Beyond Clicks: Understanding the Psychology of Digital Consumers

When it comes to digital marketing and selling online, don’t underestimate the importance of customer psychology. It’s something that a lot of people overlook, assuming that psychology and running a successful business are unlikely to be linked. But, paying attention to customer psychology can actually make a big difference, as it provides you with an insight into what your customers want from a product, service, brand and ecommerce experience. In this blog, we have taken a look at the link between the psychology of digital consumers and ecommerce success, and why understanding the needs of customers is key.

The Link Between Customer Psychology and Ecommerce Success

By paying attention to customer psychology, you gain an insight into the needs, desires, emotions and pain points of your target market. These are all things that influence their purchasing behaviour, and understanding them can help you to tailor your digital efforts accordingly. It’s not enough to simply observe what a customer buys, you need to truly understand the marketing and advertising strategies that resonate with them.

Instead of bombarding customers with information and hoping that they will make a purchase, your digital marketing strategies should revolve around understanding the unique needs and pain points of your customers. By building genuine connections with your target market, it’s a lot easier to offer solutions that truly resonate.

There’s a lot that goes into customer psychology, all of which focuses on better understanding why customers buy what they buy, and why certain marketing techniques work best for your audience. As well as looking at the emotions and needs that go into shopping, customer psychology also looks at the part that social proof, cognitive bias and brand perception play. All of these impact customers’ decision making and shopping behaviour, and understanding them can help you to tailor your approach.

How to Apply Customer Psychology to Your Marketing Strategies

There are a range of ways to apply customer psychology to your marketing strategies, such as:

Audience Analysis – It’s important to thoroughly research and analyse your target audience, focusing on their pain points, shopping preferences and what they are looking for in a brand. This will enable you to tailor your messaging and approach accordingly, ensuring that it will resonate with them.

Personal Approach – There are a lot of brands out there, so you need to stand out by offering a personal online experience. Use customer data to segment your audience, and then provide relevant and targeted messages. Not all of your customers will have the same needs and pain points, but personalisation makes an individual feel as though they are seen and heard.

Emotional Connections – Tap into the emotions of your target audience by crafting emotional and relevant stories. This will help you to bond with them, whilst also tapping into what they are looking for in an online experience.

Social Proof – With so many competing brands out there, customers have a lot of choice, but social proof is something that can sway someone into choosing you. Testimonials, reviews and user generated content are all forms of social proof, and they can all convince a customer to make a purchase. By seeing positive feedback, customers feel confident in taking the next step on their buying journey.

Utilise FOMO – We have all had FOMO (the fear of missing out) and it’s actually something that a lot of brands can utilise. Create a sense of urgency with limited time offers, last minute deals and by highlighting limited availability. Customers don’t want to miss out, and so FOMO can encourage them to make a purchasing decision quickly.

Customer Experience – It’s important to optimise the experience of your customers, from the very start of their customer journey, to the completion of their time with your brand. There are a lot of ways to shop online, and customers prioritise simple and straightforward digital experiences. This means removing any navigation complexities and pain points, and making the entire customer journey a seamless one from beginning to end.

What Are Digital Consumers Looking For?

There are a lot of things that digital consumers are looking for, but three of the most important are instant gratification, trust and mobile purchasing options.

Instant Gratification – In today’s digital world, consumers are used to instant gratification. From product searches to instant purchases, everything online happens very quickly, and this has changed consumer expectations. It’s important for businesses to provide fast and flawless customer experiences, as this is what captures their attention.

Trust – There are a lot of businesses online, the majority of which are trustworthy, but a few are not. To ensure they have an enjoyable and safe online experience, digital consumers are looking for trust and transparency. It’s important for you to showcase your brand as one that’s authentic, genuine and ethical.

Mobile Options – A lot of consumers like to shop on the go, so they are looking for mobile ecommerce options. It’s important for you to optimise your digital presence for mobile platforms, to make shopping as convenient as possible for customers. It should be just as easy to shop on a smartphone or tablet as it is on a laptop or desktop computer.

At Profici, we focus our digital marketing and helping businesses to grow, and a lot of this centres on understanding what digital consumers are looking for. Thanks to our many years working in the world of digital marketing and ecommerce, we know what makes a brand stand out from the rest. Whether you are looking to boost your profits or you want to break into a new market, our expert team is on hand to help. Get in touch to find out more.