CEO and Founder of Zebra Advertisement.
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We can all agree that a good product is easier to sell. However, we live in an era where there are good alternatives for each product and, therefore, competition is probably the highest it has ever been. As a result, understanding how to properly display the unique features and benefits of your offering becomes of vital importance.
In this article, I will focus on a few easy marketing hacks that can increase consumers’ time on page and conversion rate by simply displaying your content in a different way.
Use green checkmarks to express the concept of good/great.
I’m sure we all think that the content on our product or service pages accurately displays our strengths—and we are probably right; the content is actually there. However, we often forget that when customers are seeing our pages for the first time, they need guidance to understand what content to focus on. A study performed by the Society for Consumer Psychology states:
“The symbol of a checkmark primes the concept of ‘good.’ The idea of ‘good’ is not made conscious; you’re not actively thinking ‘good.’ When subsequently asked how you feel about something, though, ‘good’ is the more immediately accessible response.”
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As a result of that, why wouldn’t we use checkmarks to highlight product features or benefits? I’ve personally found out that using green checkmarks is even better since you can combine the power of the checkmark with the psychology associated with certain colors. Green has a very positive connotation and it promotes optimism, hopefulness and balance.
Use social proof higher up on the page.
First-time visitors decide whether to continue reading your content based on what’s above the fold. This is a widely known concept in marketing. However, it is surprising to see how many advertisers fail to recognize the power of social proof and decide to use it below the fold.
Let’s for a second assume that your product has been displayed on television and that you are going to be able to use the very famous “as seen on TV” claim. “As seen on TV” ads are among the best examples of social proof because it makes consumers feel comfortable that they are buying a quality product that other people have been using and have been talking about. Such powerful social proof can convince people to at least learn more about the product and understand how it could potentially benefit them.
There are plenty of elements that you can use as potential social proof. Just make sure to always back any claims made on your page—to reinforce them and maximize their impact on the consumer.
Answer the five W’s and one H.
One of the first things I was taught during my studies in marketing was that in order to properly market a product, it’s important to use the questioning method. This method, although very basic, has ever since shaped all the marketing strategies I have worked on.
The method consists in making sure that when a consumer is exposed to your product or services for the first time, you would have already answered six basic questions:
• What is the product and what problem does it solve?
• Who is going to benefit from the product?
• Why would someone need the product?
• When is the best time to offer this product to a potential customer?
• Where is the product going to be available?
• How is the product going to help solve the problem potential customers are facing?
You can create great landing page/website content by using this method. By providing all the information they need in one place, you can influence consumers without needing them to visit several pages to piece together the information.
Remove all doubts by listening to your customers.
As you keep generating sales, you will learn more and more about your customers simply because they will ask questions. Keep track of these questions and identify patterns. You will soon find that there are a few questions you might get asked by almost every customer.
This is great information that will help you add content to your product and service pages. While many businesses tend to add an FAQ as a separate page on the website, I have seen a lot of success with on-page, product-specific FAQ sections.
There is a psychological phenomenon called the ambiguity effect that subconsciously leads us to avoid options or purchase decisions that are ambiguous. Answering common questions can help you mitigate that risk.
Start with a small commitment and then grow it.
Customers are much more likely to commit to a smaller purchase. The higher the price of a product, the more questions they will ask and the more attrition there will be prior to a sale.
With that in mind, we—and many other firms—have found success in strategies that start with an initial small commitment before upselling customers to a more complete solution. At the time of the smaller commitment, if done right, you will be able to develop a higher level of trust with the consumer, and they will be more willing to hear about your other offers.
Conclusion
Having a great product or service in such a competitive market might not be sufficient. Potential customers don’t spend much time on a page, and they will make a quick decision on whether to dedicate more time to a specific website. As a result of that, companies need to do as much work as possible to maximize the results from the traffic they receive. Optimizing your website through the use of customer psychology has been proven to be very effective in increasing conversion rates and should definitively be part of your marketing mix.
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Author: Rocco Baldassarre, Forbes Councils Member
