Definition and examples of the
consumer decision-making process
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What is the consumer decision making process
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Other
Theblogs
consumer decision-making process involves five
basic steps. This is the process by which consumers
evaluate making a purchasing decision. The 5 steps are
Categories
problem recognition, information search, alternatives
evaluation, purchase decision and post-purchase
evaluation.
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5 steps of the consumer decision making process
. Problem recognition: Recognizes the need for a
service or product
. Information search: Gathers information
. Alternatives evaluation: Weighs choices against
comparable alternatives
. Purchase decision: Makes actual purchase
. Post-purchase evaluation: Reflects on the purchase
they made
The consumer decision-making process can seem
mysterious, but all consumers go through basic steps when
making a purchase to determine what products and services
will best fit their needs.
Think about your own thought process when buying
something—especially when it’s something big, like a car.
You consider what you need, research, and compare your
options before making the decision to buy. Afterward, you
often wonder if you made the right call.
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If you work in sales or marketing, make more of an impact by
putting yourself in the customer’s shoes and reviewing the
steps
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the consumer decision-making process.
Steps in the consumer decision
process
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Generally speaking, the consumer decision-making process
involves five basic steps.
[email protected] 1. Problem recognition
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The first step of the consumer decision-making process is
recognizing the need for a service or product. Need
recognition, whether prompted internally or externally,
results in the same response: a want. Once consumers
recognize a want, they need to gather information to
understand how they can fulfill that want, which leads to
step two.
But how can you influence consumers at this stage? Since
internal stimulus comes from within and includes basic
impulses like hunger or a change in lifestyle, focus your sales
and marketing efforts on external stimulus.
Develop a comprehensive brand campaign to build brand
awareness and recognition––you want consumers to know
you and trust you. Most importantly, you want them to feel
like they have a problem only you can solve.
Example: Winter is coming. This particular customer has
several light jackets, but she’ll need a heavy-duty winter coat
if she’s going to survive the snow and lower temperatures.
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2. Information search
Content Map With Funnel (B2C) Example (Click on image to modify online)
When researching their options, consumers again rely on
internal and external factors, as well as past interactions with
a product or brand, both positive and negative. In the
information stage, they may browse through options at a
physical location or consult online resources, such as
Google or customer reviews.
Your job as a brand is to give the potential customer access
to the information they want, with the hopes that they
decide to purchase your product or service. Create a funnel
and plan out the types of content that people will need.
Present yourself as a trustworthy source of knowledge and
information.
Another important strategy is word of mouth—since
consumers trust each other more than they do businesses,
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make sure to include consumer-generated content, like
customer reviews or video testimonials, on your website.
Example: The customer searches “women’s winter coats” on
Google to see what options are out there. When she sees
someone with a cute coat, she asks them where they bought
it and what they think of that brand.
3. Alternatives evaluation
At this point in the consumer decision-making process,
prospective buyers have developed criteria for what they
want in a product. Now they weigh their prospective choices
against comparable alternatives.
Alternatives may present themselves in the form of lower
prices, additional product benefits, product availability, or
something as personal as color or style options. Your
marketing material should be geared towards convincing
consumers that your product is superior to other
alternatives. Be ready to overcome objections—e.g., in sales
calls, know your competitors so you can answer questions
and compare benefits.
Example: The customer compares a few brands that she likes.
She knows that she wants a brightly colored coat that will
complement the rest of her wardrobe, and though she would
rather spend less money, she also wants to find a coat made
from sustainable materials.
4. Purchase decision
This is the moment the consumer has been waiting for: the
purchase. Once they have gathered all the facts, including
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feedback from previous customers, consumers should arrive
at a logical conclusion on the product or service to
purchase.
If you’ve done your job correctly, the consumer will
recognize that your product is the best option and decide to
purchase it.
Example: The customer finds a pink winter coat that’s on sale
for 20% off. After confirming that the brand uses sustainable
materials and asking friends for their feedback, she orders
the coat online.
5. Post-purchase evaluation
This part of the consumer decision-making process involves
reflection from both the consumer and the seller. As a seller,
you should try to gauge the following:
Did the purchase meet the need the consumer identified?
Is the customer happy with the purchase?
How can you continue to engage with this customer?
Remember, it’s your job to ensure your customer continues
to have a positive experience with your product. Post-
purchase engagement could include follow-up emails,
discount coupons, and newsletters to entice the customer to
make an additional purchase. You want to gain life-long
customers, and in an age where anyone can leave an online
review, it’s more important than ever to keep customers
happy.
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Tools to better understand your
customer
Putting yourself in the customer’s shoes can help you steer
consumers towards your product. Here are some tools to
help you analyze their decision-making process and refine
your brand marketing and sales tactics.
Customer journey map
A customer journey map visualizes a hypothetical customer’s
actions. Use it to empathize with your customers as they go
through a specific process or try to complete a purchase.
Map out the actions the customer is likely to take.
Learn how to make a customer journey map to understand
the decision-making process for your product/service.
Customer Journey Map Example (Click on image to modify online)
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Empathy map
Empathy maps help teams understand the customer’s
mindset when dealing with a product or service. They can be
used for personas or specific customer types. Empathy
mapping is often most helpful at the beginning of a new
project. Collaborate as a team to quickly get inside the
heads of your customers during every step of product
development, testing, and release.
Learn how empathy maps work so you can understand your
customers better and make customer-oriented decisions.
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Basic Empathy Map Example (Click on image to modify online)
User personas
Based on user research or past user interactions, user
persona cards construct fictional or composite personas that
break down and organize your data into distinctive types of
users. Build a more human picture of your users and
understand your user base better by creating user personas
for the various types of users for your product or service.
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User Persona Card Example (Click on image to modify online)
Understanding the consumer decision-making process is key
if you want to attract more customers and get them to make
that crucial purchase. Use this process and the tools above
to tune in to consumers and genuinely understand how to
reach them.
Visualize your own customer journey map.
Visualize your own customer journey map.
Get started
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About Lucidchart
Lucidchart, a cloud-based intelligent diagramming
application, is a core component of Lucid Software's
Visual Collaboration Suite. This intuitive, cloud-based
solution empowers teams to collaborate in real-time to
build flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, customer
journey maps, and more. Lucidchart propels teams
forward to build the future faster. Lucid is proud to
serve top businesses around the world, including
customers such as Google, GE, and NBC Universal, and
99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid partners with industry
leaders, including Google, Atlassian, and Microsoft.
Since its founding, Lucid has received numerous
awards for its products, business, and workplace
culture. For more information, visit lucidchart.com.
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Use this guide to learn how to make a decision tree in
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