Many companies believe they're listening to customers. But are they really? And how much do they understand consumers in general? Questions like these mean that it's time to take a step away from push marketing for a moment and look into pull. How are consumers who voluntarily approach businesses doing so? And what should this tell companies about how they should market to them?
Here to help answer those questions are:
1. Consumers first look to their peers for advice—regardless of channel. It could be social media, it could be search leading to blogs, it could be another channel—but they're all looking for reviews in order to do research before they buy, Harrison says. Retailers can even see customers using their phones to read product reviews in the store, she says.
"The large majority of consumers rely on user reviews to help guide their purchase decisions instead of being led by brand advertising," Harrison says. "
According to a survey of 3,331 consumers by
Deloitte's [Global] Consumer Products group, almost
two-thirds (62 percent) of consumers read consumer-written product reviews online. Of those consumers, more than eight in 10 (82 percent) say their purchase decisions have been directly influenced by the user reviews, (either influencing them to buy a different product than the one originally intended or confirming their original purchase decision.)
"The vast majority prefer to begin their search with a search engine rather than going directly to an established company website or e-commerce leader," she continues. "Personalization search engines, such as bidfessional.com, have a big impact. Sixty-five percent of consumers are making purchases based on automated recommendations."
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