10 Essential Purchasing Criteria for Your Product

Understanding what influences our purchasing decisions is fascinating . Many experts and marketers try to find answers to this question, but so many factors are involved that establishing fixed rules is quite difficult.

E-commerce is on the rise. Every day new online stores are emerging that offer a multitude of products or services. With so much on offer, some of these stores achieve popularity and success, but others fail to reach customers. The reasons for the success of some and the failure of others are related to a multitude of factors in the purchasing criteria that range from the aesthetics of the website to the opinions of other customers, including the simplicity of the purchase.

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What are Purchasing Criteria?

In modern marketing, companies send messages to their customers that aim to convey the unique attributes of their products as advantages . These messages are stored in our implicit memory, so that each brand or product is associated with a finite number of concepts, with varying degrees of intensity. When deciding between one brand or product and another, individuals associate the attributes linked to those brands or products with their own decision criteria.

The question is: What are those purchasing criteria? To answer this question, many companies use market research based on traditional research techniques, generally surveys. Often, the results of these surveys are biased and questionable, as they are influenced by the respondent's behavior at the time of answering, who will respond based on their surrounding circumstances.

First, the potential reasons why someone might buy your product, service, or brand are identified behaviorally. Then, brain activity in response to stimuli associated with each of these reasons is analyzed in your target audience.

The result is a list of the main reasons or criteria for your target audience to buy your product or service, ordered and weighted by relevance. From here, you can focus your business communication more effectively . Gain a competitive advantage.

10 Essential Purchasing Criteria to Consider

Understanding the factors that motivate customers to buy is crucial for success in e-commerce . Below are the ten main purchasing criteria or reasons that lead a consumer to buy :

1. Product quality

A good product always attracts new customers and strengthens existing customers. It is important that our product meets customer expectations so that they have a good image of the brand.

2. Avoid additional expenses

Customers are reluctant to pay extra to receive products. We must be clear when setting prices, because if the customer encounters unexpected costs, their decision to buy is likely to change. If we include shipping costs in the price of the product, for example, we will ensure more purchases. It is one of the most important purchasing criteria.

3. Easy returns

Since they cannot try out products, many users need to be sure that they can return them if they do not like them when they receive them. Seeing is not the same as touching, so an easy and flexible returns system will make it easier for your potential customer to buy.

4. Opinions and ratings from other customers

We all like to know if the website we are buying from has a bad reputation or if there are complaints about delays in shipping, etc. It is important to check all the opinions about our products, because at the end of the day it is the customers who use them and who are aware of the advantages and disadvantages we offer. It can be a useful and reliable source of information, as well as free, which we should take advantage of among our purchasing criteria.

5. Visual search function

It has been proven many times that sight and smell are an important factor in our purchases. If we offer an attractive product, our possibilities will increase considerably, since this function makes it easier for the customer to find products. The appearance of the product is one of the most important purchasing criteria.

6. Rewarding digital and mobile experience

Digitalisation has been so strong in the sales sector that it is essential to have a simple and intuitive website that offers the user the most user-friendly and intuitive experience possible. Making it easy for the customer to navigate the website is essential so that they do not get lost, bored or overwhelmed. Furthermore, in a society in which practically all citizens have a mobile phone, we have to be very aware of this type of device when implementing our marketing strategies.

Furthermore, the digital sector is a very relevant factor in your customer's shopping experience. And within this environment, full of possible scams and doubts about the authenticity of a product, it is necessary that the experience is safe and reliable. Ensuring consumer confidence in the data they are revealing to the company and the possible fraud they face is crucial for them to continue trusting us. In addition, a safe shopping experience can be a bridge to attract new customers.

7. Simplicity and sustainability 

The moment when the customer decides to buy something, whether on our website or in our physical store, is key. If we offer a complicated and exhausting process, we are very likely to end up losing that sale. We must offer a clear and simple purchasing process that inspires customer confidence. We must also take into account the most active concerns of our customers, such as climate change, as it is a key factor at the moment. People are aware of sustainable practices and pay attention to them when choosing a certain product.

8. Personalization and commitment to experience

In these times, when customers are experts in the market, it is important to continue surprising them and to do so we must offer them “tailor-made” products. Understanding the steps that customers take in the process of purchasing a certain product or service and getting ahead of the process is the best strategy to ensure that they continue to trust you and take the same path again with your brand.

On the other hand, behavioural psychology is increasingly studied in a market full of data. It is the most difficult factor to measure and anticipate, since each person is a world, but if we manage to do it we can achieve great results. To do this we will have to carry out studies using analytical tools and test groups whose results will help us create a pleasant and attractive design. In addition, if we add to this an unforgettable shopping experience, with which the customer feels comfortable and with which they take a good memory home, success will be almost assured.

9. Social class and age

It is important to know what niche market we are communicating with in order to create campaigns in line with the consumption habits of our potential clients. In addition, we must take into account that our clients' priorities will be altered by their age, so we must keep in mind all the latest developments and trends of our clients.

10. Influencers

This factor has become more important over time. Influencers have become the subject of study for many brands that want to reach a certain target audience. But before deciding on one of them, you will have to take into account that they share the same values ​​as your brand and that the image they generate is appropriate for your product.

Phases of the purchasing decision process

After identifying the most influential factors, we mustn't forget that the purchasing decision also involves different stages. All of these must be considered to ensure our product is chosen in a sea of ​​competition.

In this sense, there are a series of phases that the customer completes before making their purchase decision and they are:

1. Recognition of need. Responds to a perceived difference between the ideal state and the current state that drives to a particular activity or decision-making process.
2. Search for informationAt this stage, the consumer is highly motivated to search for information and does so using his or her own memory or by searching in the environment. Sometimes, the search is conditioned by personal, situational and market environment factors.
3. Evaluation of alternatives. Evaluation criteria are attributes used by consumers to assess and evaluate the different alternatives that will make up the set considered. These criteria are related to the tastes and preferences of customers, usually related to the price, brand and place of origin of the product.
4. Effective decision and purchase. It refers to the behavior that consumers carry out when analyzing each attribute, making an evaluation of all the brands.

In many cases, these processes are neither exclusive nor exclusive, since consumers reason using a combination of them. The decision-making process is not usually related only to the product, service or brand, but also refers to the establishment where the purchase is made, the seller, the time of purchase and the payment method.