How are modern purchasing decisions going?

How to understand the behavior and needs of modern customers? Just listen to them! The consumer has long ceased to be a passive recipient of advertisements. S.he has become a conscious market participant who himself determines the scope of knowledge that is necessary for him to make a purchase decision. However, as practice shows, not all purchasing decisions made by consumers are the result of in-depth analysis. NSome seem downright irrational. 

“Your job is to observe people, understand what they want, and then create trades that give them that feeling.” – says Seth Godin, the author of the world's best-selling marketing books. The widespread availability of the Internet and the convenience associated with its use have made us more and more willing to share experiences related to the purchasing process. We mercilessly evaluate not only the product or service itself, but also marketing activities and after-sales care. The consumer's decision-making process has undergone a real evolution. And while we see ourselves as self-minded individuals, any evaluation or opinion of others has a huge impact on our purchasing decisions. 

What does the purchasing decision-making process look like? 

Some purchasing decisions are routine, some are sketchy, and some are carefully considered. It happens that the consumer buys certain things habitually or compulsively - this is the so-called micromomentsworth noticing. Equally often, the client is willing to spend a significant amount of time on in-depth analysis and finding all sources of information. 

The length of the purchasing decision-making process is influenced, among others, by the nature of the product, the importance of the product for the consumer, personality traits and the level of income of the consumer, and his approach to market novelties. 

We distinguish the following types of purchasing decisions: 

1. Prudent decisions, when consumers spend a lot of time getting to know the offer. They mainly concern the purchase of luxury goods or services, technically complex and those whose purchase is associated with a high risk, and the buyer has rather little experience with this type of purchase. 

2. Non-routine decisions regarding the purchase of products or services that we have used before. So the purchase is not risky and the evaluation of possible alternatives is rather quick. 

3. Habit decisions, which relate to situations when we buy a product or service out of habit. In this way, we usually buy products that are quite cheap and meet our needs or habits quickly. 

4. Impulsive decisions made immediately, under the influence of a specific impulse. They apply to unplanned, spontaneous purchases, to which we were persuaded by an attractive advertisement, an additional discount, a suggestion from the seller or recommendation of people from the immediate vicinity. 

What factors influence purchasing decisions?

When analyzing the behavior of modern consumers, we can easily see that the most frequently indicated factors influencing the making of a specific purchase decision are: price, seller's credibility, transaction security, fast delivery, various forms of payment, attractive loyalty programs and a possible money-back guarantee.

Taking into account the importance of the above-mentioned factors, we distinguish different styles of purchasing decisions, within which we can identify the following types of customers, sensitive to: 

1. Quality - a careful perfectionist, willing to make an extra effort or incur an additional cost to better check whether a given product or service fully meets his expectations. 

2. Brand - convinced that the high price of a branded product will guarantee him the prestige that is guaranteed by the use of a specific product or service. 

3. Novelties - a seeker of new, interesting, attractive and innovative products and services that respond to current trends and fashions, willing to risk and experiment. 

4. Achieving pleasure - a shopping lover who treats the purchasing process as entertainment, to which he is ready to devote a lot of time and attention. 

5. Price - passionately comparing the prices of competing products and services. 

6. Opportunity - an opportunity seeker whose behavior is rather thoughtless and spontaneous. 

7. A wealth of information - he does not like shopping, making decisions and analyzing offers, so he often chooses the first solution that meets his minimum requirements. He is tired of the sheer volume of products, brands and places of purchase. 

How to influence the customer's purchasing decisions online? 

The Internet has significantly changed the course of the purchasing process and significantly enhanced the value of the widely understood recommendation - referral marketing not insignificant triumphs. It is online that we are much more willing to share our experiences and opinions about the purchased product or service. Modern companies are fully aware of this. The Internet made it possible for us to search for information quickly. Thanks to this, it takes just a few clicks to get full knowledge of what we plan to buy. 

Search engines, price comparison engines, social media, discussion forums - these are currently the biggest battlefields for customer attention. The process of acquiring a new client resembles a combination of "The Art of War" and "Kamasutra", so it is worth learning a few golden rules that will help you overcome the competition and make a group of loyal customers fall in love with you.

First, speak the language of benefits. The client does not want to listen to monologues about the characteristics of a given product or service. He wants to know how you can specifically solve his problem or satisfy his need. Therefore, look at your offer through the eyes of the client, and use his goals and possible limitations in your arguments. Recall your past purchasing experience or show how satisfied your current customers are with their purchase. As a rule, clients do not like to take risks. They want all their promises to be kept and if they themselves do not have experience with using a specific offer, they will be happy to base their purchasing decision on the experiences of other people. 

It works not only on the web 

Show how the customer's life will change with the purchase decision. Use your customers' imaginations. Let them see themselves in the future, when their lives, by taking advantage of your offer, will change like a magic wand. The problems will disappear, your well-being will allow you to plan your next steps with faith, and the next challenges will seem much easier to overcome. Tailor the offer to the customer's needs. Your target group must be well defined. Offer unconventional solutions, ideally suited to the needs and preferences of your client. Make him feel that you are offering him something unique, authentic and deeply thought-out. 

 
Last but not least - gain trust and be a friend. Listen carefully and patiently to whatever the client wants to tell you. This is the basis for building a long-term relationship that may end in more than one sale. Keep your promises and do not forget about your client at any stage of the purchasing process. Remind yourself, strengthen the relationship, notice its needs and build shared experiences.