What you’ll read: From hybrid shopping to video content, and website accessibility, these are the three Covid trends customers still want.
With most businesses thrown into survival mode when COVID hit, many used 2021 as the year to figure out which pandemic-induced changes they wanted to keep—even as most settled into a new normal.
Brands are discovering several of the strategies they used to stay afloat are actually ones customers prefer. Here are three lessons to learn from 2021 about customer marketing to use going forward.
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Consumers prefer hybrid shopping models
When the pandemic hit in 2020, brands scrambled to move as many of their offerings online and/or curbside as possible. A year later, many of the in-person restrictions have been lifted or reduced—but that doesn’t mean consumers want to go back to pre-COVID shopping experiences. In fact, most don’t.
What may have originally started as a temporary convenience option has turned into something customers prefer. That isn’t to say in-person experiences will become completely extinct. In fact, 46% of shoppers say they prefer in-person shopping. However, that is a 9% decrease from 2020, so it’s clear more people are looking for online options. There were 900 million more digital buyers in 2021 compared to 2020, and that number is expected to grow.
Which type of shopping experience a customer looksfor can depend on their specific needs and the type of product they’re wanting to purchase. The top three reasons customers go in stores is the ability to see and touch the products (33%), overall experience (26%), and immediacy provided (13%).
Based on the statistics, brands may want to offer customers a hybrid shopping model. The more choices customers have to interact and purchase from your brand, the more likely they will find a convenient option that works best for them—whether that’s via your website or app, in-store,or curbsideRemember: These preferences can and will change, so it’s important to constantly reassess what’s working.
Showcasing the brand’s hybrid model can be a great marketing tool. Share all of the brand’s different shopping options in marketing materials, like at the bottom of your emails and website. Make the options as clear as possible so it doesn’t become a stumbling block for customers who only want a specific type of shopping experience. Here’s an example from the footer of DSW’s email, which shows how customers can order, pickup, and pay:
Video content is king
The average person spent about 100 minutes a day watching online videos in 2021—not to mention that 96%of users increased their online video consumption the prior year. Here are just a few reasons video marketing should play a large role in a brand’s strategy going forward, according to Wyzowl.com:
- 84%of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video
- 79%say they’ve been convinced to buy or download software or an app by watching a video
- 69%say they’d prefer to watch a short video to learn about a product or service, compared to a text-based article or website (18%), infographic (4%), ebook or manual (3%), webinar/pitch (3%), and sales call/demo (2%)
Consumers are also twice as likely to share video content over other mediums, helping your brand reach an even larger audience. That’s why brands are not only creating more traditional video content on their websites, Facebook, and Instagram pages, but they are also targeting the younger generation on sites like TikTok.
For example, Oreo’s TikTok includes videos featuring customers eating their cookies in unique ways, recipes, product announcements, and ones incorporating the latest trends/sounds. Dairy Queen uses short, fun videos to engage its customers. Each online platform—whether that be on social media or your brand’s site—should have videos that best match the audience found there.
Create a professional, accessible website
Websites have become one of the top sellers for many brands as more consumers head online—both to make purchases and also research products. It’s often the first impression they have of your brand. Not only do sites need to look professional (clean, error-free design and text), but they should also include elements consumers say they want to see:
- Contact information (62%)
- About us page (31%)
- Social media icons (30%)
- Live chat (28%)
See a theme in the above bullets? ? They all revolve around getting in contact with your brand. So while customers might not be visiting in-person, they still want to engage with you. But simply including all of those elements isn’t enough for some customers with hearing or vision impairments if the site isn’t also accessible. To ensure your entire audience can properly experience your site, be sure to give links descriptive names, include alt text for images, organize headings to convey your structure, and ensure font colors stand out.
Don’t slow down now
If the past two years have taught marketers anything, it’s to be ready to change at a moment’s notice. While adapting has always been part of the job, it’s now more important than ever—in 2022 and beyond. Continue to watch customer behavior to ensure your brand has what they’re looking for.