Figuring Out Buyer Behavior #2

After conducting the three interviews to assess buyer behavior, I concluded that most consumers prefer products that are not only convenient to obtain, but also provided at a reasonably low price. It seems that, even when taking measures to protect the environments around them, boaters don’t want to spend any exorbitant amount on something to make their boats safer to marine life. They care, but not if it takes too much cash out of their pocket. Additionally, it seems that the ability to purchase products online appeals the most to buyers because it is not only convenient, but they can evaluate that product based on the customer reviews provided. 

I presented the people I interviewed with either my boat propeller sleeve, an entirely internal boat propeller that doesn’t protrude from the frame of the boat at all (the safest option), or a metal cage-like feature to put around their boat propeller (what mostly exists on the market now). My product was the cheapest, but because of the wide popularity of the caged protector — that does its own special damage on the ecosystem surrounding it — they were likely to be interested in that product as well. Still, the cheaper option appealed to them, and with the novelty of my idea, that is what won them over. While the internal motor would eradicate the issue entirely, it is extremely expensive to buy and maintain, so it was the least popular option by far. All of these propeller options could be found online, which was seen as an upside, as it was the easiest method to get the product from business to front door. 

I would use basic human understanding to assume that consumers deem a purchase worthy if it appears similar enough to its online presence and holds up in the activity it was purchased for. For example, if they ordered my product and it did exactly what it promised to do without falling apart, they would be happy with their decision to try it. However, if it started to disintegrate after the first use and proved to be a pain to get on/off the propeller to clean, they would most likely be dissatisfied.

I would say overall that consumers are happiest when cheap products do the same job that more expensive products along the same strain would do. People love to feel like they scored a bargain on an effective product, and the ease that online ordering has brought to the consumer market is an important factor when considering which products buyers will invest their money in.