People want what they want and they want it….. NOW!
Isn’t that the central premise behind why Amazon has thrived with their next day (even same day?) delivery?
Businesses that adapt and meet fundamental human needs and desires will beat a “this is how it’s always been done” business any day.
And one of the biggest areas of opportunity lies on the battleground of convenience.
Grocery shopping is inconvenient. It takes time to make a grocery list, drive to the store and shop. Enter Instacart. Make the list once, click a button and someone gets your groceries and delivers them straight to your door. Convenience.
Getting a massage can be a hassle because you’ve got to travel to the spa. That’s why the Soothe app immediately stands out. Open the app, pick a date and time and the massage therapist comes to you. A fantastic massage in the comfort of your home. Convenience.
Got mice in your house? Normally you’d call an exterminator right? That’s what we did and the guy immediately took care of the problem. But then he said, “You live in a wooded area. It’s inevitable that the mice will be back. Do you want me to just come by every month and ensure they never come back?”. Of course we do! That’s when we went from a one-time customer to a recurring customer on a monthly service plan. Now that’s a problem we never have to worry about again. Convenience.
Ask yourself…
What parts of the buying process cause friction?
What parts of the buying process annoy the customer and how could I make it easier?
Are there any steps in the process that can be automated or simplified?
How can I offer more personalized options to cater to individual customer needs?
What additional services or features could I offer to save customers time?
How could I make customer support more readily available and responsive?
Are there any aspects of my product or service delivery that could be streamlined?
Remember, when a customer is choosing between two options, the more convenient option will almost always win - and that’s what makes convenience an advantage.