Micro-moments for macro-results
Isn’t it strange that there are never enough hours in a day, but always too many days in a week? At some point, you realise that adult life consists of your fellow humans whining about not having enough time. And thanks to time being stingy, you’re forced to hear and read terrible phrases like “You only live once” and “Live, laugh, love”.
But it’s true. One moment you’re burying your icky sandwich spread lunch in the sandbox and the next you’re shopping for new teeth.
How often do you hear, “It was my dream wedding, but it went by so fast” or “It feels like yesterday that my son was born and now he’s graduating from university”?
What are micro-moments?
Micro-moments are the marketer’s version of the “Life’s too short” enigma and consist of fleeting moments during which consumers act on a need.
There are five types of micro-moments:
- I want to learn something.
- I want to do something.
- I want to find something.
- I want to watch something.
- I want to buy something.
And guess what? None of these moments follows a consistent, defined purchasing pattern. In other words, any person can have any micro-moment at any given time, so you must be careful when it comes to how you place your UX strategy around it.
According to NG Data, consumers experience an average of 150 micro-moments daily. That’s ±150 opportunities for billions of companies to impact one person.
How to incorporate micro-moments in your UX strategy
1. Consult those who know
Brainstorm with your team about how your ideal user can reach your product or service. Formulate different scenarios within various micro-moments and user personas, to identify potential journeys and processes.
2. Ask your customers directly
The things we do without trying are often more effective than the things we try to do. If you have existing users, you’ve already satisfied some micro-moments without realising it. But doing it purposefully and at a higher level won’t be as easy, so use short online surveys to ask your customers how to influence their micro-moments.
3. Sweat the small stuff
They’re called “micro” moments for a reason. Don’t spend your entire budget on targeted ads when micro-moments happen during casual Google searches. People are more likely to click on your link while actively searching for a product, service, or informational nugget.
4. Focus on what the user wants
It may seem obvious, but it’s important not to dwell on what you want the user journey to look like. We’re often so caught up in brand voice, colours, themes, and trends that we lose sight of usability and individualism. Following a trend may be easier than running a survey, but good results come from the road less travelled.
5. Don’t be boring
Users don’t want to take life too seriously when they’re online, and neither should you. Make your UX design entertaining and interesting to keep users engaged. You don’t need to populate your website with funny cat videos, but you can use subtle animations, like the trusty hover effect.
6. Communicate during micro-moments
Not all users know their CVV number, so make sure you have a pop-up message explaining what it is and where to find it. Something as arbitrary as not knowing when a button has been clicked successfully can ruin the micro-moment. Ensure you have both positive and negative user feedback, like a coloured border when a button is clicked or an explanatory error message.
Designing positive moments
The moment’s over before you know it. To get maximum “YOLO”, remember that micro-moments in UX involve more mental research than technical skills.
Get in touch to learn more about enriching your users’ mini moments.