Like it or not, we all have at least a little Veruca Salt in us. You remember Veruca, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, right? “I want what I want and I want it NOW.” We all occasionally turn into Veruca. But it’s not us we should be concerned about; it’s our customers and prospects. When they want what they want and they want it now, does your web presence give it to them?
The “I wants” are called “micro moments” when played out on the web. If you can successfully identify these micro moments, when your customers are at their most vulnerable, and respond to them in an appropriate and timely manner, you can leverage the power of instant gratification for your customers. This is a classic win/win situation!
What are Micro Moments?
Google defines micro moments as follows: “They’re the moments when we turn to a device—often a smartphone—to take action on whatever we need or want right now.” Micro moments can occur at any time, and while shoppers are at home, at work, or on the go, and it is your job to deliver immediate (or pretty darn close to it) solutions to their needs and wants.
What Are the “I wants”?
There are four main “I wants” to be aware of when marketing online to your target audience: I want to Know, I want to Go, I want to Do, I want to Buy.
1) I want-to-know moments:
People search with their fingertips, whether they’re in the car, in the doctor’s office, at a restaurant or home on the couch. This is the Google Zero Moment Of Truth – the moment when a question pops into someone’s mind and they’re inspired to look for an answer.
When a consumer is still in the research/investigation stage, but not quite ready to make a purchase, they are experiencing an “I want to know” moment. People in this stage of the buyer’s journey have a sense of what problem they’re trying to solve, but not necessarily how to solve it. That’s where you come in.
When a consumer is in this stage, it’s important to give them all the information they want or need to make an educated decision. At the same time, it’s critical that the information be easy to find, easy to digest, and relevant to the consumer’s needs and preferences.
This is where the rubber of Search Engine Optimization hits the road. What questions do you want to be the answer to? You’ve got to convince Google that you’re the best answer before you get the opportunity to show up in those search results.
2) I want-to-go moments:
This is not just for tourism or hospitality destinations. This is about being found, for real, IRL. If you have an office, a café, a restaurant, a store, a space, anywhere that people have reason to visit, pay attention.
My local dry cleaner literally said to me recently “Oh, don’t look on Google for our address or phone number. That’s an old listing for a location that closed 10 years ago.” In this day and age, people, that is the wrong answer. If people can’t find you, they’ll find the dry cleaner down the street from you.
Stop saying “I should clean up my Google business listing,” and DO IT! You’ve got everything to lose and a lot to gain by being clear about where you’re located, what products and services you offer, and other specific information your customers and prospects are looking for.
3) I want-to-do moments:
“I want to do” moments describe the instances when a consumer is looking for help on how to perform a specific task, or wants to try something they’ve never done before. Think, for example, about a “making dinner” micro moment: consider the home chef who wants to try something new. They’re looking for recipes, instructions, videos, education. They’re looking at information about ingredients, how to choose them and where to buy them. They’re learning about techniques.
These consumers are looking for how-to videos, cheat sheets, and other instructional content to help them learn. If you know how to do something that your customer wants to know about, do yourself a favor and answer those questions!
4) I want-to-buy moments:
People consult their phones in the moments before they’re about to make a purchase. These are the “I want to buy” moments.
I was in Home Depot just after Christmas looking at snowblowers. The salesman brought me to a terminal to look up the availability of the model we were talking about and, as he was looking at his screen, I was looking at mine – to see reviews and pricing on Amazon.
“I want to buy” moments happen when a consumer is ready – or nearly ready – to buy something, but maybe isn’t quite sure which product, version, brand, price, or level best meets their objectives and budget. These people need your advice, expertise, knowledge and general guidance in choosing the right product or service for their needs. In this type of moment, you’ll want to come across as the authority on the topic, so there’s no question who they should go to with inquiries.
They may be in a store looking at products, like I was. They may even have a couple of choices in their hands. In these situations, consumers often consult with a trusted advisor – their mobile device – for the best answer. In these moments, you need to be able to provide the fastest and most hassle-free solution for consumers who are ready to buy now. Help them make the right choice quickly, and of course, that choice is one of the products or services you offer.
How Do I Win at the “I wants”?
There are few key strategies to attracting customers in each of the “I want” moments.
1) Show Up for Your Customers
If your business isn’t showing up in search engines, if your information isn’t accurate on local listings, if your product information isn’t easy to find, or if your site isn’t easily accessible on a mobile device, you aren’t showing up for your customers. Frustrated consumers will likely be inclined to go elsewhere to find solutions for their wants. In fact, you can almost count on it. Are you so convinced of your customers’ loyalty that you’d make it hard for them to do business with you?
2) Be Relevant
Perhaps this is common sense, but in addition to simply being there for consumers, you also need to provide relevant and useful solutions to their needs. If you arrive on the scene with solutions that don’t fit your consumers’ specific needs, or don’t clearly explain how you can solve their problems, your messages turn to noise and you’ve lost your opportunity.
3) Speed Matters
Please, let’s not forget the importance of speed. Slow and steady does not win the micro-moment race (or any online race, for that matter). If your mobile presence is slowing down the consumer from arriving at the answers they’re looking for in a timely manner, you’ll be left in the dust. According to Google, “40% of shoppers will wait no more than three seconds before abandoning a retail or travel site.” And don’t think that because you’re not in retail or travel this doesn’t apply to you. It does. Don’t keep them waiting.
To effectively leverage the power of micro moments, you’ve got to find ways to provide consumers with timely, fast, efficient, relevant, and easy solutions.
How are you doing? Send us a link to a page that you think answers an “I want” and we’ll give you feedback on how you’re doing!
