In the field of trigger marketing, triggers are powerful tools that help your online store customers make purchasing decisions on autopilot, without thinking, and almost instantly. A trigger in marketing is used to stimulate the desired customer action by evoking specific emotions or responses.
What is trigger marketing?
It is a strategic approach that uses psychological triggers to influence customer behavior and drive conversions. This method focuses on delivering the right message at the right time to create a sense of urgency, trust, or exclusivity.
However, triggers will only work effectively and increase sales if they are tailored to your niche with an understanding of audience psychology. Personalized triggers are widely used to achieve the following goals:
- increase conversions;
- eliminating audience objections;
- removing barriers;
- increase sales;
- accelerating the buying cycle;
- programming behavioral impulses;
- making the client take targeted actions.
Triggers work on a subconscious level, they put a person in a certain state, and evoke specific emotions – from joy to anger, from fear and surprise to greed and an unbridled desire to own anything. Interesting, isn’t it? Then let’s move on to specific examples of trigger usage.
15 effective triggers to use on your website that increase conversions
For an e-commerce entrepreneur, a seamless purchasing process where customers quickly click the “Buy” button and complete their order is an ideal scenario. Psychological sales triggers are a kind of marketing magic wand, motivating your users to perform targeted actions – order, leave contacts, write reviews, etc.
Let’s take a closer look at both simple and widespread marketing tricks and more complex triggers used in digital marketing.
- Shortage with a time limit. This trigger has few equals in terms of the power of influence on a potential buyer. Timers with a countdown to the end of the promotion, and indication of the remaining items (1-2) – all these are motivators that play on the lack of time, on the fear of losing something valuable and profitable.
- Exclusive offer. This trigger is based on a simple and understandable desire of people to emphasize their belonging to a VIP group, their willingness to pay for exclusivity, for access to closed content, for something inaccessible to mere mortals.
- Guarantees. The trigger that builds customer confidence in the seller is extremely relevant and effective. What can you guarantee? Quality of products, free service for a certain period, money back, exchange of goods, and other conditions.
- Portfolio. This trigger also implies a reasonable increase in the audience’s trust in the company, which can be achieved by flaunting your regalia, awards, diplomas, and a stand with the logos of your famous clients. This creates a reputation as a professional, the client feels that the risks are reduced and is more willing to make purchases.
- Demonstration of new products. Market novelties, as well as exclusive offers, have a considerable appeal in the eyes of an interested client. This is a successful trigger for increasing sales, working on the principle of “striking while the iron is hot.”
- Playing on stereotypes. This generally primitive but effective trigger is based on preconceptions that influence consumer preferences and behavior. German quality is good, China is cheap, GOST is tasty, ECO is safe, etc. – all these things are firmly embedded in our subconscious, and marketers take advantage of this.
- Real reviews. In terms of building trust, these are the best triggers available. If someone has already bought the product, if it has already been used, if it has been tested, then you can safely buy it without fear of disappointment.
- Teasers. Intriguing riddles hint that create a special mysterious atmosphere around a new service or product that is being launched. Teasers are used mainly at the initial stage of promotion. For example, brands use teaser campaigns before launching a new product line to spark curiosity.
- Cross marketing. A successful technology based on the intersection of audiences. Taking into account the interests of users, you can actively sell the main product together with related products. For example, people who bought product A also liked product B. You can also offer customers-related solutions (smartphone + protective glass + case + charger or shampoo + balm + conditioner + shine with a laminating effect, etc.)
- Up-sell. This tool is designed to solve a very specific task – to sell the customer much more than he or she originally planned to buy. Such a primitive technique as 3 things for the price of 2 works surprisingly well. The impression of benefit from the purchase is very tempting – it is difficult for an ordinary buyer to resist the opportunity to get a third product (even if not needed) for free.
- Social proof. The “best-selling” label is another powerful trigger that proves that a product is popular among customers. This trigger is based on the herd instinct – how can a buyer resist something necessary for all other users?
- Use of fears. The fear trigger will help you sell any product – from a jar of dietary supplements to online courses, just figure out what exactly your target audience is afraid of – loneliness, extra pounds, divorce, job loss, etc. Now voice this fear and offer the product as a solution to the problem.
- Creating the perfect image. A traditional product’s description using its parameters and characteristics (material, weight, price, details) is not as effective as visualizing the result of a purchase. A perfect picture that demonstrates the benefits, advantages, and privileges that the buyer receives with the product works much better. A flat stomach without exercise, clear skin in 3 days, etc. – demonstrating the idea that the purchase of a product will help to achieve can inspire and motivate the audience much better than the most detailed descriptions.
- Encourage loyalty. A simple and effective trick is to reward regular customers, subscribers, registered users, etc. Loyalty programs and personalized discounts work particularly well during event promotions. You can reward a customer with a discount promo code not only for a purchase of a certain amount, and not only for making regular orders. Give your attention, along with a promo code, to those who haven’t made a purchase in six months or haven’t seen your new newsletter offers in 50 days. In the end, you can even offer to celebrate the anniversary of their last purchase in your store!
- Reciprocity. The action of the “mutual exchange” trigger is based on an elementary sense of gratitude. If you have done something really useful and pleasant for a person, they feel obliged to repay you in kind, to thank you in return. E-commerce often uses gift products, free online consultations, temporary discounts, access to particularly favorable closed offers, bonus points, etc. At the same time, the buyer is not required to immediately run out and make a purchase, just like a social network, join a group, subscribe to a newsletter, or take another simple action.
Conclusions
No one can say with a one hundred percent guarantee in advance which of the many existing triggers will actually “work” in the case of your online store. To choose the most effective trigger, you will have to conduct several experiments and empirically track the best results.
But in no case should you use a dozen selling chips at the same time. This will create a bad impression because the obsession with sales only repels. It is better to spend time on a detailed study of your target audience and identify its needs, hopes, and fears, so that, based on the conclusions drawn, you can choose the best triggers and organically fit them into your marketing concept.
Finally, let us give you another useful tip – be sure to fulfill everything you promised your customers. When playing with time, prices, rewards, bonuses, gifts, and other tools that increase sales, be honest in fulfilling your obligations. Customer trust is an extremely valuable thing that directly affects the prosperity of your company.
