Consumer behavior in the market is not fixed: it changes according to the time and the social context.
If we think about the public that buys products online, the habits are even more different.
Therefore, if your intention is to sell to new consumers, regardless of the product offered, you need to know that profile better.
Learn about the main characteristics of today’s consumer so you can define sales strategies and guarantee better results.
VIDEO | 6 Characteristics of Current Consumer Behavior | Tips
1. Look for solutions to your problems on the Internet
One of the main characteristics of current consumer behavior is autonomy when seeking answers.
If in the past the client trusted third parties, today they bet on doing it yourself (DIY).
To solve most of their problems, the consumer does an Internet search, that is, he searches tirelessly for information.
That’s why content-oriented blog articles and videos that solve small daily problems are on the rise.
Companies from all sectors and segments have already noticed it and, for this reason, are investing more and more in blogs with rich information, which respond to people’s questions.
As a result, blogging helps these businesses and entrepreneurs build authority on the Internet, earning them the trust of potential customers.
Thus, when a person needs a solution offered by these companies, these brands will be the first ones they will look for.
2. You don’t want to be bombarded by ads
In the past, the fastest way to reach a customer was to invest in advertising all the time.
This is an intrusive way of advertising a business. In the end, even if someone had no interest in what a brand was offering, they got those ads all the time.
As consumer behavior has changed, now, who searches for a brand or company is the customer. This happens because the modern consumer likes to be an active part in the consumption relationship.
This new feature raised the market to a privileged position, but, on the other hand, outbound marketing actions have fallen more and more into disuse.
Traditional marketing focused on customer acquisition, with intense, continuous messages and very strong advertising, simply does not work anymore.
In reality, the modern consumer believes that these strategies are invasive and unnecessary.
Modern strategies are much more subtle.
Digital marketing, for example, applies concepts such as content marketing, which aims to attract customers without talking all the time about the company’s brands and products, which attracts much more attention from the modern consumer.
For this reason, companies have realized that it is increasingly unnecessary to bombard potential customers with traditional advertising, instead implementing much more subtle persuasion strategies.
3. You are interested in new market trends
All market research tends to point to the same reality: the modern consumer wants to be the first to experience new trends.
Every day novelties are launched in various sectors. They are new products, services, processes and much more. And today’s consumer doesn’t want to wait until tomorrow to own something new.
As Apple product launches are announced, for example, huge queues form at official stores. People literally sleep on the sidewalk to give themselves the pleasure of knowing the news first hand.
For this reason, companies and organizations must be increasingly updated. Staying behind is not a good option and can mean the failure of the venture.
If the client wants the new, the entrepreneur must offer the most innovative thing that he has in his business.
At the same time, , which are not only up to date, but also deliver new features, are gaining more and more space. In other words: thinking outside the box has become a necessity in the market.
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4. You want to make purchases without much bureaucracy
Since we are talking about consumer behavior, here is a characteristic that cannot go unnoticed: today’s consumer wants to buy with agility and zero bureaucracy.
Very long, complicated and confusing processes are discouraging and end up causing the consumer not to make the purchase.
Sales pages must be created with the best customer experience in mind.
From attraction to conviction, only the really relevant information should be present.
Many strategies can be taken to make the buying process quick and efficient.
Among them is the application of minimalism in the internal forms of the sales sites. The fewer fields to fill in, the better.
And that is important not only for simplification. Today’s consumer wants to give as little personal information as possible to third parties, primarily for fear of fraud.
Another important point refers to the loading speed of web pages.
If the brand’s site is slow, the chances of the purchase being interrupted in the middle are great.
Modern devices are getting faster and faster and access happens in the blink of an eye. That’s why having a fast, mobile-optimized website is essential to keep up with this pace.
5. You want to feel part of a community
Purchases in the modern world are not based only on individual interests. Consumer behavior changed, becoming part of the community.
In their business relationships, new customers want to feel part of something bigger, part of the company in which they participate.
This change explains, for example, the trend towards the use of ecological bags instead of traditional plastic bags. No one wants to be seen on the street as being responsible for global warming and other environmental problems.
Being part of the community has become an important value in society!
6. You like to know other people’s opinion about a product
Remember how we said that people can easily find other people’s opinion when making a purchase?
Today’s consumer relies significantly on the opinion of third parties, even if they are strangers.
This finding explains the growth of recommendation systems, such as Airbnb and Ifood evaluations, for example.
There are market scholars who point to trust as a new currency, as important as money.
That is, people trust a lot in what their peers are saying about a certain product or service.
Therefore, the better the evaluation of a company on the Internet, the greater the probability that its products will be acquired. And that goes for everything from accommodation to restaurants.
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7. Compare different brands to evaluate which is the best cost-benefit
Before making a purchase, the modern consumer looks for information about the competition.
If in the past it was necessary to go from store to store to check prices and payment terms, now it is much easier: the Internet offers various resources so that consumers have access to real information about products.
Comparison sites such as Buscapé and Idealo have become popular, evaluating thousands of items on the market, drawing a comparative profile, recommending the best options and showing price trends over the months.
Purchases are based not only on the actual cost, but on a set of factors such as:
- Quality;
- Durability;
- Degree of customer satisfaction;
- Usability.
And best of all, all this data can be consulted without bureaucracy on the Internet.
In addition, it is very easy and common to find other people’s opinions about each product, which further improves the user’s shopping experience (we will talk more about this in this text).
8. You are influenced by the people you admire
One of the most current characteristics of the consumer is the tendency to buy based on guidance provided by people who know a lot about a certain subject.
These are the so-called , professionals who share their personal tastes and opinions with the public.
And we’re not talking about just anyone!
Digital influencers are professionals with thousands of followers on various social platforms, such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
They have the power to dictate trends and transform the opinions of potential customers.
The strength of influencers is so great that they are being hired directly by brands to help them with advertising campaigns.
9. It deals with ecologically correct products and avoids waste
Remember when we talked about appreciation for the community?
One of the characteristics of modern consumer behavior is the appreciation of the environment, sustainability and the correct use of natural resources.
It is not a fashion, but a true concern with the future of humanity.
Ecologically correct products, which have the least possible impact on the environment, are preferred by these consumers. And it is not a concern limited to the natural environment, but also to the .
It is important for this new consumer to know that the products have been manufactured respecting the natural production time.
No scale production, without respect for human work. Small assembly lines are on the rise, although prices are much higher.
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10. Consider security when making a purchase
When it comes to confirming a purchase, the modern consumer expects complete security.
Therefore, sites must provide verifiable security certificates, attesting to the integrity of the operation.
And that’s not all!
The customer wants the guarantee that they will get their money back if any stage of the purchase process goes wrong or the product does not meet their needs and expectations.
Therefore, the information used by the seller must be clear and reflect the product or service sold as much as possible.
Meet your ideal client
You have just learned about the main characteristics of current consumer behavior.
However, there are variations that must be observed more closely and, mainly, for each business. In the end, it may even be that a person who consumes fitness products has an interest in fashion for pregnant women, but the probability that the public is different is very great.
That is why it is very important that, as an entrepreneur, you can draw the profile of your ideal client. Only then can you think of specific and assertive marketing strategies for your context.
Market research must be a constant in the company. Evaluating the transformations in the consumer profile is…
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