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Online Search: Every Generation Does It Different

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Eye openers:

  • 71% of Generation Z prefer mobile when shopping online.
  • 21% of 18-to 24-year-olds start informational quests with TikTok, while 5% start on YouTube.
  • Gen Z (62.7%) and Millennials (64.6%) are twice as likely as Baby Boomers (32.9%) to use multiple channels in their purchase journey.
  • On average, GenZ uses Google for searches 25% less than Generation X.
  • 30% of internet users aged 16-64 use voice assistants weekly.
  • 94% of GenZ trusts influencers over traditional ads for product recommendations.

Business directories are good business. Way back in the 19th century, the groundbreaking publication that became the Yellow Pages began in Cheyenne, WY and eventually became a national, then global, business resource. The Yellow Pages was available free of charge and was delivered to your door. Everyone in the US had access to the Yellow Pages, either combined with the (residential) white pages, or available separately. The original Yellow Pages still exists and remains a leading business directory, but how business customers search for information to start their buyer’s journey has undergone a radical reset. The Yellow Pages has joined the other global search platforms and has gone digital; the print version is now delivered to your door by request only.

Because you are a business owner or leader, you are intensely interested in the buyer’s journey that your prospective customers launch and experience. You know that the platform used when prospects search for information about your products, services and/or company can potentially impact how they discover and interact with your company. It’s likely you also know that the appeal of social media platforms and other digital resources is influenced by the age of the user and the appeal and influence carries over to shopping—i.e., buyer’s journey searches.

In other words, you can add another dimension to how you use customer demographic info and incorporate the age range/ generational cohort of target customers when creating your buyer’s journey. Do that and you’ll give yourself an important competitive advantage because every generation’s idiosyncratic search habits show you how to win them over. By aligning your marketing strategies and tactics to synch with generational preferences, you can enhance company visibility, promote customer engagement, build trust and, ultimately, generate sales revenue. Ignoring the search trend preferences of your target audience means you could be losing opportunities to cultivate potential customers.

Generational search trends and business strategies

A comprehensive understanding of how the generational groups prefer to search will enhance the power of your marketing strategies and ensure that your content reaches and resonates with the intended audience. Business owners and leaders can then, for example, create detailed content for Baby Boomers, showcase social media for GenZ and optimize mobile for Millennials. Below are insights that describe the search tendencies of different generations search and suggestions of tactics likely to appeal to them. The info was provided by Azira, a data intelligence platform that focuses on marketing and operations, in its consumer behavior report The Great Generational Shopping Divide, that surveyed 2,048 respondents in the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia in July 2023.

Generation Z (Born 1997-2012, age 12-27 years)

According to Hubspot, the inbound marketing and customer relations management platform, GenZ uses mobile phones more than any other device for online shopping and searching for information online. Optimizing the shopping experience for mobile is a must; and as noted above, 74% of GenZ shoppers use a mobile phone to do business, while just 16% use a computer. Of Gen Z, 28% have found new products by searching the web in the past few months.

Search Preferences: Short, fragmented queries on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Typical Search: GenZ users looking for pasta recipes might search “best easy Italian pasta recipes” on TikTok and watch influencer videos.
Preferred Content: Favors audiovisual, especially short videos.
Strategy: Utilize social media platforms and influencers. Create engaging, brief and visually appealing content to capture their attention.

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Millennials (Born 1981-1996, age 28-43 years)

Azira data found that 52% of Millennial customers engage in omnichannel shopping, meaning they use two or more online channels to conduct their buyer’s journey. GenZ and Millennial buyers are nearly twice as likely to engage in omnichannel shopping than Baby Boomers (63% and 65% vs. 33%, respectively). 70% use their mobile phones most often, compared to just 20% who prefer to use a computer, highlighting the importance of optimizing your site to be mobile-first. Millennials’ preferred channels for discovering new products are YouTube, Instagram and Facebook and 32% say they discover new products most often by searching the internet.

Search Preferences: Short, conversational queries; mobile devices and voice search integrated with social media are prominently used.
Typical Search: Millennials searching for a travel destination might use voice search to ask, “What are the top travel destinations for 2024?” and look for recommendations on Instagram.
Preferred Content: Prefer visual and audiovisual content; they trust peer reviews/opinions and want social proof.
Strategy: Optimize for mobile and voice search. Leverage visual content and social proof to build authenticity and trust.

Generation X (Born 1965-1980, age 59-44 years)

One in three GenX’ers say they prefer to discover new products through social media and 28% say that social media is how they discover new products most often. Additionally, 35% of GenX have discovered new products through online search in the past three months, placing it among the top discovery channels. Two-thirds of GenXers say they use their mobile phones most for online shopping, while 16% are on a computer and 11% use a tablet most frequently.

Search Preferences: Mix of specific and general queries using both search engines and social media.
Typical Search: A GenX consumer looking for a fitness tracker might search “best fitness trackers 2024 comparison” on Google and check reviews on Yelp.
Preferred Content: Seek quick access to practical information, relying on review sites.
Business Strategy: Provide efficient, practical insights and reviews. Balance traditional and modern search methods to cater to their adaptable nature.

Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964, age 60-78 years)

Baby Boomer shopping habits stand out the most of any generation. For example, more than half of Baby Boomers have discovered new products through television advertisements in the past three months and 40% say their TV set is where they discover products most often. Baby Boomers are comfortable searching the internet, with 46% of them having discovered a new product through online search in the past three months. Additionally, 33% of Baby Boomers prefer discovering new products in online stores over any other channel. When asked about their preferred way to discover new products, just 17% say through social media; in fact, social media and ranks behind all the channels mentioned in the Hubspot survey, as well as word of mouth and direct mail (snail mail). Moreover, just 20% of Boomers have discovered a product on social media in the past three months and only 8% have purchased a product on a social media platform.

Search Preferences: Prefer detailed, specific queries on traditional search engines like Google and Bing.
Typical Search: A Baby Boomer looking to buy a new refrigerator might search “best energy-efficient refrigerators 2024 reviews” on Google.
Preferred Content: Favor comprehensive, well-researched articles from trusted sources.
Strategy: Create detailed, authoritative content that addresses their specific needs and concerns. Focus on building trust through thoroughness and reliability.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Kyonntra for Getty Images

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Stir Up Your Sales Strategy

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Because you have set up shop as an independent business owner, consistently generating sales of your product or service is central to your existence. Whether your company’s revenue is derived mostly from the sales of long-standing customers or from new arrivals (some of whom are referred by long-standing customers, I hope) and whether your economic landscape is brimming with opportunity or undermined by difficulty, the presence of a sales strategy that consistently produces revenue for your enterprise is a matter of survival. The performance of your sales strategy is not a phenomenon that you can leave to serendipity. It’s a vital sign that deserves your constant attention. Should sales become sluggish, or on the other hand unexpectedly vigorous, you’d better know why it’s happening. If the significant movement in your sales trend is anything other than a seasonal variation, it will be incumbent upon you to diagnose the situation and fix it.

As we’ve explored in this column over the past several months, B2B selling encompasses several factors. It’s a lot to keep your eye on, but that’s the nature of the beast:

  • A robust inbound marketing funnel that invites prospects to explore and consider your products and services
  • Communicating the perceived value of your products or services
  • Asking smart questions that invite prospects to share information that confirms what s/he hopes to achieve when using your category of product or service.

Building a robust sales engine that helps your entity survive the inevitable economic downturns is required of every business owner. Understanding your ideal customer, recognizing which Key Performance Index metrics are relevant, meaning you follow the numbers that reflect an accurate picture of business operations and diversifying the sales channels you use, all with the goal of increasing sales volume, are the primary components of a resilient sales strategy.

Even the invincible iPhone has a sales strategy because there is no product that “sells itself.” Develop and implement a successful sales strategy and you enable your business to not only survive economic challenges but also be positioned for growth and long-term success.

Define your ideal customer

To successfully navigate through business adversity, a deep understanding of your ideal customer will be your guide. You need to know who they are and why they buy from you, instead of a competitor. Along with basic demographic info, you should also comprehend customer pain points, i.e., buying motivations, plus the usual challenges they face and what they hope to achieve once their preferred solution is enacted.

As you discuss the needs of your prospects and the particulars of the project you’ve been hired to do, as well as other conversations you may have with the customer, you’ll be able to conduct in-depth research, gather feedback and eventually get a picture of your ideal customer and what matters most when your category of product or service is used. You research will enable you to create a buyer persona, a sophisticated reference document that identifies and describes your ideal customer, his/her motivations and behaviors.

By understanding your customers well, you can tailor your sales approach to address their specific needs. This not only enhances your value proposition but also establishes trust and credibility. When customers feel heard and understood, they are more likely to choose your products or services, even during challenging economic conditions.

Define and recognize success

A robust sales process relies on clear and measurable metrics. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the metrics that become your compass, a roadmap of the numeric indicators of company performance. If business softens, following a data-driven approach to bring about a recovery is the best defense.

Identify and define KPIs that align with your sales objectives. These may include the sales conversion rate, number of new customers, number of returning customers, average invoice amount and sales cycle length. Regularly monitor and analyze these metrics to identify trends and areas for improvement. By having a data-driven sales process, you can quickly adjust strategies and tactics to respond to changing market conditions.

Identify new sales channels

Relying too heavily on a single sales channel can leave your business vulnerable during economic downturns. To build resilience, diversify your sales efforts by locating additional channels. Investigate both online and offline avenues that align with your target audience and industry.

So if you primarily sell products at pop-up venues, consider expanding into e-commerce and/or strategic partnerships with local stores. Diversification not only expands your reach but also spreads the risk. When one channel faces challenges, others can continue to generate revenue, helping your business weather downturns more effectively.

Utilize technology and automation

In an unpredictable business environment, leveraging digital tools becomes essential for sales resilience. Integrate customer relationship management (CRM) systems to gain insights into customer behaviors and preferences. These platforms enable your sales team to fine-tune your customer outreach activities, prioritize leads and enhance customer interactions. Additionally, consider automating routine tasks such as email follow-ups. Marketing automation not only ensures that every customer request receives a response in a timely and appropriate fashion, but also allows you to concentrate on building relationships that lead to generating revenue.

Finally, because your B2B prospects are not always available for either video or telephone meetings, it’s also wise to invest in virtual communication tools. Platforms for videoconferencing and virtual demos ensure continuous engagement with clients, bridging any physical gaps. By embracing digital transformation, your business is better positioned to navigate economic uncertainties efficiently.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: © Wang Huazhong / China Daily. Shoppers browse for bowls at the Barkhor Shopping Mall in the Kham region of Lhasa in eastern Tibet.

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5 Ways to Keep Prospects on Your Website

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Persuading potential customers to visit your website is a big step. You have a shot at winning a customer, but first, you’ll need to do a few critical things right. Your objective is to supply the information that prospects want (and need) to become customers.

Your website must deliver—in clear, enthusiastic and reassuring language and images—that portray your products and/or services as effective, easy-to-use and eye-candy visible. Create a yellow brick road journey that moves webiste visitors through a trust-inspiring buyer’s journey that has a real Hollwood ending—a sale!

1. Landing page

No one wants to waste time trying to figure out what your company sells, how they can buy it or other essential information. If they don’t find what they’re looking for in what they feel is a reasonable amount of time it’s click and they’re out of there. Disappointed site visitors will leave you and find someone who makes it easy for them.

Think objectively about what you would want and need to see and learn about your products or services if you were searching for a solution. Your landing page should include the big picture basics of why your products and services make sense and it’s all got to be right there at eye level.

2. Decision-making info

Especially for B2B products and services, prospects will conduct extensive research and compare the offerings of two or more competitors before committing to buy. Make information about who you are and what you do easy to find. You can add more content to your website by starting a blog, adding more web pages and ensuring all the essential information a customer needs is there. Further, ensure your website is uncluttered and easy to read, so that prospective customers are drawn to keep browsing and reading your content.

3. Call-to-action

A single CTA on your landing per page, no matter how appealing, may not grab the attention of site visitors who do a quick scroll through your site as they search for specific info. Someone who might do business with you might skate by during a hasty tour of your site, no matter how bright and eye-catching your CTA. Be smart and proactive and include multiple calls to action.

Tie your CTAs to specific steps in the customer buying funnel—click to receive a case study that helps you understand how we help customers get the job done; click here for a 30 minute free consultation: get started with a one month free trial here.

4. Purposeful content

Include content that demonstrates your expertise because that’s the information that supports decision-making (in your favor!). A regularly published newsletter or blog, white papers and /or case studies, customer testimonials and articles about you and your your organization that appear in the press, including your hyper-local neighborhood publications are validations of your expertise. Everything that you post onto your website is there to be in service to persuading a prospect to become a customer. This is not about window dressing.

5. Trust and authenticity

The best way to combat distrust is to demonstrate your relevance, ability to do the job and authenticity. Personalizing your website with real photos and details. If you can’t afford to hire a professional photographer, take photos of your staff, office and products using what you have at your disposal — even if that’s just your cell phone camera (making sure that your photos are clear and not blurry). Adding personal details like photos of yourself as the owner, a street view of your location, etc. will elicit more trust from online shoppers.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Vogue Magazine Collections app for Apple iPad and iPhone

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Prospects and Tire-Kickers

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Tire-kickers, those self-absorbed time-wasters who parachute into your life, present themselves as interested buyers, pepper you or your sales staff with questions, raise red-herring objections and then slide away without spending any money. Freelance consultants, business owners and sales professionals regularly contend with “prospects” whose mission in life, it seems, is to squander others’ valuable time. Tire-kickers feel completely entitled to mislead honest working people by feigning interest in products and services that they have no intention of purchasing any time soon.  They also get their jollies by inviting marketing consultants to meet for coffee and discuss projects that have neither official support nor budget.

Tire-kickers are the bane of a Freelancer’s existence.  A method to politely expose and dispose of them is a useful time management skill. Posing questions and raising objections while in the buying process is responsible behavior and all whose livelihoods depend upon making a sale welcome serious prospects, including those who do not buy at that time. How does one tell the difference between a tire-kicker and a prospective customer? It all starts with asking the right questions (but you knew that).

The Zero Pain Hypothesis developed by Liz Ryan, founder and CEO of Human Workplace, assumes that a caller has no need for what you sell and it is an effective template to follow. Keep your tone friendly and helpful throughout. You might be able to persuade the tire-kicker to either make a purchase in the near term, or make a referral to a colleague who has money and motive to do business with you now.

1.  Who?

To whom are you speaking? Get the name, title, company, phone number, email and location of the person who makes contact. Get qualifying info up front and begin to make that person commit to the buying process. Questions are cheerfully answered, but this is not a game, it is business. The job title can help you know whether this person is likely to be the decision-maker or key influencer.

2.  What and Why?

What is the product or service that is being investigated and why is it needed? What business imperative is a priority for the caller? If the caller can provide a logical reason for contacting you and/or describe what has been done that is not  working, then you probably have a genuine prospect. The counter-intuitive genius of the Zero Pain Hypothesis recommends that you offer up an inexpensive, maybe DIY alternative to your services. Tire-kickers should back off once told of a cheap and easy path to what they want. As well, tire-kickers will reveal themselves by their vague and evasive answers to your questions.

3.  When?

Assess the urgency. Is there a deadline for completing the project or making the purchase? If things are open-ended, then you are speaking with a tire-kicker. The Zero Pain Hypothesis recommends that if possible,  you recommend a “place-holder” alternative, an inexpensive band-aid that will help out for the short-term, since there is no defined timeline.

4.  Where?

Where is the organization in the buying process — early stage vendor list making, soliciting proposals, or close to finalizing the decision? Is your questioner the decision-maker and who else may need to weigh in? What is the budget? If the caller has a deadline and/or a budget, then you probably have a genuine prospect. If the caller’s budget does not meet your minimum, then refer back to the cheap alternative. Restate what the project or product means to the caller’s business. If something big is on the line, that person might be able to perceive the “pain” point that your qualifying questions encourage him/her to acknowledge and proceed to talk him/herself into increasing the budget and selling him/herself on the value of your services.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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The Buying Process Is In Effect

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In 2012,  the global research and advisory firm Forrester Research reported that clients are as totally in the driver’s seat as we all knew anecdotally and that product and service providers have much less influence over purchasing behaviors than we enjoyed a decade or two ago.  We have left the era of the sales process and entered the realm of the buying process.  It is time to readjust your approach to marketing and sales in response to the new reality,  because what was will never be again.  Our clients are making decisions largely without our input.  Many sales professionals and consulting specialists aim to present ourselves as  “trusted advisers”  who guide the sales process and influence customer choices,  ideally for the good.  Say goodbye to all that.

According to the Forrester report,  clients now discuss product and service needs and options with their own team of trusted advisers,  which may include unknown third-party  “experts”  they find on websites like Yelp and Angie’s List.  How far along in the buying process that clients proceed without us varies by industry,  but the report indicates that 65% -90%  of the research process is often completed without assistance from sales professionals or consulting service providers.  By the time the client is ready to make a purchase,  much up-front research has usually been done and only vendor price quotes are needed.

Clients like the control of being in the driver’s seat.  A mistrust of sales practices perceived as unsavory,  combined with access to technologies that allow clients to rather easily research product and service needs once they’ve been identified,  are the driving forces behind the client independence.  Many are leery of being manipulated into paying for upgrades and add-ons that do nothing for their objectives.

In the flip from sales process to buying process,  your marketing strategy will become more prominent and your approach to sales will change.  Your marketing must first create visibility and awareness,  so that prospective clients will find your firm’s offerings and second,  create and sustain demand through exquisitely targeted messages and narratives dispensed through channels that clients trust and follow.  Content marketing will continue to grow in influence as it is distributed through your website and all social media outlets that clients trust.

Develop your content marketing to explore and discuss motivating factors that compel prospective clients to research your products and services,  solutions that you provide and benefits that clients receive,  frequently asked questions and how to buy from you.  As has long been said in academic circles,  publish or perish.  When not generating content,  do what you can to get in front of an audience and teach a workshop,  moderate a panel,  or give a presentation and further your brand as a source of expertise.  Remember also that traditional media outlets may still be important to your clients,  so the art of the press release should not be forgotten.

Whither the role of sales?  Rather than being reduced to mere order takers,  consulting service providers and sales professionals will apply their well-honed communications expertise to identifying networking opportunities and building relationships.  Content is king and having lots of good things that demonstrate your expertise come up in a search is a wonderful thing,  but in my town,  no one hires anyone that they don’t know.  If a prospect does not already know you,  then an introduction made by someone whom the prospective client trusts is the next best thing.  No amount of artfully written content will convince anyone to hire an unknown.

Networking will be the queen,  as you meet potential clients and referral sources and take the time to build relationships,  taking an interest in others’ concerns and offering to give before you receive.  The B2B buying process is a tall order for a Freelance consultant,  but we are determined to succeed and we will rise to the challenge.

Thanks for reading,

Kim