The web has been a lifeline during isolation. Digital tools have helped us stay connected: families with each other, teachers with students, and companies with customers. There has never been a time when technology can be more useful to people, communities and countries.
Unsurprisingly, as a result of the pandemic, our use of technology has advanced five to ten years in as many months, accelerating trends we were already experiencing in retail and beyond.
Trends: the new WWW
When browsing in a store became impossible, people didn’t stop looking for inspiration. Instead, window shopping went virtual. Searches for “ideas” increased on both Google Search and Google Images, with shoppers looking for inspiration when they didn’t have a specific product in mind. For retailers to capture those customers, visibility is crucial: More than 60% of shoppers we surveyed said they ordered from a brand after watching it on YouTube.
The growing need for online shopping has led to an final convergence of online and offline shopping. Customers like to have the same inspiration and advice they could get in the store, but now they want it from home. And those same customers demand more when they buy. Searches for terms like “best” and “promo code” continue to increase, and customers expect home delivery service in more and more categories. “WWW” no longer just means the world wide web: it is now what we want, when we want it and where we want it.
Finally, we know that today’s buyers value their privacy. They want to be in control of their data, they need to give permission for it, and they deserve to know how it is used.
At Google, we work with retailers to ensure every online interaction is an opportunity. Online can be just as valuable as in person for building direct relationships with customers, building trust, and building loyalty. Retailers just need to use the right information and tools to get there.
Training: use of digital tools and skills to overcome the pandemic
Even before the pandemic, many retailers, large and small, had embraced digital technology to find new opportunities. Those who came into the pandemic behind found themselves quickly learning new skills, so much so that the Connected Commerce Council found that the 75% of European small businesses in the retail industry increased their use of digital tools during the pandemic, creating a “digital safety net” for their businesses.
Take Maison des Sœurs Macarons, a famous dessert shop in Nancy, France. Owner Nicolas saw store sales drop by 90% and decided to attend our Google Digital Workshop training program. After learning how to reach customers online with Google Ads and e-commerce, she saw her online order and customer volume double.
Since the start of the pandemic, our Grow with Google program has trained more than three million people and companies strong> like Nicolas’ across Europe, equipping them with the digital skills they need to recover from the pandemic. And to help turn those new skills into action, we’ve launched more than 200 features since March 2020, helping businesses connect with their customers in this changing landscape. With the holiday season ahead, we are now pleased to announce a few more.
This was a group effort and digital tools made it all much easier and more affordable than any of us expected.
Ahmet Taskan, Honingwinkel. Utrecht, Netherlands.
Tools: What you need to give your customers the experience they deserve
More than ever, businesses need to be visible in more places than just high streets. To help retailers stand out, we’re launching personalized recommendations for every business with our new tool, < strong>Local Opportunity Finder. Retailers can simply enter their business name into the easy-to-use tool, and we’ll provide customized solutions on how to improve their presence on Google Search and Maps, all in less than five minutes. The impact can be enormous: in Germany, for example, complete business profiles receive an average of more than five times as many calls compared to an incomplete profile.
In June, we will roll out this tool in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and < a href="https://smallbusiness.withgoogle.com/intl/es_es/tools/local-opportunity-finder/">Spain, with more countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to follow in the coming months .
To make it even easier for retailers to manage their online presence, we’re also simplifying the process, allowing businesses to directly manage their contact information, opening hours, and Search & Maps updates.
Also, We help retailers with their existing eCommerce providers. We’ve created new, simplified integrations with Shopify and WooCommerce, which helps retailers quickly publish their product inventory on Google, ensuring that more clients know what they sell and where to find them.
Doing our part
We know that the technology we have seen can be difficult to follow. None of us know exactly how the next six months will play out, but the resilience and creativity of small and medium-sized businesses over the last year deserves to be held.
We will work hard to help support the recovery of the retail industry in the region, providing the digital tools and skills you need, the information you want and the partnership you deserve.
By Matt Brittin. Read the original article here.
