Habitual Buying BehaviorHabitual bu

Habitual Buying Behavior

Habitual buyers are buyers who simply purchase out of habit. Habitual buyers are those who neither spend time researching nor see any difference between products or services. Grocery purchases and daily visits to a certain website (a form of a purchase) constitute these types of decisions. Ultimately, it takes a great deal of effort to move consumers into this category and an even greater effort to make them switch.


Content strategies for habitual buyers require a keen understanding of the consumer. Using the example of a daily website visit as a “purchase,” be acutely aware of what content types have high user-engagement metrics and how these differ by location. Content can then be tailored to regional interests. Further, memberships, opt-ins, and tools to personalize the experience can ensure the visitor regularly “purchases” from the same website by visiting frequently. These “purchases” increase brand advocates and have a direct impact on profitability for websites that have an ad revenue economic model. ESPN.com does a great job of this by offering the ability to personalize the experience with favorite teams and building out content around regional hubs with similar interests and behaviors.


With content, it is imperative to understand what type of purchase your product or service entails for consumers. Doing so will allow you to not only acquire new customers at a lower cost, but retain them for a longer period, increasing their lifetime value. Then, and only then, will your content be king.