Understand the consumer decision-Making process

You know the decision that you want your consumers to make. You want them to buy your product or service. This is where understanding the consumer decision-making process becomes very important. You always want them to have a good customer service experience, so that they continue to do business with your company on an ongoing basis. This is one of the keys to addressing the concerns of consumers, but it isn’t the whole story. Consider these stages of the purchasing process.

The first stage is that a consumer sees that they have a need. Sometimes we may help them to recognize that need through a solid marketing strategy.

Other times, the consumer will start searching for ways to solve their problem on their own. In our modern times, this often takes place on the Internet. That should highlight the importance of good digital marketing practices.

Once a consumer has found several options, they will evaluate which one is the best. This is where things like branding need to cause your product or service to stand out as the best.

Finally, they make a decision on what purchase will meet their present needs. This leads to evaluation wherein the consumer will decide if their purchase was a good one. If you want good reviews or repeat business, customer service and quality are vital.

Some of the things that will impact your consumers’ decision are social. It may depend on their cultural background, the opinion of family members or close friends, or perhaps even their social status. While factors like these help you to select a target audience, you also need to market to your target audience the right way. This may involve the use of social media to get your customers to share their enjoyment of your product or service with others.

Personal circumstances may also come into play, such as their financial situation. Other factors like age, race, gender and so forth may play a role too. This is where a targeted marketing campaign is important. Understand who will want your product, and work to reach them in more direct ways.

Finally, we reach the psychological reasons behind a purchase. What is the consumer’s motive? Are they confident, or perhaps looking for more confidence? What attitudes have shaped their personality? Let them know that your product or service is the one to meet these needs as well.

By understanding the consumer decision-making process, you have the opportunity to interact with the consumer every step of the way to encourage them to choose your company over your competitors and take competitive advantage.