Sometimes I think the most simple thing that we can do as businesspeople and marketers is to “put ourselves in the shoes” – literally – of our prospects and customers. Are we making it easy to buy? Or are we setting up unintentional barriers, however “slight,” that may interfere with – or obliterate – the purchasing process?
In retail settings this might mean products organized in ways that make it difficult for consumers to find what they’re looking for. It may mean limited – or non-existent – parking. It may mean long lines at the check-out counter or disinterested (even grumpy) service staff.
Online it may mean much of the same – the ability to quickly find what we’re looking for is important. Parking isn’t an issue, but the check-out process certainly is.
Have you taken a critical look at your online check-out process lately? Frankly I’ve seen some that are shockingly difficult to navigate. Even more shocking, in one especially memorable instance, I’ve pointed this out to a marketer, along with specific recommendations for improvement only to hear: “We don’t think it really matters.” Really? Don’t think so? Maybe it’s time to find out for sure.
It’s easy enough to do the math. Set up a Google funnel on your web site and take a look at how many people make it from the top of the funnel to the ultimate purchase decision – and how many may be “lost” at various steps along the way. Those lost consumers represent lost $$’s – literally.
“Bricks and mortar” retailers don’t have the luxury of these quantitative analytics to help them identify and remove barriers in the purchasing process. Online retailers do. If you’re not using them to identify ways in which you can improve your online purchasing experience, you should be.
Do the math.
Tags: Advertising, Customer Service, Direct Marketing, web site