Strategies to Influence Consumer or Buyer Behaviour
Technology, along with consumers’ willingness to share information and opinions, has dramatically influenced buyer behaviour in recent years. Consumers now flock to an organization or a brand that not only solves but also communicates to them that they solve customer issues in real-time. People prefer to make purchases that act as investments, rather than frivolously spend money.
Most consumers believe that every purchase they make should ideally give them some value in return. Therefore, consumer behaviour insights are generated based on a brand’s marketing strategy. Successful brands and branding agencies tend to rely strongly on studying, analysing, and incorporating consumer behaviour into their marketing strategies. This includes factors such as, what a marketer should create for their digital platforms, like blogs and other content mediums, the kind of stories one tells through their brands such as still and video content, display advertisements, or even how a brand adjusts their product lines to deliver what the consumer wants.
Strategies to achieve or uplift the sale figures is a must for a brand that wants to be ahead of the game. Let’s look at a few of such pointers that influence buyer behaviour.
*Engage with Audience: In the digital world, everyone is hyper-connected and consume content on multiple platforms and devices. Hence, companies can start a conversation on various social media platforms and engage their audience in it. Having said that, marketers must be wary of the fact that consumers nowadays have become more sceptical of businesses and more cautious with their spending. So, it is imperative to engage customers in conversations where they perceive the brand’s message and intentions as sincere. Also, businesses should inspire them to advocate their product and service on their behalf by engaging them offline.
*Understand the needs of potential customers: To influence consumers’ decisions about purchasing a product or service, companies need to understand their requirements and identify how to deliver a marketing message that appeals to them. Many businesses believe that they can use social media to influence or change the way customers think. But they can only win over people by creating mobile-friendly content that fits their needs and preferences. If brands are not sure what consumers are looking for, then they should directly ask consumers through various social media platforms or emails.
*Apply the golden ratio: Being attractive has its perks, and it can increase a business’ likability and its trustworthiness. A striking website design has the power to influence customers and compel them to buy products and services of a particular company. Out of some of the most fantastic design techniques that are used to make a website look captivating, one is the Golden Ratio. It is a design concept that is concerned with proportions in areas, such as art, design, and architecture. It can be used to work out the most visually appealing font size, proportions, margins, column widths, and line heights.
*Foot-in-the-door technique: This concept is used to increase compliance rates and influence consumers to make a purchase decision. Simply put, it is a tactic that aims at getting a person to a bigger request by making them agree to a modest request first. Businesses use these techniques to influence consumers behaviour by asking them for something small in the first place. If they comply with their first small request, then they will be more likely to feel obliged to act consistently to the next and more significant request. So, by using this compliance tactic, companies can make the customers opt for their products and services.
*Be available around the clock for customers: If companies want to influence consumer behaviour, they need to focus on making emotional connections with them through positive customer experiences. And that’s possible when they are available for their consumers twenty-four hours a day, and seven days a week to resolve their queries. A study found that 42% of customers who complain on social media platforms expect a response within 60 minutes. Further, 57% expect the response time at night and on weekends.
