New Consumer Research That Will Make You or Break You

 

Did you know that decisions to purchase a product are made in 7 seconds?

Back in 2005, the Wall Street Journal ran a front-page article written by Proctor & Gamble.  This article stated that “the moment of truth” with a buyer, is the first 3 to7 seconds when she notices the item. A consumer sees a product, and within 7 seconds will make the emotional decision whether or not to buy.

Why do you choose to make a purchase? Is it a promise on the bottle to grow thicker hair, lose weight or gain energy?

Perhaps consumers buy because of the sale price, a beautiful yard sign, or pretty packaging. It’s possible that a friend recommended the product or service to a young mother looking for advice. This is marketing, and it is as relevant today as it was in 2005, however…. let’s jump ahead to 2015…

Buyers have changed

Google recently released a book called "Winning the Zero Moment of Truth."  In it, they asked Shopper Sciences to conduct a comprehensive study on buyer behavior, where they discovered what influences a purchase decision. It turns out that consumers today will seek out 10.4 sources of information before making their choice. They go online and research products, companies, and services. Shoppers look at reviews, compare prices, and educate themselves. In fact, they almost always know a lot about you, before you know anything about them.

You do this yourself, don’t you? Do you remember the last time you decided to buy a car, stay at a hotel, or go out for a nice meal? Surely you did your homework.

Whether you are a remodeler, home builder, Realtor, or providing a product, serious buyers are researching you and your competition. They gather a lot of information before making a decision.

Consumers look on Pinterest, hashtag on Twitter, and post questions to their friends on Facebook about your service. Buyers are now armed with the knowledge they didn’t have access to years ago.

It’s the mom of four who needs an extra room.  She looks on the internet for a builder or remodeler to decide the best option for her family. Who will provide her with the best service, the best price or the best answers?  According to Google’s research, young mothers spend a lot of time on the Internet searching for this type of information.

Do you have a website? Are you taking advantage of social media? The fact of the matter is your competitors are on the web. This is marketing today. Shoppers are online and if they can’t find you, they WILL find your competition.

Being present on the web is very time-consuming; keeping your website up to date, writing blogs, and posting on social media. However, many companies have embraced this new reality of marketing - they have websites and hire marketers. They also budget for marketing activity.

What if you can’t afford a full-time marketer, (let alone two or three), and can’t find the time to market yourself?

You should continue to provide excellent service. Word of mouth marketing is as important today, as it was yesterday. Not only are people talking about your business around the water cooler, they are also posting comments on Facebook, Yelp or Google reviews.

It’s a Process, not a Project

Start small. Begin with learning one social media site at a time. Do you enjoy Facebook? Set up a business page for your company. Post information and ideas relevant to your potential buyers. Recruit your family & friends to help share your posts.

Pinterest is an amazing website to post gorgeous pictures of your workmanship. Many people say that Pinterest is a site geared towards women. While this is certainly true, remember - it is the young mother who spends her time surfing the web to find the best products & services for her family.

There is also a new website for the home building industry called Hoodle, which allows builders and developers to create their own marketing presence online.  It’s as simple to use as Facebook.

Hoodle is already connecting home buyers with builders and residential developers. This will only continue to grow as Hoodle gains momentum throughout the Chicago market, and across the US.

Imagine having your gorgeous homes and neighborhoods viewed by potential home buyers 24/7.

Later, Hoodle will also offer pages for remodelers, Realtors, and product/ service suppliers. Until then, you might be interested in placing an ad on Hoodle that links directly to your website.

 If you don’t have a website, Hoodle provides a great starting point for marketing yourself online.

The important thing to remember is this - consumers are online seeking information about you and your business. The question is - will they find you there?


Related Posts


Share Post