I want to shop anytime, anywhere, on a device of my choice; even when lam on the move.

—Voice of a Customer

Till recently, buyers were influenced by brand advertisements or word of mouth, which motivated them to visit brick-and-mortar stores to buy a particular brand. In the store, the salespeople further educated the buyer about the brand. Based on inputs from these myriad sources, the buyer purchased the brand. The buyer pursued a perfectly linear way of buying.

Let us come to the millennials: those born between 1982 and 2000. They are on the way to becoming the most dominant group. They are armed with smart devices and addicted to social networking sites. Perennially connected to the internet, they are ever-ready to share their experiences with the rest of their tribe, who in turn make decisions based on their feedback. And when it comes to shopping, the millennials—also called the ‘screen generation’ given their proclivity for always staring at the screen—want to shop at a time and on a device convenient to them.

Non-Linear Shopping

This is how a millennial shops: She is on Facebook and a post from her friend about a wonderful jacket by Louis Vuitton. she likes what she sees and starts researching the Louis Vuitton jacket online. As a first step, she checks out the reviews and ratings, Here, too, she reads positive reviews of the jacket.

At the next opportunity, when she is passing a Louis Vuitton store she steps in to check out how the jacket looks and feels on her. She likes herself in the jacket. While still at the store, she takes out her smartphone and goes to a price comparison site. She discovers that the jacket is available at a promotional price on Amazon. She places an order on Amazon from her smartphone and the payment is debited to her credit card, the details of which are with the site. The jacket is delivered to her home in two days. This buying process is non-linear.

Traditional retail stores are troubled by this non-linear buying behavior. They contemptuously refer to such buyers as ‘fit lifters’ because they check out the fit and size in a bricks-and-mortar store, but order online, reducing the physical store to merely a showroom.

Non-linear shoppers start their shopping journey on one channel and continue across multiple channels, till the shopping process is completed. This process is also called omnichannel shopping.

A partial list of the multiple channels through which they can navigate is given below:

Own channel: Websites, mobile sites, blog sites, digital catalogs, email, social media channels (Facebook, Linkedln, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube); webinars, podcasts, sharing customers stories, engagement with advocates and detractors, and bricks-and-mortar stores

Earned channel: Mentions, shares, reposts, user-generated content, advocacy, reviews, and ratings

Paid channel:

Online advertising: Display and banner advertisements, paid influencers, brand ambassadors and affiliates, paid content promotions, native content, social media advertisements o Offline advertisements: On TV, press, radio, outdoor and ambient media

Other digital channels: Price comparison sites, e-payment gateways

Offline channel: Presence in non-owned bricks-and-mortar stores, buzz (word of mouth), referrals, PR, events, co-branding, and more

The multiple channels through which a customer can undertake her journey can be looked at as multiple lanes on an expressway. Consider yourself: you want to travel from Point A to Point B using an expressway. You may start your journey in one lane and, depending on the traffic and other conditions, seamlessly move across lanes till you reach your destination. That is what the technology-savvy customers of today desire. Armed with a smart device and eternally connected to the internet, they want to seamlessly navigate through multiple channels, depending on their mood, device, and other factors. 

We have always emphasized the importance of having a good website for your company because it can act as your best tool for marketing and sales. A poorly designed website can repulse people from your business and can cause you to lose customers before you even have them. Get in touch with HyperEffects to work on creating, enhancing, and making the website of your company more user-friendly.