We are all aware of cross-channel commerce (or, as some call it, omnichannel shopping), and the implications this new customer journey has for brands. Consumers use several channels to shop and obtain information before purchasing, therefore, the whole experience needs to be seamless and the information provided relevant at the time and appropriate for the channel used.
Social content is becoming ever more important in the car purchase journey, with over 80% of buyers consulting driver reviews before some or all vehicle purchases.
That's why dealerships like Luscombe Suzuki and Simpsons Škoda are keen to add social commerce solutions like ours to their sites. Unlike quotes from one or two carefully-chosen testimonials, real owner reviews provide trustworthy information that boost engagements and increase the rate at which website visitors convert into test-drives – and into sales.
New research into how UK consumers book their holidays reveals a startling shift away from bricks-and-mortar travel agents and towards online research and booking.
The general trend towards online will be no surprise to anyone in the industry, but the extend to which people have already abandoned the high street may be a surprise: 53% of consumers avoid in-store travel agents altogether during booking process 72% of consumers prefer to research holidays online
The rise of consumer ‘decision support services’ is transforming the way a huge variety of markets work, according to Ctrl-Shift. We’re inclined to believe them, since the Ctrl-Shift team includes some of the sharpest minds we know for identifying market trends, and their report on these ‘decision support services’ chimes exactly with the developments we’re seeing.