Imagine walking into a Michelin star restaurant, abruptly approaching a couple enjoying a meal, asking them to get in their car, drive to your establishment, find all the same ingredients along with the recipe, and then prepare the meal themselves for a slightly cheaper price.
What do you think the reply would be? Please escort this man to the door, NOW!
When we show up as a banner ad on a person’s social network or in an email flooded with products, we are asking them to do something similar.
We are asking them to leave a place they know serves them the best content to spend time digging through our website for something comparable at best.
Provide Value Upfront
The value we provide should be blatantly obvious not something that needs to be sought out or found in the fine print.
Give them practical information directly in your social posts or email newsletter.
Keep these things in mind when providing valuable content:
- Don’t make them read a novel, be short and succinct
- Entertain them with a quality video or captivating photography
- Provide value even if they do not make a purchase
Assume the Worst
I get the whole “glass half full” concept, but in this case, I’m asking you to assume the worst.
Assume that people don’t care about you, your ideas, or your product.
Unless you were born with the last name Kardashian this assumption is probably pretty accurate.
Assuming the worst will accomplish two things:
- It will force you to constantly improve your product or services.
- You will work harder to gain people’s trust and attention.
Do the Heavy Lifting
Eliminate anything in your customer’s path that could be perceived as work.
Examples:
- Filling out lengthy forms
- Requiring account creation to make a purchase
- Reading through heavy copywriting
- Not having an easy way to sort or search for products
- A website that is difficult to navigate on a mobile device
- Charging for shipping when everyone else offers it for free
Using features like Live Chat and product recommendations will help a person find what they are looking for faster and with less effort exerted.
Do the heavy lifting so the client can focus all their energy on making the final decision to pull the trigger.
If your acquisition process is arduous, a slow internet connection could be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Please don’t try to convince your customers that the self-check out line is better. We all know that asking for assistance is inevitable when that last item won’t scan.
