In-store selling allows you to make useful observations, helping you to better understand the customer’s wants and needs and helping you to interpret ways to satisfy these needs. You’re able to answer questions immediately in person, observe if the customer seems confused and notice what the customer’s attention is focused on. In-person communication can also help you to use different selling tactics to sell the product / service based on customer objections.
Observing customers online is difficult since there’s no direct interaction with the consumer. There are now excellent online tools that allow you to collect data on where customers are looking on the website. One such tool is a heat map. A heat map is an excellent way to help you make positive changes to your marketing campaigns, selling tactics, advertisements, website element positioning, and web copy changes.
Heat maps track eye movement on a website page to show where viewers are looking the most. Knowing the key areas where consumers are focused allows you to understand where important links and information should go. “Hot spots” are color-coded areas on the webpage, showing where consumers are looking the most.
Let’s say there’s a great deal of eye movement toward a certain area of your site but not many clicks in this area. This is a hint that perhaps the link isn’t enticing enough to click or it’s not important to the user. At this point, you’d either change the phrasing of the link or switch the link with a more significant one. Heat maps can help you redesign your website and try new additions, replacements, and more.
A great website offering heat maps is Crazyegg.com. It provides heat map services for a low price.
