What is online behavior?

The digital era has and will continue to change social trends of online behavior, which in turn directly affects consumer behavior and demands. The change in consumer behavior can be hard to understand or even recognize, but brands today need to realize that it is happening and they need to change and adapt their customer service accordingly. The digital consumer has the potential to unsettle current competition as well as new players in any industry.

Changing consumer behaviors can be daunting for brands and can present certain challenges such as an increase in negative publicity. This said, there are also certain constructive opportunities that come with the risks, like the chance to engage with customers who are looking at the overall brand value of the product or service as opposed to just the price tag.

Type of online consumer behaviors

• SETTING STANDARDS

Customers are no longer comparing brands with their direct competitors, but rather all brands they consume, no matter the industry or product. They are comparing not only the product but a myriad of brand elements such as service, quality, and overall customer satisfaction to name a few. Brands should no longer be focusing on their direct competitors, but instead focusing on how they can be better than the best brands their consumers are using. Modern day consumers are comparing apples with oranges. Fashion brands are now being put up against supermarket chains and insurance companies; if one offers fantastic service, the benchmark is set for the others to meet those standards.

• CUSTOMER TOLERANCE

It’s now so much easier for customers to complain about bad service, meaning it’s much harder for brands to satisfy customers’ wants and needs. Customers place a large emphasis on the ease of service, and if this isn’t met they will take to digital media to complain and let others know of their misfortunes. Brands need to accept the fact that customers are less tolerant than they used to be, and they need to act accordingly in order to retain their customer base.

• CUSTOMER DIALOGUE

Between social media and customer forums, consumers have the ability to both build and destroy brands. Word of mouth was, and still is, king. Customers have always been led by the opinions of friends and family, but nowadays this is corroborated by social media likes and testimonials. Brand reputations can stand or fall overnight, all based on the communication between consumers of online behavior.

• LOYALTY

Customers want value for money and will no longer just accept cheap products and services. Likewise, customers won’t accept overpricing or poor standards of customer service. Brands need to understand that today’s customers are open to brand switching and do not have the same level of loyalty as they once did. Customers demand superiority and are happy to pay for it.

• PROMOTION

Consumers no longer trust traditional information channels as they once did, and so consumer opinion and relationships are formed on other, digital based, channels. This has meant a complete shift for brands to jump into digital and embrace conversation with consumers, which was previously reserved for personal comment and opinions. It’s difficult for some brands to keep up with both traditional and digital development, but it’s vital that they do in order to continue successful conversation and promotion with their customer base of online behavior.

• INFORMATION

The digital revolution has provided customers with a far greater knowledge of products and services, meaning that brands no longer decide what information is handed to consumers regarding product knowledge. Consumers are able to access information and opinions within seconds, providing them with enough facts to make informed purchase decisions.

Hot to implement in online behavior for online marketing

Nowadays, traditional marketing tools, like televisions and signboards, are considered as ‘cold’ advertising media. Similarly, newspapers and pamphlets are less popular when it comes to marketing for businesses. When compared to modern Internet marketing tools, traditional tools are less effective when it comes to collecting and analyzing information regarding customer behavior, market trend, and the impact of the marketing campaign.

In order to give a marketing campaign a proper direction, companies require real-time information about the market trend and customer behavior before and after launching it. In other words, the optimization of a marketing campaign depends on two aspects: the current market trend and the mood of customers.

Advice for Small Businesses

Internet marketing has many aspects, and at times, it is difficult to implement several internet marketing techniques at the same time. Start-ups and particularly small businesses may find it hard to apply various techniques, how to execute the strategy, and having enough people to help manage their online marketing presence.

It is advisable to focus on implying one technique at a time for efficient marketing. They can monitor, analyze the impact, and track the success of each technique on one after another basis. Though such a ‘trial and error’ method is time-consuming, it certainly helps small businesses pick up the proper marketing method.

Five Strategies

Internet marketing offers a slew of business benefits and it is a trend irrespective of the size of the companies. Read on, as we discuss the different strategies you can implement into your business:

1. Content Marketing:

It is the lifeblood of any online marketing strategy. Nowadays, prospective buyers use the Internet to search for any information regarding the product or service of their choice.Attractive and unique content can significantly impact their purchase decision. Not only that but also, an effective content marketing strategy help companies get better web rankings on different search engines like Google, and others. Content creation can increase your SEO rankings. Therefore, writing resourceful content can benefit your business and attract organic traffic to your website.

2. Email Marketing:

Almost every ‘netizen’ has at least one email address. In addition, a lot of people consider emailed ads as authentic and authoritative. People prefer e-mail marketing as they consider emails as the first way to receive official promotions. Therefore, personalized email can significantly improve both the click-through and conversion rate.

For small businesses, it is troublesome to collect valid email addresses of existing, as well as prospective customers. Businesses can start a subscription to their newsletter. The newsletter is a powerful online tool to provide relevant information, company information, and stay connected to your subscribers while collecting emails. You can even use your newsletter to promote your content creation. Most email software has impressive features for analyzing consumer behaviors, such as clicks and conversions. These features allow you to see how impactful your email campaign is. In addition, you can see any trends with your newsletters to make adjustments and improvements.

3. Marketing Automation:

In the edge of competition and technology dominance, real lead generation is quite difficult. However, marketing automation is a unique and authentic way to generate more leads. In fact, it can help businesses connect with existing and prospective consumers rapidly. Not only does it generates more leads effectively, but also ensures the generation of ‘real leads’.

Genuine leads can significantly improve conversion rate and entrepreneurs get higher return on their investment. Nowadays, a number of marketing automation systems are available to help businesses, such as the automatic response, auto lead collection, and the like.

4. Mobile Marketing:

Needless to say, smart and mobile devices have almost replaced PCs and desktops when it comes to Internet access. Significant rise in the use of hand-held devices for reading emails, searching, and accessing the net has opened the doors of a new marketing platform for business persons.

Mobile marketing strategies allow businesses to extend their reach. With Google labeling whether websites are mobile-friendly, businesses need to make changes to their website if they are not mobile-friendly. Test to see if your site is mobile friendly here. If your company allows for the budget, consider building an app for your business. Consumers can download your app for the latest news, content, or quick access to the service you are offering.

5. Social Media Marketing:

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, are only 3 of the many social media platforms in the social media world. They are powerful platforms for social gatherings and offer an excellent opportunity for promoting products or services. Companies can reach a massive audience through social media. In addition, they can target a specific audience through it.

Social media marketing is one of the most economical strategies and yet, highly effective Internet marketing methods. Social media help build your business’ brand and reputation. However, without proper management, it may cause serious harm to a reputation. We can consider the method as a double-edged sword, and it requires continuous attention.

Conclusive of online behavior

It is worth to point out that some businesses may require an Internet marketing company for managing their online marketing campaign efficiently and effectively. These companies provide end-to-end marketing solutions and offer an array of services that can make marketing easier for your company. Since they are knowledgeable, experienced, and experts in the Internet marketing field, you can count on these companies to educate you and create positive results for your company.

Aditya Aggarwal