The decade that commenced with 2020 has brought relentless volatility, and yet the one thing that will remain to be unchanged is the constant evolution of consumer values, needs, and behaviours. To quote Heraclitus, “The only constant in life is change”.

As we face changes every day – a simple change in weather or a more drastic change in life plans– the only real difference between surviving and thriving is in how you handle disruptions. Builders, we are here to remind you that you must never give up!

Now, on a less philosophical and a slightly avaricious note, businesses that want to prosper throughout and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic need to adapt swiftly and indulge their consumers in novel ways. The first step is to digitally transform and reach your consumers right on their devices if they cannot come to you. We’ll get into more details shortly. By drawing together insights into economic and demographic trends, considerations of finite resources and sustainability, and the unprecedented impact of technology in the new normal, we bring you 4 ways to adapt to buyer behaviour and optimise your digital presence in 2020:

1. Offer your customers maximum possible value at the minimum possible cost and time

With many economies going into recession, today’s consumers are financially constrained. They are more value conscious- doing rigorous research in search of discounts and indulging in very little discretionary spending. Therefore, the smartest way to catch potential customers’ attention in 2020 is by showing to them how your brand can deliver the most value at the lowest price. Another great practice would be to work at reducing the time to convert good leads. That is, shrink the time between your first conversation and the first time they see value in the form of a problem solved and your customer will thank you for it.

Let’s delve deeper into catching the attention of potential customers, distinguishing your brand from competition and helping them see value in your brand. Video walkthroughs, visual case studies, screen shares and webinars are all great ways to communicate brand value. Unlike long-winded paragraphs or vague images, videos are extremely easy to consume. They are also the smartest ways to build your brand voice and personality, and to take advantage of news stories, consumer behaviour and any kind of relevant content that goes viral. All in all, videos are the way to go!

3. Engage your happy customers in building compelling case studies and testimonials

As interactions and transactions move entirely to the digital space, consumers become more sceptical of brands. After all, how can you simply believe what a brand tells you in a world swarming with scammers and frauds? Personally, I would never purchase a product with bad reviews. People are more likely to make a purchase if others around them—even total strangers—agree that it is a good decision. So, this is the best time to reach out to your customers (if you haven’t already) and offer incentives in the form of discounts or coupons in return for reviews. Some of your happiest customers might do it without hesitation!

Famous economist Herbert Stein famously said, “If something cannot go on forever, it will stop.” It describes the imbalances that have persisted in the global economy that this pandemic has the potential to fix…provided businesses pause, reflect, and innovate. This is your chance to reinvent and come out winning despite where the world stands at the end of 2020.

Finally, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: How to build an app for your business?

In 2020, our human-assisted AI has continued empowering everyone to be able build flexible, dynamic and simple solutions to complex problems. With Builder.ai, it’s easy to build software in a cost-and-time-efficient manner. Using Builder Studio, you can now design your idea (no matter how small), and our human-assisted AI will manage the process (thanks to a Capacity Partner Network of 75,000 technical and creative resources across the globe and our AI-powered platform).

Builder makes software development as easy as ordering pizza for individuals and enterprises alike. Builder Studio, Builder Cloud and Studio One help you build, run, and scale successful ideas. Here’s how it works:

First, Builder Studio's drag-and-drop menu is so easy to use that anyone can build a project even if you know nothing about tech. Our process offers all the immediate, predictable benefits of Software as a Service (SaaS) with the customisation previously possible only from expensive and complex tailor-made software.

Then, once you start your build, our human-assisted AI manages a network of tens of thousands of expert software developers across the globe. There is little downtime, reducing costs for you. These specialists deliver your idea efficiently, on time and without the errors normally associated with tailor-made software development.

Next, Builder Cloud brings you multi-cloud access in a single platform with fine grain analytics, DevOps automation and commitment-free cost savings. Our human-assisted AI works in the background to buy forward capacity from cloud partners including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Digital Ocean and others to ensure we can provide you with capacity—exactly when you need it, and at the best price possible.

Afterwards, Studio One is a service that proactively updates your app, so you’re never blindsided by 3rd party changes that could easily bring it all down. Even if it means an app needs to be totally rebuilt (something we can do effortlessly as we’re always updating the core features your software was assembled from).