The Psychology of an Online Shopper

In order to reap the full benefits of your online business venture, it is important to understand the psychology and the motivation behind the process of online shopping. Online shopping behaviorism is a relatively new yet a powerful concept. Understanding the psychology of your online customers is vital for boosting the traffic to your website and for controlling various metrics, such as the rate of cart abandonment and failed checkouts. There are several factors which drive a consumer to make purchasing decisions. While many of these factors are conscious, some of them may be unconscious as well. So, let’s take a look at how your business can benefit by understanding the psychology of an online shopper.

• Create a sense of belongingness: Since online shopping lacks the tactile experience offered by offline shopping, it is imperative that you take extra steps to ensure that your customers are able to mimic their real-life shopping experience online as well. There are several initiatives you can take to ensure this kind of experience. If your catalog uses models, then ensure that you select your models in such a manner that your customers are able to relate to them. Some of the factors to keep in mind are age and gender. Make sure that your models are in line with the demographics of your target market.
• Reciprocate the gesture: Online shopping is all about instant gratification. You can further boost this feeling by offering something in return to your customers. Apart from providing them with their desired goods and services, you can also offer discounts or free gifts on their purchase. With this strategy, you can provide value to your customers, which is over and above their requirements. This is also a foolproof method to encourage customer loyalty and ensure repeat business. You can also do so by making their shopping process easier and convenient. With the growing use of mobile phones, you should ensure that your website is optimized for smaller screens as well.
• Spruce up your online store: Just like an offline store, the aesthetics of your online store may have a strong impact on your customers’ buying decisions. It is highly recommended that you choose an appropriate theme for your online store and then manage its overall presentation on the basis of that theme. The visual appearance of your online store is one of the most important factors that can impact the purchasing decision of your clients. You should pay special attention to the differentiating features of your target market and then design your store accordingly. Apart from the curation of items that are to be featured for shopping, the color schema of your store should also be pleasing.
• Guide your clients: You can lead your clients to the right kind of products and services in your store by offering visual and psychological cues. You should make sure that your online store has a simple navigation process. It should also be intuitive in nature so that the entire journey feels natural to your clients. You can also integrate links and suggestions to direct your customers to certain sections and products. Online stores also follow quite a few guidelines which are applicable to offline stores. Like, you should place your high priced and high margin items in the line of sight of your clients so as to ensure that these items get the proper attention.
• Be transparent: It is important that your customers are provided complete and accurate information. Such information is important for building trust. Unlike offline shopping, e-commerce lacks the personal touch and the ability to test goods beforehand. In such situations, it is vital that you provide extra incentive to your clients to ensure a sale. The importance of transparency cannot be overemphasized in such cases. All the expenses related to purchase, including taxes and shipping charges etc. should be explicitly stated, so as to minimize the chances of cart abandonment. Similarly, shoppers should also be made aware of the expected delivery time and possible issues.

The e-commerce has already gained widespread acceptance with the masses, and is growing at a fast pace. In order to fully optimize the benefits of this trend, you can keep these simple tips in mind and make your online business more user-friendly and efficient.