Everything is moving to a virtual world. There are jobs entirely dependent on the internet. Education can be remote or a hybrid experience. Even shopping can be done remotely.
The growth of remote work and shopping has only accelerated in recent years, and there are a variety of reasons for that to have happened.
Dealing with changing public health conditions to ease and access to advanced technologies has contributed to this accelerating trend.
Of course, remote work and business acceleration aren’t met overly enthusiastically. Moreover, data and privacy are being exposed to bad actors, which is why the cyber security industry has been booming in recent years.
That said, the unique challenges associated with increased online activity can also be seen as a massive opportunity for individuals and industries willing to embrace those changes in a safe, secure way.
As more and more opportunities exist online, it’s essential to explore how the move to the remote has impacted various aspects of life and the opportunities that exist.
Working From Home
Working from home was already a developing trend, with over 20% of businesses allowing for some work-from-home options before 2020.
Since then, over 25% of all workers are solely remote, and added to 20% of workers are allowed some hybrid format, which means that almost half the entire workforce is performing some tasks at home.
The acceleration of remote work means that it is a practice becoming more acceptable as well. As more businesses and workers become more comfortable and confident in working remotely, the trend of fully remote and hybrid offerings should continue to grow.
Shopping Remotely
In addition to the changing landscape regarding work and education, the move to remote shopping has taken a head of steam in recent years as well. Amazon is already the world’s largest retailer to the tune of over $600 billion in gross income.
Online shopping doesn’t come without some challenges, though. There are modifications to the original product issues, logistical and supply-chain issues, delivery times, and delay issues, among many others.
One primary concern is that privacy and financial data can be at enhanced risk than traditional brick-and-mortar stores. To combat these privacy concerns, tech companies are fighting the problems with enhanced encryption, better hardware, and GPUs to drive more efficient software to combat those risks.
It’s not just traditional retail that has grown online. For example, car shopping and home shopping online have grown exponentially over the last few years.
The trend of shopping for homes online isn’t limited to first-time traditional buyers. In fact, with the technology and the familiarity to use it effectively, investors and wholesalers can look at, make an offer, and close on the property without ever having seen it in person.
For people interested in investing and profiting in real estate virtually, this Virtual Wholesaling guide has all the points and strategies to help you maneuver the new landscape effectively.
The trend toward remote work and shopping has created the need for more companies to be flexible and pivot their strategies to address the new realities.
Pivoting includes providing safer transactions and privacy protections and embracing a culture that fosters the customer experience. The greater your culture and emphasis on the customer experience, the better your relationships with your client become.
Creating an environment that fosters a better customer experience is built strategically.
- Vision: Understand the concept of what the customer experience should be.
- Identify: Identify and understand your customer and what they may need.
- Connect: Relationships are essential for the customer experience, so create emotional connections with your clients.
- Feedback: Get real-time feedback about what your customers need and ways to address those needs efficiently.
- Educate: Train your representatives and team members to mitigate any issues and help your customers find the solutions they need.
- Follow-Up: One of the keys to providing a positive customer experience is to follow up after a solution is presented and integrate that feedback into further improvements.
The acceleration of remote and virtual interactions will only continue in the future. Between the ease and comfortability of being remote, all forms of work, play, and shopping online have become the new normal, and individuals and industries would be remiss not to embrace this trend.
