Keeping your customers happy is key to long-term success. Here are 5+1 customer trends for 2022 that will help you to that end.
Undeniably, a happy client is for a company one of its most vital assets, hence, a prerequisite for business success. In this article, we will discuss the importance of keeping your customers content, through six consumer trends that seem to prevail in 2022.
1. A customer-first approach
The most successful businesses of this year are certainly those who have a client centric approach. For maintaining consumers’ trust and loyalty, employees should always ensure that clients feel that they are being taken care of, otherwise, customer retention will not be attained. A 2021 Mastercard study showed that 74% of consumers will remain loyal to brands that have excellent customer service. In order to achieve this, companies need to have easy access and usability of customer data, in order to gain the necessary insights for keeping their customers satisfied. However, according to the Digital Gap Survey, only 32% of business leaders apply this to their own companies, ultimately causing them to lose existing and potential clients. Hence, building data capabilities should become a top priority of digital strategies for enhancing customer experience.
2. Omnichannel shopping
Omnichannel shopping is definitely one of the most popular trends of 2022 with consumers interacting with businesses on multiple channels and devices. This however can make the shopping experience much more complicated and prone to errors. Due to this, companies need to be able to provide to their customers omnichannel experiences that do not end up causing mistakes and frustration. According to PwC, 41% of consumers completed their purchases using their phones around once per week in 2021, a much higher percentage than that of 2019 (24%). To effectively offer a seamless omnichannel experience, brands need to focus on creating cohesive experiences. For many companies, this means breaking down data silos through consolidating data management systems. To create an enhanced and cohesive shopping journey, therefore, companies should have a customer data platform that will enable them to improve collaboration between the various departments, such as marketing, sales, and customer service.
3. Sustainable Development
Gladly, people have started thinking about the effects of their actions upon our planet, hence, they make conscious effort to support companies that embrace environmental and ethical sustainability. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that, within the last five years, 85% of people have adjusted their purchase choices towards more sustainable products and services, choosing environmentally responsible businesses over companies that do not adopt green behaviors. Companies should, therefore, investigate how to implement green practices, such as recycle or utilize recyclable products, consider carbon offsetting, use more efficient manufacturing, and choose sustainable materials and supply chains.
4. Digital Interaction
One of the effects of the pandemic is the rising popularity of online purchases, a change that has ultimately become the norm as many people still prefer digital over in person shopping processes. This is proven by the fact that, according to a recent survey, approximately 60% of consumers consider their digital experience as the determining factor of their trust and loyalty to a company. To this end, organizations should invest in the right technology or improve digital and in-store experience, to distinguish themselves from competition and earn consumers’ preference.
5. Buying directly from the brand
On a similar note, as a survey commissioned by Google in 2021 showed, 60% of customers who perform online purchases prefer to buy directly from the brand, even if this is not the easiest way for them or even if there are various different retailers that sell the exact same product. Specifically, 82% of consumers stated that they expect to be able to make their purchases directly from the brand’s website, while approximately 90% want to have this option as it is their preferred choice. This trend should concern businesses that still rely on traditional B2C business models and most certainly prioritize the creation of strong digital sales channels. To this end, brands would benefit greatly from implementing direct-to-consumer business models to prevent consumers from making their purchases from third-party resellers.
6. The Metaverse
Last but definitely not least, the last trend we are discussing is, admittedly, the most controversial: i.e. The Metaverse Movement, a movement that is gradually gaining much popularity and receiving a favourable approach from many consumers. After so many lockdowns and quarantines, physical and virtual worlds have started to collide, while the digital world has moved from mere virtual hangouts to immersive and simulated 3D ecosystems and realities. Currently, consumers seem to socialize with each other using digital spaces that have created various virtual communities. Ostensibly, the decision by Gucci and Facebook (rebranded to Meta) to invest in the Metaverse Movement is most certainly a well-thought-out one. Businesses, therefore, need to embrace the opportunity to build equity in the contemporary digital reality, investing in e-commerce and virtual product sales.
For leading and maintaining a successful business, it is crucial that you follow and keep up with consumer trends, in order to implement the necessary changes at the right time. NetU can certainly make this journey much smoother through its experience and expertise in helping companies take the leap to digital transformation. For more information on our leading IT solutions and services that will reveal new opportunities and enable you to realize potential possibilities, contact our expert and dedicated team via our website www.netugroup.com .