Understand What Influences Choice So That Customers Choose You!
Written by Ashley DeCarli
(5 min read)
Visiting a winery is inherently enjoyable. It’s one of the few activities you’ll find both residents and tourists of a wine region equally eager to partake in because it’s one of the best ways to appreciate wine and what a region has to offer. Despite a winery’s built-in draw, unfortunately the Field of Dreams mantra “If you build it, they will come” does not apply. We’re not trying to discourage you — far from it — but simply want to point out that if your winery resides in a popular wine region or in close proximity to a large city or tourist destination, your customers are sure to have plenty of wine experiences to pick from. The “winery factor” will only get you so far — you still have to work hard to convince customers to choose you over the competition. To do that, it’s critical you understand what a customer’s search process looks like and what factors influence their choice. That’s what we’re here to break down.
Let’s begin with the search process: Where do people start? What voices are they listening to? Where are they searching for information?
Search Process
People tend to lean on what’s familiar first. They look to wineries they’ve heard about from their friends, family or maybe even social influencers they follow on Instagram. Firsthand accounts from trusted voices hold a great deal of weight for a number of reasons but largely because they get a real sense of what they can expect.
Another familiarity factor is brand awareness. Residents might come across your wine regularly on the shelves of their favorite store. Tourists might have a glass of it at their hotel restaurant. Either of them may see your wine featured in a respected wine or travel publication and be more inclined to seek out an experience with you because they are aware of you AND because you appear to have a strong reputation. Advertising and social media content will contribute greatly to your brand awareness as well.
People who are looking for something new or are entirely unfamiliar with what’s available will turn to their good friend Google. A simple Google Search is the most common way customers come across your brand. The results will likely give them a number of websites, social media pages and professional articles to browse through. So hopefully your marketing and SEO are buttoned-up, your website is landing high on the page, and your winery is featured in almost every article they read.
In addition to Google, people look to social media, particularly Instagram and Facebook, as a search tool. They browse through your feed and the feed of expert voices to discover and learn about your offering.
While it’s possible that a trusted voice can compel people to make a choice on their recommendation alone, more often than not, the search process includes a combination of all of these things. Many customers will do a Google search, visit a winery’s website and scroll through their Instagram feed before making a decision.
Search Process in Summary
Trusted Voices
Brand Awareness/Reputation
Google Search/Website
Social Media Scan
Now let’s dive into decision-making: What are people looking for? What factors are they evaluating? What’s influencing their choice?
Decision-Making
Once people have discovered you, it’s time to decide whether or not to choose you. And while there are a number of factors impacting decisions that you just can’t control, such as driving distance from someone’s house or hotel, there are still so many other factors you can control. By far, the most important is your digital brand presence. As previously mentioned, customers are visiting your website and Instagram profile to learn more about you, and once there, the evaluation really begins.
They are paying close attention to your digital style and aesthetics — the design of your website, the style of photography in your Instagram feed, etc. — to get a feel for the atmosphere and experience they can expect from you. Style speaks without saying a word, so if your website and social media are not visually appealing, they will assume the same of your location and atmosphere. They are looking for an aesthetic that appeals to them and inspires them to visit.
Customers are also attempting to get a feel for a “connection,” so they’re looking for your brand story and personality as they browse through your website and social feed. The tone and information conveyed on your welcome page give customers a good sense of who you are and what makes you special. The content that comes to life in your social posts and blog pages will indicate if you have aligned values and interests. Details here will make all the difference.
And a visit is all about an experience, so customers are trying to understand what type of an experience they can expect from you. They are navigating to your Visit Us page and Instagram Story highlights to see what type of tasting and tours you offer and how they are unique. If your customers only find the hours of operation and directions, they’ll be disappointed and possibly dismiss you.
So what does this mean for you? What should you do to ensure customers choose you?
Your website and social accounts are essentially your digital litmus test. Make sure they provide an accurate representation of your brand and creatively inspire customer interest.
You have to create experiences that are shareworthy. Your customers are your biggest brand advocates, so when you give them experiences that are unique, memorable and enriching they will evangelize you.
Engage with trusted voices that have impact. Work with publications and influencers to deliver value to an audience you hope to reach.
Build brand awareness and boost your reputation by showing up in settings outside your winery. Getting your wine out in your community at events and in stores and restaurants.
If you need help influencing customers to choose you, let us know!
