In a previous post we discussed the buying decision, and how to know when you should or shouldn't buy a product online.
Now we'll look at it from the flip side, and discuss your website and products - and your visitors' experience and buying decision.
Let's start by looking at an example outside of Internet Marketing that we can all relate to: the restaurant experience.
Going out to dinner is not just about eating food. It's about the experience. Consider all of the elements of that experience - the atmosphere, noise level, service, anticipation, expectation, quality of food, etc.
If even one element is "off" it can easily ruin the customer experience. In Internet Marketing that equals abandoned shopping carts, unsubscribes, or your visitor clicking the back button...
The Customer Experience
The customer experience is directly related to the customer's expectation. If you meet or exceed that expectation, they have a positive experience. If you fail to meet that expectation, they have a negative experience.
One of the easiest ways you can improve the customer experience is to influence their expectation. The more information you give them about your offer upfront, the more likely their expectation will match their buying experience.
Post-Sale Experience
The customer experience goes way beyond the point of sale. Your goal is to create a relationship with that buyer and turn them into a lifetime customer. A positive experience leads to repeat sales and word-of-mouth referrals.
A positive post-sale experience begins with delivery, quality of product, your follow-up material, and your customer service/support.
Unfortunately many merchants stop at the point of sale, ending the relationship with cash in hand. Implementing a simple follow-up series can dramatically improve both customer experience and profit potential.
As a merchant your job is to design your funnel, start to finish, for the best possible customer experience. This begins with first contact, and continues for the life of the customer.
As an affiliate your job is to add value to that process. For you, happy customers equal more commissions, and in some cases recurring or repeat commissions.
On the front end, affiliates have the power to influence the customer's expectations and answer any lingering questions that affect the buying decision. This can be as simple as how you frame your product reviews.
On the back end, affiliates can offer how-to content or communities to keep customers engaged and buying product.
Take a good look at your online business, and search for opportunities to improve the customer experience. As a good starting point, I recommend reading these tips on how to treat your customers:
The Ten Commandments of Great Customer Service
In the 10th tip, the word "employees" can be interchanged with "affiliates".
Consider your own experiences as a customer when you set up your systems or your online promotions. Walk through your funnel as if you were your ideal buyer and look for ways to add more value to their experience.
Best,
About Lynn Terry
Lynn, excellent points - every one. Question: Why don't more Internet marketers stay in touch with their customers?
Over the years I've purchased my fair share of stuff and it's very rare to hear from the provider past the receipt phase. With all the technology available to manage "lists" you'd think marketers would be more mindful of the "after I've got your money" experience. I've always thought it was rather odd that more online marketers don't coddle the buyer more. All the lip service paid to "relationship marketing" proves less than genuine by many online and offline providers.
By the way, I'm really enjoying SSWT. You're many notches above the herd!
And I should have clarified "staying in touch" - I don't mean continuing to email me with pitch after pitch. I mean continued contact, if only sporadic, regarding my purchase. I consult lots of retailers and one thing that remarkable retailers do is make contact after the sale to see if everything is good, offer to answer questions or just making sure the customer knows "we appreciate your business and want you to know we're still thinking of you and offering any assistance you may need."
I agree, Randy. Ironically the technology is cheaper and easier to use than ever, yet we see less and less follow-up and customer appreciation.
Like you, I have purchased a lot of products online over the years. Many merchants I would have happily bought from over and over, I never heard from again. Not on that particular topic at least.
The continuous unrelated offers create a huge disconnect, a high unsubscribe rate, and a low success rate. This is a disservice on both ends because happy productive customers continue to buy product...
Tried and True. The name of the game is Upsell. It's always easier to sell to customers who already bought from you.
Since customer experience is directly related to customer’s expectation, then I think it’s a good strategy to manipulate the what the customer should expect. I mean, you should not exaggerate the features and expected results of whatever product you have. Say what they should really know in accordance of the expected results. Customers always want value over their purchases. I guess honesty is still is the best policy.
Of course it is - and not only honesty, but thorough detail that doesn't leave room for risky assumptions.
I think at the end of the day business owners truly believe that they will lose more readers, followers or potential business by sending communication to these people. This cannot be further from the truth...
Our motto: if you are going to buy buy.. if you are not going to buy bye bye.. 🙂 that is a bit harsh.. but makes our customers money..
All really great points about managing customer expectations and expereiences. We've observed that the most successful firms are the ones that monitor the gap between the two with tools such as customer surveys and mystery shopping. When employed in businesses, these tools can help you focus on the areas of your business that need attention based on a widening gap between what the customer expects and what you are delivering.
Angela Megasko, Pres.
Market Viewpoint, LLC
I respectfully disagree with Alex on a good strategy involving manipulation of the customer's expectation. One, manipulation is precisely what IS happening too much of the time. Manipulators (marketers) have only themselves in mind when they coerce or use other manipulation tactics. Marketers who persuade and influence are higher value than those who manipulate. Two, the customer usually sets their own expectation based on the explicit and implied promises of the marketer. Then, when the customer is disappointed and refunds, the marketer whines loudly. In many cases, it's their own fault for setting an expectation they never intended to make good (there's a price for being hypey). Then, there are the high integrity marketers who plod along, building their business one customer at a time for long-term success. It may take longer to do it the right way, but customer loyalty runs deeper and I'd argue the lifetime profits (and having a rewarding life) are well worthwhile.
I believe that was the same point Alex was making above. The term 'manipulate' meaning (in his context) to accurately guide them through the features and the offer so that they know exactly what to expect when they place an order.
Affiliates do well to fill this gap, by providing additional information and insight on the product and the merchant. Often they answer questions not addressed in sales copy or on the merchant's website, which can be really helpful.
My first time on your site after hearing you on the MasonWorld podcast and this post seemed relevant to something I was thinking about. Specifically the idea of marketing continuing after the sale.
I was thinking as I began scripting pre and post sales content was how few info marketers put as much thought into being persuasive in post sales content as they do in presales content. We are very focused presales on motivating in addition to informing. We know that just giving a prospect information does not get them to act and buy.
But once they get our products, most of which are intended to be educational, do we keep trying to motivate them to act on what we are teaching? Instead we just switch to giving the them the information they need and don't try to motivate them to act on it. Maybe a reason so few people use the products they buy.
And do we track and metric action after the sale like we do before? Wouldn't it be interesting if IM info marketers were publishing the "conversion" rate of people who bought the product and then went out and used it.
I've subscribed to your RSS feed and look forward to hearing more from you Lynn.
Thank you Ron. I enjoyed your thoughts on the topic, and look forward to getting to know you!
hi..Ron!i like your sense of describing.in my opinion:-I am trying to figure out what an ultimate customer experience would be for a consumer-whether it's just being satisfied with a product or literally the personality and overall character from the sales associate during the experience...Please give me feed back on what you think-or own stories of experiences with customer service. Thanks for sharing your thought!
Something worth mentioning is that even affiliates NEED to be pro-active in the post sales process.
As an affiliate, you'll have to help people after the sales sometimes.
It's strange, but many buyers will come to the affiliate for question instead of asking the merchant. Many of them trust the affiliate.
Food for thoughts...
Franck
the Body Guard marketer.
This is true Franck, and I've experienced that myself because I am a super affiliate. I'll often offer follow-up training or ongoing communities. Especially in cases where it helps with retention rate or repeat purchases.
just walking around. i found many interesting articles here. thanks a lot. { CTRL+D } 🙂