Awesome article, It's not until you start looking at the way you buy items yourself do you realise what you are doing. It's given me a whole new look at keyword research. Don't get me wrong I know keyword research is important yet with these checks you can really drive for the most optimal keywords.

i can relate to this, as I had watched a video for an alternative affiliate training. The cost was way out of my price range and looked online for reviews to see what other people thought about it. I saw a review for WA and a free trial and this gave me the chance to check it out and I signed up. The rest is history.

I loved the reverse engineer concept, I would like to reffer to my last online purchase. I live on the east coast and have gone through a couple of hurricanes that left us without power for over a week, not anymore.
I needed a generator, one big enough to run my AC and other home essentials, so i searched it, found what I wanted but it had a dual fuel feature that I did not need, I did comparisons with this and just a gas only feature, the price difference was over $250.00, I found lots of them but not enough power to run AC, so I changed my search words and, bingo, found it and bought it and it does exactly what it said it would.
Some things are just so close you cant always see them.
EXCELLENT PIECE OF TRAINING THANKS WA.

However, I did not get the point the first time (maybe launch time), but it is a really good lesson in online marketing.

It works guys, I try it myself even my website is relatively new but the buying keywords convert traffic to buyers.

I would like to mention that learning without practice and success is nothing. As you practice you build your personal knowledge.

Thanks, Kyle.

this content is very clear and right, i've worked for a big cars selling company for more than 7 years, one of the things that i've got is if you're going to visit a guest for the first time in your life, even if you come to him with a big discount, never sell in the first time. So in the first time we're going to ask the guest the maximum of questions in fact to understand him and understand his needs from one side and to creat as possible nice relationship with him(trust) and than in the 3rd or 4th time we get chance to meet with him wwe can have a possibility of deal.

This is right on the money...The way you emphasized on this topic of understanding the customer purchase cycle brought light for a person running an online business. Their focus should be understanding the customer and what their needs are, but also having knowledge of the product in order to build their clientele and in return make profit; very well stated.

I am confused about one question when following metrics to prove that you know exactly who your customer is.

questions 4) Can you come up with your own pros and cons for each customer situation? Product Service.


Can anyone clarify this better for me? I believe this is from lesson 4 of the Customer Purchasing Lifecycle.

Thanks!
Anna

OK I’m a one off here as I’m struggling to understand how customer comprehension works in practice? How do I determine:

1.Who my customer is?
2.What they often purchase?
3.Why they purchase online?

This makes no sense at all to me. I get that I need customers to sell to and create profit through trust but how do I understand them. What’s to understand?

Again, promoting what you think people want .... I don’t get it! We have a website with good keyword rich content about your chosen niche which customers have visited. Don’t make assumptions on your customers .... about what?

Customers visit your site because you have targeted them through good research and keyword rich content. I’m really struggling to break this down into practice terms so any help greatly appreciated please.

Thanks.

Kevin

So interesting - as I go through these sessions - I smile at myself thinking about my on-line experiences..... and yes I guess I've been a product-centric, committed, loyal, online joy, for many providers over many years now..... and here I am about to share the other side - One more of life's lessons - work to understand the full circle - and the responsibilities of this other side !
Sandy

Excellent training. As I was reading, I cannot help but relate it to my experience. Unconsciously, I went through the stages of the Customer Purchase Lifecycle from the time I searched the net for online business ideas, finding WA, researching, taking the plunge into the free membership and eventually deciding to go Premium.

Very informative article, in fact all the facts outlined above about a customer are what i would also do if i am in their shoes.Thanks once more for reminding us about these facts as they will help us to remember that we receive what we give, that is if we provide the best information to our customers about certain products we shall surely rejoice at the end as they will return the favor through buying the products.

I think that's a neat thing to remember!
Basically, that if we create a search path and options that we find helpful and that would steer us in the right direction... than those that come to our site because our keywords and focus on a particular niche, should find it helpful too - we are actually all the same web users - just some of us are being innovative here :)
Thanks to all the WA crew for being so helpful and maintaining my motivation,
Kind regards
Sandy

This is an excellent article which got me thinking about my niche and my potential customer. The fact I have been in that place they may be experiencing. I have the background and found a way to help myself - so I need to make sure I am conveying that to anyone keying in and looking for what I am doing and be sensitive to their situation. I must be gently whispering what comes across "I understand" and want to help you.

This, in turn, opens up a dialog eventually between the two of you and they begin to listen and take baby steps to at first. Once they see positive results from that dialog they move closer and start telling their friends. At some point, the continual expansion of telling their friends, and their friends telling their friends, etc will ultimately explode.

Then you start slow telling them about some little book or product you have that was instrumental in these results you have been talking to them about -or you may put your information in a newsletter format they can subscribe to and then pass on to their friends.

In conclusion, this is the gist I get of the Customer Purchase Lifecycle - interested in your feedback and dialog to help me solidify and know I am on the right track.

I understand most of the cycle information. Some of it will be clearer once I go farther in the training. I can see how important it is to choose a niche that you know something about. It will be harder to do all the research if you come into the niche without knowing enough. If you do, it will be harder to be an "expert" since most of the time the potential customer may already know more than you do.

The question I would like to ask is that as a beginner can you start off your website by writing a review on a particular product as your first content even if you have not yet signed up with some affiliate network?
Perhaps I should also ask this question, when do one get to sign up with an affiliate network, is it before producing any content or after writing a content related to your niche?

All these things are new to me as I'm still learning the ropes but this topic about "customer purchasing life cycle" reminds me of how I stumbled upon WA. I was looking for an honest review on a particular company which turned out to be MLM. The review was done by one of the WA members as he was comparing it with some MLM companies. I was interested in affiliate marketing and I didn't know fully what it entailed. I came across a review that ticked all the boxes interms of the information I needed about that particular company and I immediately got interested in finding out what WA is all about and what do they offer. It was like beating two birds with one stone.and that's how I got to join WA. I'm still leaning at this point and far from making it but I'm glad to say that I feel at home here and will probably be around for a long time.

This article reminds me of how I joined Wealthy Affiliate.

A few months ago, I became interested in affiliate marketing.
Then, I have studied what affiliate marketing is, how it works, what is the best way to proceed with my dream, etc.

Several affiliate networks / programs claimed they were the best. They showed that "you only have limited time to join the network/program at a discounted price (sometimes, more than $1000)". Some introductory videos were pretty long simply showing how the presenter made so much money and freedom. They don't seem trustful, and I did not have a patience to watch them to the end. To make sure, I searched a review on the programs I was interested in, and some reviews were awful. Then, I moved on to several others, and finally I reached WA.

Thank you for the article, and I will remind myself what I went through and what I learned from this article for my future tasks.

This is very very interesting. Wealthy affiliate program as a keyword has under 100 searches and a very high traffic measure after doing research on it so I think my next article review will be on wealthy affiliate and how it produces Revenue in a step-by-step training.

How do you like that for a specific keyword?

Also, now that you mention it email marketing has just piqued my interest level again. You know capturing emails for contact information to provide more value to help our customers. Does this course have and email marketing platform like the rest of the training in here or do we have to Outsource to companies like a Weber or get response?

It is not only a product that is with value but it must be a product that a customer wants - that has the best value among the similar products. It is not what you want, it is what the customer want. The question is how would you really know what the customer wants?

The problem here is I really don't buy things online. I actually call a number for one of my products I do use or just get in my car and go up the street to Walmart because it is there or I wouldn't go to Walmart (I can be kind of snoby too... ) but I have learned or aged... lol

Or go down the street to Safeway which is my store of choice for food. They don't have much in the way of other household products I might want or need.

Or drive a little further to Fred Meyers where I can get a little refer I recently bought since my 14 year old grandson was with me and he could carry it in.

Or if I was really looking to get a good price and a good product I would have went 5 miles more to Costco. But I rarely go to Costco. I go there for the experience and the pizza and Ceasar Salad once in awhile

We actually have 3 Walmarts in the Marysville area 5 miles apart. And one 10 miles more if you are going to Everett for something else too...

So bottom line here is I am not your average person you shops online. I'm not really a fan so I have to get over that and get with the program or the Joneses... I'm usually about 3 years behind most fads.

But because I have a facination and the awareness with the Affiliate concept (and Amazon) (see it was probably 3 years ago I heard about it...just getting into it now) I will be learning all about the "Average Online Shopper" since pretty much everyone is doing it.

And since my niche will be Avid NFL Football fans wanting Team products I am excited to learn more about the whole industry. My niche is kind of seasonal but not really... People want what they want when they want it...

Hey did I just write a Post or is it still a very long Comment? LOL

I love this new education I am getting... I signed up for something thinking that was what I was getting but I am getting a whole lot more, an Education. I thought I was going to be an Affiliate... I am now going to be a Wealthy Affiliate... woohoo who knew? Yay!

Thank you Kyle, this is definitely the information I need. Choosing keywords for a campaign is very important, and sometimes I get stuck at the very beginning with Informative keywords, rather than Buying keywords.

I'll do a review on my keywords list based on the Terms you suggested in this lesson.

This has been insightful because right now there have, within the last few days, been a number of customers on my site who have left their names - but without making a purchase. Consequently I have appreciated the training about how they pass through each phase.

As I visualize myself as a Great White, my next step will be to swim silently up to them and grasp each by the leg! Haha - I jest of course!

Very well said. Customer comprehension is related to customer care. We care to know about the way they want things so it is very important to give them honest information and services to products we are selling. It is very true, customers can see 'through our eyes'. it is very important to remember this special point if we want to enhance skills in selling.

This was very enlightening.Now I am looking at myself as an online customer and I am surprised by how I have acted from initial advert to actual purchasing.Yep I will look at myself more .I have done impulse buying in the past and lived to regret it,and I am a slave to Google reviews now.But still unfortunately my last buy, despite great research was a disappointment.Online business is still a great challenge to customers worldwide although being one of the greatest breakthroughs of human ingenuity.

I based my product off my own experience and tried to give my reasoning for why I buy my own products i am selling. I hope I can fine tune my ability to have this second nature for any product I make a website for. I find putting some kind of case study or some research on my page might help with selling, what would your advice be on that?

This is great info to consider, now I know how to move forward. As a consumer, I do my due diligence in researching and reviews. Mostly reviewing what others have said to kind of get an idea and I do know that what may work for some may not work for others. This knowledge I will apply.

After reading Purchasing life cycle article I get the part about using focused keywords. Using Kyles example of golf clubs is it righin in my thinking that if I do a post to review golf club drivers and use the product name of each driver that becomes a keyword for the prospected buyer. Seems to me that I would be getting traffic of all the buyers in the life cycle. Does this make sense???

Woow,
I just ignore it and focus affiliate bootscamp lessons but it was a mistake before read this post. I recognisde that my keywords are related for people who are very first step in purchasing life ycle.
I should focus more specific keywords even reviews post. I just understand why so many successful marketers create the related products review.

I never really thought in this much detail about my own online purchasing habits.
I can imagine most people have a similar way of doing things.
Need a product- Research - Review - Check for similar spec products- check pricing- make decision- PURCHASE.

Its simple stuff but very straight forward. Having that self awareness of what you actually do yourself helps get you into the customers shoes.

Great training very insightful.

Thanks very much

Excellent training course. Reversing is so smart. We are all customers. In one way or another. Thinking about what we go through as an online customer really put online marketing in perspective. You gotta work twice as hard as your competition. Especially since they've probably been in business 15 years. Thanks for the time and effort you put into a really great training article.

Sincerely

Patches Lynn Roland
Theseekingspiritualust. Com

I come to WA with some background in email marketing. What was mentioned about getting an email, list and marketing to them is golden! So what is needed is what called an autoresponder such as Aweber or GetResponse and others.

Do anyone those or other companies will support the website that I mam building here.

Thanks

Thanks Kyle for your time in this section of the SAC training. I truly wad to confess that getting and feeling more authoritative than ever to face the challenges of my business.
What I was taught before as AVATAR has now been explained now to me as never before!
As they say that 'knowledge is power' though I believe that it's knowledge properly utilized that equals power and not just a mere head knowledge thus my challenge now is the understanding to utilize all those knowledge I am now acquiring from your teachings this time.
Once again thanks a lots.
Cheers.David.

The marketing approach and selling industry have changed from the traditional one years or decades ago. The new technologies and standards, the big competition (online and offline), as well as the globalization are also influencing the selling processes.

From being in the center of the cycle as a producer to the customer itself as the central figure in the selling-buying process, it is of essential importance to know the customer and to put yourself in their shoes, before deciding to whom, where, when and how to sell. Understanding why the customer wants to buy something from you is another key that needs to be considered very seriously when making important decisions about selling something to someone.

Thanks for sharing your insights and the training!

Best regards,
Igor

The content is very educational toward making money ,and attracting customers in WA. My problem is I'm getting all these instruction and over a month now and I can't setup my first website properly. I gave insights to others and my own I can't do. When will I made my first $?

The content in this article is great but it is inconsistent with the branding standards of Wealthy Affiliate. None of your other articles have so many grammar errors. There are some points where it is confusing what you are trying to say. If it wasn’t an article on this website, I would’ve closed it out by the second error because I believe if someone doesn’t take the time to edit their material before they post, they don’t give a crap, and if they don’t give a crap then they don’t have any business trying to influence me. My time is valuable and I don’t waste it on reading half-done articles.
Thank you for the content. Please edit.

I work in retail sales and think this approach is FAR more realistic and up-to-date! Converting a Customer to a sale is far more difficult owing to the competition, the amount of content and research available, price points etc. The Company I work for (for example) offer online discount codes for the products they sell... the same ones I sell in store, but they will not let me match the online prices without penalizing my commission percentage! Just one example of how the sales process is no longer a level playing field. ohhh... and we get shouted at for not achieving our individual sales targets.

With the website I'm creating, I haven't chosen a product to sell. It's a blog for therapists as I am interested in helping people with injuries. I will need to set something else up I think so I can sell stuff and create an on-line income.

this was a great article, especially the reverse process to better understand what your customers go through in choosing and finally making their purchase. I went through this process when I thankfully chose Wealthy Affiliate. I wasn't sure about it and read tons of articles. Although Benji's Dad was extremely knowledgeable. I researched good and bad but came back to his recommendation. Great article.

Thanks Kyle ,sounds really informative,I hadn't thought about long term customers,just have to find a way of getting the info now,yes follow my buying processes.A great place to start.
I buy constantly online,i dont know if i follow too many process usually i just buy,but there has been occasions where I am looking for a items worth and find a bargain and just stike.

I can definitely see, with a little bit of clearer perspective on the importance and relevancy of this lesson. So crucial to getting this right for sure! Must get this right on my forward progress from this stage going forward. I will be needing guidance to hold the reins carefully as I progress because I really need to get this one down properly.
Thanks for another awesome lesson as always!

Christopher.

Great information. I did exactly the method you say most customers use when I bought into Wealthy Affiliate. I am so pleased I did as the training here is next to none for affiliate marketing. Thanks to the team and all our members for the great togetherness we have here.

Thankyou Kyle,that was once again very informative,makes me think about my products what people would just buy,within my Niche and how to write the blogs and the posts and what has been missing in my Facebook store. A big woobly ,hope i can bring it together.Cheers

BRUUUHHHH...I thoroughly enjoyed this training. It's helped me understand how customers discover products online and then ultimately make a purchase.

The funny thing is that the whole research-decision-purchase phase is what I had went through just recently. The things you learn in terms of internet marketing is phenomenal.

Thanks for this training. I'm gonna take this with me when I'm either promoting or buying.

Kyle, You hit the nail on the head! I am an avid shopper. Use to be a lot of leg work before the internet, but now I can find all I want to know about a product online. The process you explained is exact. Research about product, make your decision and ultimately purchase. I can't say the millions of times I have done this. You put it all together so nicely. Following this process has to result in buyer conversions. Now to work on applying the process to my website. I will master this. Your training makes you think about things you know and put it together in the right perspective. I knew this because it is exactly what I do, but I never really put the process in thought to my perspective buyers. Thanks for helping us to put it all together!
Phyllis

I am in trouble this stuff gives me a sore head, I have not a clue what is trying to be taught what you learn near the beginning is lost the further you read into this.
I have to be honest and say this will take a lot for me to get my head around, especially using Facebook and such which I try to avoid as much as possible.
This lesson is too long and you only wish it would come to an end soon when you read it, I think it would be better to have split it up, as it is, all I have gained is a "HEADACHE" trying to follow it.

This is very helpful for the side VA gig I'm starting. I already have a new client and we'll be signing a contract this week. Since I only am able to build this part-time, the training here at WA site is very helpful and reinforces what I'm already doing promoting my biz. I will need to get a website designed for it soon and get it out there on Google like my lifestyle blog. Thanks, Kyle!

Great training, I had a retail/wholesale business for 26 years and I would have never stayed in business without repeat business. It takes a lot of work but the rewards are worth it.
In this business (Internet) I'm really a NEWBIE so I have a lot to learn but the principle is exactly the same. Only now we are working on a global scale vs. a community scale. If you know what I mean! How exciting to think of the potential in what were doing here, the world is at our finger tips! WOW that's GOOD!
Have a Great Day! and Thank You!

Great information. I learned about this customer or audience concept in college and after using it in my IT Career, the feedback I got was amazing. I also found it helpful as a Mom of 3 children, who are now grown. Understanding the audience is critical to meeting them where they are and not wasting their time and this is true regardless of what industry you are in or what you are trying to sell them.

These 7 pages - wow. All laid out start to finish with minimal wordage. Very clear - thanks!

One of my main purchasing procedures, probably belongs in this last, long-term customer category: I have something I liked, it broke after years of faithful service, and now I need to replace it.

Makes me think.

Thanks again

Very informative, this training gave me a much better understanding of the process.

I have a question though, for new brand websites, is that ok to use keywords that are for the second (Decision) and third (Purchase) phase ?

Or firstly, there should be written some posts targeting people in the first page (Research) in order to offer information and gain trust (does it have to take a couple of months?), and only after that, write posts targeting people that are in the second and third phase ?

Just to see if I am on the right tract.
This was my actual purchase a few days ago.

I saw something I liked and wanted a pair so I ask the person where they got them from. With that information of the website I went there and figure , hey I could get this cheaper on eBay.

So I went there and searched
first prices
then colors
then colors and sizes
and shipping

This is what I do every time right before I purchase scroll down to the reviews on product and the seller.

Once I was satisfied with a seller I purchased.

I think I got it! The customer purchase life cycle!

I wrote it down because I tend to forget sometimes.

I remember once I was selling led light bulbs, solar panels and similar products. Other employees asked me how do you make so many sales? I have always liked to help others so I explained that When I started at the company I asked myself, What would be the best way to approach people to win there attention and convince them to buy. Suddenly I saw that a person that I wanted to offer my product had an electric bill on top of the table. I decided to tell him I see that you received your electric bill? I can only think how high it must be. This gave me the best approach to make the sale. Sometimes selecting the proper words can help you more than you think.

I wanna tell a short story of our discussion recently with our professor . This is how it goes:

(Prof): " How do you sell the most to customers ? "
( Us, Students) : " What products ? "
( Prof) : " Any products, lets make it hamburgers"
( Student 1): " Make the best hamburgers "
( Student 2 ) : " Yes, Sell them at the best location "
( Student 3 ) : " Sell them below competitors price "
( Student 4 ) : "Offer them something Free like free French fries "

And a lot of other ' good suggestions' or at least what we thought were good. Finally when no more ideas were forthcoming our professor replied .

(Prof ) : "Listen . Me, professor with PHD, you student. All of you missed the most important point in selling. To sell the most hamburgers ,you need to sell them in-front of a lot of hungry customers. Give me a thousand hungry customers I can sell a thousand hamburgers . The best hamburgers, the best location, cheap price and everything else won't matter if they are not hungry. Period. "

Smart Ass

Jordan Belfort once asked a group of students to sell him a pen. The first person he asked described the pen at great lengths - the pluses, needs for, and benefits. The second person did pretty much the same thing. Then the third guy asked Jordan “Are you looking to buy a pen?”
That’s how you move forward is knowing your customer and helping to fill their needs. Love this part!

I understand what is being said in the training completely. Listening to the customer intently and hearing what they are saying but also what they might be saying. Giving them the pros and the cons of said product. Practicing not taking what is being said personal is one reason as a teenager I hated dealing with the public. I think now that I am older I can put in perspective and know it's not personal its the customer's feelings towards the product and not me.

Being in business you have to know your product when I sold cell

phones in the early '80s that was one thing you had to know.
your product and its life cycle why do you think you buy smartphones every year.

A person can come into the store on Monday wanting "the FREE PHONE saw in the ad Sunday". I would listen to what they would tell me, either their new to the product or having a problem with the product.

So I would wear the phone I wanted to sell that day and show them and all the cool bell and whistles, and well you know
it... they would leave with the top of the phone, not just one but for the whole family and they came for 1 free phone, Oh, not to mention the referrals. Good times.$$$$ ...and a good read.

Its True. I was receiving emails from a product where I made a registration on how to make money online. That was in the beginning of my online search. The mail was make 400 dollars a day using this formule. a software they was offering and you could make that amount. Yeah right i was telling to myself. But back in my mind I was thinking and checked on google if it was legit or not. And of course it was not legit when I came on a Blog on the first page of my search that explains me how this software was working and I was trusting in some ways the blogger. The best part is that this blogger helped me find the THE best way how to make money online. And it was not by purchasing a software or something like that. It was by investing in knowledge and so I came on the magically site of WA. Instant purchase when I was reading the info on WA. The voice of my lil Angel told me this is what you're looking for and its legit JUST DO IT. A purchase was made.

I was liking to share this anecdote
greets
Diego

The BEST information indeed. Thanks!
But I want to ask that nowadays I am creating content under my niche. I have created 2 posts that are keyword rich. My website is indexed on Google.
But I have not promoted any product in my content. Then how the 'Sale ' will take place?
Is it necessary to put products in my content from the beginning?
Or should I wait to build trust with my visitor?
Am I making a mistake somewhere by not putting the links of products from Amazon or Clickbank?
Please Clarify.

As a journalism major, I know very well that "KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE" is one of the most fundamental rules of writing, as well as marketing! That is why, in my opinion, the easiest way to start is with the niche that you know very well yourself! All of us have something like this! I know that in my niche I am a Subject Matter Expert. I am sure it will help! When I gain more experience in an online world, then I can move into other niches. Of course, it is only my opinion. Cheers!

There is more than one way to skin a cat and the way you describe a buyers determination here is the other unspoken way to understand my customer.

This is the first time I have ever heard mention that such tenacity as a customers desire to buy is truly something that cannot be stopped! Further who wants to get in the way of a moving freight train? No one. So what do we do? We jump on board that train while it's moving. We support the customer desire to become a purchaser. This is so empowering for me personally.

This statement alone broadens my view of helping. If I write quality content, I have the underlying ability to help customers who have decided they want to make a purchase. Out the window goes the old saying or feeling that there is some manipulation going on in our content writing. Well if I approach my writing with the assumption that what I write is helping to sharpen someone's knowledge about what they are going to purchase anyway, then I feel like a true consultant here.

People are going to trust that I am here to help. I expect to have many, many viewers who feel I am supporting their decision to buy.

Thank you.

Atta83gurl

I can relate to the six points of the purchase cycle, because I truly see myself in each one of those scenarios, I've done it. Sites that I have repeatedly purchase from there's that comfort, ease and trust of knowing what to expect. Now, the shoe is going to be on the other foot, letting people know I have what they want and need. Which will actually make it better for the both of us. Working smarter, not necessarily harder!

In my opinion, the first step towards generating traffic as customers to your website is to be registered on a major search engine such as google or bing. I believe that forming a seller's buyer's bond or relationship is an important strategy used to gain a level of trust that is needed for the buyers to make a purchase. I look forward to many great relationships on my journey towards a successful business !

Mark

I agree. The key to successful marketing in my opinion is being 100% real with yourself and customers and give them your trust. Hyperfocus your target of your niche, it will give you a bigger chance of getting new customers. Know about your niche, educate yourself.
Hard and smart work always pay off!
Thank you, Kyle!

From my point of view, it seems that research and the ability to breakdown the positives of buying a product are key. I hear so much that people "won't buy from someone they don't trust". On the surface that sounds reasonable. In reality, however, how many salespeople do you ACTUALLY KNOW? I'm willing to bet not many. When I research something online it's for the sole purpose of acquiring information. I don't need an emotional "bond". I trust information. If that information is thorough, well balanced and straight-forward I am much more likely to act on it. Busy people need consolidated information and access to quality products for a specific need or desire. This approach may go against the paradigm, but I find it difficult to believe that I am in a minority with this line of thought. I've been in too many auto showrooms and (now) tried too many "programs" with all the upsells to actually "trust" a seller. The free bait works sometimes, but it isn't what I think of when I hear the term "provide value". Or...perhaps I'm jaded and barking up the wrong tree.

Based on this buying cycle information, I'm not sure how all these phases would be incorporated into a blog. Does the blog contain research information and comparison information? Or how is that accomplished. I completely agree with the buying cycle, I'm just wondering how to put it to effective use.

What happens if you are a lifestyle, culture blog? I'm not selling a service, just adding commentary on a shared interest. Taking a subject, and adding a different perspective.

Sure, I could link keywords to articles and things online, but my aim is to not be salesy.

From my perspective, I see a lot of cheaply made websites, that don't put much effort into thoughtful content, instead just banner ads and links to products where they don't offer much insight? Are these websites really a driving force or an information destination on someones purchasing lifecycle? Or are they just SEO savvy and collecting due to affiliate links/relationships?

Good read! I am a little confused though on how I should move forward. My niche is travel bags. My first blog was about 3 top travel bags. In my next blog should it still be on travel bags or just anything that could relate to travel bags. Not sure how I should proceed.

Just curious if the example suggestions above:

where do I buy Taylor Made r5 Driver
best deal on Taylor Made r5 Driver
buy Taylor Made r5 Driver online
Taylor Made r5 Driver ebay
purchase Taylor Made r5 Driver

Would this be put in the title of our post? Or is this a separate keyword from our title that we would put somewhere in our post?

I really enjoyed this lesson. It truly provided a lot of insight. Its one of those things where you feel like you know everything or at least enough to get by, but then you realize you haven't even tapped the surface. Or you just never thought to look at it from that perspective.

Great information. To have the buying cycle illustrated so clearly is invaluable. This made it clear now the research phase is so important and the web has created customers that are studying products much more than ever before buying. That means a site with useless info or sales pitches are annoying to readers. So the content on my website has to be original and intelligent. However, I still think people respond to humour, cleverness, imagery and personalty. It’s not only “the facts” that make people buy.

This is absolute gold.

I now also realize that if you *do* get visitors on your site in the research phase, it's an ideal opportunity to build some initial trust.

For instance, by telling them things they don't know yet about the products they are looking into. Or about things to consider that they hadn't thought of yet.

Also, talking about the drawbacks of any product is also a great opportunity to build trust.

And - being a customer myself - I know that I like to read or see an affiliate marketing disclaimer. It makes me feel that the site is not trying to con me into clicking on links. And is just open about the way they make money. Which is just an understandable thing - of course the site has to make money in order to pay for hosting, the time invested in writing high quality content and reviews, etc.

Additionaly, when the affiliate disclaimer is in informal language, this enhances the trust for me as a customer. Makes me feel I'm dealing with a human on the other end (not some scammy, aggressive sales person)

I understand now I should just focus on building that trust.

The rest (revisit, sales) will follow later, and will be a logical result of the trust I build. The better I am at creating that trust, the better traffic will convert.

And the best way to build trust, is to be authentic, true, trustworthy, honest.

Thanks Kyle for that lesson! :)

Going through this training, I almost felt like you were writing about me! ;-p

Seriously though, I hadn't thought of doing some introspection to help meet others when they're ready to buy.

I literally did all of the above before buying into Wealthy Affiliate!

It's like you know me....lol!

Thanks Kyle,

-J

It's my second time going through these lessons and I'm getting even more out of them this time around!

It's a lot to soak in mostly because we don't typically think about the buying process even though we have all been consumers since we got our first paying job.

Golden nuggets for sure!

A very important chapter in my training! I love it. Now my question/s are concerning "making money online" as the niche I have been dealing with up to this stage: There are a lot of low hanging fruits ( QSR <100 and some even <50) with good searches and traffic. At what point should I take this traffic as being ready to sign up buy? Will it make sense to use keywords such as " Sign Up Now For ......Bonus"?

Great material and such insight into the minds of a potential customer, I've really enjoyed reading it and opening my mind up to the structure that society takes in their purchases, including myself.

We all do it naturally without thinking, slowing it down and breaking it apart as you've done here, gets us to look into the mindset of people who are on a quest for a product and like myself, once I've researched an item through reviews, videos and images I'm hooked. At this point I'm then looking into cashback from websites, voucher codes and who is selling it at a great price, then there's the "trust in the brand" issue as you mentioned, do you buy your products from "Amazon" for example at a slightly lifted price or "Joe's Stuff.com" that includes cashback on your purchase.

Everyone will think and act differently, some will carefully buy and cover all bases, others will just blow the cash because they want the product yesterday, especially if it's trending well.

I will try and keep all this I've learned above in mind as I develop my website and business niche as it sounds spot on to what we are like. Would love to know how you learned all this, was it from personal experience, statistics and a working website, business teacher?

Such gold information! Connecting with customers is crucial.

Honestly, it's fun engaging with them on social media. They're more likely to visit your site on a regular basis and purchase your products. Plus, if they have questions, it's your chance to create content as solutions.

Relationships are key. I love it! Thank you for this training, Kevin! :-)

In previous lives, I've worked in Healthcare administration, Food service, government, transportation, logistics, retail, insurance, and cable. It doesn't matter what the industry is, a relationship is always necessary.

Before you sell anything, you are selling yourself.

Thank you for this outstanding resource, Kyle! You're a genius and a lifesaver, thank you for WA!

i have always lived rural and research is the first line or purchase ,getting a wrong part at any price means things don't move forward targeted timing ,what a concept thanks for that i buy 95% of my stuff online and reverse thinking somehow makes perfect sense i can see it step by step all around me

I literally made a splurge online purchase last night doing research for a post, mostly because I needed an upgrade but didn't want to spend the money just yet. But they got me my offering a trade-in deal. So I was already knowledgeable about the product and was searching a specific model, and because of a huge deal, splurged. Of course, this wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been doing a website post because I was not close to looking for it yet.

So reading this and thinking through my recent purchase as a customer, if you see an advertisement about a sale and you get impulse buyers who are knowledgeable but not decided.

Live and learn. One, not ever going to do a content post about something that I need again. Two, keep an eye on sales for future post ideas :)

I've been in sales and/or marketing all of my life and I find this an excellent review of basic principles I've been taught in various forms over the years. The last ten years I've been selling residential real estate and many of these steps apply almost exactly to the way someone buys a house. Good stuff. Even old pros needed constant refreshers of the basics.

This was very good reading about what the customers are thinking about before they are ready to make their purchases. I just started my website and I have 5 post so far, and I decided not to try to sell anything yet. My website is about bowling awards and gifts, and my post so far are about the problems of where to find the awards, what bowling awards are out there, what to look for when deciding to buy an award for someone else as a gift, etc. So I think I am doing it the right way so far. I am trying to get the customers interested in several ideas and at the same time to trust me, because I am not pushing anything on them, just giving them ideas. please let me know your thoughts.

Great lesson! From my experience it is great to treat customers the way you would like to be treated. Yes, it is very important to remember we are customers to. Customers like to buy, but they do not always like to be sold to. I respect customers who like to do their research before researching. The lesson has helped to remember to provide useful information, to build trust, but most importantly, give them the option to buy immediately if they choose.

Kyle,
As usual a GREAT LESSON

Having had a couple small businesses and worked for retailers, as you said developing trust and customer interaction is VERY important. When I worked at HomeDepot in garden it was thrilling when one of MY customers would come in and say they needed my help then "escorted" me into another department for help.
The same is true here. BUILD TRUST & CREDENTIALS then once they have been established the sales will follow. On my site i will be writting many blogs (over the next few months) to establish credentials and trust before offering products. Then will come the followup with the 'new repeat customers'.
Credentials -> Trust ->Return visits -> $ale$ ->Followup -> more $.

Fascinating. When we are fixated on the technical aspects of building our websites, and when we are fixated on writing articles, it easy to overlook the "human" element of the sales funnel.

This post has piqued my interest, and I am eager to learn more about the buying cycle, and how to catch people at various stages of the cycle, to influence them to convert into customers.

This is where Kyle gets mad at me. You see, I'm not that kind of customer. When I go looking for something. I know what I want (and I'll give you an example) and I buy it as soon as I find it. I'm not the smallest woman in the world and some clothes aren't easy to find. One thing that is particularly hard to find for me are comfortable shoes. Skechers sneakes have an extra wide width secton and I can't even tell I'm wearing them. So if I go looking for shoes and I find what I want in my size, width, and color I buy it right then and there. It's the same way with my clothes. If I find something I like I buy it. Thee is no going back and forth about it. I don't ask anybody's opinion. I've never been like that with anything. I do things on my own. Growing up I didn't have the intenet. There was no Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. I wasn't very popular in school because I was shy and not one of those skinny cheerleader types. I was one of the kids that got bullied in school. When I got older I got abused by two ex-husbands I don't open up to alot of people and ask people's opinions on many things. I know that a lot of people that are like me behave the same way. They don't open up anymore than I do. You don't know just how hard it was fo me to join you here. How do we reach people like me. A lot of the women that I advocate for don't even have a computer. I'm just too damn stubborn to let them continue to make me a victim. I live my life. I'm just very cautious about who I let into it. I just got really lucky when I stumbled into this awesome group of people. I have never her heard one discouraging word since I got here. I just needed you to know that we don't all work the way you'd like us to. life has made sure we don't. Thank You For Your Time!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Sometimes we are our best teachers. When I think about my own shopping routine I find it is true that I normally don't purchase the first two or three times I do research. I can't expect my new customer to purchase the first time either. I have to convey the idea that I am a trustworthy business person wanting to help and assist them. I can do this with product reviews and being consistent with my postings.
Great article!

Thank you for this article!

Very true.

I just think of myself, how often do I buy something online or invest in something online the first time.

The truth be told, while I invested my time in WA as soon as I was introduced to it, I didn't invest in it financially the first time. It actually took me a few days before investing.

I am so glad I did invest financial and show how serious I am in succeeded.

Greg

It's great to realise that WA have done all the 'hard yards' in regards to market research. I didn't really intend on wasting my time on formal marketing education to realise that there are hard and fast rules about internet marketing. Traditional marketing is now a thing of the past, and I'm hopeful that the new era of marketing and economics is about to take off.

I never learned that in my Marketing class. I feel some CPL research coming up, and I will use myself as a guinea pig when next I purchase something online, taking note of the emotional, plus the pragmatic side of my decision to purchase from one source rather than another; it's not always about cost/money/$.

Thanks.

Luis

I really when I want to buy something online, that I need, I will first look for the sites where this article exists, then I will know more about the article, if it is what I need, its quality and after finding the desired product , I'll see where I can find it at a better price to get it and if it's a trustworthy site. This is how an internet purchase works for me!
Is this what really matters, I ask?

Good day to all,
I am going to take the questions on the lesson and use them. My purchasing style, may be a little different. I usually buy almost immediately because I try doing all the search at the same time.
But I will take these samples questions into account, thank you Kyle.
Very best
LadyEsther

I'm looking forward to delving into the customer relationship training as well as all of the progressive training that is to come. This is exciting times steadily moving forward, forming a business of my own but also forming new WA acquaintances, and also being so fortunate as to be a part of an elite training platform I look forward to continuing to advance in for years to come. Much thanks to Kyle and Carson.

I just watched Jay's 21 min ranking video. I want to try and apply his technique, but I need to verify my website first on google console, but I can't access my cpanel on the website hosted on WA. How can I verify my website or how do I get to my Cpanl on WA?

I like the article but - I did not realize that their are key words for buying and researching - is there a key word place to find keywords specific keywords or is that what jazzy does
So I definitely have to work harder on my site to get it ranked and developed more before it could make money

This lesson was spot on. I learned alot about internet customers delaying purchases until the toughly look at from all perspectives. Now I remember doing that same thing myself. Unbelievable how I changed as I gained confidence in the program. Thank you so much for turning me around for my own good!
Ruben

Great analysis of 3 phases of buying process-
1) Research phase
2) Decision phase
3) Purchasing phase

Under phase #3 the training material reads like- “Someone who is searching the term "wealthy affiliate review" has probably already done a significant amount of research and are into the Decision phase. They may have started by searching the term "affiliate marketing" and found a website promoting Wealthy Affiliate. They then did some additional research and analysis on Internet marketing related schools to decide which program would be best suited for them. Finally, they search the program they are interested in joining, Wealthy Affiliate.”

The question is- if someone has already done research and made decision by visiting another blog site then the customer is already locked in by that blog site through a sticky cookie, correct? So even if the customer makes purchase using my link, I won’t get the affiliate commission.

From this perspective, isn’t it better to target customers at research phase?

Thank you Kyle for your experience and wisdom in Key words and what attracts and keeps customers coming back.
This is not only for the short one off sale or search but a loyal for the long term customer that is what we are all after (network great information and product which keeps people coming back for more).

this is an interesting article, i read a book called "way of the wolf" by jordan belfort that also simplified selling in a stock market environment, but of course it can transfer to any niche.. if anyone has any selling books they recommend please also leave them in the comments.