These customers are starting to interact with the website and passing events to MWI, but they’re not progressing from Browsing and actively engaging in product discovery (yet). Unengaged Browsers are characterised by their lack of interaction beyond basic page views.
These visitors navigate your site with a low level of intent and minimal interaction, seemingly adrift in a sea of options without anchoring their interest in any particular product or category. Whilst it may not seem like it, this segment embodies untapped potential, awaiting the right stimulus to spark engagement and embark on a more purposeful journey through your offerings. This becomes a challenge of engagement, not conversion.
Unengaged Browsers are characterised by their lack of interaction beyond basic page views. They neither delve into the depths of product specifics nor show signs of imminent purchase intent. Engaging this segment requires a nuanced understanding of their hesitancy and the deployment of tactics designed to pique their interest and encourage a deeper exploration of your site. Where is this disengagement happening? What could be the reasons for this level of disengagement? And, ultimately, how might you spark some intrigue to engage further?
Engage: Initial engagement designed to peak curiosity
Engage: Initial engagement designed to peak curiosity
To elicit engagement for low intent users, it’s about generating enough intrigue and inquisitiveness in the product set (oppose to a single product) that makes the user curious enough to engage further.
This might talk about the product quality, or what the brand can offer these users through the products themselves. Sustainability measures, how the brand was created, the story of the founder, the obsession with quality; anything that creates some level of curiosity within the product. Ideally, the more this is around a product set (a category) to at least create some interest in a set of products, oppose to just the brand as a whole, the better. What we’re trying to do here is establish a product affinity, to then move users from a browsing stage to a refinement stage. Something that can transform passive browsing into active exploration.
Execution examples:
In-grid content on the PLP, breaking up the product listing page with modules of content that inform the user about the the product quality or virtues
Using user generated content on how the products have impacted the lives of others (testimonials, reviews, social media)
Using flash sales or limited-time promotions to be used as a trojan horse to allow the customer to explore further. This leverages the natural human inclination towards curiosity and fear of missing out, encouraging visitors to delve deeper into your site.
Utilising space in the header to encourage users to read more about the brand story and how products are made
Utilising space on a product detail page to talk about the quality of the product and how the products are made, encouraging the user to read more about product and brand, designed to peak curiosity for these users
Engage: Tell the story of the brand to engage people
Engage: Tell the story of the brand to engage people
The key to engaging this segment is not to push for immediate conversion. We’ll have to be patient here, but to foster a deeper connection with your brand. Storytelling and brand building become your best friend, here. Sharing your brand story, values, and the unique aspects of your product creation process can create a compelling narrative that resonates. Why does your brand exist? What are you proud of with your brand? Asking loyalists why they shop with your brand. How did your brand start? We often find that a good question to ask is “why would you purchase here instead of Amazon?” (something that has all the logistic, perceived value and convenience powers) - there has to be more than this.
Highlighting sustainability efforts, product quality, and the brand's heritage can help build trust and intrigue for example. Then it’s about promoting that content to this audience.
Execution examples:
In-grid content on the PLP, breaking up the product listing page with modules of content that inform the user about the the product quality or virtues
Using user generated content on how the products have impacted the lives of others (testimonials, reviews, social media)
Reprioritising existing content. This brand-based content might already exist somewhere on the site. Re-order the content for this customer, or really bring attention to it. For example, utilising space in the header to encourage users to read more about the brand story and how products are made by re-organising the navigation, or utilising space on a product detail page to talk about the quality of the product and how the products are made, encouraging the user to read more about product and brand, designed to peak curiosity for these users
Product Discovery: Helping customers “start somewhere”
Product Discovery: Helping customers “start somewhere”
Customers need to start somewhere with their product journey. It’s your job to help them show, not just the breadth of product on offer, but guiding them.
Execution examples:
Utilise social proof to draw attention to products that resonate with a broader audience. Showcasing best sellers, trending items, or products on offer can serve as a beacon, guiding unengaged visitors towards areas of heightened interest and potential engagement.
Using live chat as a trigger to offer your support with customers - just like you would do in store if you saw someone needing support or looking unengaged. Give them a reason to engage.
Revise your site's navigation to include not just product categories but also content that aids decision-making, such as buying guides, product comparisons, and blog posts. This enriched navigation structure supports unengaged browsers in finding their footing and discovering areas of interest. Also consider simplifying your navigation to, again, show best-sellers, top 20 products, perhaps even prioritising to show exactly what it is that you do.
Engage visitors with interactive quizzes designed to deduce their preferences and direct them to relevant product categories. This approach personalises the browsing experience, making it more relevant and engaging for the visitor. Think about the questions that someone in a shop would ask your users to support them in, at least, finding a product that matches their interest.
Product Discovery: Promote recommendations
Product Discovery: Promote recommendations
Recommendations are a fantastic way to promote the breathe of your product offering. You’re using cues that your audience has given you and turning that into a contextualised series of products that, in theory, should meet their needs. It’s relevancy 101. According to a report by Barilliance, product recommendations can increase conversion rates by up to 5.5 times, or from Salesforce, it can contribute to as much as 31% of site revenue.
So, when the objective is promoting product discovery, making your recommendations more prominent is only a good thing. At this level, this is about demonstrating the breadth of product that you have available to better engage with a response of “we can most likely cater for your needs”. This is about supporting product discovery. Your job at later stages is to then convince them that that is the right product for them.
Execution examples:
Recommendations location. Think of placing recommendations further above the fold, in a sticky position on the site as the user scrolls, or, just in general, more prominent positions. Perhaps consider adding more products in eg. instead of showing 4 in a scrollable format, add 16 in a block taking up more real-estate as the user is still in a “browsing” mentality
Recommendations context. Consider adding elements within your recommendations module to capture the users interest. Incorporating user-generated content, such as customer reviews and ratings, alongside these recommendations can reinforce the perceived value and credibility of your products, encouraging further exploration.
Recommendations context. Consider the naming convention of recommendations to add context and persuade users to really engage with your recommendations set (eg. “we recommend” as a title doesn’t really cut it, why do you recommend them?)
Re-engage off-site: Brand-based re-marketing
Re-engage off-site: Brand-based re-marketing
These users haven’t reached a stage where they are aware of what product they are interested in - yet. They have barely explored your proposition and as someone who is likely to immediately bounce, haven’t had the time to delve into the details.
It is your job to create hype around your brand, or showcasing your product set, not necessarily showing the user a single product.
Execution examples:
For low intent users, exclusion from remarketing might be beneficial. Considering using “low intent” as a threshold, perhaps with other data such as “low momentum” and “browsing” to test excluding from re-marketing campaigns
Emailing these users with brand based messaging to get your brand known; create hype around the brand to elicit emotional attached and / or reminding them that you exist
Using hype-based techniques in remarketing campaigns; customer testimonials, product outcomes, brand story, USPs and narrative