There are a number of things that run through a potential customers mind before making a buying a decision.
Whenever a potential customer is faced with a buying decision, a number of subconscious and conscious thoughts start flooding the brain.
First, there’s normally an emotional response of “WOW” or the opposite, “Not interested”.
This happens almost instantly and is the main reason that design is so important.
Especially in todays world where the vast majority of people first research and find products online, design is crucial in setting the tone for the product or service and establishing customer expectations.
From this initial gut feeling and reaction, the mind goes to work either justifying or discrediting that feeling and takes into account a number of different factors including:
- Cultural factors like sub-cultures, perceived social class, and cultural trends
- Social factors like family and friends
- Personal factor like age, lifestyle, personality, and purchasing power
- Psychological factors like motivation, beliefs, and attitudes
In the end the one main question potential customers essentially ask themselves is this:
“Does someone like me, buy something like this”
The Customer Avatar
To help them answer this question you first need to identify and develop your “ideal customer” or “customer avatar”
The ideal customer or customer avatar is a description – as detailed as possible – of your target market customer.
You can have many avatars but it’s best to start with one and really drill down on the specifics of:
- Who they are
- What they do
- What they like
- Where they live
- What they read
- How old they are
And any other variable that you can help identify them by.
The reason to do this is because it helps you to better identify with them and understand their wants, needs, and desires.
From here you can either design a product specifically for them (preferred) or at least tailor your current offering to appeal to their unique situation.
The better you can understand your customer, the better you can communicate the values and benefits of your product or service in a way that matters most to them.
