CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR DECISIONS | MARKETING MANAGMENT| L-13|

The consumer decision making process is the process by which consumers become aware of and identify their needs; collect information on how to best solve these needs; evaluate alternative available options; make a purchasing decision; and evaluate their purchase.

Understanding the consumer decision making process is important to any business, but eCommerce businesses have a unique opportunity to optimize it. Because online shoppers generate so much more data than those in brick-and-mortar stores, online retailers can use that data to implement conversion strategies for every stage of the process. 

customer decision making

The 5 Stages of the Consumer Decision Making Process — And How to Optimize

It’s important to note that the consumer decision making process has many different names, including but not limited to the buyer journey, buying cycle, buyer funnel, and consumer purchase decision process. But all the names essentially refer to the same thing: The journey a customer goes through when making a purchase.

So, here’s a breakdown of what happens in each step:

Need recognition (awareness): The first and most important stage of the buying process, because every sale begins when a customer becomes aware that they have a need for a product or service.

Search for information (research): During this stage, customers want to find out their options.

Evaluation of alternatives (consideration): This is the stage when a customer is comparing options to make the best choice.

Purchasing decision (conversion): During this stage, buying behavior turns into action – it’s time for the consumer to buy!

Post-purchase evaluation (re-purchase): After making a purchase, consumers consider whether it was worth it, whether they will recommend the product/service/brand to others, whether they would buy again, and what feedback they would give.

Now, to show you how these stages of the buying decision process play out in real life, here are consumer buying process examples that outline each of the steps and ways for your eCommerce brand to maximize results during each stage.

1. Need recognition (awareness)

The need recognition stage of the consumer decision making process starts when a consumer realizes a need. Needs come about because of two reasons:

Internal stimuli, normally a physiological or emotional needs, such as hunger, thirst, sickness, sleepiness, sadness, jealousy, etc.

External stimuli, like an advertisement, the smell of yummy food, etc.

Even if the core cause is vanity or convenience, at the most basic level, almost all purchases are driven by real or perceived physiological or emotional needs. The causes for these stimuli can be social (wanting to look cool and well dressed) or functional (needing a better computer to do work more effectively), but they speak to the same basic drivers.

How in the world is this related to a physiological need? Simple. Without a camera, they won’t be able to document special moments; therefore, they have an emotional desire to save these moments so that they are happy and not sad.

This emotional desire is the internal stimuli in this situation. Sure, a camera isn’t a life necessity keeping them from surviving, but it does solve a core emotional need.

What happens after someone identifies a need? They begin looking for a solution! Which brings us to the next step in the customer journey: searching for information. 

2. Search for information (research)

As soon as a consumer recognizes a need and begins to search for an answer, you must be there to help! And where do consumers generally go to look for answers today? Google!

Example: Researching cameras

Now that the customer has realized a need to get a new camera, it’s time to find solutions to his problem. In this stage, it’s imperative that you are visible to the consumer searching for an answer.