Customers want goods and they want them NOW! Internet consumers have access to everything at their fingertips, they can wiki or google to their hearts content without every stepping foot in a store or talking to a sales rep. Research has revealed that consumers spend almost half of their waking hours interacting with communications technology.
On an average day, consumers are cramming eight hours and 48 minutes of media into a seven-hour period – demonstrating just how complex engagement in the media landscape has become. What does this all mean? - Consumers are increasingly multi-tasking and they’re becoming more distracted with a shorter attention span.
Though online shoppers are the same people who buy goods in the bricks-and-mortar world, their online behavior is far different. Consumer control, in the world of Internet retailing, means that:
- Customers are ready and willing to depart at any time
- Have a low frustration threshold
- Demand a high level of service in exchange for their loyalty
Consumers initially like the fact that there are more options available for products on the Web, but then get frustrated if the information they need about a product is not available. Even when consumers have a particular product in mind, at the first hint of difficulty many look for the nearest door. In the world of websites, everywhere is an exit.
Conversely few shoppers would drive from store to store and evaluate all the characteristics of every single offering, but on the Web, those search costs go close to zero, and that has profound implications for how you present these issues to consumers.
While the rules of the shopping mall and street store may not apply in cyberspace, the bold, brassy shopping persona that is emerging on the Internet is already affecting the outside world, with consumers demanding more information and more choices.
In the world of manufacturing this means new technology that can speed up the order process, streamline production practices, and expedite shipping. Just in time (JIT) is a practice that is used in many industries to assure that production is not interrupted by shortages.
An unexpected shortage can lead to a:
- Halt in your production line
- Delivery delay
- Cost overruns.
It also means having plenty of "easy to access" information about your products readily available on your website; White papers, product specs, drawings, dimensions and quick quote forms.
To learn more about JIT click here
To visit Valley Box's Resource section click here
