Impact of Digital Marketing on Indian Consumers

In the highly competitive market and technology advancement with the usage of internet it has
shifted the traditional market to digital marketing strategies. Digital marketing grab wide area
and in the highly competitive market it involve exploring business model using digital
technologies which reduces cost and expand business globally. Today digital marketing have a
greater scope of expanding their business in the future as customers are much more satisfied by
doing online shopping as they find digital marketing much more safer than traditional
marketing. Digital marketing provide opportunity to the customers to have a look on the
information of the product provided by the company and can able to do comparison
accordingly, so that they are able to enjoy right to choice and can place order at any time.

Digital Marketing refers to online marketing, internet marketing. Digital Marketing not only
essential for grabbing wide area for marketing but it also equally essential for customers as it
provide number of opportunity to talk directly with customers. In the highly competitive market
and technology advancement with the usage of internet it has shift the marketing strategies to
digital marketing strategies and the way of dealing with the customers with the passage of time.
Day by day it increases the use of digital marketing as consumer gets wide variety of products
not only with in particular geographical boundaries but from all over the entire world .The term
digital marketing has become popular over period of time.

Digital marketing market the product and services mainly on the internet but also on any digital
medium like mobile phones. Marketing through digital medium it gives more satisfaction to the
customers as they can ask queries and can also give suggestions related to any product and
services. In digital market medium for communicating is much more convenient than traditional
marketing as medium of communicating is mainly through website, chat, Email, etc. To expand
and grow any business worldwide digital marketing is one of the fast way to develop as they use
digital tools which makes marketing much easier. It reaches large number of customers from all
over world in less number of time.

Today digital marketing have a greater scope of expanding their business in the future as
customers are much more satisfied by doing online shopping as they find digital marketing much
more safer than traditional marketing . Each and every income group of people do
online shopping as there is different variety of products available at different prices and
different payment methods also available which becomes more convenient for the customers to
do online shopping. Today for every organization digital marketing becomes very crucial part
in doing business as it not only increases profit margin of the organization but also expand the
business globally. Customers become loyal towards product as they become more confident after
getting each and every information of the product and they gives their feedback which generate
good relationship between customers and sellers.
Now consumers can easily do comparison on the bases of information given, customers have
right to choice. Today almost every customer depend on digital market as it saves their time
and most of them are most satisfied while shopping online. Online shopping is more safer
for customers today the traditional shopping, each and every group of customers are aware
of digital market today. Because of the availability of vide variety of products from all over the
world customers feel that online shopping is more easy and less expensive as it eliminates
channels in between. In the promotion of digital market, technical advancement is improving
day by day. Digital marketing collect feedback of customers very easily and revert back
quickly towards the problems of customers and also work on the suggestion provided. It
ensures transparency on only before purchase but after purchase also. In the present market
digital market have greater future as it has benefit for both customers and sellers.

Online purchase and security

It is defined online security as “a threat that creates a circumstance, condition, or event with the
potential to cause economic hardship to data or network resources in the form of destruction,
disclosures, modification of data, denial of service, and/or fraud, waste and abuse”. Meanwhile,
it is identified that online security as important concerns among consumers. It has been noticed
that perception of consumers regarding online transaction security includes security of payment
methods and also privacy of financial information from unofficial and unlawful access. Online
consumers are concerned about security issues when they deal with online shopping. The
security in terms of privacy, personal details and financial information, are major concerns
among consumers. When consumers feel insecure, especially when they have to deal with
financial transaction fear of any fraudulent purposes, intention to purchase online becomes
distorted. The security to use online shopping also depends on how trusted parties create reliable
and comfortable situations for consumers dealing with the system.

Perceptions on online purchase

Consumer decision process carries five stages, starting with Problem recognition and following
Information search, Evaluation of alternatives, Purchase decision and finally Post Purchase
behaviour. Problem recognition starts with the perception of need and moves towards
information search where consumer uses internal and external sources to analyse given
information and use that information in the next step of evaluation of alternatives. While
evaluating alternatives one assessing values of the products by giving weights. After evaluation
of alternatives consumers move towards purchase decision where they may encounter
three possibilities, from whom to buy, when to buy and do not buy. Once they have actually
made the purchase now it comes to Post purchase behaviour, whether they are satisfied or
dissatisfied with the purchase.
Factors that influence purchase decisions
Consumer Buying Behaviour refers to the buying behaviour of the ultimate consumer. Many
factors, specificities and characteristics influence the individual in what he is and the consumer
in his decision making process, shopping habits, purchasing behavior, the brands he buys or the
retailers he goes. A purchase decision is the result of each and every one of these factors. An
individual and a consumer is led by his culture, his subculture, his social class, his membership
groups, his family, his personality, his psychological factors, etc.. and is influenced by cultural
trends as well as his social and societal environment. By identifying and understanding the
factors that influence their customers, brands have the opportunity to develop a strategy, a
marketing message (Unique Value Proposition) and advertising campaigns more efficient and
more in line with the needs and ways of thinking of their target consumers, a real asset to better
meet the needs of its customers and increase sales.

Cultural Factors - Culture and societal environment

International marketers believe that consumers would increasingly resemble each other and that
they will eat the same food, wear same clothes, l watch the same television programs to an
increasing proportion. But the reality is very different6. Therefore, to trade in international
markets, man must overcome the large cultural and economic boundaries. Not only improve the
worldwide competition in the market also different traditional beliefs, preferences, habits,
customs are needed to be understood. Culture involves society's thoughts, words, their
traditions, language, materials, attitudes and feelings.

Sub-cultures
Subcultures are intriguing social units for market research and segmentation due to their relative
homogeneity of norms, values, and behaviors. Past studies of subcultural consumption patterns
have focused on ethnic or other ascribed subcultures, such as African American, Hispanic,
Italian, Jewish, and WASP. which, despite some general commonalities, often display such
diversity of consumption preferences as to severely limit their potential as market segments. This
research examines instead subcultures that self-select on the basis of shared consumption
interests. United by commitment to particular careers, avocations, or lifestyles, certain non-
ethnic subcultures, like surfers, skateboarders, hot rodders, and Deadheads, exhibit high degrees
of homogeneity that not only carry over into consumer behaviors but actually become articulated
as unique ideologies of consumption.

Social Factors
Social factors that influence consumer purchasing include family, peers, roles and status. Family
members such as a spouse, children and parents can exert strong influence on the consumer’s
purchasing behavior. Peer pressure is also a strong factor that determines a consumer’s
purchasing choices. Everyone belongs to a group of some sort, from friends to neighbors and
coworkers. Rather than get left out, people purchase products that make them fit in. A person’s
role in life, for example as a manager and the status that comes with the position, determine
certain purchasing choices. A consumer’s behavior is also influenced by social factors, such as
the consumer’s reference group, family, and social roles and statuses.
Consumer Behaviour is an effort to study and understand the buying tendencies of consumers for
their end use.

Social factors play an essential role in influencing the buying decisions of consumers.

Human beings are social animals. We need people around to talk to and discuss various issues to
reach to better solutions and ideas. We all live in a society and it is really important for
individuals to adhere to the laws and regulations of society.

Social Factors influencing consumer buying decision can be classified as under:

 Reference Groups
 Immediate Family Members
 Relatives
 Role in the Society

Commonly used type of digital media

For a business to succeed in today’s world, it is important to have a strong digital footprint
within the internet,”
Without a digital marketing strategy in place, new client acquisitions, brand visibility, and
impactful revenue generating opportunities will likely be damaged.” In order to be effective with
your digital marketing, you must have a digital marketing strategy. Without planning out each
step of your marketing campaign, you are more likely to fail than if you did nothing in the first
place.
Earned, owned, and paid media are three separate parts of a digital media plan. However, they
all work together to help build your brand.
Earned Media

When it comes to earned, owned, and paid media, “earned media” is the most sought after. This
is the publicity you receive through efforts outside of paid media. An example is when a
publication decides to write a featured article about you based on you contacting them through
a media outreach campaign.

Owned Media
Owned media is something you generate on a website that you control. It can consist of your
website, social media page (your actual profile page, not what others are saying on the social
network), and blog.

Paid Media

Paid media comes in various forms, but all include paying someone to post content about you or
your company. Do not confuse paid media with paying a publicist to obtain earned media for
you. Even though you may pay someone to do your media outreach, that would still be
considered earned media.

Digital marketing and purchase decision

In digital marketing, understanding consumer behaviour is key for marketing success as

consumers have embraced utilising the internet and online socialising tools. Consumer
purchase behaviour is influenced by having the knowledge and being brand oriented.
Also, brand awareness is coupled with good brand perception and loyalty result with a
stronger brand image in consumer’s mind, which will influence the consumers
positively and becomes part of their purchase behavior.

Consumer purchase behaviour is how individuals, organisations, and groups select, buy and
make use of product, service, experience or ideas to satisfy their needs.

Consumers have a tendency to take part in relational behaviours to accomplish more effecting
their decision-making, to reduce information processing, to achieve more cognitive
consistency in their decisions, and to reduce the perceived risks associated with future
choice. A consumer begins to feel safe with the service provider or supplier when
transactions are done successful. When consumer trust the company, they realize that this
organization can satisfy their requirements and needs and in the long run, they become
committed to the company. Consumer online purchase decisions have mainly focused on
identifying the factors that affect the willingness of consumers to engage in internet shopping. In
the space of consumer behaviour research here are general models of purchasing behaviour that
delineate the procedure which consumers use in making a purchase decision. The online
shopping environment empowers consumers to reduce their decision-making efforts by
giving huge selection information screening, dependability, and product comparison. Since
the Web gives screened and examination data for options, consumers may likely to
reduce the cost of information on search and the effort in making purchasing
decisions.

Consumers with greater Internet experience will probably utilize on the web channels to gather
item data because the cost of collecting information is less costly than that from offline channels.
Consumers who have a greater internet experience is likely to the various perception of the
attribute of the online channels from that of an internet beginner and also the consumer will
have a higher confidence on the internet. For an Internet beginner, in contrast, utilizing the
online information may evoke perceptions of uncertainty and complexity. Therefore,
Internet experience may moderate the assessment of online information. Hence, consumers
with more internet shopping experience will be using the internet as their primary
information source and also more likely to have a greater confidence on the internet.
Furthermore, they are also more likely influenced by the online reviews.

Good marketing is based on a thorough understanding of consumer behaviour. Consumer

behaviour is the decisions and actions that influence the purchasing behaviour of a consumer.
Over the years, the behaviours that drive consumers to choose a particular product over another
have been widely analyzed and studied by marketers across the globe.
When people are unsure of what the best choice is, they look at the behaviours of others for cues
on what the proper course of action should be. A great illustration of this is when;

 A person chooses a chock-full restaurant over an empty one even if it means waiting an
hour to be served
 When buying a product online, you are more likely to choose one with the highest
reviews
 You decide whom to follow on social media based on the number of followers

Four ways to use marketing to influence consumer decisions

Provide irresistible offers

According to various research studies, consumers, when presented with compelling offers, can
quickly change their mind. The same holds true even in situations where they previously held
firm believes. The studies show that offering incredibly attractive offers can spur people into
taking action. The proposal may be regarding a sale or a discount. So what makes an offer good
enough to influence consumer decisions?

 A clear promise. For the offer to work, the visitors shouldn’t have to second-guess what
value they are getting.
 The proposal should provide a solution for one of the consumers’ key pain points
 The benefit of the offer should be greater than the cost

Become an authority
Consumers tend to follow what they consider authorities say or do. However, it is important to
establish your authority on cues they associate with. For instance, most people associate
authority with expensive clothing, impressive job titles luxury cars and other possessions.
People, in general, believe what they see.
When it comes to online marketing, some normal cues people associate with authority include
large social media following as well as publications on high-authority sites and so on. With these
in place, marketers can leverage them to get consumers to take action based on providing
recommendations and instructions on what to buy. To improve the effectiveness of your
marketing, focus on developing authority cues that your audience recognizes.

Take advantage of the curiosity gap

In this day and age, one of the biggest challenges marketers face is getting visitors’ attention and
engaging them long enough to convince them. However, it is not impossible. One way of
achieving this is by targeting the curiosity gap. The curiosity gap is a term that was introduced by
George Loewenstein, which refers to the underlying need of man to fill in any blanks in his
knowledge.
The idea behind this is that when a person realizes they do not know something; they
immediately feel compelled to find that missing piece of information. In marketing, you can
leverage this behaviour when writing headlines and social media updates.

Words have power

Finally, but certainly not least, the words you use in marketing campaigns can affect the
consumers’ behaviour. Simple words like ‘you,’ ‘free,’ ‘cheap,’ and ‘because’ have a way of
persuading users to take action. How?

 You: Creates a personal connection

 Cheap: Indicates that something is affordable and within budget
 Free: Suggests an incentive and keeps consumers interested
 New: Builds curiosity
 Because: This gives a reason, which is often why consumers need to take action

When looking to use your marketing strategies to persuade the consumers to take action, try to
focus on helping them in making the right choices. Think carefully about your audience, and try
to find out as much as you can about them. A marketer who knows their audience can use their
mindset to attract, persuade and make sales. Psychology provides the insight you need to
understand what makes consumers buy, signup or click.

Conclusion
It is very important to know the psychology of the consumers in the dynamic environment. Ever
changing buying behavior of the consumers in the digitalized world should be understood
properly to make the business sustainable. The revolutionized economy possesses many threats
and challenges which are to be faced by the marketers today. People should be made more aware
regarding the advantages of digitalized marketing. More efforts should be laid down to make
digital marketing safe so that there is an increase in the market size. The digitalization has
brought positive change in behavior of consumers. The greater change can be seen in big cities
and among working couples due to lack of time it is convenient for them to do buying, payments
at any time anywhere. Also digitalization gives rewards to consumer in form of coupons, gift
vouchers, discount, cash back, cash discount which motivates them to use digital transactions. At
last to create awareness and increase the usage of digitalization there is need to have
promotional campaigns, roads shows, workshops among costumers.

To conclude, the youth, their buying behaviour, their purchasing power, awareness about the products
etc. have greater influence on the individual and family buying behaviour. As per the present National
Youth Policy there are around 33 crore population in India is the youth in the age range of 15-29 years.
They form a major portion of market segment in India. Every marketer must understand the psychology
of these youth segment, so that they can be a successful marketer in the days to come in the
competitive economy. The Digital marketing which has revolutionized the economy in general and
marketing in particulars poses many threat and challenges to the marketer in the competitive market.
Changing buying behaviour warrant the marketers to understand the youth in a better way to devise
suitable marketing strategies to retain the present and to capture the potential market, so that the
market can move on from the mere customer oriented marketing approach to Technological Customer
Oriented Marketing approach in the near future.