Guided Selling – The Power Tool of Your Ecommerce Store
Consumers today have everything at their fingertips – endless stores, any kind of product, choice. However an unsettling trend is on the rise. Near to 70% of carts end up being abandoned by users because buyers simply can’t decide what to choose.The term is choice overload. With too many products to choose from, shoppers become confused and exhausted. They aren’t sure exactly which product will meet their needs whether they know what they want or not.
If there was some way you could reach out to the user and offer assistance, ask them what they are looking for and help them find the product that fits their needs, you would increase sales and also ensure your customers leave with a sense of satisfaction. There is a way to achieve this.
Guided Selling – A Necessary Add On for Online Stores
A basic product search often presents a myriad of options to a customer. There are seemingly a plethora of smartphones that all appear much the same. Same can be said about items such as cameras, coffee tables, sunglasses. Choosing one item from these groups can be a mission.Your store would typically have filters which help a user narrow down a product list but the ability to filter features and specifications is not ideal as it doesn’t directly address the customer’s problems if they are unaware of what they want.
For example, a customer may not be aware that she wants a DSLR camera with a 9-point AF system. Convoluted terms such as intelligent scene mode may not even have any meaning to an average buyer. Phase detection? Now all this becomes even more confusing.
Presenting products filtered by technical specifications ends up confusing the shopper. Conversely, the prospective shopper likely knows what she will use the camera for – whether it be for photos of her kids or of natural landscapes. She could be more interested in macro photography than HD videos. A trained salesperson would make enquiries about how she intends to use the camera and would match the requirements to the specs, not the other way around.
This is where guided selling steps in. Think of it as a digital shop assistant asking questions which lead to understanding the buyer’s needs. Recommendations are then presented based on the information that the buyer provides. Customers leave your store more content being that the process was quicker and smoother than they may have anticipated. Through this process, you are able to ensure that the buyers needs are met so there is less chance of returns as well. Not having a guided selling tool is a lot like having a bricks and mortar retail shop without a salesperson tending it.
McKenzie & Willis‘ ecommerce store does a great job of guiding indecisive or uncertain shoppers. Instead of needing to decide between different mattresses, or their specifications, a user answers questions about how the mattress will be used. This eventually takes them to a refined selection of mattresses which suit the responses they have given.
Check out many more guided selling examples here.
Published on Wednesday, 29 April 2020 under eCommerce.
