The Purchase Path for Online - Part 1

One of the textbook models of consumer buying behaviour is the purchase path. It’s one of the most straightforward explanations of the mental stages and physical interactions a potential buyer will have before making a purchase.



I recently had to do some benchmarking as part of the dozen or so projects I’m working on right now (read: my excuse for not blogging more). I based some of my research in the standard purchase path and found that there is an abundance of sites that hit just one or two points on that path and/or aren’t moving people well along it. All of them seem more than adequate in providing detailed information about the product assisting in the information search and evaluation of alternatives sections of the path. A select number of sites actually go one step further by getting customers to that purchase decision through online purchasing options.

All that makes sense if you think about it. Traditionally the internet is best used as a source of information, a place to research and compare brand features, be it cars, cruises, apartments, or sushi shaped USB keychains on eBay. However, information gathering or making the purchase are neither the first, last, or most important stages of the purchase path. Need recognition and post purchase behaviour are however, and a lot of sites fail at hitting on that. Worse, some sites treat the purchase as the final stage in the process. Why is that so bad? Well, the general consensus is that finding new consumers or clients is the costliest part of marketing, while convincing old ones to stay with your brand is quite possibly the most difficult but most rewarding.

Here’s an example of how I would try to touch on those two ultra important steps. Assuming my client is Cannon and the product is their new brand of Digital Rebel cameras. Buying a camera isn’t an end of itself, taking and sharing photos is what’s important. I would aim to build Cannon’s digital presence in such a way that makes it more valuable for the user to involve the brand in those post purchase processes. Here are two simple ideas of how to do that:

• Cannon shareware that edits, downloads, burns or uploads my photos to a website. Even those who have access to Photoshop can benefit from simplified uploading to Facebook etc.
• A regularly updated, RSS’d video podcast section on the Cannon site with shooting tips and articles ‘from the field’. Something that is current and of interest to a market wanting to shoot better, more high-end photography.

Creating valuable online interactions for customers after their purchase gets them interacting with and talking about the brand in return - talking to those who haven’t necessarily realized they want or need the product. This is where the strategy comes full circle and pays off big time in creating awareness and that sought after need recognition, be it real or perceived, among potential new buyers. With online communications having the possibility to be highly targeted and the long tail’s ability to diffuse any brand interactions or ‘discussions’ with consumers, online is the perfect place to hit these two uber-important stages of the purchase path.