Stages in Consumer Behaviour and Buying Decision Process

Consumer behaviour and buying decision process is a fundamental component of studying consumer behaviour. It encompasses internal and external aspects that drive someone to buy.

Carrying out this exercise of imagination and empathy and travelling along this path from a consumer perspective will help you understand the sales processes from different perspectives.

What is the Consumer Behaviour and Buying Decision Process?

It is a person’s thinking process as a buyer. The stages of the consumer behaviour and buying decision process encompass the “before, during and after” purchase decisions and refer to how a complete stranger looking for information can end up being your customer. 

Why should you know the phases of the consumer behaviour and buying decision process?

To be able to analyse it from end to end. Here are some of the reasons that stand out:

• You will provide better care if you identify in which of the phases of the purchase decision process a lead is. Everyone has different needs and priorities that you should know to give the best possible service.
• You will provide the necessary information at the correct times to inform the consumer’s purchase decision process and also get to know that content marketing will attract more leads than using paid advertising.
• Knowing consumer behaviour will make it easier for you to fulfil their requirements and expectations. As a result, you will guide your leads to buy your products or pay for your services, which will naturally help you to increase sales for your business.
• For your business to be successful, it is not enough to attract customers and get them to buy what you offer once. The key is retaining them, so they continue to consume your products or services over time.
• Consumer loyalty is among the benefits of following the models of the purchase decision process. So it is still a reason to get to know this process well and take advantage of it strategically.

What are the 5 stages of consumer behaviour and buying decision process?

There is a method that experts use to not only identify but also track the purchase decision process. It consists of 5 stages.

1. Recognition of need

Recognising the consumers’ needs is the first thing in the outline of the purchase decision process. Clients may be unaware that they need a service or product. Considering this aspect is crucial since if consumers do not know how to identify their needs, they will not know which product to buy. External or internal influences can trigger the need:

• External influences include advertising and word of mouth.
• Internal influences relate to a personal perception encountered by consumers.

2. Search for information

Searching for information in the consumer behaviour and buying decision process is essential once the need is recognized. When looking for information (external or internal), consumers have a clearer idea of what they want to buy.

So at this stage, a customer is most doubtless and aware of the options available to them. 

In general, the search for information in the models of the consumer behaviour and buying decision process is also classified as external and internal:

External search: It occurs when individuals do not have prior knowledge about the product or service, which leads them to look for information in:

Public resources, for example, online forums or reports that are presented about consumption.

Personal sources include word of mouth and comments from family and friends.

Sources where neuromarketing dominates, such as broadcast advertising and vendors. These sources are especially sought after by having limited or inefficient consumption experiences.

Internal search: It is based on the consumers’ perception of a product, activated by their personal experience or past consumption. Internal search generally happens when the consumer:

• Has purchased the product before and is considering buying it again.
• Has a very good knowledge of the product.
• Wants to buy a product similar to the one they already bought.

When this is part of consumption habits, it is easier to generate the purchase.

3. Evaluation of alternatives

Within the consumer behaviour and buying decision process, this phase is the comparison and evaluation of alternatives, where consumers must evaluate all the options presented by the products or brands. 

Thus they consider on a certain scale if the product or service can give them the benefit they seek. By comparing or evaluating the alternatives, they find the best ways to solve their needs.

During this consumer behaviour and buying decision process, consumers can be influenced by the attitude or degree of personal loyalty, whether to a specific product, the general category or the brand.

Low-fidelity shoppers tend to make frequent and regular searches. They use little discrimination between brands, see simple promotions and develop little attachment to the brand.

However, there are those who have high fidelity in their purchases, perceiving several differences between products. Their research is much more detail-oriented, and their behaviour is more complex.

4. Purchase decision

At this point, consumers are already about to make the purchase. They have managed to decide what they will buy and where they will buy it, and they are prepared to invest their money.

It is understood that at this phase of the consumer behaviour and buying decision process, the person already intends to make a purchase. Since he evaluated his alternatives, he knows the product and the brand he wants.

This way, it determines the type of significance each product or service will report individually. However, you must be careful because you can still lose customers during this stage. 

Generally, these two factors can disturb a good ending:

• The presence of some situation that was not anticipated, for example, the loss of a job or the closing of a store.
• The negative feedback from someone who has already made the purchase.

5. Post-purchase behaviour

Once consumers buy, they analyse whether the investment they made was really a good one. If the consumer remains satisfied with the product or service, they will continue to buy it or other products from the same brand and recommend it to their acquaintances. That is why it is clear that this part of the consumer behaviour and buying decision process is essential.

At this point, you need to offer an excellent after-sales service to ensure a satisfactory experience from start to finish. This will increase consumer engagement with your brand.

Conclusion

Remember that customers who become regulars form an important part of your business’s income. According to the Cardinal Theory Of Consumer Behaviour, “satisfied customers buy more, talk well of the brand and return to make new purchases.” Therefore, it is essential to always improve the consumer behaviour and buying decision process towards your brand. The complete process is a journey that starts with the need and only ends when the customer is satisfied. By learning this way, you must be aware of all the steps involved to ensure that your service or product is in accordance with what the customer wants.