Influence of digital marketing on customer behaviour

59% of consumers have higher expectations for customer service than they did a year ago.

Gone are the days when businesses would rely on print media and billboards to advertise their products. These days everything is online. Digital marketing has become the number one aspect for all businesses, new and old, to thrive in today’s marketplace.

By shifting online, the playing field has been leveled for established and emerging entrants. Expensive ad spaces no longer prevent a start-up from getting noticed by its customers. However, the sudden increase in all things digital has had a huge impact on consumer behavior in the past year.

Every ad campaign draws from customer behavior to better tailor its services to its targeted audience. An expert internet marketing agency will ensure that the digital marketing campaign of a brand is developed only after thorough research of their prospective customer base.

Customer behavior
Customer behavior is the act of analyzing customers – individuals or groups – in order to better understand their purchase process. This includes customer preferences, product purchase history, the timing of purchases, as well as emotions and attitudes that may dictate a purchase.

Here, we take a look at how digital marketing has impacted customer behavior in recent times.
Access to product research
There’s no more relying on what a company or salesperson says as a basis for purchase. These days customers have access to immense information on every product. Be it a long-term investment such as a car or a daily object such as shampoo, customers simply go online to know what their peers have to say about the product.

If their research offers them positive expectations from a particular brand, customers are more likely to shop from them even if they are a new entrant. Brands are expected to be honest with customers about the products and services offered as they can easily access the information elsewhere. An internet marketing company will help ensure customers are able to access the best information for your brand across sites.

No more full-price purchases
Traditionally, discounts or offers were only found during the festive season. Customers would wait to purchase expensive items during the ‘discount season’ while being prepared to pay full price during the rest of the year.
These days with bigger online stores constantly offering some level of discount or the other, customers are no longer interested in paying full price. They are actively on the lookout for discount codes, offers, and other promotional activities for every purchase.

Social Proof and Testimonials
Testimonials and reviews on social media and other sites hold far more value for customers than anything else. Along with researching prominent platforms, customers look for company testimonials as a major factor when it comes to a purchase decision.
Another aspect that holds value is customer service. Positive comments regarding exceptional service are likely to encourage a purchase while negative comments may even turn customers off an established brand.

Fickle customer attitudes
Traditionally, customers had specific physical stores that they were loyal to. Most of the time these stores carried the same brands thus promoting customer loyalty. These days, there is far more competition. The online world is not partial to any brand in particular. Additionally, the onslaught of social media platforms offers brands creative ways to engage with customers. Whichever brand captures a customer’s attention is likely to win a purchase. However, they can’t get complacent. Chances are the next time another brand shows up with an offer or creative idea, that’s where the customer will go.

High expectations from brands
Everything needs to be fast-paced and instant for today’s customers. Be it the page-load time of a website, a response to a query, or quicker delivery. Brands are having a tough tie negotiating timelines to keep customers happy and engaged.
Within reason competition, brands have only a couple of seconds before customers decide to move on to a competitor. Some even go on to leave negative feedback for the brand which affects its reputation.

Personalized experience
Customers want to be understood and catered to independently by brands. After a few interactions, customers prefer it if the brand is able to curate a preference list of products for them. Every customer needs to feel important and valued. For this, brands are increasingly using digital marketing metrics to analyze customer purchase trends and cater to them personally.