Content For The Decision Stage

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

As consumers, we travel down the path of the buyer’s journey all the time. We research problems (early stage), discover possible solutions for those problems (consideration stage), and make purchases after narrowing down our options (decision stage).  What type of content helps motivate you to make a purchase from a particular business?

Perhaps it’s an email that includes a special offer, a comparison chart that highlights an exclusive feature, or a free demo that gives you an opportunity to see a product in action. As marketers, it is important to understand from a consumer’s point of view, what type of content can encourage a user to move from a lead to a customer.

To connect with people at this stage of the buyer’s journey, content should be developed to help convince these prospects that your company is the best place to buy exactly what they need.

Developing A Content Strategy

To nurture this audience and guide them toward the next step, consider including the following in your content strategy:

• Free Trials & Demos: Show – don’t tell. If applicable, give prospects a free demo or trial and let them see for themselves how your product or service will solve their problem.
• Targeted Offers: Now is the ideal time to hit your audience with a special offer. If you are not the exclusive vendor of a product, you want to make it clear why a shopper should buy the product from you and not your competitor. Money talks. Offer a discount or something else that adds more value to their purchase.
• Product& Vendor Comparisons: Tout your unique selling points and help people understand why your product/service/company is the best choice for their needs. Use comparison charts and lists of pros and cons.
• Reviews, Case Studies, & Testimonials: Build trust and credibility by putting testimonials from respected industry leaders on your website, or including case studies that feature real-life scenarios of how your product or service can solve specific problems.
• Detailed Information: Decision stage-focused content should include all the information a prospect would need to make a purchasing decision. You don’t want to leave them with unanswered questions that could trigger them to leave your website and look somewhere else. Examples include: specs, photos, pricing, options, warranties, shipping info, product literature, data sheets, FAQs, & analyst reports.

Decision Stage Keywords

At this stage of the buyer’s journey game, a user is pretty close to making a purchase. A person might be making a decision on his or her own, or perhaps they need buy-in from upper management. Either way, your content should be optimized to include keywords that anticipate what queries a prospect may be looking for. The following are a few decision stage-type words to consider adding to your keyword phrases:

• Buy
• Case Study
• Compare Or Comparison
• Cost
• Demo
• Free Consultation
• Free Trial
• Order
• Price
• Pros & Cons
• Quote
• Reviews
• Testimonial
• Versus or Vs.

You’ve attracted your leads and nurtured them. Close the deal with conversion-focused content that will convince your prospect to make an investment in what you have to offer.