Every shopper wants to feel as if they are getting a good deal on their purchases. Thanks to the ease of internet shopping, customers can research the item in detail, and compare prices to try to get the best bargain. However, in some cases all of this research can lead to what is termed “analysis paralysis”, in which the customer is spending so much time trying to make a decision that they fail to take action.
Your job as an effective marketer is to help them overcome their analysis paralysis and hit that buy button by encouraging them to feel that doing business with you is a “no-brainer”. You can create an impression of high value and low risk easily once you know how. You can also tap into both their logic and their emotions.
Emotion and Logic
Studies have shown that despite all of the research they are doing, consumers are actually still driven to buy due to their emotions. Then they try to justify the purchase.
There are innate needs and desires they need to fulfill, but not all of them are logical. For example, if you need a pair of shoes, you can buy a basic pair, or the latest brand name sneakers from Adidas or Nike. There may be a perception that this are more superior brands that offer more quality, but this is really more marketing- than fact-based.
The name brand also makes them feel better about themselves. They can afford it, they deserve it, and just think how envious everyone will be when they see them.
Make your value proposition clear – that is, why your products are worth the money, but also paint a picture of how wonderful their life will be once they buy your product. Videos, reviews and testimonials can all help with this.
Make Shopping with You Risk Free
Another way to get customers sitting on the fence to take action is to make it as risk free or low risk as possible to do business with you. One of the easiest ways to do this is to offer a free trial. If it is a tangible product, you could offer a “free trial” and then make the most of the marketing list you will build from the names and addresses.
A free week or free month for online services is usually pretty typical. Or you might see a “$1 for the first month’s trial” offer that those who are getting close to a purchasing decision would be silly not to make the most of.
Done-for-You Solutions and “Business-in-a-Box” Options
Another very popular option is the completely done-for-you product. This is for people who would like to, for example, start their own business, but don’t want to put in all the time and effort required to build it from scratch. They might have doubts about whether or not they would be able to accomplish everything they need to set up a website or blog, for instance. Therefore, a done-for-you option is extremely attractive.
They will be willing to pay far more money than it would cost for them to do it themselves because of the higher perceived value of the service.
Similarly, business-in-a-box options give them the assurance that they have everything they need in one pack to set up their own small business.
Bundling also works along the same lines, where you put together a complete set of what they need for a lower price than you would charge for each item separately. For example, Hewlett-Packard color printers need four ink cartridges. If a customer can buy the whole set for only $20 per cartridge instead of $30, with just one click, they will be more likely to take action.
If you want to move your customers from analysis paralysis to making a purchase, consider these tricks and tips and see what a difference they can make to your profits.
