Sometimes you think you know what your customers want—until you’re blindsided by a quiet inbox, a drop in sales, or a lack of follow-through. This can happen unexpectedly, when all the signs are present for a continued positive relationship. And the last thing any marketer wants is a bunch of question marks where a slew of helpful data should be!
That’s why we’re emphasizing the importance of “intention confirmation.” This is just a way to figure out what your customers and clients actually need, want, and expect—in order to help you deliver it.
Intention confirmation is a growing area of focus in marketing because it helps businesses better understand what users actually want—and whether your current digital experience is helping or hindering that goal. When done right, intention confirmation reduces friction, strengthens trust, and leads to more meaningful engagement with your brand.
What Is Intention Confirmation?
Intention confirmation refers to the process of verifying a user’s goal or desired outcome before they take the next step in their journey (typically online, via your website).
Instead of assuming what the user wants—whether that’s booking an appointment, making a purchase, or information-gathering—intention confirmation directly checks in and confirms those desires. Then, you’ll know how to guide them in a direction that matches their needs.
Here are a few examples:
- A website pop-up asking: “Are you looking for product support?”
- A chatbot that clarifies whether someone wants pricing, troubleshooting, or training.
- An appointment scheduler confirming: “Is this visit for a consultation or a follow-up?”
The goal is the same in every case: Understand the user’s intention early, so you can guide them more effectively.
Intention confirmation can also happen more organically, through direct observation. For example, tracking which “next page” a user navigates to—or whether they close out immediately—when visiting a landing page can help clarify their expectations or point out trouble areas in your user experience.
And for what it’s worth, we don’t want to leave you guessing; Mad 4 Marketing is happy to help you determine which type of intention confirmation might be most valuable to your company!
Because when your website or communication channels make assumptions—or offer too many paths without helpful direction—it can lead to confusion, frustration, and abandonment. Intent confirmation helps prevent that by offering several key benefits, like simplifying the user journey, reducing wasted time (for your company and your users), and building trust in your brand.