COVID-19 brought along with it the huge waves of change in our lifestyle, livelihood, shopping behaviour, communication, socialising etc., and we all have started accepting the new normal. We all know how COVID-19 has affected the buying and selling of things, and today we are going to throw some light over the new customer journey post-COVID.
The New Normal
Although the world is slowly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and economies are gearing up, it is hard to go back to normal and hence what COVID-19 has changed in us from our habits to heading out; is going to stay for a very long time.
One of the biggest changes that we all witnessed in 2020 was shopping behaviour. It was shocking how people started turning towards e-commerce platforms for their daily needs to most luxurious items in huge numbers and are still continuing to do so even though things are getting normal around. This caused a trigger among the brick-and-mortar retailers who started realising the importance and urgency to adapt the online trend in order to survive and set themselves apart from the competition. Therefore, to make customers stick to you as well as come back to you again and again in this highly dynamic world; it becomes essential to understand the customer behaviour and adapt the latest trends quickly.
What is Customer Journey?
Customer journey is not just the shopping experience. It starts from before the purchase, during the purchase, up to after purchase. So, let’s see what customers are expecting in the shopping experience post-pandemic.
Below Are the Latest Trends of eCommerce A Retailer Must Adapt for a Smooth Customer Journey:
1. Video Vlogs
According to a recent study, 62% of consumers say they watch product reviews before making a purchase. Since video vlogs showcase the actual look and feel of the product you are selling; there are higher chances of conversions as well as customer engagement.
2. Multi-Channel shopping
With the increase in online shopping and mobile commerce, it is very much important for the business to make a strong presence in multiple channels. Multichannel retailing is the key to improvise online presence. Optimizing the websites for mobile devices and providing multiple options like buy online, pick up in-store, buy in-store, choose home delivery etc. will increase customer loyalty.
3. Chatbots
Answering the generic queries of the customers is time-consuming and annoying. Let chatbots take care of that by giving personal attention and thoughtful recommendations based on the responses they receive from the customers. Also, the response time is reduced drastically when chatbots are engaged that improves the customer support experience.
4. Voice Search
The latest trend that is catching up with people is relying on voice assistant devices like Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri etc. not just for day-to-day tasks but also for buying products. Shopping via voice search is more convenient, time-saving and easier which is enhancing the customer experience.
5. Augmented reality online shopping
Artificial intelligence (AI) usage in e-commerce stores helps in offering personalized guidance and recommendations to the buyers. AI uses the history of the purchaser and provides recommendations as per their likes, and thus the target audience can be reached and customer experience can be improved.
6. More payment options
With an increase in digital payments, convenient payment options are an important factor to be considered. If customers’ do not get a preferred payment method, they won’t purchase from your ecommerce store. Thus, a website that accepts digital wallets (like Google Pay, Samsung or Apple Pay, and PayPal) apart from debit and credit cards will be a winner.
7. Increase in Mobile Commerce
With the easy availability of mobile phones and the convenience of shopping through them, people are preferring apps more than websites for their purchases. Also, now with the development of PWAs (Progressive Web Apps), mobile commerce is becoming a daily routine.
8. Sustainability Factor
After the COVID-19 pandemic; people have become more conscious about their health and also the environment. Green consumerism is catching onto the latest trend where people are becoming more aware of the role their purchasing decisions have on nature’s limited resources. Customers have started looking for products that are eco-friendly or involve recycling. Sustainability is gaining more importance, and brands have started adapting to the same.
Conclusion
Trends keep changing, and with the advancement of technologies; customers are expecting something more with every purchase. Therefore, to stand out and survive the competition, approach the best eCommerce solution provider for making your online store as much as customer-focused as its the key to make customers’ journey as impressive and enjoyable as possible.
