There are some definite modes of persuasion that can be incorporated into your website to expedite considered purchases.
Clearly, six-figure-plus purchases are not made on impulse. Depending on the nature and size of the company, there can be up to seven decisions makers involved in the final purchase decision.
For a consumer considering a big-ticket purchase, the number of people involved can be even greater as they reach out to their families, their networks and their network’s networks. Even though considered purchases are, with rare exception, not made online, customers are certainly visiting our sites to do their research.
So how can we best engage and persuade our online visitors so we are getting them to Yes faster?
Author Brian Massey provides help with this question by giving us an overview of four different modes of persuasion that can help considered-purchase websites shorten the buying cycle:
1. Spontaneous Mode
At this stage, the visitor may be browsing, perhaps seeking an excuse to engage. If they don’t find relevant content they move on fast. Advertise specific content on the home page for this type of visitor. By using an intuitive categorization of content, you can help them find something of interest.
Try using categories like Newest and Most Popular. This type of visitor will respect and value a site that uses terms they are looking for, not industry jargon or standard conventions.
2. Humanist Mode
Visitors reaching your site in this humanist mode are more likely to be relationship oriented and interested in what others think. Make it easy for them to explore content on an author-by-author basis.
3. Competitive Mode
Site visitors are tying to solve a problem or stay up to date. Site search is critical. These visitors are likely to lose patience if they don’t find what they are looking for quickly.
4. Methodical Mode
At this stage the visitor is wanting to go deep on a topic. They will value the easy navigation of the traditional drill-down style that most sites employ. Nested menus and category trees appeal to this visitor.
Keeping updated links to related content is also vital to meet this visitor’s needs.
Read Brian Massey’s full article, “The Portal Pattern: Core Conversion Marketing Strategies”, and the 4 modes of persuasion from Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg’s book, “Waiting for Your Cat to Bark”.
Do you know other modes of persuasion that have been successful for your company? If so, please share by joining our conversation in the comment boxes below.