Starting a business will always be a challenge. E-commerce is no excuse – you never know exactly who is visiting your website and how long you can keep it running. With the slow decline of brick and mortar businesses, going online sounds like a safer option since online sales are expected to rise by more than 50% within the next five years.
“Buy what you don’t have yet, or what you really want, which can be mixed with what you already own. Buy only because something excites you, not just for the simple act of shopping.”
― Karl Lagerfeld
How do you ensure your business remains stable and keeps drawing in audiences after it’s launched? First, figure out where the majority of your consumers will be coming from.
Take Generation Z for example. Ranging from preteens to 17-year-olds, this generation has a purchasing power of $44 billion annually. If you factor in their influence on parental and household purchases, it reaches $200 billion, with roughly 80% of teens shopping online.
Rather than targeting adults and parents alone, include these generations that follow after them.
Make it Colorful and Appealing
Ask yourself whether the young adults would enjoy assembling and using your product. Sites, old and new, like Muji, Uniqlo and Colourblocker are perfect examples of pages that play with colors and make user interfaces visually engaging. Based on the psychology of colors, the color red initiates a sense of excitement, passion, and urgency. Now you know why brands like H&M, Target, and Coca-Cola sell their products without breaking a sweat.
Not that we’re saying you should totally neglect the older generations’ preferences. Shades of pink attract traditional buyers, blue hues and dark colors attract both shoppers on a budget and impulse buyers.
“When I think cool, I imagine companies that do great things for customers, employees or beautiful unusual parts.” – Gen Z Customer
Incorporate an Element of Surprise and Genuine Wonder
Ranging from socks, phone cases, art supplies, beauty products, food and even books, monthly subscription boxes have been all the range among millennials and generation Z consumers who love getting stuff in the mail.
These come in packages that make any ordinary day feel like Christmas. You never know what exactly the boxes will contain.
Infiltrate Social Media
A Pew Research reveals that 78% of teens own a cell phone, with 26% of them having placed an online order in the past three months. Ads and company websites are only ranked third and fourth among the sources used to discover new trends. If you want to widen your audience reach, go where more of them “hang out” online: on social media. Tap into their most visited outlets like YouTube and Instagram. Generation Z has more access to technology and resources than any other generation before them; use them to your advantage.
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Even if your company has been around for years, keeping it young is half the battle. Adolescents know what other kids are interested in. Brand loyalty begins early and is often carried over into adulthood. Think like both a parent and a young adult because years from now, they will still be your greatest consumers. Grow with them or risk being left behind.
Ayah Granada is currently a content writer and editor for Scoopfed.com. She is a former student journalist, part time bibliophile and TV series hoarder-slash-enthusiast. You can also find her on Twitter @ayahgranada.
