According to Corporate Executive Board (CEB), a leading research and advisory services firm, the rise of new technology has fundamentally changed the way consumers buy, providing greater access to information and choice than ever before.  Feeling overwhelmed, consumers want support – not increased marketing messages or "engagement" – to more quickly and easily navigate the purchase process. Brands that help consumers simplify the purchase journey have customers who are 86 percent more likely to purchase their products and 115 percent more likely to recommend their brand to others.

In a study of 7,000 consumers and marketing executives representing 125 consumer brands across 12 industries, CEBidentified a significant disconnect between current marketing strategies, including customer engagement, and preferred consumer buying behavior. While most marketers are behaving as if the majority of consumers are open to having a relationship with their brand, CEB found only 20 percent of consumers report being open to such relationships. As a result, today's marketing tactics are making customers less loyal and resulting in lost revenue for companies.

"Our research indicates that the impact of simplifying purchase decisions for consumers is four times stronger than the favored marketing strategy of engagement and is the number one driver of likelihood to buy," said Patrick Spenner, managing director at CEB. "Too much choice and information causes customers to over-think purchase decisions, making them more likely to change their minds about a product, be less confident in their choice and less likely to repurchase."

To capture customers' attention and build loyalty, companies should invest in making the purchasing process so simple that customers' decision-making actually becomes easier. CEB's insights show a 20 percent increase in simplifying the decision-making process results in a 96 percent increase in a customer's likelihood to purchase, re-purchase or recommend a particular brand. Companies can simplify the buying process in three important ways by helping consumers:

• Trust Information: provide recommendations by consumer advisors, ratings and reviews
• Navigate the Purchase Process: simplify the research process by offering clear and streamlined brand-specific product information targeted to each decision stage
• Weigh Comparison Options: make transparent buying guides and brand differentiated information easily available