Combining attitudinal and behavioral data improves your knowledge and perspective of customers
When it comes to capturing consumer insights, most market researchers immediately think of surveys – and for good reason. Surveys are the go-to method for capturing and analyzing data about attitudes and opinions. Surveys are effective and efficient tools to capture input from an audience, especially a large audience.
But surveys aren’t the only way to gain insights into consumers. In today’s constantly evolving environment, it’s also valuable to go beyond survey data that captures attitudinal data – particularly from your customer base. Combining what you know about your customers’ sentiments with their online behavior can be a game changer. With many consumers spending more time online, digital behavioral data can really round out your understanding of consumers and help you better define how they interact with your brand and understand how and why they purchase products.
In the context of market research, behavioral data is important because it provides:
- An honest understanding of the consumer’s life. While survey data provides important insight into someone’s attitudes and beliefs, behavioral data accurately reflects how they act
- Insight into the human decision process. While many marketing campaigns are designed to change attitudes, the actual goal is to influence behaviors. For example, if your marketing campaign makes a difference in consumer attitudes about your brand but doesn’t influence them to purchase, would you consider your campaign a success? Does your campaign result in less comparative shopping? Capturing consumer behavior can be a more meaningful measuring stick for your marketing programs
By focusing beyond traditional survey-based metrics such as brand awareness and perceptions, you may identify some important insights into your customers’ experience with your brands, which you’ll discover in their behaviors and interactions with your brand. These discoveries will also add to the depth of understanding of customers. This depth can be critical in accurately analyzing the impact of your marketing campaigns, as well as validate your survey data.
Companies that have incorporated digital data tracking have reported significant benefits from the additional insights. (Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140502105616-8781298-25-insightful-and-thought-provoking-quotes-about-big-data/ )
- 51% note gaining a competitive advantage
- 51% acknowledge better communication and data sharing
- 49% note improved efficiency in their business practices
- 46% discovered improved customer experience and satisfaction
We know that a truly effective marketing campaign gets the right message to the right person at the right time and, increasingly, on the right device. When you get that right, you’re able to maximize your return (usually sales) and improve how customers experience your brand. If you know when consumers are using which devices at specific times for specific purposes, you can tailor messages to enhance their experience at that moment – and influence their decisions.
So, How Do I Capture this Data?
In this new age of digital privacy, in which consumers have become more skeptical of how their data is used and how companies capture and manipulate their private browsing activity, several large companies like Google and Apple have announced that they will stop selling ads based on online consumer behaviors. The Data Dividend Project, founded by former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, is working to allow consumers to opt out of uncompensated data sharing.
Where’s that leave us in gaining access to this kind of data? Actually, in a very good place. Taking the “data steal” away gives consumers greater confidence to opt-in to alternatives that are transparent and compensate them for participation. Those that opt-in may also be more engaged in providing data as they realize it can improve their online experience with the brands they consume.
There are several panels that offer consumers incentives to complete surveys and to provide digital data. This data is even more valuable as the attitudinal data collected from panelists can be paired with their behavioral data. That means greater correlation and accuracy in assessing this data as it comes from the same sources.
As the sophistication of online shoppers increases, it’s even more critical to understand the consumer’s path to purchase and to improve or customize that experience. There are also many new online shoppers joining the fray. The only way to understand the dominant paths and identify the key touchpoints that drive conversions is to have this greater understanding of the customer experience.
Putting it all Together
Surveys are still the foundation for capturing feedback from your customers and consumers. There are several other ways to capture and incorporate digital data based on customers’ behaviors to get a clear picture of how they both perceive and interact with your brand. The clarity it provides let’s you develop marketing programs with confidence.
