Knowing you’re a Once or Twice business matters
Once or Twice businesses are special. It requires a very specific business and marketing strategy to ensure success in winning a customer when you have just one chance. Understanding the defining traits and nature of a Once or Twice business is essential to building a strategy that works.
There are certain events or stages in our lives that most people will likely experience just Once or Twice – going to university, getting married, having a baby, retiring, arranging a funeral – and each one of these life events has some very specific purchases associated with it. Finding the best place to study your degree, buying that perfect wedding dress, choosing the all-in-one baby pushchair or picking the right funeral director. These are all Once or Twice purchase decisions – when the need to buy something happens very infrequently.
It’s not just big life events where you can find Once or Twice purchase decisions though, there are in fact hundreds of different products and services where the customer is only likely to make a purchase just Once or Twice in their lifetime. Some other examples might include laser-eye surgery, the need for pest control, calling out a locksmith, employing an architect, having a brand-new fitted kitchen, and the list can go on. In fact, we have identified 4 categories of Once or Twice purchases.
Big One-Off Purchases
Big
One-Off Purchases
These are significant purchases, which in most situations will receive a high level of research and consideration from the customer before they commit to an actual purchase decision. A lot of these big one-off purchases may have a long-lasting utility to the customer – spanning decades, but typically the relationship between customer and supplier will finish once the product is delivered (or the warranty expires). In some cases, the product is not just a one-time purchase, but it must be right first time as there are no second chances – think funerals, wedding photography, or surgery.
- funerals
- engagement rings
- weddings (bridal shops, venues, photographers, honeymoon)
- big baby items (pushchair, nursery furniture, car seat)
- conservatories
- building extensions
- double glazing
- roof windows
- new homes
- fitted kitchens
- fitted bedrooms
- fitted bathrooms
- boiler breakdown
- landscaping
- garden offices
- lawyer/solicitor
- private investigator
- architects
- builders
- thatched roofs
- bespoke furniture
- security systems
- laser eye surgery
- elective surgery
- dental braces
- fertility clinics
- luxury watches
- swimming pools
- air conditioning
- solar panels
- stairlifts
Commitment Purchases
These are also significant purchases, but rather than being a one-off delivery, they will involve a long-term commitment to a provider and an ongoing relationship that could last for many years. Whilst customers could switch providers if something goes wrong, once the purchase decision has been made, they are generally committed for the long haul. This is an important consideration for suppliers as although they could theoretically persuade switching – the necessity to win the customer when they are making that first purchase decision is essential.
- childrens nurseries
- care homes
- private schools
- universities
- financial advisors
- life insurance
- funeral plans
- Retirement homes
- annuity providers
- hearing aids
- opticians
- B2B enterprise software
- B2B business premises
Small One-Off Purchases
Small
One-Off Purchases
Specialised purchases that normally address a specific need at a specific point in time. These are defined as small because they will be lower cost and won’t necessarily need such high levels of consideration. For some of these purchases there will be specialist retailers that curate and sell a number of these types of products in one place – think DIY Stores or bookshops. Some products also lend themselves to being hired rather than purchased – for example rarely needed tools, such as a floor sander.
- pest control
- locksmiths
- plumbers
- certain DIY items
- set of ladders
- alarms
- doorbells
- conveyencing services
- safes
- landscaping
- DNA ancestry reports
- 3D baby scans
- books
- musical instruments
- removal firms
- cement mixers
- floor sander
Transitory Purchases
These may not be products that are only purchased Once or Twice in a lifetime, but in this situation the customer will only be in a specific location for a limited time and looking to buy locally whilst there. For businesses whose primary audience is tourists and travellers, they still face the challenge of winning customers when they have just one chance to do so.
- tourist attractions
- restaurants in tourist areas
- boutique hotels
- car rentals
- souvenir shops
- local guided tours and excursions
Across these 4 categories we have identified a large amount of example products and services that would be defined as a Once or Twice purchase for the customer, and there will be thousands of companies that exist to provide these products and services. Each one of these companies needs to recognise the unique and special market in which they exist, and understand the specific customer journeys and buyer behaviours that will help them create successful marketing strategies.
Learn more about Once or Twice
Understanding Once or Twice buyer behaviour
Key behaviours to be aware of for Once or Twice businesses
Once or Twice marketing
Key marketing principles for Once or Twice businesses
Understanding Once or Twice buyer behaviour
Key behaviours to be aware of for Once or Twice businesses
Once or Twice marketing
Key marketing principles for Once or Twice businesses
Understanding Once or Twice buyer behaviour
Key behaviours to be aware of for Once or Twice businesses
Once or Twice Marketing
Key marketing principles for Once or Twice businesses