Understanding the consumer decision-making process is essential to a brand’s success.

With widespread access to information and alternatives, consumers have taken control of their choices, exerting an increasing influence on the market in terms of the products and services they want to consume and the brands that best meet their needs.

For this reason, organizations that want to grow in the market need to understand consumer needs and interests, considering the details of their choice process.

Thus, knowing the stages involved in consumer decision-making is essential to extract valuable information that will help the brand anticipate and offer the best service to its customers, as we will demonstrate in the following topics.

Recognition of the problem

When consumers become aware of a need or problem that requires a solution, they begin the decision-making process.

Recognition of the problem can be influenced by internal factors, such as new needs and interests, or by external factors, such as learning, dissatisfaction with purchased products, or an advertisement that caught their attention.

Once consumers recognize the need or desire for a product or service, they need to gather information to find a solution and begin to devote more time and energy to finding options that can solve the problem or satisfy an interest.

But how can an organization influence consumers at this stage? Since problem recognition can be internal or external, basic impulses such as hunger or a lifestyle change triggered by advertising, the brand must focus its sales and marketing efforts on demonstrating that it has the solution the consumer needs.

Research on products and services

After recognizing a need, the consumer’s next step is to conduct research to find a solution. Consumers often turn to Google to find the answers they need through recommendations, keywords related to their needs, and product and service reviews and ratings.

The brand’s role is to take advantage of this stage to provide all the information the consumer needs to make a decision. Optimizing the company’s website, producing content that is easily found by search engines, and feeding social media are strategies that can put the brand in touch with consumers.

Being present on the internet makes perfect sense. In other words, make your potential customer find your brand or information about your product or service on the internet when they are looking for it.

At that moment, a good product description, with easy and accessible information, can make all the difference in influencing the consumer’s choice.

Evaluation of options

With their research complete, consumers begin to evaluate the available options and whether there are any interesting alternatives. At this point, buyers already know which brands offer what they are looking for and can consider whether to buy from one brand or its competitor.

At this point, it is very important that the brand’s website provides a range of information about the product, as well as clear details about the price and payment methods.

However, the determining factor in differentiating yourself from the competition, considering that brands can sell similar products at competitive prices, will be the reviews of customers who have already purchased from the brand and can engage new customers.

Therefore, the tip is to encourage your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews about your products, so that other consumers can find your brand as a reliable solution for their needs.

The moment of conversion

After three steps, the consumer is finally close to deciding on the product they believe meets their needs and can complete the purchase through e-commerce or in a physical store.

But this step still requires care, and the brand must be aware of what it can offer the consumer in terms of payment options, delivery time, and exchange possibilities, making this information clear so as not to lose the customer.

To optimize the conversion stage, many brands choose to display reviews on the checkout pages, an effective measure, but one that must be done correctly so as not to distract the customer at the moment of purchase.

After-sales

This stage of the process involves reflection, both on the part of the consumer and the brand. On the one hand, the consumer analyzes the purchase and how they feel about it, whether it was a good investment. In addition, they think about whether they will make future purchases from the same brand and whether they will recommend it to friends and family.

The brand, on the other hand, seeks to reflect on consumer satisfaction with the purchase, whether the product met expectations, and how it can attract the new customer to make further purchases.

To retain customers, the brand can invest in follow-up, offer discount coupons, and send newsletters with information about product use and items that may interest consumers.

The key is to keep customers informed and satisfied with your products.