Consumer behavior models are like tools that help you understand why people buy things when they buy them and how they decide to make a purchase.
When you use these models to guide your efforts in getting new customers, you can make pretty good guesses about who will buy your product and ensure you’re reaching out to the right folks at the right moment. So, these models are like a map showing you the way to more successful sales.
In this blog, we will learn about different types of consumer behavior models, why it is important for businesses, and also discuss the stages of these models.
What is Consumer Behavior?
Consumer behavior is the examination of how customers make decisions when choosing products to fulfill their needs.
It involves studying the behaviors and actions that lead consumers to purchase and use specific products. This understanding is of utmost significance for marketers, enabling them to align more effectively with customer expectations and preferences.
What is a consumer behavior model?
Consumer behavior models are like a map that helps us understand why people buy things. It’s a simplified way of looking at how consumers make choices. Think of it as a roadmap to figure out why someone picks one product over another.
These buying behavior models show a person’s steps when deciding to buy something. They often include things like recognizing a need, searching for information, thinking about options, and finally making a decision.
These models are super useful for companies because they can follow the map to see how customers make choices. This helps businesses make better products, set the right prices, create effective ads, and choose where to sell their stuff. In a nutshell, a buyer behavior model is like a guide that shows how people decide what to buy, which is really beneficial for businesses.
Why Understanding Consumer Behavior Matters
Understanding consumer behavior matters for several important reasons:
Product development
Businesses can create products and services that align with your preferences and needs when they understand what you want. This leads to better-designed products that are more likely to meet your expectations, resulting in increased satisfaction and loyalty.
Targeted marketing
Consumer behavior insights allow companies to tailor their marketing efforts to what resonates with them. This means you’re more likely to come across advertisements and promotions that genuinely interest you, making your experience as a consumer more enjoyable.
Pricing strategies
Knowing how you perceive the value of products or services helps companies set appropriate prices. They can avoid overpricing, making products more affordable, or they can use premium pricing for products that they see as high-quality. This pricing intelligence helps both you and businesses find mutually beneficial deals.
Optimized distribution
Understanding your behavior helps businesses determine where and how to make their products available. They can ensure that their products are accessible to you where and when you are most likely to buy, whether in physical stores, e-commerce platforms, or other channels.
Enhanced customer experience
By leveraging insights into your purchasing behavior, businesses can provide you with a more personalized and satisfying customer experience. This might involve tailoring product recommendations, streamlining the buying process, or improving customer service. When businesses get you, it leads to a happier and more loyal customer like yourself.
Understanding consumer behavior is a cornerstone of effective marketing and business strategy, with benefits that extend to both you and your businesses. It results in better products, more relevant marketing, fair pricing, convenient access to products, and an improved overall shopping experience for you.
Types of consumer behavior models
Certainly, consumer behavior models come in various types, each offering a distinct perspective on how and why consumers make choices. Here are common types of customer behavior models:
Traditional consumer behavior model
Learning Model
The learning model is like a guide that explains how you pick things when you go shopping. It’s all about how you learn and make choices based on your experiences. Think of it like this: when you have a good experience with a product, like a yummy ice cream flavor, you remember it.
So, the next time you’re buying ice cream, you might pick the same flavor because you learned that it’s tasty. These consumer behavior models help us understand that our past experiences play a big role in our shopping decisions. It’s like your shopping memory helping you choose what you like!
Economic Model
Economic models are like tools that help you make smart choices when you’re shopping. It’s all about finding the best deal for your money. Think of it this way: you want to get the most value from your cash.
So, you look at things like the price, your budget, and the quality of the product. If a product gives you a lot of happiness for a fair price, you’re more likely to choose it. These models help you shop wisely by considering your decisions’ economics, ensuring you get the most bang for your buck!
Psychoanalytical model
The psychoanalytical model is a bit like a detective for your shopping choices. It tries to figure out why you buy certain things based on your hidden feelings and desires. Imagine it’s like there’s a secret shopper inside your head. This model believes that even you might not know why you make some choices.
It suggests that deep inside, your wishes and emotions are guiding your shopping decisions. So, when you pick a product, it might be because it connects with something you didn’t even realize you wanted. This model helps uncover those hidden reasons behind your purchases, kind of like a shopping detective!
Sociocultural Models
Sociocultural consumer behavior models are like the puzzle pieces that make up your shopping decisions. They focus on how your family, friends, and the world around you influence what you choose to buy. Imagine you’re like a sponge, soaking up ideas from your surroundings.
This sociological model says that the culture you live in, the traditions you follow, and even the opinions of your friends and family can affect your shopping choices. So, when you pick a product, it might be because it fits with what’s familiar or what people around you think is a good choice. These models help us see how the world outside you shapes your shopping adventure!
Contemporary consumer behavior models
Engel-Kollat-Blackwell (EKB) Model
The Engel-Kollat-Blackwell (EKB) model is like a roadmap for your shopping journey. It helps you understand all the steps you go through when deciding to buy something.
- Recognizing a problem: First, you realize that you need or want something, like a new phone or a pair of shoes. This model acknowledges that you’re like a detective, searching for what’s missing in your life.
- Gathering information: Next, you start gathering facts, like reading reviews or asking friends for advice. It’s like you’re collecting clues to solve a mystery.
- Evaluating options: You compare different products, considering things like features, prices, and quality. This step is a bit like being a judge at a talent show, trying to find the best contestant.
- Making a choice: Eventually, you make a decision and choose a product. It’s like casting your vote for the best candidate.
- Post-purchase evaluation: After buying, you think about whether you’re happy with your choice. It’s like reflecting on how well your favorite team performed after a game.
This model helps you see that shopping is a step-by-step process, kind of like following a treasure map with a final “X” that marks your purchase.
Black Box Model
The Black Box model is like a magic box that helps you understand your shopping decisions. Imagine it as a mysterious container with inputs, processes inside, and outputs.
- Inputs (Stimuli): This is where everything begins. It’s like all the things that catch your attention when you’re shopping – ads, recommendations, and product displays. It’s like someone handing you a riddle to solve.
- Inside the Black Box: Inside this magical box, something interesting happens, but you can’t see exactly what. It’s where your brain works its magic, processing all the information you’ve gathered. It’s like your thoughts are a secret recipe, mixing all the ingredients together.
- Outputs: This is where your decision comes out. You make a choice, like picking a product to buy or deciding not to. It’s like solving the riddle from the beginning, and your answer is your decision.
Hawkins Stern Impulse Buying Model
The “Hawkins Stern Impulse Buying Model” challenges the idea that you always make carefully thought-out decisions before buying something. It also sorts impulse buying into different types:
- Escape purchase: Sometimes, you see something that’s just too visually appealing to resist, even if you didn’t plan to buy it when you made your shopping list.
- Reminder purchase: You might get influenced by in-store promotions or reminders, like those bag clips strategically placed in the potato chip aisle that make you realize you need them.
- Suggested purchase: Social media ads, store employees, or even your family and friends might suggest things to you. For example, a website might suggest that other customers bought a lens cleaner and glasses case with their glasses, and you decide to get them, too.
- Planned purchase: Occasionally, you plan to buy something, and when the store offers a discount or a promotion deal, you go ahead and get it.
Many business professionals like to use this consumer behavior modeling because, let’s face it, we all make impulse purchases from time to time. For them, it’s a way to focus on in-store marketing, product packaging, and discounts.
Howard Sheth Model
The “Howard Sheth Model” explains that when you make a purchase, there’s a specific decision-making process with certain factors that influence it.
Marketing and business development professionals find this model useful in most industries because, as a consumer, you may follow this process when buying any product or service. This decision-making process involves three levels:
- Extensive problem-solving: Imagine you know very little about the product you want to buy and the companies that make it. You use your problem-solving skills to figure out what’s available and what the market offers.
- Limited problem-solving: As you learn more about the product and compare different options, you’re at this level. It’s like you’re becoming a savvy shopper, checking out what various companies have to offer.
- Habitual response behavior: At this stage, you know a lot about the product you want and how to get it. It’s almost like second nature; you’re very familiar with the product and the available ways to buy it.
This consumer behavior models help professionals understand your decision-making process when you’re making a purchase, regardless of the product or service. It guides them in tailoring their strategies to meet your specific needs at each stage of the process.
Stages of the consumer behavior model
The consumer behavior models typically consist of five main stages:
Stage 01: Problem recognition
This is when you become aware of a need or desire for a product or service. It might occur when you realize you’re running low on a particular item, your current product no longer satisfies your needs, or when you spot something new that catches your attention.
Stage 02: Information search
Once you’ve recognized the problem or need, you start looking for information on potential solutions. You gather data from various sources, like doing online research, asking friends and family, reading reviews, or visiting stores.
Stage 03: Evaluation of alternatives
At this point, you compare the available options. You carefully weigh the benefits and drawbacks of different products or brands to figure out which one aligns best with your needs and preferences.
Stage 04: Purchase decision
After evaluating the alternatives, you make the decision about which product or brand to buy. This is where you commit and complete the purchase.
Stage 05: Post-purchase evaluation
Once you’ve made the purchase, you reflect on your decision. You consider whether the product or service meets your expectations and if you’re satisfied with your choice. This stage can influence your buying decisions and your perception of the brand.
These stages create a framework for understanding your journey as a consumer, from recognizing a need to making a purchase and evaluating your satisfaction afterward. Businesses and marketers use this model to tailor their strategies at each stage to meet your needs and expectations effectively.
How does QuestionPro help in creating consumer behavior models?
QuestionPro is a versatile survey and research platform that can significantly help in creating customer behavior models. Here’s how it can help:
Problem recognition
- Survey design: QuestionPro allows you to design surveys that help identify consumer needs and desires. You can create questions that uncover what triggers consumers to recognize a problem or a need.
Information search
- Data collection: You can use QuestionPro to collect consumer insights behavior data about how consumers search for information. Online surveys and feedback forms can help you understand where consumers go to gather information and what sources they trust.
Evaluation of alternatives
- Segmentation: QuestionPro’s segmentation features help you categorize consumers into different groups based on their preferences. This is invaluable for understanding how various segments evaluate alternatives differently.
- Advanced analytics: Use the platform’s analytical tools to delve into consumer evaluations. Analyze how consumers weigh pros and cons when making decisions.
Purchase decision
- Feedback integration: Integrate feedback from various touchpoints, including e-commerce platforms, to understand the factors that influence the final purchase decision.
- Survey customization: Create surveys that specifically explore what factors led to the purchase decision. QuestionPro’s customization features enable you to target these questions accurately.
Post-purchase evaluation
- Continuous feedback: Use QuestionPro to set up ongoing surveys that gather post-purchase feedback. This helps you understand if consumers are satisfied with their choices and if they would make the same decision again.
- Reporting: Utilize QuestionPro’s reporting and visualization tools to present your post-purchase evaluation findings effectively.
Conclusion
Consumer behavior models are not just theoretical frameworks; they are powerful tools businesses use to understand their customers better. By unlocking the secrets of consumer behavior, companies can create successful strategies that lead to higher customer satisfaction and improved overall performance.
Throughout the entire process of creating consumer behavior models, QuestionPro serves as a comprehensive platform for survey design, data collection, segmentation, analytics, feedback integration, and reporting.
It empowers you to collect and analyze data that is crucial for understanding consumer behavior, helping you build more accurate and insightful models. So, the next time you want to create a model for your business, remember that QuestionPro is always there to make your consumer behavior model excellent!
