How well do you really know your users? You might think you have all the necessary information to make informed marketing decisions, but what if we told you there’s a deep well of data hiding in plain sight?
Cue anonymous users – people who engage with your website, app, or other digital property without handing over an email address or signing in.
Far from being lurkers, anonymous users are untapped goldmines. In fact, they’re typically more likely than known users to make a purchase within their first week of interacting with a brand. Plus, they’re equally receptive to marketing material. When you pay attention to anonymous users, the chance of them investing in your products or services increases fivefold!
We know what you’re thinking – how do you get to know someone who doesn’t want to be known? That’s where our clever customer engagement solutions can help. Before we explain more, let’s run through:
- What is an anonymous user?
- Why are anonymous users so important?
- What do we know about anonymous users?
- Four ways to engage anonymous users
What is an anonymous user?
Although we’ve briefly touched on the definition, it’s always helpful to have an example. Think about the last time you shopped online – companies often encourage you to create an account before paying.
Anonymous users are the “checkout as guest” brigade, preferring to purchase without divulging personal information. It doesn’t make them any less enthusiastic about your brand, but they’re harder to target.
In a nutshell:
- Anonymous users have non-existent or incomplete customer profiles, whereas known users have data-rich customer profiles.
- Anonymous users checkout as guests, whereas known users log in.
- It’s trickier to target anonymous users, whereas it’s easier to anticipate a known user’s wants and needs.
Why are anonymous users so important?
If it’s so challenging to cater to anonymous users, why bother? Ultimately, they make up a considerable chunk of your customer base.
Studies have suggested that the vast majority of active users on retail and ecommerce apps don’t actually make an account. That’s far too many people to simply ignore.
You don’t need to spend hours trawling through your website’s back-end to decipher anonymous data. Instead, choose an innovative customer engagement solution. 3radical’s digital engagement experts use a multi-pronged approach to transform information into viable and profitable marketing strategies.
What do we know about anonymous users?
In reality, anonymous users aren’t as anonymous as they think. When you look a little closer, there’s a treasure chest of knowledge just waiting to be unearthed. What you discover can then be used as signposts to guide your campaigns.
What we know about anonymous users:
- Browsing activity, including when they entered a website or app, which pages they visited, and how long they spent browsing
- Attribution source, or how they came to be on your website or app
- Device details, including app version, device model, and resolution
- Customer location
Keep reading as we reveal how to use this crucial information to engage anonymous users.
Four ways to engage anonymous users
1. Create trigger campaigns based on browsing activity
When you identify which web pages are popular with anonymous users, you can create trigger campaigns to boost engagement. For instance, you might observe that a user is especially interested in mobile phones and recommend complementary products like chargers and cases.
Or, you could automate a message when a user exceeds a specific browsing time. If someone spends 20 minutes on your website, they clearly find the content relevant and persuasive. Simply help them over the line with an offer they can’t resist!
Trigger campaigns shouldn’t be pushy – they need to add value to your anonymous users’ experience. This is especially true when prompting someone to make an account or sign-up for your newsletter. Highlight the benefits and reel them in with rewards.
2. Pinpoint and invest in popular attribution sources
Attribution marketing is a complex beast. In short, it’s about understanding which channels are generating leads and why. An attribution source is an entry point to your website or app. They include social media platforms, blog posts, webinars, and paid ads.
How does knowing about an attribution source engage anonymous users? Let’s say most people visit your website from Instagram. Firstly, this demonstrates that your customers are more likely to engage with highly visual content. Then, it’s a solid incentive to dedicate more resources to the platform. Pinpointing popular gateways means you can streamline and personalize your marketing efforts.
Attribution sources also reveal how anonymous users like to communicate. Blog readers probably won’t mind chunky newsletters, while Twitter users might have a shorter attention span. Use this information to get your point across in the least disruptive way.
3. Tailor your tone for different locations
Did you know your brand voice has a significant impact on customer engagement? There’s no point in sending a personalized marketing message using witty British idioms to someone outside the UK, for example.
With digital customer engagement solutions, you can find out where your anonymous users are based, when they visit your website or app, and what language they speak. Consequently, you’ll have all the information you need to create promotional material that hits the right notes.
4. Optimize the user experience across devices
Knowing what devices your anonymous users avoid might signal that you need to optimize your UX. Perhaps, people are spending less time browsing from mobile devices? Is there an issue that’s creating a barrier to purchase?
Streamlining the user experience across devices will supercharge engagement from both anonymous and known users. Prioritize fast loading times, easy navigation, and accessibility for maximum impact.
Convert anonymous users with 3radical’s customer engagement solutions
At 3radical, our customer engagement solutions move beyond in-your-face data. Instead, we prefer to dig deeper and uncover valuable insights. Our multifaceted approach promises to motivate buyers, build loyalty, and empower advocacy. Best of all, we present our findings in an easy-to-digest way, so you have all the tools needed to succeed.
Want to learn more? Don’t hesitate to contact us today. One of our friendly team members will be in touch shortly.