The decision to buy your product is made online

After reading an article, people usually think something like: “Nice, I did not know that,” or “Ah yes, I had heard about this before, but thanks for the reminder.” This article is one of those “aha” types. However, I believe that once you have read it, it will spark ideas for you. In 2005, an article was published that changed the established rules of marketing. It discussed the importance of the seven seconds in which a person decides whether to buy when they see products on a shop shelf. Procter & Gamble called this seven-second moment the First Moment of Truth.  Later, marketers discovered that there are actually two moments of truth. The first is when a person sees the product on the shelf and decides whether to buy it. The second is when the customer returns home, tries the product and evaluates it. The traditional marketing model consists of three stages:

• Stimulus – the person sees an advert for the product.
• First Moment of Truth – the person is already at the shop shelf, comparing products, asking for advice and deciding whether to buy.
• Second Moment of Truth – the person tries the product and forms an opinion, which they then share with others.

Zero Moment of Truth

In 2011, Google expanded this theory. The internet has changed consumer behaviour. Before the first and second moments of truth, there is now the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT). And it is at this stage that the consumer actually makes their decision. In the past, once a consumer saw an advert (stimulus), they would go to the shop and see the product for the first time on the shelf (First Moment of Truth). After buying and trying the product, they would form an opinion and share it with others (Second Moment of Truth). Now, ZMOT sits between the stimulus and the First Moment of Truth. When a consumer sees an advert for a product, they no longer go straight to the shop to look at it and buy it. First, they go online, read reviews and articles, and gather information about the product. The internet has enabled people to collect far more information about a product and experience a zero moment of truth. For example, when someone sees an advert for a phone on Facebook (stimulus), they do not immediately go to the shop to buy it. They go online and look for information – reading reviews and comparing it with other phones (ZMOT). And it is at this stage that they already decide whether they will buy that phone or not – they no longer need the First Moment of Truth at the shelf to make up their mind.

Answer these questions:

You will most likely read reviews online (Tripadvisor, Facebook, Google, Wolt, Pincetas.lt) and only then make a decision. The same study mentioned that, already back in 2011, before deciding whether to buy, people would look at an average of 10.4 sources of information. That is quite a lot. What does this mean? You can be an excellent salesperson, yet your neglect of your online presence will still get in the way of the sale. We ask our clients and employees where and what information they looked for before deciding to work with us. We would be very interested to hear which online information sources you personally find most relevant. In the meantime, here is my own list:

‍Rekviziai.lt. Obvious, perhaps, but many companies still have incomplete or poorly maintained profiles here. In our case, both clients and employees checked this source when they were considering us.

‍Your website. This is the source you fully control. So make sure it addresses your clients’ main needs, their questions and their objections.

‍Google My Business. Although many companies have created a profile here, the majority do not use it to its full potential. Did you know you can upload videos, photos, your logo, a cover image, a description and more?

‍Google search. More specifically, the first 10 search results that appear when someone types your company name into Google. Let’s be honest – this is the first thing we do when we want to find out more about a business. Even though we do not have full control here, it is important to understand that social media accounts are highly ranked in Google search: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and so on. If you maintain active company accounts on these platforms, links to them will often appear in the top positions when someone googles your brand. Company directors are often googled in exactly the same way.

‍Google Images. Ideally, when someone googles your company, the images they see should be related to your business – your logo, team members and other relevant photos.

‍Youtube video reviews. People often do not want to read and would rather watch video reviews – especially for cars, computers, phones and similar products. Record a video review of your product.

‍Reviews. Clients can leave reviews about you almost anywhere: Facebook, Google My Business, Rekvizitai.lt, Trustpilot, Tripadvisor, Pincetas.lt and so on. We cannot control reviews, but I have two personal rules when it comes to them: (1) Encourage satisfied clients to leave a review (an unhappy client will leave one without any encouragement). (2) Respond to negative reviews. You have probably seen situations where the owner’s reply under a review convinced you more than the review itself. Maybe the client just overreacted?

‍Remarketing. Although at the ZMOT stage people usually look for information about you proactively, remarketing allows you to bend this rule a little. Remarketing on Facebook and Google strengthens your position. However, it is important not to stalk people with the same advert that first drew them into your content. I recommend using remarketing to address the objections that people might have.

I understand that resources are limited and it can be difficult to manage all possible communication channels properly. The best solution is to call former and current clients and employees and ask how and what information they looked for about you. That way you will understand which channels are most relevant for you.

I wish you success in finding your own zero moments of truth

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