UAE and our customized services based on the consumers’ trends

In the past 2 decades, UAE has become synonymous with shopping. Now, that shopping is not just happening in the free zones. With the growth of b2c commerce, 34 % of the population is on the World Wide Web that is spelling out more than USD 1.15 billion being spent per annum on the internet.

This is precisely where we come in. Credit cards were introduced some 20 years back. That means b2c is happening, and shopping from the internet is not something they have not attempted earlier.
We are catering to different users and understand their needs, their priorities, and their preferences. This requires a deep insight into the psyche of our visitors. That is maintained by the training part of our greeters. Only when they grade well enough against a pre-decided criteria, do we place them on your sites.
We have different dealings for different consumers. UAE in particular shows predominantly the following pattern of consumer segmentation.

How can we help you?
Imagine a shop, stuffed to the brim with all sorts of goodies, eatables, electronics, groceries, with no attendant in sight. Would you feel confused? Would you get irritated? Would you wait, or walk out? Would you shout in despair? Would you actually wait and write something and drop it in the comments box? Think about how helpless and confused your visitor feels when he enters your site, and cannot make anything out of it. That is why you need a live chat support. This is important to facilitate your customer, help him in finding what he wants, and take him around the site. This not only leaves a lasting impression on the customer, but also forces him to come back, again and again.

Teens and Tweens
This group is by far the largest group of UAE online and the one we are more likely to come across. Teenagers represent a very important part of UAE society, forming more than 10% of the population throughout the review period. Their likes are in many domains, for example, clothes, books, games, movies, eating out, junk food and outdoor sports. Their purchasing patterns are unpredictable and to a large extent they are influenced by Western brands. Teenagers belonging to both expatriate and local communities dress like their peers in the West. Sports and clothes are two of the main areas of expenditure for this group. This group is also the most curious and adventurous one. They are interested in new experiences and hence respond the best to live greeters. They usually do not have a clue of what they are looking for in actual, and a web greeter can help them in numerous ways.

Individuals in college or university tend to be focused on future choices, spending time selecting the right books to help them in their education and choosing a career. Their minds are greatly influenced by latest fashion and trends, and colleges in UAE look no different from those in other countries when it comes to students understanding and practicing fashion. Sites on clothes, fashions, career choices in UAE and educational sites are the ones they visit mostly.

They basically do not have time for browsing through catalogs or checking out the malls. All that they know about fashion comes from the internet and their peers. If you have sites based on attire basically, you have struck the jackpot. Live greeters can help you in accomplishing your goals. Engaging the customers in light-hearted conversation, asking them for anything they need in particular, their choices and more, usually close the deal.

The consumer segmentation of UAE depicts tweens as the fastest-rising spending power, being a mere 8 % of the entire population. Tweens are very aware of brands and are easily influenced by peer pressure. They tend to exhibit behavior that does not differ by nationality or ethnic group. Out of the population online, they constitute a good 87%.

Incidently this is also the time when young adults step into their first jobs and start understanding the realities of life. Having entered a job, individuals in UAE prefer to be seen with the latest mobile phone and such items. Spending money on formal clothes is another major area for these consumers. New suits, ties, formal shirts and other fashion accessories are on top of the buying list of young adults.

The lifestyle here is predominantly busy, with the phenomenon of socialized and wandering cocooning rapidly closing in. “Insperience”economy is on a high, which in actual is the consumers' desire to bring top-level experiences into their home. And they want to this without wanting to get out. UAE and in particular Dubai is known for its shopping centers and the year long shopping festivals. That has indeed resulted in over crowding of the shopping arenas. The usual preference of young working class after a long hectic well worked day is to retire to home, rest, maybe go out and eat, but certainly not shop. This is the reason why b2c commerce is prospering here at an amazing speed. That means, more sites, more customers, and hence the need of live support.

Families
This group basically constitutes of Middle aged adults with school going children and the baby boomers
Middle aged adults already have built up life experience: this is why their choices become very mature. They want to save and prefer buying things that can be considered good value. Saving is the mantra for this category of individuals. Since UAE’s population has a majority of expatriates, most of the individuals in this group are not nationals, and they have a tendency to save money for themselves and their family’s future.

This group is one of the biggest contributors to the overall population of UAE, largely because of increasing numbers of expatriates. The expatriates are interested in building property in UAE.

A baby boomer is someone who was born during the period of increased birth rates when economic prosperity rose in many countries following World War II. By 2008, this group would be in the age range of 45 to 65 years. With the first economic boom in, generation of workers started arriving, holding key positions and were audience to the huge second economic boom of 1990s.

These people are settled in life; they occupy key jobs and receive good remuneration. Their children are on the verge of completing their education and settling in life. Most of baby boomers’ free time is spent in leisure activities. They would be interested in utilizing their money in purchasing durables, items and of course property.

Where do we come in? Precisely here. If you have sites on properties, real estate or portal, with live greeters you will be generating more links. Mainly because this group is not well versed with the art and tact of internet browsing and don’t really know how to find things they are looking for. A web greeter can not only take them to their desired property but also let them know of various discount deals, concessions they can avail, property they can purchase with or without a residential visa etc. Same holds true for live chat support on the electronics sites. The basic intent would be to engage the customer to an extent of a personal relationship with him and ensure him of our impartiality, interest in his interests and eagerness to facilitate him in every manner possible. Where this may or may not generate a lead, it will definitely ensure that the respective customer will return, will cite your site, and will come back when ever he does plan to purchase anything.

The number of single person households in the UAE has been rising. Because of rising cost of living, they are inclined to live alone for longer before establishing a family. The labor law in the country also does not permit individuals with earnings below AED2, 500 to sponsor their families. From their purchase patterns and a typical shopping cart, it is noticed that they spend more on ready-to-eat food and tend to spend more on home entertainment such as television and home theatre.
As UAE, especially Dubai, offers an electrifying nightlife, they spend a good amount of their time and money on going out. They do not really contribute to the b2c consumership.

DINKS
A DINKS household has two incomes and no children. DINKS are associated with luxury items such as expensive cars and vacations. A DINK household has more disposable income as there are no added expenses associated with children.
It is highly unlikely to come across a national family that would intentionally be DINKS as it is against the culture in the country so the class basically constitutes of expatriates.
DINKS in UAE are no different from those found elsewhere; they are fond of expensive living and luxury.
This group basically is the target of marketing efforts for luxury items, and that is usually what they are looking for too.
Your site based on travel can do a lot with web greeters. Not only can they instantly inform the customer of the latest deals, but refer hotels, rental cars, restaurants, cruises, places to purchase travel attire from, strengthening your affiliations with these business affiliates. You can also look for the reseller deals, if you are sure of the strength of your affiliates.

With sites on cars, the approach is totally different altogether. Customers interested in cars want to know much more different details about the cars. The web-greeters are trained well, to answer all this and suggest moves like getting car insurance etc as well.