|
|
|
For Marketing Learners Globally
HOME | LESSONS | THEORY | BTEC | MOBILE | VIDEO CHANNEL | GLOSSARY | MARKETING QUIZZES | CONTACT | LINKS | RESOURCES FOR SALE | MARKETING POWERPOINTS | BLOG
Consumer Buying BehaviourTweet
What influences consumers to purchase products or services? The consumer buying process is a complex matter as many internal and external factors have an impact on the buying decisions of the consumer.
When purchasing a product there are several processes,which consumers go through. These will be discussed below.
1. Problem/Need Recognition
How do you decide which particular product or service to purchase? It could be that your Blu-Ray DVD player stops working and you now have to look for a new one. All those Blu-Ray DVD films you purchased you can no longer play! So you have a problem or a new need. For high value items like a Blu-Ray player or a car or other low frequency purchased products this is the process we would take. However, for impulse low frequency purchases e.g. chocolate the process is different.
2. Information search
So we have a problem, our Blu-Ray player no longer works and we need to buy a new one. What is the solution? Yes go out and purchase a new one, but which brand? Shall we buy the same brand as the one that blew up? Or stay clear of that? Consumer often go on some form of information search to help them through their purchase decision. Sources of information could be family, friends, neighbours who may have the product you have in mind, alternatively you may ask the sales people, or dealers, or read specialist magazines like What DVD? to help with the purchase decision. You may even actually examine the product before you decide to purchase it.
3. Evaluation of different purchase options.
So what Blu-Ray DVD player do we purchase? Shall it be Sony, Toshiba or Bush? Consumers allocate factors to certain products, almost like a point scoring system which they work out in their mind over which brand to purchase. so for one customer, brand may be more important then price and another, features and price are just as
This means that consumers know what features from the rivals will benefit them and they attach different degrees of importance to each attribute. For example sound maybe better on the Sony product and picture on the Toshiba , but picture clarity is more important to you then sound. Consumers usually have some sort of brand preference with companies as they may have had a good history with a particular brand or their friends may have had a reliable history with one, but if the decision falls between the Sony DVD or Toshiba then which one shall it be? It could be that the a review the consumer reads on the particular Toshiba product may have tipped the balance and that they will purchase that brand.
4. Purchase decision
Through the evaluation process discussed above, consumers will reach their final purchase decision and they reach the final process of going through the purchase action. The process of going to the shop to buy the product, which for some consumers can be as just as rewarding as actually purchasing the product. Purchase of the product can either be through the store, the web, or over the phone.
Post Purchase Behaviour
Ever have doubts about the product after you purchased it? This simply is post purchase behaviour and research shows that it is a common trait amongst purchasers of products. Manufacturers of products clearly want recent consumers to feel proud of their purchase and they want the customer to purchase from them again. It is therefore just as important for manufacturers to advertise for the sake of their recent purchaser so consumers feel comfortable that they own a product from a strong and reputable organisation. This limits post purchase behaviour. i.e. You feel reassured that you own the latest advertised product.
|