Recent reports by Google revealed that mobile technology adoption creates “micro-moments” that determine the path to purchase of a consumer, and therefore marketers have to learn to respond to these moments in the most relevant manner possible.
As defined by Google, micro-moments are “critical touch points within today’s consumer journey, and when added together, they ultimately determine how that journey ends.”
Since there are millions of potential moments, Google advises that a good guiding principle is to “be there across all stages of the consumer journey, not just when someone is ready to buy.”
The company further identifies four key moment types that represent user needs:
- I-Want-to-Know Moments: involves exploring or researching, but the consumer is not yet in a purchase mode. Inspiration and information work at this stage, not a hard sell
- I-Want-to-Do Moments: “These may come before or after the purchase. Either way, these are “how to” moments when people want help with getting things done or trying something new. Being there with the right content is key,” Google notes.
- I-Want-to-Go Moments: the consumer is considering looking at local businesses or making a purchase. To get your foot in the door, make sure your physical business is among those being considered in the path to purchase
- I-Want-to-Buy Moments: “These are huge, of course. Someone is ready to make a purchase and may need help deciding what or how to buy. You can’t assume they’ll seek you out; you have to be there with the right information to seal the deal,” Google advised.
As consumers go through these micro-moments, marketers need to learn to seize opportunities, the company further said. “You’ve got to anticipate the micro-moments for users in your industry, and then commit to being there to help when those moments occur.”
Further, “You’ve got to be relevant to consumers’ needs in the moment and connect people to the answers they’re looking for. They’re called micro-moments for a reason. Mobile users want to know, go, and buy swiftly. Your mobile experience has to be fast and frictionless.”
