If you’ve been to any of MoreVisibility’s Google Workshops you may remember hearing about ZMOT – or the Zero Moment of Truth. ZMOT is the moment when a consumer decides to make their purchase. “Go-time,” if you will. In order to be on the other end of the conversion, and be present during ZMOT, you need to fully understand your customer, what are they looking for and when they need it.
Similar to ZMOT are micro-moments – and they are changing the game altogether. The fast-paced, mobile world we live in has made it more difficult to predict user behavior. People are constantly on-the-go and longer sessions spent online have transformed to fragmented sessions on multiple devices spread throughout the day. In the world of instant gratification, folks quickly turn to their device to get what they need. We’ve all heard someone say: “I’ll Google it.” They do and – Boom – an answer is served in 0.48 seconds, if not sooner. These micro-moments are happening at a furious rate and it’s imperative that you are positioned properly to be right there when they occur.
Still unsure about what a micro-moment is? It’s quite simple. During your day, you ask yourself hundreds of questions which might lead you to perform an online search. These moments are all considered micro-moments.
Want-to-know moment: How do I fix my lawn mower?
Want-to-go moment: How much are flights to Paris?
Want-to-do moment: What is the top Business school in my state?
Want-to-buy moment: Where can I get the best pizza in my city?
To succeed in a micro-moment world you have to:
- Be There. Understanding your audience and their needs will help in knowing the channels where you must be present to reach them when they need you.
- Be Useful. Aside from just showing up, you need to connect with people when they’ve found you and provide relevant information when they need it. Content is king here.
- Be Quick. Remember my earlier words, “instant gratification?” When presenting a product or service to a consumer, speed is key. Be sure to eliminate any unnecessary steps in the conversion process and deliver, deliver, deliver. Otherwise you risk losing that prized conversion.
Another thing to note is that in order to win at micro-moments you also need to remember 3 words: Connect the Dots. Prospective customers move across many devices while they navigate the road to a conversion. Make sure your marketing strategy connects the dots between all screens, all channels and even all of your internal teams. The left hand always needs to talk to the right. If you have a digital team, a local store or a call center you’ll want to ensure that tight collaboration, communication and organization lives between them. This will help create a positive journey for your customer and a positive journey will almost always bring them back.
