As a manufacturer you do have knowledge about production and quality, but when it comes to digitalization it’s important to follow specific guidelines to succeed at the end , especially when you consider going D2C (direct-to-customer)
But going to D2C isn’t as simple as it sounds. You need to study your organization well to ensure that you’re ready to take on this transformation and it will prove beneficial for your business.
Here are a few ways to determine if your business is ready to go to D2C:
1- Look at Your Business Internally
You must determine if it will benefit your business overall by having a clear understanding of who your audience is and if your organization’s infrastructure and technology can support this new wave of change.
2- Understanding the Customer
You can target your products’ end-users, bypassing third-party retailers, distributors, and any other intermediaries. Your business must think about and determine who your target audience is and what you know and don’t know about them.
Once you define what you want to do and how you plan to do it,the next step is conducting customer research and hearing first-hand from your target audience what is best for them.
3- Evaluating Your Infrastructure
With your ideal target audience in mind, it’s also key to know if your organization’s internal processes can support a D2C approach. You should conduct a strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat (SWOT) analysis to understand where your business is as you formulate your D2C strategy.
Something else you should consider when going D2C is your third-party channel partners. Do you risk affecting your relationship with these partners? How can you mitigate that risk? You may want to consider:
4- Think Big , Dream Bigger
A digital transformation journey is effective for businesses because it is rooted in commerce and investing in commerce throughout a digital transformation will have a direct impact on your business and its future, starting with your go-to-market strategy.
But after going through it successfully you need to be continuously planning for the future of this transformation , what decisions or modifications will take your business more forward and unique in the market , assigning research and development specialists for this mission in order to be always prepared for competition
