Amazon knew in the early years that making buying easier is essential to long-term success.
They created and patented 1-Click checkout in September of 1999. Although the patent has expired and had to withstand challenges, it is emblematic of Bezos’ marketing genius and business mantra:
How can I make purchasing as simple as possible for our Amazon customers?
Today you can buy through their DASH buttons that are available as physical buttons or for your screen. You can even ask Alexa to reorder the monthly pet food, and it is instantly on its way.
Amazon’s goal is to avoid making the customer jump over hurdles.
What’s your 1-Click?
Businesses need to find their version of one click.
It could be automatic shipments or subscription services that require a click on the word YES.
It can be one call to one person in an organization who can make the order happen, even if another department (like credit) needs to be involved.
If you are asking me to set up an account right away, it might be too much trouble if I have to jump through hoops. If you are asking me to provide you with a lot of information, I may decide it is too big a hassle. If I have to click through many screens, on different pages and is hard to read or understand – you may have lost an opportunity.
How Often Do You Buy from Yourself?
When was the last time you followed an order from start to finish and watch the customer’s hurdles? Have you recently bought from your business or listened in on a transaction?
A friend recently shared a story.
For almost a year, he and his colleagues were trying to convince his CEO to update their shopping cart technology. The investment was expensive, and his CEO was reluctant because business was growing.
One day, his CEO wanted to buy some outdoor hiking gear. The company sold consumers apparel, and he tried to purchase several items in a few different categories. As the CEO went through the buying cycle, he was amazed that it took him more than ten minutes to check out because of a quirky way orders flowed to check out.
He had been told about this problem several times, but until he experienced it first hand, it didn’t see the value in the investment to fix the problem. Today, that problem is no longer exists.
There is power in first-hand experiences.
How often do you and your colleagues see, observe and live your customer’s purchase hurdles? Are you making it difficult for them to give you money? What could be eliminated or delayed to make the process simpler?
What’s your version of 1-Click shopping?
Need marketing advice? Looking for guidance to improve how customer’s purchase from your brand? You can set up a time to chat using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free and we can explore if working together makes sense. Try my new chat feature on my site if you have a quick question.
Photo by ALP STUDIO on Unsplash
