How to use the See – Think – Do – Care framework for online business growth
Updated: Nov 18
Author: Tereza Pánková
Date of Publication: 12/10/2022
STDC framework equals sustainable growth of your online business. On social networks, we can find profiles of brands and e-shops whose posts barely get a few likes, comments or shares. In short, they fail to reach their audience. The problem may lie in the channel that wasn’t chosen appropriately for the given message.
One of the most famous marketing models is the See – Think – Do – Care framework. According to this model, the customer's needs go far beyond the mere desire to buy a product.
As the name of the model suggests, the framework divides the online marketing phase into four steps: (1) Seeing, (2) Thinking, (3) Doing, and (4) Caring. A central concept in this model is the so-called customer journey. By this we mean all the experiences a customer has when interacting with the online store.
The See – Think – Do – Care framework explained
1) See
Let's assume the role of a customer. Perhaps an older item that we have had for many years stops serving us. So what would be the path to conversion? First, we might spot the product on social networks through acquaintances. At this stage, we are definitely not interested in catchy advertising or “buy now” phrases. This means that, from a marketer's point of view, it doesn't make sense to measure conversion rate. Rather, what is important at this stage is to increase brand awareness.
2) Think
It usually takes a while before we put the selected item in the shopping cart. On the one hand, we may compare the prices of several products before we pick one. On the other hand, we may think about whether we really need the item or whether we can wait a little longer. In any case, what we pay the most attention to is its quality, use, as well as the product’s positive and negative reviews. In the thinking stage, the customer's need to learn new information therefore often outweighs the need to buy.
3) Do
The doing phase refers to the purchase itself. This is what the vast majority of traders focus on. Its result is conversions that are easy to measure.
4) Care
It would be a shame if contact with the customer ended after his first order. Hence, this is where the care phase jumps in. During this phase, the seller provides his customers with additional information, tips or even instructions on how to use the purchased product and benefit from it to the fullest. As a marketer, you should therefore consider investing in quality content, cross-selling and perfect customer service.
Final tip
It is important to cover all phases of the STDC framework. Just like any proper house stands on a solid foundation, online marketing also requires a proper and thorough strategy. However, this doesn’t mean that your strategy won’t work if you don’t apply all phases all the time. Try your best at incorporating the See – Think – Do – Care framework into your concept, and you will see that your online business will move to a higher level.
Reference List:
What is Remarketing - Why and How it Works
What Is Remarketing and How Does It Work?