Micro-moments emerged through consumer behaviors driven by smartphone culture. We have the world’s wealth information literally in the palms of our hands. Consumers have become entitled and expect to get accurate information in seconds catered directly to their needs. Google introduced us to the term micro-moments to define these new smartphone-influenced behaviors. Google has split these micro-moments into three categories that help us understand consumers and target our marketing efforts in the right directions.
3 Types of Micro-Moments
Want to Go
This category defines people that are looking for businesses in the local area. They may be searching for a restaurant that is vegan-friendly or an auto repair shop after a fender bender. People under this micro-moment are searching for a physical business to visit that will give them exactly what they want. These people are searching for things by zip code, city name, and with nearby keywords in their search queries. Users expect for their technology to use their location to give them the most relevant search results.
Want to Buy
Want-to-buy consumers are those people who just can’t help themselves but buy things on a whim. These people are surfing the internet because they want to spend their money. They may be wanting to buy a new pair of shoes or wanting to buy a car. They use their Google searches as a personal sales rep to learn everything and in minutes have intent to purchase. All product information should be easily accessible, and purchasing options should be simple, fast, and personalized.
Want to Do
Want-to-do micro-moments increase with the rise in DIY culture. These moments are not about purchasing a product or service but rather they are a means to give consumers step-by-step instructions on completing a task. Consumers may be searching for steps to installing a new toilet or information on building their first home. One of the best outlets for this type of moment is YouTube, a place where DIYers congregate to learn a new skill or task through a video demonstration.
Be on the First Page
Consumers searching on Google are not likely to go past the first page of results. So, if you are not near the top of the results, then you will not have high traffic to your website leading to fewer leads and lower sales. Consumers will choose the top results because Google has deemed them more relevant. They do not have the patience to scroll through hundreds of search results to find your business. If you take into account all three categories of micro-moments and implement them into your marketing strategy, you will be closer to every business’s goal of being on the first page of search results. Always give your prospective consumer what they want how they want it.
