Over the years, the use of e-commerce has begun to increase and with this has come to a gradual evolution in the customer purchasing behaviour. With e-commerce providing a fast-paced purchasing environment often influenced by wider trends, many consumers have increasingly begun to prefer the use of online shopping over that of traditional high-street stores. Not only has this been influenced by the pandemic, but convenience and fast delivery times continue to play a key role in the gradual growth of online e-commerce.
Alongside these changing customer behaviours comes the even wider variety of products that many people are purchasing. With 69.5% of the total audience purchasing clothing, 51.7% on beauty products and gifts online, the need for guidance and advice to improve the overall e-commerce experience has expanded.
To find out more about what your audiences are spending their money on, download our report below.
2021 Consumer Insights On The Changing Customer Behaviour
When looking at customer behaviour several contributing factors have been seen to greatly impact customer purchasing behaviour. With brand loyalty, detailed product descriptions and website user experience all heavily influencing customer purchasing behaviour. As a result, it is down to the business to provide a simple yet effective strategy to improve overall user experience and improve conversions. In addition to this, several other points of interest have a continued effect on the way people interact with your business.
Supporting consumers on their journey is a significant part of this process as this can boost conversions and gradually begin to increase brand loyalty as a result. Though improving user experience and streamlining the checkout process is often enough the use of a fully integrated Intelligent Guided Selling system that provides real-time customer insights in order to monitor and adapt to this changing customer behaviour. But how can an Integrated Guided Selling platform such as this help your business to make the most out of this gradual shift in customer purchasing behaviour?
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Here at Conversity, we have conducted online retail research with over 2,056 respondents across the UK, Canada and The US, with some interesting results. Out of the 2,056 people asked 62% of the respondents claimed that they began the purchasing process on the retailer’s website, it is evident that personalisation and customer experience of a website is crucial in driving conversions at this point of awareness. Alongside this, 45% of respondents stated that customer reviews also played a significant role in their decision-making process. It is this level of awareness and research that presents an opportunity for business to personalise the customer experience to cater to these needs.
Download the report today to find out how your business can benefit from personalisation.
Customer Behaviour And Sales Assistance: How Is Confidence Surrounding Online Purchases Changing?
As a result of these changing customer behaviours and data-driven customer insights, there is evidence to suggest that there has been a significant shift in the number of those particularly in younger age groups, taking advantage of e-commerce and improved customer experience. Our recent Conversity report, we found that a total of 54% of customers stated that they were very confident when shopping online. This was closely followed by 43% saying that they were somewhat confident when making a purchase, based on the information and customer experience that they were met with.
It is important to note, however, that our customer behaviour research also suggests that those in the 56+ age bracket are more likely to use only a website for their purchases. This is important for businesses that are looking to capitalise on the changing customer behaviour as the need for an omnichannel purchasing experience with guided selling implemented is a major benefit. As a result of this, there is reason to suggest that personalisation of a website and customer journey combined with data-driven decision making could be beneficial for a business to increase trust and drive conversions. Despite this data suggesting a subtle generational divide when it comes to purchasing behaviour, it is the 18-24 age group that are likely to abandon their basket at the checkout with 38% stating that they needed more time to think about the purchase before completing it.
The Era Of Digital Marketing Techniques and tools And Its Influence On Consumer Behaviour
With the use of e-commerce platforms increasing as a result of the pandemic, customer behaviour and the point of awareness is changing. With many shoppers becoming more cautious in their purchases and the brands that they are purchasing from, consumer insights have suggested that having personalisation can help to drive conversions, particularly for those selling more expensive products. With the online experience expanding rapidly the pace of the online purchasing environment has become much more unpredictable. With many looking for a tailored experience with fast delivery, easy returns and a much more streamlined experience, it is the interaction with your business that could impact the customer purchasing behaviour.
Not only does your website need to be visually appealing, but it also needs to run correctly and provide your customers with an enjoyable experience. With long loading times affecting bounce rate and other contributing factors such as stock availability all impacting the purchasing behaviour of your audience, it is important to make sure that you are putting your best foot forwards.
To find out more about some of the tech that is found to contribute to increased confidence when purchasing online, download the report here.
Alongside the use of technology to influence customer purchasing behaviour retail research found that 30% of people received tailored offers around the product that led them to purchase the product. A further 38% stated that they led to purchasing a product they had previously looked at due to the product being recommended to them by the brand itself. This personalisation and focus on customer insights are proven to boost engagement and increase conversion over time. Therefore, investing in an integrated guided sales platform may be the driving force needed to ensure maximum ROI.
Of all those asked 30% of people received tailored offers around the product that led them to purchase the product. A further 38% stated that they led to purchasing a product they had previously looked at due to the product being recommended to them by the brand itself. This personalisation and focus on customer insights are proven to boost engagement and increase conversion over time. Therefore, investing in an integrated guided sales platform may be the driving force needed to ensure maximum ROI.
Another contributing factor to the customer online behaviour is the devices and search behaviour of customers online. With many using their phones or store applications to shop online instead of a traditional desktop search, being aware of where your audience is visiting you from will enable you to target advertising and influence purchasing behaviour in your favour.
Online Retail Insights Showcase Social Media, Disposable Income And Its Impact On General Purchasing Behaviour
Alongside the use of personalisation and email marketing, social media has also positively impacted the customer journey, particularly during the pandemic. With 35% of respondents from our online retail research claiming that social media influences them throughout their customer journey, this is a potential marketing opportunity for both small and larger businesses. With 68% of those between the age of 18-24 stating that they are heavily influenced by social media, this can present a marketing opportunity for businesses to drive traffic and tailor their ads.
With our online retail insights suggesting customer behaviour changing because of social media influence, there is reason to suggest that the likes of Instagram shopping and its customised user experience could become increasingly popular in the years ahead. Alongside the age divide, customer insights suggest that the monthly spend and disposable income of the younger generation could also be a contributing factor when it comes to the confidence around purchasing decisions. As the evidence suggests, the younger generation tends to spend more on items such as clothes, beauty products and gifts using an e-commerce platform when compared to those in the older age brackets. It is the older generation that appears to be more hesitant when it comes to parting with their money. To bridge the age gaps surrounding these online purchases, many businesses have begun to integrate a guided selling experience to aid them in making these difficult decisions whilst tailoring it to meet their needs.
With seamless integration of intelligent guided selling platforms such as ours at Conversity, you can begin to narrow this percentage and target products to your customers to reduce confusion surrounding more considered purchases. It is these bespoke product recommendations and streamlined e-commerce experience that is likely to drive conversions and improve ROI.
To find out more information about our most recent study or how you can use e-commerce insights to streamline your customer journey using an integrated guided selling system, contact us at Conversity.
