This content has the information about future of online shopping. The author is trying to keep it in short in 8 trend to watch out for in 2021. Please go through the content and enjoy reading.
Customers are always right, or haven’t you heard? Whether it’s shopping at brick-and-mortar stores or online, customers are key and customer experience is a major determining factor in whether they are loyal to a brand or not. 2020 – the year that was – brought huge changes leading to challenges and loss for businesses and people at large. Yet the challenges were also met with innovation and ideas that overturned the status quo and expedited digital experiences to meet customer needs.
The dawn of the digital era
coupled with the pandemic, gave rise to the evolution of e-commerce, which
revolutionized online shopping and also introduced the concept of live online
shopping to the world. This changed customer experience in dramatic ways, both
for consumers and the brands that serve them. With the overnight transformation
in the retail industry, brands and businesses had a tough time shifting to new
models in real time.
That being said, there
has been a permanent change in consumer expectations and 2021 will leave little
room for error when it comes to customer experience. In a nutshell, those
who’ve invested in providing great customer service will thrive, and those who
haven’t will need to act quickly in order to remain competitive.
Consistently meeting
the demand for an above-average customer experience can be an arduous task, but
with so much competition for online business, it’s one that companies simply
won’t be able to ignore in 2021. Luckily, technology is also adapting at rapid
speeds to help deliver tools that can make customer experience a truly seamless
experience for businesses as well as consumers.
So, what do companies and businesses need to know in 2021 that will help them win over customers’ hearts and minds and give them a good year in sales? Let’s explore the top trends in customer service that businesses need to look out for this year.
1. Digital Transformation will Accelerate
Even before the
pandemic took over the world, 70 percent of businesses had or were working on
some kind of digital transformation strategy. But while organisations may have
understood the need for digital transformation before, there’s no doubt that
the pandemic created an urgent need to accelerate these plans. From cloud-based
remote working to digital customer service, many small technology deployments
were implemented rapidly as quick fixes in response to the crisis. Therefore,
2021 will see more strategic digital transformation initiatives move from
planning to execution.
1.
Consumers
will Experiment with New Things
Consumers are more open
to trying new experiences and new forms of consumption to fight feelings of
isolation. This means that consumers are giving brands the permission to be
creative and to experiment with new ways of engaging with them. But keep in
mind: sincerity and authenticity matter more than ever, and ploys to manipulate
consumers’ emotions will turn them off.
1.
The
Definition of Customer Experience is Changing
While the key factors
of customer experience like customer effort and convenience still matter, trust
and safety have become even more important. Consumers are concerned with
whether brands make them feel safe during the pandemic. As a result of this
trend, consumers are becoming much more selective with the brands they’ll
interact with in person. To make that select list, companies must focus on
designing experiences that instil confidence.
1.
Relationships
Over Transactions
The 2021 customer pays
attention to you as a brand. They look to see how empathetic you really
are. Today, luxury hotel and spa guests are asking employees how they have been
treated by their employer. You are being evaluated on the human scale more than
ever before. As a result, your value proposition is evaluated on ‘how’ you do
your business.
1.
Real-Time
Requirements will Drive Customer Visualization
In 2021, real-time
insight will be key to customer experience strategy and delivery. This means
that customer journey orchestration and visualisation will come into their
own. Visualisation gives brands real-time information on their customers’
complex, non-linear, often unplanned journeys – and what the ideal journeys
should look like. Orchestration makes those ideal journeys a reality,
cost-effective and scalable.
1.
AI
will Become a Critical Enabler
It’s no secret that
artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way businesses interact with
customers. With AI and machine learning, brands can be available 24/7 at
every stage of the journey. In 2021, we’ll see more businesses use this
technology to synthesise customer data and deliver personalised experiences at
scale. This will lead to higher conversion rates, improved customer
satisfaction, cost reduction and increased customer loyalty.
1.
Omnichannel
Communication will be Key
If your company is not
operating with a focus on omnichannel communication, now is the time to
adapt. A true omnichannel approach includes the ability to deliver a
seamless and consistent experience across a variety of communication channels –
all whilst factoring in the different devices, behaviours and preferences of
the consumer. Studies have shown that customers no longer just desire
the ability to communicate with companies when and where it’s most convenient
for them – they expect and demand it.
1.
Smartphones
will Become More Personal
Shopping via
smartphones is growing exponentially. Customers are becoming more comfortable
with devices because the needs of the pandemic required quick adoption to
digital channels, including mobile. Customers who had never even
considered shopping via their phone are now doing it with gusto. That trend
will continue to grow as more brands offer better mobile experiences to do so.
Mobile devices are becoming necessary to view restaurant menus and avoid touching
kiosks in airports, hotel lobbies, and other populated places – this change
will also be seen in online shopping practices.
So, there you have it –
8 trends that will dominate the virtual shopping and online video
shopping experience in 2021. Perhaps it’s the isolation, but consumers are
hungrier than ever for experiences they can curate and navigate. It is clear
that the pandemic has had a huge effect on consumer behaviour and the
way their channels are organised. But the trends that stand out, and the ones
that will most affect online businesses in the coming years are not just
because of the pandemic. These trends were already there, waiting to surface
, and now they have
‘just’ been greatly accelerated.
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