As a result of digital marketing, marketing professionals all across the world have surely changed the way they approach marketing.
Additionally, the development of marketing technologies has had an impact on customer behavior and decision-making.
The marketing discipline of digital marketing makes use of online platforms and media, such as the Internet and desktop and mobile computers, to advertise products and services. The emergence of technology in the 1990s and 2000s has changed how brands and businesses use technology for marketing.
The surge in consumer use of digital devices in favor of physical stores and the integration of digital platforms into everyday life has led to an increase in digital marketing initiatives. These programs frequently use SEO, SEM, campaign marketing, influencer marketing, content automation, data-driven marketing, e-commerce marketing, social media marketing, and social media advertising.
Digital marketing is the term for the usage of digital media on platforms other than the Internet, such as television, mobile phones (SMS and MMS), callback, and on-hold ringtones. Due to its spread into non-Internet channels, digital marketing sets itself apart from online advertising.
Consumer behavior: What is it?
Consumer behavior generally refers to customers’ purchasing patterns and decision-making techniques. These are individuals that are looking for products and services for their personal use.
Information about consumer behavior is valuable to businesses everywhere in the world. This is the outcome of their constant attempts to enhance the shopping experience and, eventually, their sales figures.
By observing consumer behavior, they can understand consumer expectations in the market. Additionally, it enables them to make changes that will assist clients in making more informed decisions when making purchases.
The report includes details on what consumers purchase, where they purchase it, and when they believe they should. It also reveals information about their goals, spending habits, and other things.
What can we learn about changing consumer behavior from history?
In human history, every scientific discovery and technological development has enhanced society.
Despite the fact that printing has been practiced by humans for at least 5,000 years, The development of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the 1500s resulted in a long-lasting change in consumer behavior. With the help of the small newspaper, manufacturers may reach thousands of people. Manufacturers at the time employed newspaper advertisements to influence and change consumer behavior. The success of newspapers is further illustrated by the fact that they are still changing consumer behavior today.
When commercial radio initially emerged in the 1910s and 1920s, the same thing took place. Radio stations discovered corporations eager to pay for the opportunity to broadcast their advertising even though they were a government monopoly at the time.
The same is true for television and movies, which have fundamentally altered how we persuade people to buy. Watching actors and other famous people use or perform particular acts has a big impact on consumer behavior.
Digital marketing, formerly known as Internet marketing, continues to perform the same thing in the present era. However, online marketing is changing consumer behavior in a way that hasn’t previously been seen in newspapers, radio, TV, or cinema. Or even offline media, such as hoardings and exhibits set up along highway sides.
Here are some examples of how digital marketing has affected and continues to influence consumer behavior in light of the Internet’s broad usage and the more readily available, reasonably priced web-enabled devices.
Consumer Behavior Affected by Digital Marketing and Ecommerce
Take a look at your own spending and shopping patterns. You’ll surely notice a significant difference between these times and the previous 20 years when digital marketing was only beginning to gain traction. Below are a few pertinent examples of how digital marketing has changed consumer behavior:
Access to international markets
Unless importing is outlawed in your country, digital marketing has given customers access to products from markets all over the world. Nowadays, buying almost anything from any nation or continent is as simple as a mouse click or a touch of your smartphone screen. Even if geo-restricted content is unavailable in your location, VPN services can still be able to let you access it.
Because of this, more customers are selecting pricey or rare imported goods that weren’t previously generally available. People now yearn for imported things and, often, the high-end tastes that come with spending a lot of money on goods from elsewhere.
Product research in real-time
When we look at how consumers investigate products before making purchases, we might notice another significant change in consumer behavior. Whether it’s an expensive electronic gadget or a simple bar of soap, an increasing number of consumers now perform online research into the advantages and disadvantages of anything through blogs, reviews on eCommerce portals, manufacturer websites, and social media. People didn’t start acting in this way until only thirty years ago.
Digital marketing businesses’ surveys and research show that at least 80% of consumers read blogs and product reviews during the preliminary stage of their purchasing process. The goal of this kind of research is to make decisions that are straightforward and efficient in terms of resources.
Therefore, no firm can afford to ignore how consumers are affected by digital marketing. They are aware that a product that receives negative or unfavorable reviews won’t fare well on the market. They design items that will inescapably obtain favorable and positive reviews in an effort to sway customer decisions by shifting the balance in their favor.
Shopping carts at all times and places
Thanks to digital marketing, customers may now utilize the Internet to buy a range of products from various vendors. They have a ton of online shops where you can utilize coupons to acquire anything you want for less money or with big discounts. There is consequently less firm loyalty to a specific brand or retailer.
Thanks to email marketing, Facebook postings, tweets on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest ads, and pop-up advertisements on the Internet, a consumer is well-informed about the options and costs available to them. Thanks to Google AdSense, there are a lot of these specifically targeted advertisements based on a user’s browsing history.
Because of the abundance of internet retailers, both buyers and sellers have a plethora of options. Consumers are influenced by sincere and excellent reviews provided by affiliate marketers, who are mainly bloggers and digital marketers, and are then led to make immediate purchases using affiliate links.
Retailers and craftsmen of all stripes utilize the Facebook Marketplace, Facebook pages, and online marketplaces like Etsy and Shopify to sell their items concurrently. As a result, a client can make the same transaction through a variety of channels.
Discount thinking increases
In the past, consumers used to look for deals. Due to digital marketing courses and growing awareness of cheaper items available elsewhere, online shops are competing to offer discounts on nearly every commodity. For instance, retailers like Walmart, Target, and Giant, to name a few, promote discounts for specific products on specific days or offer printed or online coupons.
As buyers on Amazon, eBay, and other websites will learn, every price published online already has a little discount. A consumer used to have to haggle with store owners or salespeople in order to save a few dollars off the sticker price. Liken this circumstance to the prior ones.
FOMO via email advertising
Thanks to email marketing, a key aspect of digital marketing, customers may stay informed and connected with their favorite suppliers even when they are traveling overseas. Without actually visiting a store, they can find information about things like new releases and price reductions. They learn that emails containing such content are instead promptly sent to them.
Customers are no longer concerned about skipping a promotion, a sale, or a new release. As an alternative, they can place orders right away. By clicking on an interactive link offered through email marketing, customers can quickly make a purchase
Client loyalty is uncommon
The bulk of internet companies offer large discounts and freebies in an effort to maintain consumer loyalty. Building a loyal customer base is more difficult than ever for any offline, brick-and-mortar company. As a result, businesses reward customers with loyalty points for every dollar they spend. When paying bills for future purchases, these points can be converted into cash. After that, cashback offers are made.
One exemplary example of a classic loyalty program is Amazon Prime. program. For a brief yearly subscription, customers may join Amazon Prime and have access to a variety of services, such as free and faster shipping, priority service when buying certain items, free music and movies, and much more. As a result, consumer behavior has altered. Everyone who shops want to get value for their money.
Purchases are supported by credit and recurring payments.
Customers’ purchasing patterns themselves are a crucial element of digital marketing and affect their behavior. Customers could not make purchases on credit or enjoy the convenience of delaying payment before the creation of credit cards. Digital marketing has made a long-term change to this condition.
Due to the pressure to satisfy customers online, retailers are pushed to make purchases simpler by offering Equal Monthly Instalments (EMIs) and other conveniences. Merchants occasionally offer interest-free financing and EMI programs. These influence buyers to buy a costly item immediately as opposed to delaying it.
Surveys and monetary rewards for every idea
Anyone could be questioned if a few years ago they would have spent time looking for and completing online surveys. Unquestionably, “no” would have been the answer.
Due to the rise of digital marketing, all consumer companies are now involved in an intense battle to outdo one another by creating and delivering cutting-edge products and utilizing marketing technologies. For this, customer feedback is required. As a result, they have quiz software-made online surveys that are consumer-focused. Consumers are more than ready to participate in online surveys or write product reviews since market research companies reward their efforts with cash or free shopping coupons from premium brands.
Conclusion: Expect more modifications.
Here are just a few instances of how digital marketing has altered the way that customers perceive brands. As more advanced technology develops, customers will have more control over their purchase experience. However, because technology is always improving, corporations can affect the purchase habits of potential customers. The impact of internet marketing on how people shop in the future will be intriguing to observe.
Oregon Advertising specializes in all types of digital marketing solutions. Contact us today to discuss how we can help your business.