By Laure Harmand
Laure was one of Werkbot’s 2019 summer interns! Originally from Lille, France, she attended Gannon University through the exchange program. Profitez du blog!
We’re past the point of noticing that the digital transformation of our world has disrupted the consumer’s purchasing behaviors and habits. It’s the new normal. Today, most, if not every step of the purchase process is happening online: from comparing offers to actually purchasing the product or service. The modern customers know how to navigate online stores, compare competitors, and take advantage of special offers from any internet-connected device.
To grow your business, you need to invest in a digital marketing strategy that positions your company for success. By allocating funds to your promotional initiatives and finding the right agency to work with, you’ll create a more alluring brand, target the appropriate audience, and understand how to earn repeat business.
Tailoring a perfect marketing strategy
Your marketing strategy is a central pillar of your business as a whole. From sales and leads to brand recognition and employee attraction, it becomes a major factor in the success or failure of a company.
The product or service you offer could be the most appealing out there and the most suited for your target audience, but your sales will never take off if you don’t have a compelling story to attract your clients. In other words, if no one knows your product exists, it doesn’t matter who great it is.
A strong strategy enables you to reach new consumers, manage the image of your brand, and make sure your product beats the competition, not just by being best, but by nurturing a positive relationship with your customers. It allows you to attract, convert, and engage your target audience.
To create a tailor-made marketing plan that connects with your ideal customers, you first need to get a full grasp of who they are, what they need, and how they shop.
Knowing your target audience
One easy way to know and understand your target segment is to break down and analyze the steps they take in their buying decision process.
If you are not familiar with the buying decision process (BDP), it corresponds to the five consecutive stages customers go through when purchasing a product or a service:
- Recognition of a need: The gap between their desired and current states.
- Research process: Customers look for a solution to their needs from various sources of information (personal, commercial, public, and/or experimental).
- Option evaluation: Customers make an assessment of all of the information gathered, and evaluate which solution is the best.
- Decision: Actually purchasing the product.
- Post-purchase behavior: Customer’s response to the whole experience, depending on their level of satisfaction.
With a clear understanding of your customers’ specific BDP, you’ll be able to target investments where they’re more likely to positively affect conversions.
Statistic agency Statista found in 2017 that 75% of online shoppers use their mobile phones to locate a store, 70% to compare prices between suppliers, and 68% to research a product before visiting the store or searching for coupons. Clearly, most of the BDP is occurring on the digital stage.
From the moment clients begin there search to the moment they make a purchase they know how to navigate the whole process with nearly any internet-connected device. So, do you know how to help them find what they’re searching for?
If not, let us help you get there. To successfully find, attract, and persuade customers, it is vital that all these steps unfold fluidly, regardless of the channel the customer is using. If you would like to learn more about what Werkbot can do for you, please reach out on our contact page.
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