Michelle Stinson Ross says that there is no one clear path to purchase. It’s complicated and convoluted because it is a relationship, and relationships are complicated.
Communication technology complicates user behavior because of the device options – devices change consumer behavior. The device that we choose to use at a particular time is often driven by context:
- The amount of TIME we have or need
- The goal we want to accomplish
- Our location
- Our attitude or state of mind
And there’s just a greater array of devices influencing us:
- Wearables
- Amazon Echo and Google Home
- Smart Home Connectivity
- Better Automotive Integration
SEO isn’t the silver bullet that it once was, and community building on social media isn’t the magic solution, either. People are looking for answers to questions. So ask yourself: What you are doing to improve the human condition?
Shift time and effort away from keyword research, and devote more time to persona development.
- Ideal customer personas
- Real customer profiles
REMEMBER – All of the communication we do is with other humans.
Devote more research time to user behavior on the site:
- Heat Maps
- Device Usage
- Page Paths
What does “Time on page” really mean? Is short time on page a bad thing? Not necessarily – if they spent a short time on the page because it allowed them to find the information that they were seeking, so that they could move on quickly. Or, are people spending a long time on the page because they’re confused?
Control in digital marketing is an illusion. The idea that SEO works magically to get us to the number one spot is an illusion. What you do, the more humanized your brand is, the more significant your influence will be.
We don’t have CONTROL, but we do have INFLUENCE. You have to be doing a lot of things well to have a lot of influence.
Most people prefer to start their journey with recommendations from people they know and trust. So, how do you influence trust?
Ask yourself what happens to the way you communicate when no one ever bothers to LOOK at the pages on your website, and conversions happen through other methods – voice assistant, messaging, email and phone calls.
Keep an eye on design:
- Site structure
- Site speed
- Page markups
- Accessibility
- Mobile and voice functionality
We already engage with messenger and chatbots. Disruptive Tech moves us away from mediated communication and closer to human interaction.
The page needs to be easy to understand even if you’re not looking at it. Along with comprehensive, authoritative and trustworthy content.
If you haven’t already….
- Stop chasing the algorithms
- Stop obsessing about keywords and ranking
- Stop thinking about meta tags
How do you take content even further and present the information, ideas and emotion that works for all learning?
