The Temperature Of Customer Online Behaviour Varies So Your Messaging Must Reflect That
Online customer behaviour falls into the cold, warm and hot categories so your messaging must reflect what temperature they are feeling.
Hi, Trish Davies here, founder of Build Your AU, along with being a coach and mentor to online entrepreneurs. Right that’s the formality out of the way and I want to continue looking at what makes your customers tick. They all have the most advanced supercomputer which is their brain but as you know it is complex.
You will know from your own experiences, when you are looking for solutions, that decisions can take time to make. Sometimes you may not be aware of what your problem is, let alone looking for a solution.
Then you maybe aware and are actively looking for solutions but still debating who to out your trust in. Finally, you get to a stage where you are like a caged lion and chomping at the bit to get out. Here you will take the decisive action and part with your hard-earned cash. Before we look at each stage of the buying cycle let’s look at the temperature scale of life.
The Temperature Scale And How It Effects Your Life
This process can be broken down into three categories and apply to the temperature scale, just like a thermometer. Everything you experience in live can be looked upon as being cold, warm or hot. From what you consume through food and drink, the environment you are in, your own body which is relevant to the Covid-19 crisis.
Things you touch, when you are in the shower, the list can go on and on, but I am sure you get the point. Also, this temperature scale can be applied psychologically as well. Our thought processes rely on logic and emotion, together they will decide what stage we are at in the buying cycle.
This applies to any transactions that take place and your customers will be some point during these stages. The transaction can take place both offline and online and here there are the differences on how you personally gauge that.
Say for example you have physical premises like a shop, office, workshop or warehouse. Obviously, this encompasses thousands of different business models, but the behaviour of the customers is the same. When you are face to face with people it is a lot easier to ascertain what their needs are.
The conversation you have will determine what they are looking for and how desperate they are. Body language gives so much away through eye contact, facial movements and hand gestures. People watching is one of the most fascinating things you can do and the data you get from it is priceless.
This enables you to react instantly to the situation and steer them to making the right decision. Guiding them to the solution to their problems and creating a relationship built on trust. Online it is the same process but in a different way!
Online Customer Behaviour Responds To The Message You Create Within Your Content
The difference online is obvious because you have a laptop, tablet or smartphone acting as a barrier. It is your task to break that barrier down through the messaging you craft within your content. You must start the conversation!
The message that greets them, to break the ice so to speak, differs from each stage of the temperature scale. There are different strategies relating to templates and formats of communication that you use. Before I look at strategy let’s break down what a cold, warm or hot customer is and how aware they are.
The term awareness is very important for you to remember because it reflects on the potential customers temperature. It spans from problem, solution and then product awareness.
Also, I should mention that visits to your website is referred to as traffic which are clicks to your pages. Behind each click is a person so I like to personalise things and respect individuals time. It is very important to remember that you are dealing with people and not a credit card number.
Right that is a bit of housekeeping out of the way so let’s get back to the subject in hand. How do you define the temperature of your online customer behaviour?
Let’s Get The Mercury Rising
The best place to start with is the cold customer who are made up of people who have a problem. They are aware that the problem exists but not aware of any possible solutions that exist in the marketplace.
Typically, this is the hardest type of potential customer to convert because they don’t where the solutions are. Your task here is to learn how to find these people and convert them into paying customers.
The next stage in customer online behaviour is the warm customer who is aware of solutions but don’t know you. Your task here is to make them aware of who you are and what solutions you can provide.
These individuals are already actively looking for solutions in your marketplace. They will have checked out some of your competitors but are still browsing before making any decisions.
Finally, we have the hot customers who are familiar with you and the products you sell. With all probability they will have subscribed to some of your marketing channels.
It maybe that they are on your email list, listen to your podcast and are subscribers to your YouTube channel. Also, they may follow you on your blog, so you have already started to create a relationship with them.
So how do you move individuals along from initially being cold to warming them up, so they end up on fire? Through strategy and communication.
How To Connect With People & Then Move Them Along
A cold customer to you would be someone who stumbles across your blog, video or social media post. Remember they have a problem but are not aware of any solutions available but are actively looking.
Through your content you will address the problem which immediately lets that person know they are in the right place. They still don’t know who you are so your content is a great way to set the foundations for relationship building.
You may have a free offer such as an eBook, video course or newsletter that they can subscribe to. You would have a call to action within your content that directs them to a landing page.
This is sometimes referred to as a squeeze page because you are squeezing some basic information out of them. Name and email address are usually what you would ask for on such a page. This would be the first commitment they will make to you, although it is a low entry commitment it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
The Middle Phase Of Online Customer Behaviour
Once they have subscribed to your initial offer you have moved them along to start warming them up. You can at this point take them straight to a sales page for your first paid solution. This sometimes works but I would suggest taking them to a bridging page which introduces you.
On such a page you let them know who you are and how you can help them overcome their problem. It is a relationship building page which you can then direct to your sales page or webinar pages.
They may not take up your offer initially, but you will have systems that communicate through email marketing. Here you would provide further value along with making them aware of your solutions.
Each day you will be emailing through an automated sequence which tell the subscriber more about you. You can direct them to your social media profile and YouTube channel, so they begin to know, like and trust you. Eventually a percentage of your subscribers will take out their credit cards and become a paying customer.
The Final Phase
To turn them into hot customers relies on the amount of value you provide within your paid solution. Value relates to what the customer experiences from your product and services. Also, how you treat them through you customer service.
When you put people before profit they notice and will want more of your products and services. Here you would introduce them to your higher priced products. You may change the selling environment at this stage from normal sales pages to a more personal experience.
One on one calls on the phone or video calls are very powerful because you are giving them an experience. You will make them feel exclusive and they will pay far more attention to what you are saying. You obtain live feedback and can overcome any objections to help them make up their mind.
Online customer behaviour is initially harder to comprehend because of the lack of interaction and engagement. This is how to overcome those obstacles and start to create a relationship with people online. The online world can be seen a quite sterile and clinical but there are ways to personalise the experience.
Helping you build your authenticity, authority and audience.
Trish Davies
Build Your AU
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