<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=349935452247528&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Search
word-map-thumb

The Alternative Board Blog

How to Adapt to Changes in Customer Behavior

Nov. 12, 2020 | Posted by The Alternative Board
Adapt to Changes in Customer Behavior

The coronavirus epidemic has altered (perhaps permanently) many facets of life around the world. The business landscape, for one, is considerably different than what we remember from even one year ago. And within this category, changes to customer behavior are steadily emerging, with clear trends and patterns yet to be determined.

In the meantime, however, businesses in all types of industries are well-advised to closely monitor how customer purchasing habits are steadily evolving. With a better grasp of what’s going on now, businesses will be more strategically poised to adapt to further changes in the coming (hopefully post-pandemic) new year.

Here are insights and action tips on changing customer behavior to keep in mind:

Start by reassuring your customers of safety measures you’ve put in place.

As cases of COVID-19 continue to escalate, shoppers understandably want to be confident that any retail or brick-and-mortar businesses they visit is making the experience safe for everyone involved. In your marketing and other promotional materials, emphasize the steps you’re taking to ensure the physical safety of customers and employees at all times.

Solicit ideas from employees on customer service and behavior.

Your front-line staff is ideally positioned to take note of changes in customer buying habits. Consult them for insights on what’s going on, as well as suggestions for changes in operations that might enhance the customer experience.

Look to employees to “suggest new strategies, products, or business opportunities,” notes the financial daily CTech. While you’re at it, determine if employees “also have hidden auxiliary expertise or talents, such as art, marketing, or music, which they may use to help your business adjust or differentiate yourself.”

In other words, never assume that you or your executive team alone have all the answers. Look to others who regularly interact with your loyal customer base.

Want additional insight? Read 4 Step Guide to Strategic Planning now to learn more

DOWNLOAD

Find out what customers want from your business.

In these challenging times, customers want the businesses they like to grasp the difficulties they’re experiencing in their daily lives. So, it’s vitally important that you focus with laser intensity on customer engagement—that is, finding out what they need from you.

In surveys, phone calls, and other types of engagement, ask how their lives have changed during the onset of the pandemic, and what you can do to improve their lives (or businesses).

But don’t stop there. “Build this mentality and curiosity into your company culture so anyone on the phone with a potential or current customer is culling these insights,” advises WordStream. When this approach is adopted in a consistent, organizational way, “patterns will emerge, allowing you to get to know this new customer.”

Maintain a vibrant, easy-to-navigate website.

Not surprisingly, purchasing trends are heavily tilted to the digital realm these days. Add to that the popular “contactless, click-and-collect” trend among retail businesses. In other words, online shopping—already growing exponentially in popularity—is definitely on the rise.

As a result, the digital buying experience should be seamless across the board. Your website should be clear and forthright about products and services, easy for visitors to navigate (from home page to “submit order”), and constantly providing valuable new content through blog posts, feature articles, white papers, etc.

Ease of website use will solidify your relationship with customers who prefer to make all of their purchases online.

TAB provides a wealth of information concerning ways to protect your business and employees, planning for new growth opportunities in the coming months, and ideas on how to engage with your community. Learn more by visiting the TAB Coronavirus Resource Center.

Read our 19 Reasons You Need a Business Owner Advisory Board

DOWNLOAD

Written by The Alternative Board

Related posts

5 Ways To Show Customer Appreciation This Holiday Season & Year Round
Nov. 30, 2022 | Posted by The Alternative Board
While showing your appreciation for your customers should be a year-round activity, the holidays are a particularly fantastic time to express gratitude to those who support your company. Never...
3 Customer Service Hacks That Will Keep Them Coming Back
Nov. 23, 2022 | Posted by The Alternative Board
Great customer service is one of the biggest drivers of customer satisfaction and retention. Customers care about the treatment they receive from a business - and how that engagement makes them feel...
How to Improve Website Traffic Conversion
Aug. 23, 2022 | Posted by Boris Kimelman
Advertising prices are steadily rising and the measurability of advertising tools is eroding. Brands are currently operating in a state of blindness, so it is important for business owners to...
Quick and Easy Way to Maintain an Active LinkedIn Presence
May. 27, 2022 | Posted by The Alternative Board
LinkedIn is a mainstay social media platform for business owners and professionals. No news flash there. But while most of us understand that having an engaging LinkedIn presence can bring tremendous...
Tips For Improving Your Networking Skills This Spring
Apr. 19, 2022 | Posted by Phil Spensieri
Love it or hate it, networking is essential for business growth and success. It’s often the bane of existence for many business owners that I work with. But if done right, you can take the hassle of...
How Social Media Can Drive Product Innovation
Apr. 15, 2022 | Posted by The Alternative Board TAB
The process of product innovation has, for some time, relied upon a cadre of forward-thinkers within an organization, and/or soliciting input from customer surveys and focus groups. These methods...
When a Business Owner Wears a Selling Hat
Mar. 4, 2022 | Posted by The Alternative Board
If you are like most business owners of small or mid-sized businesses, there are times you must put on your Selling Hat. When you put on that Selling Hat, your mindset needs to change to one of “What...
How to Thank Customers for Supporting Your Business
Feb. 24, 2022 | Posted by The Alternative Board
These days, after what seems an eternity of business restrictions due to Covid-19, companies are rightfully grateful for returning customers, and new prospects willing to give their business a...
Use Customer Feedback to Pivot Your Business
Nov. 17, 2021 | Posted by The Alternative Board
The global pandemic has prompted a wide range of businesses to pivot and repurpose their products and services in new ways. Changing market conditions often mandate that businesses evolve (whether...
5 Ways To Manage A Remote Sales Team
Nov. 5, 2021 | Posted by The Alternative Board
Sales leaders have struggled with managing remote sales teams even before the pandemic. Today, with an increasing number of organizations moving partially or fully remote, the need to put practices...