Online shopping has changed significantly as a result of the pandemic; in 2020, over $708 billion will be spent online, an 18 percent increase from 2019. Those who did not have an e-commerce website then had to figure out a way to continue selling their products behind closed doors because brick-and-mortar retailers had to quickly adapt in order to avoid going out of business.
Brick-and-mortar retailers spent the majority of 2020 working on their e-commerce websites, expanding their technology use, or utilizing data to keep customers interested and ensure smooth operations. Now that we’ve got 2020 under our belts, it’s time for independent retailers to finish building their websites and compete with the big box stores.
Determining Factors for Consumer Purchasing Decisions
YouGov and iAdvize, the world’s leading conversational platform used by major brands and retailers, surveyed 1,342 U.S. consumers to find out what was most important for influencing shoppers’ purchasing decisions. The opinions of other customers ranked highest (69 percent), followed by the recommendations provided by the website (31 percent).
Other factors that affect how consumers shop include the following:
- Chatting with a real person only – 27%
- Forums for specialists – 19%
- A phone line for customer service – 15%
- 15% of expert recommendations
- 11% of chatbots
Consumers Want to Speak with Humans When Shopping Online
Customers expect a better customer experience and the ability to instantly connect with a real person online when making a purchase decision. According to the report, 74% of respondents stated that they are more likely to return to a store if they were able to instantly connect with a real person via live chat or video support. In addition, 61% of respondents stated that they would leave a website if there was no instant way to connect with customer support.
Terrence Fox of iAdvize stated in a press release, “Consumers are gravitating towards online stores that offer the ability for them to be able to instantly connect with a real human to answer any questions or to help complete the sale in a highly competitive online world where Amazon is only a click away.” The need for more human interaction while shopping has become more apparent as a result of people’s increasing isolation and the pressure to shop online.
Specialists Online Forums
Many people use forums like Reddit to find out what other people think of a particular product. Anyone can respond to a question posted by users on this social media platform asking for advice or opinions on any topic. Even though retailers cannot control what people say on these forums, it is important to at least have customer reviews so that customers can see what previous purchasers thought of a particular product. This process is very similar to customer reviews on e-commerce websites.
Expert Recommendations
This is where influencers come into play, and especially during the pandemic, they have been a huge hit with brands. The in-person product testing experience is ruined because most customers shop online. Influencers can help create that in-person testing experience without requiring shoppers to leave their homes by bridging this gap. Shoppers cannot feel the item or see how it would fit.
Ryan Sauer, Director of Digital Marketing at PowerChord, stated, “Influencers can be a great way to get your brand’s products exposed to an influencer’s audience, but the brand should make sure that influencer’s audience has buying power.” This indicates that the influencer’s audience must fit the appropriate demographic, including household income if a product is more costly and valuable. Otherwise, the products of the brand are being shown off, but not to the right customers.
Chatbots
Customer service teams gain three immediate advantages from chatbots: better agent utilization, faster response times, and data collection on customer requirements. Even if you have a FAQ page on your website that answers the majority of these questions, customers sometimes don’t want to read paragraphs of information in a hurry. A chatbot’s quick response satisfies the customer, expands their knowledge of your brand, and prevents a salesperson from interrupting their work to answer the phone.
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