These customers are on a Product Detail Page with high Add to Basket activity but have not added any items to the basket. How can these customers be convinced to Add to Basket? Consider product specific anxieties and motivators that can be used to influence them.
They are in need of just the right nudge to transition from interest to action. This hesitation suggests a gap between their interest in a product and their commitment to purchase. The challenge lies in identifying and addressing the factors that can convert this hesitation into decisive action.
Anxieties: Highlight product value
Anxieties: Highlight product value
There might be some hesitation in purchasing the product, often based on the perceived value. Note, this does not mean the cost of the product, it’s about the value exchange. Whether something is worth something is in the eye of the beholder and what they are willing to pay for it. It’s your job to assure the customer of that.
Highlighting, or re-highlighting, what a product used to cost (RRP) compared to the current price is a nice technique of communicating product value. Consider communicating why that is the RRP to add a level of believability to it. Then consider showing the saving between the RRP and current price. Perhaps highlighting it’s the lowest it’s ever been, or adding reason behind that saving.
Execution examples:
Communicate price transparency. Reassure buyers of your competitive pricing by highlighting any price guarantees, offering price match assurances, or demonstrating the value they receive for the price. Addressing concerns about future sales or discounts head-on can prevent them from deferring their purchase.
Highlighting the unique benefits, exclusive offers, or limited availability of items can also serve as effective motivators, emphasising the product's value and encouraging prompt action.
Utilise trust signals during price comparison: displaying a message when users attempt to copy product titles for price comparison, reassuring them of the best price guarantee and the advantages of buying directly from your site. Your job is to convince the user that this is the best price available and why (the why being more important than the first statement)
Showing product value through a saving is great, but it’s nothing when compared to how this product will “change their lives”. This in an outcome perspective, not an output perspective. For this, really help clarify the value proposition of the product; how will it change their lives? How has it changed others ‘lives?
Remove friction: Distractions
Remove friction: Distractions
“How do we just take you and get you straight into the evaluation journey (again?), without distracting you”.
Distractions are a form of friction. It’s your job to determine what a distraction is. Are a series of products a distraction? Offers? Customer testimonials? A sale? Getting more insight as to where the user previously came from (a page, or referrer), landed (was it different than the item in their basket) and their last level of intent can all influence what would be considered a distraction.
Consider the last point of entry or previous journey, match that with what the user is trying to do now. This should give you enough context to ask whether the next experience is something that is beneficial to their journey, or could distract them from their job to be done.
For example, if the user has an item in their basket already and they are coming back to the site, is a basket page really necessary? Can you take them straight to the checkout?
Or if someone shows really high intent after they’ve chosen their product that they’re interested in, does showing them alternative products make sense at this stage of their journey? Perhaps this might be better showing complimentary products instead?
Persuade: Leveraging social proof and expert recommendations
Persuade: Leveraging social proof and expert recommendations
Utilising social proof through customer reviews and testimonials can significantly impact the decision-making process. A known tactic straight from the book of Robert Caldini. Showcasing positive feedback from customers who have purchased and are satisfied with similar products can provide the reassurance needed to encourage basket additions. But, this is needed to be delivered at the right time which is where the concept of intent comes in. Just throwing this about to everyone makes very little sense, and whilst may result out at a net positive, is just like throwing something to the wall and hoping it sticks.
Execution examples:
Consider Expert recommendations or endorsements in some form, that highlight the product's features, benefits, and unique selling points can help alleviate any lingering doubts, showcasing the product as a worthwhile investment
We’re sure you’re probably already using these techniques, but consider the location of them, the priority of that content, highlighting specific areas or content eg. a specific review, adding context around the module or component etc. There’s so much more to do for this segment than just the functional element.
Understand: When intent drops…
Understand: When intent drops…
What page was the user on when their intent has dropped? This is key to understanding the wider context as to why this might have happened. Whether they're hesitating at checkout, expressing product anxiety, or comparing items, tailoring your engagement strategy based on their specific behaviours can address their unique concerns.
At a checkout level, this segment might be stalled, or lacking engagement, in which case they’ve rational brain has kicked in and moved away from the excitement of buying the product, towards the logistics of “how much am I going to be paying??” 😱
Whereas a product level, this hesitation might be more around questions the individual might have that aren’t being addressed effectively enough; often known as product anxieties. For example, for clothing this is commonly sizing. For higher priced items, this is more around the justification of value to price (less can I afford it, and more should I be affording it).
It’s highly unlikely that intent would drop suddenly, it’s usually a consistent drop, so there are opportunities to engage a user and support them through this process. But if momentum does drop, and that is on a specific behaviour, buying stage or page, that could give some clues as to why purchase intent would decrease. Because it is a often a gradual decrease, too, this means that the reason for such a drop in intent is often not logistical, but “bigger” - sizing or product value exchange being two core examples.
Persuade: Final push over the line
Persuade: Final push over the line
Tailored offers that resonate with this segments interests can incentivise the leap from consideration to purchase. You’re trying to secure a level of commitment here from the user. Providing exclusive discounts, information on limited stock, or highlighting the benefits of completing the purchase now can create a sense of urgency and value.
These users need that little push over the line. Think about the things that will do that for them. This approach is not about diminishing the product's value but rather about maximising the opportunity for conversion.
Execution examples:
It doesn’t have to be a blanket discount, it could be a specific discount on that product. The objective here is to highlight or demonstrate product value and the concept of “getting a discount” or belief that the value exchange has been elevated because the price has decreased (as well as that concept of personalised offers “just for me” acting as a delighter) could be really advantageous to this segment. Remember, the “discount” or incentive doesn’t have to be on the price of the product, but a free item, free next day delivery, free returns, free warranty with the product - either emphasising the “free” benefits (and by virtue the product value) or giving this user a tailored free benefit themselves.
Think about product bundles, extended warranties, or complimentary services. These offers not only enhance the product's perceived value but also address potential hesitations related to the purchase, such as whether the customer is getting the best possible deal or if they have everything they need.
Alternatively, demonstrating a level of urgency by highlighting stock levels, or the change in stock in a certain time period to indicate that the item could run out of stock soon.
The same effect can be done with other social proof techniques such as “xx have viewed this” or “xx have bought this” - some form of final persuasion at this stage of their journey after the user has shown such a level of intent here.