5 Types of Customers and How to Convert Each of Them

It can be frustrating to receive substantial traffic to your website with little to no sales to show for it.

And the truth is, your marketing efforts  — from SEO to referral marketing — will be in vain if you end up in a financial hole due to low conversion rates.

Converting visitors into loyal, repeat customers can be a tall order. This is especially true if you don’t understand the types of customers you attract and how best to handle them. 

Customers are grouped into different categories according to a variety of metrics. And to convert them, you must understand them.

Some businesses classify customers based on how they complain. Others are grouped according to their shopping needs. It can get as granular as grouping based on the connection between shopping intention and brand attitude.

Let’s dive into the five basic types of customers, what they mean for your business, and strategies to handle each type of customer effectively. 

1. Need-based Customers

The first and most common type of customer is the need-based customer. They know what they are looking for in a store and will often leave with nothing more than what they came for. It can be hard to upsell this type of customer, but it’s still doable.

A classic example of a need-based customer is a shopper entering a grocery store with a  shopping list. This buyer wants to get in and out as fast as possible, only buying what they need.

But need-based customers are even more common for eCommerce businesses since they typically find online stores through search queries for specific products.

So, as an eCommerce brand, you’ll need to work harder to upsell them — especially since they can see their running total every time they check their cart.

How to Convert and Upsell Need-based Customers

While it sounds tough to upsell a need-based customer, it’s still possible. Here are some steps to make this process easier.

1. Ensure their buying experience is hassle-free.

Since the need-based…