Welcome back! To get you up to speed right away, let’s take a look at where we’re at in this series on creating the ultimate buyers’ journey for your print buyers.
In the Awareness Stage, you helped your print buyer think bigger than the symptoms of their pain point by offering educational (non-selling) content that would help them determine exactly what their issue was.
After your print buyer could put a name to their pain point, challenge, or opportunity, you then contributed to their research through informative content in the Consideration Stage. You helped them gain confidence in committing to a solution.
The only thing that’s left is for the buyer to decide on a solution. That’s what you’ll learn about today in the Decision Stage of your buyers’ journey.
What is the Decision Stage?
By the time your customer reaches the Decision Stage, they will have compared solution providers, perhaps whittled down a list, and will soon be making a purchase decision.
In this stage, your print buyers will be trying to decide which of the companies they’ve researched will offer the best product or service, with the best features, and at the best value. And it will be your job to persuade those print buyers that it’s your printing firm that is the best place to solve their challenge and get a solution.
Understanding the Decision Stage: Check Yourself
The best way to rise to the top of your print buyers’ research list is to understand the things your buyers will be looking for. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to see if you’re hitting the mark:
- What criteria will your print buyers use to evaluate the services/solutions you have to offer?
(e.g., Will they compare price, quality, delivery time, etc.?) - When a print buyer examines what your printing firm has to offer, what offerings do you think will stand out compared to their alternatives? Will your print buyers have any concerns about what you have to offer?
(e.g., You’re small enough that you can treat your customers like family, but some might be concerned that you’re too small and not up to the task of what they’re asking.) - When targeting B2B businesses, who will most likely be involved in the decision making regarding print marketing needs? (e.g., Different buyers within the same company will have different perspectives on the purchase decision. Something like your Private Label Website offering may be appreciated differently depending on the buyer.)
If you keep these questions in mind and target them in your content at this stage, you’ll have a solid foundation to build upon.
Content for Your Print Buyers in the Decision Stage
- Customer Case-Studies & Testimonials: A recent study from Spiceworks found that 97% of people said they rely on peer recommendations and ratings/reviews during the buying cycle.
- Customer Reviews: Your buyers will be expecting reviews at this point, so be sure not to let them down.
- Discounts and Offers: Sometimes, your prospects might need a little extra “nudge” to become a paying customer. Offering a first-time buyer discount is a great place to start.
Other things to include during the Decision Stage:
- Live Product Demos (e.g., Ordering through your website, your online design solution, or private order portal offerings)
- How-To Tutorials
- Comparisons (e.g., Competitor comparisons, paper comparisons, quality comparisons, etc.)
The Ultimate Content Goal
If you keep your eye on the target of having content that is as helpful as possible to your print buyers at every stage of their buyers’ journey, you will see results.
Anytime you provide value to your print buyers, your content will drive more traffic to your website and ultimately lead to selling more printing – exactly what you want!
While you may be tempted to think that’s the end of the road, it’s not. Stay tuned to your inbox where next week you’ll learn how to continue relationship-building even after the point of a purchase decision and keep your buyers coming back again and again!
