How Prospective Customers Evaluate Manufacturers

How Prospective Customers Evaluate Manufacturers - BOM

Did you know that your next marketing breakthrough as a manufacturer could be hidden within the buying behaviors of prospective customers?

The Shift From Handshakes to Hyperlinks

In the manufacturing industry, understanding the nuances of buyer behavior is the key to unlocking successful digital marketing endeavors.

Long gone are the days of door-to-door sales; today, the digital market is where manufacturers seek solutions on how best to entice businesses into buying their products and services.

But how can you ensure your manufacturing company stands out in such a crowded marketplace? It all begins with decoding how prospective customers evaluate manufacturers.

Crafting a Tailored Experience

Today, a firm handshake is no longer what seals the deal. 70 percent of manufacturers seek out companies that craft a personalized customer experience.

This paradigm shift necessitates a digital marketing strategy tailored to the specific needs of your clients. From mastering SEO to orchestrating website traffic for manufacturing companies, every aspect of your digital campaign must align with buyer behavior.

What Is Buyer Behavior, Exactly?

Understanding buyer behavior requires a multifaceted exploration into the complex decision-making processes and actions prospective customers undertake when acquiring a product or service.

Unraveling the motives behind buyers’ choices provides invaluable clues to businesses that can shape the trajectory of effective marketing campaigns.

Examining the nuances of buyer behavior, including habits and preferences, equips advertisers with the foresight to predict emerging trends in marketing for manufacturing companies. With this knowledge, you can craft a strategic approach that not only adapts to evolving preferences but consistently delivers optimal results.

Various psychological, social, cultural, economic and personal factors impact buyer behavior and purchasing decisions. Still, they typically involve these five steps:

  • Recognizing the need: The initial phase where the buyer acknowledges the existence of a problem or need, setting the stage for a proactive search for solutions.
  • Searching for information: The buyer gathers comprehensive details on all viable options with a thorough information search.
  • Weighing the pros and cons: At this critical juncture, the buyer meticulously evaluates the merits and drawbacks of each potential solution. It’s a thoughtful process of weighing alternatives.
  • Choosing the ideal solution: Armed with a wealth of relevant information, the buyer arrives at a decision crossroads, opting to acquire the product that aligns best with their needs or judiciously delaying the purchase in anticipation of finding a better option.
  • Assessing satisfaction and future intentions: Following the purchase, the buyer enters a reflective phase, assessing their satisfaction with the product and overall experience. This introspection guides decisions on whether to recommend the product or consider future engagements with the company.

The 4 Types of Buyer Behavior in Prospective Customers

As you learn how prospective customers evaluate manufacturers and make purchasing decisions, remember that the insights gained are not just tools; they are the building blocks of a successful and resonant digital marketing strategy.

In manufacturing, it’s important to understand all types of buyer behavior. Let’s explore the four distinctive types of buying behavior in prospective customers:

  1. Complex buying behavior: The meticulous decision-making process of buyers facing high psychological or economic risks.
  1. Dissonance-reducing buying behavior: The struggle of buyers torn between similar products, plagued by the concern of post-purchase regret.
  1. Habitual buying behavior: These buyers rely on past experiences, steering clear of extensive research.
  1. Variety-seeking buying behavior: Variety-seeking shoppers switch brands on a whim, driven by the desire for new experiences.
Prospective Customers Buyer Behaviors Manufacturing

Analyzing the Patterns in Purchases, Products and Payments

Analyzing the buyer behavior patterns exhibited by your prospective customers provides a valuable lens through which you can gain profound insights into the preferences and motivations of your audience.

When crafting your marketing strategy, it’s crucial to take into account these three specific behavior patterns that can significantly influence the success of your campaigns:

  1. Past purchases: See what products your prospective customers have purchased in the past. This can provide clues about what kind of equipment might interest them, their general needs and what price point they’re willing to pay.
  1. Purchase frequency: Learn how often prospective customers make a purchase and when. This can provide clues about how often they’re in the market for your products and at what point in the year you should contact them with marketing information. When it comes to effective marketing, timing is everything. Knowing your customers’ purchase frequency can help you reach them with targeted messaging when they need it most.
  1. Payment method: Understanding how buyers pay for their purchases can tell a lot about their buyer persona. Discover whether your target audience prefers to shop in person or likes to pay online. If they want to open an account, there’s an opportunity for future purchases and upselling potential. A shopper’s preferred payment method can tell you a lot about their buyer behavior and reveal information about how to approach them for purchases.

Tailor Your Digital Marketing Strategy to the Needs of Prospective Customers

When it comes to marketing your manufacturing company, you have options: You can pay for advertising (a process known as “outbound” marketing) or you can bring prospective customers and clients right to you with an effective digital inbound marketing strategy.

At BigOrange Marketing, we can help you build a strategic roadmap to drive more quality leads through your sales pipeline and generate more revenue for your business. Our effective digital marketing strategies can help you get found, get results and deliver valuable insights to help shape your current and future campaigns. Contact us today.

Brittany D. Eaton

Brittany D. Eaton

Brittany D. Eaton is a content writer, researcher and social media strategist with over 15 years of sales and marketing experience in the technology industry. Her love of writing goes beyond occupational, as she is also a self-published author who enjoys creatively inspiring children through the art of story. Her debut children’s book, Zippy The Zebra Earns His Stripes is a local favorite and currently available on Amazon. Favorite quote: That's what I do. I write and I know things.

Share the knowledge

Why is Brand Awareness Important in Manufacturing

Getting Found: Why Brand Awareness Is Important in Manufacturing

Industrial, multinational corporations like Amazon, Coca-Cola and Disney all have insanely powerful brand awareness at their disposal. These household names evoke immediate recognition, with their…

Explore this Topic
Marketing for Homebuilders Web Traffic Surge

How a Luxury Custom Home Builder Increased Their Website Traffic

Hensley Custom Building Group, a renowned custom home builder in Cincinnati, has long been a hallmark of luxury, design and unmatched craftsmanship. Yet, as the…

Explore this Topic
Wondering How to Market My MSP Business

Upcoming Webinar with MSP-Ignite: 21 Marketing Fundamentals You Must Do in 2024 or Get Left Behind

If you are a managed service provider, you may be constantly racking your brain and searching the internet for things like, “How to market my…

Explore this Topic
SEO Optimized Blogging

Get Found and Grow: SEO Optimized Blogging

So you’re blogging… that’s a great start. You’ve mastered your voice, you’re providing value to your audience and you’ve achieved a regular cadence. But if…

Explore this Topic
Could This Be the Best CRM for MSPs

Could This Be the Best CRM for MSPs?

Like every business, managed service providers (MSPs) need effective sales and marketing tools. One of these tools is the customer relationship manager (CRM). But with…

Explore this Topic
Can't Wait for Marketing Campaign Results

How Long Does an Inbound Marketing Campaign Take to Work?

We’ve all heard it before in the inbound and digital marketing community: “Inbound marketing takes time to get results.” It’s a statement that’s both true…

Explore this Topic
Scout Website Development Case Study

Standing Out Online: Scout Website Development Case Study

In a competitive industry like temperature-controlled warehousing, nailing your online presence is critical. That’s exactly what Scout Cold Capital realized when they teamed up with…

Explore this Topic
Website Design MSP StoryBrand Revamp

Website Design: StoryBrand Revamp Positions MSP for Growth

Triada Networks, an IT and cybersecurity firm, sought to boost its online presence and attract quality leads. They partnered with BigOrange Marketing to revamp their…

Explore this Topic

The 22 Best Digital Marketing Ideas to Drive Sustainable Lead Generation in 2024


Ready to grow in 2024? A good plan has to be comprehensive and filled with the best ingredients--from SEO to content, social media to paid boosting. 

Here’s what you’ll learn:

  • How to target efficiently with personas
  • How to assess if your website is hurting or helping you
  • How a content marketing plan will help you rank with Google through SEO
  • The social media tactics you need and the ones you can skip