BUYER BEHAVIOR #2

Evaluating How Your Customers Evaluate Stuff

For this exercise I have interviewed three more people, this time with a different approach. The questions I have asked this time are intended to gauge the relative attractiveness of my product by comparing it to alternatives. After a customer picks from a set of alternative drawn from research, I ask: Does price matter the most? Does quality? Does style? Furthermore I asked questions to figure out where and how they are most likely to do their buying. Finally, I asked some questions geared toward learning about their post purchase evaluation process. 

Here are my findings.

Interviewee #1

This person has an Eno, and actually three different lengths of straps so they can switch them out per the occasion. They admitted to having looked for an easier way to fold up and carry around Eno straps. For this person, quality is the most important thing because they are "literally hanging from a tree" and would never want to buy cheap or defective straps. They say they are willing to pay more money to ensure the quality and safety of the product. They like to shop for their outdoor gear at physical stores such as REI. They enjoy getting to talk to the sales associates who are knowledgeable about the products and can give helpful insight and suggestions. Before purchasing a product, they always make sure it has a warranty or good return policy in case the product isn't what they expected. They determine this by simply comparing what the product promises, to what it actually does.

My Summary:

This was a good reminder to me that many people in the outdoor community aren't looking for a quick fix to their problems, but rather something long lasting, durable, and worth while This is why many outdoorsy people like to shop at places such as REI and L.L. Bean because they ensure the quality of their products and have knowledgeable staff. If I were to create a cheap product for eno straps, people may search for a more "quality" alternative.

Interviewee #2

This is a college student who uses an Eno regularly in social settings. They find it "so annoying" having to perfectly fold up their Eno straps each time. They haven't actively looked for a solution yet, but they are open to one. For this person, affordability is most important because they are on a college student budget. Although they prefer products of higher quality, they tend to opt for cheaper alternatives to save money. They would look for such products places online such as Amazon because it is low hassle, cheap, and they don't have a car to drive anywhere. They evaluate their purchases by deciding whether it was minimally worth the money they spent or "did it get the job done?" 

My Summary:

This interview pretty much contradicts my first one. Being from a different age group and social class drastically changed the results of this interview. This was a good reminder that I need to decide what demographic I'm going to focus on because these people have very different way of approaching the problem.

Interviewee #3

This person actually works at an outdoor retail store. They have an Eno and they solved their strap problem by "tossing everything in their back pack." To them, products with the least hassle are most important so that they can spend more time enjoying the moment. They are willing to spend more or less just depending on how the product is going to enhance their life. They often look in the store where they work, or ask buddies for recommendations on where to buy things. They have bought a lot of their outdoor gear online as well as in store with no obvious preference. They evaluate their buying decision based on whether the product made things easier, or more complicated.

My Summary:

This interview was affirming because the whole point of retractable Eno straps are to be efficient and simple. 

Conclusion

These interviews gave me a lot to think about as far as who my target market will be. It could be the middle aged outdoor community for my primary market, and younger college students as my secondary market. I think it is important for me to maintain the integrity of my product while still keeping it affordable and branding it as simple.