The significance of the buyer journey in your marketplace cannot be overstated. It’s not just about the sale, but also encompasses the entire experience the customer has on your platform.
Studies reveal that a whopping 86% of consumers are ready to pay more for a top-notch customer experience, and a single poor experience can push 33% of consumers to contemplate a brand switch. As you map out your marketplace website, strive to step into your customers’ shoes to deliver a buyer journey that’s engaging and impactful, putting emphasis on enhancing their experience.
What is the buyer journey?
In its simplest form, the buyer journey refers to the course that consumers travel while interacting with your marketplace, all the way until the transaction is finalised. An in-depth grasp of this journey empowers you to fine-tune the structure, design, wording, and material on your website to resonate with their requirements. Fostering a link between your brand and the site visitors (potential customers), facilitates the process of guiding and nurturing them at each step, persuading them towards making a purchase.
The buyer journey can be broadly divided into three crucial stages:
Awareness. Consideration. Decision.
Awareness: Let’s introduce Freddie, who will serve as our representative buyer persona. Freddie is annoyed with his wireless headphones which possess a subpar battery life and are uncomfortable. Aware of his problem, he resorts to online search to find a solution. At this stage of the buyer journey – the awareness stage – Freddie is merely seeking a resolution to his problem, rather than focusing on specific brands or vendors.
As a marketplace owner, you can facilitate buyers like Freddie by anticipating and answering their queries, thereby creating content aligned with these questions. This could involve customer reviews, narratives of excellent customer experiences, or blogs catering to their common FAQs. This strategy helps to link your brand with the solutions they seek.
Consideration: At this stage, Freddie has established his interest. He is aware that there are wireless headphones that are comfortable and have long battery life. Here, Freddie is exploring his options, comparing similar solutions to identify the best one.
Now, Freddie is aware of your brand. Your next move should be to prove why you’re the superior choice, presenting testimonials from other satisfied customers, and showcasing how you can make his life easier. This could involve spotlighting the advantages of your product on your site’s landing pages through blogs, videos, testimonials, case studies or user guides.
Decision: Freddie has now reached the concluding stage of the buyer journey and is prepared to spend his money. He is aware of the solution, but needs a final push to determine the most suitable vendor for him. Offering a live demo, product comparison, free trial, or a discount code could be the game-changer.
Your task now is to convince Freddie that your brand is the best choice, and the perfect time to make the purchase is now. Creating a sense of urgency, like mentioning ‘This offer must end soon’ can sometimes tilt the scale in your favour.
The number one rule to remember throughout all these stages is to retain a customer-centric approach, ensuring your site and content are primarily about your customer rather than you. Emphasise the value provided by your products or services, and you’re more likely to be perceived as the best option.
User experience and design
A significant aspect of the customer journey is your marketplace’s design. In fact, research indicates that 75% of internet users assess a business’s credibility solely on their website’s appearance.
The stages we have discussed – awareness, consideration and decision, should be the cornerstone of your marketplace design. These should be mirrored on your platform to make sure your visitors can effortlessly find what they need at each stage of the process, irrespective of how they land on your site.
Even minor enhancements to your buyer journey design can significantly boost your conversion rate, increase sales, and build stronger brand loyalty. Let’s break down some critical points related to these areas:
1. Conversions pop-ups: While one should be cautious not to irritate users with excessive pop-ups, when used strategically, they can support conversion efforts.
2. Testimonials: A staggering 92% of consumers review online testimonials and reviews when debating a purchase. So, ensure the consideration stage of your customer journey encompasses reviews, case studies, and testimonials.
3. Easy login: Users crave a smooth navigation experience on any site. That’s why integrating third-party sign-up services can be beneficial, as they allow users to register using existing accounts, bypassing the tedious form-filling process.
4. Simplify: An overly cluttered site can overwhelm and confuse visitors. While it might be tempting to showcase all your offerings at once, remember that simplicity and quality always outshine quantity.
5. Add videos: Humans are wired to process visual information faster than text. According to a Mashable report, integrating videos on your most-visited landing pages can amplify conversions by 86%.
6. Make it speedy: Regardless of how well-designed and engaging your content may be, a slow-loading site can sabotage all your efforts. Visitors are likely to abandon a site that takes more than four seconds to load, so speed is crucial.
7. Customer loyalty: Customers seek a brand that can establish a trusting relationship with them before considering a purchase or interaction. Moreover, if they feel loyal to your brand, they are more likely to recommend you to their family and friends.
8. Mistrust costs: Interestingly, one study found that 94% of respondents who distrusted a website attributed that mistrust solely to the site’s design elements. Thus, the significance of crafting a customer journey that is easy to navigate and filled with value-adding content cannot be overstated.
9. Case studies: There’s nothing that fosters brand loyalty more than an impressive case study. Positive testimonials and reviews can persuade potential customers to trust you, thereby increasing the likelihood of a conversion. Content marketers should incorporate this as a crucial part of their marketplace marketing strategy.
Conclusion
Understanding and optimising the buyer’s journey is a critical success factor for any marketplace. It goes beyond just selling products or services; it’s about offering a seamless and engaging customer experience. From the awareness stage, where potential buyers like Freddie begin to seek solutions, through the consideration stage, where they weigh their options, to the decision stage, where they finalise their purchase – each step requires strategic planning and customer-focused content.
As a marketplace owner, it’s essential to incorporate elements like customer testimonials, informative videos, and easy login features into your platform’s design. These elements not only improve your conversions and sales but also foster brand loyalty. The customer journey is not a static concept, but a dynamic process that evolves with changing consumer behaviours and market trends.
As such, it’s crucial to keep updating and tweaking your strategy to provide a memorable journey for your buyers – one that will make them return and recommend your marketplace to others. After all, a well-executed buyer’s journey can differentiate your marketplace in the competitive digital landscape.