Understanding the Digital Consumer

By Amin Naserpour

It is no longer news that the digital revolution is fully upon us. But, many are yet to realise that asides the change in our approach to problem-solving, the digital revolution brought with it a significant change in consumer behaviour. The digital-savvy consumers that dominate today’s market are quite different from the consumers of old. The sooner existing and emerging brands realise they need to adapt their strategies to match this change, the better it is for their businesses.

Having established this, it is also imperative to note that changing existing strategies is easier said than done. The problem is made more complex by the fact that the behaviour of the digital consumer isn’t static. Social trends emerge year in, year out, and these trends have a direct impact on consumer behaviour and demands. The key for brands who wish to stay relevant is dynamism. Since consumers are not static, they should be ready to go with the flow by constantly discovering the unique opportunities presented by the changing behaviour of the digital consumer and keying into it.

How is the digital consumer different?

New standards 

The new generation of consumers is less influenced by the factors that were considered to be the major influencers of purchase decisions some years back. With the availability of a wider range of options, factors such as marketing persuasion and brand loyalty are no longer as important as they were. The digital consumer appears to make purchase decisions based on value and customer engagement. Shopping around and comparing prices is easier than ever before. And if you would be convincing the new generation of consumer to purchase your product or service at a higher price, you would need to deliver the best value for the money.

A new meaning to competition 

To the digital consumer, the traditional definition of competition doesn’t exactly apply. The availability of options isn’t simply restricted to the product or service rendered but to other brand elements such as customer satisfaction, consumer engagement, and brand honesty. All these elements have also become important factors within a purchase decision. So, even if you have the best products or offer the best value in your niche, there is a need to constantly compare yourself with brands in other niches and see how you measure up in other aspects that also improve the consumer experience. This is because digital consumers would not restrict themselves to your direct competitors’ before passing judgment on your brand.

Shorter attention span

The advent of social media channels meant newer, more effective ways for brands to deliver their messages to consumers. It appeared that consumers were initially fascinated by this development and business pages had massive followership. But this positive side only lasted for a while. Today’s digital consumer has a very short attention span. While it is very easy to get the message to them, it is very hard to get them to listen to the message. People pay little or no attention to regular brand adverts, unfollow brand pages or turn off the visibility of such pages on their news feeds, direct advert emails to the spam section, and do just about everything to ensure their private space is kept private. The digital can easily decide not to patronise a business because the business disturbs too much. The range of options available doesn’t help the cause of businesses. There is a greater need to balance advertising efforts. The digital consumer wants businesses to convince them without becoming overly bothersome.

The digital consumer is not given to enduring bad service. And it’s very easy to complain about it in the digital age. Although it is impossible for any brand to possibly satisfy all the wants and needs of every consumer, an impressive standard must be maintained if the brand wishes to stay relevant. Online forums such as Yelp, Reddit, Google My Business, etc. have made and marred numerous brands. More than reviews on company websites, consumers have come to trust the reviews on these forums as they believe it would be harder to doctor the opinions on these platforms. The element of scepticism is also transferred to traditional communication channels such as the radio, television, and magazine ads. In response, brands should view reputation monitoring as an integral part of their marketing strategies. Customer complaints should be addressed as quickly as possible and every effort of the business should be tailored towards ensuring customer satisfaction.

The digital consumer is a part-time marketer, part-time opposition 

Digital consumers easily go out of their way to promote the brands they love even if there is no reward involved. Asides from the reviews dropped on important forums, personal social media pages and blogs are also used as marketing tools. Discussions about businesses patronized, products tested, etc. are commonplace in these forums and positive comments from a social media influencer can go a long way in promoting a brand. Conversely, negative comments could cause or catalyse the death of businesses. As always, word of mouth is king but it appears that the voices of consumers have become amplified. Consciously or unconsciously, the digital consumer can act as a marketer or opposition to any business. This creates a need for honesty on the part of brands. The rule remains the same: do not promise what you cannot offer and deliver on all your promises. Once a business is able to do this, the online reputation can be secured, to an extent, at least.