5 Questions Customers Ask That You Need to Answer

by Cathy Miller | Dec 14, 2023

Jenna had an idea. She was sure she had discovered the solution to an annoying problem. Jenna decided to share her idea.

She created a landing page so visitors could download information that outlined her idea. Despite marketing on several social media platforms, the landing page had visitors but very few downloads. What went wrong?

Customers typically have 5 questions they need answered (in some form) before they purchase. Jenna’s page content did not answer the questions customers ask.

Questions Customers Ask

While Jenna’s marketing worked well enough to get people to visit her site, the content failed to motivate them to act. Did she need a crystal ball to figure out what visitors wanted? Not necessarily – although wouldn’t that be nice?

Customers are skeptical. If you don’t satisfy their initial concerns, your marketing efforts die an early death. Even though your customer may not put their concerns in the form of a question, answering 5 specific questions will help grab their attention.

What are the 5 Customer Questions?

Jenna stirred up some interest with her social media post. However, only the curious were likely to click on the link.

Once hitting Jenna’s landing page, the content was still too vague to prompt many readers to click on the button.

If Jenna had used the following 5 questions to create the landing page content, she would have increased her chances for more click-throughs. Let’s apply each question separately to Jenna’s content.

1. What problem will this solve?

Jenna probably thought she identified the problem – wasting time. But as any certified procrastinator knows, there are tons of ways to waste time. So, which one is Jenna talking about?

When it comes to buying, customers are selfish.
Why shouldn’t they be?
They are spending their hard-earned money.

If you can identify a problem your product or service solves, you’ll pique the reader’s interest. Even if the reader didn’t know they shared that problem.

But it’s important that they DO share the problem.
If it’s not relevant to the reader, they don’t care what you’re selling.

So, let’s tweak Jenna’s landing page. Instead of the headline – Don’t you hate wasting time – substitute – Is the administrative side of your business bogging you down?

The Problem

Few small business owners enjoy the day-to-day administrative tasks of running a business. Owners know the tasks need to be done, but they hate wasting their valuable time on them.

Now that Jenna snagged the attention of site visitors, she would want to consider the next question potential customers have.

2. Why do I need this?

Okay, so Jenna identified the problem – administrative tasks.

But every small business owner must do those tasks.
So why do they need her product or service?
Why shouldn’t they keep doing the tasks themselves?

Jenna must offer compelling reasons for potential customers to spend their time and money on something they’ve been doing themselves. She starts by looking at what some of the biggest challenges are for small business owners.

Time
Money
Resources

The Need

Jenna’s content should address the issues of time, money, and resources if she wants visitors to take that next step. She also should make the connection to how her product addresses those needs.

A revised landing page version appears later in this post that incorporates these key issues.

In this example, Jenna offers virtual assistant services. But there are plenty of virtual assistant services. So, that brings us to the customer’s next question.

3. What’s different about this?

Ah, yes, the age-old problem of how do you stand out in a sea of competitors? You need to offer something different and let potential customers know what that is.

Have you explored virtual assistant services? If so, you know the companies provide a wide range of services from general administration to specialized services or industries.

The Difference

One of the best ways to differentiate services is to read competitor reviews. What are the pain points for users of virtual assistant services?

Limited support (e.g., no weekend customer service)
Fixed fee structures, regardless of amount of services used
Binding contracts extending longer than needed
Little or no vetting of assistants

While Jenna may not be able to provide something different for each point, she should focus her content on what is unique about her service.

4. How do I know it will work?

Remember how skeptical customers are? The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer report revealed only 8% of its respondents automatically assumed advertising information was true.

So, the How do I know it will work question is a demand for marketers to PROVE IT. The following are a few methods of providing proof.

The Proof

Offer a free trial period so potential customers know you believe in your product and can test it themselves.
Testimonials from satisfied customers help but keep them detailed enough to establish credibility (include actual quotes, names, titles).
Include test results or case studies of successful outcomes. Keep it real if you want to prove your claim.

5. What do I need to do?

Congratulations – you answered numbers 1 through 4. Now, the customer asks, “What do I need to do?” to get your product or service.

The Action

It’s okay to tell the customer what to do.

But make it clear – Customers should not be left thinking – now what? Tell them the next step and how to get there.
Give options – Maybe customers are not ready to buy. Link to additional information or a free trial or where they can get help.
Make access easy – Whether your Call to Action is a free report, a sign-up offer, or a simple phone number – make it easy to access.

Now, let’s look at a revised version of Jenna’s landing page. The illustration incorporates the 5 questions customers ask. You can provide additional information and proof on linked pages.

Questions Answered

Your customers may not ask you what they are looking for. However, if you weave in the above questions, you cover 5 essential issues customers consider before taking the next step.

A specific problem
Its need for a solution
What makes a product different
Proof that it works
Taking action

What questions do your customers ask? Share your thoughts in Comments.

Credit: Bigstock Photo
Credit: Canva

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