Most Americans want to support more small businesses in 2022.
This was the finding of a survey that was commissioned by GoDaddy and conducted by OnePoll.
The survey found that since the pandemic began, 76% of consumers have made an effort to support local small businesses.
What Consumers Want From Local Small Businesses Post Pandemic
The research surveyed 2,000 adults in the US about their shopping habits and what they would like to see from small local businesses post-pandemic.
The general message from the survey is that customers appreciate how small local shops have evolved throughout the health crisis. 41% of participants said they appreciated small businesses offering curbside pickup. The same amount said they appreciate having the option of contactless payment, and 36% they welcome businesses having an online store.
Eight Most Important Things
The survey found the eight things’ shoppers want the most post-pandemic are:
- Contactless payment options 37%
- Curbside pickup 37%
- Online stores 37%
- Self-checkout 34%
- Virtual/digital loyalty cards 30%
- Mobile apps 30%
- Ordering ahead online 26%
- QR code menus 23%
Importance of Selling Online
The survey confirmed the importance of offering goods and services online, with 68% of consumers saying they would shop more from small businesses if they could purchase items online.
Melissa Schneider, vice president of marketing and global operations at GoDaddy, reiterated the value to actively sell online for small local businesses:
“Offering your goods or services online is the best way to keep people coming in through the doors, which might seem counterintuitive at first, but it really acts as a superpower.
“Having an online storefront or online payment options, along with offering contactless payment options in-person, are all critical to consumers today,” Schneider added.
The research provides important insight into the demands of consumers, showing that many of the trends that were formed during the pandemic, such as curbside pickup and contactless payment options, are here to stay.
To remain competitive, small, local businesses need to cater for such demands by maintaining the services they offered throughout the health crisis.
Image: Depositphotos
This article, “Customers Want These 8 Things from Local Businesses Post-Pandemic” was first published on Small Business Trends