We have all been there before. A special anniversary or a loved one’s birthday is coming up, and getting that perfect gift is all the more important. And with the pandemic now, gifting the ideal present becomes even more essential. Because of this, we look for guidance on gift thoughts from individuals and peruse sites, video platforms, and social media for inspiration. Despite all these efforts, somehow we still wind up confounded by the overwhelming information. How is it that we could be certain that we had made the right purchase decision with the rights present? Furthermore, can we depend on the delivery services to get the gift to our special person on schedule?
What customers like this are really looking for is a source of a trustworthy platform to assist them with their decision-making.
Incidentally, most customers feel overwhelmed with their decision and feel uncertain with regard to their purchase decisions. Google’s most recent research shows that individuals experience a wide scope of feelings during their purchasing journey. From interest and confusion to clarity and conviction, individuals frequently battle to find trusted touchpoints that will direct them along the nonlinear customer journey.
To settle on purchase decisions with certainty and conviction, customers relied on Search as their main touchpoint for relevant and reliable information. Another critical factor of the purchase decision and customer preference is brand presence. At the point when brands give pertinent and dependable substance online, they increase customer preference by over 70%.
Individuals need to shop with clarity and brands can assist with directing customers toward their purchase decisions. To develop customer trust and shape better customer journey, brands need to initially comprehend the feelings that drive customer purchase behaviour. Here, we share 3 key customer insights from Google’s most recent study that brands can use to foster Search marketing strategies thats helps customer to shop with clarity, confidence and ease.
Emotions Are Important In Decision-Making
The customer journey is characterized by strong emotions. Customers need to feel assured and confident before they make a purchase. When customers are doubtful, they need to feel persuaded. When customers are befuddled, they need clarity. Customers search for information to achieve that emotional resolution. The Google study shows that the reason most customers conduct research prior to making a purchase is to feel confident about the item that they are buying. Additionally, a majority also said they do research to guarantee they get the right product or service they need.
This need for emotional resolution guides customers to seek out various sources of information such as social media platforms, website aggregators, review sites, stores, and also other people around them. It is not surprising then that 81% of buyers purchase products or services from brands that make them feel empowered about their purchase decisions.
Search is the top touchpoint for customers in their emotional customer journey. Search helps to organize and contextualize the information online, and it also connects customers to other online touchpoints. Google research shows that 73% of the people who utilize online touchpoints in their search process gains access to at least one touchpoint by means of a search engine platform.
As customers explore and assess their choices, brands can assist them with feeling engaged by providing helpful data. For example, providing clear product details, genuine product reviews, or even information from experts. Responsive search ads can also play an instrumental role in this. The Google Ads machine learning makes use of descriptions given by advertisers to create ad combinations that match unique Search queries. This speeds up the process of how customers find data and increases conversions for brands by an average of 7%.
Customers Want Trusted Sources
Customers are placing more priority on having access to trusted sources they can rely on in their customer journey. This behaviour reinforces the need for brands to develop their credibility. After COVID-19, 87% of customers say it is now more important to find a trusted source of information. The majority of customers also say they will buy from brands that provide trusted information. Additionally, at least half of respondents will not buy from brands that provide irrelevant and unreliable information.
Google’s investment in new technologies throughout the years has improved the quality of Search algorithms and Search results. The improvements make it more straightforward for customers to find what they need and filter for more reliable sources. Brands can use Search to build customer trust by creating trustworthy and relevant online content. For example, informative landing pages and clear item descriptions can help the Search engine to deliver accurate suggestions to potential customers.
Facing Analysis Paralysis
The ability to conduct research on all relevant information about a product or service is important for customers. Customers need to achieve emotional resolution about their purchases, but information overload can actually overwhelm this process and impede decision-making. In the Google study, 94% of customers say it is imperative to explore and conduct research before making a purchase. However, 80% of customers who experience difficulty making purchase decisions mentioned that it is due to information overload. Thus, this is a great place where brands can step in to help provide clarity.
To help customers overcome their analysis paralysis and information overload, brands need to be present at the right time to guide customers in their search process. In the same Google study, 84% of customers say they will buy from a brand that provides useful information when they are exploring options.
Brands can utilize machine learning to create customized and relevant information to customers conducting online search. With broad match keywords and Smart Bidding, brands can ensure their ads reach the most relevant search queries and drive purchase decisions. Brands that utilize broad match keywords and Smart Bidding strategies hand in hand have experienced a boost in sale conversions.
Conclusion
The consumer journey is a highly emotional one for customers. Brands need to acknowledge this and provide relevant support for customers in their shopping experience. With Search being a top touchpoint in the customer journey, brands can assist customers by helping them feel empowered throughout the process by being present, trustworthy, relevant, and informative on Search engines.
