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The psychology behind turning a browser into a buyer is so interesting. A browser would be anyone who is either looking at your website, your social media, or maybe walking through your store (or browsing your online shop!).
There are 3 phases we all go through before we make a purchase, whether we are aware of it or not. Understanding theses 3 phases helps us to identify what may be lacking in our sales and marketing to close the deal. Let's break these buying phases down.
Phase 1: Curiosity
Before someone makes a purchase, they're curious. The only thing that sparks curiosity is things or people that can help someone survive and thrive. We've all seen ads that depict a problem, then that problem being solve and it makes us go, "Hmmm, that's interesting." At this point, the seed has been planted.
Phase 2: Enlightenment
The next phase after curiosity is the enlightenment phase. This is when someone realizes that a product or brand can help them solve a problem or they can purchase it for someone else to help solve a friend or families problem. No one parts with money unless it's solving a problem. Showcasing how our products/services solve problems helps move browsers from curious to enlightened!
Phase 3: Commitment
The commitment phase is when someone is ready to open their wallet and pay for a product or service. It takes an average of 12 touch points for a person to be ready to commit. These touch points could be emails, social media posts, social media ads, maybe you've even met for coffee to discuss further. Lower price point offers can take less touch points and higher ticket offers sometimes take more than 12, but it generally takes someone 12 times from phase 1 to phase 3.
When someone is ready to commit, they're all in!
Have you ever purchased something online because you kept seeing ads about it? I know I've been there! Our curiosity gets the best of us sometimes. If the ad we keep seeing is set up in a way that shows the product or service can solve a problem for us, it's difficult to not get sucked in. Understanding these phases has helped me become aware if I'm getting sucked into a purchase I may not actually need to make.
Not only that, but I like to save ads that make me think, "Wow! I need this!" Being in marketing, it's so much fun to save or take photos of a great advertisements, then breakdown the strategy to use with my own products or services. Next time you're scrolling through social media or you're in a store, really think about how these products or services are being marketed to you. It's truly intriguing to me when a product or service is presented in a way that moves me through all the phases quickly. These are the money making ads!
There's a book I've been reading called, Contagious - Why Things Catch On. It's all about the psychology behind viral videos, products, and business ideas. I'm reading it slowly because I don't want it to end! Whether you're learning how to market your own products/service or you're simply really interested in psychology, this book is fabulous.
