{"id":148108,"date":"2022-01-24T12:04:30","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T12:04:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/?p=148108"},"modified":"2022-01-25T12:34:34","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T12:34:34","slug":"connecting-with-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/business-ideas\/connecting-with-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Business Ideas for 2023: Connecting With Customers"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In a recession, customer behaviour can change dramatically as consumers search for better deals that can save them money. But while firms selling cheaper goods might expect a rise in sales, they aren’t immune from a drop.<\/p>\n

Frozen foods retailer, Iceland – typically known for its bargains – slipped to a £4.1m annual loss in 2022. Meanwhile, its costlier rival, J. Sainsbury’s, reported good profits.<\/p>\n

That’s because the real marker of a successful business in 2023 is not how low it can price goods, but how well it can appeal to its target audience with bespoke, sensitive marketing.<\/p>\n

Keeping customers engaged is even more imperative now that face-to-face customer experiences are vanishing. Today’s consumers are used to contacting brands via instant messaging apps, utilising virtual checkouts over real ones, and scanning QR codes instead of speaking directly to wait staff.<\/p>\n

Below, we’ll outline the business opportunities that are emerging as more firms react to the trend of customer connection by seeking out ways to capture and retain audience attentions in 2023.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Streamlining delivery<\/h2>\n

As a consequence of the past two years, many UK businesses have packed up their belongings and made the big move online. Digitally-based services and products, such as ecommerce, have now become the go-to over high streets and localised shopping.<\/p>\n

This activity had been steadily growing over the past decade, but it was the impact of COVID-19 that saw it really pick up speed. Data from Adobe Projects<\/a> estimates that 2022 will be the first trillion-dollar year of spending for the global ecommerce market.<\/p>\n

Such impressive growth has naturally generated some big competition. Consumers are coming to expect faster, cheaper checkouts, and tech-based solutions are cropping up everywhere in an effort to help businesses keep up with the new demand.<\/p>\n

One tool that’s already showing promising growth this year is chatbots. ChatGPT’s clever AI software made headlines across the globe in January, as proof that automated assistants can hold sophisticated conversations with customers to smooth out service delivery.<\/p>\n

PolyAI<\/a> is another AI tool that will be making waves in 2023. The voice assistant uses sophisticated machine learning so that it can be more genuinely reactive within a conversation.<\/p>\n

Having been trained on over one billion real conversations, business users can trust that any issues or queries are being properly addressed, while their customers don’t have to scream into the speakerphone because of underdeveloped software.<\/p>\n

D2C companies, like The Modern Milkman<\/a>, are also changing the way companies bring their products to the masses.<\/p>\n

The startup has made quick-commerce even more convenient with its super flexible delivery model that allows customers to request next-day, essential groceries to their doorstep. Orders can be edited up to 8pm the night before. Consequently, the calcium conqueror has ensured a waste-free business model that also helps consumers to shop more sustainably.<\/p>\n

“Our milkrounds deliver 3 times a week and are easily managed online through our tech so customers can adopt a little and often approach to shopping and reduce their food waste at home,” says Modern Milkman cofounder, Simon Mellin.<\/p>\n

“Our research alone has discovered that a massive 89% of people feel that shopping ethically has become increasingly expensive during the last 12 months, so it’s never been more important to make sustainable choices more accessible.”<\/p>\n

This is a huge sector with tonnes <\/em>of opportunities. If you have coding or software development experience, you could develop a new B2C app. If you have industry experience, it might enable you to find a gap to fix in the current delivery model.[\/vc_column_text]<\/p>

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\n Our top business ideas for connecting with customers are: <\/h3>\n