Have you ever had a customer place an order and cancel it because they could get it faster elsewhere? I had this happen to one of my clients. The customer placed the order on Tuesday and arranged delivery for Saturday. On Wednesday, the customer cancelled his order.
This customer admitted to calling other companies after he had placed his order; even paying an additional $350 for shipping to receive the item the next day. What my client thought was fast shipping turned out to be not so fast after all.
Millennials Look For What Makes Their Lives Easier
Changes have come about with the Millennial’s perception of how and when to purchase products and how quickly we receive them. No longer is there a lag of 5 days for delivery after an order is placed. That mentality is for a by-gone era.
In today’s world, instant gratification is key for getting and keeping Millennial customers. Gone are the days of “patience is a virtue” and “all good thing come to those who wait.” The faster something can be obtained the better, no matter the cost to do so.
Related: 6 Essential Steps To Boost Your Customer Service
Convenience, Efficiency, and Speed Are At The Top Of A Millennial’s List When Working With You
Just the other day my husband mentioned a new local restaurant he wanted to try. Immediately I began searching for reviews on my phone to see what people were saying about the food, the service, and the atmosphere of the restaurant.
I easily found their Facebook Page, Yelp Reviews, and their website. With information I found in minutes, we made our decision to try out the restaurant the following weekend.
Searching for information on our phones is habit for most of us. Millennials, more than anyone else, are experts at it. This is the importance of a business’s on-line reviews.
Solicit reviews from customers at all times. Ask for their input on social media or via email after they purchase. Have these reviews on your website and social media pages for Millennials to easily access.
Millennials = Social Media
Millennials expect you to interact with others. They look for what you care about, want to learn about your products, and read your on-line reviews. They check out your social media pages for comments and interactions with customers.
Utilize Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media pages to showcase your business. Have links to your social media pages easily seen and accessible on your website.
Review your website and the internet frequently and see how your social voice is heard. Have someone outside of your business review your website and ask their opinion.
Does your website and social media reflect your business accurately? Does your website have distractions that take away from your product or service?
- Keep the focus on your content
- Use ads that will enhance your product or service, not distract from them
Appeal to Millennial’s Conscientiousness of the Environment
Millennials grew up recycling and are conscious of how they affect their environment. Millennials look for companies that have the same mindset as themselves. They will endorse, support, and follow a business in these areas.
- Connect your product or service to sustainability or solving a social or environmental issue.
- Donate a percentage of a purchase to a specific cause you support.
- Use social media to keep customers informed of what you support, your goals, and your progress.
- Send updates through newsletters on your progress and any new environmental issues you support.
Related: Why Lack Of Curiosity Will Put You Out Of Business
Have A Scannable and Easy To Read Website
Millennials can fact-check a business quickly. They ask friends, check on-line reviews, view information on your website, and check social media pages. These are just a few ways Millennials make a decision to purchase your products and services.
When Millennials make the decision to choose your business to make a purchase, make their use of your website as easily as possible.
- Use images to show Millennials how your product will make their lives easier, richer, happier.
- Have clear text links instead of picture links.
- Know how quickly your website loads on different browsers. A slow-loading website will discourage Millennials to wait and within seconds they will be moving on to another website.
Make Purchases Quick and Easy
- Ensure your website has enough information on your product or service to entice Millennials to purchase immediately.
- Keep information logical, easy to read, and in a clear, understandable format
- Use bullet points to describe a product or service
- Offer live chats with a customer service representative or instant email 24/7 instead of responding during traditional 9-5 hours.
- At checkout, offer your product or service for immediate download
- Offer same day, next day, and second day delivery services
- During the checkout process, keep the information needed to a minimum
- If your business doesn’t need information about income or whether they own or rent, don’t ask for it.
- Use Facebook or Google as a login and use Amazon Pay or Pay Pal to make a purchase faster.
Checkout Should Be Less Than 8 Seconds
Not sure how fast your ordering process is? Walk through your website as if you were making a purchase. Search for an item, add it to the cart, and check out. Once the decision to purchase is made, anything slower than an 8 second checkout, Millennials become frustrated and abandon the items in their cart.
This is also true for a brick and mortar store. Give the illusion of faster checkout by having more registers with shorter lines versus one long line. If Millennials perceive the wait to purchase an item as too long, they will abandon their purchase and go somewhere else that will give them faster service.
Keep Customers Coming Back For More
- Once a customer places an order, have an auto-responder email or phone text within 10 minutes or preferably immediately after their purchase.
- If you offer free shipping, Millennials will also expect free returns. Returns should be as easy as making the purchase.
- Are you a brick and mortar store? Offer purchases through your website with the option to pick up in store as well as offering delivery.
- Are you a service based industry? Offer the ability to make an appointment on-line.
When a customer makes a purchase, offer a sign-up to your newsletter. Then send an immediate response to thank them. In the acknowledgement response, send a free download or give free information.
Follow-up newsletters can include social media connections, new products or services, give discounts, rewards, and incentives to purchase again. Host a drawing or raffle or a contest to encourage customer engagement on your social media pages.
Do you know new and innovative ways to engage Millennials? Please share!
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