How customers buying will/has changed....

The pandemic has triggered some unusual reactions from people.  From hoarding of toilet paper to becoming couch potatoes, people are trying to establish some control in their lives.

Even as restrictions are being lifted, life is not “normal”.

Carlos Torelli, Professor at Geis Business Institute, has suggested the following 4 psychological responses to the events happening:

1 – Behavioural Immune System

-        any deviation from the “norm” may be interpreted as evidence of infection

-        avoidance of used products, possible contamination

-        emphasis on cleanliness

-        racial discrimination

2 – Conformist Behaviour

-        seek the familiar

-        behavioural conformity to majority opinion

-        liking familiar traits

3 – Social Avoidance

-        more introverted

-        less tolerant of foreigners

-        take fewer risks

4 – Thinking about their own death

-        focus on safety

-        cultural views

-        Western and Eastern cultures really differ

-        Western bias is based upon external causes (germ transmission), as shown through the detection process

-        Eastern cultures are attributed more to internal causes, shown through focus on safety and normal behaviour.

It is easy to see all of these responses in the world today. 

How do these responses transfer to customer buying behaviour?

People like something familiar.

                      Make sure you are the one they see first!

                      Buying from someone they know and trust.  Buy local first!

                     Online purchases have skyrocketed! 

                         Until people feel fully safe to shop otherwise,                                                                                              online purchasing is here to stay.  

With so many unemployed, needs outweigh wants.  People are shopping less for extras and more for everyday.  Initially, there will probably be a surge on extras as people get out a little, but there is little extra in the purse these days. 

 Are you going to continue your on-line presence?

People need to feel they are safe. What are you doing to keep them safe?  Cleaning, masks, acceptance are just some of the ways.  

Customer service.  Now more than ever people need to feel more human and less like a number.  Even a simple "thank you for shopping at our location" speaks volumes.

How has the new "Work from Home" paradigm changed your stock demands?  More casual clothing? More technology?

What changes have you seen that are different from what you expected?  

The coming months will definitely show some new trends and spending patterns.  We all will be watching and changing with the times...

Follow the blog and watch for other comments to see what else is happening...

 

Online Presence

When was the last time you updated the information on your website? In today's world, your online presence is probably first contact with customers!

Many businesses have beautiful websites that were developed 5 years ago and haven't been touched since. Product information, location and hours, even the About Us information is out of date.

Do your customers know what your hours and ways of service are?

Are you opening in this stage of the economic phase-in?

      What protocol are you putting in place for customer safety?

      What protocol are you putting in place for staff safety?

       Are you hours the same?

A website, today, is a dynamic extension of your business. You need to be able to update on a regular basis. Can you do this in-house?

Have a neighbour/friend look at your site. Can they answer any of the questions already asked?

How long does it take for them to look for the information? 

Home pages should be clean and exciting to see. If it takes more than 30-40 secs to load, a customer will back out and look elsewhere.

Speaking of home pages, when you log onto the internet what is the first page you see?  Is it your website?  The search engine (EX Google)?  You should set your homepage to your site.  Why?  Search engines rank websites by the number of hits on the site.  So each time you log into the internet, you will create a hit.  Then the secondary page you go to can be the search engine.  What a quick easy way to promote yourself!!!

If you have an e-commerce site (online store), is it just a click away? Can they purchase with a variety of payment methods?  Is your product line current?  Do you track your customer information so you can follow up with sales/promos?

Lots to think about, but so important.

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The KISS principle really comes into play with websites.

In marketing, the golden rule was 3 clicks. If a customer clicked into your site 3x's, it increased sales.

If the pages are uncluttered and can load quickly, then a customer will click to get more information. This is one of the differences in the Google Search Engine vs. MSN. One is clean with minimal hyperlinks, the other loads all sorts of apps, banners, info, etc. The time needed just to be able to access the search button was frustrating.

Remember, even today not everyone has highspeed access. If you are still on dial-up most websites will not even load, they time out the system.

You also need to consider how your site looks on a mobile device (phone or tablet). Most website design sites now include the Mobile site. This allows you to edit how it looks on a phone without affecting how it looks on a full computer screen.

Just like writing a story, the opening should capture attention. It can be a simple catchphrase, your logo for sure!

6 Key Questions to consider:

1 – Do you have an easy way to update?

2 – Can you receive email requests easily from site?

3 – Are you encouraged to look (click) further into website?

4 – Are your products/information current?

5 – Have you answered concerns on how you are dealing with safety?

6 – Does each page have your logo and name?

As your frontline persona, what do you want your website to say about you and your business?

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