Digital dependency growing post lockdown - What Google Report says?

During the COVID-19 pandemic and even after lockdown, digital dependence among Canadians has skyrocketed. The same effect has been seen in many countries, including the US and India. This has led search giant Google to research current consumer trends online during this unprecedented time.

More location searches

People are increasingly searching for products and services with their location as part of the search term, and this was not a surprising find. Widespread closures and safety concerns made it difficult for people to find services and products as they usually would.

Going forward, geolocation targeting and marketing will likely become key elements of successful Toronto web design projects. Some habits people developed during the pandemic will remain afterward, and this includes how they are searching on the web.

Increased "DIY" interest

Since many people had to go without services they normally used, such as personal grooming and beauty, they began to search for instructions on how to do these things on their own. Those stuck at home also spent time online looking up how to do home projects and other self-learning topics.

Businesses can benefit from this DIY boom by including instructional content on their website. This content, which can include video and text guides, should complement but not compete with the services or products being offered by the posting business.

Shift toward online payments

With leaving the house of the table for many people, there was a natural shift toward online purchases. While consumer payment trends had been increasingly leaning toward digital and mobile platforms previously, the pandemic created an increased urgency for these types of payment options.

Cash is likely to fall even further in popularity going forward because people may associate illness with paper currency and be afraid to use it. No matter what type of business is involved, commercial websites will need to have a full suite of digital payment options in order to remain competitive and meet consumer expectations.

Greater surge toward on-demand services

As with digital payment options, on-demand services were becoming more widely used before COVID-19 struck. More people now than ever before are expecting on-demand services. If a business can't deliver a product at the push of a button, it's likely the customer will go with the company who can.

If you don't have on-demand options on your website, you're missing out on a valuable customer segment. Customers are now looking for convenience in every step of their transactions, and they will very likely abandon those businesses that can't deliver on all fronts.

Whether you want to update your website or create an entirely new one, it's worth keeping the consumer trends and habits sparked by this pandemic. Even when the crisis is fully over, these are an indication of the consumer behaviours we will see in the future, and you will need a website that reflects those customer expectations.