Embrace the New Normal with Phygital

With an increasing tendency to lean towards everything digital, the COVID-19 pandemic has urged industries to analyze what customer experience means to them in the new world. There is a noticeable change in the way the world behaves. Customer behavior and shopping patterns have changed drastically to adapt to the new normal.

Since digitization, almost all of our transactions have moved online, which is a huge benefit for potential customers. They don’t have to struggle to get out of their beds any longer. Buyers can view various things online and shop without leaving their houses using their smart gadgets.

The paradigm shift in technology is bringing the human element to e-commerce and online shopping. It is all about unifying the convenience of online experience with that of in-store interactions. This gives brands the ability to offer a seamless customer experience and bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds. Customers now have the option to browse around a store, enjoy seamless product displays, and complete purchases the way they usually would in a physical store; all the while enjoying the comfort of their homes. It is a unique fusion between digital technology in physical stores and personalized engagements in online stores.

Today, an increasing number of retailers are offering virtual and phygital customer experiences to eliminate the gap between online and physical stores. Customers get to enjoy the look and feel of physical shopping while seamlessly facilitating a virtual shopping experience at the click of a button.

Impact of Phygital on Customer Experience

Promoting a positive customer experience is critical in any sales channel, online or offline, but phygital can have a greater impact. Customers want their demands to be served across all channels and in a seamless manner. With today’s technology, it’s no longer acceptable for consumers to be constrained to accomplish a task on only one channel. When you’re looking for a solution and are directed to an automated chat service, you become frustrated.

Phygital bridges those disconnects and delivers a seamless customer experience.

Phygital brings the online and offline worlds together to create a considerably more comprehensive and satisfying customer experience. The digital world has progressively infiltrated our physical life for some time now. Phygital makes a compelling case: while we are increasingly reliant on digital technologies, we also crave physical experiences.

Some customers prefer to purchase online, while others like to go to stores, feel the product, and then buy. The second alternative is still viable to some extent.  Brands faced difficulty in creating an environment where the two worlds could meet. The goal was to provide customers with a store-like experience without them having to go to one. Phygital comes up with a personalized digital experience that incorporates physical ease. With phygital, brands and retailers are now empowered to:

• Reimagine their storefronts
• Create a setting for customers to feel confident and at ease
• Provide a 360-degree view of their products
• Leverage a virtual brand store
• Solve customer queries in real time, and more

Revolutionizing the Shopping Experience with Phygital

Phygital shopping experience has enhanced the ease of buying for the customer in an innovative way which was unimaginable in past. The convenience of a virtual platform offers a wide choice of products to the customers accessible directly on their smartphones. They can visit any store and browse any product without stepping out of their homes and at any time of the day.

Modern shoppers expect digital technology in physical businesses and personalized interactions in internet stores. Consider the following instances of tech-enabled features such as:

• Real-time look and feel of the product
• Live product demonstrations anytime and anywhere
• Devoted internet shopping sales representative
• High-quality equipment, and more

All of this the buyer can do from the comfort of their own home thanks to phygital commerce.

A phygital customer experience is required for today’s customers. It is essential to combine the benefits of a physical encounter with the convenience of online shopping. The potential for phygital commerce to create a personalized and immersive experience is enormous. As a starting point, try to map out the different customer touchpoints that can be phygitalized and step by step introduce digital into the customer lifecycle journey. The numerous benefits that phygital stands to offer your brand will make efforts worth your while!

In a Nutshell

To summarize, a phygital shopping experience ensures that your customers have the power to interact with your brand across all channels, take live demos, understand the look and feel of the product, and complete the entire purchasing process in one go. The key to unlocking the future of shopping is phygital.

Phygital encompasses the best of both physical and digital worlds, so if you’re only focusing on one, it is time to intertwine both and give your customers the best possible retail experience.