The digital consumer is a key element in defining a business’ sales strategy. The way we sell has changed radically in the last few years and, due to the pandemic, this revolution has years and, due to the pandemic, this revolution has been accentuated.
Little by little, businesses are realising that knowing this type of user is essential. The target we are addressing must be perfectly defined and the more specifications we know about the target audience, the more we will be able to adapt the product to their needs and preferences.
In just two years, the profile of the digital consumer has changed considerably. Confinement in between, the public has changed their priorities and their way of consuming. Before March 2020, the profile of the digital consumer was that of a person between 30 and 45 years old, mainly belonging to the millennial generation. In addition, their purchasing process was characterised by doing a preliminary search on their mobile phone and finishing the purchase process on the computer.
The consumer of 2021
The pandemic arrived and with it came the definitive change in the purchasing model. Ecommerce was a booming model until COVID consolidated it definitively. The fact of being “locked up at home” made most of the population change their way of consuming, so the online shopper is characterised by the following traits:
The age range of users shopping online has widened considerably. The 30–45-year-olds have been joined by Generation X (born between 1965 and 1982) and Generation Z (born between 1996 and 2012). The current trend among these groups, in addition to consuming more on the internet, is to do so in local shops, an aspect that has probably been stimulated by the health, economic and distribution crises we are currently experiencing.
The smartphone has become the device par excellence in the whole shopping process. The digital consumer relies heavily on the mobile phone for online shopping. One of the most common uses of this device is to research and compare, and social networks are essential tools for brands. They provide a very cost-effective showcase for their product catalogue, either through their feed or through influencer campaigns. In addition, social networks are starting to encourage sales on their own platforms, without the need for users to leave the social network itself to buy.
Digital consumer demand is bigger, and supply is more homogeneous, i.e., the volume of purchases is increasing among products that are increasingly similar. As a result, the public is beginning to opt to buy based on the experiences provided by brands, which try to reach the Top of Mind or Top of Heart through personalised campaigns aimed at their target audience. However, the customer is not only satisfied through emotional messages, and improving the purchasing process is a key element to increase sales volume. Having an omni-channel commerce and offering different payment methods allows the customer to buy and pay the way they want. It should be borne in mind that, in the wake of the pandemic, the user is trying to pay less with cash and digital payment through cards, wallets, and alternative payments such as PayPal or Bizum has exploded.
The consumer of 2021 has lived through a pandemic in which they have had to stay at home for two months, which has changed the way they see the planet and their economy. With the world at a standstill, the population has realised the need to take care of the environment, which is why the digital consumer is also more sustainable and is willing to pay more for eco-friendly products.
Sipay, a payment platform specialising in digital solutions that helps businesses to sell more, points out that “adapting to the customer is an essential part of everyday life. The change that society has undergone in the last two years establishes the rules of the game towards a much more digital, environmentally conscious world, full of personalised and memorable experiences for the user. Providing a good shopping experience will undoubtedly create a long-lasting relationship of trust between customer and retailer”.
