2+1 ways brick-and-mortar businesses deliver a better digital experience
by Gyöngyvér Szabó I plantconfident.com
Brick-and-mortar businesses that responded successfully to the pandemic by speeding up their digital transformation smartly leveraged the rise in digital service use. Here I summed up three ways I can see how brick-and-mortar can deliver a better digital experience.
A McKinsey survey of 20,000 EU consumers found that 70% of respondents across sectors expected continue using digital services with the same frequency as they did during the pandemic. Digital adoption of consumers in Europe jumped from 81% to 95%, grocery and apparel saw the most substantial growth.
Poor user experience lowers satisfaction.
The study clearly shows what I experienced as a consumer as well: consumer satisfaction widely differs. Poor user experience—be it a slow website or app, hard to use, or lack of product availability—were the major causes of low satisfaction.
Deliver a better digital experience
Combine real-world experience with digital. Stores that began offering digitised products like online events and educational materials (workshops, courses, downloadable guides etc.) managed to keep a lasting relationship with their customers that doesn't depend on opening hours or product availability.
Focus on improving (digital) consumer engagement. Companies who understand the needs and expectations of digital consumers to the same high level as their offline consumers convert more website visits to sales. That means investing in an IT stack that gives customers what they want.
Organise for speed and agility. Brick-and-mortars that are organised flatter (i.e. employees have higher authority) are the quickest to adapt to change, which significantly affects customers. Start by supporting productive remote work, keeping people focused on priorities, and ensuring your progress is measured.
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snippets. short essays about the ins and outs of creating and delivering value digitally.