What are the stages of the buyer’s journey?
The buyer’s journey is generally divided into three stages:
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Decision
In each of these phases, the buyer’s mindset is different. As a result, you need to tailor your marketing messages appropriately. You might need to iterate with different messaging styles here; try different things to determine what does and does not resonate with your audience.
What is the awareness stage?
At the awareness stage, prospective customers realize that they have a problem and require a solution. Rather than looking for a clear solution, they want to understand the nuances of their current situation.
Exemplo:
A customer might realize that their computer has started running slower than normal; they’ll then take to search engines or YouTube to find the answer.
At the awareness stage, you’re trying to make customers notice that you exist. You are not trying to make a hard sell. Educational content, such as blog posts, podcasts, and videos, is important at this stage.
What is the consideration stage?
When a buyer reaches the consideration stage, they’re in a research phase. Here, they’re looking at different solutions because they now know their specific problem. The individual will search different websites, approaches, and products before making a decision.
While you still shouldn’t try hard-selling at this point, you must encourage the potential customer to research your products and services. Identify why they should choose you when they’re ready to buy.
Exemplo:
Let’s use the slow computer example again; at this point, the individual will be looking for what to do next. They’ll want to know whether they should buy a computer or upgrade their current device. The individual might, however, need to clean up their computer or update their software.
- Comparison guides, webinars, and case studies are commonly used in the consideration phase. Compare different products if you have an affiliate website, and show why your product differs from competitors if you sell something specific.
What is the decision stage?
At the decision stage, a customer has a clear intent to make a purchase – but they don’t yet know what they want to buy. You’ll sometimes see this phase referred to as “Transactional” when searching for keywords in SEO.
The customer will compare products and brands before making a purchase. While they might look for a good deal price-wise, they also want something that will actually meet their needs.
Because this is the final step before they buy something, it’s vital that you give a strong argument why they should buy from you instead of someone else. Emphasize how you’ll solve their problems; to do this, you must know what they’re looking for in the first place.
Exemplo:
The customer has decided they need to buy a new computer because their current one is outdated; they’ll now look at computer brands and the models available. Moreover, they’ll compare the same model across different retailers. Discounts and alternative ways to pay, such as splitting the cost, might also be at the forefront of the individual’s mind – especially for expensive products.
- Your job here is to reduce purchase anxiety and the risk of buyer’s remorse; give money-back guarantees, risk-free periods, and demos. Use depoimentos e avaliações from previous customers at this point; prova social is vital for making a purchase.
How has the digital age changed the buyer’s journey?
Though many principles are the same, the buyer’s journey has changed with the internet. Research stages are more intense than before, and there are also more places for the user to look for information. Due to the competition, it’s important that you adapt and find a way to stand out.
Some of the main changes that have happened are:
- Self-directed research: Rather than asking in-store, many potential customers will instead do their own online research.
- Information access: Users now go through more information, but they’re also more critical to ensure that reviews are balanced.
- Touchpoints: Customers might interact with brands online and offline, rather than just picking one or the other.
How can I map out my customer’s buyer’s journey?
Mapping out the customer journey requires five key steps.
- Etapa 1: Identify your target audience. Research your customers to understand their wants, needs, and interests. Use first-hand data and check conversations on social media.
- Etapa 2: Define the stages. Assess the different parts of your business and how each stage interacts with these. Consider whether there’ll be fluctuations in your business, and if so, how and how many.
- Etapa 3: Outline customer touchpoints. Where do customers interact with your brand, and how can you meet them there?
- Etapa 4: Develop content. Once you know your customers, fine-tune your estratégia de conteúdo.
- Etapa 5: Analyze and refine: Collect information as you iterate, and tweak your processes in accordance with these.
What tools can help me understand and manage the buyer’s journey?
To fully understand the customer journey, you’ll need to use software and measure your results. Look for tools with the following:
- Task automation
- Communication features
- Data analysis
Different tool categories to look at are:
- Customer relationship management (CRM) software: Track and manage leads; use features like sentiment score and interaction history.
- Automação de marketing: Use these tools to automate repetitive marketing activities and change your messaging based on the stage of the buyer’s journey.
- Website analytics: Assess user behavior and website traffic trends.
- Social media monitoring: Track online sentiment, brand mentions, impressions, etc., on different social media platforms.
- Surveys and feedback: Collect feedback from your customers and determine what you need to do next.
How can I improve my marketing strategy by using the buyer’s journey?
The buyer’s journey can serve as a framework for content creation and audience messaging. An individual’s journey should guide all of your marketing efforts and determine how you sell your products. Moreover, you’ll need different types of content for varying stages of the funnel.
Some of the key things to consider with your buyer’s journey are:
- Targeted content: Address users’ needs at different stages of the funnel.
- Personalized messaging: Understand what users want to see and adapt your messaging.
- Nutrição de leads: Speak to prospects on the level that they’re currently at, while knowing what they want to achieve.
- Resource allocation: Divide the resources you have based on what you think is required at each phase of the buyer’s journey.
What are some examples of successful buyer’s journey implementations?
The buyer’s journey is used in different industries, such as eCommerce and software as a service (SaaS). eCommerce businesses focus on answering customer questions and giving them the information required at each stage of the journey.
Meanwhile, SaaS businesses typically focus on educational content like posts. They also offer free trials to see if a user wants to partner with them, though the individual might not be interested.
Exemplos:
- eCommerce: Free shipping (decision), FAQs/blog posts (awareness), and style guides (consideration).
- SaaS: Blog posts and YouTube videos (awareness), methodology comparisons (consideration), free trials/plans (decision).
Conclusão
The buyer’s journey is a crucial part of marketing strategies in eCommerce, SaaS, and other industries. It’s important to know how users normally interact with your brand and others before making a decision, and once you have this information, you need to alter your messages accordingly.
Assess other buyer’s journey examples before implementing your own strategies. It’s also important that you adjust your messaging for each phase. Create digital maps to visualize the process from start to finish.
