Think Like a Customer, Get More Business
More and more studies are indicating that people Search before they Buy. Think about when you are shopping in a retail clothing store. Do you want the sales clerk to swarm around you while you are browsing? Do you prefer to search on your own, without the stress of the hard sell to interrupt your shopping experience? Marketing your brick and mortar business is very similar. When the shopper is ready, by all means, you should be there, ready to answer questions and assist her in making her purchases. But how can you tell when a customer is ready?
The Great Divide from WebVisible on Vimeo.
With the Internet, you can’t! That is why you need to anticipate where they will look when they are ready to buy, and make it simple for them to contact you and communicate their needs to you. But where are they looking? Online! Specifically, the search engines. According to a Nielsen study, 82% of searchers search online before they make a purchase! This means that you don’t know who they are, or where they are or what they need, until they find you! If you don’t think local businesses should be spending their advertising dollars on Internet marketing, I ask that you watch this documentary of real businesses who think the same way you do, and real consumers who think differently! It’s not a about what you feel comfortable with, it’s about getting your business in front of your customers. Putting your ears and eyes in their world, listening to what they want and being ready for them on their terms. But don’t take my word for it – Watch the video and then tell me what you think!
