Buyer Journey Meaning
The buyer journey is the process consumers follow as they discover, consider and buy a new product. It is sometimes called the purchase journey. The three main stages of the buyer journey are:
- Awareness — The customer recognizes a need or problem.
- Consideration — They are actively exploring different solutions to see which one is best aligned with their needs, problems, preferences and requirements.
- Decision — The customer has decided on the product and is ready to make the purchase.
By addressing the expectations and needs of consumers at these three stages, companies can form a smooth path leading to greater satisfaction, stronger relationships and higher sales. It provides useful insights on pain points, obstacles and what informs customer choices when they transition from one stage to the next.
The buyer journey is similar to the sales funnel but instead shows the path from the customer’s perspective. It indicates how one stage leads to the next one thus ensuring customers do not drop out due to gaps in the funnel.
To maximize return from the buyer journey, business can:
- Assess and tweak buyer personas to accurately target the audience.
- Develop a clear path of the buyer journey detailing progression from stage to stage.
- Align sales and messaging strategies accordingly to create a smooth transition from stage to stage.
- Perfect the buyer journey.
The buyer journey can take hours, days, weeks or months from initial awareness to eventual purchase.
