How Clients Evaluate A Business Before Making Purchases
By Staples Canada
February 25, 2020
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
Share Facebook Tweet on Twitter Share with Email Share with LinkedIn Share with Pinterest
Consumers today are no longer at the mercy of traditional marketing techniques to make purchasing decisions. With tons of data available online, modern consumers research almost everything that they need on the internet. This behavior has made it essential for businesses to build an online presence.
When you have a strong presence online you can connect with clients about your products and services. You can also provide pertinent information about your business to draw in more potential clients. Before you begin, you should understand the behavior behind purchasing decisions.
There are three primary things that a client will consider before buying, to gauge the quality of brands, products, and services to determine if they are worthwhile. To help you see how these factors influence consumer behavior, Staples Powered By Webware has broken down how clients evaluate a business.
1. Reviews and Online Listings
For many consumers, reviews are a primary part of their decision-making process. They view business, service, and product reviews from other customers as credible sources of information and use them as reference points when making purchases.
According to Craig Bloem, Founder, and CEO of FreeLogoServices.com, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and 68% form an opinion after reading approximately one to six online reviews.
Reviews also tell you what people think about your products and services. They even allow you to thank customers for their positive feedback and resolve concerns. If you don’t have any reviews for your products or services, make sure you actively encourage your customers to leave some after every purchase.
2. Social Presence
Regardless of what people are saying about your business, your potential clients are also eager to know your perspective as the owner. Some customers seek out pictures and videos related to your business through social media to understand its culture and values. Others use these platforms as a form of communication. According to an article written in Dreamgrow.com, 90% of social media users have used these platforms to interact with various brands and companies. Some social media platforms, like Facebook, allow your clients to write reviews as well.
Your visible social statistics (for example, number of followers, likes, shares, and comments) are also evaluated by customers to generate credibility and authenticity. Sometimes, your social pages may even be an opportunity to learn new information, obtain discounts, and discover new product features.
3. Web Presence
Another aspect that clients will consider before deciding to buy from you is your website. Your website is seen as a source of information to clarify questions or research products and services. When a client has sufficient information about your products and services they want to purchase, they will feel more confident about approaching you.
Apart from researching your offerings, many clients take a keen interest in your website to learn details about the people behind your brand. Publishing personal information about yourself and your team will help your website visitors feel acquainted with you and more open to your suggestions and advice. A brief history will help them understand how long you’ve been in business, how you maintain quality, and what your core values are.
Clients engage in extensive research to shortlist the best brands for their product and service requirements. To build their trust in your brand, you need to provide them with relevant information for their research. These details should be insightful and persuasive enough to influence their thoughts and decisions.
To help you produce insightful and persuasive information for your prospects, Staples Powered By Webware offers a complete digital marketing tool kit to build an interactive website, collect fresh reviews, and maintain an active social media presence. Its technical team will set you up for success with an optimized website that will transform the way you communicate with your target audience. Its marketing experts will help you build a social media strategy and manage your reputation over various review platforms that matter to your clients.
It can also help you streamline your digital marketing techniques to boost your online presence and enhance your client experience. At the same time, through an array of digital marketing services, your online presence will be well-marketed and leveraged to find new customers, keep customers, and earn referrals.
To learn more about Staples Powered By Webware, please click here, or get in touch with an expert here!