Answer to Question #125057 in Marketing for Ally Ahmed

Question

Stages of the consumer buying process

Answer 1

The consumer buying process has five stages namely identifying the problem, information search, evaluation of alternative, purchase decision and post-purchase evaluation. The first stage is identifying the problem. In this stage, the consumer outlines the problem or need that requires a service or product. The consumer describes the product or service that will help solve the problem or need. The second step is the information search. In this step, the consumer searches for information about the product that can offer the best solution to the problem or need. The consumer finds information about all the products in the market suitable for the problem or need. The consumer gets information from friends, advertisement boards, media, and inquiries from sellers. A marketer uses this step for advertising products. The third step is the evaluation of alternatives. The customer has adequate information on product offerings in the market and requires to choose the best option. The customer compares the products’ features to identify the best product. The essential features for consideration in this stage are quality, quantity, pricing, brand, products’ reviews, and popularity. The customer selects the product that suits his needs. The last step in the buying process is the purchase decision. The customer makes payment of the selected product. A marketer should identify the reasons why a consumer has chosen a specific product for future marketing activities. The last step of the buying process is post-purchase evaluation. After using the product, the consumer does a post-purchase evaluation to ascertain the effectiveness of the purchase decision.