In a world where consumers are inundated with choices, how exactly do they make a final decision? As a business, it is important to understand each step of the decision making process to better understand how and why your business is being chosen. It is understandable to feel discouraged as your business can easily get lost in all of the choices. However, you must realize that there are steps you can take today to ensure your business has a higher chance of being “the chosen one”.

Let’s imagine that you recently got engaged (congrats!). You have so many choices to make and you are a little overwhelmed. You decide to tackle one component of your wedding at a time, starting with the florist.

“My tables need centerpieces and I do not have a florist yet!” That is recognizing the problem that needs to be fixed, the problem recognition phase.

Once you have decided there is a need what do you do? You may ask a friend of yours who recently got married. But most likely you are going to open Google and search for florists. This part of the process is called the information search. Your information search proves successful at finding you every florist in a 25-mile radius.

Then you must evaluate all of the alternatives that you found to narrow down your perfect choice. This may include factors such as price, style, and customer service. This part of the process may be quick (like finding a store to buy wall paint) or much longer (like deciding where to eat when you “literally have no preference”).

After looking at every possible way to arrange flowers on a table, you have finally arrived at a decision and have chosen a local florist. This step of the process is called product choice. The misconception that businesses have is that this is the last step in the process. A business must consider the outcome of this customer’s decision. Did they like the service? Was the product or service delivered as promised? If the customer leaves unhappy then they will most likely not return. For this reason, it is important to consider all aspects of the decision-making process, even once the product or service has been purchased.

As a business, you must understand this process and how each step affects how customers will choose you. The biggest mistake businesses make is not being a part of the information search step. For example, there might be an incredible florist that our bride-to-be may have missed out on because they did not have a website or were not listed in local directories. Granted, customers may find you through referrals or other sources, but relying only on referrals will limit your customer base. Having a trusted online presence will only help grow your business in the long run.

Interested in learning more about why the decision making process is important for your business? Contact us today to discuss this blog post and how we can help you get started with your online presence today!