Anjola Alabi: Consumer Behaviour & the Growth of Your Business

For marketing efforts to be effective, businesses need to have a solid understanding of consumers’ online behaviour. With over 91 million people (over 45% of the population) actively online, the trend of consumers purchasing online in Nigeria is growing fast. This article highlights some statistics, showing customer behaviour and its impact on businesses.

Online Reviews Impact Purchasing decisions
According to a recent study by moz.com, 67% of respondents claimed that online reviews are important in making their online purchasing decisions. Other studies showed that 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business and 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. These statistics shows why a lot of companies make losses despite spending huge amounts on advertisements. It is important to note that one bad review on your Facebook page or Google review can mean losing hundreds of customers, likewise, a negative comment on your Instagram post or a tweet from an angry customer.
Your customers do not discount online reviews; you should take it serious too.
An easy way to include online reviews to your site is to build the section on your website and encourage shoppers to leave one after product delivery. Simply send an email to them asking them to leave a review, though not all will, but a good number will.

Consumer Trust Search Engines
A recent Forrester research study shows that 50% of consumers trust Google as their primary source of information when making purchases. Although search engines came in third place behind emails from people you know (77%) and consumer product reviews (60%), search still serves as the most important platform for businesses to get their content noticed. This is because it is a none user influenced platform that gets your products in front of potential customers who discover you online. However, it hinges on important factors like optimizing your website for search engines; a well thought out marketing plan and properly designed websites – this has yielded great results for us at DODO.

In Nigeria; Mobile Technology is King
A report by Gemalto showed that Nigerians spend 193 minutes (3.22hours) on their smartphones daily. Other findings also show that 76% of the internet traffic in Nigeria come from the mobile platforms. These two statistics indicates why businesses should invest more on mobile platforms. Websites should not just be optimised for mobile; they should be built for mobile experience. Experts have also said that leveraging the power of mobile technology will help businesses stay close and communicate better with their target market.

Social Media is the New Billboard
Regardless of your industry or the demography of your target audience, they are on social media. If they aren’t, you can be sure that another person who influences their buying decision, is. Findings show that people spend about 30% of their time on social media daily; an average Nigerian spends 3.22 hours on the internet. This means that he spends about 1 hour on social media every day.
Working with different brands at DODO, one amazing thing I have come to realise about social media is that it has enough room for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a start-up or a multinational company, social media has a platform to help your business grow and reach a wide audience. The key to unlocking the potential of social media is having a good understanding of your target audience; what their interests are and which of the social media platforms they engage more on. For example, if your services are meant for construction, professionals on LinkedIn should be who you focus your online marketing efforts on.

Consumer behaviour in this age of digital disruption, changes rapidly. The capability of brands to stay in sync with consumer behaviours, and impending digital trends can help brands stay relevant – while engaging both prospective and current customers.

Photo Credit: Sidelnikov | Dreamstime