Many of us now turn to online shopping to avoid the queues, the tired feet, the unhappy children you find on a traipse up and down the high street – especially at this time of year. One of the other things we love to avoid is that annoyingly helpful retail assistant at the front of the store… “hi there, can I help you with anything today?” or at the till “did you find everything you needed? Did anyone help you today?” A friendly welcome can be just that, but insincerity will grate!
Shopping online is so much easier, right? Wrong. Some items will be easier to find, but often online shopping means returning that misjudged too-small pair of jeans, or simply waiting for an age for the delivery to arrive after it’s been back to the warehouse because ‘you weren’t at home’ (read: had given up and gone to the pub).
And with online shopping, would you believe it, we still have to put up with the insincere greetings! That pop-up offering you a discount code on your first visit… well, I might want it, but I don’t know yet, let me browse! The next pop-up prompting you to share your email before you leave the site. Consumers are aware they have choices these days, lots of choices, so try to avoid the online version of hurling a “SALE” sign in their face as they approach the store. It’s also recommended to think about the why and the motivation of your consumer before you attempt the assumptive close – remarketing… “you looked at this fridge 2 minutes ago, WHY aren’t you ready to buy right NOW!!!”
Yikes.
Humans aren’t fans of being rushed into decisions, they really do prefer to feel they are in control of their decisions… or at least, to find a way to justify their impulse spending post-purchase, perhaps by finding that elusive gap in their home or wardrobe… “the neckline on this particular white t-shirt is slightly wider than all my others.”
Appeal to their decision-making skills, tap into the problems they need to solve, and then encourage them down the right path – don’t yell in their faces, or you could be risking putting them off your products forever. We suggest building a relationship with your audience, becoming a trusted source, if you can, and relating to them as closely as possible. After all, that is the definition of social!
Looking for ways to avoid yelling in your customer’s faces? Get in touch with us!
