Micro-Moments: be there, be useful and be quick
After chatting about the four important micro-moments in our last blog, today we're chatting about how brands can make the most of them: be there, be useful and be quick.
Be There
When consumers reach for their mobiles, if it’s not to make a call or check social media, the chances are they are looking to find information or buy something. With billions of micro-moments happening each day, you have to be available. Add to this the fact that 90% of consumers are no longer brand loyal and 51% of smartphone users have discovered a new company or product when searching and the benefits of ‘being there’ throughout the customer journey are clear.
Be Useful
Consumers are looking for their needs to be met in real-time and it is essential brands provide relevant information when they require it. In the four important micro-moments, being useful is imperative to success with 51% of smartphone users saying they would purchase from a company other than the one intended because the information they provided was useful. Adding to that, if brands are not useful, 29% of users will immediately go to another company and 40% will be reluctant to return.
Helping to provide consumers with answers to their questions with ease can make the sale and it’s been found that 69% of users are more inclined to buy from brands with easy to navigate websites. We harp on about it a lot however having responsive, easy to navigate sites are key to enhancing the user experience.
Be Quick
With developments in the industry, consumers have become accustomed to getting what they want and fast and thanks to online research, 60% of online users say they made a decision to buy much quicker than they did a few years ago. It has been uncovered that 28% of consumers are in a rush when purchasing on their devices and if the information provided doesn’t instantly satisfy their immediate needs, 29% will switch to another provider. Speed is key to optimising your mobile experience.
Eliminate steps
Think about your goals and think about how you can cut the number of steps a user has to take to get there. Think one-click functionality, pre-filled contact forms and alternatives to completing the transaction i.e. via guest checkout (with the option to register afterwards).
Anticipate needs
We’re not expecting you to read their minds but there are ways to anticipate what your consumers are looking for / need before they actually want it. By checking your top mobile content and searches in Google Analytics (providing you have this set up) you can see what is popular with your website users. Using in-page analytics will allow you to see which parts of your website are used the most. Additionally, looking at their past performance can allow you to segment users by their needs and ensure you are targeting them with the right marketing message at the right time.
Load Time
Regardless of whether it is the best designed site in the world and easy to navigate, if the website takes too long to load, it will fall down in the estimations of the consumer. Anything over a few seconds and you’ll likely tick users off. Not sure about your page load time? Google has this handy Page Insights Tool where you can check the load speed of your site and that of your competitors making you aware of your position in the industry.
Desktop isn’t dead, in fast, 40% of smartphone users who research on their mobiles go on to purchase on a desktop. However, mobile is driving the customer journey these days and ties the online and offline world together. Yes, after researching on mobile, consumers are more likely to make a purchase and visit a store however all channels should be connected to the point where you refer to ‘customers” instead of segmenting into mobile and desktop customers.
Are you making the most of these micro-moments?