Comparison shopping is huge. It’s always been popular, but the ease of navigating the internet has made it more effortless than ever. In fact, you’ve probably comparison shopped for something within the last week. But from a sales and marketing perspective, how can businesses get better at winning over comparison shoppers directly from their websites?
Five Ways to Influence Comparison Shoppers
Comparison shoppers are notoriously hard to convert. Not only are they super price sensitive, but they also exhibit minimal signs of brand loyalty. They’re much more focused on the price tag than on the brand name or the packaging.
This can be a good or bad thing, depending on the company. However, few will debate that it’s important to reach and influence this segment. Here are a few things you can do to make progress in this area:
1. Develop Good Content
It’s not just about the little number you put next to the dollar sign on a product page. People want better product information when comparison shopping. With better information, they can compare features and feel more comfortable about a purchase (which often is enough for customers to pay a slight premium).
If comparison shopping is common among your customers, you should be developing quality content surrounding specific products that you sell. You can link to this content on product pages and in FAQ scenarios.
2. Offer Value-Adds
Want to set your product apart in an industry where price wars are common? One of the best options is to add value for customers. As marketer Kimber Powers says,
“Whether it’s a free guide, a printable PDF, or a company branded calendar, free resources are an excellent way to create added value and showcase your brand’s ability to offer ‘a little something extra’ to customers.”
It doesn’t have to be tangible, either. You can add value to your products by providing superior customer service, better shipping terms, or anything else that delights customers.
3. List Competitor Pricing
If you really want to be proactive about winning over comparison shoppers, and you’re confident that you have the best price, you can take the bold step of including competitor prices on your own product pages. This page from Trip.com as the perfect example. Notice how they include other prices underneath their own, which shows just how good of a deal customers are getting.
The beauty of doing this is that you prevent visitors from leaving your site to cross-reference prices. This lowers the risk that visitors will get distracted and increases your chance of closing the sale with minimal interference.
4. Have a Price-Match Guarantee
The final suggestion is to offer a price-match guarantee. If you have good margins on your products, you won’t lose much on a guarantee. If nothing else, you can take sales from your competitors and increase your odds of winning over future sales. Just make sure you set clear and conspicuous terms. You can see an example of this from Best Buy.
5. Focus on Mobile
If you think about it, most comparison shopping happens on mobile devices. People whip out their smartphone when they’re in a store and see a product they like on the shelf. People grab their phone when a friend tells them about a deal they recently found. Mobile devices are readily available and are, therefore, used much more frequently.
In fact, according to one case study in which a 27-year-old shopper was examined for one month, 89 percent of “shopping micro-moments” occur within the context of a mobile a device. That’s a pretty staggering number and shows why you need to focus on reaching mobile users.
Make a Statement
According to a recent study by the e-tailing group, 94 percent of online shoppers invest time in finding the lowest price for a product they intend on buying. Approximately 36 percent spend more than 30 minutes comparison shopping before making a final decision, while 65 percent spend 16-plus minutes doing so. More than half of customers visit four or more websites before finalizing a purchase, while the TCO (total cost including shipping and handling) is the most important influencer for online shoppers.
Comparison shopping can seem scary for an eCommerce business, but it’s clearly important. The good news is that you can simplify the process by following the tips and techniques mentioned in this article.
