INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL ON CUSTOMER BUYING JOURNEY IN

SKINCARE PRODUCTS

The Skincare industry, among all major industries in the world, is undergoing a period of
disruption as new technologies enable consumers to experience brands in newer ways
which involves discovering new trends, scouring a plethora of brands and making purchase
decisions. Previously dominated by offline channels, shoppers tried and tested the products
first hand in brick and mortar stores. But now they're leaning towards discovering and
evaluating products online via platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. And the
rise of mobile has revolutionized buying patterns, especially among those aged 18-34, many
are accessing the entire journey of purchase into an online experience on their mobile and
tablet devices.

DISCOVERY OF NEW SKIN CARE PRODUCTS ONLINE

Earlier trends suggest that people would discover new products in store by trying out
samples first hand or by in-store advice from consultants who show buyers products
according to their skin type. A large chunk of consumers still resorts to this even today,
however a shift can be seen happening to online modes where Brands are creating new
ways for customers to engage with the customers online and eliminating the need to go to
the stores. This is done effectively by innovative mobile-friendly virtual application apps and
advertisements and campaigns on social media.

HOW SHOPPERS EVALUATE SKINCARE PRODUCTS ONLINE

Online Evaluation of Skincare products is a critical phase where customers do proper
research before zeroing in to their preferred products. Social media and Social media
influencers play a major role here. Customers look upon their favourite Social media
influencers for their reviews of Brands. Due to their massive following and goodwill,
influencers are capable of influencing customer decisions. Often the most popular platforms
that customers seek out for evaluating are Instagram and Beauty blogger channels on
YouTube. Customer reviews and testimonials on websites also become a major decisive
factor.

HOW SHOPPERS BUY SKINCARE BEAUTY PRODUCTS

Buying online is particularly common for younger skincare shoppers. With really hectic lives,
millennials would rather have their favourite products delivered at their doorsteps. Certain
marketing strategies like Exclusive online store offers, promotional ads and backlinks on
Facebook, Brand collaborations with influencers on their page- all lead to a Click to Purchase
option where customers can instantly get the look their favourite fashionistas are sporting.
However, there is a large chunk of women who still prefer to buy products from the stores.
Some of the top reasons why buyers don’t don’t for online purchase of skincare are as
follows-