For years, marketers have been writing obituaries for the "purchase funnel," that cone-shaped path that customers traverse before clicking "buy." But reports of the funnel's death may have been greatly exaggerated.
Customers still pass through different stages of consideration and research before purchasing a product, but today the stages look different. They form a kind of loop that involves post-purchase feedback.
Today's buyers are more self-directed as well, hopping in and out at different stages as they please. Some prefer to buy on their mobile devices, while others will use tablets to research but prefer to make purchases in person. The first step to reaching these customers is to understand how they behave and how they prefer to interact with your brand. The stages at which a customer interacts with your brand are determined by how they use technology.
See the new infographic from Rackspace Digital that visualizes some of the latest research on customer buying behaviors and the stages customers pass through while deciding to purchase.