People’s habits keep on shifting over time. You don’t dress the same way, behave or look the same way or talk the same way as you did a decade ago. So, why do you keep on assuming that your clients still cling to old buying habits?
Buyers no longer recognize the distinction between offline and online shopping. Whether they are searching on a smartphone, hanging out at the mall or checking main street shops, it’s all shopping! To adapt to this new competitive reality, business owners should draw on classic retailing truths of the past and augment them for now. Thus, it’s important to embrace this reality using the ever-changing technology to expand their storefront!
Here is how shopping trends have changed and how businesses can adapt to the changes.
Shoppers have as much information as the marketers
Today’s shoppers focus on doing their research about a product or service long before they buy it. This makes them secure about their purchase and also enhances the chances of getting the highest possible value with every cent they spend.
Such an information power shift is a great opportunity for businesses. If you use web tools and insights to share information with your customers and prospects, then, this is a perfect chance for you to bridge the gap between the offline retailer and the online consumer. With that, your business can stand out even in the most competitive business environment.
Businesses can offer personal, relevant suggestions at a scale
Gone are the days when shoppers used to walk into shopping malls, and retail shops and then a shopkeeper welcomes them and learn their needs and preferences later. Keep in mind that we are living in a constantly connected world. A smartphone or any other device that can access the internet is the proxy you need to know your clients.
With the advancements in the digital marketing arena, different devices can help you understand your clients’ location, what they need when they need it, and how it should be delivered. Such information can help business owners and marketers to make relevant suggestions to their customers and succeed in initiating healthy relationships with their customers.
Currently, mobile devices are driving foot traffic to stores
During the ancient times, finding the right retail shop or shopping malls and the service or product a shopper required depended on serendipity or familiarity. As the lines between offline shopping and online shopping blur, business people should include mobile devices into their brick-and-mortar of the experience that their customers get as they shop.
When shoppers search a business name or category, they expect to see an address, a map with direction, or even contact information especially a phone number that they can easily call.
Products can easily jump off the screen
A few decades ago, the internet was good for searching. There was no replacement for feeling, hold, and inspecting an item or a retail store shelf. Currently, shoppers use the interactive videos, gestural controls, and more to inspect products online.
Business owners and marketers should understand that each digital stride opens an excellent opportunity to close the gap between offline and online shopping.