopping habits as consumers become savvier and more selective in their spending. There are a number of reasons for this, including the rise of online shopping, the growth and developments in social media, the pandemic, Brexit and the cost of living to name a few.
The first seismic shift is the amount of our buying process now takes place online. Even if you can go to the shop, showroom or office, customers will research them online before they go. Customers now do a significant amount of research before they purchase, they compare prices and are increasingly influenced by product reviews and recommendations from friends and family.
We’ve also seen the influence email marketing and social media has on customers' buying behaviour. For example, 78% of marketers have seen an increase in their email engagement over the past 12 months. 49% of consumers report finding the perfect product or solution by seeing a targeted ad and an additional 40% see it in an organic post.
How rich and in depth is your online presence and experience?
In this series I’ll be looking at how our customers' buying behaviour has changed and how to respond to it to ensure your sales and marketing matches how your customers want to buy. There will be a few surprises along the way too.
