It is more complicated than you might think to figure out what happens between buying something and purchasing it. Let’s take a look at the mindset of your customer.
What makes you want to purchase something? Why do you choose to shop at a certain store? The fascinating science behind shopping, and in particular the psychology of it, goes back far beyond the advent of eCommerce.
It took a lot of research to find out what made us want to enter a brick-and-mortar shop in the past.
It was found that the music we listen to in a shop can have an impact on our buying habits and customer mindsets. This includes how fast we shop, how much money we spend, how long we wait to pay, and what type of music we prefer. It is the same with the smells that waft in the air. We can tell which packaging color is most attractive, and which logos, brand names, and advertisements trigger our desire to spend.
These physical triggers and spaces are not possible with online retail. Instead, eCommerce customers are flooded daily with information about brands, and products, and the variety is overwhelming.
We can track every customer’s online shopping and analyze their interactions with marketing. This includes how they interact with brands, how they talk about them, and when and where they buy. It is not clear why they do these things.
The cognitive maze is open
Google researchers discovered a phenomenon they called the “Messy Middle”. This is where online shoppers have to navigate through an overwhelming amount of information, including ads, comparison websites, reviews, forums, forums, and links. It takes a complex mental process to sort it all out and determine what is important.
Customers decide where in the Messy Middle to buy – or not. As the eCommerce market becomes more crowded, this middle will inevitably become even messier. This is something brands must understand. With the help of behavioral science, they can accomplish this.
To study the factors that drive purchasing decisions, scientists from The Behavioral Architects teamed up with the Google consumer insight team. They conducted observational studies and analyzed search trends.
They also did a large-scale, detailed experiment with real online shoppers. In this, they created more than 300,000.
They discovered that decision-making is not linear. They are going around in circles during this process.
Researchers concluded that online shopping is either exploratory or evaluation. They are exploring a brand, product type, or item and looking for relevant information.
They then move on to the evaluation stage where they evaluate all the information and compare the options. They alternate between the two mental modes until they decide whether or not to purchase.
Customers’ minds use cognitive biases (mental shortcuts) to decide whether to purchase something. Although there are many cognitive biases available, the six that Google and the behavioral scientists chose to focus on were only six.
Six of the Best: The Cognitive Biases
1. Category heuristics
A heuristic can be described as a way to approach customers’ mindsets. Although it might not be the best, it serves its purpose. It’s a shortcut that simplifies our decision-making. For example, a rule of thumb. To save time and reduce the effort when shopping online, we prefer to search for key characteristics of the product rather than detailed specifications.
2. The power of now
We don’t like to wait and we are often in a hurry when shopping. Online shoppers love perks like instant downloads or express delivery.
3. Social proof
We don’t trust ourselves when we aren’t sure of something. It can influence our perception of a product or brand if many people think it’s great. Online reviews and recommendations from real customers are easy to find. We’re more likely to purchase something if we see positive feedback.
4. Authority bias
People who are experts on a topic can easily influence us. Their opinions matter. When forming our own opinions, we take the expert’s point of view and use it to our advantage.
5. Scarcity bias
We are more likely to desire what we don’t have. We are more likely to want something difficult to find or not available for long periods.
6. The power of being free
We can’t resist anything free, even though it may not make sense. We’ll take a PS20 that is normally free and grab it instead of a PS30 that is normally offered for PS5, even though the first offer is more expensive.
In the experiment carried out by Google and The Behavioral Architects, the subjects of the study were invited to choose their favorite and second-favorite brand. Then the researchers applied at least one of the above biases (time-limited offers or rave reviews, for example) and asked the shopper whether they still felt the same about their top two brands. They discovered that the more biases the researchers applied, the more likely the customer was to change their mind.
Customer’s Mindset: How can you embrace the chaos
It might sound confusing and messy. Marketers have a gift for identifying the “messy middle”. Brands can win customers by understanding their mindset and using science in a responsible, non-intrusive manner. You can help the customer by working with them in the middle of the process.
This means that you must be present at all points of the customer journey. This means establishing your brand presence. It also means being aware of the fact that a delay could cost you a client.
