purchase process diagram_vail

Buyer Action

Need Recognition

Research

Evaluation

Purchase

Review#2

2. Research 5. Review3. Evaluation 4. PurchaseDescription of Activity:

• Research:o Search for

solutions to problems and/or opportunities

Description of Activity:

• Need Recognition:o Identification of

Problem or opportunity

1. Need

Description:

• Buyer becomes aware of a problem or opportunity

• Buyer agrees they have the same problem

Influencers: Thought leaders, peers


• Purchase:o Purchase of the

service that satisfies the need


• Evaluation:o Assessment of

alternativeso Gather detailed

information about solutions


• Review:o Did the purchase

accomplish its objective?

o Were any risks realized?

#1 #3 #4

Description:

• Buyer finds our solution• Buyer finds competitive

solutions

Influencers: Thought leaders, review sites, customers, blog, real experiences

Description:

• Buyer evaluates our solution vs. competitive solutions

• Buyer enters “trial”

Influencers: Deals, coupons, special events, discount packages

Description:

• Buyer makes decision to purchase

Influencers: Ease of site experience for comparison, research transactions occur on mobile devices, app

Description:

• Buyer reviews the service

• Buyer becomes a product/service enthusiast or critic

Influencers: Customers – kids, too, photo journals, online scrapbooking with soundtrack – memory souvenirs

Buyer Action Buyer Action Buyer Action Buyer Action

Seller ActionDescription:

• Secure checkout• Provide a safe

purchase environment – mobile and app

Description:

• Satisfaction survey• Merchandising• Spring Back to Vail

countdown

Seller ActionSeller ActionDescription:

• Online “Free” Trial• Social concierge who

interacts with buyer through personalization


• Optimized website• Lead form• Coupons at restaurants,

kids eat free


• Build “need” into key messaging – Take Vail Home with You

• Offer incentives for year-round

Purchase Cycle

Vail’s Personas + GoalsAim Community Persona Locations Social Style

Best experience at best cost

Coupon sites, Amazon, LifeBooker, Peapod, Grubhub

Female, college educated, browsing from work, married with kids

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Yelp, Google+

Strong opinions, limited time, bargain shoppers

Aim Community Persona Locations Social Style

Best experience at best cost; bragging rights

Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Yahoo Sports, Ski Magazine, Forums

Male, some college, not college educated, browsing from home

Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, YouTube, Tumblr

Extreme sports, active, young, adventurous, thrill-seeking

Customer Journey Touchpoints

Nancy’s decision making process

Need: Nancy wants to plan a trip for her family while at work. She’s interested in price, activities, deals and easy one-shop-stop booking.

Research: She’s now aware of potential destinations and considering a select few cities, especially kid-friendly.

Evaluation: She sees a cool Facebook promo for Vail resorts: “Kids Eat Free” and an upcoming event featuring a countdown for “Spring Back to Vail” which features a cool yoga retreat program at the resort during on-and-off season.

Now she’s in comparison mode, looking for people + peers who booked family skiing vacations. On YouTube, there’s an attractive online video + photo scrapbook, “Take Vail Home With You.” She finds a special offer for 15% off for pampering at a local spa if she subscribes to Vail’s blog.

Purchase: Here’s Nancy’s last step. Either she’ll purchase through the site, via a third party or on her mobile device on her way home. Most final transactions occur on a mobile device.

Current Purchase Path

77% of U.S. travel purchases take place in one step only, leaving only 25% of total revenues coming from purchases made in more than one step.

Source: Google Analytics, Q4 2012

Suggested Purchase Path

Embed onto main homepage as lead gen form, not a widget

What We Know: Traffic

What We Know: Visitors

What We Know: Mobile Experience is responsive

Weather and conditions are included

Loading time is quick despite hero image carousel

Activities, trails, lodgings are clearly displayed

• Difficult to book on the fly; coupons, deals, promos and news aren’t prominently featured

• Content hierarchy & hero could be optimized for smooth browsing and transactions

• Branded app integration – a mobile concierge which recalls your preferences and serves up additional features / activities for use year-round; tie-in Spring Back to Vail, (yoga retreats, off-season discounts, countdowns to #winteriscoming, Take Vail Home With You photo & video scrapbooking)

• Other features:• Trails, maps, 360 tours, peer reviews, ratings, news,

social feeds, leaderboards for kids, restaurant tips, deals, kid-themed parties, giving back campaigns, skiing stats, scrapbooking, scavenger hunts, Flashback Friday themed parties for families or speed dating for singles; a resort pet with his/her own social following.

RecommendationsCreate a Digital Strategy•Align strategies with objectives •Create an integrated experience with social, mobile, paid, earned and shared media.

Customer Loyalty plan•Review loyalty, satisfaction and create a new concierge program via mobile app •Social media strategy

Social Media Plan•Review social media engagement•Manage social media engagement•Social media governance policy•Customer email contact strategy•Review email engagement•Implement customer contact strategy

Output(s)•A full digital marketing capabilities audit. •Review all content, UX, traffic sources and create competitive audits and a gap analysis.•Review how your customers use digital channels integrated with traditional channels.•Identify and create a channel strategy for customers by key influencer types and intermediaries•Set up Google Analytics tracking to determine all attributions and touchpoints in the customer journey.

What We Know: Blog + Social

purchase process diagram_vail

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