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Most businesses view the primary purpose of a website as being to sell. This "simple" objective can be complicated as websites cannot hold dynamic sales conversations. This is why you still receive phone calls, have strategy sessions meetings and communicate with customers via email to assist them in making a decision.
Ask yourself this question: Is your website making it easy for customers to buy?
Because each individual has their own concerns and processes, you can't sell your product or services to everyone the same way. I have identified four major customer buying patterns after deploying thousands upon thousands of websites. These buying patterns can be used to improve conversions and sales by implementing tweaks to your website.
Instead of focusing on intangible personality characteristics, this article focuses on the tangible aspects of how someone buys and what they are looking for in order to make the right decision. The four buying patterns I have listed are called B.R.A.G. These are the :
B = Bargainers
R = Researchers
A = Action takers
G = Group buyers
When making a purchase decision, everyone defaults to their primary buying pattern. People don't have to stick with one type of buying pattern. Most people will supplement their purchasing decisions with traits from other patterns. People will also change their primary pattern depending on the product they are buying (e.g. A car is more expensive than a book.
Websites that are not appealing to all buyers (usually the buyer's buying pattern) are a common mistake. This approach can lead to frustrating experiences for up to 75% other buyers. This is just one example of the many areas that you can improve on your website in order to increase conversions by 75%. Let's look at the buying habits and simple implementations that you can implement today.
Related: How to make your website your best salesperson and not your worst money pit
Bargainers are always on the lookout for bargains
These are the people who are always on the lookout for bargains and are often confused with bargain hunters. The thought pattern is: Store A sells the X3 TV model for $399. The X3 is $379 at Store B. If that price doesn't work, I'll shop at store B.
Bargainers are people looking for the best deal. This doesn't necessarily mean the lowest price. They are looking for the best deal.
This is crucial. While you may not always be able to win the cheapest price war against a competitor, you can almost always offer value-packed products and services. This is done by offering packages that include different products or services or adding upsells that can be sold at a lower rate when purchased with another product.
Website implementations:
You can create price boxes that allow you to compare the different offers and add-ons.
Bundle products and services to increase upsells.
Add value by sharing your expertise.
Value should be both tangible (pricing), and intangible (convenience, expert)
Researchers want to make the right decision
Researchers will dig into every detail about the product or service they are interested in. A researcher will want to make an empirically sound or factual purchase based on their financial situation and needs.
Researchers will therefore judge the quality of a product or service based on how easy they found it to research. It is extremely frustrating to receive a brief explanation with very few details. They want answers and are eager to get into the details. You will be eliminated from the list if you don't provide this information. Your competitor has it.
They enjoy reading long documents that explain processes and explain how materials affect durability or efficiency. And they will defend their purchase decision by citing logical empirical facts. Researchers will find information so you don't have to write 18,000 words for your service or home pages. To get more details on key points, simply add a link to the page.
Website implementations:
You can create detailed content pages that explain the details of your product or service. Related articles will provide even more detail.
Your process or method should be clearly explained on each page.
Objectively assess the pros and cons of each offering.
You can provide as much information as possible, which is often available as a whitepaper.
Similar: These 5 Personality Strategies Will Supercharge Your Sales
Action Takers are looking for action that is quick, easy and results-oriented
Contrary to what the researcher believes, the action-taker prefers short content that is clear and concise. You'll hear frustration when you listen to long explanations or make it too complicated.
While action-oriented people are not necessarily less intelligent than researchers it is true that they are more likely to be more focused on the task at hand and will judge you based upon how clear and concise your writing style is and how simple the purchasing process is.
It should be concise, easy to understand, and visual.
Website implementations:
In 2-3 sentences, summarize the information. Use bullet points and executive summaries.
Be result-oriented and focus only on the most important metrics and stats.
Display data in visual and simple graphs and charts.
It's easy to buy a car - just a few clicks.
Related: 10 Tips to Drive Sales with Web Design
Group buyers want social proof
In sales lingo, group buyers are often called partner buyers. Apart from legitimate purchases that require multiple parties, the most common reason for the need to speak to another person is the inability or lack of knowledge to make a decision. It is very difficult for them not to make a decision on their own.
I don't know anything about cars, for example. I will even put off buying a car because I am paralyzed by trying to make the right decision. After all, their primary motivation is selling cars. Instead, I'll talk to friends who are car enthusiasts and ask them what their thoughts are.
This is the reason they are most likely to have I need to speak to someone situations. Nothing you tell them will convince them. They don't trust themselves in this situation. This buyer requires third-party validation. They need to be able to come together and make a decision so they aren't blamed for making a wrong decision, or they can feel confident that they made the right decision. They need consensus and group validation.
They want to make a good decision, but they also want to be socially acceptable. They want others to feel the same way they did.
Implementation of Websites:
