How to identify Buying Motives and increase Online Sales: 7 Tips

We like to shop on the internet 24/7. Around 59.2 billion euros were realized in this way in Germany in 2019. For several years now, online shopping has been gaining in importance and numerous online shops show a steadily growing variety of products. While it is clear with the 11% increase in sales compared to the previous year that e-commerce is booming, the exciting question arises: why do customers actually buy online? In a survey, more than half of the respondents said they go online shopping because of the low prices, closely followed by the large variety of products.

What other reasons are there behind clicking the “buy now” button and how can online retailers take advantage of these buying motives? Let’s deep dive into these questions.

What are buying motives?

A buying motive is an emotional or rational reason for deciding to buy a product or service. From advertising psychology, we now know that customers have different reasons for buying, which you should care about as an online retailer. A buying motive shows the reason for a purchase, but also the decision between several products.

An emotional or subjective reason to buy is based on the feelings of the consumer. A rational purchase motive, on the other hand, shows up as an objective decision where the customer can justify his action.

Why should online retailers care about buying motives?

Those who understand the buying motives of customers can take more targeted measures so that they are strengthened in their intention, receive an incentive to buy or a buying motive is awakened. The first priority is to put the customer’s benefit in the foreground. What are the customers’ needs? What challenges do they face and how can the product offered provide the solution? The purchase of a product or the commissioning of a service serves either to experience something positive or to avoid something negative. From this, the following seven buying motives can be derived, which online retailers should understand and subsequently use in a targeted manner.

7 buying motives that online retailers use to increase their sales

We know that customers have different touchpoints with the shop during the customer journey. Even if there is already a purchase motive: the interaction during the purchase process ultimately decides whether visitors become happy customers or shopping cart abandoners. If you know the motives, you can start right here and increase the conversion rate.

Buying Motive: Prestige / Esteem

To be perceived and recognised is a central desire of most people. Self-esteem plays a major role in this. We strive for a status that is highly valued by society and are looking for “something special”. Products and services should therefore be unique and individually tailored to the customer. The buying motive is specifically supported with the following measures to increase sales:

• VIP service
• limited number of items
• special services
• personalised communication

Sample text for the product description:

1. “Exclusive for true connoisseurs.”
2. “Exquisite selection for successful people.”
3. “Unique quality that is second to none.”

Buying Motive: Security

Security is a basic need regardless of age, gender and marital status. This is shown to be elementary in both the private and professional spheres. In order to feel secure, it is important to be able to plan and predict. We like to keep control over events. Risks and dangers. So if you don’t feel safe when shopping online, you will most likely become a shopping cart abandoner or not even start the buying process. Safety is a strong and rational buying motive and can be created with these means:

• durable products
• Guarantees
• Seals of quality such as Trusted Shops
• Certificates and scientific studies
• take-back guarantee
• Secure payment methods
• SSL encryption

Sample text for the product description:

1. “You get a 5-year warranty from us.”
2. “With our 24-hour support, we are always there for you.”
3. “We offer you a spare parts guarantee.”

Buying Motive: Profit / Savings

Saving money in order to achieve the greatest possible profit. This is true in B2C as well as in B2B. In this rational reason for buying, the financial side of the product or service plays the main role. When the feeling of securing an advantage and being successful increases, the chance of a purchase increases. Sales can be increased here as follows:

• stand out from the competition in terms of price
• guarantee no follow-up costs
• individual conditions on request
• offer payment terms with advantages (e.g. cash discount)

Sample text for the product description:

1. “You save 15% on the original price.”
2. “When you buy, you get a second product for free.”
3. “You always get the best price at no extra cost.”

Buying Motive: Good Conscience

Those who make a purchase with a good conscience will usually neither become shopping cart abandoners nor return the product. On the contrary: if customers complete a purchase with a good feeling and are convinced that they have done something good, they are more likely to become regular customers and recommenders. Online retailers can inspire a good conscience, although the offers should of course fit the company philosophy and the target group:

• environmentally friendly products
• sustainable and fair manufacturing conditions
• regional reference
• donations through the purchase of the product

Sample text for the product description:

1. “100% made from green energy.”
2. “No animal testing!”
3. “Environmentally friendly packaging made from recycled materials.”

Buying Motive: Curiosity

Contrary to the motivation for security, many people simultaneously long for adventure, for gaining new experiences and taking (calculable) risks. Products and services that are met with the buying motive of curiosity should always provide a change from the familiar or give a new impulse to a familiar situation. This can be reinforced with:

• novelties
• new investments
• innovative developments
• certifications

Sample text for the product description:

1. “Experience the new feeling yourself.”
2. “Absolute world first for even more sales.”
3. “The new generation for the best certified performance ever.”

Buying Motive: Comfort

Today’s everyday life places high demands on our concentration, resilience and comprehension. That’s why many online shoppers shy away from the effort of having to deal with a product or service for a long time. They want to be as comfortable as possible. Therefore, it is important to offer online shop visitors the most comprehensive services possible, a fast sales process and an easy checkout to prevent them from abandoning the purchase:

• free shipping and returns
• Set-up service
• service repairs
• fast delivery service
• personalised newsletter pop-ups for easy sign-up

Sample text for product description:

1. “Buy today, pay tomorrow.”
2. “We deliver free of charge directly to your door.”
3. “With us you get the all-round carefree package.”

Buying Motive: Health

Health is a high priority in our society. Nutrition, fitness, a healthy sleep and a good work-life balance are among our goals and continue to be so into old age. Maintaining or restoring these is a strong reason for purchase among all age groups, and in many cases even becomes particularly urgent once a problem has been identified. The issue of beauty also plays a role here. It is important that the products and services can really bring a health benefit. These can then be placed in the foreground as follows:

• organic products
• free of additives
• gluten-free, lactose-free, sugar-free
• unique manufacturing processes for improved efficacy
• nutritional profiles
• studies on proven benefits

Sample text for product description:

1. “Free from any additives for pure enjoyment without remorse.”
2. “Provides enhanced performance and improved regeneration.”
3. “Visibly reduces wrinkles in seconds and moisturises throughout the day.”

Recognising Shopping Cart Abandonment Reasons

Knowing the motives for buying answers the question about the motives for buying. But it also helps to answer the question of why customers do not buy. The question in the foreground is: Why does the customer leave the filled shopping cart?

The uptain® ALGORITHMUS knows the purchase motives, recognises the individual reason for each shopping cart abandonment and gives the visitor personalised purchase incentives with the help of exit intent pop-ups and abandonment emails.

Determine characteristics

With the help of multi-layered data, the uptain® ALGORITHMUS determines all information that influences purchase abandonment and the purchase decision, such as age, affinity for technology and online purchasing experience.

If a visitor uses a Gmail account, this information speaks for a young age. On the other hand, a visitor with a t-online email address and a pre-installed browser is likely to be older and not technically affine.

Identify reason for abandonment

In the next step, the uptain® ALGORITHMUS calculates the reasons for abandonment and the interest of your visitors and distinguishes, for example, between customers in need of service and price-sensitive customers.

Price sensitivity is indicated when a younger visitor comes from a price comparison portal and has been on the website for a while. Service neediness, on the other hand, is when a visitor has no affinity for technology and is somewhat older.

Personalised message

Based on the identified reasons for abandonment and interests, the uptain® ALGORITHMUS generates individualised content that addresses the problems of the abandoner and the wishes of the prospective customer and provides them with the best possible support.

Depending on the reason for abandonment and the website visitor, a distinction is made between shopping basket reminders and telephone, WhatsApp and e-mail services. For customers who are particularly price-sensitive, it is also possible to display individual vouchers depending on the amount in the shopping basket.

Those online retailers who manage to respond to the different reasons for buying with the measures presented will ensure a long-term increase in sales, build up regular customers and turn them into referral sources. Therefore, it is important to know the buying motives of one’s own target group and to ask oneself the question: “Why do customers buy?” A precise analysis of the customers is therefore elementary in advance. What is important to customers in a product? What characteristics must it have? How must the solution to a challenge present itself? Those who recognise the buying motives can then incorporate the measures into the marketing strategy.

Those online retailers who manage to respond to the different reasons for buying with the measures presented will ensure a long-term increase in sales, build up regular customers and turn them into referral sources. Therefore, it is important to know the buying motives of one’s own target group and to ask oneself the question: “Why do customers buy?” A precise analysis of the customers is therefore elementary in advance. What is important to customers in a product? What characteristics must it have? How must the solution to a challenge present itself? Those who recognise the buying motives can then incorporate the measures into the marketing strategy.