“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. “ — Socrates.
While we haven’t had a pandemic of this scale during our lifetime, we can look back at history to know there will be major lasting changes in the minds of our customer. And, to stay in business, one must pivot, innovate and transform to meet those changes — design the customer experience in the new normal.
Here’s a few of the changes that we see would extend past the COVID-19 crisis.
Health and safety of customers come first — It could be as simple as wiping down heavy traffic surfaces to providing hand sanitizers and plexiglass counters to make the potential customers feel safer when shopping or visiting your office. More customers support businesses that follow local and national safety guidelines.
Digital marketing — businesses must have a professional looking, easy to navigate and interactive website, be active on social media, publish blogs and optimize SEO. Connect with your customers digitally. Customer buying preferences has shifted to digital from traditional dealings.
Value-driven branding — customers are growing increasingly sophisticated and not to mention vocal on social issues. Show empathy and support for your employees, customers and the community at this time. Do the right thing through charitable giving and volunteerism. This not only keeps a brand relevant but more importantly it builds customer loyalty.
In-home delivery services which used to be popular only for Pizza places and Chinese restaurants have been adopted by other food business and other industries — during the coronavirus crisis. The safety measure is likely to outlast the pandemic as people are falling in love with the convenience of getting food, groceries and products at their doorstep.
E-commerce – the pandemic have shifted buying to the online environment and many people are shopping online for the first time — senior citizens and rural people. After they discover the convenience of online shopping, they are more likely to continue buying online.
In search for savings, discounts, and deals — as consumers are financially struggling, they are cautious about spending money on non-essentials and want the best deals possible. Financial concerns will continue well after the pandemic with millennials cutting back on spending and spending less on experiences.
Now is not the time to slow down. While businesses usually focus on making customer journeys easy and engaging, customers are now more preoccupied with essential needs, such as safety, security and basic convenience. Acknowledge the customer concerns and provide solutions to their pain point throughout and long after the crisis.
For help with re-imagining and re-engineering your business, email us at debbieg@bizmadeez.com. Let’s talk!