A Practical Approach—Summary
Chapter 2. Digital Costumers
2.1 Introduction
It is important that all readers understand that in marketing terms buying a product
does not always refer to a transaction where a good is exchanged for a sum of money.
Indeed, in a wider context, we are looking at an exchange being the result of
marketing activities. Customer behaviour, therefore, refers not only to a financial
transaction, but also when or wherever the customer agrees an action in return for a
commitment on their part. Translating this online: it may be the case that the aim of a
website might be to provide information.
Therefore, downloading a pdf might be the required sale. Similarly, on a B2B site, the
objective could well be to have the potential customer contact the organization – so as
soon as (say) a phone call is made, the website has made its sale, i.e. met its marketing
objective.
Furthermore, it is often the case that use of the term customer is not appropriate to the
selling organization. Universities prefer students, hospitals patients and church
worshippers, for example – but essentially each of these groups will demonstrate
customer behavioural traits in choosing the provider of their education, treatment or
religion.
● A customer is the person who pays for a product; a consumer is the one who
consumes it. The customer for a product might also be the consumer (I buy and
drink a bottle of beer) but this is not always the case (I buy two beers, drink one
and give the other to a friend, who drinks that bottle)
● Particularly relevant in the case of B2B trading, where the person who agrees to
the purchase of a product is unlikely to be the one who uses (consumes) it.
● The definition of buy is to acquire by paying. The definition of sell is to transfer
ownership in exchange for payment. For other products, the buyer may take a long
period – months or even years – to decide on its purchase (a car, for example);
therefore, the marketer may spend years selling it. Once again, many B2B purchases fit
into this category.
2.2 Online buying behaviour
As with all aspects of marketing, buyer behaviour can be divided into consumer
behaviour and industry behaviour. Let’s consider each in turn.
, Business to consumer (B2C)
Rather than covering the myriad of theories that exist in the social science that is
customer behaviour, in this section we will briefly consider how people behave online
and how that behaviour can be best exploited by the digital marketer. One way to do
this is to take one of the most common models in the subject and consider how
it might be applied online. Before doing that, however, it is worth adding that buyer
behaviour is inherent in many (if not most) aspects of marketing – for that reason the
subject re-emerges throughout subsequent chapters of this book.
Successful website development, for example, is dependent on the visitor being able to
interact with the site (their beha-viour) and in Chapter 10 we consider digital
marketing analytics – much of which revolves around tracking users’ online
behaviour.
Perhaps the most commonly used model of buyer behaviour is that which
considers the purchase process as a cycle, taking the customer in the following
series of steps:
problem recognition ➪ information search ➪ evaluation of alternatives ➪ purchase
decision ➪post-purchase behaviour.
How the Internet can impact on that cycle.
Stages of the buying cycle Potential role played by the
● Internet
● Information search
● Evaluation of alternatives
● Purchase decision
● Post-purchase behaviour
Explanations:
● Potential customers can be made aware of potential problems within the content
of any web presence –including websites, social media platforms or emails.
● Normally using search engines, the potential customer looks for information on
the products that can meet their needs. (use the sites of manufacturers, dealers
or retailers as well as review sites and social media. Some argue that it is this
facility that is the Internet’s biggest contribution to marketing.)
● Having determined a type of product that provides a solution, the web is used to
compare the offerings of various organizations and brands. Although they might
be used in the evaluation stage, shopping comparison sites are particularly
helpful at this stage where, for example, the best price for a particular product
can be found. Selecting a specific seller would fall into this category.
Chapter 2. Digital Costumers
2.1 Introduction
It is important that all readers understand that in marketing terms buying a product
does not always refer to a transaction where a good is exchanged for a sum of money.
Indeed, in a wider context, we are looking at an exchange being the result of
marketing activities. Customer behaviour, therefore, refers not only to a financial
transaction, but also when or wherever the customer agrees an action in return for a
commitment on their part. Translating this online: it may be the case that the aim of a
website might be to provide information.
Therefore, downloading a pdf might be the required sale. Similarly, on a B2B site, the
objective could well be to have the potential customer contact the organization – so as
soon as (say) a phone call is made, the website has made its sale, i.e. met its marketing
objective.
Furthermore, it is often the case that use of the term customer is not appropriate to the
selling organization. Universities prefer students, hospitals patients and church
worshippers, for example – but essentially each of these groups will demonstrate
customer behavioural traits in choosing the provider of their education, treatment or
religion.
● A customer is the person who pays for a product; a consumer is the one who
consumes it. The customer for a product might also be the consumer (I buy and
drink a bottle of beer) but this is not always the case (I buy two beers, drink one
and give the other to a friend, who drinks that bottle)
● Particularly relevant in the case of B2B trading, where the person who agrees to
the purchase of a product is unlikely to be the one who uses (consumes) it.
● The definition of buy is to acquire by paying. The definition of sell is to transfer
ownership in exchange for payment. For other products, the buyer may take a long
period – months or even years – to decide on its purchase (a car, for example);
therefore, the marketer may spend years selling it. Once again, many B2B purchases fit
into this category.
2.2 Online buying behaviour
As with all aspects of marketing, buyer behaviour can be divided into consumer
behaviour and industry behaviour. Let’s consider each in turn.
, Business to consumer (B2C)
Rather than covering the myriad of theories that exist in the social science that is
customer behaviour, in this section we will briefly consider how people behave online
and how that behaviour can be best exploited by the digital marketer. One way to do
this is to take one of the most common models in the subject and consider how
it might be applied online. Before doing that, however, it is worth adding that buyer
behaviour is inherent in many (if not most) aspects of marketing – for that reason the
subject re-emerges throughout subsequent chapters of this book.
Successful website development, for example, is dependent on the visitor being able to
interact with the site (their beha-viour) and in Chapter 10 we consider digital
marketing analytics – much of which revolves around tracking users’ online
behaviour.
Perhaps the most commonly used model of buyer behaviour is that which
considers the purchase process as a cycle, taking the customer in the following
series of steps:
problem recognition ➪ information search ➪ evaluation of alternatives ➪ purchase
decision ➪post-purchase behaviour.
How the Internet can impact on that cycle.
Stages of the buying cycle Potential role played by the
● Internet
● Information search
● Evaluation of alternatives
● Purchase decision
● Post-purchase behaviour
Explanations:
● Potential customers can be made aware of potential problems within the content
of any web presence –including websites, social media platforms or emails.
● Normally using search engines, the potential customer looks for information on
the products that can meet their needs. (use the sites of manufacturers, dealers
or retailers as well as review sites and social media. Some argue that it is this
facility that is the Internet’s biggest contribution to marketing.)
● Having determined a type of product that provides a solution, the web is used to
compare the offerings of various organizations and brands. Although they might
be used in the evaluation stage, shopping comparison sites are particularly
helpful at this stage where, for example, the best price for a particular product
can be found. Selecting a specific seller would fall into this category.
