Everything You Need To Know About Buyer Behaviour

Have you ever wondered why fluctuations in sales occur? Or have you thought about the reasons why reviews and feedback online play a major part in people’s decisions? 

The psychology behind buyer behaviour greatly influences the way your audiences act and react. This is one of the fundamentals of Marketing that allows businesses like yours to understand how customers think and act. 
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To help you understand buyer behaviour more thoroughly, here is a complete guide.  

What is buyer behaviour? 

Buyer behaviour is the driving force behind your customer’s decisions. 

It refers to the actions and steps buyers take before making a purchase – either by searching for information on the web, discussing with other people, engaging on social media platforms or finding content. 

Understanding this buyer behaviour is vital to your Marketing, as it allows you to tailor your campaigns and promotions in accordance with what motivates your audience to act. 
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Most often, buyer behaviour is measured by using software programs that analyse customer relationships online. Obtaining insights through surveys and interviews is also effective in understanding why your audience behaves in the way they do.  

For more, read: How to Know Your Customer: 11 Insights Into Behaviour You Need To Know 

What is the buyer decision process? 

To grasp the behaviour of buyers, you must understand the way they make purchase decisions.  

People take these steps to address their pain points and satisfy their needs: 

1. Problem Recognition 
   
   This occurs when your audience experiences a challenge or difficulty that prompts them to look for a solution. It can also happen when buyers seek to improve their wellbeing by wanting better things or better experiences. 
   
   
2. Information Search 
   
   After recognising their wants and needs, people begin to look for valuable information. This can involve relying on internal (memory or experience) and external sources (the Internet, commercials, media, reviews, customer service, family and friends). 
   
   
3. Evaluation of Alternatives
   
   Once information is collected, people weigh up their options and check what attributes and benefits each offers. This is also the stage where they can start ranking their options.  
   
   
4. Purchase Decision 
   
   At this point, your consumers decide the best alternative for them. They will pick the one that will provide them with the most perceived value, through the highest utility and minimum risk. 
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5. Post-Purchase Behaviour  
   
   After purchasing, people contemplate their decision to evaluate if they made the right choice, confirming whether they are satisfied and their expectations are met. 

It is important to note that the size, complexity and frequency of this buyer decision process varies for the consumer and the nature of the purchase.  
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For example, a person buying a car will take a more rigorous approach with the process than an average person deciding to purchase a shirt or candy bar. 

What influences buyer behaviour? 

There are certain factors that affect a person’s decision-making process, which also triggers their behaviour when making a purchase. 

Understanding what drives them allows you to evolve your Marketing efforts to gain better results. These include: 

• Culture and society – This factor is more than just nationalities, as it can also be determined by their associations, religious beliefs or location. 
  
  
• Social – Specifically the reference groups, friends and family that influence how people perceive products and services.  
  
  

• Personal – This factor refers to the age, life stage, economic situation, lifestyle, personality and other physical attributes of consumers. 
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• Psychological – this reflects the motivation, perception, beliefs and attitudes of buyers. Consumers’ state of mind also relates to the way they feel about your brand and your products and services. 

These components, together with the buyer decision process, influence the level of your audience’s receptiveness to your products and services. 
 
See: Motivating Yourself And Others: The Fuel Of Action 

In fact, here are some examples of buyer behaviour that your business may encounter. 

What are the types of consumer behaviour? 

• Complex buying behaviour 
  
  This is characterised by consumers’ high involvement in the buying process and significant variables between choices. It often happens when they are making an infrequent and expensive purchase. 
  
  
• Dissonance-reducing buying behaviour 
  
  Such behaviour shows when buyers find it hard to differentiate brands. To reduce the fear of making a poor buying decision, consumers will choose products based on price, convenience, using recommendations or rankings. 
  
  
• Habitual buying behaviour 
  
  An example of this behaviour is grocery shopping. The purchase decision doesn’t involve much thought or commitment due to low product differentiation. 
  
  
• Variety seeking behaviour  
  
  This behaviour occurs when consumers aren’t loyal to one product or brand because they like to try a wide range of options. 
  

By taking into consideration the kind of behaviour that is displayed by your target audience, you can position your brand in a more effective way. 

But what if the buyer is a business? 

The buyer decision process for B2B companies (business-to-business) does not stray away from that of consumers. 

Just keep in mind that regarding these businesses, the decision-making process and buying behaviour is not purely based on facts. Emotional purchases are still possible because those who manage the buying process are still people. 

For more, read: How To Create An Effective B2B Content Marketing Strategy 

What is a B2B decision process, then? 

Due to the nature and stricter systems within businesses, the buyer decision process for B2B trading is just more complex with a few additional steps.  

1. Problem recognition 
2. General need description 
3. Product specification 
4. Supplier search and short-listing 
5. Proposal solicitation 
6. Supplier evaluation and selection 
7. Order routine specification 
8. Performance review 

The major difference between the buyer decision process and B2B buying decision process lies in the way businesses immediately determine what exactly is needed on the purchase and then search valuable information regarding products that meet those specifications.  
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They also differ in purchase volume, the number of customers, location of buyers and method of distribution. 
 
Regardless of whether you’re catering to typical consumers or larger businesses, you must gain a better understanding of them and their buying process. ​

How can you understand buyers? 

To assist your consumers and provide them with the solutions they need, you must figure out what makes them tick.  
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Here are some questions you can ask to achieve a clear understanding of your target audience: 

• What do they think and feel? 
• What do they hear from the people around them? 
• How do they see their environment? 
• What do they say and do? 
• What causes them pain and frustration? 
• What benefits motivate them? 

Ensure that you’ll be able to address these matters in marketing your products and services. 

Need a hand in analysing your buyers’ behaviour? 

If you need professional assistance in understanding your consumers and coming up with the right types of content for them, know that you can always rely on your trusted Marketing team to help you out. 

How can Melotti Media help you?     

We understand that you want to achieve business success through understanding your buyers’ behaviour and creating the right content for them. 

However, you may find that you’re time-poor and spread thin or you still have a lot of unanswered questions.    

You don’t need to worry!     

At Melotti Media, we can assist with all your message marketing and copywriting needs while you focus on what matters most to you – growing your business.       

Let’s start earning the results your business deserves!    

To speak to your trusted message marketers and copywriters, email us at enquire@melottimedia.com.au    

We can sharpen your words to achieve your goals today!    
 
The Melotti Media Team  
Melotti Media | Copywriting & Message Marketing Bureau  
www.melottimedia.com.au  
 

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