Online customer relationships

Even beyond pandemic-related shutdowns, everyone has realised by now that online commerce has become a matter of survival for retailers.

While “offline shopping”, brick-and-mortar stores could benefit from giving customers a nice shopping experience for all senses to entice them to buy more than they originally came looking for. The popular hobby of “going shopping” just for pleasure to have a good time, whether needing to buy anything or not, having a break at a café or restaurant, meeting friends and family, has for many people been cut short by the pandemic.

All the more important for retailers moving their business online to develop a proper relationship with their customers and deliver a great experience in the virtual shopping world, too. This does not end with a user’s browser session! It needs to be continued, e.g. by regular email, text message, app push message etc. It’s not necessary to bombard subscribers (yes, all messaging needs to be compliant to GDPR or whatever is the law in your region!) with messages, but do keep in touch in a personalised, targeted way with a mix of useful (!) information, service messages, offers, brand news, coupons etc.

By the way: the above is also true in B2B, where long-term relationships help decrease the cost of sales – especially in times when sales can’t just go and visit the client, and even calling them without appointment is difficult because their WFH home office calendar is fully booked with video conferences.