Think back to the last big purchase you made. Did you come up with the idea and follow through with buying all at once? Probably not. For most of us, there is a process we go through (whether we realize it or not) that helps guide us to our final decision to either buy or not buy something.
Commonly referred to as the customer buying journey, or simply the buyer’s journey, this helps define each stage that a customer will go through as they make decisions about what to buy. Typically, there are three main phases a customer will go through (which we’ll talk about in more detail later). The farther along they get, the more information they will want in order to make an informed decision.
Not only does this buyer’s journey help explain what a customer is going through, it can help marketers craft useful and relevant campaigns for each phase. What do you do once you create this marketing material? You need to present it to the right people!
With web push notifications, you can easily send campaigns to people along all stages of the buyer’s journey. With smart segmentation you can ensure your messages are going to the right people at the right time, helping them towards making the decision to purchase from your brand.
Let’s first talk about what the buyer’s journey is, and then we’re going to share how you can use web push to help reach your audience along all stages of their journey.
Like we mentioned above, the buyer’s journey is typically divided into three main phases. Movement to the next phase pushes a customer closer to converting. You might look at the chart above and not think it applies to your brand, but it almost certainly does. Let’s look at each phase in closer detail.
Awareness: The true beginning of the awareness phase is before a consumer even knows about your brand or your products. They simply realize they have a problem (which could be a complex problem, or something more simple, like realizing they are always overheated after working out). At this phase, a buyer understands they have a problem but aren’t quite sure how to fix it.
Consideration: During the consideration phase, a customer is considering what their options are to solve their problem. Going back to the workout example, in the consideration phase the customer may do some research and realize that they need to purchase clothing that is made from certain materials that are lighter, more breathable, and dry quicker. This will provide them with a much better workout experience, which is the pain point they are trying to solve.
Decision: It is now time to buy! Now that the buyer understands their problem and how to fix it, it is time to make the final decision. Keep in mind, this is a much more complex decision than it may look. Deciding you need better workout clothes may be the decision, but choosing which workout clothing to purchase is the more difficult decision that you (being the buyer) need to make. So, why should a customer pick you? That is where web push comes in!
There are numerous platforms you can rely on for targeting your users, but web push is one of the best. Not only do web push notifications have greater visibility than most other platforms (making it one of the best email alternatives), you also have powerful segmentation and personalization options that allow you to send more meaningful campaigns to the right people, at the right time.
Let’s see the types of web push campaigns you should consider sending for each phase of the buyer’s journey.
Keep in mind that people in phase I are not ready to buy yet. This is where smart segmentation comes in. The campaigns you send in the awareness phase should not be directed at people who have already spent time on your product pages or who have placed items in your cart. Instead, focus on people who have visited the more educational parts of your site- perhaps your home page, or your blog.
Educate readers with information they would likely be searching for on the Internet. The above example would be a great blog post for a company selling athletic clothing. Create this type of content specific to your brand and use it for your web push campaigns in phase I (and feel free to utilize some emoji marketing techniques to help boost your click through rate!) This blog content will help users discover your brand in the first place and will also help push your users to phase II.
Now that your subscribers have a better idea of what their problem is and what they need to do to fix it, it’s time to start getting them in the mindset to buy. What makes your brand different from others on the market? Will your products really help solve my problems? These are the types of questions buyers are asking at this stage of the journey, and it is your job to answer correctly so that they decide to buy.
Utilizing social proof is a great way to convince new customers to shop with you, and is a great source of content for your phase II web push campaigns.
Because online shoppers are increasingly wary of what they read online, sometimes the best marketing content for your brand is the content you don’t even make at all- it’s what your customers have to say about you!
It is true that fake reviews online can be a problem, but overall prioritizing getting genuine reviews from customers and using that content is a great tactic to use in this consideration phase. More than likely your customers are looking at multiple places to shop from, and this can help set you apart from your competition.
To help boost the effectiveness of your web push campaigns in this phase, consider A/B testing your campaigns to see which perform best with your audience. Sometimes even a simple tweak to your CTA or icon can make a huge difference- but you don’t know unless you try!
Finally, once a subscriber makes it to phase III, they are ready to buy. The problem is, they may not be ready to buy from you! At this point, the customer understands their problem and how to fix it. If they have made it this far along the buyer’s journey with your brand still in consideration, that is excellent. Now you just need to close the deal.
What motivates someone to buy? Price. In fact, two of the top three motivating factors for American shoppers was price and discount offers. Use that knowledge to your advantage!
Because a user is ready to buy, they have looked at your products and know what you have to offer. If they aren’t quite convinced to buy from you, a discount offer is oftentimes the final push they need. Be sure to set up abandoned cart notifications, it is excellent content for your phase III campaigns. If you haven’t, make sure you brush up on all the benefits of abandoned cart campaigns. While you don’t have to include a discount offer, it certainly sweetens the deal, and is one final way to separate yourself from your competition.
The buyer’s journey is something all marketers should be aware of. By creating content to fit each unique phase, you are delivering a better experience to your customers, which is something they are sure to appreciate. With web push, you can more easily tailor these messages and send them to the appropriate audience. The result? More effective web push campaigns that result in more sales for your business.
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Have you taken the buyer’s journey into consideration when building your web push campaigns? Let us know! Comment below or send us a message.