Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Running a Web Hosting Business : How do you appeal to the custoer's 'emotional' side

[tash pop]

It's interesting how everyone is always trying to compete based on the 'OFFER'.

People make buying decesions on emotions not logic.. (that's a fact)

Did any of you consider how your company appeals to that emotional side of the buyer (if at all) in order to influence their purchasing decesion??

[mrzippy]

Our entire website is based on getting the customer to trust us with their business. I can't think of any way to sell effectively to our target market other then to use emotion.

(ie: Our target market mostly don't even know what "disk space" means. So we sell them on "safe with us" and similar emotions...)

[AL-Benjamin]

i'm a great believer in the theory that people buy from people. the obvious problem with this industry is that you can't use your people skills to bring across the company benefits etc.

so wherever possible we get people to contact us, get a dialogue going. As MrZippy says, try and get trust wherever you can.

I used to train sales staff for a well known UK high street bank and spent a lot of time on word patterns, and what you have to remember is that people buy benefits, not features. So show them what it can do for them, rather than it does.

- Benjamin

[Engelmacher]

Originally Posted by thebyp2

I used to train sales staff for a well known UK high street bank and spent a lot of time on word patterns, and what you have to remember is that people buy benefits, not features. So show them what it can do for them, rather than it does.

Probably true for the public at large, but if your goal is to attract a more knowledgeable crowd you're just going to annoy them away with a lot of obnoxious marketspeak that dances around the issues they really care about. I personally hate companies that assume I'm an idiot and force me to call or write them just to get some incredibly basic technical information, and nine times out of ten the people working there have no answers for me anyway.

[AL-Benjamin]

I'm fairly sure I didn't say to do any of what you have just said Engelmacher.

By all means avoid the stupid proactive this and synergy that type language, but there is nothing wrong with actually showing what something does.

[Engelmacher]

Originally Posted by thebyp2

I'm fairly sure I didn't say to do any of what you have just said Engelmacher.

By all means avoid the stupid proactive this and synergy that type language, but there is nothing wrong with actually showing what something does.

Originally Posted by thebyp2

So show them what it can do for them, rather than it does.

I could be off base in assuming there's an omitted "what" in between the "than" and the "it", but I'm at least as fairly sure I'm not. Of course what marketing copywriters mean and what they say are almost always two completely different things, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that it sounded completely different in your head before it came out.

[AL-Benjamin]

what, because you can't possibly have missunderstood?

[tash pop]

Originally Posted by thebyp2

people buy benefits, not features. So show them what it can do for them, rather than what it IS (you probably ment).
- Benjamin

Such a simple concept yet I can't believe how many companies (BIG companies) in this industry get it the wrong way around. Take a look at 10 hosting website and chances are that 9 out of 10 will sell features NOT benefits.

Benefits are not 'explanation of features for dummies' which is why I think alot of companies are reluctant to use them.

[Aussie Bob]

Originally Posted by tash pop

. . . Did any of you consider how your company appeals to that emotional side of the buyer (if at all) in order to influence their purchasing decesion??

I've always tried to get as personal as possible, as people do business with people, so getting personal is a must. It's the foundation I've built both my hosting businesses on.

[Aussie Bob]

Originally Posted by thebyp2

i'm a great believer in the theory that people buy from people.

Exactly! So get a pic of yourself on your site. Get some personal info up there too. The more personal you come accross, the better the connection to the potential client, as they're making their way to your order form.

I can't believe how many hosts don't have pics of them or their staff on their sites. Oh well, not that I'm complaining.

[nnwltrs]

What? Aussie Bob...are you saying that all the blonde phone operators standing by to chat with me aren't really employees of those hosting companies? I'm crushed.

Ok, I'm a girl. I could care less about the chat-chick. I totally agree that people buy benefits. But many people create their "short list" of potential hosts based on features or "best of" web sites. That makes it a catch-22 for hosts trying to attract business from the general public. They play the giga-feature advertising game, pay-to-play on the best-of sites, etc, and then try to convince people that they're honest and authentic. Touch way to make a living.

[tash pop]

[quote=nnwltrs;4456007]But many people create their "short list" of potential hosts based on features or "best of" web sites. [quote]

[tash pop]

Originally Posted by nnwltrs

But many people create their "short list" of potential hosts based on features or "best of" web sites.

I don't believe people print out feature lists of 5 hosts and compare them against each other (majority of people at least). As long as you demonstrate YOUR package is great value and you can meet their needs, you've satisfied first criteria.

#service, reliability are next on the list... They're all very 'abstract' concepts. How do you demonstrate service and reliability? By appealing to customers emotional side, by getting personal, getting them to trust you and giving valid explanations for all claims you make.

I hear all over the place small hosts complaining how they can't compete with big-fish because of their extraordinary disc/space allowances and bigger feature list. They need to get over it and start competing on what really makes a difference.

[nnwltrs]

Originally Posted by nnwltrs

Touch way to make a living.

I should really learn to spell. Meant "Tough" way to make a living.

Originally Posted by tash pop

I hear all over the place small hosts complaining how they can't compete with big-fish because of their extraordinary disc/space allowances and bigger feature list. They need to get over it and start competing on what really makes a difference.

Yup. Compaining only attracts other complainers, which is not a quality you want in your customers.