Your buyer is not ready yet. Your buyer has a journey and a few decisions to make before they buy from you, or even your competitors. When your shop front is online in the form of a website then you need to understand how buyers make purchases and lead them through your site.

The Buyer

Think of the last thing you bought, whether it was a lettuce or a brand new car, you made a few decisions before you bought it. Let us take the lettuce. The first decision was whether you needed food. On the affirmative, you decided to choose what to eat, maybe a BLT, this led to the need to buy a lettuce. Now where to buy this lettuce, meant the next decision. Ease of getting to the shop, parking, price, comparison with other lettuce on display to the final selection of the lettuce. The purchase does not end there. If the tills are busy and you cannot be bothered, you may just walk out without the lettuce! Once the payments made, your store wants to make sure you come back the next time and so may offer you points to do so….and the cycle continues the next time you plan on buying. Apply that to the car and you get the same steps. There are really three stages to a purchase.

Awareness

Awareness of the need to buy; a leaky tap, will bring awareness of the need for a new washer. A problem that requires a solution will drive a customer to search for it. This is where keywords can make all the difference in them finding the solution on your website or on your competitors. Being active on Social Media and having relevant content on your website will make your customer remember you, for when that buying need arises.

Consideration

This is when the research starts, comparison of products, safe places to buy from etc. If that is online then you need to have your name, brand or product displayed where a customer can find it easily. Having great, SEO will help here. Alex from digital web agency AMA said “This is where keyword intent comes in. There are basically three types of keywords, “navigational”, “informational” and “transactional”.” “Navigational” are keywords where you are looking to reach a certain website, say your banks login page, or your Facebook account. “Informational” keywords are keywords when you are searching for information i.e “how to choose a website template”, “LCD TV reviews” or “best electronic toothbrush”. “Transactional” are keywords where the user is ready to buy and maybe comparing products for example “BUSH 52” LCD MV100PM” or “buy iphone 8 armband for running”. Knowing your buyer will help you decide what keyword to consider to reach them at every part of their buying cycle.

Decision

Now they know the solution, which product or service they require to achieve that solution. The final steps are choosing the vendor and the exchange of money. You can help with this, by having an easy call to action system online. Clear ways to contact you and secure methods of payment will also aid the success of the final decision.

Now you understand the buying process, you will find it easier to influence your buyer to spend with you.