In recent years, the direct to consumer (DTC) model has gained immense popularity in the food industry. One sector that has seen significant growth in this regard is the frozen food industry. With the convenience and quality of frozen food products on the rise, consumers are increasingly opting to purchase frozen goods directly from manufacturers and brands. In this blog, we will delve into the DTC customer journey for frozen food purchases, exploring key stages and providing insights to help businesses optimize their strategies.
Awareness Stage:
The DTC customer journey for frozen food purchases begins with the awareness stage. At this point, potential customers become aware of your brand and products. Several factors contribute to creating awareness:
- Online Presence: Building a strong online presence through a user-friendly website and active social media profiles is crucial. According to Statista1, 5.04 billion, or 62.3 percent of the world’s population, are social media users, as of January 2024.
- Content Marketing: Content is king. Create valuable and informative content related to your frozen food products. This can include blog posts, videos, and recipes. Quality content helps attract and engage potential customers. Consider using AI to help you create content, if you aren’t already. 65% of content marketers already plan to use AI content generation tools2.
- Paid Advertising: Consider using targeted paid advertising on platforms like Google Ads and social media to reach a broader audience. Utilize relevant keywords and demographics to optimize your campaigns. Remember to use less popular search engines like Bing, which has an average CPC of $1.54, 33% lower than Google Ads3.
Make sure you get your product in front of your target audience as soon and as much as possible.
Consideration Stage:
During the consideration stage, potential customers evaluate their options and consider whether to purchase from your DTC channel. Here are some strategies to guide them:
- Product Information: Ensure that your website provides detailed product information, including ingredients, nutritional facts, and cooking instructions. Transparency and accuracy build trust with customers.
- Customer Reviews: Display genuine customer reviews and ratings. According to Spiegel Research Center4, products with reviews have a 270% higher conversion rate.
- Email Marketing: Implement an email marketing campaign to nurture leads. Share informative content, special offers, and product updates to keep potential customers engaged. Personalized content boosts open rates by up to 43%5.
The consideration stage is essentially when consumers decide to buy from your brand.
Decision Stage:
In the decision stage, customers are ready to make a purchase. Here’s how to facilitate this step:
- Easy Ordering Process: Streamline the ordering process on your website. Provide multiple payment options and ensure a secure checkout process. A proper sales funnel is key to increase your conversions.
- Loyalty Programs: Reward loyal customers with discounts, exclusive promotions, or loyalty points to encourage repeat purchases.
- Customer Support: Offer reliable customer support through various channels, including chat, email, and phone. Address any questions or concerns promptly.
At the decision stage, you’ve already convinced the customer to purchase from you. All you have to do is make the experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Post-Purchase Stage:
After a customer makes a purchase, the post-purchase stage is crucial for retaining and satisfying them:
- Delivery Experience: Ensure smooth and reliable delivery of frozen goods, utilizing proper packaging and shipping methods to maintain product quality.
- Customer Feedback: Encourage customers to leave feedback and reviews post-purchase. Use this feedback to improve your products and service.
- Personalized Recommendations: Leverage data to provide personalized product recommendations based on past purchases, enhancing the customer’s shopping experience.
The post-purchase stage is where many brands might stumble because they’ve already closed the initial deal. Make sure you don’t neglect this stage!
Understanding the DTC customer journey for frozen food purchases is vital for businesses looking to thrive in this growing market. By focusing on the awareness, consideration, decision, and post-purchase stages, and optimizing your online presence, you can enhance your DTC strategy and attract more customers to purchase frozen food directly from your brand.
Sources:
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/
- https://www.siegemedia.com/strategy/content-marketing-statistics#ch1
- https://lunio.ai/statistics/ppc-statistics/
- https://spiegel.medill.northwestern.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/Spiegel_Online-Review_eBook_Jun2017_FINAL.pdf
- https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/infographics/24-email-marketing-stats-need-know/
