Creating Meaningful Interactions With Customer-Driven Commerce

You don't know much about your customers. Face it: You have precious little information about the people whose purchasing habits can make or break your business.

You have plenty of contact information, credit card data and purchasing history. You might even have some analytics telling you how they found your site and how long they hung out. But if you're going to build meaningful interactions with existing customers and attract and convert new ones, you're going to need a lot more than that to thrive in the world of customer-driven commerce.

You have to know how they think. Today's cross-channel consumers expect you to know who they are, what they want and when they want it. And they want information from you to be relevant to them and communicated in a format of their choosing.

This may seem completely unreasonable, but think about the world they live in. Their phones remember their recent calls. Their web browsers suggest search phrases after a few key strokes. And Siri has even relieved them of the burden of typing. Today's consumers shop on their own terms and patronize merchants who understand those terms.

Luckily, if you properly analyze the customer data you already have and are strategic about gathering more, you can learn to use it to interact with existing and potential customers in the way they want, making them more likely to buy what they want from you instead of your competition.

4 Types of Customers
History and academic research tells us there are four basic types of consumers: drivers, socializers, supporters and analyzers.

The Greek philosopher Hippocrates was the first to document these "four humors." Every one of us have some of each type, but one is usually dominant and ends up influencing purchasing decisions. Understanding each type will help you interpret the limited information you receive — or don't receive — from prospects, and tailor the communications with them that ultimately lead to meaningful relationships.

"Drivers" are focused on time and efficiency. They want it fast and they want it first. They also value prestige and independence, viewing themselves as special. They want the best and like it when experts and people tell them that's what they're getting.

"Socializers" are focused on what others are interested in. They want to know your brand, your product and your people. They like to be acknowledged by you, and want the shopping experience to be fun. They're the most likely to engage with social media and contests.

"Supporters" like to feel they have a personal relationship with a business. They're loyal and expect a high level of customer care in return. They connect with personal stories, behind-the-scenes views and product recommendations from other customers.

"Analyzers" are just what the name implies. They want access to data so they can analyze it themselves. Don't tell them what to buy — that's up to them. They like to compare products and enjoy finding the cheapest price.

The earlier along the path to purchase that you can figure out what type a prospect is, the better chance you have of interacting with them on their terms.

How are you supposed to determine their type in the first place? Some data is available from pay-per-click ads and the search terms they used, but the best way is just to ask them. Customers will self-identify if you ask questions in strategic ways. For example, instead of asking visitors to enter their email address into an uninspiring "join our newsletter" field, do it in a way that both engages them and helps you learn something about them.

Personalizing your email collection fields can tell you a lot about the people signing up for your newsletter. Stress the chance to get the inside scoop and access to experts, and replies will likely be from drivers. Emphasize access to fashion tips and styling advice, you can be pretty sure those sign-ups will be from socializers.

Such calls to action are immensely useful because they can inform and guide your future customer communications. Now you have data to begin building what we at MarketLive call the total commerce funnel. Instead of presenting your site identically to every visitor, you can direct them to products or promotions that speak their language.

When a supporter signs up, you have a chance to direct them to a page with behind-the-scenes content. If a driver signs up, entice them with the latest trends. When an analyzer arrives, give him or her instant access to all the product data they desire.

Once you get a better sense of the types of customers you're attracting, broaden your analysis to your competitors. If Amazon.com is stealing your analyzers, focus your marketing efforts on the data needed to win them back. If a rival's approach is missing a particular customer type, prioritize that type and convert them into your customers.

Putting yourself in the mind-set of your customers will not only help you understand them, it will help guide you in deciding how to talk to them, what questions to ask, and how to develop strategies that guide their relationship with your brand over extended time.

Ken Burke is the founder and executive chairman of MarketLive, an on-demand e-commerce platform and solutions provider. Ken can be reached at ken@marketlive.com.