In 2020, disruptions to the retail industry caused a seismic shift in consumer shopping behavior, which we predict will continue this year. In Q4, retail searches grew at a rate of more than three times than that of last year’s fourth quarter1, signifying a major shift to digital. Rapidly changing societal norms are also making the path to purchase increasingly complex, as customers combine online and in-store shopping experiences in new ways.
Since 39% of surveyed customers say they are buying more online today than they were a year ago2, it’s more important than ever to get your business online and across all touchpoints where a customer may interact with your brand.
To help businesses and brands craft a strategy to connect with customers throughout these new journeys and drive more sales, we’ve created a straightforward retail guide to help you get the most out of Google. We’ve collected highly useful tools, product recommendations and consumer insights to help you achieve your business and marketing objectives.
Think of this as your peak holiday season cheat sheet, helping you:
- Reach customers as they browse the web.
- Engage customers as they research products and services.
- Convert customers looking to make a purchase.
- Be ready to win customers and drive sales this holiday season.
Whether you’re looking to optimize your existing marketing mix or making a game plan for the holiday season, this guide has you covered.
This article originally appeared on Think with Google.
Sources:
1. Google Internal Data, Global English, Q4 2020 vs. Q4 2019.
2. Google/Ipsos, US, CA, UK, FR, DE, IT, AU, JP, RU, IN, CN, BR, MX, ES, ZA, KR, Google commissioned Ipsos COVID-19 tracker, n=1000 online consumers, 18+ per market, April 8-11, 2021