How To Maximise Customers Digital Habit As A Tool To Digital Commerce

While there has always been a natural uptick in how often people shop online, consumers’  digital habits have started to stabilize. Almost 26 percent of online consumers currently shop online at least weekly, according to a survey of more than 4,500 global online shoppers.

The plateau effect in digital commerce leaves companies with a clear mandate to improve or get left behind. The average shopper’s path to purchase is more complex than ever, filled with a wide variety of capabilities and attractions popularized by digital-native brands.  Vying for consumers’ attention and wallet share will only grow more difficult as additional players enter the fray, further congesting an already crowded digital shopping ecosystem.

To get ahead, these are the key findings

1. Final purchases require guidance

Just one-in-five online consumers, 20 percent say all of their online purchases are pre-planned.

2. Ineffective content has major consequences

Incorrect or incomplete content on a brand’s website and/or mobile app has stopped 98  percent of online shoppers from completing a purchase.

3. Digital commerce overwhelms consumers

Half of the online shoppers (46 percent) have failed to complete a purchase online because there were too many options to choose from. One-in-10 online shoppers view an item five or more times before making an online purchase, adding to feelings of always-on commerce.

4. Social media drives engagement and purchases

Fifty-two percent of online shoppers who use social media have clicked on an influencer ’s post, and a third of those shoppers (31 percent) have made a direct purchase from the post.

5. Seamless transactional experiences are the standard

Online shoppers report that the top three capabilities/features brands and retailers should support include free shipping (67 percent), shipping tracking (61 percent) and information about returns (52 percent).

What you should do as a brand

Online shoppers look to brands and retailers for guidance first, purchases second. The most important role brands and retailers play in online shoppers’ lives is serving as a  source of inspiration and information. Eighty-three percent of online shoppers intend to do something other than making a purchase when visiting a brand’s website for the first time.

This behaviour remains static from last year’s report, where the same number of online shoppers (17 percent) said the purchase was their primary motivation.

Companies must develop strategies to better understand customer behaviours and preferences, and factor in big-picture information (e.g., a shopper’s likes, dislikes, timely pop culture events, lifestyle trends) rather than transactional information alone (e.g.,  purchasing and browsing history).

Leading with relevant, educational content and experiences allows brands and retailers to build relationships with shoppers and become part of their everyday realities. Agro-allied, farmers and textile companies, for example,  can situate themselves within larger lifestyle moments, naturally positioning products as part of customer conversations and purchasing considerations.

Every touchpoint represents an opportunity for companies to communicate their place in shoppers’ communities and become more than just a vendor from which people buy merchandise. The issues a company stands for and lends its voice to create a positive connection in shoppers’ lives, which can ultimately inspire brand loyalty and purchases.

What We Are Committed To Doing In Real Life

We at Farm square Nigeria have and will always provide relevant, educational content and experiences that will allow us and our customer build relationships. We have created a  blog space dedicated to putting inspiration, new ideas and advice into the hands of all our customers.

Take Home Message

A massive opportunity exists for brands and retailers that develop experience-driven commerce models centred on information and inspiration, rather than conversion. It is expected that companies think about their bottom lines as part of the overall commerce equation — it would be irresponsible if they did not. However, digital experiences must focus on more than products and a sales strategy and should relate to consumers on personal, emotional levels.

Transactions are a byproduct of great, experience-driven shopping engagements, not vice versa.

Source:  Smart Insights