As a woman entrepreneur marketing online, you have most likely two major expectations about customers. First, there’s a sizable customer base you can market to. Second, your program has the potential to turn many into satisfied customers wanting to buy more.
On the other hand, online customers have a whole lot more expectations than you do. We did an informal survey and found at least 50 basic expectations that affect their buying decisions.
To be a successful online entrepreneur in today’s marketplace, it’s not enough to create and offer a great product or service. If you want more buying customers, your promotional and sales copy need to meet their expectations right from the start.
50 Expectations Online Customers Have Before They Buy From You
1. Ideal Client: Some of us customers expect to be your buyers because you have what we want. Don’t ignore or exclude us because we don’t fit the ideal client you’ve built your program and marketing around. We just might be an untapped market that’s never occurred to you.
2. Needs and Wants: We come with needs and wants when it comes to solving our problem. Your job is to identify and address as many as possible with your product or service. The more your program matches our needs and wants the more interested we are in making a purchase.
3. Unrealistic Expectations: We’re expecting you to have the fast-acting solution we’re looking for when there may be no simple answer and no quick and easy fix. Help us understand how we can use your program to make progress by re-framing our problem into smaller achievable goals within a realistic time frame. That alone may just make us think your program is worth investing in.
4. Skepticism: Assume we have already been disappointed by previous attempts to solve our problem and will approach you with skepticism. Let us get to know you through a free training or tutorial. This gives us a sense of your authority, your skills at conveying information, and your sincerity. If we like what we see and hear we’ll be back for more.
5. We’re Right: We’re the typical customers who believe we are “always right.” If there’s some confusion about what’s expected, err in favor of us and work to clear up the confusion. Some of us when unhappy are more than willing to use social media to complain.
6. Dislike Hype: Most of us have already been exposed to a lot of hyped promotions. We know exaggeration when we see it. Give us substance and facts and we’ll stick around longer rather than clicking off.
7. Easily Frustrated: We don’t have time to figure things out and we easily get frustrated. If something is confusing, links don’t work, or we’re not certain what to do next, we suspect a lack of professionalism on your part. Follow the KISS rule. Write so any dummy can understand, test every link to make sure it works, and tell us what’s the next step to take.
8. Downloads: We’re impatient when it comes to downloading. If that little circle is still going round and round to the point that it’s hypnotizing us, we’re ready to move on. Regularly check your page download time yourself and see if you would be willing to wait that long.
9. Social Media: Gone are the days where you and your business stand on their own. Before we commit, we’ll be checking your social media sites to learn more about you. You would be surprised what things influence our opinion of you. Consider sending anything less than flattering to a private page.
10. Indecisive: Not all of us are going to jump at your great offer immediately. We have different ways of arriving at a purchase decision. Some of us need more time to convince ourselves and feel confident we’re making the right decision. Setting a reasonable time limit with friendly reminders of the closing date works for us.
11. Original Content: For some of us more discerning customers, we want to work with an authority. We’re looking for original content that reflects your knowledge and experience. Using PLR (private label rights) information or rehashing someone else’s source material raises a red flag for us.
12. Explanations: We appreciate an easy-to-read text that clearly explains what your program is, what it does, how it works, and what problem it solves. Taking the time to do this gives us a sense that you really know what you are talking about and you have thought through how to solve our problem.
13. Is This for Me?: We want to know early on if we can benefit from your program. If your program addresses a specific audience, then tell us exactly who your program is for upfront and let the rest of us search elsewhere.
14. Your Offer: We want specifics, not generalizations. Exactly what information do you cover? Is this a complete program or do you offer more advanced levels? Does it require any additional equipment purchase, separate hosting, or a monthly membership? Are there tutorials, guides, checklists? Is everything downloadable or at a private access site? Is there a private Facebook group, video/audio conferencing, or support access? The more specific you are the easier it is for us to decide to purchase.
15. Benefits: Don’t give us features. We want benefits. Your benefits should tell us “what’s-in-it-for-me,” what we can expect for results and what’s the value of what you offer. Give us at least 5 benefits. Anything less means you’re either underestimating the value you offer or you’re not providing enough value.
16. Roadmap: We don’t want just the information; we want to know how to use it. Give us a roadmap, blueprint or step-by-step instructions as to what to do next. While we may be in desperate need of your information, we’re more likely to buy if you’re going to show us how to put it into action.
17. Examples: Give us examples. It can be how you or your customers have successfully applied your program to their problem. It can also be a demonstration video or series of screenshot examples where we can see how progress is made. By including examples, your program becomes less intimidating and gives us a sense that even we can do this.
18. Learning Options: Some of us learn better if we read it, watch it, or listen to it. Make sure we can use it on our different mobile devices. Having your program available in different mediums for anytime and anywhere access is a plus for us.
19. A “good deal”: Like everyone else we expect a good deal. However, human nature being what it is, a price break, extra bonuses or over delivering with an “irresistible offer” will really make us sit up and take notice.
20. Format: Tell us about your program format and how you’ve designed it to give us the best results. Is it self-paced content? Are there assignments and feedback given so we can benefit from contact with you or your staff? Are there online conference calls or mastermind sessions where we can share and have our questions answered? The more you are able to personalize the service the more we’re interested.
21. Timeframe: It’s easy for us to miss out on your presentation offer when posted times and dates for online events are incorrect. If you’re delegating this to someone else always do a final check yourself. Mistakes happen. Since most of us probably don’t live in your time zone, include either all the US time zones or a time-zone calculator. Anything that saves the extra mental stress of converting time says you’re thinking of us.
22. Bonuses: Don’t include in your bundle outdated or unrelated bonuses. To us, it’s filler not value added. If you’re going to entice us to buy with added bonuses make sure they are timely and relevant. And if you plan to offer joint-venture programs, add a little blurb about what they’re about and why you think they’re important.
23. Social Proof: Testimonials tell us about the satisfaction level of others and screenshots tell us about possible potential outcomes. Your credibility and level of trust are on the line here, so don’t give us the top results. Rather, give us a cross-section of satisfied customers and a range of possible outcomes.
24. Purchase Price: We’re expecting a price we can afford. Make it easy to find your price for those of us who are sold before we reach the end of your copy. Others of us will hold our breath wondering if we can afford it. If you fill your program with great value, directly address our problem, and price it fairly, many of us will overcome our cost concerns. If you’re too much outside our price range, no offense, but we’ll be looking elsewhere.
25. No Guilt Purchases: Don’t guilt us into buying immediately in order to get the best price or special features or bonuses. Give us at least 24 hours to take advantage of your special offer. Being pushed into a sale makes us have second thoughts about pulling out our credit card.
26. Tiered Price Offer: We may not be ready to spend big bucks with someone we don’t know. But if we’re interested in your information, we’re more likely to buy if you give us lower price points to start with.
27. Payment Options: Make it easy for us to buy. You don’t know if we’ve just purchased another program or if we’re close to our credit card limit. We might be more inclined to take a leap of faith to buy if you offer a payment plan.
28. Links: Providing links that don’t work is a real pain. It’s frustrating not to reach a recommended resource and a grave disappointment when you haven’t fixed or replaced it. Adding links — website, social media, additional information, or a specific blog post — is a convenience that doesn’t go unnoticed with us.
29. Contact Link: A contact link reassures us you really do exist. We can reach out to you with questions before or after we buy, and we might even use it to tell you how satisfied we are.
30. Speak Our Language: Granted, that most of us have no trouble comprehending your copy. However, it’s really about creating rapport; a connection where we’re both on the same page. By using the same or similar words and phrases we commonly use to describe our problem, you make us feel that you genuinely understand us.
31. Safe to Buy: Credit card information and personal data privacy are a major concern. We’re more likely to complete a purchase if you’re using a reputable transaction processor and display their logo. Saying that you protect our privacy is not enough. We’re looking for your Privacy Statement, Terms & Conditions, and a Disclaimer Statement to meet legal Internet obligations.
32. Discounts, Coupons, Special Offers: These work for us! Anytime we can save a buck we’ll take a closer look at your program.
33. Customer Experience: Like any buying experience, we want it “now”, we want it quick and easy, and we want value for our purchase. Put our minds at ease by telling us what to expect if we buy: a confirmation email and receipt, how to access your program, and what to do if there’s a problem. If we do decide to buy, surprise us with a follow-up note of appreciation. It makes us feel you care that we purchased and increases our sense of trust about you.
34. Rip You Off: Some of us are unscrupulous and expect we will attempt to rip you off. We’ll copy information and not give you credit, we’ll order and then claim a refund just before the guarantee period ends, or we’ll argue that we cancelled when we didn’t. Sorry to upset you, but it happens. Nothing personal it’s just that some of us are not very nice.
35. Free Offers: We love free offers but don’t think just because you put your heart and soul into this free offer that we’re ready to become buyers. We may stick on your email list for some time before we decide to buy.
36. Make It Interesting: Don’t bore us with typeface alone. Even variations in size and style fonts in different colors are not enough to excite us any longer. We’re expecting embedded videos, photo memes, product graphics, screenshots, and infographics which hold our attention longer than your words.
37. Limited Attention: Face it, science is on our side. We have limited attention to give you. If we don’t see anything that captures our attention in the first 8 seconds, we’re gone. If you’re uncertain how to address this, take a copywriting course or hire a copywriter and/or web designer to help you.
38. Grammar and Spelling Count: This might not seem like a big deal to you, but we notice. One error is excusable. More than that means you didn’t take the professional step to have someone else proofread your copy.
39. Stories: Including stories is an easier way for us to process information and hold our attention. Our brains are innately wired wanting to know the ending. It can be your personal transformation story, a story of events leading to the development of your program, or a success story from an appreciative customer. Your stories give us the opportunity to imagine our own problem being solved within each story you present.
40. Guarantee: What’s the point of having a guarantee if you’re going to fudge about what it covers? Spell out exactly what you are guaranteeing, the length of guarantee, and your return/refund policy. This way if we turn into unhappy customers we can’t say we didn’t know.
41. Email Blitz: Being blitzed with follow-up emails really irritates us. Receiving follow-up emails tempting us with newly added specials or never-before-mentioned bonuses really, really irritates us. Be upfront with your offer and bonuses. Don’t look desperate by trying to get more sales. Rather, reach out to a new audience or make your offer again in a few months. Just because we didn’t buy the first time doesn’t meant we won’t buy in the future.
42. Buy Buttons: Think about adding more than one buy button. Some of us quickly see your value and are ready to buy. Placing two or three buy buttons in your copy means we can purchase and get on to other things without having to scroll to the very end. Making the buy buttons different colors also helps to capture our attention and makes it easier for those of us who are red/green color blind.
43. Eyestrain: Take pity on us electronic readers. Our eyes weren’t designed to read day and night on various blue light screen devices. It makes a difference if you use a larger font size, have some contrast between font color and background, and leave open space between paragraphs. Anything you can do to make your copy easy to read is likely to keep us on your page longer.
44. Call to Action (CTA): We don’t know what to do unless you tell us. By having a specific call to action statement and action buttons, we’ll know what our options are. Do we add to cart, download, take a survey, learn more, share, get a free gift, or sign up for updates or a newsletter?
45. Get to the Point: It’s a fact of life. Very few of us have the time to enjoy the pleasure of your copy. It’s better for us if you outline your key points and turn them into concise messages. Position these early and then expand on them later with explanations, examples and stories. This gives us a chance to decide to stay or go. If we stay, we don’t feel we’re wasting our time. If we go, we’re likely not a customer worth pursuing.
46. Social Media Buttons: This is a big one. We don’t have time to find your social media buttons. Place your selection where we can easily find them. Buttons that don’t correctly link mean you miss having us stick around. Buttons that don’t link to active and updated sites make us think nothing is going on. Not adding prominent share buttons make us question your marketing skills. Think of us as free advertisers. If we like what we see, even though it may not be for us, we’re likely to share with others in our network.
47. Scanning: No matter how well-crafted your information, most of us are not going to read it word for word. We’re going to scan. We’re more likely to stay on your page if you use short sentences and 2 to 3 sentence paragraphs to set off key points with section headlines, subheadings, bullet points, or numbered lists.
48. Why You?: Some of us think that we don’t need your program and can get by without it. Your experience, on the other hand, tells you we do. It takes more than logical reasons to get us to buy. We need to be convinced on an emotional level as well. Explain how your program provides results by ending disappointment and frustration, making it easier to solve our problem, freeing up time for other things, and creating a successful outcome we can repeat.
49. “You Get Me”: Don’t make assumptions about us. Take the time to understand our problem, what we’re looking for, and what’s important to us. Read and solicit our comments in forums, social media, private groups, surveys, and blog posts. We’re looking to buy into a relationship that says “you get me.” If you build that information into your program using our own words, we’re more likely to become not just buyers but repeat customers.
50. Trust: The success of any on going buying relationship is trust. We start out not knowing you. All we have to go on is your offer, testimonials, and social media. It’s a help when you tell us about yourself and add a smiling photo. However, the more you meet our expectations the more we open up to trusting you. It also requires that you trust us as well. Some of us will purchase right away while others will take longer. So, keep us on your mailing list and let us know from time to time how great your program is and how it’s not too late to benefit from it.
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