David Armano on three types of participants and the missing fourth…

Quick overview from David Armano about the different types of behaviors consumers exhibit online. Well worth the read. The one point I would add is that David’s missing the “search party” variant to his “explorers.” Those are folks who:

1. Not sure what they want, use search engine as a starting point.
2. Click through to some landing pages, still don’t find the right information.
3. Start asking friends, their local retailers, anyone who can’t point them in the right direction.
4. Read some magazine or newspaper articles, spot an advertisement, check out the website again.
5. Armed with some degree of information, eventually migrates into one of David’s funnels

The key distinction is whether the consumers – as David suggests – enjoys their journey. If this party has to hack through undergrowth, brave fire swamps and rodents of unusual size, they’re more likely to give up and use the channels they’re most familiar with – or no channel at all.

What steps are you taking to provide signposts and maps for these folks to find their way? Let me know in the comments.