What do online shoppers want from brands? New data reveals 3 current consumer behavior trends

Ecommerce has been growing significantly in recent years. Then, the pandemic hit, and that growth skyrocketed. Online shopping became a necessity, even for people who hadn’t even considered it before. Sure, COVID-19 changed the way people shop, but what does consumer behavior look like today? And what do people want from brands going forward?

To answer these questions, Klaviyo (Software Company) surveyed over 5,000 online shoppers about how they want to interact with brands—on social media, with email, and in everyday life.

Here are a few highlights from the consumer trends we discovered:

1 | Word-of-mouth brand referrals still carry the most weight

When people look for a new brand, they prefer recommendations from friends and family. This isn’t new—but it’s important to note that it’s still true, despite the rise of social platforms like Clubhouse and Tik Tok. In other words, building relationships with your customers and turning them into brand advocates might be a better investment than trying that flashy new channel you may be wondering about.

"Recommendations from friends and family ruled supreme across all age groups. After word-of-mouth, social media ads resonate best with people under the age of 35, and web searches and online ads are more effective among those 35 and over."

2 | People shop locally for three main reasons

Even as parts of the world reopen, people are keeping their attention local. The survey showed people continue to be excited about shopping local—so we dug into what that special something is bringing consumers to smaller brands.

"Possibly from a desire to protect their local community businesses or to discover more unique items—consumers are favoring small, local, and independent brands."

3 | Email isn’t dead (still), and SMS messaging is gaining steam

The consumer’s choice award for marketing channel of the year goes to…email.

Consumers say email marketing is the way they want to engage with brands they already have a relationship with. Given how easy it can be to personalize emails to feel relevant, it makes sense that consumers enjoy email communications. Along with email, people shared they’re also interested in getting text messages from brands they love.

"SMS marketing is on the rise. Most consumers (75%) say they’re open to receiving texts from brands they care about."