As I write this post I’m watching the sun set over the expansive white sand beaches from a catamaran in the middle of the Australian Whitsunday Islands.
Why did I choose this catamaran and not one of the hundreds of others that sail the exact same waters? The answer is risk, research and recommendations.
A two night sailing excursion is a big investment. Not to mention, you really only have one chance to get this trip right. There was a lot of risk in my purchase decision. But after some extensive research, namely through Tripadvisor.com, I gathered enough information from people ‘just like me’ who thought this was the best boat, personnel and experience the Whitsundays has to offer. I trust what these people have to say, because they have nothing to gain from sharing.
How do risk, research and recommendations affect your customer’s purchase decisions? The more risk your customers have before they buy, the more they will rely on research and recommendations to help them decide.
Research
1. Can your business be found when a prospective customer searches for you?
2. What do they find when they do a search?
3. What are their key resources to do research about your industry or segment and is your business represented there?
4. Does your website feel trusted, does it answer their key questions and will it compel them to take action?
Recommendations
1. What is your business doing to encourage or incentivize recommendations?
2. What percentage of your existing customer base are actively promoting your business?
3. What percentage of your customers are unhappy with your business? What are they saying about you? What are you doing about this?
4. Are you tracking the sentiment of your brand online?
/@josedramirez @sdnace Thanks for the RT’s Jose!