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I’d like you to join me on a journey inside the mind of your typical prospective customer…
If you’re determined to sell more of your products online, it would certainly be useful to take a peek inside the head of a member of your target audience.
You could discover the crucial considerations that are getting mentally weighed up before a firm decision is reached to buy or move on.
For example, how much is the average customer likely to spend on a product without seeing it first? What kind of goods would they never consider buying online?
And most importantly of all, what exactly can your business deliver during the online shopping experience that will make a potential customer far more likely to buy your stuff?
A recent report from PR firm Walker Sands reveals some of the answers, and one factor in particular seems to be dominating the inner thoughts of the everyday online shopper…
My own investigations into this were inspired by a challenge that I set the Martin Print team last week;
I asked them to find Australia’s least likely person to ever make an online purchase, and then convince him or her to enter the digital world of internet shopping.
They didn’t have to look very far.
They believed that this dubious honour went to our very own resident caretaker, Old Bert.
He’s suspicious of anything developed after 1957.
The team reckoned that if they could persuade Old Bert to experience the benefits of buying a jar of his favourite pickled eggs online, they could persuade anyone.
The Martin Print gang got busy in their preparations to open up Old Bert’s eyes to a whole new world of quick and easy convenience, cheaper prices, and wider choices.
But could they really do it?
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Well, it was tricky. And I’ll reveal the outcome in a moment or two.
But when it comes to convincing your own target audience to make online purchases from your business, we’re not just dealing with the challenges posed by stubborn traditionalists, technophobes, and slightly grumpy caretakers.
Even the perfectly happy online shoppers who frequently buy stuff from the internet still need to reach a decision on whether or not to buy from your business.
So, what factors are likely to influence the customer’s decision and persuade them to put your goods into their virtual shopping cart?
Let’s venture inside the head of your average prospective client and find out.
Protective clothing and goggles are available in the lobby lounge. You may experience some mild discomfort during take-off. Please do not leave your own mental luggage unattended at any point during the trip…
The report from Walker Sands surveyed over a thousand consumers for its 2014 Future of Retail Study.
The findings revealed that a surprisingly high 62% of consumers shop online at least once a month.
Old Bert actually belongs to the tiny fraction – making up less than 1% – who have never shopped online in their lives.
But what kind of goodies are the consumers snapping up online?
And what types of purchases do they still prefer to buy in-store?
Well, the top-ranked product for online sales is…erm…everything.
The report claims that 40% of consumers are perfectly happy to buy any kind of product online, which appears to be promising news for the massive melting pot of Small Business!
Taking a closer look at the products which consumers would definitely not buy online, it seems that relatively small numbers of people would avoid buying books, electronics, sporting goods, tools, and pet supplies from the internet.
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The bigger numbers here are taken up by consumer packaged goods (in third place with 11%) and luxury goods (in second place with 21%).
It might not be such a major revelation to learn that food takes pole position in this category, with 37% of consumers preferring not to buy their snacks in Cyberspace.
So, as the Martin Print team are attempting to convince Old Bert to buy a jar of picked eggs online, it would appear that we’ve set ourselves the challenge of getting the world’s unlikeliest online shopper to buy the internet’s most unpopular product.
Hmm. I think this is going to be tough.
But now let’s get to the really useful stuff.
What factors will increase the chances of a prospective customer making an online purchase from your business?
The surveyed consumers had a lot to say on the kind of things that would help persuade them to say Yes to a commitment to buy.
A whole range of desirable factors figured quite highly in the results, including Visual Try-On Capabilities, Multiple Versions of a Product Being Shipped at Once to Help Choose the Best Fit, and Having More Confidence in Payment Security.
However, the three most popular considerations of all relate to product returns, fast delivery, and free shipping.
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64% of the consumers would be more tempted to buy if they were given an option for Free Returns and Exchanges, whilst 48% would ideally like to take advantage of Easier Online Returns.
66% of the surveyed participants seem to be in a hurry to receive their goodies.
They’d be more willing to click the Buy Now button if they knew that their purchases would arrive via the Fastest Possible Delivery Service.
But what’s the ultimate influential factor that could make or break an online sale?
Free Shipping.
A whopping 80% of consumers would feel happier about adding your products to their online shopping cart if free shipping was provided as part of the service.
Hold that thought for a second as we take a look at a final fascinating set of statistics from the report;
Under normal circumstances, 71% of consumers would have no problem in shelling out over $100 for an online product that they’ve never actually seen, although only 10% of those would be prepared to spend more than $1000.
But here’s what happens when a business throws free shipping into the equation;
As if by magic, the percentage of consumers who are now inclined to spend more than $100 on an unseen product rises to 87%, whilst a pretty impressive 29% would now be happy to spend more than $1000!
It certainly seems as if the Free Shipping Factor has the biggest and most powerfully persuasive pull of all…
Of course, not every single business model under the sun would be able to implement a free shipping service.
However, it’s worth bearing in mind that it wouldn’t necessarily be a matter of suddenly having to absorb any shipping costs yourself.
The cost of shipping could potentially be factored into every product price instead of popping up at the very end of the ordering process.
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In many cases, the prospective client simply wants to see a clear overall price as early as possible. They just want to know exactly how much this potential purchase is going to cost them.
A website visitor can find it very off-putting and discouraging when they begin to form an idea of how much they are going to spend on this transaction, only to find a pesky extra cost right at the very last step.
It’s surely a far more attractive prospect for a customer to see those persuasive two words Free Shipping plastered proudly across your business website.
The customer now has the peace of mind to absorb a crystal clear price right from the very beginning without having to worry about any unexpected surprises later on.
So, whilst the consumers seem to be demanding free shipping from your business, it’s perhaps more accurate to say that all they’re really after is a clearer and simpler pricing strategy.
Food for thought.
As long as you’re not trying to sell any food online…
Speaking of food, how did Old Bert get on with his very first online purchase of pickled eggs?
Well, the early indications looked good.
He seemed faintly impressed by the wider choice of quantities and options, the quick convenience of placing an order, and the reassuringly low prices which included – you guessed it – free shipping.
I thought it all went quite well.
But will he be ordering online again? Have we turned Old Bert into a confident online shopper?
“No, I don’t think so,” he announced with a sigh.
“I like buying them from the shop and talking to my mate, Derek, behind the counter. He’s one of the few people I know who I can chat with for more than ten minutes without him throwing something at me. It’s worth paying extra just for that.”
Ah well. You can’t win every time…
But does your business offer any persuasive benefits to the wavering online shopper?
As a customer yourself, what exactly would help convince you to go ahead and buy?
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