[Pain Points] Why must your customers suffer for you to increase your e-commerce sales?

The foundation of any sale is to solve a problem or meet a need. Somebody needs something and they buy a product to satisfy that need.
However, it’s not always easy for them to realize that they need something or that your product is there to solve that problem. That’s exactly when pain points can be useful.

Perhaps you don’t know what they are or how they can help you increase sales?

Then you’ll want to read this post because properly using pain points is essential for any marketing strategy you may use.
Let’s get started (it won’t hurt a bit). 😉

What are pain points?

Let’s start with a definition:

Pain points, as used in marketing, are defined as the needs, wishes, or worries (real or perceived) that clients have and that could be solved by buying your product.

A simple example: clients need to buy a present (or help Santa), but they don’t have time to go shopping because they work until late at night.
What’s problem do they have? They actually have two:

• Choosing the correct present.
• A lack of time to go buy it.

If you have an online shop that sells perfumes, clothes, or toys, and if you can guarantee a 24-hour delivery, you are solving both: they can buy the right present without wasting time having to go out and buy it.
Is it clear now?
It’s about being in the right place at the right time and giving your customer exactly what they need.

Important

There’s an important thing to note before you start learning to identify them – even though they are called pain points, they don’t always hurt and don’t need to represent a negative feeling.
A pain point is whatever unsettles your target audience, either good or bad. Have a look at this commercial from the Spanish rental car Company Sixt:

https://youtu.be/1fsrsipSNIA

They identified a pain point and used it to differentiate themselves from the competition.
OK, time to dig a bit deeper!

Why and how can you show your clients their pain?

We have repeatedly mentioned the importance of knowing your buyer persona well.
When you know what really worries them, you can:

• Offer them what they really need.
• Send them the solution through their preferred channel.
• Send them their favorite content.
• And much, much more!

Let’s imagine that you have an online shop with products for babies.
A mother with a newborn presents clear pain points: she wants the baby to eat well, sleep better, cry less, etc.
Although we’re talking about pain points, it’s not about telling her “your baby is crying because you’re a bad mother who doesn’t buy our products.” By saying that, you’d only get rejection, which is why you must be careful so as not to cross the line.
However, you can tell them this:

• Pain Point: Does your baby cry from gases and you can’t find relief?
• Solution: See how peacefully your baby sleeps thanks to our anti-colic gas-reducing pacifier.

If you know what unsettles them, you can present your product as a solution to the situation behind their worries.

How can you find out your client’s pain points?

Research, research, research.
Here you have some ideas to help you become the Sherlock Holmes of e-commerce and to better define the exact profile of your customers.

1. Observe them “in real life”

You probably work in a specific sector because of your own personal experience. If you sell fitness products, you surely know about sports and likely practice some.
If you have the chance to be with your clients, use it to:

• Check what they do or comment on.
• Talk to them – about whatever. You will get some ideas for your editorial calendar and you may even get an idea to sell a product through affiliates.
• Ask them about their preferences regarding the products you sell.

And keep a good record of everything you hear. 😉

2. Listen (or read)

When managing an online store, it should be pretty clear to you just how powerful the Internet is as a means of communication, don’t you think?
So use it to:

• Read the comments they post to your blog.
• Review what they say on your competitors’ websites.
• Join Facebook groups or specialized forums.
• Do research on social networks.
• Ask questions directly on your website or your Fan Page.

There are plenty of people willing to share their opinion.

3. Use technology

Tools such as Google Analytics or statistics on social networks provide a lot of information about the behavior of those who visit your online shop.
If you still don’t use this incredible (and free) tool, here you have a Mega Guide about Google Analytics so you don’t waste even a second.
With all the information this tool provides, you’ll be able to draw up a detailed profile about your ideal client and will be able to offer them your products in a more suitable way.

Types of pain points in an e-commerce: how to hit them where it hurts

Now that we know what points of pain your customers have, e need to learn how to deal with them.
In order to do so, we need to take into account the “sensitivity” of the different types we may come across.

1. The financial point

When you open up your e-commerce, you essentially have two options to establish your price strategy:

• Low prices (aiming for high sales volumes).
• High prices (to position yourself because of the quality).

One option isn’t better than the other, at least at first.
If you are using the first option, use discounts as pain points and intensify them by adding a rush factor (e.g. “this discount will disappear in an hour”).
However, if you are using the second option, you can use the product’s exclusivity or its added value compared to what your competitors offer.

Recommended post

What is pricing and what pricing strategy you have to use to get the most for your products

2. The convenience and comfort point

Everyone has daily problems or uncomfortable situations (more or less important) that they want to solve, even if we don’t always realize that’s the case.
As an e-commerce owner, you can tell your clients how your products solve a specific uncomfortable situation.
Here you have a very clear example. 😀
Does your toilet paper holder have a shelf for your phone?

3. The customer journey point

Do you remember this post about the Customer Experience?

We talked about the customer experience when we talked about the range of feelings that clients get when they physically, rationally, or emotionally interact with any part of a company.

Think about it as a journey that clients start when they search for information about a product on the Internet and then decide to buy it from an online shop.
Have a look at the whole process:

• Clients type a product name into Google.
• They click on 4 or 5 links.
• They read the product descriptions on each website.
• They compare conditions, prices, shipping dates, guarantees, etc.
• Finally, they buy the product from your shop.

Now think about the reasons behind them choosing your shop instead of one of your competitors.

• Could it be that your website loads faster?
• Maybe your website is responsive and they visited it from their mobile device?
• Maybe your products cards made them feel something?
• Could it be that your payment method looks more trustworthy or is easier to use?
• Did they ask you about a product and you provided a quick response?
• Did you have available stock and were able to ship the products immediately?
• Some other reason?

All of those things can also become pain points to be attacked.

• Do you need a gift right now? We ship all of our products in 24 hours.
• Not sure about what to get for your mom? No problem, all of our products are filtered by relationship, interest, and age.
• Still have doubts about a product? We’re here to help you – contact us at this number and speak with a real human!

See?
The very way you run your store can also generate pain points.

4. The beauty point

You must be sick of seeing ads about getting thinner that use such phrases as:

• Lose weight with the [insert this week’s popular diet here] diet and feel attractive again.
• Lose 10 pounds and go back to wearing those jeans you used to love.
• Lose weight without starving yourself.

Beyond the fact that everyone wants to be beautiful, there is also the “how” to really achieve it. Have a look at the third example we mentioned: “without starving yourself”.
These are also pain points:

• Get it easily.
• Results in just a few days.
• Don’t waste time on this or that.

As you can see, there are many tools to play with when targeting your clients’ pain points.

Bonus point: what to do after attacking the pain

Show the product as the solution to their problems. To that end, you can use a very powerful tool that we’ve already mentioned in other posts: copywriting.
Use the power of words (and images and videos) to highlight the benefits of your products and how they are going to change your clients’ day-to-day lives.

Related posts

E-commerce copywriting: convert your text into your strongest selling force
Product cards: How to use them to increase conversion in your online shop

Do you already know how to use your clients’ pain points?

As you can see, it’s not about putting extreme pressure on your customer’s pain points, but rather showing them that your products can solve their problems.
Make an effort to get to know your buyer persona, use empathy, and with a little help from copywriting… you’re bound to see results. 😉