How customers shop & research online

How your Customers Buy and Research Online
Email: charlotte@optimumexposure.co.ukWeb: www.optimumexposure.co.ukBlog: www.charlottebritton.co.ukLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottebrittonTwitter: http://twitter.com/charlottebritto

What do you want to get out of this session?

What will be covered?
Buying process is changing
What are the implications?
Create digital marketing mix
Engaging
Social selling
Engagement zone
42.6% of UK consumers buy something online at least once a week

Buying Process is Changing
85% users found information through search engines
15% of social media users are more inclined to buy from brands that advertise in social media;
25% Facebook users who “Like” a brand on Facebook want to receive discounts and promotions
Recommendations from friends or family is the single most important factor in the choice of website to buy from, with 71% giving this reason.
Source: e-consultancy.com

80% Twitter usage is on a mobile device
30% will research products and prices online before completing the purchase at their local store
You Tube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world
Source: Mashable.com and e-consultancy.com

25% of search results for the World’s Top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content
Rankings in search engines are influenced by social factors / indicators
Source: Mashable.com and e-consultancy.com

source:
www.imccmarketing.com/

What are the Implications?
Decision makers no longer want to talk to sales until they are 60-70% down the decision cycle.
90% of all purchases are researched online
Purchasing process has fundamentally changed, so you need to create your optimum marketing mix
Need to blend online and offline marketing to generate awareness of brand

Engage with People
Need to engage with prospects who are within their buying process and monitor them
Engaging with then in a manner which means that they can ‘self service’ the information they need, then contact sales when they are ready
Need a mix of sales approaches, can’t depend on old processes ‘it’s always worked’

Create Digital Marketing Mix
Map out all the channels your can find you online (Twitter, blog, LinkedIn, Email etc)
Ensure creating correct brand image and conversations in these channels
Ensure all channels are blended and can be accessed from each other
Direct mail has social IDs on them
Email marketing pushes visitors to social profiles

Online Credibility & Social Selling
People use the Internet to find out whether they should trust somebody to do business with or buy a product from
This isn't new - the main way people work out whether to trade with people on Ebay is through their personal recommendations and reputation score.
When people want to do business with you, they will check the web to search for 'red flags' or for information to help them understand you better.

Social Selling - New Sales Skill
Social Representation
Buyers are researching your company & sales people
What do there online profiles look like?
Do you have a presence where your customers are?
Are they consistent, approachable, reflect the brand values of the company?
Search
Where do customers go to gather information – which sites?
Can you leverage this information

Research What’s out There
Work out what information is already out there about you.
Role play the sort of searches people will make about you and your company ..
What search phrases does your website show for?
Create a map: which sites, how often, what’s talked about, by whom

Research What’s out There
You also need to know if new information appears
Set up alerts on the following sites on your brand term, personal name, competitors etc.
Google alerts
Trackur
Twitter searches (Twitbeep, Hootsuite)

InteractThe Internet is not a broadcast medium
Don't forget that the Internet isn't a broadcast medium. This is the single biggest mistake that companies and individuals make.
The Internet is enabling one of the biggest conversations the world has ever seen. Becoming part of this conversation is critical to developing a strong online reputation
Interact in places where you know your audience are

Interact– Content is King
Needs to be engaging, topical, timely
Ideas for content:
Top Tips
Whitepapers
Downloads
Video content
Interviews
Podcasts

Interact - Twitter
Do you use the hash tags relevant to your industry, products or location?
Do you broadcast or engage?
Do you spam or send relevant information?
Are you consistent, responsive and have personality?

Interact - LinkedIn
Is your profile set up
Is your Twitter and blog integrated into your personal profile
Is your company page set up and optimised?
Groups – little is more, focus on main groups and build profile rather than dabble in many

Interact – Other profiles
Facebook – do you need a Facebook Fan Page – what will the strategy be?
Four Square – do you have a location base business where you can promote offers and vouchers?
QR codes (barcode that has URL embeded) to promote landing pages on printed material
Flickr – if you’re products / events lend themselves to photos – get people sharing

Follow Sales Process
So you’ve invested time setting up profiles, monitoring & responding
Use the information you have on conversations to blend with your existing sales processes
For instance if there’s a tweet saying ‘I’m reviewing software that does XXXX’ -> if it’s relevant contact the person & build a conversation

source:
www.imccmarketing.com/

Engagement zone
Integrates content, next steps, next steps & marketing automation
More than just a contact us form
Needs to include all the possible options for connecting with your company
So people can decided which information or point of contact they want with your company, a ‘self service’ on information / interaction

Engagement Zones

Engagement zone
Once got visitor or prospect into engagement zone – they can understand the other areas they can interact with you and engagement options
Great opportunity to create a USP and competitive advantage as aligning your website and business with new way of doing business
This will become the new norm, so need to take advantage of being an early adopter

Thanks for you time..Any further questions?
Email: charlotte@optimumexposure.co.ukWeb: www.optimumexposure.co.ukBlog: www.charlottebritton.co.ukLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottebrittonTwitter: http://twitter.com/charlottebritto

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How customers shop & research online

by Optimum Exposure on Sep 20, 2011

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How customers shop & research online — Presentation Transcript