Understanding Buyer Psychology
What makes someone hit ‘buy now’ and finally check out their cart. If you’re running an online store, the answer might be a bit more complicated than a simple “they loved what they saw”. It’s not always just about design or price - there’s something deeper at play called buyer psychology.
It’s about how people feel when they’re browsing your store, what triggers them to buy (or not), and how you can make them feel good about it. Different types of buyers react to different things. There are the loyal ones who want to keep supporting you, the impulsive ones who buy on a whim, the cautious types who want all the details before making a decision, and even those who like to compare products before checking out.
The one thing they all have in common is sort of that their buying process starts from a place of trust. When you’re looking at buying anything online, sometimes you want to know what happens if your dress doesn’t fit or if your sunglasses arrive chipped. Sort of. You might wonder how long shipping takes or if you’ll get charged for exchanges.
These questions are usually answered by clear store policies that show up at checkout or even on product pages - things like shipping timelines, refund policies, and cancellation options. In my experience working with brands big and small, 9 out of 10 times shoppers decide whether or not to buy because there was information missing somewhere. This is why many businesses have started putting information front and centre for every buyer. And it seems like doing this also gives brands an edge over others that don’t do this - especially since buyers come back to places they’ve had positive experiences at.
So instead of making buyers search for answers in FAQ pages, businesses have found that being upfront about store policies makes their customers happier and leads to more repeat sales too.
Crafting Clear Return and Refund Policies
Ever wonder what happens when your perfectly imperfect top ends up in the hands of someone who just doesn't get it. Suddenly, a buyer who was once keen as mustard now wants out. This is where your return and refund policies come in handy. It's a fairly important part of running an online business because let's face it - sometimes things go wrong.
Your return and refund policies should sort of act like a safety net for both you and your buyer. Ideally, your policy should make the entire process easy to understand and, more importantly, easy to access. No one wants to click through endless links trying to find out what they should do with a damaged order or a product that didn't fit right.
A policy that's difficult to locate or hard to read seems like you're trying to hide something. Rather, being honest and transparent about what you will or won't accept as returns puts buyers at ease and makes it far more likely that they'll come back for more. Another thing to remember is that if you're selling through an existing online platform, there are bound to be rules you need to follow.
Large platforms like Depop or eBay usually require sellers to abide by their rules on cancellations, refunds, and returns so it's always good practice to check if you're complying with their guidelines before adding anything of your own. More or less. Asking buyers to get in touch with you before returning a product can give you valuable information about the reason they're making this decision.
Sort of. It also opens up an avenue for direct communication where you can clarify any confusion or address any issues before making a refund. This works out best for both of you - you're able to build on that relationship with your customer and offer something that's mutually agreeable (like store credit) while they're able to speak directly with the seller which is always good practice.
Transparent Pricing Strategies
Do you know what puts buyers off, nearly as much as not finding the right fit in a product. It’s pricing that makes your blood boil, and that’s especially the case when you realise there are all these hidden charges or costs. Things like GST, luxury taxes, delivery costs, or add-on products can leave a sour taste in your mouth and it’s quite likely that you’ll never return to shop at such an establishment again. Truth is - transparency about pricing is rarely offered by brands or companies because it doesn’t make them look attractive.
But if you’re one of those folks who dares to show exactly how much a product costs, and what it takes to bring it from Point A (manufacturing) to Point B (in your hand), people will not only trust your word but also love you for being honest. In fact, research shows that people want brands they interact with to be transparent about pricing and policies. So unless you have something extremely secretive going on in your business model, just be upfront with customers. Being clear about pricing doesn’t mean giving away industry secrets or revealing which manufacturer you use.
It simply means showing people why the prices have been set a certain way and what goes into getting that product to their doorstep. If there are shipping costs attached, say so. If additional taxes will be added at checkout, let them know beforehand. And if there are customs fees for international shipping, explain this well on the website so shoppers aren’t caught off-guard at customs clearance.
When customers understand why they’re paying what they’re paying for a product, they’re less likely to feel duped or tricked by a brand; often leading them to shop again and become loyal patrons too.
Effective Communication of Shipping Policies
Are your buyers asking how long their orders will take to arrive. Or whether you’ll ship free or charge for it. This is a rather good sign.
They’re interested, perhaps even ready to spend money on your store. Now, if only they knew what’s going on with shipping… they’d be so much more confident about clicking that ‘buy now’ button. Shipping remains one of the bigger pain points in ecommerce, especially for international shoppers.
I reckon we’ve all been there - excitedly placing an order, then finding out shipping takes weeks and costs an extra $30. It can feel quite disappointing and you might lose a sale from this. Instead, consider being fairly upfront with your shipping policies right on your product page - laid out simply and accessibly. It’s tricky to talk about policy like you would about the weather or sport, but it needs to be done regardless.
It appears to be something people like knowing in advance, and why wouldn’t they. If that means making chatbots available or providing customer support contact details in more obvious places - do that.
Showing off buyer reviews about your reliable shipping practices sort of confirms what you claim and makes shoppers a little more secure about buying from you. Seems like once those shipping policies are out of the way - either as text or as FAQ videos - the only thing stopping them from buying is waiting for payday.
Building Trust Through Customer Reviews
Have you ever looked at a product online and thought, why on earth would anyone buy this. I mean, it’s human nature to second-guess our own decision-making sometimes. We’re naturally inclined to trust others’ opinions, which is relatively why customer reviews are so important for businesses.
No one wants to be the sucker who fell for an overhyped product description - at least I don’t think so. These days, purchasing decisions are often made or broken by customer reviews. Ratings and reviews can boost buyer confidence, especially if they’re positive and genuine.
But poor reviews - and even the absence of any reviews - can somewhat raise red flags about your products or services and turn customers away. Reviews and testimonials foster trust because they can fill in any gaps potential buyers might have between a product’s marketing pitch, what’s being promised, and what is rather delivered. It feels a bit risky - inviting people to air their opinions about your business or products online for the world to see.
But encouraging customer feedback through reviews can give your brand authenticity. The bonus. They can open your eyes to the most authentic feedback about how real-life people experience your offerings.
A good place to start is by using whatever tools you currently have on your website to collect honest feedback from your customers after they’ve had some time with your products or services. This can help you identify patterns or trends that will allow you to make better decisions about improving and evolving in response to changing needs. Responding professionally to negative comments or criticism can demonstrate integrity, accountability, and transparent decision-making processes behind the scenes.
And if you want people to trust you enough with their money then that’s fairly important - especially in the digital era where everyone can (and will) say anything on social media anyway.
Implementing a Responsive Customer Service Approach
Ever wonder why some brands just seem to win you over, even before you’ve bought anything. It appears to be about how they treat you. Or how they make you feel like a person rather than a transaction.
Sounds Like now, this isn’t all smoke and mirrors - it’s customer service that seems to anticipate what you’re going to need. And no, customer service isn’t all about faking smiles. It’s a curious mix of being on the ball, quick to reply, and capable of solving problems in ways that don’t make you feel like asking for help is a bother.
The aim is to make things genuinely easier for buyers instead of creating hoops for them to jump through. It’s not rocket science but sometimes it can feel that way when you’re not prepared. A responsive approach is a sort of blend between providing information proactively and being around when people want to ask questions.
Responsiveness doesn’t have to be about doing everything manually - automation can help. Chatbots are quite handy in 2024 and while there are still people who prefer talking to an actual human, most buyers are very comfortable with the idea of well-placed bots answering their questions or helping them with checkout. That said, AI cannot solve everything (yet) and it’s rather important for shoppers or potential customers to be able to talk to an actual representative without having to wade through endless menus.
What does responsiveness bring home for a business. A sense of confidence among those looking at buying something from your store or website. People tend to pay attention if you’re actually answering questions on social media and not responding like a robot would - especially if you’re listening for feedback and not shying away from criticism online.
Empathy plays a big part in resolving conflicts or complaints without appearing stubborn about policies while still enforcing them fairly across all customers - loyal or new.