Much has been said and written about the distinction between consumers and shoppers. We’re consumers every moment of our lives. We’re bombarded with marketing from the moment we awake and hear a deejay promoting a concert until late at night when we see a commercial for a new hybrid car. As a result, most consumers shut out all but the most engaging messages.

Shoppers, on the other hand, simply want and need something. New car, laptop or home? No question, shoppers are invested. Toilet paper, canned vegetables or after-school snacks for the kids? Hmm, maybe not as invested. Despite operating at very different ends of the consideration spectrum, there is a common denominator: Shoppers have a goal. The level of effort, enthusiasm and time they will invest is based on what that something is.

Now, let’s see how digital fits into the equation. Digital is not exclusive to some people’s lives; it’s central to everyone’s lives. The web has fundamentally changed the way we find, discover, share, shop and connect. Whether they know it or not, when consumers use digital, a switch flips in their brains. They become task-oriented. Even when it’s casual browsing, they have something in mind that they want to accomplish. Understanding they have a task means that, as marketers, we need to make sure that how we join them on that journey is relevant.

When we think about shoppers, a common assumption is that those who are shopping online are early adopters. While perhaps this was true a few years ago, it’s certainly not so today. With the exception of the 65-plus target, all other age demographics are increasing online shopping exponentially.

Younger demographics — the Gen X, Gen Y and below — have been raised as digital natives rather than digital immigrants (as Rupert Murdoch referred to them during his 2005 speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors). Digital natives have never known a time when there wasn’t email, Firefox or mobile phones. Digital immigrants are the rest of us. We’ve had to adapt to technology.

Table stakes are to deliver against core shopper needs of saving time and money, but to succeed you must satisfy higher order needs (see chart one). Shoppers need to feel smarter, they want their shopping experience to be enjoyable and are eager to know you are supporting their values. At the end of the day, they will trade time and cost savings to be fulfilled on these other levels.

Let’s explore how expectations have changed and how that impacts the way we connect with shoppers by outlining best practices, drawn from our latest “Digital Shopper Marketing” study.

Shopper Needs at Home. The at-home phase of the shopper’s journey has been about pre-planning and list building. However, it’s evolved to include alternate commerce models. While e-commece has been common in other categories for some time, it’s fairly new for packaged-goods brands and retailers. The key to winning at this stage is getting on their shopping list. The shopper figures out what they need, considers brands, where to find them, and who has the best price.

As we think about how the typical consumer uses digital, we can find ways to influence each step in the process. Retailers can improve the in-store experience and online presence, ease of access, selection, loyalty model, commerce model, online and in-store selection of items, content, mobile tools and beyond. Brands can enhance the ease of access to product information, premium content or experiences beyond the product itself, promotional strategies, price incentives and leveraging brand equities.

Keep in mind that while shopper traffic to brand sites is down, traffic to retailer sites is up — significantly. Amazon.com is the #8 ranked website in the US, with Walmart.com coming in at #33. Retailer sites are where your shoppers are spending time and populating their shopping lists. So, make site search simple to use with clear, intuitive navigation. Deliver content that is in keeping with who you are and how you want to be known.

In addition, make sure that all your sites are continually optimized for search. This includes the basics, but also extends to all site content: causes, community support, national and local promotions, meal-planning, and lifestyle. Let’s say you are an over-the-counter drug brand and CVS is a top account. When you present your plans, are you including salient search terms (lifestyle and brand keywords) to supplement their standard buys? Doing so may help plan sell-in or get a premium position in-store or online.

Retailers should be delivering local search. If shoppers are searching for their local Home Depot, they should be getting results specific to their locality. Take care to reach shoppers through local search in paid plans and search-engine optimization.

Shopper Needs On-the-Go. Mobile devices are quickly supplanting out-of-home and radio as a desired platform. We can deliver experiences that meet shopper needs by pushing messages out knowing where they are; or provoking them to reach out. At this stage, it’s about delivering relevance and convenience. We want to push them to the store or at least get them to take a high-value action like opting in to a database. The best route is to tap into their needs through appropriate calls-to-action (text-to-win, QR codes to download coupons) or create the opportunity through digital experiences.

Be mindful of the value exchange when delivering on-the-go or in-store. Asking a mom with kids in the cart at the grocery store to download a QR code in order to access a web page on your site is unrealistic. Unless you’re delivering a premium-incentive that a shopper finds compelling, avoid over-complicating the on-the-go experience. Provide simple access and value in return.

Make sure your website is accessible to users with mobile devices. Through GPS and IP-based capabilities, you can deliver content that’s meaningful to the region where a shopper accesses your site. Boosting geographic relevance improves chances of a store visit and brand consideration.

Retailer and third-party applications can provide shopper convenience, access to shopping lists, last minute specials, GPS-enabled store locators and even category content (e.g., allergy information during key seasons). When tied to loyalty-card services (such as with Kroger) or incentives (as with Shopkick or SCVNGR), shoppers are more likely to download and use the applications.

Retailer applications succeed when they simplify the process by helping users find stores or information on typical purchases based on past purchase behavior or frequency. Third-party apps give brands and retailers access to shoppers when they are engaged via “check-in” tactics. Shopkick shoppers get points redeemable for rewards at different retailers as well as charities when they check in, for example.

Shopper Needs In-Store. In-store is greatly dependent on a range of factors, including available technology for point-of-sale, loyalty card availability and structure, retailer type and location, and of course, shopper demographics. Data can be applied to enhance the in-store experience by leveraging what we learn about how shoppers use digital to pre-plan, list-build and surf the web.

The most successful in-store technologies focus on convenience, the simple exchange of information and last-minute savings opportunities. These experiences are delivered through a variety of means, whether the shoppers use a mobile device, proprietary scanner technology, in-store digital signage, loyalty card or kiosks. Many of these tools have been around for a long while and have wide exposure to almost all shoppers (see chart two).

Self-checkout is already widespread, but continues to grow in popularity. Handheld scanners also have potential — where they are available, usage is quite high. These technologies help shoppers circumvent the dreaded checkout line. We also see strong growth in on-pack promotions and Walmart TV, which has been repurposed with screens closer to product, and messaging that’s more pertinent to shopper location in-store.

While consumers want to save time, they will engage with content that appeals to them. Third-party vendors such as Visible Technologies are exploring delivering interactive content matched to the store aisle, including product information, comparison tools, printable coupons, and special content or promotions. Although scanner technology benefits the shopper more than the brand at present, the ability to deliver targeted content, offers and reminders through the scanner and mobile device provide value to the shopper.

As consumer expectations evolve in terms of how they find information and fulfill their needs, brands must change how they create shopper-marketing plans and retailers have to redefine the shopping experience. Digital helps optimize opportunities for both groups, but the key to connecting with the connected shopper requires building your shopper-marketing strategy and investment decisions around insights, culled during each phase of the shopper’s journey.