WHAT IS THE CONSUMER PURCHASING CYCLE?
The consumer purchasing cycle describes how consumers go about purchasing a product or hiring a service. A consumer who is actively browsing for products to purchase on the web is set to be in an advanced purchasing cycle. He or she knows that they need a product in order to fulfill a certain need or help them solve a specific problem.
Another phase of a consumer purchasing cycle happens when people read a promotional blog or educational video. They may not realize what the product can do for them yet, but they are looking for one that is useful and may wish to purchase it. These individuals are educating themselves with what is available on the market that may meet their needs. Since they are now aware they have a need and are looking for a solution, they are in the earlier stages of the purchasing cycle.
USING KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONSUMER PURCHASING CYCLE TO YOUR BENEFIT IN ADWORDS CONVERSIONS
You should try your best to target your AdWords campaigns for people who are in each stage of the purchasing cycle. The potential customers who are more advanced in the cycle will have different needs over the ones in the beginning states.
Getting people into a purchasing mood should still be a priority, but focus on converting those who already have a need and are possibly ready to make a purchase first, and provide education to those who have the awareness of their need and are looking for a solution to their issue.
ADWORDS CONVERSION TIPS
To further increase the conversion rate of your AdWords campaign, try these tips:
- Use specific keywords in your ad. This will help further narrow down the amount of people browsing the web and clicking your ads to more serious people in an advanced stage of purchasing.
- Research key terms or phrases people are searching that relate to your product is another great idea.
- Use calls-to-action and focus the ad towards driving the customer to see the product on the click-through page. Most landing pages are set up for the visitor to receive more information where they can make an informed purchase if they are in the educational phases of the consumer buying cycle. They have to opt-in with their email address to receive the information. The main goal, then, is to get them to the landing page.
- Consumers who are in the more advanced stages of buying may still be looking for more information, but most are looking for the exact make and model they want, the best price, and a reputable company to purchase through that has a good offer to support their purchase. Ads and keywords for this group would be more long tail and focused on what exactly they are looking to buy.
Understanding the purchasing cycle can really help you launch an effective advertising campaign through AdWords. Contact us for information on AdWords campaign management or if you have any questions about how the purchasing cycle can be used to increase your conversion rate on the web.
