If you are familiar with the e-commerce world then chances are that you might have heard of the term, “Direct to Consumer”. If not, then don’t worry. It is an e-commerce strategy that allows brands and manufacturers to sell to consumers directly. This means that no retailer or reseller will be involved in the process. If you take a look at the traditional commerce then you will observe that manufacturers follow a B2B approach. Here, the flow will be something like this; wholesalers-distributors-retailers-consumers. However, for the direct-to-consumer or DTC model, the brand or the manufacturer will be using its own channels to reach the consumers and there will be no intermediaries involved.
DTC & Traditional Retail Can Coexist
There is one thing that you need to be aware of and that is; implementing DTC strategies will never mean that traditional retail is completely out of the picture. The two can coexist and will serve the business needs of the manufacturer. Having these two strategies combined, the brand or the manufacturer will be able to market his offering to a wider audience. However, keep in mind to have a strong internet connection whenever you want to try DTC. If you have signed up with an ISP that is unreliable then you might not be able to make the most out of this practice. I knew how crucial of a role internet plays, so I subscribed to the Spectrum service. But not just any service, I opted for their bundle offer and got the Spectrum Gold package. And yes, I got the billing details from Spectrum payment center as well.
Direct to Consumer Outperformed Other Channels During Covid-19
2020 changed a lot of things. Thanks to the pandemic, many businesses ceased their operations in Europe and Asia. Also, a lot of people lost their jobs. It was a horrible scenario. However, most businesses saw this as an opportunity to build their online presence and so they did just that. The e-commerce industry picked up the pace. And more and more brands started selling online. This was that time when D2C got traction and people began to consider it as a great tool.
In December 2020, Retail Excellence, which has more than 2,000 members advised that the brands would need to rationalize their production. They are also required to direct it to their own retail networks and channels. This is when people turned to DTC as it is a highly effective and easiest solution to do that.
DTC Retail Channels
When it comes to direct-to-consumer channels, you have e-commerce apps and websites along with brick-and-motor stores. These channels are effective in allowing you to sell directly to the consumers. There are also many popular social media platforms that can also assist in DTC such as Instagram, and Facebook.
How to Make DTC Work for Your Brand
There are a number of ways via which you can make direct-to-consumer strategies work for your business. Here are just a few of them.
#1. Focus on Product Descriptions
Many businesses may undermine its importance but product descriptions are absolutely essential. You see, when people shop online, they want to see the proper descriptions of the products that you are offering. This will give them all the necessary details about an item. So, you should consider writing clear details about the product and do include pictures too. When the consumer will have all the information they need, it will become easier for them to go ahead with their purchase decision.
#2. Customer Reviews Are Important
Online shoppers give a lot of importance to customer reviews. After all, this is what will let them know how other buyers found the product. The positive feedback will give customers the confidence to confirm their purchase decision. Therefore, it is recommended to allow people to share their reviews about your offerings. This will help get you more conversions.
#3. Offer Free Shipping
People love it when they are offered free shipping. So, you should consider allowing them this. It will help you gain the attention of online shoppers. And while you are at it, you may even give them the option of free returns. You need to know that the quality of return and delivery experiences matters a lot and eventually, aids you in securing more sales.
Conclusion
Direct to Consumer or DTC has gained a lot of popularity. This is mainly because businesses recognize its importance and how effective it can be to drive sales. You can consider combining both DTC and traditional retail strategies to gain maximum results. Also, do keep in mind the above-mentioned points to make DTC work for your business.
