"The Essential Seven”- 7 Essential, Undeniable Buyer Expectations for 2021 and Beyond

If COVID has given me one thing, it’s time.

Time to think, ponder, and take a really hard look at the marketplace.

It’s also given me the ability to reflect on every business recommendation I’ve made over the years, be it on stage, in a book, or in a frank conversation with a CEO.

The case studies are there.

The evidence is overwhelming.

As I’ve reflected on these things, and attempted to boil down exactly what buyers want today—at least from a digital perspective when they're vetting the website of a company, product, or service—I’ve discovered it all comes back to seven desires—seven things they want to see, feel, and understand when they're on your website.

And I call them “The Essential Seven”

If you’re familiar with They Ask, You Answer or my new book, The Visual Sale—these may not come as a surprise to you.

But I’ve never been more sure of their importance.

The writing is on the wall.

And each is absolutely fundamental to your success in evolving WITH your customers.

So whether you’re a service, product, B2B, B2C, etc.—this list is for you. There are no exceptions. This is what we—the buyers and consumers—have decided:

The Essential Seven

1. Discuss Cost and Price, and allow for Self-Pricing calculators on the website (*regardless of whether you’re a service, product, B2B, B2C, etc.)

2. Show them frank, honest comparisons (of your products/services, as well as those of competitors)

3. Show them detailed, unbiased reviews of your products/services, emphasizing who the product or service Is and IS NOT a good fit for.

4. Give them the ability to self-identify and self-select the right products, options, etc. through interactive questions, tools, and configurators. (My team and I recommend Outgrow or Typeform for this)

5. Give them the ability to self-schedule. (again, from your website, without talking to a person, with a tool like Acuity)

6. Give them the ability to “meet” your people. (through website videos with subject matter experts, 1-1 video for email like Vidyard, social video, etc.)

7. Give them the ability to overcome their fear of buyer’s remorse (with free returns, guarantees, company “promises,” social proof, etc.)

That’s it.

Those are “The Essential Seven.”

And they’re not going away any time soon.

So my question for you is a simple one, and you must be honest:

How many of these are you doing/showing *well* on your company’s website right now?

Seriously, I'd love to hear your honest answers. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.