During this stage, customers are gathering information about different products and services that meet their needs. They have not committed to a particular product; they are also not focused on specific solutions or product specifications. At the same time, these customers might have preconceived notions about particular brands that can influence their final buying decision later on.

Visitors in the information search stage use general terms to express their needs when using search engines. Their searches do not use specific branded terms. Can you decipher a visitor’s intent if he searches for the term “laptop”? The search term that visitors use during this stage of the buying funnel might not clearly indicate what they are looking for. As we noted earlier, a visitor might be considering buying a laptop and wants to see his options. He might also be interested in learning about the latest in laptop technology or learning when the first laptop was sold. This demonstrates the complexity of deciphering a visitor’s buying stage when he lands on your website.

In traditional marketing, manufacturers focused on capturing visitors’ interest during the information gathering stage. Since customers have not committed to a particular solution, getting your brand into the realm of consideration is a good first step toward convincing potential buyers to consider you. Since the information search stage is still early in the buying process, many online retailers do not focus on it. Conversion rates for visitors in the information search stage are typically lower. For that reason, most retailers design their websites to capture visitors who are done with the information search stage and are at a later stage in the buying process. Satisfying customers during the information search stage requires an investment, and some of these customers might not be ready to make a final decision for months. Even worse, some of these customers might convert on a competing website, which means you contributed to a competitor’s sales cycle. Although we understand these concerns, allowing your competitors to dominate this stage can be an expensive mistake. Your goal during the information search stage is to do the following:

If you provide consumers with information that helps them make a decision, there is a good chance you can capture them as customers when they are ready to convert.