“What are you most excited to do when life begins to normalize?” It’s an important question that will require some time and reflection.
But the recent survey conducted by McKinsey tells us what people in 24 countries have planned on doing after they’ve been able, for a short while, to enjoy their lives again. And as people get out of their homes, there are very few chances of them going back online anytime soon. As a result, digital use is expected to drop except in the travel and banking industries.
Neira Hajro, A native of Bosnia and McKinsey partner who led the research on this topic, quotes. “We crave being outside and seeing loved ones as well as getting hugs from them.”
Neira has worked with McKinsey in New York and now London, where she helps clients’ digital transformations, among other things such as helping startups get started in their new ventures by providing mentoring services to those who need it most.
Further, she added, “As the world opens and consumers have more choices, people will mix what they like best about physical channels with the knowledge gained through taking part in digital activities over the past 18 months!”
To understand and learn how it will affect businesses as we advance, please continue to read.
The Most Surprising Finding From The Survey.
The survey was conducted in April 2021 across Europe, and in the last six months of the pandemic, nearly 70 million more people used digital services for the first time. With almost seven million from the UK alone.
These were not just people of age group 18 to 35-year-olds glued to their screens – older generations came online too. They used these new technologies for food shopping, doctor appointments, or even talking with grandchildren abroad as long-distance connections became easier than ever before.
According to the reports, we experienced the equivalent of five years worth of digital growth in only eight weeks! However, it seems that consumers are expecting to go back into their pre-pandemic habits and do less online.
It doesn’t mean that they will be turning off completely, though – just doing a little bit less than before. But there’s still plenty of opportunity for businesses as many people will stay active online, even if not as much as they were before.
Added Digital Consumers And Their Behavior.
One of the key changes was how quickly consumers became savvy in these trying times.
Since we were locked in our houses and had nothing to do, people began to invest in their homes, and this is what we call “nesting behaviors.” Buying furniture, electronics equipment, and groceries were all seen as necessities rather than luxury items.
New digital experiences also caused people to become more discerning about brands they chose before taking on an entirely new level of quality control when it came down to buying products from local stores or across continents online.
In this borderless digital world, consumers were able to take their experience beyond anything imaginable.
For example, students from other nations attend online lectures at MIT from the comfort of their homes; patients consult with medical experts from around the globe. Music fans everywhere now get to see performances live without buying a ticket or hoping there will be an opening near them soon enough.
This created a huge opportunity for businesses, and now they must compete at a global level and not just a local one.
What Must Businesses Do To Hold Onto Their New Digital Customers As Physical Channels Beckon?
Businesses need to be innovative to provide consumers with a better user experience. This includes a trust that their data is safe and providing them complete product information online.
Also, ensure that they can easily move across channels-researching products on the internet, seeing/trying them out at physical locations or stores, purchasing from home after deciding what you want, returning items if necessary (in-store).
A seamless experience is impossible without a human element, especially during the most critical points in your buyer’s process. In addition, industries can learn from each other to improve their customer service methods and data security.
For example, grocery stores may pick up on some lessons from banking institutions that have found that having best-in-class information technology departments leads more customers through the system with ease.
The Bright Spot In The Struggling Times
Many clients who failed to make progress in their digital transformations found success once they experienced a pandemic. The pandemic took away the issues like siloed teams, lack of agreement on goals, uncertainty about direction, and inconsistent commitment.
This gave our customers more time and space and an opportunity for innovation to achieve their goals with ease.
Wrapping Up!
Digital is constantly changing, and as always, some habits will decrease while others increase. It can be a challenge for business leaders to keep up with the changes in the digital world because there are so many things that need to get done.
Fortunately, we have found ways of iterating quickly due to cheap and fast technology, which helps us test out ideas before rolling them out. The more thoughtful human intervention also makes it better than ever!