The Covid-19 pandemic hit us like a truck. It changed everything. From an ever globalized world, where scholars and leaders would refer to our society as a global village, to an ever increasing isolated atmosphere, where we became skeptical about everything and everyone. Covid-19 altered how we interacted, celebrated festivals, and shopped for goods. Consumer habits, in particular, have morphed to a great degree. 

At this point many business have not figured out how to cope with the changing consumer attitude. There are five main trends that have affected the post-pandemic market place:

1. Global Customers are Putting their Trust in Small Businesses More
2. Digital Tools are an Effective Communication Channel
3. Improving your Business through Online Sales
4. Data Privacy is Important, but Discounts are Influential
5. Stay on Top of Consumer Behavior Trends

Global Customers are Putting their Trust in Small Businesses More

Research has found that 44 percent of the consumers are now putting more trust in small businesses than they did before the pandemic. The generation Z and millennials have increased their purchases from local brands to help promote local economy.

If you are an entrepreneur with a small business, then your future looks bright. You should focus on providing value for money to the customers. The pandemic has motivated the people to support small scale brands and it is your time to embrace this golden opportunity. Customers feel more connected to small brands because of their improved customer services. Excellent customer services can ensure customer loyalty. 

Digital Tools are an Effective Communication Channel

30 percent of the consumers preferred email as a channel for receiving brand communications. Facebook came in second. 

Digital tools are a great way for establishing an intimate, one-on-one relationship with your customers. The use in email increased due to official work, and commitments. Obviously you can use this to your benefit.

Other digital notification tools include:

1. QR codes
2. SMS notifications
3. In app push notifications
4. Live chat on websites such as Zoom, and Skype
5. Website push notifications.

You need to stand out in the inbox. Your strategy should be focused on fending off the competition. You can read up on my earlier written article on how to use email marketing (Please insert link).

Secondly, come up with a strong subject line. It is the first thing the receiver will see. Spend some time writing the subject line. It should not appear as a spam, but come off as caring, and fulfilling their needs.

You can also start building your email list to increase the number of subscribers by the following ways:

1. Email signup forms available on your webpage
2. You can link signup forms with social media bios and about.
3. Offer the visitors newsletter subscription at checkout. This strategy can be implemented in online markets, as well as physical shops. 
4. Create a lead magnet for newsletter subscribers. Offer them discount coupons, or free items and services. 

Improving your Business through Online Sales

Online shopping has taken the world by a storm. Due to the government implemented rules of maintaining distance, and protecting oneself from the scourges of the virus, people have opted for online shopping more than ever. 

If you are a small business, you need to up your game, to overcome the profit gap created by big brands. You can offer a number of benefits to enhance the shopping experience:

1. Free shipping
2. Allowing for wider selection and range
3. Easy process for checking out
4. More number of payment options
5. Live chat for providing customer support
6. Altering the customers on new product stocks.
7. Storing customer information with their permission for future purposes.
8. Offer fast shipping and expedited delivery.
9. Provide seamless user experience

If you are having trouble, you can always hire experts. Ternion Solution can help you create a user friendly website at a reasonable cost and very little effort at your end. 

Data Privacy is Important, but Discounts are Influential

The pandemic also witnessed people suffer from financial crisis. Many were pushed down vertically on the socio-economic level, while many others lost their jobs, and hence their source of income. 

With online marketing, people also became cautious about their data, and what they share with other people. The Facebook scandal raised many eyebrows. However, the economic blow due to the Corona virus led people to think twice. 78 percent people are willing to share their data with small businesses, if they vouch that they will not share their data with anyone else. 

What should you do?

1. You can build your own opt0in email data base instead of purchasing email lists. 
2. Be straightforward with your customers. Tell them how you will store their data and use it.
3. Stick to the promise you made for email signup. If you said you will send them a weekly newsletter, deliver that nothing more.
4. Make it easy for the customers to unsubscribe. Do not opt for the crazy and complicated unsubscribe process. One click should be enough.

Stay on Top of Consumer Behavior Trends

As the pandemic continues to evolve, so shall the consumer behavior. You need to be ahead of the game. Make up a consumer communication strategy to focus on channels which will work be most suitable for your audience, and convenient for you.

People are buying without physically holding the item. The word of mouth, reviews and the images you share on the website is all they have during the pandemic. Do not compromise quality. Also, refrain from using heavily doctored and airbrushed pictures.

 I once bought an item from a website that said, “due to lighting and editing, the color might be slightly different in real life than shown in the picture”. I took my chances, and when the product arrived, instead of it being a crimson, the purse was a neon red. Rest assured, I never bought from that brand again.

Conclusion

You need to make your customers happy to keep them coming back for more. If you have not already planned out your post pandemic strategy, it is high time you should come up with one. Do not take the easy road. Assess consumer behavior, look for ways to earn their trust, and deliver quality.