Retail has always been highly competitive and ever-changing. Even as live selling becomes the future of retail, the pandemic has affected retail trends unpredictably. This is why understanding consumer behaviors and the stages of the customer journey is more important than ever for creating memorable live selling experiences.
This comprehensive guide will explore the stages of the customer journey, how it relates to live selling, and how you can use this knowledge to choose the best live selling partner, drive more conversions and grow your business.
What Are the Customer Journey Stages?
While there are varying opinions on the number of stages in a customer’s journey, we’ll focus on the following six stages, as they are widely recognized and perfectly applicable to retail live selling:
- Awareness
- Interest
- Consideration
- Intent
- Evaluation
- Purchase
1. Awareness
The customer journey begins with the Awareness Stage, where potential customers first become aware of your brand or products. In live selling, the Awareness Stage is crucial for capturing the attention of your target audience. Attract customers through engaging content, eye-catching visuals, and targeted promotions. Use social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, your website and your mobile app to showcase your live selling events and build brand awareness. The more places your shoppers can see you, the better.
2. Interest
Once customers are aware of your brand, they move to the Interest Stage. This is when they start to engage with your content and explore what you have to offer. In live selling, the Interest Stage is when you create interactive experiences that keep customers tuned in and engaged with your live shopping stream.
It’s a good idea to keep your shoppers glued to your live sales using interactive elements like live chats, polls, and giveaways and by hosting your live sales on multiple channels. Not only will such interactions foster customer interest, but they will also help drive engagement and sales!
3. Consideration
At the Consideration Stage, customers begin to evaluate your products and services seriously. This customer journey stage is when your shoppers compare your offerings with those of your competitors and weigh their options.
In live selling, the Consideration Stage is your opportunity to showcase your products’ unique selling points, demonstrate their value, and gamify your live sales to make your product pitches exciting. This is when you should offer exclusive deals, share customer testimonials, and provide in-depth product demonstrations to help customers make informed decisions.
4. Intent
The Intent Stage is when customers are close to making a purchase. They’ve identified a need or desire for your product, and they’re actively considering whether to buy it. In live selling, this is the perfect time to use persuasive tactics like limited-time offers, flash sales, expiring cart reminders, and personalized recommendations to encourage customers to take action before they miss out.
5. Evaluation
During the Evaluation Stage, customers are finalizing their decision to make a purchase. In live selling, this is your chance to help shoppers make an informed purchase decision using these tactics:
- Talk about how someone would use your product
For apparel and accessories, you could talk about where someone might wear it and what it would pair well with. - Focus in on the details
Highlight the unique features of your products, talk about the material, and make sure to cover sizing. - Answer customer questions
Live selling gives you the unique advantage to interact and answer questions in real-time—take advantage of this! - Share product reviews
Encourage other viewers to share their reviews and share your own experience with the product.
6. Purchase
The grand finale of the customer journey, the Purchase Stage, is when customers decide to take the leap and complete the transaction. In live selling, the magic happens when you create a frictionless checkout process. Transform your customers into loyal advocates of your brand by taking them through the entire customer journey without ever having to leave your live sale.
Go Beyond Purchase: Master Retention With After Sales Support
Changing consumer behavior requires understanding the stages of the customer journey so you as a live seller can tailor your retail strategies to create personalized experiences that drive conversions and boost sales.
Though the purchase stage may seem like the grand finale of the customer journey, the curtain has yet to fall on the performance. It’s essential not to let the spotlight fade on post-purchase interactions and customer retention, they are the encores that keep the show running. And with the help of the right retail platforms, mastering customer retention can help push your sales and revenue even more with repeat purchases.
Post-Purchase Support
After a customer has made a purchase, providing excellent post-purchase support is crucial. In live selling, this means promptly addressing any questions or concerns, being transparent, offering helpful resources like tutorials and product guides, and actively seeking customer feedback. By ensuring a positive post-purchase experience, you can turn one-time buyers into lifelong customers.
Customer Retention
Customer retention is essential for long-term business success, as acquiring new customers can be up to 5 times as costly as retaining existing ones. In live selling, you can boost retention by consistently providing valuable content, personalized offers, and exceptional customer service. Engage with your audience on social media, send targeted emails or push notifications, and reward customer loyalty with exclusive deals and promotions.
Harnessing the Power of the Customer Journey in Live Selling
To maximize the potential of live selling and drive conversions, it’s essential to understand and cater to the unique needs and desires of customers at each stage of their journey:
- Awareness: Build brand recognition through engaging content and targeted promotions.
- Interest: Foster customer engagement with interactive elements and compelling experiences.
- Consideration: Showcase your products’ unique selling points and demonstrate their value.
- Intent: Use persuasive tactics and personalized offers to encourage customers to take action.
- Evaluation: Address concerns, highlight positive reviews, and provide reassurance to help customers feel confident in their decision.
- Purchase: Streamline the checkout process and ensure a seamless purchasing experience.
- Post-Purchase Support: Offer step-by-step customer support and educational resources to craft a positive and delightful post-purchase experience.
- Customer Retention: Reward your loyal shoppers, engage your audience with captivating content and answer their questions; and offer personalized messaging and content to build long-term relationships and loyalty.
The answer to “Which live selling retail platform is best for me?” is perhaps best answered by which platform helps you master the customer journey stages. After all, if you can tailor your live selling strategies like a skilled artisan, you can create shopping experiences that dazzle and delight, enticing customers to keep coming back to you.
