Modern customers aren’t actually looking for the same things they wanted a few years ago, and they’re not just comparing prices or scrolling through lots (and lots… and lots) of product pages just to find the cheapest one. Today, they’re paying plenty more attention to how a brand makes them feel, how easy it is to work with and interact with them, and whether they want to go back or not. And for businesses, it can be quite tempting to just assume that people are harder to please and not bother with it, but that’s a bad idea – if you can be a brand that’s honest, human, and worth someone’s attention, you’ll go a long way. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about what modern customers actually want from brands now.
Customers Want Brands That Communicate Clearly And Kindly
Clear communication is good for a number of reasons, and one of them is that it can create trust. After all, people don’t want (or actually need) a load of jargon they have to decode just to understand what it is a business offers, and all they’re asking for is clear language, straightforward explanations, and a tone that feels friendly. In other words, the more natural and human your message sounds, the more attention they’re going to pay to it, and the easier it is for people to believe it.
And that also applies to customer service because no one has the patience for long delays or loads of forms to fill in or clicks to click when something goes wrong. They want quick answers, warm communication, and easy solutions because those are the things that can turn a one time buyer into someone who returns, perhaps with friends.
Customers Want A Smooth Experience
You’ll often find that a lot of brands focus so much on marketing that they totally forget that the overall experience matters just as much as anything else, and the fact is that people are definitely going to notice when a website loads slowly or a checkout is far too complicated – and that’s not good. A lot of the time, even the smallest of inconveniences and frustrations can make them head to a competitor, which is why you need to pay attention to these things and make sure you fix any issues before that happens.
Modern customers just want things to be simple – everyone’s so busy and stress that if you can offer them an easy way to buy something, that’s going to improve their day, whereas if you keep things complicated, that’s just going to add to the stress, and they’re not going to like you for that.
Customers Want Brands To Be Where They Are
The customer journey is definitely not one straight path from wanting something to buying it – there are lots of detours along the way, and it can be a pretty long journey sometimes. For example, someone might spot something in a shop, but they’re on their way to an appointment so they can’t stop, but then they’ll see it on Instagram a bit later and be reminded of it, or they might hear someone mention it, and so on. Then they’ll look it up online, but before they can actually buy it, they’ll need to do some research on the product and the business selling it, and that’s going to include price comparisons and reading reviews.
Since it’s a long journey, it’s wise to pop up in the middle of it and place yourself where your customers are, which could mean online, but it could also mean literally out and about. This is why something like billboard advertising still works so well because when you’re advertising in the real world, it’s going to spark recognition, especially if you’re also doing something similar online. The fact is, when customers see a brand in more than one context, it’s going to feel very familiar, in a good way, and that’s the kind of thing that can nudge them one step closer to buying.
Customers Want Brands That Understand Their Lives
Something else that modern customers want these days is a brand that just gets them, and because it gets them, it can solve their problems and offer them exactly the solutions they need. And they want products that fit into their routines rather than adding more confusion and stress to things. Plus, if the content the business offers is actually useful… well, that’s not going to hurt either.
So if a brand can really reflect the customer’s world and speak plainly, offer solutions, aren’t pushy, and create products that really do what they’re meant to do, then those are the brands that are going to get lots of loyal customers, which is when success follows.
Customers Want Reassuring Consistency
Consistency is one of the best and easiest ways to build trust in your business, and you don’t need to make it perfect to make it work. It’s far better to post regularly and do what you say you’re going to do than it is to have one perfect video or post and then disappear for months at a time. Yes, that post might be wonderful, but who’s going to remember you when you’re not around?
If you don’t think you’ve got the time to be consistent when it comes to your business and specifically your marketing, you could be missing out on a lot of business, so it’s a good idea to take a moment to reassess. If you want to make the most of this opportunity, make a schedule so you don’t miss out, and soon enough it’ll become a habit that gets you excellent results.
Final Thoughts
There’s so much out there for customers to look at and buy from right now, and the truth is it can all be a bit much, which is why they’ll often prefer to find one good business they can rely on and use them all the time – the exhausting search can be over. So it’s a good idea to do what you want to be that business, and to give modern customers exactly what they want.
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