The current context, generated by the pandemic and its restrictions, has changed and is changing the way the world and by implication brands interact both offline and online. Especially the online environment, from the perspective of businesses and brands that were predominantly offline, experienced a spectacular acceleration, a growth that would have been seen otherwise in a few years. The last few months have opened up a new world for certain categories of consumers, from browsing the web more and interacting with their favorite brands to the first online order placed or offering online feedback. It thus becomes essential that any brand, be it a product, retail or service brand, is accessible to consumers at a click away.
Brand interaction, more than just a purchase
A study from the Nordic company digital marketing, Episerver, shows that 9 out of 10 shoppers seek to interact with brands online not to make a purchase, but for other reasons. These can be: search for information about the product or related information, search for new products, desire to give feedback or ask for additional information, recommendations, advice.
In short, the consumer's connection with the brand is easier to create in the online environment. On the other hand, anticipating this reality, more and more brands are constantly creating content online on different platforms, through different channels and communication tools.
Website, the best digital asset of a brand
Every brand that wants to start its digital journey has at least:
\ A social media account (Facebook, Instagram, Youtube) for which he creates content and where he gathers a fan base with which to open a conversation
\ A newsletter with a higher or lower frequency for which it creates other content and sends it to a specific customer base from where it again receives feedback by subscribing/unsubscribing
\ A blog through which they communicate periodic news or tips and information to the community
\ Some call-to-action on the site (such as Subscribe or Download Material) where it receives other feedback.
But most of the time, all this is managed independently, by different people.
But valuable insights (such as who, what reacted to, what the target's preferences are, what they empathize with more, what prompted the conversation) that customers provide are lost and not capitalized on by brands. And then the question is how can you use the digital environment to create a win-win situation for both the brand and the consumer?
The answer is: turn your website into a business tool.
The website is the best digital asset of a brand, which it can use to generate growth, implement its business strategies, find potential customers, and retain its customers. And this is because it belongs entirely to the brand and is the safest and easiest to manage. The “Site” has long been, or should be, just a company presentation page, a contact page and an “About Us” page.
Brand Online Presence Control Tower
The new website concept must be Omnichannel and represent the “control tower” of the entire online presence. What can you do to turn your website into the main control tower of your entire digital presence?
Here are some insights or tactics:
1. Collect and analyze the information that the consumer gives you online and then think of strategies based on it (see which topics are the most read on the blog and create a special section to promote, see which products the consumer is returning to and think of a series of promotions for them or recommend related products).
2. Integrate your databases so you can have an overview and make informed decisions (if you have a campaign microsite, make sure you bring the visitors you gather here, and then create content for them, and give them a promo package)
3. Facilitate visitors' online actions with content and navigation optimized for any device (especially since 60% of internet searches are mobile according to a study by *smart insights.com)
4th. Create content that engages consumers in your environment (Facebook posts are interactive and spark conversation, but like if they were directed to the blog article on your site and the conversation was carried in the comments here)
5. Rewards online consumer engagement through products, offers, or online-only content.
For example, Amazon knows the consumer and their profile so well and has all the data centralized so that with every offer they make you feel like they've thought of something for you, something you needed. Unlike a local online store, for example, from which I bought a certain laptop a few months ago, then looked it up again to recommend it to a friend, and after that action, all their recommendations for me come with the same laptop I already bought from them - information they already own, but do not capitalize on. What if they recommended me a bag for that laptop or an audio system?
The current times require rapid action to recalibrate the business and respond to the changing needs of consumers. The online environment provides a number of major opportunities that any brand can take advantage of if it embraces change and understands that the brand is not something static, but a living “organism”, which it must always keep moving.