More threads by Linda Buquet

Linda Buquet

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Would you like to look into the minds of consumers as they shop for local services?
Sure you would!

How cool would it be to know BY INDUSTRY SEGMENT: How far they would drive? If they search from work or home? Which offline and online services to they use to research local businesses? What devices do they use? What type of information are they looking for? What are the deciding factors that make them select one business over another?

Well now you can!

Google recently updated their <a href="https://www.consumerbarometer.com/en/">Consumer Barometer</a>. It's a very interactive graph builder that lets you view important consumer search information and drill down by industry to narrow it down to the general industry you want to research.

Below I did a comparison of 2 industries: CONTRACTORS vs HEALTH. Knowing that those are 2 popular markets many of you work with. The results surprised me a few times.


PROXIMITY - HOW FAR WILL THEY GO?
<a href="http://marketing-blog.catalystemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ConsumerProximity.png"><img src="http://marketing-blog.catalystemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ConsumerProximity.png" alt="ConsumerProximity" width="642" height="915" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9424" /></a>



INFORMATION - WHAT INFO DO THEY SEEK?

<a href="http://marketing-blog.catalystemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/consumerinfo.png"><img src="http://marketing-blog.catalystemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/consumerinfo.png" alt="consumerinfo" width="695" height="2284" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9422" /></a>



DECIDING FACTOR

<a href="http://marketing-blog.catalystemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ConsumerDecidingFactors.png"><img src="http://marketing-blog.catalystemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ConsumerDecidingFactors.png" alt="ConsumerDecidingFactors" width="619" height="2399" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9423" /></a>


SOME SURPRISES: It surprised me that consumers are more concerned with proximity for a contractor than a health care provider (in some of the questions). And that reviews were more important for contractors than health. And that more were concerned about finding contact info for contractors than health.

It looks like it was a fairly small sample size. 157 or so people in most surveys.
But as the title suggests, I think it gives us just a peek at how searchers make decisions.

As I said, you can drill down a wide variety of ways. As usual the Google UI is pretty subtle, but head over, dig around and see what you can find out.

<a href="https://www.consumerbarometer.com/en/">Consumer Barometer with Google</a>

h/t Steven Mott with Go Local Interactive. His post turned me onto the Barometer.
He analyzes some different factors than I did, so take a look at his post as well.

What do you think? Did you find any surprises?
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