The role consumers play has changed over time. The digital world has pushed this concept to evolve, giving rise to the digital consumer.
What is the digital consumer
The digital consumer is someone who uses the internet and shops online. They share a series of common traits that we’ll define and explain in this post.
If we’re thinking about launching an online business, or we already have one, it’s important to know the characteristics of digital consumers so we can understand them and adapt to them.
As you well know, if we understand our customers’ needs, we can provide more valuable and distinctive information that will help us win more customers.
Regardless of each person’s individual tastes and needs, people who use the internet (which these days is most of the population) all tend to fit the same profile.
The 8 characteristics of every digital consumer
1. They’re impatient
There’s so much information online that we’ve become very impatient. It’s true, isn’t it, that when a page loads slowly we start to get frustrated, especially if we’ve run into some sort of problem. We want information instantly, which is why it’s so important to update and optimize our website as much as possible.
2. They create content
The digital consumer knows their way around social media, and many of them surely run their own blogs or online stores. They create content and could even be competitors of your site. For this reason, it’s essential to offer a quality product that isn’t misleading. A single tweet from someone with thousands of followers can seriously damage your brand. On the other hand, if we have a great website or online store, it opens up endless possibilities to reach people and collaborate with other digital consumers.
3. They’re informed
There’s a lot of information online. On any topic we search for, we’ll find thousands of pages. Personally, I think it’s hard to be a well-informed user on a subject. As a general rule, users know the basics about the topic they’re searching for. The problem is that many pages give the same information without adding any extra value. It’s important to keep in mind that what digital consumers know is basic in many cases. So we have to manage to deliver original, high-quality, and interesting content.
- They want to be heard
With the world of the internet, the distance between us is smaller because we’re always connected. On the other hand, it has also grown. We communicate through a screen, and often we lack that personal touch. The simple ability to talk to someone when handling a transaction shouldn’t go unnoticed. Understanding customer service over the internet and providing good support is essential. Listening to them and resolving their questions will help you sell more and create a good customer experience so they come back.
Learn more about how to build online customer loyalty
5. Always connected
Who hasn’t checked whether their phone is in their bag before leaving the house? The phone has become essential in our daily lives, which means we’re always connected. Users know the latest trends and often follow them. We have to stay up to date to offer content and products that keep pace with the new currents.
6. They look for relevant content
The internet user looks for information that surprises them. Something that conveys a feeling, that’s fun, original, and above all that answers the question they had. We have to present information in a pleasant format, easy to read, and above all one that stands out for being original.
7. Honesty and transparency
They especially value these two qualities, since they’re exposed to a lot of information of the same kind. There are plenty of fraudulent or scam pages out there on the internet, so we have to be as transparent as possible to earn the customer’s trust through a screen. We have to understand that the internet user doesn’t know us and is inclined to distrust our company. If we sell products online, it’s important to have reviews, secure payment methods, and a good privacy policy, because we’ll be handling their data.
8. They have power
The digital consumer has opinions and a voice. If something doesn’t seem right to them, they leave comments and post public reviews about it. So looking after digital users is important to make sure the impact you have on them is positive. You want them to publish and generate positive content about you, not the other way around.
With StockAgile, if you have an online store and a physical store that you want to sync in real time, get in touch with us and we’ll explain how to do it.