The importance of customer touch

Haptics is the information we seek and gain through touch.

It’s why we reach out and feel the fabric of a garment, or run our hand over a piece of furniture. 

We see haptics put to use in the film What Women Want, where the marketing team are given a box of products to play with, spurring their imagination.

But does touching a product actually work?

Yes.

It does two things: 

1. Increases ownership, making your customer feel it’s theirs.
2. Fuels imagination, helping them imagine using it.

So, when it comes to your products, wherever possible, let them touch it.

If they can’t, help them imagine touching it by describing how it would feel, using lots of close up images and making sure those images simulate use.

For example, positioning a spoon to the right of the bowl makes it easier for a right-hander to imagine picking it up.

For more on how to get your customer to buy, check out my small business program Just Do This, in which I show you exactly what to do to improve your results using behavioural science.

^{Ref: Krishna, A., Luangrath, A. W., & Peck, J. (2024). A review of touch research in consumer psychology. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 34(2), 359–381.}