As consumers, we like to get into habits. That’s not because we’re lacking in curiosity or can’t be taught anything new. It’s just that we have a budget we slowly begin to work in, for groceries let’s say, and brands we begin to trust. If the same eggs you’ve been buying for five years are a similar price and always of good quality, why would you go elsewhere except to save a great amount of money? Moreover, sometimes products like this just stay the same in scope for years. You might pick up goose eggs or duck eggs or even smoked eggs (yes, these are becoming more popular), but odds are, the majority of your purchases are going to be standard chicken eggs with no frills, likely free-range, and possibly every week.
As a business selling something new, like those aforementioned smoked eggs, it’s a challenge to get people to buy outside of their comfort zone. You can’t always rely on free samples or subscription trials forever, sooner or later you have to convince someone to keep buying your product. To achieve that, you have to convince them to try it in the first place, and give it a fair shake.
In this post, we’ll discuss a few measures of achieving that outcome:
Be Clear & Readable
When a potential consumer sees your brand, you want them to know exactly what you’re selling from a single glance. Your brand name, packaging and any contact information should work together to showcase this, and it’s important to make the value you provide obvious, not something someone needs to work hard at.
A cluttered or messy storefront and product page can be as off-putting as something vague. It takes less than a few seconds for someone to click off a site or put down a product they were just browsing, and you need to keep them captivated to make a purchase.
Express The Benefits Clearly
Telling someone what a product is, is one thing. Giving them a reason to try it is quite another. Don’t just list the features of your product, but instead, get into how it improves someone’s life. If you have a subscription service that delivers prepared meals, a feature might be that you can store them in a freezer. A benefit is that a hungry consumer can have a fresh, ready-to-eat meal in the middle of a busy workday without having to do much. It’s important to give a clear vision of the future with your brand.
Provide An Easy On-Ramp
In many cases, you need to make the barrier to entry as low as possible. This means simple, easy-to-fill-out forms on your site, fast and reliable shipping, and an easy-to-understand process for returning items. You have to remove every possible bit of friction for the consumer because if they have to think about it for too long, they may just decide to leave and return to their usual purchase.
It can be quite a challenge to change consumer behavior in this way, which is why some businesses consult with food and beverage consultants for help with this. Working with these specialists can help you develop the best strategy for your business.
With this advice, you’ll be sure to sell products that even customers are initially wary of.
