I Want My Own Experience: 4 Steps to Managing Customers' Expectations

With online marketing, it is easy to get excited about whatever new shiny advertising tool comes along, and use it to market to our customers right away.  Having the newest tools will put a smile on your face, but knowing how to use them correctly will keep the smile there. 

Consider Your Customers' Expectations

How would you market to yourself?  Would you convert?  Would you be interested?  Simply put, manage your customers' expectations by being a customer.

What is my typical shopping experience?

• Most of the time I use Amazon, but a Google search never hurt anyone.  Will also go direct to a brand site for specific products.
• I only want to view products or services that interest me.
• I shop based on price, quality, guarantee/customer service, and when I will receive my order.  Ultimately I will purchase from where I will get the greatest value.
• I like to use promo codes from either retailmenot or will go to ebates first.
• If I don't purchase right away, a casual reminder via email, Google remarketing or a Facebook remarketing ad will also help me convert.
• I never want to pay for shipping.  Please ship today or tomorrow.  Do I have tracking yet?
• Product reviews are always a plus.
• If other people are buying products you think I might like, please show them to me.
• Where is my order again?
• Once I get my order, give me sometime to actually use it before asking me to write a review.
• Yes send me coupons to purchase again, because I will.

Creating a Personalized Experience

We all deserve a personalized customer experience through all aspects of the shopping process.  How do we make each customer feel special?  

1. Engagement through analytics - Use available data sets about your customer and connect it through your various platforms: gender, age, purchase history, last order date, etc.
2. Personalized email automation - Welcome emails, order confirmations, ship confirmations, order reminders, email promotions, newsletters, shopping cart abandonment, browser abandonment, etc.
3. Remarketing - Google remarketing and/or Facebook remarketing, with brand and/or product specific ads.
4. Affiliate Marketing - Customized promo codes or partnerships with specific publishers.

By taking a look at our customers' needs and making them feel like they have their own unique shopping experience, ultimately we should see a increase in all KPIs: conversion rates, average order sizes, customer lifetime value, brand awareness through increase in organic unique visitors, and more.

If you have specific questions or comments, please feel free to write them below or contact me directly.