Digital Consumer Experience: Millennials and Gen Z Shoppers Change the Retail Game

It’s no secret that Millennials and Generation Z shop differently than most businesses are used to: by and large, these groups are purchasing their items online rather than in local businesses. Many believe this pattern is killing retail. However, by learning to optimize your store for the digital consumer experience, you will appease your shoppers’ needs and increase your sales.

Online Shopping and the Digital Age

Not only are these generations comfortable and accustomed to buying items online; in many cases, they prefer it. According to USA Today, Millennials were making 54 percent of their purchases online in 2016, which was an uptick from 51 percent in 2015.

Generation Zers—although they seem more content to shop in stores according to recent studies—are less price-conscious than their predecessors, which can sometimes mean they won’t mind buying items online and paying extra to have them shipped to their homes. Also, many individuals not in these generations are warming to online shopping more than they ever have before.

Online shopping isn’t a fad or a trend that will soon fade. It is a legitimate, retail experience that many individuals engage. In the case of the two younger generations, they tend to choose the digital consumer experience more often than shopping at a brick-and-mortar.

The Death of Retail?

For many retailers, this has been a serious problem. Some have gone out of business while others have tried to market to the younger generations in vain. There are several measures you can take to avoid the dreaded death of retail and the closing of your own personal business by creating a digital consumer experience your customers won’t soon forget.

Creating the Digital Consumer Experience for Your Business

When you decide to market your business online, strive to cultivate a digital presence and present your customers with an easy, comfortable digital consumer experience. This is what everyone—from the young Gen Z to the Baby Boomers—is looking for.

• Find the technological and media experience that suits your store. One type of technology doesn’t fit every company, so it is important to choose the options that meet your needs. Consider hiring a professional web design firm that will work within your budget to design a custom website.
• Get on social media. Companies that are can market to their customers in ways we never imagined before.
• Use online coupons. As stated by Marketing Land, 90 percent of consumers use their smartphones while they are in a store in order to compare prices. They also look up coupons on websites, and often, will be more likely to buy an item if they find one.

Creating a digital consumer experience is different for every company—as it should be—but without one, a store can really flounder, especially when so many shoppers have turned to digital ordering or even using their phones will in a store. As such, the companies that stick around will be the ones with an ability to go digital.

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About 4 Step Studio

4 Step Studio is an online marketing agency that specializes in website design and redesign, SEO, social media and more. Our team of experts focuses on helping small business get found online, while educating them on what will make them successful in the digital world. To learn more about what we can do for you, visit our website at www.4StepStudio.com