The shift toward the digital landscape has changed the shopping experience forever for retailers and customers alike. More people are shopping online, and e-retailers are working hard to migrate their businesses online and change the way they do business. In fact, eCommerce is indeed a field where many businesses can benefit from simply getting involved regardless of the product or service they sell.
When the COVID-19 pandemic happened, the online shopping experience further accelerated as people revolve their lives online. More companies are getting involved in eCommerce, and online retailers are working hard than ever to drive more sales and increase customer flow. In Southeast Asia, the digital economy is seeing significant growth, which encourages forward-thinking countries such as Singapore to be the leading eCommerce hub.
Different customers have different objectives when shopping online. Some are simply browsing while others are ready to buy anything. Knowing the different kinds of online shoppers is vital for any e-retailer to optimize and customize their online store to reap the best results. With that in mind, we’ll explore the different types of shoppers you’ll come across online and how to encourage them to make repeat purchases.
Discount seekers
Here’s a fact: discount seekers are one of the least valuable customers to your business. They love to shop around, search multiple online stores for the best deals, and base their purchase decisions on their budget. According to Forbes, 67% of shoppers do this by jumping from each store with zero loyalty to the brands they transact with.
Discount seekers are the exact opposite of repeat customers, who’s keen to build personal relationships with brands by going beyond the regular transaction. In other words, discount seekers are less likely to make repeat purchases and are the least loyal customer.
This type of shopper is actually more common than you might imagine. Customers who only care about the price tag are infrequent. You can easily pursue them by encouraging them to revisit the store and consider other factors that affect their buying decision.
Encouraging discount seekers to make repeat purchases would mean presenting them all the benefits they will reap from your brand. Highlight the benefits of your products or services to divert their focus from the feature comparison and direct price. By emphasizing the benefits, you prevent customers from making comparisons and showcase the unique selling points of your product.
Impulse buyers
Impulse buyers lack direction when shopping online. They’re willing to make a purchase without any specific item in mind. They will certainly buy from your store as long as they think it’s a great idea.
With this mindset, you can count on impulse buyers to develop an obsession with any latest product. They can easily replace a quality product with something more popular and up to date. This is why impulse buyers are more likely to shop in rapidly evolving industries, such as technology, fashion, and beauty.
Impulse buyers are quite responsive to any recommendation. They are often on the hunt for their next purchase, making it easy for brands to convince them to buy something expensive or additional. They like brands that will keep them informed about the latest products and anything that will keep them excited. As long as you keep them informed and updated, impulse buyers will retain their interest in your brand.
Need-based customers
Need-based customers are the exact opposite of impulse shoppers. Every store visit is filled with a specific objective with a particular product or feature in mind. That’s why this makes them quite tricky to upsell. A purchase decision involves plenty of research about the product and brands they look for. They are likely to make comparisons across several brands and are often afraid of buying the wrong product.
Establishing emotional connections is the key to building confidence and trust with customers who are always scared of uninformed decisions. If you succeed, this customer-brand relationship will give you a better edge over other competitors. But without it, you’ll find it harder to convince need-based customers that your product is the solution to their problem. In other words, failure to build trust is an unlikely purchase.
Invest in informational content, such as infographics, webinars, video tutorials, and blogs to add more value to your products. Whatever knowledge and resources they will acquire from your content will encourage them to feel more confident about your brand and make repeat purchases.
Understanding the different types of customers puts you in a better position to bring a better shopping experience. They each have their own preferences and needs that affect how they interact with your store, products, and services. Take note of our discussion above to develop personalized shopping experiences and faster conversions.
