Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2
Having previously conducted interviews to determine buyer behavior regarding need awareness and information search, I now must consider the alternatives. I conducted three more interviews of different people within my identified segment (young and middle aged people looking to improve/maintain their health) to find what factors customers consider when evaluating which alternative to pick. I have summarized the main points of my interviews below.
Alternative Evaluation
My interviewees gave me mixed results regarding how they choose among a set of alternatives. An interviewee voiced his concerns about convenience. He tends to choose the alternative that is perceivably of the greatest quality, but also the easiest to access. In this way, the style or design of the alternative matters most for this individual. On the other hand, the other two interviewees expressed that the most important factor determining how they pick is the price. They shared similar concerns regarding affordability of the alternative, as money is a main determinant of whether or not they do or buy something.
Purchase Decision
In this current digital age, e-commerce has grown and, arguably, taken over as a major market, today. In parallel to this idea, a couple of my interviewees expressed that they were more likely to make online purchases as opposed to in store ones, as the accessibility and convenience of online shopping has overtaken their lives. Due to this manner of buying, they either pay through the use of credit or debit cards (or even financing for larger purchases). By general consensus, cash has become virtually obsolete, meaning my interviewees, like most individuals, use cards to make the majority of their purchases. One interviewee, however, was unlike the other two in terms of how they buy. This interviewee prefers to buy some things online and some in a store. With specific regards to exercising, he likes to go to a physical gym, as it motivates him to work out and maintain a proper routine.
Post-Purchase Evaluation
My interviewees shared some ideas on how they determine whether or not their purchase was correct (as in choosing the right product or service) and if the purchase was a good idea or a bad one. In general, they indicated that enjoyability and practicality of use determines if their purchases was good or not. If they either truly enjoy the product/service they purchased, use that product/service routinely (make good use of it), or the product/service simply makes sense to have, my customers believe that the purchase was and is a good idea. The same goes for the opposite, determining if a purchase was a bad idea. When the product/service yields no positive results and they find that it is subpar, not being worth the money they paid for it, that makes them think that the purchase was a bad idea. In terms of the 'rightness' of a purchase, my interviewees consider the costs and the benefits of the purchase. They evaluate whether the costs of making the purchase exceeds the benefits or if the reverse is true. The greater the benefits are minus the costs, the 'righter' the purchase is in their eyes.
Based on what I know about this segment and what I have learned from my interviews, I'm able to describe this segment in terms of their alternative evaluation, purchase decision, and post-purchase decision evaluation. In terms of all of the above described categories, this segment values the price, meaning the cost of the purchase, as well as the ease of making said purchase highly. Additionally, this segment generally follows the trend of most consumers, paying through the use of credit and debit cards, and weighing the benefits against the costs in their actual evaluation of their purchases.
Alternative Evaluation
My interviewees gave me mixed results regarding how they choose among a set of alternatives. An interviewee voiced his concerns about convenience. He tends to choose the alternative that is perceivably of the greatest quality, but also the easiest to access. In this way, the style or design of the alternative matters most for this individual. On the other hand, the other two interviewees expressed that the most important factor determining how they pick is the price. They shared similar concerns regarding affordability of the alternative, as money is a main determinant of whether or not they do or buy something.
Purchase Decision
In this current digital age, e-commerce has grown and, arguably, taken over as a major market, today. In parallel to this idea, a couple of my interviewees expressed that they were more likely to make online purchases as opposed to in store ones, as the accessibility and convenience of online shopping has overtaken their lives. Due to this manner of buying, they either pay through the use of credit or debit cards (or even financing for larger purchases). By general consensus, cash has become virtually obsolete, meaning my interviewees, like most individuals, use cards to make the majority of their purchases. One interviewee, however, was unlike the other two in terms of how they buy. This interviewee prefers to buy some things online and some in a store. With specific regards to exercising, he likes to go to a physical gym, as it motivates him to work out and maintain a proper routine.
Post-Purchase Evaluation
My interviewees shared some ideas on how they determine whether or not their purchase was correct (as in choosing the right product or service) and if the purchase was a good idea or a bad one. In general, they indicated that enjoyability and practicality of use determines if their purchases was good or not. If they either truly enjoy the product/service they purchased, use that product/service routinely (make good use of it), or the product/service simply makes sense to have, my customers believe that the purchase was and is a good idea. The same goes for the opposite, determining if a purchase was a bad idea. When the product/service yields no positive results and they find that it is subpar, not being worth the money they paid for it, that makes them think that the purchase was a bad idea. In terms of the 'rightness' of a purchase, my interviewees consider the costs and the benefits of the purchase. They evaluate whether the costs of making the purchase exceeds the benefits or if the reverse is true. The greater the benefits are minus the costs, the 'righter' the purchase is in their eyes.
Based on what I know about this segment and what I have learned from my interviews, I'm able to describe this segment in terms of their alternative evaluation, purchase decision, and post-purchase decision evaluation. In terms of all of the above described categories, this segment values the price, meaning the cost of the purchase, as well as the ease of making said purchase highly. Additionally, this segment generally follows the trend of most consumers, paying through the use of credit and debit cards, and weighing the benefits against the costs in their actual evaluation of their purchases.
Kira, I think your analysis of figuring out buyer behavior is very good. I think that you are absolutely right about e-commerce in today's market. While people will come to a brick and mortar store, people are much more inclined to buy online if possible. Additionally, I think that your decision factors were completely appropriate for the segment you are targeting.
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