Digital consumerism is radically tearing down the traditional brick and mortar bargain hunting of the past. Ten years ago, only the bare minimum consumer trends of online shopping, multimedia interactions, and global product accessibility were being realized. Nowadays, global trends are bigger, more playful, and more disruptive than ever before. So what should businesses be aware of when wanting to sell to the global market?
Mobile growth
As mobile phones become an everyday item for most people, mobile data becomes an everyday experience. The flexibility of having a personal computer right in the palm of your hand is driving consumers towards this growing global consumer trend. In China, 69% of 11.11 (or Single’s Day) purchases were made using mobile devices, up from a mere 25% recorded use in 2015. And in the US, an estimated one trillion online retail transactions have been performed on mobile devices. A sure-fire way to tap into this market is to strive for responsive design, and responsive language, when developing your eCommerce business.
Big Data
Market data is abundant, and harnessing Big Data will help you analyze consumer habits more accurately. Being able to realize who is spending where, and how much they are spending, will allow eCommerce stores to tailor their approach and exploit where the largest potential for the next global consumer trend could begin. One of the biggest global trends under development is the move away from established Western market powerhouses, and the move towards the rapidly growing Asia-Pacific region which, in 2015, experienced a 35.2% growth in online spending compared to the global average of 25% growth.
Being in the right place at the right time
People don’t want to feel that global consumer trends control them; they want to feel as if control lies with them. They want to have transparency across issues such as food safety and digital security, they want to be able to instantly compare clothing deals not only in stores, but online, and they want to have relevant information provided to them when they are in position to use it (such as push notifications for fitness when using such devices as a personal health tracker). Aiming to be in the right place at the right time for consumers to access your products or services means ensuring your message is appropriate, and delivered to the market in a way that is most suitable. The use of new real-time apps, new languages, and new content, is vital when preparing to enter a new market.
So as consumers move towards the digital landscape, and businesses realize the potential as to gaining unique insights using untapped Big Data and untapped consumer regions, the need for brands to be omnipresent has never been more demanding. Localization is the essence of designing your ideas and shaping them into the “look-and-feel” of new markets, and here at CSOFT we are world-class experts at ensuring your message is not only heard, but understood, by everyone. Talk to us now so you can get the lead on the global consumer trends, and enter 2017 ahead of the curve.
Written by Erin Strong – Senior Technical Writer at CSOFT International