Capitalizing on Decisive Moments

When it comes to traditional marketing, there are two decisive moments that make or break a customer conversion. The first decisive moment consists of the impression that a product makes on a customer in the first 10 to 15 seconds. Of course, a time span as short as this should not be enough for anyone to make a well-informed decision, but since most customers make most of their buying decisions on instinct, you have to make these short moments count.

It would even be fair to say that this moment of truth is perhaps the best chance a company has to convert the shoppers to buyers. How can they do that? By enchanting their values and senses. For most companies that are not aware of their customers’ wants and needs, the best solution is providing their customers with an immaculate shopping experience.

This is also true for ecommerce businesses, as product configurators are perhaps their most prized possessions. Creating a buzz could generate tons of attention towards your brand and will attract a lot of people to give your product configurator a try.

With the advent of so many technologies and Google’s search being at an all-time high, there are tons of online marketing tools available these days that can help businesses reach out to their potential customers before they even start browsing for their products on their ecommerce sites. Google refers to this as the zero moment of truth. This moment is essentially when a buyer decides to buy something and actively pursues the particular product he wants online.

Leveraging your ecommerce product configurator during this moment can do wonders for businesses.

Determining Important Metrics for Shopper Pre Segmentation

When it comes to shopping, it is important to remember that shopping behaviors can vary from customer to customer. Someone with a high level of knowledge regarding a certain product will be able to make a quick decision regarding its customization. Contrarily, a first-time buyer or someone with little to no knowledge about a specific product will often be confused about whether he or she should customize it or not. This does not mean, however, that they won't be aware of the products' significance.

And then, there is the buyer who looks at products with a functional viewpoint – he/she may think that a plethora of options, along with a complex configurator offers more obstacles than they initially thought. It could influence their decision, and they may not end up buying the product because of your configurator's complexities.

All of these types of shoppers will have a different reaction during at the Zero Moment Of Truth. Involvement, intention, and knowledge are vital metrics that companies should monitor during the early stages if they want their product configurator to be aligned with the thoughts and requirements of their shoppers. When you know what your customers are looking for and the value they want out of a certain product or service, you will have a better idea of refining your configurator’s functions heading forward.

Marketing the Configurator

When it comes to the bare essentials, product configurators are an effective way to show users complex products in creative and functional ways. The configurator offers them numerous options too. Even a small amount of these options are capable of generating a decent amount of purchases. However, as you go deeper, the options become more complex – not every customer may know about these options, which is why they are mostly bought by knowledgeable shoppers.

Sure the latter options usually represent a certain niche, but they should not be taken lightly as the people who adopt these products often turn out to be quite handy when it comes to building a brand’s trust. Therefore, if you truly care about your brand and product, starting with the knowledgeable customer, would be the best way to go.

Strategizing

One of the main benefits that many experts believe that product configurators have to offer is – postponing various activities. This is extremely useful for companies as it helps them to reach out to well-informed customers. Let’s use personal computers as an example. Product configurators were vital for changing the PC industry. For most hardware brands these days, it would be hard to imagine a world where they couldn’t offer customizable or configurable solutions to their shoppers.

Informed shoppers often have particular needs that they need to meet; however, they also happen to the ones who derive the most pleasure from the personalization process. Simply said, although providing choice is great, it is not enough. The key to keeping every customer happy is the overall experience. Design a product configurator that has excellent UX, and it will attract relevant customers like flies on a candy.

Establishing Trust

Commitment and patience are key ingredients to build trust with customers. There are plenty of things that an e-commerce company can do to get people to look at their product configurator. One of the most effective methods, however, is to enlist the services of renowned influencers. Ask them for referrals and tell them to review some of the main products that your configurator has to offer. Producing attractive content could also take you a long way.

No Better Promotional Tool than Efficient Functionality

Coming back to the moment of truth part, a lot of people make their final decision long before coming online. Why is that so you ask? Well, a lot of customers think of your product as a commodity rather than a lifestyle option. Most of these customers might not know what your company is truly about before opening your website. More importantly, most of them might not even care. You have to grab their attention by offering them unparalleled customization features and efficient functionality. The configurator should be able to run smoothly while also offering them relevant recommendations. Things like these are vital for winning customers over and indirectly promote the product configurator as few other strategies could.