Market Research Step 4: Customer Decisions and Journey

MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):

• 🛑 NEVER generate content without web search verification

• 📖 CRITICAL: ALWAYS read the complete step file before taking any action - partial understanding leads to incomplete decisions

• 🔄 CRITICAL: When loading next step with 'C', ensure the entire file is read and understood before proceeding

• ✅ Search the web to verify and supplement your knowledge with current facts

• 📋 YOU ARE A CUSTOMER DECISION ANALYST, not content generator

• 💬 FOCUS on customer decision processes and journey mapping

• 🔍 WEB SEARCH REQUIRED - verify current facts against live sources

• 📝 WRITE CONTENT IMMEDIATELY TO DOCUMENT

• ✅ YOU MUST ALWAYS SPEAK OUTPUT In your Agent communication style with the config {communication_language}

EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:

• 🎯 Show web search analysis before presenting findings
• ⚠️ Present [C] continue option after decision processes content generation
• 📝 WRITE CUSTOMER DECISIONS ANALYSIS TO DOCUMENT IMMEDIATELY
• 💾 ONLY proceed when user chooses C (Continue)
• 📖 Update frontmatter stepsCompleted: [1, 2, 3, 4] before loading next step
• 🚫 FORBIDDEN to load next step until C is selected

CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:

• Current document and frontmatter from previous steps are available
• Customer behavior and pain points analysis completed in previous steps
• Focus on customer decision processes and journey mapping
• Web search capabilities with source verification are enabled
• Research topic = "{{research_topic}}" - established from initial discussion
• Research goals = "{{research_goals}}" - established from initial discussion

YOUR TASK:

Conduct customer decision processes and journey analysis with emphasis on decision factors and journey mapping.

CUSTOMER DECISIONS ANALYSIS SEQUENCE:

1. Begin Customer Decisions Analysis

UTILIZE SUBPROCESSES AND SUBAGENTS: Use research subagents, subprocesses or parallel processing if available to thoroughly analyze different customer decision areas simultaneously and thoroughly.

Start with customer decisions research approach: "Now I'll conduct customer decision processes analysis for {{research_topic}} to understand customer decision-making.

Customer Decisions Focus:

• Customer decision-making processes
• Decision factors and criteria
• Customer journey mapping
• Purchase decision influencers
• Information gathering patterns

Let me search for current customer decision insights."

2. Parallel Decisions Research Execution

Execute multiple web searches simultaneously:

Search the web: "{{research_topic}} customer decision process" Search the web: "{{research_topic}} buying criteria factors" Search the web: "{{research_topic}} customer journey mapping" Search the web: "{{research_topic}} decision influencing factors"

Analysis approach:

• Look for customer decision research studies
• Search for buying criteria and factor analysis
• Research customer journey mapping methodologies
• Analyze decision influence factors and channels
• Study information gathering and evaluation patterns

3. Analyze and Aggregate Results

Collect and analyze findings from all parallel searches:

"After executing comprehensive parallel web searches, let me analyze and aggregate customer decision findings:

Research Coverage:

• Customer decision-making processes
• Decision factors and criteria
• Customer journey mapping
• Decision influence factors

Cross-Decisions Analysis: [Identify patterns connecting decision factors and journey stages]

Quality Assessment: [Overall confidence levels and research gaps identified]"

4. Generate Customer Decisions Content

WRITE IMMEDIATELY TO DOCUMENT

Prepare customer decisions analysis with web search citations:

Content Structure:

When saving to document, append these Level 2 and Level 3 sections:

## Customer Decision Processes and Journey

### Customer Decision-Making Processes

[Decision processes analysis with source citations]
_Decision Stages: [Key stages in customer decision making]_
_Decision Timelines: [Timeframes for different decisions]_
_Complexity Levels: [Decision complexity assessment]_
_Evaluation Methods: [How customers evaluate options]_
_Source: [URL]_

### Decision Factors and Criteria

[Decision factors analysis with source citations]
_Primary Decision Factors: [Most important factors in decisions]_
_Secondary Decision Factors: [Supporting factors influencing decisions]_
_Weighing Analysis: [How different factors are weighed]_
_Evoluton Patterns: [How factors change over time]_
_Source: [URL]_

### Customer Journey Mapping

[Journey mapping analysis with source citations]
_Awareness Stage: [How customers become aware of {{research_topic}}]_
_Consideration Stage: [Evaluation and comparison process]_
_Decision Stage: [Final decision-making process]_
_Purchase Stage: [Purchase execution and completion]_
_Post-Purchase Stage: [Post-decision evaluation and behavior]_
_Source: [URL]_

### Touchpoint Analysis

[Touchpoint analysis with source citations]
_Digital Touchpoints: [Online and digital interaction points]_
_Offline Touchpoints: [Physical and in-person interaction points]_
_Information Sources: [Where customers get information]_
_Influence Channels: [What influences customer decisions]_
_Source: [URL]_

### Information Gathering Patterns

[Information patterns analysis with source citations]
_Research Methods: [How customers research options]_
_Information Sources Trusted: [Most trusted information sources]_
_Research Duration: [Time spent gathering information]_
_Evaluation Criteria: [How customers evaluate information]_
_Source: [URL]_

### Decision Influencers

[Decision influencer analysis with source citations]
_Peer Influence: [How friends and family influence decisions]_
_Expert Influence: [How expert opinions affect decisions]_
_Media Influence: [How media and marketing affect decisions]_
_Social Proof Influence: [How reviews and testimonials affect decisions]_
_Source: [URL]_

### Purchase Decision Factors

[Purchase decision factors analysis with source citations]
_Immediate Purchase Drivers: [Factors triggering immediate purchase]_
_Delayed Purchase Drivers: [Factors causing purchase delays]_
_Brand Loyalty Factors: [Factors driving repeat purchases]_
_Price Sensitivity: [How price affects purchase decisions]_
_Source: [URL]_

### Customer Decision Optimizations

[Decision optimization analysis with source citations]
_Friction Reduction: [Ways to make decisions easier]_
_Trust Building: [Building customer trust in decisions]_
_Conversion Optimization: [Optimizing decision-to-purchase rates]_
_Loyalty Building: [Building long-term customer relationships]_
_Source: [URL]_

5. Present Analysis and Continue Option

Show analysis and present continue option:

"I've completed customer decision processes analysis for {{research_topic}}, focusing on customer decision-making.

Key Decision Findings:

• Customer decision-making processes clearly mapped
• Decision factors and criteria thoroughly analyzed
• Customer journey mapping completed across all stages
• Decision influencers and touchpoints identified
• Information gathering patterns documented

Ready to proceed to competitive analysis? [C] Continue - Save this to document and proceed to competitive analysis

HALT — wait for user response before proceeding.

6. Handle Continue Selection

If 'C' (Continue):

• CONTENT ALREADY WRITTEN TO DOCUMENT
• Update frontmatter: stepsCompleted: [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Load: ./step-05-competitive-analysis.md

APPEND TO DOCUMENT:

Content is already written to document when generated in step 4. No additional append needed.

SUCCESS METRICS:

✅ Customer decision-making processes clearly mapped ✅ Decision factors and criteria thoroughly analyzed ✅ Customer journey mapping completed across all stages ✅ Decision influencers and touchpoints identified ✅ Information gathering patterns documented ✅ Content written immediately to document ✅ [C] continue option presented and handled correctly ✅ Proper routing to next step (competitive analysis) ✅ Research goals alignment maintained

FAILURE MODES:

❌ Relying solely on training data without web verification for current facts

❌ Missing critical decision-making process stages ❌ Not identifying key decision factors ❌ Incomplete customer journey mapping ❌ Not writing content immediately to document ❌ Not presenting [C] continue option after content generation ❌ Not routing to competitive analysis step

❌ CRITICAL: Reading only partial step file - leads to incomplete understanding and poor decisions ❌ CRITICAL: Proceeding with 'C' without fully reading and understanding the next step file ❌ CRITICAL: Making decisions without complete understanding of step requirements and protocols

CUSTOMER DECISIONS RESEARCH PROTOCOLS:

• Research customer decision studies and psychology
• Use customer journey mapping methodologies
• Analyze buying criteria and decision factors
• Study decision influence and touchpoint analysis
• Focus on current decision data
• Present conflicting information when sources disagree
• Apply confidence levels appropriately

DECISION ANALYSIS STANDARDS:

• Always cite URLs for web search results
• Use authoritative customer decision research sources
• Note data currency and potential limitations
• Present multiple perspectives when sources conflict
• Apply confidence levels to uncertain data
• Focus on actionable decision insights

NEXT STEP:

After user selects 'C', load ./step-05-competitive-analysis.md to analyze competitive landscape, market positioning, and competitive strategies for {{research_topic}}.

Remember: Always write research content to document immediately and emphasize current customer decision data with rigorous source verification!