estore digital advertising

ZMOT – whether you’ve heard this or not you’re probably thinking: not another term to add to the tedious marketing literature! Fondness of acronyms notwithstanding, ZMOT may represent the most important change to marketing in the past decade.

A quick Google search for mobile and web usage will show you that they’re on such a rise that it is predicted that by 2015 there will be more mobile phones than people on the planet. We know that web access is changing too; by 2014, more people will open a website for the first time on a mobile device than a desktop computer.

So what is ZMOT and why is it relevant?

ZMOT stands for the “Zero Moment Of Truth”, coined by Google it describes the ‘new’ first step that is now occurring in the consumer decision making process.  Sound familiar? Procter and Gamble coined the First Moment of Truth (FMOT) describing the first point of interaction a customer has when they pick up a product off the shelf and decide whether to purchase it. Smart devices have seen consumer’s connection with the ZMOT flourish.  Access to rich, comparative product information anywhere, anytime, means many of us have significant interaction with a brand or product well before we decide to purchase, and that’s if we arrive in-store at all.

ZMOT The Consumer Decision Making Process

Graphic From Think With Google

ZMOT, How to Make Friends and Influence Consumers.

Think of the last time you thought of buying a high involvement item (a laptop for example). You probably went online, checked out what other consumers who had purchased this product had to say, and compared prices and specs at many different stores and platforms like GetPrice, MyShopping, Google Merchant and eBay. This torrent of information likely influenced your decision well before you chose to buy. This is ZMOT in action.

A Google moments of truth study showed that the average number of sources consulted before making a decision nearly doubled from 5.3 in 2010 to 10.4 in 2011. This is further backed by statistics that show that 54% of people comparison shop for products before buying and 37% of people saying that online reviews are a key driver when making purchase decisions.

So if you want to succeed in the marketplace, recognizing your customer’s zero moments of truth and optimising for them is crucial.

Here are the top 5 tips we recommend to increase your chance at winning at the ZMOT:

1. Think Mobile Influence:

Make sure your website is mobile compatible and the user experience provides a low barrier to key information, pricing, specifications and even purchasing. This is crucial if you don’t want your customers to leave your store for another, online or offline.

2. Equivalent In-Store Information:

Ever seen a customer on his or her mobile inside a store? Guess what they are doing, shopping elsewhere. Ensure you list all logical product information clearly so they will only go mobile to shop for price. Consider including a QR code next to the product so customers who want more information are directed to your website.

3. Old World Customer Service:

I own the digital agency AndMine, https://www.andmine.com/, and I know there are only two things offline does better than online. Hands down everything else is better online. Firstly, you can touch and feel the item, pretty obvious. Second and this is often overlooked, service and care for your customers. This is they key point of differentiation with an online store. ‘Show the love’ to your customers and care about the outcomes of their purchases. Make sure all customers feel like the in-store experience is a truly worthwhile one.

4. Engage with these zero truth moments:

Answer the questions people are asking online with honest videos and feedback. Follow up any negative comments on review websites/social media and search engine optimise these moments of truth questions.

5. Personal Follow Ups for ZMOT:

 Go the extra mile and personally follow up customers after purchase to see if they are satisfied and if there is anything else you can do for them. This could be a phone call if they purchased in store, a personalised email or a little upgrade/offer in their package if they purchased online. This little bit of extra effort will make you memorable, show you care and buy you that all-important positive sentiment most companies want online.

A Study by The International Telecommunications Union has estimated that 56.5% of people in developed nations have mobile broadband subscriptions, with some nations above 80% including Australia. No wonder I’ve noticed so many people zero-truthing on their phones in-store lately!

By now you can hopefully see why ZMOT is regarded as the newest indicator of success or failure for nearly every product in the world. By following the tips above you should be well on your way to keeping, if not improving, your current market position. Good Luck!

Want to learn More? Download the ZMOT Handbook from Google.

OR

Contact Andmine Digital Agency for more information on ZMOT and many more services provided by us. Fill in our contact form or simply call us for all kinds of services and advice.

Michael Simonetti
Posted by:

Post Reads: 15.1K

Share this

Go on, see if you can challenge us on "ZMOT: The Zero Moment of Truth and Consumers" - Part of our 168 services at AndMine. We are quick to respond but if you want to go direct, test us during office hours.

Add Your Comment

Trusted by

Crumpler
Focus On Furniture
Natralus Australia
Arthur Galan
AC/DC
DeeWhy Market
Cleanfit
Viktoria & Woods
Uber
Dinosaur Designs
Gadens
131 Pizza
Atlantic Group of Companies
Loan Market
Tribe
CSquared Executive
Grow Your Business
Grainshaker
Bulk Nutrients
Telstra
Aqium Gel
Tassal
Amino Active
Peter Mac
Rackspace
The Canberra Times
Ello
Passage To India
The Royal Melbourne Hospital
Oracle
TPP
Melbourne Central
Magento Solution Specialist
HGG 
Rydges
Fairfax Media
Max’s
Gilbert+Tobin
RMIT University
ADP Payroll
The Fortune Institute
Macmillan Publishing
Australian Organic Food CO
Hanover
DUSA, Deakin University Student Association
NGS Super
Royal Freemasons
DepSkin.com
MAP
Melrose MCT
Watches of Switzerland
Drupal
QV Skincare
Xavier
Castran Gilbert
Marshall White
Palace Cinemas
Cooper Mills
PranaOn
Buy Aussie Now
Schiavello
Mecca Brands
Jalna
WTFN
Vendor Advocacy Australia
iPrimus
ISO CERTIFIED 27001
Van Egmond Group
Engine Swim
Ego Pharmaceuticals
Toy World
Jetstar
Tek Ocean
ISO Certified
Australian Government
Boston Consulting Group
Street Kitchen
Matchbox Homewares
Google
Toni&Guy
Beaumont
SunSense Digital Agency
Taylor Rose
Tomorrow Stars Basketball
Rock Pool Group
Elucent
Ubertas Group
Metricon
Bintani Australia
Eway
NextTech
Cronos Australia
Mark Alexander Design
Naturtint
Bigcommerce
Vitura Health
Bostik
King Wood Mallesons
Federation Square
ABC
Bondi Sands
Fit My Car
Movember
Appstore
Australian Physiotherapy Association
GooglePlay
Banki Haddock Fiora
Scrum.org
Maxine
Adobe Professional
MyAccount
High Street Armadale
Paypal
Chia
Acquia Certified Site Builder Drupal
Novvi
The Age
Florsheim Shoes
Carlton Football Club
Moov Head Lice
LBG Australia and New Zealand
Oakdale Meat Co
NMI Insurance
James Buyer Advocates
Magento
CB Richard Ellis
Heat Holders
Fast.co
Craft CMS
GPT Group
Switzer Media+Publishing
Plants
One Shift
Coles
Madman Entertainment
National Relay Services
Kay&Burton
Dial Before You Dig
POSTER Magazine
Arc One
Wild Rhino Shoes
Windsorsmith
Sports Power
Hairhouse Warehouse
Positive Poster
Shell
Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre – MSAC
Fresh Cheese Company
Mamma Lucia
National Museum of Australia
SMH – The Sydney Morning Herald
Smart Company
OJAY
Melrose Health
SwinBurne University of Technology
Liveoneday
Think & Grow Rich Inc
Green St Juice CO
Celebrate Health
Federation University Australia
Forbes
Australian Anthill
OMS – Order Management System
BlackMores
Inferflora
Parker Lane
Herbert Smith Freehills
Bank of Cyprus
Catholic Insurance
Plan It Sync It
The Burger Cheese
Grays Ecommerce
Kadac
Macpherson Kelley
McArthur Skincare
Victorian Government
Cell Therapies
Unsw Australia
Garmin
Brisbane Times
Engineers Without Borders
Associated Press
Instant RockStar
News
21st Century Australia Party
Ebay
Thomson Geer
Etihad Stadium
VISSF
The University Of Melbourne
Passage Foods
ACTUATE IP
CAN- Common Wealth Bank
Sunday Creek
French Tables
Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals
Melbourne Heart
White Suede

Testimonials

We decided to make the commitment and drop Traditional Marketing like Yellow pages and trial AndMine's Website Development, Design and Email Marketing Services. We never looked back and business is always booming. We certainly would not have been able to grow our business to where it is today without AndMine. Monika & Ellen, The Depskin Centre

More Testimonials
AndMine-Google-Partner-Signature