Terms such as B2B and B2C should already be familiar to you, what might be a new concept for you is D2C, have you heard? This is a new business model that has been growing and means direct sales to the consumer, usually made by industries.
Do you know why this format has been gaining ground in recent times? Because something in consumer behaviour is changing and, among the changes, the internet is increasingly used for everything, especially for shopping.
We use D2C as an example for you to understand how customers have the power to transform entire segments. And in your industry, do you know what's changing?
This is a reflection that must be done to improve your company's services with strategies designed to make it increasingly competitive. In this article, you'll understand how this can be done and why it's so important to anyone who wants great results.
How consumer behaviour influences companies' actions and strategies
Consumer behaviour is everything that involves the purchase process: before, during and after payment is made. A person looking for a running shoe, for example, usually follows the following path:
Search the internet, social media, or ask for references from friends and relatives (before);
Go to the store or website of the brand you decided to buy, analyse reviews, and make the payment (during);
After the purchase is made, they receive after-sales service, which may involve NPS-type surveys, discount coupons for new purchases and even service in case of exchange or cancellation.
Did you notice how the entire purchase journey is done in stages, and how important it is for the customer to have a good experience in each of them? But of course, each phase of this process varies with the type of business offered by the company.
However, the understanding of the importance of unveiling how these people's buying behaviour is valid for any business. To fully understand what your customers think and what they need, it is worth knowing some strategic steps:
Show interest in the customer
The main focus here is to show a willingness to help you solve your problem. Regardless of what service or product the customer wants, what motivated him to look for the company is the fact that he has a problem to solve.
Remember the running shoe case? The person has a “problem”, which is finding the ideal footwear for sports practice. Still, his problem may be related to the cancellation of the purchase of the sneaker, which requires a lot of attention.
In this sense, it is necessary to think about the best products or services that can satisfy this customer, understand the motivations behind the purchase, identify the channels in which they are present, among others.
Communicate efficiently
Knowing which channels your persona is on and makes your purchases is essential, as you've noticed, but even more important is outlining the best approach to speaking the same language as your consumer. For this, it is necessary to draw up a communication plan.
Using current elements, memes and having a more laid-back language works well if your audience is younger. Otherwise, potential customers might not understand anything you're saying and the chances of purchase go down the drain.
Loyalty to sell more
A loyal customer can become a brand advocate. So much so that the most tuned-in companies invest heavily in actions to make consumers not only loyal but also lovers of the brand. Do you have any doubts that this is a good loyalty strategy for the company?
However, establishing this type of relationship is not the only way to retain customers. Conducting research to understand what are the improvement points for future purchases and even sending discount coupons are some possible strategies.
Differences in physical and digital purchasing behaviour
You saw that there are similar purchasing processes, but at the same time, they can be different because they are carried out in a virtual or physical environment, right?
Although many people prefer to have the shopping experience in physical stores, there is no doubt that internet sales have increased exponentially, including for purchases of essential products in supermarkets and pharmacies.
The main difference here is the increased possibilities of obtaining company references online, which can be positive or negative, and this will depend on how the brand is managed.
In addition, a factor that should be highlighted is the prior research carried out by customers on social networks, but which can end up in purchases in the physical store. This is a reality that brings together purchasing behaviours that run through both types of businesses.
4 elements that influence the buying journey
Whether in the physical field or online, there are elements that travel the consumption journey, and they are based on:
Cultural factors: refer to the consumer's ideas, ideologies and world-view;
Social factors: related to social classes, income and status;
Personal factors: are the individualities of each one, such as ethics, values and motivations;
Situational factors: these are related to aspects that can influence the moment, such as conditions at the place of purchase, the way in which they were served, among others.
Finally, know that in addition to the vast field of action to help companies devise the best strategies focused on consumer behaviour, digital research makes it possible to reach more people, ensures more agility to implement actions and has a lower cost than the traditional market research.
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