Outside Factors That Will Influence Consumer Decisions

Beyond The Product: Outside Factors That Will Influence Consumer Decisions

As a business manager, providing customers with great products at a great price will always be the main focus of your attention. This is only natural as all other elements will be rendered redundant if the company isn’t supported by those foundations. However, you’d be very naïve to assume that success in this area alone will attract sales. Modern audiences demand so much more.

The competition for customers is greater than ever, which is why you must excel in the other areas to bring the consumer to your business. Focus on the points below, and conversion rates should soar. With revenue at an all-time high, the state of the business will look brighter than ever too.

Data Protection

Consumers naturally need to have trust in your business, not least when it comes to keeping their details safe. Nobody wants their personal info falling into the hands of hackers, which is why data encryption is vital in all aspects of the venture. Most businesses appreciate the need to get this right at the payment gateway. But it should extend to membership forms and subscriptions too. Likewise, data that is stored offline must be suitably protected.

One breach of security could plant a seed of doubt into the customer’s mind for many years to come. Even the biggest companies struggle to rebuild their reputations after this type of situation, so your SME will find it very tough. Prevention is the best form of protection and will save you a huge deal of hassle in the long run.

Brand Tone

People don’t simply buy products for practical reasons. Consumers want their purchases to provide a positive emotional reaction. In many cases, it’s those experiences with the brand that truly take that enjoyment to the next level. Perhaps the most important aspect of nailing this aspect is to choose the right tone for your audience. For example, promoting the company to a teen audience requires a different approach to senior citizens. Knowing the business’s place in the market is key.

Very few businesses are lucky to have a universal audience, even if the target market covers several age groups. Ultimately, the right branding and interaction build the bond needed for consumers to connect with the company. Once the name alone brings a smile to their faces, the hopes of bolstered sales revenue will look brighter than ever.

Packaging & Delivery

The branding aspects aren’t restricted to the way your business presents itself either. The presentation of products is equally important. For many consumers, great packaging can make all the difference. You can find out more about the best options at clsmith.com. Given that this one aspect can impact pricing as well as customer reactions, it cannot be overlooked. If it’s a selling point in the customer’s eyes, it should be one in your eyes too.

Aside from the packaging, you need to ensure that deliveries are of the highest standard. Consumers have a demand for instant results, so everything from processing orders to getting them to the client’s door needs to be fast. Above all else, the delivery drivers must take care of those products. If they don’t reach the customer in great condition, problems will soon surface.

Online Presence

As already mentioned, clients need to trust your business. Whether you like it or not, they will associate great online visibility with authority and trustworthiness. Ranking highly on Google should always be considered a huge priority as it will generate traffic and emit confidence in the brand. If search engines show that your company is one of the leading service providers in its field, that will be good enough for a large number of customers.

Social media has an equally vital role to play, and having a large following of customers will influence others into respecting the brand. Where image is concerned, bigger is always better. Even if the venture is limited to offline sales, modern audiences constantly use the internet for research purposes. Learn to make the most of those opportunities, and business will be booming.

Loyalty Rewards

Getting value for money is a crucial factor for all consumers, but it’s not just about the products. Being treated in a positive manner lets clients know that you appreciate their custom. This can, in turn, build the community atmosphere. The best loyalty reward schemes can be found at forbes.com. Not only do they give customers a reason to love the brand. They also actively encourage increased spending, in terms of frequency and value.

Showing customers that you care shouldn’t be limited to special offers and loyalty bonuses. Sending a birthday card or giving away surplus stock as freebies can have an equally positive impact. Treat the valued consumers better than your competitors, and it will always give you the edge in future battles for sales. Besides, it’s a great way to monitor what they respond well too.

Personality

While personality may fall under the umbrella of branding, there’s no doubt that the character of the people behind the company is key. Aside from sharing a good sense of humor or outlook on business, clients actively support ventures that hold similar life values. Supporting a charity can work wonders for those relationships while actively helping people who need it. The benefits in a whole host of areas is vast and should be something all entrepreneurs capitalize on.

Another common feature is to focus on going green. Society’s understanding of environmental issues is greater than ever. As an upshot, making improvements throughout the business will not go unnoticed. From going paperless to using energy in a more efficient manner, those simple gestures can impact the way that the business is viewed by clients.

Customer Reviews

Consumers are capable of making their own decisions, but they rarely do. Most people actively seek reassurance before trying a new product, service, or company. With this in mind, the power of recommendation is one of the greatest tools at your disposal. Frankly, a successful referral scheme will have a far higher conversion rate than marketing campaigns. While this shouldn’t stop you running effective ads too, appreciating the need for word of mouth will have a big impact.

In today’s climate, testimonials on your website also work wonders. Likewise, displaying the results of customer surveys is useful too. Gain positive reviews from bloggers and YouTube influencers too, and you’ll soon see interest turn into sales. Above all else, it further increases the family atmosphere that encourages customers to take pride in using the company.

Employee Images

Appearances and first impressions are very important in business, not least when it comes to customer opinions. Everyone that works for your company represents the brand, and you must do everything possible to ensure it is in a positive way. Whether it’s corporate uniforms at icouniforms.com or shop floor workwear, a great looking staff is priceless. If nothing else, this investment can actively boost staff confidence and motivation.

Naturally, it’s imperative that you lead by example too. In addition to the right outfit, keeping your beauty and grooming rituals at a consistently high level is crucial. The benefits extend to many aspects of the venture. As far as the customer is concerned, though, you cannot expect them to trust the business if the owner doesn’t even take care of their appearance. It really is that simple.

Accessibility

All consumers will occasionally purchase an item that is faulty in one shape or form. Most people accept that this is a part of life, especially when using companies that mass produce products. While it is frustrating, those issues will be forgiven. What won’t be forgiven, however, is when they encounter hassle getting their replacement or refund. Making contact details easily accessed is key. And this point should cover both online and offline elements of the venture.

Customer care can be provided through social media too while an FAQ on your website can also be useful. Furthermore, a fair and clear returns policy can remove and gray areas. The need for clarity is essential, though. If it looks like you are trying to deceive consumers by being overly cryptic, they will assume there is a reason behind it. Frankly, that will end up costing you revenue.

The Final Word

All of the above points have an impact on consumer decisions, and subsequently deserve your attention. None of them are as vital as the quality of the goods but appreciating their significance will put you ahead of your competitors. Ultimately, mistakes in this field is often what lets modern SME owners down. The contribution it has to the high failure rates is staggering. But your operation can be better.

Given that most of them are very easy elements to master, even a 10% boost in sales makes the extra effort worthwhile. The customer relationship isn’t the only crucial factor for creating a sustainable business. Still, it does provide the best platform. As such, getting it right is key to unlocking the company’s full potential.

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