Consumer behavior and your description of functionality,

features, and benefits

The idea of consumer behavior is that you can take the knowledge of why

your consumers behave the way they do and use that information to increase

the chances of them purchasing from you. In order to do this, you must

define the target market that you’re aiming toward and single out the benefits

and features that matter to that specific target market.

The following steps help you identify functionality, features, and benefits of

your product:

 1. Evaluate each feature, benefit, and function to determine how your

consumer will see that the product has value.

 List each one by one on a piece of paper. Doing so will help you recog-

nize the consumer’s need or want that you’re satisfying. And remember

that purchases are made based on a need or want that a consumer feels.

2. Investigate the product by asking current customers how they use it

and what they like about it.

 This investigation can help you identify whether you need to make any

product changes to enhance the experience your consumer is having

with your product. Seeing how consumers are using your product can

make you aware of any unusual usages, thereby inspiring you with new

product ideas.

 3. Evaluate whether your product delivers true benefits, features, and

functionality.

 The more a product brings to the table, the more the importance of

price diminishes. Consumers don’t purchase based on price; they pur-

chase based on benefits. So by evaluating the benefits, you can analyze

whether your product is delivering in the way that you intended it to. It

also allows you to see changes or enhancements that you need to make

in order to create customer loyalty.Consumer behavior and your product’s adaptability

When evaluating product adaptability, you’re assessing the flexibility that

your product has to adjust to market demands and changes. When consum-

ers purchase a product, they often evaluate the value of that product and

whether it’s adaptable to their lifestyle. Lack of adaptability can detour a con-

sumer from the purchase.

For example, consider the VCR. This dinosaur of the electronic world is an

item that few consumers purchase. That’s because they can now purchase a

DVD player, which provides a much better picture. Companies that manufac-

tured VCRs began to evaluate the adaptability and realized that soon there

wouldn’t be a market for these electronics. Many of them moved right into

manufacturing DVD players so they wouldn’t lose the market share they had

gained with the VCRs.

The following five factors help you measure the adaptability of your product:

 ✓ Attractiveness: It’s important that you can entice consumers to try your

product and allow them to experience it before purchasing. Samples

and trials are great for this, because they allow consumers to begin the

adaptation process of changing products without financial risk. It also

shows that you believe so much in your product that you’re willing to let

consumers “try before they buy.”

 ✓ Compatibility: You want your product to fit the usage of consumers

today. If it doesn’t, consumers simply won’t purchase from you.

 ✓ Complexity: You must offer a product that consumers understand. Even

though you may feel that your product is innovative and presents a

new way of doing things, your consumers may not necessarily see it the

same way. And then they won’t make the purchase. It’s vital that con-

sumers understand not only the benefits, but the purpose behind your

product.

 ✓ Product advantage: You want to be able to stand against your competi-

tors and be the product that consumers choose. If you can’t identify an

advantage, consumers won’t be able to either.

 ✓ Visibility: It’s easier for consumers to adapt to a new product when they

see others using the product successfully. You want your product to be

visible to consumers, because the visibility diminishes the fear of the

unknown