The customer’s journey from recognizing a need to making a purchase can be complex and varied, spanning five distinct decision-making stages. The goal is to guide individuals from mere interest in your product to making a purchase.
On your website, you can effectively address three of these stages: education, consideration, and conversion. Which subpages best support these stages, and what key factors should you bear in mind to maximize your website’s earning potential? Keep reading to find out!
What are the 5 stages of the customer decision path?
Before diving into the meat of the matter (vegetarian version: seitan), let’s review some theory to ensure we’re on the same page and organize our understanding.
The customer decision path comprises 5 stages that consistently emerge, regardless of whether the customer is purchasing a product or using a service. Here’s a breakdown of these stages:
- Need. This stage involves recognizing a lack or desire for something. Without this initial need, a person won’t consider purchasing your product. The presence of need motivates action, driving the shopping process.
- Education. Merely recognizing a need isn’t sufficient. Before becoming a customer, individuals typically seek more information about the product or service. The complexity and cost of the offering often dictate the duration of this stage. For example, purchasing shoes requires less research than investing in heat pumps.
- Evaluation. Once customers understand their requirements, they begin comparing options from different companies to fulfill their needs. This stage involves comparing prices, features, and other relevant factors.
- Conversion. This is the pivotal stage where the customer decides that your offering is the best fit and makes a purchase. However, the journey doesn’t end here because…
- Post-Purchase Experience. While the purchase is crucial for you, the customer’s experience afterward is paramount. Did the product or service meet their expectations? How was their interaction with your brand? Do they feel inclined to recommend your product? The post-purchase experience significantly influences whether customers return to you or endorse your brand to others.
You can address these 3 stages of the decision-making path on your website!
Now that we’ve covered the theoretical groundwork, let’s delve into specifics. Since need arises within individuals, your website won’t typically create it. There are exceptions, such as large-scale campaigns aimed at generating need, but I won’t focus on demand generation campaigns here.
So, which stages of the decision path can you target on your website? Education, consideration, and conversion. Let’s briefly explore the types of subpages that can assist you with this.
Education, ideally on your website, is the first stage.
At this point, clients seek answers to several crucial questions, including:
1. Do I genuinely need this?
2. What features must the product possess for me to be satisfied with my purchase?
3. What indicators should I look for to ensure the product’s quality?
4. Is a premium product necessary?
Clients may have various other questions as well. How can you discover them? One effective method is to consult your sales department. They field customers’ inquiries daily. Why not incorporate these answers into your website?
This is where a blog (or a section with a different name but similar function) comes in handy. Here, you can discuss topics not only related to the product or service itself but also the context of its usage.
Several other subpages may serve an educational function:
1. Frequently Asked Questions section.
2. Product description or service subpage.
3. Guides, e-books, instructions, and other additional materials intended to educate the client.
Convincing the customer.
After the educational stage, the customer begins to seek an offer that meets their needs. They compare price options, read about the company itself, search for opinions about it online, and compare the packages or service components.
During the consideration stage, the customer may engage in numerous activities. However, nothing prevents them from staying on your website for most of this stage. Subpages that can assist you during this phase include:
1. Case studies.
2. About us.
3. Photos from previous implementations.
4. Information about awards and distinctions.
5. Testimonials and references section.
6. Blog.
You can even take it a step further by preparing articles that compare your product to the competition. This approach has been adopted by companies like Brand24, where their blog features several articles on the topic of ‘TOP Internet monitoring tools’.
This is an interesting move because the authors of the article mention, among others, Brandwatch, which offers similar services.
Let the conversion happen.
Once the customer recognizes that your company is the best choice, it’s time to guide them towards the desired conversion moment. This could involve selling a product, acquiring contact information, or any action that generates income for you.
At this stage of the decision-making path, several key factors come into play:
1. Seamless transition from consideration stage subpages to conversion subpages.
2. Length of the conversion completion path.
3. Primary call-to-action, easily accessible from any page on the website.
It’s essential to remember that customers prefer a streamlined experience without delays or guesswork. Therefore, aim for the shortest possible conversion path.
Ideally, the customer should only need to make a maximum of three clicks from deciding to purchase a product or service. Time is precious, and attention spans are short.
At this juncture, the crucial subpages include:
4. Product description or service page.
5. ‘Contact’ page.
6. Shopping cart, payment, and delivery pages.
While these three types of subpages don’t encompass the entire spectrum of the so-called money page, they are among the most common and essential.
Understanding the Customer Journey: Guide your client every step of the way!
One more fundamental issue worth mentioning here is the Customer Journey. In essence, it involves guiding the customer through the decision-making path on your website.
The key is to ensure a seamless transition from the blog to conversion. Essentially, it boils down to two elements:
1. Placing the call-to-action in a prominent position.
2. Tailoring the CTA message to the stage of the decision-making path.
How to execute this effectively? Firstly, take a moment to empathize and put yourself in the client’s shoes.
There could be countless scenarios, each representing different conversion paths. Naturally, I won’t delve into every possible variation. However, I’ll provide guidance on where to seek answers and the most effective solutions.
From Education to Consideration.
As mentioned earlier, customers typically visit your website during the education stage, with the blog often serving as the primary source of cold traffic. Let’s design one of the paths leading to conversion from there.
For simplicity, let’s make the following assumption:
1. The client recognizes the need to organize client work in their company.
2. However, they are uncertain about the process or whether to use any specific program.
3. They start searching for information on Google using the phrase “customer relationship management.”
Coincidentally, your blog post titled “What is Customer Relationship Management?” ranks in the top 10 search results. The headline and meta description catch the user’s attention, prompting them to visit your site.
After Reading.
Having read the article, the user understands what CRM is and recognizes the need for an appropriate program to manage relationships effectively. However, their educational journey isn’t complete yet!
The next logical question they might have is “What is a CRM system and what functionalities does it offer?” It’s essential to have an article on your blog that addresses this question, and the user should be directed there.
Facilitate this transition with a button, such as “Discover what the CRM system is and how it works!”
After Reading the Second Article.
By now, the user is acquainted with CRM systems and their functionalities. The education stage concludes, and the user transitions to the consideration phase.
Provide them with the opportunity to explore further on your website. Redirect them to the third article titled “How to choose a CRM system? Explore the TOP 10 solutions on the market!”
The button text could be “Discover which CRM to choose!”
From Consideration to Conversion.
In such an article, it’s beneficial to adopt a similar approach to Brand24’s. Create a list of CRM systems, including those of your competitors.
Of course, ensure to present your solution in the best possible light. To enhance the effectiveness of such an article, consider structuring it with two key sections:
1. How to Choose a CRM System? In this section, describe the essential features that a CRM should possess. Focus primarily on highlighting the strengths of your solution.
2. CRM System Rankings. Begin by showcasing your product first, followed by a selection of, for instance, 9 programs from your competitors.
Paradoxically, the more programs you review, the better it is for you. By presenting your solution first and providing comprehensive details, less extensive product reviews will be less impactful.
The following mechanisms will come into play here:
1. Principle of Priority: Information presented at the beginning is more memorable.
2. Principle of Reader Fatigue: Information becomes less digestible as the article progresses.
Implementing these principles increases the likelihood of capturing the user’s interest in your offer.
However, beware! The consideration stage is not yet complete. The user likely remains unfamiliar with your company and lacks examples of your implementations. Therefore, redirect them from this article to other sections on your website, such as:
1. Visit the “About Us” section to learn about your company and the problems you solve for your clients.
2. Explore the “Case Studies” section, where you can find examples of how your system has assisted other clients in relationship management.
It’s highly likely that one of the case studies will effectively conclude the consideration stage. Equip each entry with a button, such as “Discover Our CRM System,” directing users to the product description page.
Conversion Stage. Is That All?
You’ve successfully directed the user to the most critical section of the page: the money page, where your CRM system is detailed.
Construct this subpage based on the AIDA principle, ensuring:
1. A captivating headline.
2. Comprehensive product descriptions, including parameters and package comparisons.
3. Evoking a sense of need, such as “Boost your company’s revenues by up to x%, just like y of our satisfied customers!”
4. A compelling call-to-action guiding users to the checkout and payment gateway.
This is just one of numerous potential shopping paths on your website. While the described Customer Journey doesn’t guarantee 100% effectiveness, understanding the user’s needs, their journey starting point, and where they’re headed on your website will aid in crafting an effective Customer Journey for your company.
How to Utilize These Subpages in PPC Campaigns?
The preceding example outlines the purchase path from organic search results. However, it’s essential to remember that this isn’t the sole method for leveraging these subpages.
In addition to SEO efforts, you’re likely running paid campaigns across platforms such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or LinkedIn Ads.
It’s crucial to recognize that you can also incorporate the described subpages into these campaigns!
Marketing Funnel and Customer Decision Path: They’re (Almost) the Same Picture!
Before delving further, let’s briefly touch upon the marketing funnel. It comprises several stages:
Does this sound familiar? In a sense, such a funnel bears a striking resemblance to a customer’s decision-making path, although there are clear differences.
Awareness isn’t Equivalent to Need
In the context of the funnel, awareness simply denotes people recognizing your brand and correctly associating it with your offerings. However, at the top of the customer’s decision-making path, we encounter a specific need. This signifies that the customer identifies something missing and decides to acquire or purchase it.
If there’s any connection between these points, it’s this: when a customer perceives a need and is aware that your company can fulfill it, they become more interested in your offer, thus initiating the decision-making path.
Interest isn’t the Same as Education.
It’s important to note that the interest stage in the funnel differs from the education stage in the decision-making path, although they share commonalities. While you can generate interest in your offer through educational materials, other methods can also achieve this goal. Conversely, educating a customer doesn’t solely involve informing them about your offerings’ features.
From this perspective, the education stage can be equated with both awareness and interest stages.
Loyalty Differs from Post-Purchase Impressions
There’s also a slight distinction in the final stage. In the funnel, loyalty must be cultivated—it doesn’t develop on its own. Building customer loyalty involves ensuring a positive post-purchase experience, which, as you know, isn’t entirely straightforward.
How to Assign Subpages to Funnel Stages and Decision Path?
As previously mentioned, customers typically enter the decision-making path on your website from the education stage. Therefore, according to the classic advertising account structure, you can assign education to both awareness and interest campaigns—essentially, the top of the marketing funnel.
Consideration poses no significant challenge, as the nomenclature remains the same. This corresponds to the middle of the funnel. Likewise, the purchase stage equates to conversion, with the distinction that it’s at the bottom of the funnel.
Subpages for the Top of the Funnel
Following this logic, deploy the following subpages at the top of the funnel:
1. Blog.
2. Frequently Asked Questions section.
3. Product description or service page.
4. Guides, e-books, instructions, and other educational materials.
Subpages for the Middle of the Funnel
For the middle of the funnel, opt for the most relevant subpages:
1. Case studies.
2. About Us.
3. Implementation photos.
4. Awards and distinctions.
5. Testimonials and references section.
6. Blog.
Subpages for the Bottom of the Funnel
Similarly, for the bottom of the funnel, include:
1. Product description or service page.
2. Contact page.
3. Shopping cart, payment, and delivery pages.
Is Utilizing These Subpages a Guarantee of Success?
Finally, consider whether following these tips will ensure 100% campaign effectiveness.
As a seasoned business professional, you likely understand that success isn’t guaranteed. While theoretical knowledge is valuable, only practice will reveal which specific subpages to showcase at each stage of the customer’s decision-making path and to whom and when to show them.
Numerous factors contribute to business success. While designing marketing funnels and correctly assigning subpages to the purchasing path stages are crucial, they alone won’t determine your success. However, they’ll significantly enhance your chances.
Hence, it’s advisable to begin implementing these strategies now. The sooner you start, the sooner you can optimize them. Best of luck!
Article written in cooperation with digitalk.
