Summary Digital Marketing Strategy
Part 1 Digital consumer behaviour
Chapter 1 – digital buying behaviour
Why is it important to understand digital buying behaviour?
More and more people are buying things via the internet and an increasing number of
people use their mobile devices to do so. Not only consumers are using the internet
more frequently, digital online retailers also rapidly grew in number. The virtual
shopping environment is a fundamentally different playing field than that of physical
retailing, and demands very specific requirements on how consumers need to be
addressed, triggered and committed. Therefore, there will be an extensive focus on
digital buying behaviour.
1.1 Digital buying
When retailers understand the behaviour of the consumers when buying their goods
online, they can base strategies on this behaviour and become successful. A digital
customer does not get face-to-face contact, but stays within a computerized
environment. This asks for a whole different approach then when there is actually
face-to-face contact. Sometimes there can be a blend of digital and physical
behaviour. In those cases we enter the realm of multichannel shopping, cross
channel shopping and omnichannel shopping. One thing that stays the same whether
a physical or digital approach is used, the demands of the consumer can only be met
when you actually know and understand these demands.
1.1.1 The linear six phase model of decision making: physical versus digital
, The actual model existed out of five phases, but a few things had to be added to
include the digital channel. The model is actually quite dynamic, since consumers
can ‘bounce’ between the different stages and easily move between various steps
since the internet provides all these options.
The above-mentioned phases will now be described to give an insight upon this:
Problem recognition: a customer starts from a position in which they identify a need,
want, desire, necessity or deficiency.
Traditional Digital
- advertisements on TV - individual approach
- advertisements in magazines - E-profiling
- mass communication - one-to-one marketing
- one-to-many marketing strategy - recommendation filters
- cookies
Information search: the customer searches for information to meet that need, want or
necessity, or to resolve that deficiency. The information gathered either internally or
from external sources forms the basis for the next phase.
Traditional Digital
- intermediaries - search engines
- directly from supplier instead of using
intermediaries
- browsing behaviour helps to aim at the
right target group
- be aware of information overload
Evaluation of alternatives: this phase includes the development and comparison of
evaluation criteria for the possible purchase. In other words, customers compare
various options based on purchasing criteria.
Traditional Digital
- past experiences - comparison sites
- traditional marketing communications - specification of search criteria
- consumer organizations - e-word-of-mouth; reviews
- word-of-mouth - virtual communities > Facebook
Selection and purchase: the phase selection/purchase relates to the action of making
the purchase. Considerations such as the location, method of purchase and the
actual decision to buy are important here.
Part 1 Digital consumer behaviour
Chapter 1 – digital buying behaviour
Why is it important to understand digital buying behaviour?
More and more people are buying things via the internet and an increasing number of
people use their mobile devices to do so. Not only consumers are using the internet
more frequently, digital online retailers also rapidly grew in number. The virtual
shopping environment is a fundamentally different playing field than that of physical
retailing, and demands very specific requirements on how consumers need to be
addressed, triggered and committed. Therefore, there will be an extensive focus on
digital buying behaviour.
1.1 Digital buying
When retailers understand the behaviour of the consumers when buying their goods
online, they can base strategies on this behaviour and become successful. A digital
customer does not get face-to-face contact, but stays within a computerized
environment. This asks for a whole different approach then when there is actually
face-to-face contact. Sometimes there can be a blend of digital and physical
behaviour. In those cases we enter the realm of multichannel shopping, cross
channel shopping and omnichannel shopping. One thing that stays the same whether
a physical or digital approach is used, the demands of the consumer can only be met
when you actually know and understand these demands.
1.1.1 The linear six phase model of decision making: physical versus digital
, The actual model existed out of five phases, but a few things had to be added to
include the digital channel. The model is actually quite dynamic, since consumers
can ‘bounce’ between the different stages and easily move between various steps
since the internet provides all these options.
The above-mentioned phases will now be described to give an insight upon this:
Problem recognition: a customer starts from a position in which they identify a need,
want, desire, necessity or deficiency.
Traditional Digital
- advertisements on TV - individual approach
- advertisements in magazines - E-profiling
- mass communication - one-to-one marketing
- one-to-many marketing strategy - recommendation filters
- cookies
Information search: the customer searches for information to meet that need, want or
necessity, or to resolve that deficiency. The information gathered either internally or
from external sources forms the basis for the next phase.
Traditional Digital
- intermediaries - search engines
- directly from supplier instead of using
intermediaries
- browsing behaviour helps to aim at the
right target group
- be aware of information overload
Evaluation of alternatives: this phase includes the development and comparison of
evaluation criteria for the possible purchase. In other words, customers compare
various options based on purchasing criteria.
Traditional Digital
- past experiences - comparison sites
- traditional marketing communications - specification of search criteria
- consumer organizations - e-word-of-mouth; reviews
- word-of-mouth - virtual communities > Facebook
Selection and purchase: the phase selection/purchase relates to the action of making
the purchase. Considerations such as the location, method of purchase and the
actual decision to buy are important here.
