What generations X, Y and Z mean for online retailers
How do you address different target groups? While Generation X still reads emails, Generation Z has already evaluated the product on various channels.Online or offline, company stories or pricing policy, traditional advertising or social media: Online retail is facing three generations with very different wishes and needs. While Generation X still reads their emails, Gen Zs have long since evaluated the product via Snapchat & Co - what was a trend 10 years ago no longer has to work today. If you want to appeal to the buyers of the future and remain competitive, you have to reposition yourself strategically and structurally. Knowing where potential customers move online and offline, what concerns them and how they can be addressed most effectively is the be-all and end-all for a successful sales strategy. Online marketing companies explain which touchpoints companies need to focus on and how they can win over the different generations Tellja.Hits from the 80s, 90s and the best of todayGeneration Y, born in the 80s and 90s, relies on WhatsApp, Messenger and blogs. For them, traditional advertising, print and email marketing are already a thing of the past. They want to experience something, even when shopping online. Whether it's social commitment, environmental protection or great company stories - millennials don't just pay for the product, but also for a lifestyle. The shopping experience must be seamless, and smooth shipping in particular is crucial. If the buyer is disappointed, loyalty is quickly lost. At the end of 2015, Research Now investigated the preferences of millennials when shopping online. 57 percent of respondents stated that they had experienced problems with shipping - far more than in any other age group - and almost 50 percent The Gen Zs born in the first five years of the 2000s, on the other hand, are just reaching an age where they are becoming exciting for online retailers. For them, the community is everything. The two previous generations see and buy, Gen Zs research and get more opinions before actually buying. They trust their peers, not the companies.Word of mouth for successMeeting the needs of all buyers is not always easy. However, as social media, influencers and the endorsement of others become increasingly important, companies can rely more on their own customers. Around 80 percent of consumers are happy to share their experiences, and this applies to all age groups. Quite simply because it is human nature to share opinions and exchange ideas. Recommendations from others are therefore becoming increasingly important for a company's own brand communication. Already today 92 percent the buyer on recommendations from acquaintances or friends and 70 percent even on the opinions of partly anonymous internet users. If decision-makers already rely on the word of mouth of their own customers, the generations can be addressed in equal measure.From WhatsApp to content commerceIf the decisive adjustments are also made to the company structure and communication, the discerning shoppers of the future hold great opportunities for online retail: companies need to play on a wider range of channels. In addition to the classic desktop, mobile optimization is required to ensure an optimal shopping experience on smartphones and other devices. Having a responsive website is therefore not just an optional extra, it's a must - you don't need to print old-school company brochures these days. Instead, you should invest in and integrate your own online store, for example via an SMS or WhatsApp platform that provides information about flash sales or special offers. Whether WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter or Facebook - in order to remain competitive, your own customer service needs to use all channels and personalize them individually. If the answer comes from "Lea from Juniqe" or the contact address is [email protected], you feel personally looked after and individually advised, because no one wants to communicate with a nameless robot.But the online retail of tomorrow is not just about efficient communication, but also about identification and emotions. If you can tell stories about the hurdles you have faced, the visions you have and what drives your employees, you can quickly win over the generations of tomorrow. It's not just products that are sold, but feelings about life. The shopping experience must be as uncomplicated as possible. If the customer wanders through various departments, from the company blog to the online store to customer service, shopping experiences with many providers end in cross-channel experiences. Content and product must become one, holistic thinking is required here. If the content is connected to the merchandise management system and the CMS via an API interface, the company is very close to the customer: Keyword content commerce. Buy yourself happy for example, regularly creates a high-quality online magazine consisting of insights, photo series, tips and guides, all of which are available for purchase.ConclusionIf you don't keep a close eye on the channel and generation ABC and develop a target group-specific channel strategy from the monitoring, you won't be able to win over X, Y and Z in the future. Stories, recommendations from your own customers, emotional content and an individual, personal approach are crucial for the successful e-commerce of tomorrow.
