DOORS & COMMERCIAL ENTR ANCE S
Be online present
Distinction Doors’ sales and marketing director, Chantel Roach, explains why it is no longer good enough to
simply have an online presence; brands and businesses must be 'online present'.
As China leads the global recovery
from Coronavirus, researchers are
looking to the Far East for insight and
indicators on economic, social and
cultural recovery. One distinct area of change is
our relationship and dependency on digital, across
all age groups.
It appears that every element of life under
lockdown is driven or influenced by a digital platform.
Whether it’s meeting on Zoom; Facetiming
an elderly relative; binging on Netflix or loading
virtual shopping baskets, more of our time is being
spent online.
And web traffic is no longer predictable. Where
previously peaks may have hit between 6-ƒ„pm
or even ƒ„-ƒ…pm in some instances, now we
are seeing high volume traffic and engagement
between ƒ…-6pm.
Needless to say, this has turned scheduling and
content creation on its head.
ONLINE INVESTMENT
The ‘Covid-19 Learning from China’ report
(Kantar China Research …„…„) reveals that 8“% of
businesses surveyed see an opportunity for more
investment in eCommerce and new channels due
to consumers’ newly formed channel preferences.
8ƒ% see acceleration of company’s digital
transformation.
Kantar anticipates that the shift in purchasing
habits from offline to online isn’t going to
be a short-term change but a fundamental
transformation in shopping behaviour. The report
states that Covid-ĥ will accelerate digital and that
the crisis has made it a priority.
So, as we progress towards a new normal, being
online will no longer be good enough, it’s now
about prioritising that presence, whether that’s
investment or retention.
ONLINE PRESENT
When eCommerce isn’t part of your business
strategy, it is easy to think that a website and a few
social media accounts is ‘enough’ when it comes
to having an online presence.
And for many this, along with the odd tweak
e.g. mobile optimisation, has been sufficient, but
this is no longer the case as demand calls for
brands to be more present with regular and fresh
engaging content.
May www.ggpmag.com
This will be critical for brand survival and
indeed, revival! For many this will require a
shift in priority, as online presence becomes an
investment rather than a cost. It must engage,
excite and inspire. And innovation has to go
beyond your product offering.
With an emphasis on strong e-comms and
great content optimised for customer experience,
brands which recognise their customers as people
– whether consumer or B…B, and stay true to their
corporate values, will benefit the most.
ENGAGING CONTENT
The current crisis has not only sparked a rise in
digital usage, it has also introduced a whole new
audience to the internet. User demographics
have changed. Internet journeys have been reset.
Search has resurfaced, as users look beyond
influencers to discover more.
All of this of course, means that engaging,
optimised content is crucial, and as a B…B
supplier with an indirect route to the consumer,
it is vital that we support our trade customers in
responding to these behavioural changes.
DOOR-DESIGNER
Several years ago, we developed our online
platform, door-designer, and it remains the perfect
tool for drawing homeowners into a brand and its
products.
They can choose every element of their new
door, from the design and colour to the glazing
panel, glass and hardware, before submitting a
request for a quote. They can even upload a photo
of the front of their home and see how the door
will really look.
With many homeowners turning to DIY and
home improvement during lockdown, and others
making a mental note of all the things they want to
improve when we ‘get back to normal’, the doordesigner
will be an indispensable web tool in the
coming months.
Working across desktop, tablet and mobile it
is optimised for customer experience. As such, it
has long been a popular sales tool for Distinction
customers. We offer our customers a bespoke
version of the platform, with greater functionality,
for use on their own websites and in their sales
processes.
“as we progress towards a new normal, being online will
no longer be good enough, it's now about prioritising that
presence, whether that's investment or retention”
/www.ggpmag.com
