Act Fast for Success: Using Rapid Customer Research for Ecommerce

When their customer base is virtually all over the country, or even the world, ecommerce merchants must employ a different strategy than brick-and-mortar sellers in terms of assessing consumer demand. There is no way around this, and it highlights the upside/downside element of internet selling by expanding a customer base while fighting to retain competitive advantage over the litany of other online merchants.

One way to push ahead is to expedite an analysis of trends that drive consumer choice in real time. The pace of demand and taste is always evolving, and often doing so faster than the pace at which most can adjust. This is the time to acquire a method of quickly figuring out what is most likely to make your online store a success. The answer is to turn to rapid customer research.

While there are several ways to accomplish this, we find several useful resources that can guide sellers. Depending on the user research method you prefer, you can get into varying levels of assessment with respect to what your buyers and potential buyers want. Shopify, with its frequent and generous tip offerings to ecommerce vendors, supplies this collection.
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The pandemic-induced physical lockdown that prevented customers from making quick trips to local stores naturally shifted more and more consumers to online shopping, a phenomenon that was widely celebrated among ecommerce vendors. It also established a new list of demands and considerations that each seller should have studied in order to take advantage of the expanded buying class. 

​Three important factors stand out:

• Will the pre-pandemic campaigns designed to lure in those already comfy with online buying serve the new brand of internet shopper? Research experts’ tips on whether your prior messaging is applicable now, especially as we head into the holiday shopping season.
  
  
• With the second year of pandemic-forced limitations on in-store buying, are you comfortable with your approach to marketing, inventory, and policy issues that were used last year? More physical stores are considered “open” now; that said, an increasing rate of Covid-19 infections may lead to more actual lockdowns. You must prepare your holiday business strategies accordingly, knowing that you will face a potential loss of online business, yet must prep for another banner year of mass sales.
  
  
• Customers’ shopping experiences should always be the hallmark of your business strategy, so make sure that your efforts to conduct rapid research takes into account the post-sale satisfaction levels you count on to make a name for yourself and your store. In short, customer service is still key.
  
  

Quick adaptation has always been a critical force in operating ecommerce stores, but this year in particular may be the ultimate test in how well and how fast your response and planning tactics will bring you a successful season, let alone year as a whole.