You vs. The Other Guy: How to Convince Customers in the Comparison Stage of the Buyer’s Journey
The comparison stage of the funnel is one of the most critical yet often most overlooked parts of the buyer journey. During this stage, the “rubber meets the road” in terms of convincing your prospect to convert, and oftentimes, the odds can seem stacked against you.
In this week’s Workdom blog, we’re tackling which key steps you need to take in order to convince your customers that yours is the best product or service when it comes down to an apples-to-apples comparison of you versus your competition. Here’s how you do it:
Offer Clear and Detailed Product Information
This might sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many companies merely scratch the surface when it comes to offering detailed, clear and concise information about their product. Often it’s walled behind a login or member’s area which of course you need to buy in order to access.
That defeats the purpose of helping the customer decide during one of the most critical points of the sales funnel. Don’t worry that you’re giving them too much information too fast: simply give them exactly what information they need in order to make their decision with confidence.
What information is that? Your analytics will tell you. It will show you patterns including which pages your users visit, what they might type into your knowledge base or how they arrived at your site in the first place. Use those details to help you build comprehensive content that answers their questions fully and succinctly!
Back Up Your Claims with Social Proof
Once you’ve made certain claims with regard to your competition, back them up with social proof. Social proof is simply other testimonials from real-life customers (past or present) who have tried your product and perhaps your competitor’s product, and yours has clearly won. Facebook groups and even ad comments can be a rich source of social proof when it comes to the comparison stage of the buyer’s journey.
Compare to the Competition
What good is the comparison stage of the funnel if there’s no comparison? Don’t be afraid to compare your product to your competition, honestly and clearly. If there’s something they offer that you don’t, show it, but also don’t be afraid to show those areas where you excel. The purpose of a comparison chart isn’t necessarily to paint your product in the best light (although it should do that as a secondary step) but rather to demonstrate clearly and fully that yours is the best option when everything else is considered.
Some companies even go a step further with regard to their comparison charts and where their competitors have offered something seemingly better (or more of it), and they don’t, there’s a simple “Why?” link with a pop up that explains why their version doesn’t offer this particular feature, or what the drawbacks would be. This serves double duty to not only educate the consumer but also demonstrate your honesty and credibility as a provider by stating “we don’t offer X and this is why.”
Offer a No-Obligation Demonstration
Last, but certainly not least, to help nudge the prospect further down through the funnel, why not offer them a no-obligation demonstration? Trials or demonstrations can let your customers get comfortable with your product which in turn lets them see how it works and what their next actions should be. As always, you should continue to offer support and guidance to make their trial period the best it can be, so that they’ll know to expect something even better when they become a full-fledged paying member.
Ready to get started with a content strategy that helps propel the customer effortlessly through your funnel? Reach out to the experts at Workdom. Our knowledgeable content experts can help you create a winning strategy that gets results no matter what industry you’re in. Connect with us today and let’s talk!
