Is Professional Installation a Barrier to Smart Home Adoption?
A consumer audience segmentation study by Kwikset reveals whether or not professional installation has an effect on purchasing decisions.
Consumers can be a finicky bunch. Some want the best technology, but want to install it themselves.
Others will gladly pay someone to install a new device and not have to worry about any hassles. There’s also some people who couldn’t care less.
Kwikset’s smart lock segmentation study took a look at potential shoppers to “better understand consumers who are in the market for smart locks and identify the segment(s) that provide the greatest opportunity for growth.”
Overall, the study found that professional installation is not a significant barrier to purchasing smart locks.
Unsurprisingly, “smart home savants” said professional installation was a significant barrier at 33%, while “super moms and dads” came in at the lowest with 16%.
While the study was focused on smart locks, this information could be applicable to smart home devices in general. Have you begun offering DIY and smart home products? Use this information to help better market who you are offering these services to.
Below are the five consumer groups established by the study, which are listed from most likely to convert, to the slowest to adopt.
Ready to Adopt
Smart Home Savants (31%) – Smart home savants are “always the first with the latest gadgets and very interested in technology.” They have professionally installed security systems and desire products with top-of-the-line features.
Enthusiastic Adopters (26%) – Enthusiastic adopters are “often adventurous and experimental with new tech and gadgets.” They may have a security system that is professionally monitored, tend to be early adopters and are most likely to purchase from Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Education Needed to Convert
Good Life Gurus (17%) – Good life gurus are “unlikely to have a security system, interested in technology that fits their lifestyle and are just starting to enter the smart space, one product at a time.”
Super Moms and Dads (10%) – Super moms and dads “don’t have the time to track down the latest technologies, but they’re open-minded to new trends, reading lifestyle articles, product reviews and brand content. Likely to have connected smart products in their homes, super moms and dads have a narrow path to purchase and are influenced most by brand and price points.
Slower to Adopt
Passive Purchasers (17%) – Passive purchasers are “interested in home security that’s easy to use and makes life more convenient. They’re not interested in having a smart home, and only consider incorporating smart products (mostly smart locks) into their lives one at a time.”
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About the Author
Steve Karantzoulidis, Web/Senior Editor
Steven A. Karantzoulidis is the Web Editor for Security Sales & Integration. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in Communication and has a background in Film, A/V and Social Media.
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