You know the kinds of customers we’re referring to; the ones who can practically finish your sentences, and who often bring a frankly scary amount of prior knowledge to the task of seeking out the right product for them.
But if they have turned to your ecommerce store at all, that’s a firm sign these savvy shoppers think you might have what they are seeking.
So, let’s take a look at five of the most proven tips for selling to the most informed and seasoned customers of e-tail stores – bearing in mind, of course, that these are routinely very effective methods for converting less self-confident consumers, too.
Ensure your images show the product from every angle
Every last detail of the item that the customer would be able to scrutinise if they picked it up in a physical store, they should be able to see in the images that you include for the given product in your store. Well, as close as you can really get to that, anyway.
After all, rather than simply being seduced by how the item looks, savvy customers will ultimately be looking at your product images in order to ascertain important information about the product, including in relation to how it can be used in ‘real life’. So, detailed supporting text – answering the most common customer queries – will be important, too.
Emphasise the product’s ‘real-life’ usability and relevance
Having touched on it above, we might as well underline this point: the most informed shoppers will also want to know and appreciate a lot more about the item than just the specification sheet they could have just as easily gone to the manufacturer’s website to see.
So, don’t just think about dimensions, available colours, or even battery life – also set out the ‘real-life’ problems that the product solves. Images and videos showing these various applications in memorable ways can further help the shopper imagine buying, owning and using the product.
Underline the product’s value for money
In pre-empting the inevitable comparisons the savviest customers will make with alternative products on the market, you might not necessarily go as far as directly referencing how much ‘better’ this item is than certain named alternatives – bearing in mind your store might stock them, too.
However, you might decide to reference specific ways in which the product can be an attractive and relevant option compared to the general competition. This may involve focusing your images and videos on some of the features the item has that aren’t necessarily common among the alternatives, to help convince the shopper to not merely settle for a lower-priced, lower-specification option.
Allow other customers to make the case for you
For all ‘levels’ of shopper – not just the most experienced and informed ones – it can be powerful to hear from other customers themselves. Videos featuring those customers can be highly relatable, and even help the potential buyer to appreciate the product from perspectives that the rest of your product page doesn’t necessarily make obvious.
The chance to see authentic customer recommendations of the product can help even the most sceptical and demanding shoppers to place greater trust in the quality and relevance of the item itself, as well as – by extension – your brand.
Provide ‘live chat’ support
Even if your product pages are very informative and insightful, there might be just one more lingering, but oh-so crucial question that the customer wishes to have answered, before they feel able to commit to a purchase. And if they move away from your store and find an alternative e-tailer offering that same product that does answer their question, well… they’re likely to purchase from that store, there and then.
So, don’t just depend on giving savvy customers an email or telephone option. These ways of getting in touch with you can be a lot more hassle, compared to just browsing elsewhere. Communicate to these customers that you can give an instant reply to their query, by setting up an on-site ‘live chat’ facility.
The most knowledgeable and experienced customers might seem like tough ones to convert, but convincing them of the merits of what your store has to offer is a golden opportunity to cultivate longer-term trust and loyalty among such shoppers.
For a more detailed discussion of how we can assist you in relation to website design, ecommerce, graphic design or custom software development services in Gibraltar – to cite just some of our areas of knowhow – please do not hesitate to reach out to the Piranha Designs team today.
