How to Engage with the Detached Customer

From browsing websites to engaging on social media, customers are now constantly jumping from one platform to another, creating numerous touchpoints for potential engagement throughout their daily lives, drastically transforming customer behavior.

We recently hopped on a webinar with a panel of experts (and friends) from JustUno, Omnisend, Aftership, and Lucky Orange to dive into customer psychology and what we can take action on to create shopping experiences that are worth talking about (in a good way)…

Understanding Customer Fears Today

It’s important to distinguish between customers who have already made a purchase and visitors who haven’t. Customers have already shown trust by paying you, whereas visitors are still in the consideration phase, and their journeys can vary significantly.

Identifying Different Fears

When analyzing customer fears, consider these two groups separately. For visitors, their fears can often be traced back to the channel they arrived from, such as email or social media. Each source can carry its own set of concerns. For example, email visitors might worry about the authenticity of the offer, while social media visitors might be skeptical about product quality.

Evolution of Customer Fears

Fifteen years ago, concerns centered around credit card safety. Today, the primary fears are:

Product Quality: Is the product worth the money?
Return Policies: Can I easily return it if there’s an issue?

Customers want assurance that the product will meet their expectations in terms of quality and value.

How to learn your customers’ fears

Two key ways: tapping into any customer behavior data you have from onsite interactions, email engagement, etc, and then directly from customers themselves (zero-party data)

Learning by customer behavior

Lucky Orange has a saying: “Behavior is communication.” It might sound like a simple marketing tool, but it’s incredibly insightful.

Consider this example: you’re at a restaurant, and your plate of food arrives. The steak isn’t cooked right, the noodles are overcooked, or there’s an odd seasoning on your vegetables. The waiter or waitress asks, “How’s your food? Are you enjoying it?” You respond, “Yeah, everything’s great. Thanks for checking in.” Yet, as they walk away, they notice you pushing the steak aside and making a face at the vegetables. Your behavior is communicating something different than your words.

This discrepancy is why tools like session recordings and heat maps are so crucial for your website. While surveys are valuable—and I’m a big proponent of them—there can be a difference between what customers say and what they do.

For instance, suppose you sell weight loss supplements. You interview your customers, and they say they’re buying your supplements for weight loss. However, when you analyze their behavior on your website, you notice they spend a lot of time on sections focused on losing weight for health reasons, such as preventing prediabetes or heart disease. This indicates that health concerns are a significant factor for them, even though they initially just mentioned weight loss.

By understanding this behavior, you can highlight health benefits more prominently on your website, making it easier for customers to find relevant information and move closer to conversion.

Using tools like session recordings allows you to watch individual sessions and identify trends. Switching to heat maps aggregates all sessions and engagements, revealing broader patterns. For example, you might see from session recordings that someone spent a lot of time in the health-related section of your supplements. Heat maps could show that many clicks are in sections related to quick weight loss for an upcoming event. Comparing different tools gives you a fuller picture of customer behavior.

Incorporating surveys helps validate your findings or point you in the right direction. Using all these tools together allows you to identify customer behavior more effectively.

Learning by asking customers directly

Many people view post-purchase surveys as intrusive, but they can be very effective. At Lucky Orange, we see an average 45% response rate. This is because customers have already made a purchase and are more likely to engage. Since their purchase journey is complete, the survey doesn’t feel intrusive and is easy to ignore if they choose not to participate.

When setting up post-purchase surveys, it’s essential to ask questions that lead to actionable insights rather than just interesting facts. For instance, instead of asking, “Do you like our brand? Yes or No?”—which provides little actionable information—break questions down by purpose, audience, and product.

Purpose: Is the question for marketing or product improvement?
Audience: Are you targeting repeat customers, new customers, or both?

An example is The Woobles, a brand that partners with companies like Warner Brothers and Hello Kitty. They asked in a post-purchase survey if these partnerships influenced customers’ purchasing decisions. They discovered that most shoppers were unaware of the partnerships until after the purchase. This insight helped them adjust their messaging strategy, using partnership messaging for credibility and trust rather than as a primary draw.

We recently compiled over 200+ PPS questions that you can filter by product, audience, purpose, and more here.

Examples of how an action can lead to the wrong reaction

Example 1: Technical Products

A customer selling computer components, such as graphics cards and modems, added a configurator tool to their website. This tool was meant to simplify the buying process by recommending products based on user input. However, customer interviews revealed that even technical users, including CTOs, were confused and anxious. They didn’t know how much of their budget should go towards the graphics card versus other hardware, and they worried about performance issues. Instead of helping, the tool introduced more fears and barriers to purchase.

Takeaway: Ensure that tools and features meant to simplify the buying process do not inadvertently introduce confusion. Clearly explain how to use the tool and provide guidance on important considerations.

Example 2: High-End Home Goods

A customer selling high-end home goods, like bespoke coffee tables, included a box asking, “Is there anything you’d like to change about this coffee table?” when items were added to the cart. This question caused buyers to second-guess their decision, introducing unnecessary fear about their purchase.

Takeaway: Avoid questions or prompts that might introduce doubt at critical points in the buying process. Ensure that the checkout experience reinforces the buyer’s confidence.

Example 3: Skincare Products

When selling skincare products, recognize that some customers know exactly what they need, while others do not. By asking past customers what they cared most about when visiting the site, you can organize products to address specific concerns like dry skin or anti-aging, making it easier for new visitors to find what they need.

Takeaway: Use customer feedback to structure your website in a way that aligns with their needs and eliminates the fear of not finding the right product. Organize products by specific concerns to streamline the shopping experience.

Addressing fears

So where do these fears come from and how should fears be addressed on site?

Audit Your Website

Regularly review your website to identify areas that might cause confusion or fear:

Simplify Tools and Features: Ensure they genuinely help customers rather than complicating their decisions.
Reinforce Confidence: Avoid introducing doubt through unnecessary questions or prompts.
Structure for Clarity: Use customer insights to organize your website in a way that makes it easy for visitors to find what they need without confusion.

By addressing these aspects, you can reduce customer fears, streamline their journey, and improve conversion rates.

New vs Loyal Customers

New consumers and first-time shoppers need more reassurance. However, the same strategies apply to loyal customers or repeat buyers. Key tactics include:

Product Reviews: Showcase reviews to build trust.
Customer Testimonials: Highlight positive experiences.
Value Propositions: Clearly communicate the benefits and value of your products.

Leveraging Social Proof

Social proof is crucial in overcoming initial customer fears. Use snippets of product reviews and testimonials in your marketing materials. Highlight top-rated and customer-favorite products in your messaging. This can be done through your website, emails, popups, and other marketing channels.

By understanding and addressing these fears, you can create a more comfortable and trustworthy shopping experience for both new and returning customers.

Asking Customers Directly About Their Fears

Post-Purchase Surveys

Post-purchase surveys are an effective way to gather customer feedback and understand their fears. Despite the challenge of getting customers to purchase initially, these surveys can yield valuable insights.

Key Points:

Response Rates: Post-purchase surveys typically have a high response rate, averaging 45%.
Target Audience: Focus on repeat buyers rather than first-time shoppers, as they have more experience with your business.
Questions to Ask: Include questions such as, “What almost stopped you from purchasing today?” This can reveal common concerns and areas for improvement.

Leveraging Feedback

Use the feedback from these surveys to address specific fears and improve your product pages.

Examples:

Size Concerns: If customers frequently mention concerns about product fit, consider adding a detailed size chart to your product descriptions.
Highlight Reviews: Place five-star reviews or high-rated testimonials near the “Add to Cart” button to build trust quickly. Allow customers to click and read more reviews easily, anchoring them to the bottom of the product page.
Website Updates: Uncover any bugs or hiccups that customers are struggling with.

How to address these fears and reinforce trust

Surveys and actions

The point of purchase is the start of a new chapter in the customer’s relationship with a brand, not the final page.

Consideration times often exceed initial expectations, and the post-purchase experience is a perfect opportunity to not only enhance customer satisfaction but also amplify brand awareness and drive growth across various marketing channels.

How? Integration of re-acquisition channels.

End the survey with an integration to re-acquisition channels by adding a call-to-action at the end of the survey for the customer to re-engage somehow.

Again, because of the high-intent after purchase, it’s the perfect place to encourage a lot of traffic to complete an “action,” such as

Asking for a referral
Downloading your mobile app
Signing up for email/SMS campaigns
Joining your loyalty program
Joining your Facebook communities
Leaving a review
Following your brand on social media

Also, Being proactive through the post purchase experience through notifications and communication and keeping customers informed at every step of the way and it’s impact on retention

And Post-purchase email and SMS. Think beyond product review emails. Think “thank you” emails with no direct selling, customer-service oriented ones, purchase follow-up emails asking if everything is alright, etc. — then, sprinkle in product reviews, new arrivals, etc.

Longer Sales Cycles for Expensive Items

When selling high-end items with longer sales cycles, such as high-end suits costing thousands of dollars and taking 8 to 12 weeks to arrive, it’s crucial to justify the investment and the wait time. Here’s an effective approach:

Behind-the-Scenes Content

One successful strategy involves providing a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the product. For instance, a customer selling high-end suits showcased the seamstresses crafting the suits, detailing the sourcing of materials and the craftsmanship involved. This transparency helps to:

Justify the Price: Highlight the quality of materials and the expertise of the makers.
Explain the Wait Time: Show why it takes 8 to 12 weeks to deliver, emphasizing the meticulous process.

Social Proof

Incorporate customer testimonials and examples of people trying on the suits. Social proof validates the value and quality of the product, reducing potential buyers’ fears about making a significant purchase.

Engaging Content

Maintain customer engagement through various channels, such as:

Email Campaigns: Use email to tell the story behind the product, explain the process, and showcase the craftsmanship.
Website Content: Include behind-the-scenes videos, maker profiles, and detailed product information.

Benefits

This approach helps to:

Build Trust: Transparency in the production process builds customer trust.
Enhance Value Perception: Understanding the effort and quality involved makes the price seem more reasonable.
Reduce Fear: Addressing concerns directly can alleviate fears about the investment and wait time.

By effectively communicating the value and process behind high-end products, you can make customers feel more confident in their purchase, even with a longer sales cycle.

Purchase to delivery: it matters

Online shopping has been around for a while, but it still brings a variety of fears for different customer personas. These fears often stem from uncertainties about delivery times and the returns process, both of which can significantly impact customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Delivery Time Concerns

One major fear is not receiving packages on time. This fear arises from past experiences with delayed shipments, inconsistent delivery times, and a lack of transparency during shipping. Customers worry that their packages won’t arrive when expected, especially for time-sensitive purchases. When delays occur, customers tend to blame the brand rather than the carrier, damaging the brand’s reputation and making customers hesitant to order again.

Solution:

Provide Accurate Estimated Delivery Dates: Display estimated delivery times prominently on the product description page and at checkout. This transparency can significantly boost customer confidence and has been shown to increase conversion rates by 3%.

Returns Process Concerns

Another common fear is dealing with a complicated and unreliable returns process. Many customers have faced cumbersome returns, unclear policies, and long wait times for refunds or exchanges. This creates hesitation, especially for items they are unsure about.

Solution:

Simplify the Returns Process: Clearly outline the returns policy on your website. Make it as straightforward and easy as possible for customers to return items. Promoting an easy returns process can actually increase conversion rates, as it provides customers with peace of mind.

Key Strategies to Address Customer Fears:

Transparency in Shipping: Provide clear and accurate delivery estimates to boost customer confidence.
Clear Returns Policy: Simplify and clearly communicate the returns process to alleviate fears about purchasing.
Customer Testimonials and Reviews: Highlight positive customer experiences to build trust and credibility.
Post-Purchase Surveys: Use surveys to gather feedback and understand what fears customers had before purchasing. This can help you address these fears more effectively in the future.

Try KNO for free, learn your customer’s emotions that are causing them to hesitate on purchases and address them directly.