For the past few years, everyone has learned to accept the new normal way of living, leading to millions of consumers migrating online and embracing the power of digital. The sudden shift in consumer behaviour accelerated digital transformation as more businesses transitioned to the e-commerce industry in Singapore.
Given that consumers are one of the pillars of businesses, it is not surprising businesses went digital to stay in touch as they follow where their target audience is. Whether for personal or business purposes, Singaporean consumers never stop searching online daily to satisfy their concerns and deepen their knowledge on their queries.
To help you understand better, let us take a look at the summary of the emerging search trends in Singapore that ThinkWithGoogle shared with everyone at the beginning of 2022.
4 Emerging Search Trends You Should Lookout For In Singapore
1. Digital Mainstreamed
As more consumers migrate online, the use of digital becomes mainstream. Around twenty million new online customers in Southeast Asia emerged alone in the first half of 2021 and are still significantly growing.
In Singapore alone, 90.83% of its population has internet access. Currently, the average Singaporean internet usage is 8 hours daily—primarily because of online shopping.
Even though the shutdown of brick-and-mortar stores has been lifted, many consumers still prefer shopping online since they have already grown accustomed to its convenience. After all, everything they have ordered will be right in front of their doorstep after a few days.
Naturally, with the rise of online shopping, the search interest for ‘digital banking’ will also increase. ThinkWithGoogle even mentioned that it goes up to 33% as more consumers use online banking services.
‘Digital wallet’, ‘e-wallet’ or ‘digital payment’ are other search interests that have grown by up to 170% in Singapore and other countries like Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Australia.
Here are other search interests that have grown significantly over the past few years:
- ’Singpass’ has increased by 42% as more Singaporeans are using online government services.
- With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, searches for virtual consultations went up to 80%.
- ‘Podcast’ also grew by 145% on YouTube.
2. Lives Re-Examined
When the COVID-19 pandemic placed the world under threat, everyone had to reexamine their lives to face a new reality, from their finances, time with loved ones, and even self-care.
Reexamining one’s life made everyone realise their priorities. According to the 2021 Work Trend Index report, 47% of employees are considering changing their employers, while 56% want to pursue something else as their career.
Besides employment and career, people also reevaluated their finances. As the inflation rate increases, 110% more people are searching for deals, discounts, coupons or anything that can help them save up.
Due to the rising cost of living, many Singaporeans are looking for affordable transportation options, which has resulted in a 170% spike in search interest for ‘car sharing’.
People today think about making little investments in addition to saving money to diversify their sources of income. Thus, searches for the phrase ‘investments’ and similar terms have increased by 20%.
As the internet is about to shift to Web 3.0, the search interest for ‘cryptocurrency’ goes to 400% in Singapore and other countries like Pakistan, India, New Zealand, Australia, and Indonesia.
ALSO READ: All About Web 3.0 Explained: The Internet Of the Future
3. Bridging Distances
While long-distance relationships already existed before the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become one of the emerging search trends in Singapore as countless more people become physically apart from their loved ones.
Despite the longing of their loved ones, there are people who may not yet be ready to resume their usual gatherings with family and friends. That leads these people to find other ways to express their emotions, such as video calls, even with the ease of community measures.
Regardless of the absence of physical touch, everyone becomes more accustomed to connecting and communicating with others digitally. Businesses should take note of that and consider digital platforms such as their website as not just an extension of their brick-and-mortar store but also as a front-end.
LEARN MORE: 7 Reasons Every Small Business Needs A Website
4. Truth Seekers
The world’s technological advancement is a double-edged sword. While it is true the internet allows everyone to become more connected with one another, the exposure to misinformation also increases.
As fake news spreads and becomes more prevalent, consumers nowadays become more mindful of what they have found online, especially with their online purchases. With smart consumers, you have to show your brand’s transparency, authenticity, and even the security of your business’s website to earn your target audience’s trust.
ALSO READ: E-commerce Marketing: How To Build Customer Trust?
What Is The Next Search Trend In Singapore?
Trends are changing as quickly as the world’s technological advances. Thus it is best to keep yourself updated regularly so you can implement more effective digital marketing strategies.
If you want to kickstart your business’s digitalisation journey, you can check out our other blogs to learn more about basics of digital marketing, e-commerce, SEO, and more.
Better yet, get in touch with an e-commerce SEO agency like OOm if you need professional help and want to gain a competitive edge in the digital landscape. Contact OOm at +65 6391 0930 or leave a message on our website to learn more about the search trends in Singapore.
