I had the unique opportunity recently to have one of my properties analyzed by the master of conversion marketing
Bryan Eisenberg from FutureNow and analytics genius John Marshall previously of ClickTracks. This was made available to members of
Market Motive and I was lucky enough to be included. If you haven’t heard of Market Motive yet you should certainly check it out. They bring together
top experts from several fields for consulting and training.
I’m going to run through what I learned during this session from Bryan and some of my own thoughts on the different types of customers and how best to construct your site to appeal to each customer type. Bryan presented four different types of customer perspectives. You will need to determine which of these types is your normal user and market appropriately to push the envelope on your conversions. Keep in mind you will likely have to market to more than one and possibly all types equally.
The Competitor
The “What” customer. This customer will be in the later stage of the buying process. He wants to know what he is getting and why it is better. You should tailor you ads to appeal to his vanity. He wants to be better than the next guy and will want to know what your product or solution can do for him. The competitive type will be power oriented and carry a business-like attitude. He wants people to envy him. The favorite customer of high-end goods and services.
The Methodical
The “How” customer. This customer will be in the earlier stage of the buying process and will be trying to find out every piece of information on what he is looking for. If you don’t have the answers to every question he has, you’ll be written off as a non-authority, not credible, and he will quickly begin researching elsewhere. This customer will also browse through your other products to make sure there isn’t a better option and will soon want to know how your product will solve his problem. In my case this is the most difficult customer to target. They ask too many questions.
The Spontaneous
The “Why” customer. This customer will be in the earlier stage of the buying process but will move through to the purchase very quickly. He will want to know why you’re the best source for the product and will want to feel safe and secure with the purchase. This customer will want an easy shopping experience but they will also want to know why it’s easy. Give them a feeling of security and lots of assurances that you will deliver what you promise. Address their concerns as quickly as possible to convert the spontaneous type.
The Humanistic
The “Who” customer. This customer will normally be in the middle stage of the buying process and in my opinion will probably be waffling back and forth a lot. He wants to know who is behind the company and will want to know that your company is trustworthy and your product is solid. Testimonials and incentives will work well with this type of customer. Your “about us” page will be important because you can count on him going to it. He will be looking for a relationship with your company so be as transparent as possible.
So now you know the four general customer types but what are you going to do about it? Most likely you’re going to need to cater to more than one of these types. Let’s run through some tips.
1. Rank The Personalities - This should be your first step. Weigh each based on your individual experiences with your customers. Do most of your customers want the best no matter the cost? Do a smaller but still significant number of your customers like the personal touch of your live help? Now you know what you should be focusing on; the competitor and the humanistic customer.
2. Focus Your Creative - Make sure the creative and copy addressing your particular customer type is front and center. Don’t give Mr. Spontaneous your most popular products and toss it into your navigation. If you’re targeting the humanistic customer, don’t make them click on a link to see some testimonials. Give them what they want where they will see it immediately. This post is already too long for a detailed explanation of eye tracking, so just make sure you know what your users are drawn to and address the needs of that customer!
3. Be Consistent - Whether it’s your home page, landing page, or checkout page, make sure you stick to the same voice. If you give the impression of an easy shopping experience for the spontaneous customer, don’t make him fill out a 7 page checkout. If you explain to Mr. Methodical how you build and manufacture your widget, don’t forget to tell him how he is going to receive it. Highlight specific points throughout the entire process and don’t deviate!
4. Focus On Emotions - There has always been different views on the basic human emotions…greed, vanity, fear, and so forth. Each customer type will cater to specific emotions. For example the competitive type will respond to vanity and exclusivity. Let them know they will be treated like a VIP and they will be one of very few.
5. Don’t Be Relative - One of the most interesting things I learned during this session was the different though processes of marketers and consumers. Marketers tend to be right brain thinkers and make their advertising and language more intuitive while the majority of customers want concrete details. Go farther than saying it’s easy or it’s the best product. Be specific on why it’s easy and why it’s the best product. Don’t make them figure it on their own.
I hope this post was as helpful to you as the conversation with Bryan was for me. I’ve already begun analyzing several of my properties looking at different customer types and determining if I am properly addressing their needs. Once again, be sure to strongly consider joining Market Motive. The 25 minute conversation I had already is worth the cost of the membership. I would like to thank Bryan and John for taking the time to look over my site and give me their insights. It was certainly a great learning experience.
The Market Motive Team
