Today innovation and technology have changed our lives more than ever before. Digital marketing is the most effective innovation of technology which has influenced customer behavior.
The Internet has become very important in daily life. It has changed the business lookouts and marketing process. Gone are the days when marketers had to spend a huge amount of money on billboards, pamphlets, etc to reach customers.
Moreover, people do not get convinced with billboards, magazine ads, etc, they use smart devices to get information or purchase products. The flexibility and options they find on the internet are much more than any other method. This encourages customers to find and choose the best one according to their requirements. This way they make their decision easier and faster.
Digital marketing offers many tools to perform marketing and every marketer wants to take full advantage of it to reach their potential customers. People just surf or browse on the internet to find whatever they want.
Digital marketing has influenced customer behavior by providing good user experience, easy purchase options, artificial intelligence, better services, and trackable results.
Browsing online is a more reliable option as all the information about products or services is available in one place along with its actual performance in the form of reviews and feedback.
Using demos, videos, and virtual reality models buyers’ decisions get fueled up and make their choice easier.
Impact on digital marketing on customer behavior
Digital marketing has provided companies an opportunity to target on a global level. It has not only changed the business methods but also customer behavior. Look at the points below to understand how digital marketing influences customer behavior and how customers make buying decisions.
Less Consumer tolerance
Now customers want immediate solutions to their problems and issues. They want their issues to be solved as soon as possible. There are multiple platforms where customers tell their problems or issues related to a product or service. Moreover, if their query is not solved within a certain time they put negative reviews or feedback about your company.
However, one negative review grabs more attention than ten positive ones. Therefore, brands have to accept the fact that customers are less tolerant than they used to be earlier. However, to tackle this issue, marketers follow the ORM technique to remain connected and interact with their customers.
Customer Experiment
Digital marketing has changed the customer’s thinking process. Earlier customers were reluctant to try new brands and products. But after the evolution of digital marketing, customers get more information and varieties for even a single product category.
They started welcoming new products and brands with new features and qualities. This paves a way for many new startups like ola, uber, etc to spread their business and get immense success.
Changing customer behavior
Digital marketing has changed customer behavior in many ways. One of that is that now customers want a more convenient and personalized experience. They are not your forever customers.
Due to multiple varieties, they continue to switch on other brands if they find any inconvenience with the one. The companies have to make their digital marketing services unique and modernized according to customer’s tastes and preferences.
Along with this, contrary to the earlier time when the marketing is over with purchase, now post-purchase services matter a lot. This is the technique that helps you to either retain or lose your customers.
Multiple channel presence
Generally, brands don’t know which digital channel is best to reach target customers. They choose the channel where they can interact with their potential customers in the best manner. On the contrary, customers are present on all the platforms, you just have to find where the density is higher.
The customers find you on various channels presenting with your brand. It is your responsibility to reach them and encourage them to make a decision. When they find you on the platform they are looking for then, customer behavior will be positively influenced. Moreover, a business can improve its relations with customers.
Customer engagement
Due to the evolution of the internet and social media, customer behavior has changed a lot. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn give power to the customers to make or break the image of a company.
However” word of mouth” still holds the top priority in influencing the customer buying decision. Companies and brands get judged by reviews, likes, comments, shares, etc on social media.
Comparison with others
One of the biggest impacts of digital marketing is the evolution of the comparison-making mindset of the customers. This has made it very difficult for the business to influence customers to connect with your brand.
They make a comparison of your brand’s products with your competitors and then make a decision according to their requirements and quality. To influence customers brands make highly effective and innovative digital marketing strategies. They make sure to be present on social media where most of your customers are finding you.
How does digital marketing influence customers behavior
The most important components of digital marketing are SEO, social media, and google analytics. These components affect customer behavior in many ways. Along with these, now AI or artificial intelligence also impacts customers behavior.
Social Media
Social media has become indispensable in fast-changing technological advantages in the context of the advertisement to influence consumer behavior.
To understand the pattern of consumer behavior, while making a decision to buy a product, we need to see broad aspects of consumer behavior. We need to study psychology as well as motivational behavior.
Earlier if somebody wanted to buy a product he would have to go to different shops or take the help of ads in newspapers, magazines, TV channels or radio, etc. This required a lot of labor and still, it would not provide full information about the product.
Here social media has made it easier through various advertising platforms like Google search, FaceBook, YouTube, etc. which provide detailed information about any product. Individual interest and personal opinion about a product are guided by the information provided on social media platforms.
For example, people buy a number of things, some are satisfied and some others may not be so satisfied. They share their experience on social media platforms like blogs, Facebook pages, etc. This influences the opinion of the consumer about the product or service one is looking for. Social media works for business by targeting people on a global level.
The perception of certain consumers and their attitudes depends on the psychological bend of their minds. Another factor is the socio-economic class of the consumer. Social media also influences consumer behavior. Almost every aspect of consumer demand is influenced by the incorporation of the internet.
Google Analytics
Nowadays a consumer has a number of options to choose from. If a person wants to buy something he will think of an internet site to get information. He browses through a plethora of information provided on the different sites.
Here the need for analysis plays an important role. When a consumer or a client clicks on a website it is recorded at the various platforms. Whatever the consumer is looking for and whether he gets the required information or not is recorded somewhere on the net.
Analytics provide a crucial understanding and help in conceptualizing the consumer’s business practices. It also provides the density and site hits.
On the basis of such information, the analytics can make decisions about the target audiences. They can form marketing strategies. Companies are now in a position to decide which site to target and the time most appropriate for that.
SEO( Search Engine Optimization)
Nowadays customers have become wiser. Now they rely on search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc. to search for data on the goods or services required by them. They believe in their own search and research while arriving at a decision to make a purchase.
Here has come as a boon for the consumer and brand to improve the quality and quantity of the information for the target audience. The role of SEO is to improve the rankings of the website.
This Way it results in bringing more traffic and hence an increase in business. It can be said that SEO is primarily about collecting quality content and optimizing it for the purpose of search and being useful for the target audience.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
In the fast-changing digital marketing strategies, it is imperative to coin efficient sales pipelines. They are a must for increasing the sales and purchasing behavior of consumers. There is a need for creating digital pathways for sales. These should be comparatively quicker and easier to achieve greater success.
AI is pitched for making a remarkable effect on the digital marketing industry in the future. These technologies help in keeping good connections with consumers helping them in their queries.
AI has positively impacted the digital marketing domain of customer service, content marketing, etc. It enables content marketing to launch customized advertising using data from customer’s preferences, searches, etc. AI has revolutionized digital advertising and made it very efficient and customized.
Conclusion
Digital marketing helps businesses to reach a high number of customers globally. It helps businesses to reach new heights in the line of success and growth.
Moreover, Digital marketing helps marketers to make effective digital marketing strategies to influence customers for making leads and conversion. By providing business an opportunity to interact and connect with their customers, it has made user experience and connectivity high with the brand.
Digital marketing influences customer behavior and gives the business an opportunity to target potential customers, interact and connect with them, present your products in the best manner, and influence them to make a purchase.
This is how digital marketing influences customer behavior.