Technology Is Altering Consumer Habits In Four Key Ways.

The venture investor Marc Andreessen once stated that software is consuming the planet. You need not go very far to observe this phenomenon. COVID-19 opened the door for the virtual to blend with the actual world. Before now, the effects of social media on our interactions were limited. These platforms are now our daily bread.

Current rates of change are historically low. If you want to succeed as a business leader, you need to have your finger on the pulse of new developments so you don’t let your clients or rivals down.

Let’s take a look at four areas in which technology is already influencing customer behaviour and the implications these changes may have for your company.

1. Oversaturation with content and declining attention spans

One of the most important aspects of successful online marketing is content. Brands are aware of it, and so are you and me. The proliferation of seemingly endless amounts of material with varying visual styles, creative vibes, elements of surprise, and motivational messages is a direct outcome of the ease and convenience with which content can be created in today’s digital age. It’s hardly surprising that competition is so fierce in this industry.

Customers’ attention spans are shorter as a result of the constant barrage of information they must process. These days, the average attention span of a website visitor is less than 15 seconds. Instagram stories, which often run for 15 seconds, and YouTube commercials, which typically run for five seconds, may finally make sense. The plethora of products on the market and the volume of available information has made consumers pickier than ever.

Content that is short, easy, and distinctive in style that demands less than 15 seconds of attention is essential if you want to succeed with digital marketing.

2. Provide an omnichannel experience beginning with mobile

You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating: mobile is where it’s at. Always. Now more than ever before, individuals throughout the world are dependent on one another because to the internet. Nowadays, being online is as natural as breathing.

Covid-19’s success led us to recognise that nearly all of our needs could be met online. Without face-to-face contact, we were still able to get the job done. Eventually, we relied on the internet for everything, including schoolwork, job, extracurricular activities, physical activity, socialising, and even drinking with friends. This resulted in a huge rise in the everyday use of mobile devices, necessitating brand adaptations to the new medium. It became exceedingly expensive to risk losing clients because of a failure to adapt to the new mobile environment.

With the return to “normal life,” consumers have come to expect nothing less than a streamlined, individualised customer service experience that allows them to easily switch between channels.

This could involve the customer doing preliminary research on Google, finding what they need in an ad linked to the brand’s social media channels, discussing their options with sales representatives via these channels, and finally completing the purchase on the business’s website via a redirected link from the consumer’s smartphone. The customer then has the option of having the items shipped to their home or picking it up in person. Make your brand accessible on mobile devices at every point of contact, as this is increasingly how consumers move between digital, e-commerce, and physical stores.

3. Increased consumer anticipation

Consumers now have more choices than ever before because to technological advancements. Customers today have so many options that if something goes wrong with one brand, they just switch to another.

For instance, when salespeople ignore or take too long to respond to customers’ online enquiries. Customers expect nothing less than for every interaction with a business to be favourable, which is why they are more inclined to spread bad evaluations than positive ones. Effective and immediate response to customer demands is now expected of all brands, and consumers are eager to voice their displeasure in a public forum if a company fails to deliver.

Brands must consider how they might exceed consumers’ expectations in order to fulfil requirements they are unaware they have as technology continues to reshape consumer behaviour. Consumers’ expectations have raised along with the advancement of technology, but firms now have the means to satisfy them. For instance, in order to keep customers from abandoning a business because of long wait times for help, customer support has begun using AI-powered chatbots that are accessible around the clock. In addition, chatbots facilitate the collection of vast quantities of client data, which can then be utilised to zero in on problem areas and better satisfy customers.

4. AR makes everything more exciting for the user.

The introduction of augmented reality apps revolutionised the current user experience. More than ever, holographic encounters have increased customer satisfaction by allowing them to imagine how possible products would fit into their everyday lives. Whether it’s Sephora’s virtual try-on experience or Ikea’s furniture testing, customers can now experiment with things via a simple smartphone scan before making a final purchase decision.

By giving the buyer a sense of what it would be like to have the product in their own hands before they actually buy it, augmented reality is a game-changer. With such a realistic, genuine, and individualised experience, user happiness has skyrocketed, and a stronger connection between the brand and the consumer has been forged.

It’s undeniable that in today’s digital era, technology is consistently shifting consumer behaviour, necessitating that companies stay up by eagerly adapting to these shifts and sometimes even putting their own spin on things.