What You Need to Learn From Customers Who Didn’t Buy From You

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Missed opportunities to sell a product leave a lot of solopreneurs frustrated, wondering what they could have done better. Was the visuals not attractive enough? Is the copy too bland? 

The fact is, all websites have visitors who, after exploring the site for a few seconds, leave without buying anything. Some visitors might click a link that leads to your website and then leave within seconds, never sticking around or exploring your other web pages; others may add products to their carts, and go through the steps of checking out, only to abandon their cart before completing the transaction. 

There are many things to learn from customers who did not buy from you. You can use the information to develop a better marketing and content strategy and improve your chances of a successful sale. 

Almost a Sale: What to Learn from Every Lost Deal 

You could do everything right and still have a high number of people not buying anything from your website. There are many reasons why visitors leave or don't purchase from you. Below, we're listing down some of the likely reasons why a sale did not push through and what you can do to avoid the same thing from happening again:

Losing customers to the competition

It's tough to lose yet another client to a customer, but the most probable reason for this is the competition offered a better deal. So what can you learn from this experience? You need to provide a better deal. 

Some clients choose the competition because the price is right, the offer is more flexible, or they are looking for a specific service you do not offer. If a competitor's offer makes more sense to a client, they're likely to take it. 

Don't wait until you've lost all clients before you do something about this. To start, focus on a specific niche. If you're selling bags in a style that appeals to travellers, focus on that demographic. Then, offer package deals to win over clients. This way, you can expand your offers and establish your brand in your core niche. 

Losing a client to indecisiveness

Some customers go through every step of the sales process only to abandon their carts at the last second. It's frustrating when this happens, but many customers would either lose interest or change their minds halfway through checkout. 

Suppose your site is getting a lot of abandoned carts. In that case, you can solve this by offering a guest checkout, adding progress indicators on the checkout page, being transparent about the total costs, and offering free shipping. You can also implement email alerts to remind customers they're halfway through buying a product from your site. 

Losing sales because you're not promoting hard enough

Underselling is just as bad as overselling a product – it can cause you to lose potential sales. No product can sell itself. You have to promote it so many potential customers will know about the product. While finding the balance between overselling and underselling is tricky, you'll get better results if you promote to the right people. 

You have to conduct market research to determine who your ideal customers are. Once you've identified your ideal customer, you must speak their language so your marketing messages stick. The same thing goes for SEO and social media marketing; you need to develop a copy that'll resonate with your target audience. Don't forget to optimise your copy with your primary keywords for higher rankings. This will make it easier for potential customers to find your website. 

For social media marketing, determine what social media platforms your ideal customers frequent and focus your marketing efforts on these sites. 

Losing a client to fear of buying the wrong product

Many buyers abandon their carts because they're afraid they're making the wrong decision. They may not be too confident with their choice initially, and sadly, they end up abandoning their cart just as they are about to hit the “Buy Now” button. 

To ensure that a customer goes through the entire buying process, you have to make them more confident in their buying decision. In the product description, be sure to add all the details they need before making a purchase.

Giving as much information as possible about a product makes a buyer more confident in their decision to purchase it. Presenting add-on products to complement the one they want to buy can also help convince customers to complete the purchase. Finally, an after-purchase offer will help seal the deal. 

Losing potential clients because of a lack of trust

Customers are unlikely to buy a high-value product if there's no trust. If potential clients have very little idea about your business and you're not making any effort to earn their trust, they'll be wary of purchasing and moving on to a more trusted brand. 

To attract clients and loyal buyers, you have to earn their trust. This will involve transparency and showing potential clients that you are prioritising their needs first and foremost. Being clear about your product's features and benefits and the value you're providing helps add to your credibility as a brand. 

It's equally important to build a connection and a lasting relationship with your clients over time. Communicating consistency, offering after-sale incentives, and being responsive to customer inquiries are ways to attract and earn potential customers. 

Losing potential clients due to a lack of urgency

Do not underestimate the power of a good call to action. It creates a sense of urgency, capturing potential buyers; attention and compelling them to take the desired action – in this case, complete the buying process!

In every marketing message you send or publish, don't forget to add a clear call to action. This helps create a deep desire to make a purchase. People won't spend much time reading a list of product features. They are after value – they want to know why your product is worth buying. Be clear about the product's benefits when developing the copy or marketing messages to drive better response rates. 

Losing clients because you're not focusing on the value of the product

While listing down the specs of a product is, no doubt, useful when helping customers learn more about what you're selling, always highlight the product's value. If people can't see the reason why a product is helpful to them, they won't invest their hard-earned money into it. By helping your customers realise how beneficial your product is to them, they're more likely to spend money on it. 

Start by focusing on a common problem or pain point your target audience faces. Paint a clear picture of how your product helps solve this pain point. In the copy, be clear about the benefits of the product and why buying it will be the best decision they'll ever make. 

Losing repeat purchases over lousy customer service

Providing the best customer service does not end after a client successfully purchases a product from you. To achieve long-term success and develop a deeper, more meaningful relationship with your customers, old and new, you must continuously provide the best customer service. This goes for existing, current, and potential customers. 

Be responsive to answering questions, sort out any issue a potential buyer faces, and provide after-sale customer service to take care of those who already purchased the products. Add a chatbox to help customers solve everyday issues or answer frequently asked questions. If you've received a bad review, sort the case with the customers privately and never resort to trading barbs online because this will only put off customers. 

There is always a lesson to be learned every time you lose a sale. While there could be a hundred and one ways to lose a client, the tips outlined above should minimise lost sales, attract potential customers, and keep current ones engaged and loyal to your brand!

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