Engines and the Buying Decision Process

In the seven stages of the decision making process, e-marketing has had a definite effect on the information search. I would even say that the information we search for and have access to on a regular basis, has a heavy effect on our need recognition. Mainly because what we consider and include in our desired states, is a product of what we see, and search for. So what do we interact with every day? Well, depending on your age group it can range from email and search engines, to social networking sites. Our search habits are marketed to, as expected; it is how we use this information with regards to our needs that marketers focus on.

Google for example, provides users with two types of search results: organic and paid results. Organic being natural and untainted from sponsors, while paid is exactly the opposite. Google even provides you with information when you are not looking for it. Let’s say you are browsing your emails, on the side panel, you are bound to see advertisements for items related to your recent searches or the content of your actual emails. We are bombarded constantly by subscriptions, spam and general advertisements, all of which are fighting for our attention.

When we look for information, search results are not the only thing needed to complete the decision process. Website design and usability are just as important because users will judge a page in the first ten seconds, at which they will either stay or move on to the next. So content needs to be arranged in a manner that allows easy access to information, and it needs to be labeled. Companies that have poorly designed websites are more likely to lose a customers interest while browsing, especially mine.

E-marketing has had a monumental effect on the buying decision process, allowing connections to be tracked and monitoring from who, to what, to where, when and how many. So, are we getting what we search for? Of course, and we are told in those unnatural results who is paying for it. I my self am fine with this setup, I would rather know who’s on top by popularity, rather than having my results skewed by payments.

Happy trails…

Sources:
http://www.quirk.biz/emarketingtextbook/
http://e-marketingforsensiblefolk.blogspot.com/2011/02/where-is-e-marketing-in-buying-decision.html

Social Media, connecting you to good friends, or just acquaintances...

Social networking has become a necessity amongst today’s generation, now we see corporations getting involved. Lets focus on facebook.

Facebook currently has more than 500 million users. The average user has 130 friends, and for each of those users the average number of community pages a person belongs to, is about 80; this includes groups and events. There is no doubt to whether users are connecting with each other on facebook, or how deep that connection is. That can be told by how many times a person interacts with others, how often and the content involved.

The question we should be asking is how effective is the information being provided, and are marketers connecting to users? What does connecting mean? For users, connecting is supplying a pool of personal information to marketers, while they enjoy their online lives. Majority of Internet users know this, so how do they view the advertisements customized for them, based on their browsing habits, emails and facebook likes?

Based on survey's conducted in June of last year, 53.5% of users said they "don't mind them," while 40.3% of users made it a point to say, "I dislike them." It is no surprise that so many people on facebook dislike advertisements in general. What is most interesting is the number of people that dislike advertisements from other sites. A total of 62.7% of users liked seeing advertisements from external websites the least.

So, what does connecting mean for those marketers? Can it really be called connecting if the users don’t like it? This could explain why majority of facebook marketing does not work. Likes are for people, like myself, who are too lazy to write a comment. Which is the attitude held for most interactive ads; if there too much effort required, I will navigate away. Now, if we consider how much data and information a company has on an individual user, it will always be impersonal. Online is impersonal; its convenient and intentional. We go online to avoid going into stores, and because search engines help us cut out the middleman.

Please, share, follow, like or tweet me!!!

Sources:
http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics
http://www.insidefacebook.com/2010/06/15/facebook-users-survey-results-ads/
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/why_most_facebook_marketing_doesnt_workp2.php

Starbucks Coffee Company, and their Features.

In “flows of compensation,” does the Starbucks pay-by-smartphone really fit?

Recently, Starbucks has updated their mobile app, Starbucks mobile card, to allow users to make purchases using their mobile Smartphone’s. Currently, customers are able to manage multiple gift cards and gold cards, with features that allow them to check their card balance, reload, collect rewards and find the nearest location. In addition, gold members are sent coupons for a free drink in the mail, once they have reached 15 stars [cups of coffee].

Perhaps mobile payment should just be labeled and stored under innovation as a new addition. Starbucks already provides account holders, with amenities like free drinks, caramel and more. So what does this new feature provide? Now, instead of digging around in your handbag or pockets for your gift card, you look for your smartphone. The transactions are said to be faster than regular methods of payment, but It could be argued that it would take an equal amount of time to swipe a card as appose to scanning a smartphone.

Mobile payments have been forecasted as a $633 billion industry,

which raises some concerns about the direction in which technology is taking us, with regards to customer service. Imagine a new app that allows customers to place an order as they leave their house, and when they arrive in store, with a wave of their smartphone, they can avoid as much human interaction as possible. Is it a smart idea to start relying solely on our smartphones and their reliable networks? Let’s just hope the nothing fails.

As an avid coffee drinker, I enjoy my trips to Starbucks. No matter which barista is on duty, my ‘Grande White Mocha Frappuccino, no Whip’ is made perfectly, and it is always topped off with some kind words. Even though, I am surrounded with new and interesting technologies every day, mobile payments aren’t for me; but I’ll take the other amenities that Starbuck's offers.

Caramel … Please!!!

Sources:
http://e-marketingforsensiblefolk.blogspot.com/
http://www.finextra.com/community/fullblog.aspx?id=4933
http://www.tuaw.com/2011/01/19/starbucks-now-accepting-payments-through-iphone-app/
http://www.codero.com/blog/using-smartphones-to-pay-for-in-store-purchases/