Understand the Decision Making Process.
Reach Your Web Site Marketing Goals Part 1
by Bobette Kyle

Understanding the decision making process can drive your Web site goals, design, and marketing decisions.

Decision Making Process

Not all visitors to a site have the same needs. Karon Thackston, copywriter and proprietor at http://MarketingWords.com, explains by breaking the customer decision making process (i.e. buying process) into at least four stages: Need/Want Recognition, Information Search, Evaluation, and Purchase.

If a visitor has already made the decision to purchase a product or service, for example, she needs easy ordering options. If the customer is early in the decision making process, however, she needs more general information.

Information or Sales?
Depends on Point in Decision Making Process

Dee Kreidel, owner of Dax Development Corporation, recommends identifying a site as either an information site (for early decision making stages) or a sales site (for later stages in the decision making process), but not both:

"Our experience with our clients demonstrates that most people will not shop at a site if they see it as an informational site because their state of mind/focus is different when they are there - they aren't necessarily looking to shop, they are wanting information."

One way to keep sales and information content separate is to set up a "hub and spoke" system of Web sites.

Putting it Together with a Hub and Spoke System

James Maduk developed and runs his own "hub and spoke" system of Web sites. He uses a two step process to guide potential customers from his informational "hub", www.jamesmaduk.com, to one or more of his 55+ sales "spokes."

"The purpose of my main site www.jamesmaduk.com (hub) is not to sell. Rather its to 'buy'," James explains. "I want to 'buy' my visitor's email address." In other words, James wants to begin earning the trust of those in early stages of the decision making process.

Step one originates from the informational hub. James does daily online events for free, radio broadcasts, live webcasts, gives away free ebooks, asks for newsletter subscriptions, etc. for the purpose of helping visitors through the decision process.

"I want to earn the right to sell something to them. I want to earn their trust and rapport." That way, when visitors reach the purchase stage of the decision making process they are more likely to buy from James.

James helps a visitor through the decision making process by initiating step two of his sales process - an autoresponder series - after a visitor has opted in with an email address. Each email, one to three a week, includes a short tip and directs readers to one of James' sales pages or his members site.

Attract the Right Visitors

By understanding your site visitors' stage in the decision making process and providing them with the right information, you can convert more visitors to purchase. Attracting more of the *right* visitors can improve conversions as well.

In Part 2, "Generating Targeted Web Site Traffic", I will take a look at some tips for matching information on your site with visitor stage in the decision making process and give ideas for profiting through information sites.

About the Author

(Note: Small business management and marketing articles written by Bobette Kyle are generally available for reprint provided the byline and "About the Author" resource box remain intact. Please make at least one of the links in the "About the Author" resource section clickable. Also, your Web/publication must be non-offensive and appropriate as explained here and you may not charge a fee if allowing others to reprint the article.)