Digital customers

25 important questions on Digital customers

What is a customer?

the person who pays for a product

What is the difference between the customer and the consumer?

the customer might not always be the consumer (e.g. I might buy some milk but someone else in the household consumes it).

What is customer behaviour?

not only financial transactions, where a good is exchanged for money. Ex: aim of a website might be to provide information. Therefore downloading a pdf might be the required sale.
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What is business to consumer (B2C)? And which steps?

The most commonly used model of buyer behavior.
It considers the buying process as a cycle in a series of steps:
- Problem recognition
- Information search
- Evaluation of alternatives
- Purchase decision
- Post-purchase behavior
ex: for a car kitchen the process is longer than for example grocery shopping

What is the first stage of the buying process (B2C)? And what role is played by the internet?

Problem recognition.
Potential customers can be made aware of potential problems with the content of any web presence, including websites, social media platforms or emails.

What is the second stage of the buying process (B2C)? And what role is played by the internet?

Information search. 
Normally using search engines, the potential customer looks for information on the products that can meet their needs. They might use the sites of manufacturers, dealers or retailers as well as review sites and social media. Some argue that it is this facility that is the internet’s biggest contribution to marketing.

What is the third stage of the buying process (B2C)? And what role is played by the internet?

Evaluation of alternatives.  Having determined a type of product that provides a solution, the web is used to compare the offerings of various organizations or brands.

What is the fourth stage of the buying process (B2C)? And what role is played by the internet?

Purchase decision.
Although they might be used in the evaluation stage, shopping comparison sites are particularly helpful at this stage where, for example, the best price for a particular product can be found. Selecting a specific seller would fall into this category.

What is the fifth stage of the buying process (B2C)? And what role is played by the internet?

Post-purchase decision.
Although all previously visited sites can help reassure the buyer that they made the right purchase decision, they might also participate in forums on the product or mention the product on social media. Like their offline counterpart they are also more likely to notice ads for the product that they purchased.

What is AIDA model? And what form does the model has + where does it stand for?

Another classical model of buying behavior.  attention, interest, desire, action
- Did the ad grab attention?
- … Arouse interest?
- … Stimulate desire?
- … Provide a call for action?
The AIDA model is a funnel model. Not as linear as the buying cycle model.
Acknowledges the fact that people leave the buying cycle at various stages (i.e. the funnel narrows as it progresses to the sale).

What are Eisenberg’s 20 forces that influence buying behaviour?

1. Basic needs
2. Convenience
3. Replacement
4. Scarcity
5. Prestige
6. Emotional vacuum
7. Lower prices
8. Great value
9. Name recognition
10. Fad or innovation
11. Compulsory purchase
12. Ego stroking
13. Niche identity
14. Peer pressure
15. The ‘Girl Scout Cookie effect’
16. Reciprocity or guilt
17. Empathy
18. Addiction
19. Fear
20. Indulgence

What is said in the Case Charlesworth 2018?

People value their time and are willing to pay more in order to save time +
convenience is a key driver of buying behaviour - and even more so of buying online.

What is the key objective of the B2B website? And why?

The key objective is lead generation.
•To provide information that will be serve as a foundation to develop a relationship with customers
• Customers use the B2B website to gather information in order to narrow down a list of potential suppliers, and then contact them on a personal basis
• Replacing or supplementing catalogues, brochures, trade shows, or advertising
• The quality of the web presence plays a big role

What are the six stages of the buying cycle model applied in B2B?

1. Problem recognition
2. Develop specifications for required product/service that solve that problem
3. Search for products (if off-the-shelf) or search for supplier (if bespoke)
4. Evaluate products and suppliers
5. Make purchase
6. After sales service

What is the first stage of the buying process (B2B)? And why?

Problem recognition.
Unlike B2C purchases, which can be little more than an I need a product to replace on that has failed decision, B2B problem recognition can be far more complex. This is particularly the case when the sought product will be an integral element of either another product or a manufacturing process. It is also the case that this recognition might take place some years before the product will be used in a production model of a finished product.

What is the second stage of the buying process (B2B)? And why?

Develop specifications for required product/service that solve that problem. This can be relatively simple (the color of paint for office walls) or extremely complex (component parts for a jet engine).

What is the third stage of the buying process (B2B)? And why?

Search for products (if off-the-shelf) or search for supplier (if bespoke). Again, the nature of the product will determine the complexity of this stage. The more unique the product, the fewer potential suppliers there are likely to be, and so the search may expand to other countries.

What is the fourth stage of the buying process (B2B)? And why?

Evaluate products and suppliers. One-off buys will normally require less research than those that will be a repeat purchase. Relationship assessment will also take place at this stage.

What is the fifth stage of the buying process (B2B)? And why?

Make purchase. This stage would also include the negotiation of terms and conditions of not only one-off purchases, but those made in the future, a rebate rate or delivery schedule, for example.

What is the sixth stage of the buying process (B2B)? And why?

After sales service. In the case of transactional purchases, any after sales service (warrantee claims) might influence repeat business. Negotiated service – on-site maintenance, for example – will also be part of this stage.

What is digital footprint in privacy?

All data generated through online activities
ex: websites visited, comments made, emails sent; received; opened, clicks, searches, purchases

What are privacy concerns?

individuals’ beliefs about the risks and potential negative consequences associated with sharing information.
One would expect that people with privacy concerns should also take action to protect their privacy.

What is said in the most recent research concerns privacy?

people who are informed about privacy issues have concerns which they address by:
- Using fewer online services.
- Setting stronger security settings.
- Revealing less personal information.
BUT: even these individuals ignore their concerns when it comes to social media!!
 They engage in uncensored or inappropriate self-disclosure.
 They allow a wide range of apps to access their data.

Convenience over safety concerns privacy?

It seems that most people prefer to feel safe and protected when going online, but at the same time the perceived benefits of using free services outweigh the perceived risks of disclosing personal information.

What is the general data protection regulation (GDPR) on 25 may 2018?

Aim: to protect all EU citizens from privacy and data breaches, applies to all companies processing the personal data of EU citizens. You leave a digital footprint form your mobile phone data setting. The owners of any app can track your phone.

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