Marketing a new product poses a range of challenges. You need to identify your market, understand their needs and create campaigns that will effectively grab their attention. This is a massive undertaking, and even the most experienced of marketers might find it to be challenging. This is only exacerbated by the fact that consumers are making decisions differently than they have in the past. Shoppers are savvier than ever, and it may be increasingly difficult to sell products on the basis of an ad campaign alone. There are a few things every company should know about consumer research habits.
The following are three of the most common ways buyers get information on new items and assess whether they are interested in making a purchase. Consumer research is in a constant state of flux, but familiarizing yourself with these principles can make it easier to understand shoppers’ priorities.
Trusted Family Members and Friends
The easiest way to research new products is still probably the most common. Most shoppers will ask family and friends what their recommendations are before ever searching for information elsewhere. People tend to trust individuals they know and talk to often, so it is only natural that shoppers would turn to their social circle for advice on products. This is why grassroots marketing and websites such as BrandBallot.com have become so popular in recent years, and you want to be the brand that everybody is recommending. Achieving this for your brand often requires more than just positive word of mouth, though.
Online Review Websites and Resources
The next most common form of research consumers engage with is the consultation of online resources. Review aggregate websites such as Yelp or BrandBallot.com give consumers the ability to quickly see what other customers are saying. While the former typically focuses on restaurants and businesses, the latter offers insight into specific brands and products. Shoppers love engaging with straightforward sources that offer the information they are looking for. As a brand, you should not underestimate the power websites such as these have to sway the opinions of consumers. In fact, you should do your best to maintain a positive presentation.
Personal Experience and Experimentation
The importance of personal experience cannot be discounted when it comes to shoppers’ habits. Many people still rely on experimentation for their product research, and at the end of the day, trying something out yourself is the most reliable way to gauge whether or not you will like it. The shoppers who buy something and test it, though, will become the ones who post reviews and tell their family and friends about the experience. What does this mean? No matter how strong your marketing campaign is, the most important factor is the quality of the product.
Consumers care more about the quality of a product than the flashiness of its advertising campaign, and recent shifts in research methods prove this. While investing in marketing is still a must, the best way to draw in a steady base of customers is to provide them with the high-quality products they are looking for.