A report by Kantar TNS and Google shows that Filipinos perform 6 to 7 online searches before coming to a decision to purchase. Nowadays, Filipinos can easily find what they are looking for through a simple search on Google or even on Facebook. With search engine marketing or SEM, consumers have information at their fingertips that can guide them through their buying process.
For the uninitiated, SEM is a branch of internet marketing that is concerned with increasing a website’s online presence in search engine results pages to make consumers discover it more easily.
Understanding What Filipinos Search for Online
From choosing a restaurant to eat at, to purchasing baby care products, 37% of Filipinos from all walks of life — working professionals, millennials, stay-at-home moms — make an online search to get more information before they decide what and where to buy. Digital marketers aim to reach these people through search, but are they optimizing the right content?
According to a Google and Kantar TNS study, Filipinos typically search for reviews/feedback, product/brand info, and price/promotion.
With this in mind, here’s how you can tweak your own website so your customers don’t look anywhere else:
Filipinos Search for Reviews and Feedback
Most Filipinos search online for reviews and feedback on a product or business as part of their vetting process before purchasing. The digital journey of consumers typically starts with an interest in a specific product or business, which leads to a search for reviews and feedback to see if it will be worth their money, before coming to a decision. Feedback from friends and influencers weigh heavily in a consumer’s decision to purchase a product. Filipinos who are active on Facebook groups and online forums also ask for their community’s feedback to reinforce their intent to purchase.
For this reason, make sure your products have great product reviews and highlight positive feedback from happy customers. Including snippets of customer testimonials and product reviews in your SEM campaign can do wonders for your business!
Complete Product Information Helps Potential Customers Find Your Product
The internet is full of products. One way to stand out from all the clutter is to provide complete information about your products as part of your SEM campaign. This makes it easier for your potential customers to find pertinent information about your products, thus helping them make a purchasing decision. In fact, 29% of smartphone users will leave your site or app if they can’t find the information they are looking for within a few seconds. How short is your window of opportunity here? 40% of shoppers abandon a retail or travel site in 3 seconds or less.
The image above is an example of how you can provide complete product information without making your website too cluttered with text. Notice how the layout highlights an image of the product. This is a good use of the screen real estate to promote your product. Consumers typically want to see how the product looks like first before they read more information about it. The two text links, “Learn more” and “Buy” are succinct and makes the digital customer journey more seamless. It intuitively guides the customer to read more information about the product and subtly direct them to purchase it.
Pricing Can Make or Break the Sale
Filipinos love a good bargain. Majority of Filipinos search for a product’s price and relevant promotions to get a bargain. However, not all brands have the luxury of pricing their products competitively. So what can you do if your brand is one of these?
First, make sure to present your product pricing in a way that plays to the Filipinos’ mindset. When selling high value items, consider building the brand image and highlighting the product information that makes the pricing proportional to the value the consumers will get if they purchase your product.
For commoditized items, a simple pricing placement of showing how much they save when they buy from you can nudge them to purchase it from your business instead of somewhere else. In the image above, buyers can easily see that they are saving 69% off the regular price, helping them see the value of purchasing the product at a bargain.
Need help in getting you started with SEM? Hit us up at https://adspark.ph/contact-us/ and let us help your business increase its online visibility.
SOURCES:
Kantar TNS / Google (July 2017). Path to Purchase Insights. Retrieved from
http://think.storage.googleapis.com/docs/TWG-APAC-P2P-Research-%5BBaby-Care%5D.pdf
De Guzman, N. (August 12, 2017). Filipinos Make 6 to 7 Searches Before Purchasing, Study Says. Retrieved from
https://www.entrepreneur.com.ph/news-and-events/study-filipino-consumers-make-up-to-7-searches-before-purchasing-a1148-20170812
Kahn, S. (July 2017). They Search, You Score: Why Search Matters More Than Ever in APAC. Retrieved from
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-apac/tools-research/research-studies/they-search-you-score-why-search-matters-apac/
Newsbytes (August 9, 2017). Study: Pinoys do multiple online searches before purchase. Retrieved from
http://newsbytes.ph/2017/08/09/study-pinoys-do-multiple-online-searches-before-purchase/
Think with Google (September 2015). Speed is key: Optimize your mobile experience. Retrieved from
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/experience-design/speed-is-key-optimize-your-mobile-experience/
