Discover your five key customers and how each one feels about the connected products and services they interact with. In our six-part series, we’ll reveal the psychographic data of each connected consumer type and how you can use it to develop a tailored sales strategy, create unique training opportunities and increase your revenue.  

What Do Your Connected Customers Want? 

Each consumer has unique wants and needs when it comes to connected technology. For some, it’s important to stay on trend. For others, technology is a necessity to cope in a connected world. No matter where your customers fall along this spectrum, they all have certain things in common.  

After surveying thousands of people, we’ve uncovered what consumers are really looking for, what frustrates them about connected devices and what they expect of the brands they buy from. Using this data, we’ve found five specific types of consumers: 

  1. Technophiles
  2. Utilitarians
  3. Leisure Seekers
  4. Technophobes
  5. Home Protectors

Let’s take a deeper look into one of the larger consumer segments: the Home Protector. This is a group that, above all, wants to create a peaceful personal sanctuary by streamlining their connected home devices. This has become even more important as people are beginning to spend more time at home.  

Home Sweet Connected Home 

Home Protectors account for 12% of all connected consumers and 19% of technology purchases. When you look at the needs of this demographic, it makes sense that this group would spend money on connected home devices and services. In fact, the most common connected device among this group is a WiFi home security system.  

The most racially diverse connected consumer demographic, Home Protectors are also highly educated. They’re exposed to technology at work and school, so they’re comfortable using connected devices to protect their personal space. Owning an average of almost eight connected devices, they’re looking for solutions to make their house feel like a home.  

In addition to home protection products, the want technology that streamlines daily chores and tasks, helping reduce their day-to-day stress levels. Research shows there’s pent-up demand for these types of purchases. For example, 42% of consumers want Wi-Fi home cameras, but only 14% own them, and 39% want robotic vacuums, but only 23% own them. 

Pent-up Demand for Wi-Fi homes 

What’s holding consumers back from buying the connected home devices they want? In the case of Home Protectors, they want to avoid frustration. 

The Home Protector Wants Reliable Performance and Easy Installation 

Compared to Technophiles, Home Protectors aren’t as quick to adopt connected devices. But they’re just as interested in using technology to improve their daily lives.  

Their reluctance to snatch up the latest device has less to do with their purchasing power and more to do with their risk-averse nature. Home Protectors want their connected devices to work just as advertised right out of the box. When that doesn’t happen, this consumer type could get frustrated.  

 Biggest Consumer Frustrations

Because Home Protectors are looking for a stress-free experience with their connected home devices, difficulty with installation and problems with interoperability can be a deal-breaker. 
 
This means protection and streamlined set up

78% of the consumers surveyed are more willing to purchase a connected product if protection and support services are included. Offer Home Protectors solutions that help them feel more confident about their purchase, such as how-to tips and troubleshooting guides. 

Products that are used more frequently don’t pose as many challenges as products that are used less frequently. For example, 24% of consumers reported problems with smart speakers and voice controls in the past 12 months, and 48% of consumers reported problems with connected pet devices during the same period. Consider this issue as you develop support programs and materials.

How to Reach the Home Protector

Home Protectors believe technology will help them maintain their peace of mind. When the opposite happens, they want help solving the problem with their home protection technology as quickly as possible. 

Tips for selling protective services to home protectors 

When connecting a security system to their WiFi, for example, Home Protectors may look to a technical support expert to walk them through the installation and troubleshooting process. Like the Technophile, Home Protectors want to know that someone will be there to help if they have questions or need support for their devices. Providing tech support for installation and daily use of their connected home devices can be a key selling point. And it’ll improve this customer’s perception of your brand. 

Research shows that brand and device loyalty are higher after the first sale is complete, but satisfaction isn’t guaranteed. You can add more value to your products by bundling protection and ongoing support. Bundling increases the perceived value of your products while meeting this group’s particular needs. 

What other services should you provide for Home Protectors? Discover the details about the connected product community when you download our latest white paper. You’ll also see why having the right partner can help you better connect with your customers while growing your business. 

 CONNECTED CONSUMERS: 5 KEY SEGMENTS AND HOW THEY BUY

To learn more, Contact Us.