The User Journey & the PIEPP Purchase Decision Model

Ecommerce user journeys contain many phases where retailers can inluence outcomes, corresponding to phases within the purchase decision cycle. The PIEPP purchase decision cycle model is great at helping to explain the complexities of human decision-making when we buy things.

PIEPP stands for:

Problem recognition - Identifying a need, whether “real” or not.

Information search - The more complicated the object, or the higher its ticket price, the more the information is needed to make a purchase.

Evaluation of criteria - Assessing whether the product meets your needs - a conscious and unconscious process.

Purchase decision - Are there any barriers to stop you making the purchase?

Post-purchase evaluation - Did you make the right decision? Why should you come back?

As the user journey progresses and more factors come into play, the user will loop back and forwards between the various phases until either all of the barriers to purchase are removed (resulting in a successful completion), or a barrier prevents further progression and the journey comes to a stop.

An example user journey is shown below, broken down into individual steps with comments to describe the corresponding phases of the purchase decision cycle, and the requirements they present in the commercial environment.

An Example User Journey: Sean Upgrades his Router

Sean thinks his computer is a bit slow, especially when online.

["Problem Recognition" phase]

Reading internet articles on how to speed up connection performance, he realises that a faster router might improve his connection speed. He currently has a “wireless-G” router.

At the top of one of the articles he notices a display banner for a Linksys Wireless-N Gigabit router, and conciously reads it.

This shows the importance of correct message targeting, matching ad content to relevant placements.

Sean clicks on the banner and is taken to a product page, and learns that the product is a “gigabit” router that conforms to IEEE 802.11n-2009 standard (”wireless-N”).

["Information Search" phase]

Sean researches the IEEE 802.11n-2009 standard, and uses search engines to find product reviews and recommended products.

He identifies a basic list of requirements for his router, and creates a “requirements” checklist in his head that includes features, price, etc.

This demonstrates the necessity for search visibility and including content which addresses common questions and explains features and benefits.

["Evaluation" phase]

Sean visits a number of ecommerce stores to try and find products that match his criteria.

He finds that stores with conventional navigation make it more difficult to identify products by feature, whereas ecommerce stores with faceted search allow him to cut their inventory according to his criteria - enabling him to find the results he needs quicker and easier.

Consumers now expect the option of a faceted search in ecommerce stores, as it provides them with a flexible method of drilling-down and identifying the products they require in a much shorter time frame than conventional navigation.

Sean draws up a list of products that match the criteria on his checklist.

This highlights the importance of sales promotion, price sensitivity, USPs, benefit statements and differentiation.

As he starts to evaluate each of the products on his list, he finds that one of the products has a built-in firewall.

Sean now has an additional criterion to add to the list, and therefore loops back from the “Evaluation” phase to the “Information Search” phase.

["Information Search" phase]

Sean adds “Built-in Firewall” to his checklist.

["Evaluation" phase]

Sean re-checks his product shortlist to ensure all products still match the updated checklist, and removes any that now fail to meet all the criteria, including the new “firewall” criterion.

He whittles his shortlist down to a list of suitable products, including the original Linksys Wireless-N Gigabit router, and the equivalent Netgear product.

Sean uses search engines to find ecommerce stores offering best prices for each product.

As he checks each retailer, Sean notices that some of the retailers offer USPs such as free delivery.

With another criterion to add to his checklist, Sean loops back from the “Evaluation” phase to the “Information Search” phase

["Information Search" phase]

Sean adds the “Free Delivery” USP to the checklist.

["Evaluation" phase]

Sean re-evaluates his product list to ensure all products still match the updated checklist, and removes any retailers not offering free delivery.

Sean’s list now comprises of the original Linksys router and the equivalent Netgear product, and the ecommerce stores that offer free shipping for these products.

Sean decides he trusts Linksys more, and he identifies the Linksys as his final choice of product - even though it is marginally more expensive.

This is an irrational decision on Sean’s behalf, as it is based on “gut feel” rather than scientific evaluation. Humans make irrational decisions regularly, and advertising can help build affinity with a brand to help capitalise on this behavioural impulse.

Sean starts researching the retailers on his list for the best price, identifying a number of potential candidates. The cheapest price is for the product only, whereas the 2nd cheapest is only marginally more expensive, but has a free wireless-N-compatible wireless card.

["Purchase Decision" phase]

Sean identifies the 2nd cheapest option as the one offering the best value – but is aware that he is not a computer hardware expert, and is aware that he may encounter issues when setting it up.

Realising he needs a way of returning the item if there turns out to be a problem - Sean loops back from the “Purchase Decision” phase to the “Problem Recognition” phase.

["Problem Recognition" phase]

Sean realises that if he needs to ensure he can return the item if there is a problem, he needs to verify that the ecommerce store he buys from has a favourable returns policy.

["Information Search" phase]

He adds “Returns Policy” and “Wireless-N-compatible Wireless Card” to his checklist.

["Evaluation" phase]

Sean re-checks his retailer list and removes cheapest option – as it doesn’t come with a wireless card.

After more searching Sean finds a third retailer who offers the same ticket price, but with no free wireless card. This retailer does, however, offer a free customer support line.

Again, Seans research behaviour highlights the importance of data structuring to enable USPs to be easily identified.

Sean finds the returns policy, and satifies himself that he can return the item if there is a problem.

Having verified the returns policy, Sean has more “trust” in this retailer. The trust factor is one of the most important element of successful ecommerce, so it is vital to ensure that any issues which impact on your website’s trust factor are resolved.

He considers the higher price tag (once the wireless card is factored-in) is still reasonable, as it provides him with access to the customer support line – a service he previously did not have.

["Purchase Decision" phase]

So, confident that this ecommerce shop offers value for money and a trustworthy service, Sean tries to purchase the router - however, he finds he cannot, as the payment gateway does not accept his Diners Card.

The issue that Sean runs into while using the payment gateway illustrates the importance of improving the factors relating to user experience, in order to remove the barriers to the purchase decision - a process known as Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO).

Unable to purchase the router from the retailer offering the free customer service, Sean re-evaluates the original cheapest option – even though does not have support or a wireless card.

His initial choice of retailer denied him, Sean has looped back into the “Evaluation” phase in order to assess the next best option…

["Evaluation" phase]

He considers that the initial cost saving will offset the cost of wireless card, and support if needed.

Sean moves back into the “Purchase Decision” phase.

Sean feels the website has high trust factor, as it is a retailer he has heard of before, includes a clear returns policy, and uses a secure payment gateway.

He decides to purchase - this payment gateway accepts his Diners Card and he successfully completes the transaction, filling in his contact details and purchasing the product.

This again demonstrates the importance of Conversion Rate Optimisation in the “Purchase Decision” phase, removing any possible barriers to purchasing to provide the best possible user experience.

["Post Purchase Evaluation" phase]

After 3 weeks of happily using his new router, the online shop he bought it from sends a follow-up email, requesting he fill in a questionnaire. The email reads:

“Thank you for joining thousands of satisfied customers in purchasing the Linksys Wireless-N Gigabit router from us - voted the most popular router on the market by PC Flannel magazine in 2010. We would appreciate it if you could spend a couple of minutes filling in this questionnaire to help us choose future products”.

Sean reads the email, and sees the sentence “voted the most popular router on the market by PC Flannel magazine in 2010″.

He immediately feels validated in his purchase, knowing this was a award-winning product.

Sean’s “Post Sales Evaluation” phase of his user journey shows the importance of Customer Relations Management and using personalised email marketing to increase repeat purchase.

Sometimes customers will feel unsure about their purchase after buying it - the mental discomfort felt when two conflicting ideas are held simultaneously is known as “cognitive dissonance”.

In this case Sean needed the router, but has not necessarily bought it in the most cost-effective manner, as he has to buy a wireless card seperately.

However, when he finds out about the most-popular-router accolade, Sean feels vindicated and happier about his purchase - so by revealing this information, the retailer has removed any cognitive dissonance Sean may have felt about not purchasing the router/wireless-card bundle which would have worked out cheaper for him.

By resolving Seans cognitive dissonance, and because Sean has had a good purchasing experience with this retailer - even though it turned out more expensive in the long run - he is more likely to repeat-purchase from them because the purchasing experience itself was good.

Sean is now more likely to buy from this retailer again next time…

Summary

As can be seen from the imaginary scenario detailed above, even relatively simple-seeming tasks involve more complex user journeys than you might first imagine.

Highlighting the different phases of the purchase decision cycle model serves to emphasise the “looping” process that the user will inevitably cycle through; looping through individual phases many times over until all the barriers to purchase are removed, or the journey cannot progress any further.

By understanding more about the user’s intentions at that point in the user journey, we can assess the most appropriate method of interacting with that visitor and maximise our chances of a successful conclusion - an online purchase!