When Blogs Can Influence Purchase Behavior

In yesterdays post Blogs Influence Purchase Behavior? I mentioned that I knew a small business owner that does not even want to have a website, let alone do anything as weird as a blog or other ‘Social Media’.

I also mentioned that in his case, I believe that he definitely should have a great web site, and could benefit from a social media option such as blogging.

The Background

This gentleman distributes a reasonably high end discretionary item to small independent retail organizations that actually sell and install the product.

Like many independently owned SMB’s, these retail organizations have their own views of web technology. Their views go from no web site at all, through a glorified yellow pages type web site, to some that have good web sites.

In that first post I also argued that in a B2B organization, if your true customers are not Internet Users blogs won’t help you.

And sure enough in this case, his customers are (for the most part) not Internet users. So I guess my distributor friend reasonably believes that since his customers (the independent retailers) don’t give a rats @ss about anything ‘webby’, he does not need to either.

The Difference

Now re-read the above!

“…A reasonably high end discretionary product.”

Bingo!

Consumers that can afford a reasonably high end discretionary purchase product will have a higher percentage of “Internet Users”.

So in his case, he could use a component marketing strategy with a strong web presence that drives awareness of the product and brand, getting the actual consumer to look for his product at their local retailer.

In this case by focusing on his customers actual customer.

Who is YOUR customer?

Photo Credit

Blogs Influence Purchase Behavior?

As a B2B SME business technology manager, I admit that when it comes to both spending money, and jumping at the ‘next big thing’, well, I don’t. I wait for the bleeding edge to fade and definite economies and benefits become apparent.

BtoBOnline has a note titled; BuzzLogic/JupiterResearch study finds blogs influence purchase behavior

:…More than half of blog readers said they find them useful for purchase information

However before we drool over that statistic, next quote; (emphasis is mine)

….survey of more than 2,200 Internet users

Yup – Internet Users

Lets go back to business plan 101.

Who is your customer? – and tell me where does he or she hang out?

I don’t mean the business that you sell to – but who makes the purchasing decisions?

Is it the Purchasing Manager with advice from a particular line exec?

Is the the head of Sales? Warehousing? Service?

There is likely to be many inputs and stakeholders that have their two cents into the decision to purchase your product or service.

Are those stakeholders ‘Internet Users’?

You have to know.

I personally know one large organization where the decision makers use of the Internet is limited to one or two icons that their IT Staff have placed on their desktops. (You know, the ones who ask tech support how to turn ‘On’ the Internet.)

I also know the president of a good sized SME that can’t even be bothered to put up a web site (I think he should, In fact his organization is one that I personally think could benefit from a blog too – maybe I will follow this line of thought with another post) The point is, if he is your customer, a blog (or any ’social media’ effort) is a waste of time.

As a Business Manager or owner in the SME space, if consultants or IT staff tell you to get with the social media program, ensure you have these answers!

Have you identified the true stakeholders in that purchasing decision, and are these stakeholders really internet users?

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Blog as Website Revisited

Hoo boy!

Thanks to Julien’s comments on the first post of using blogging software as a web site, And e-mail from HB

Check out these website generated by blogging software;

I Can Localize Translation Services

And All Things Digital

Both are quite intricate web sites, and both on blogging software

My last feeble comment;

It can’t be that easy to do (can it?)

Blog as Website

I have seen one or two small business web sites that were actually blogs.

I was not overly impressed because, Well, they looked, kinda blog-ish

Courtesy of Havi Brooks,  I was pointed to  this (micro) SMB web site that is actually doing a pretty good job of utilizing blogging software for their web site.

For a smaller organization, blog software could be pretty effective;

• If you ensure that you update it regularly, search engine rankings will help generate traffic. Which can help generate sales.

• Easy to operate

• Easy to update

• Easy to add pages and links

For All SMB’s?

I don’t see blogging software as much use in the general SMB /SME space as there are negatives. These include:

• a very flat structure

• lack of scalability into e-Commerce or CRM applications

That being said, for what I would call cottage industry businesses, it would be an excellent choice.

Also, local non-profits, or local chapters of non-profit organizations could use them quite effectively.

If you are a small business using blogging software, please point me to it!

UPDATE: After getting proven wrong, the Blog As WQebsite Revisited Post is now available !

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