How People Buy Things

The customer buying process is a well documented phenomenon. However, most businesses don’t pay any attention to the way customers buy when designing their sales, marketing, or advertising efforts. Matching your sales process to the customer buying process is one of the best ways to improve sales and revenues—especially when it comes to your website. Let’s take a look at the customer buying process.

Moment One – Something Is Missing

This is the moment when a person realizes he or she has a problem or desire. In many cases, the need is clear cut. They have a flat; they need a new tire; period. In other cases, a consumer may conduct a quick internet search to make a preliminary decision about whether they truly need or whether they have sufficient resources to purchase the item under consideration. Do I really need that new 60 inch plasma TV, or can I get by with the 32 inch traditional set that still works pretty well?

Moment Two - The School Bell Rings

Once a customer decides that they have a real need or want and purchasing that item makes it to the top of their task list, they begin to gather detailed information about potential solutions. In our TV example, the education process may take the form of asking friends, reading magazines, reading circulars in the newspaper, visiting an electronics store and, more than likely, searching the internet for information that helps them narrow their options.

Depending on costs, complexity, and risk, the education stage may take a few minutes or a few months. For simple sales, like buying a pack of gum, the entire buying process may take a few seconds, but every step is still happening.

Information gathering includes considering different types of products, different brands, sale prices, purchasing options, and a host of other factors. Your target personas are looking for answers to the set of questions they have in their head. Should I get a plasma TV or an LCD TV?  What does 1080i mean?  Do you install the TV or do I have to hook it up myself?

In today’s marketplace, the internet plays an incredibly powerful role during the education phase of the customer buying process. Our Clickability services focus on this moment of the buying process.

Moment Three – And the Winner Is . . .

By this stage, the customer has usually narrowed his choices down to two or three, perceiving advantages and disadvantages of each option. During this evaluation and comparison stage, the customer will make a final decision about which product or service he or she will purchase.  

Moment Four – Would You Like Paper or Plastic?

Once the final decision has been made, the customer is ready to close the deal and make the purchase. Don’t lose focus at this point. Creating a sales/check-out process that is smooth and comfortable helps to reassure the customer that he or she has made the right decision. 

Moment Five – Did I Make the Right Decision?

Remember that the buying process is geared to accomplishing one goal: making the right decision.  Immediately after the sale, many customers feel post-purchase anxiety. Customers may be sensitive to glitches or information that makes them doubt whether they really selected the best option. Providing warranties and great customer service can alleviate some of this fear. Don’t forget about the customers after you have their money!

How to Take Advantage of the Customer Buying Process

As you can see, not everyone that visits your site is ready to buy. From the person doing initial research to figure out if he or she can afford a new 60 inch plasma TV to the person looking for your address so they can drive down to your store and purchase the new TV they decided upon, you are going to have people at all stages visiting your website. 

Your website and your search engine marketing plan must address ALL of the different stages of the buying process. You address all of the stages by providing the information each person needs in the order he or she needs it. Clixo can help you.

Find out if your website qualifies for search engine marketing services, or ask us a question.