Consumer buying process

The consumer buying process is the series of steps consumers typically go through in making a purchase decision. Often the whole process will only take seconds or a few minutes, while other times it may take years. Regardless of how long it takes, consumers generally go through six steps when making a purchase decision:

• problem or need recognition
  
• search
  
• alternative evaluation
  
• purchase decision and action
  
• post-purchase evaluation

Problem or need recognition initiates the buying process. Dissatisfaction with current products, running out of supply of an item, or a changed financial status can stimulate consumer needs. Most consumers are creatures of habit and will repurchase the product they always use. This helps firms who are the established leaders in their markets but creates a barrier for new competitors. New competitors look for dissatisfied customers; those who are new to an area; and those who, through inheritance, divorce, or other situations have significantly changed their purchasing power.
In the search stage, consumers identify different products that will solve their problem. For everyday purchases like milk or bread, consumers usually quickly determine alternative sources of products to meet their needs. For high-involvement purchases like homes or automobiles, the search process will take longer and probably include searching for objective sources of information. Many consumers will only consider a few possible choices when searching for products to solve their problem. Marketers refer to the choices considered as the “evoked set.” Firms that have severely disappointed consumers in the past or who are new to the market often have difficulty even being considered by consumers. For many years a significant portion of American consumers would not even consider American-made automobiles, having been disappointed with the performance of their last Americanmade cars.
In the alternative-evaluation stage, consumers consider and weigh the choices available. Again, with everyday-type purchases this stage can take seconds, while for a specialty item it may take months. Marketers respond to the alternative- evaluation stage by providing and promoting features they hope will influence consumers’ evaluation of their products.
There can be considerable variation in the evaluation stage. One marketer found that it took him half the time it took his wife to do the family grocery shopping. Going to the supermarket together, he found out why. His wife read the ingredient labels, while he just purchased what was on the shopping list.
The purchase decision and action is, as the term suggests, the determination of which product will best satisfy one’s need and the action of making the actual deal. Salespeople refer to this stage as the “closing.” For everyday purchases, the goal is to make the purchase as quickly and effortlessly as possible. For complex decisions like a real estate closing, the purchase process can take weeks.
Post-purchase evaluation addresses the questions “Did I make the right decision?” and “Did I get a good deal?” Marketers refer to this anxiety as cognitive dissonance. Good marketers, recognizing that word-of-mouth is almost always the best form of promotion and that new customers are almost always more difficult and expensive to find than maintaining existing customers, try to reduce consumers’ cognitive dissonance. Realtors will offer buyer’s insurance, protecting the purchaser against unforeseen problems. Service providers like dentists and doctors will often call clients to see how they are doing after a procedure. Thank-you notes convey appreciation and also remind consumers about their purchase process.