Buying intent

Buying intent, or purchase intent, refers to the potential for a customer to make a purchase.

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Samantha Spiro
Samantha has over seven years of experience as both a content manager and editor. Bringing contact info to life is the name of her game. Some might say she’s a bit ‘SaaS-y.’

Buying intent is a meaningful smoke signal to businesses, showing the likelihood of a customer purchasing. It depicts the stage a customer is at in their decision to purchase, influenced by research, needs, or previous actions. Observing behaviors like browsing certain products, looking for reviews, or engaging with specific offers may give companies an idea of how ready the customer is to buy.

 

An alternative to buying intent: Purchase readiness

 

This term presents the readiness of a customer to buy. It’s about the awareness of a customer’s mind and how satisfied they are with the information about the available product, not just about behaviors. Personalized offers or messaging may help trigger the customer to complete the purchase decision.


The morse code behind buying intent 

  1. 97% of B2B marketers believe intent data gives them a competitive advantage.
  2. 73% of B2B marketers currently use, or plan to use, buyer intent data in 2025.
  3. 50% of sales leaders believe intent data helps align the sales and marketing departments more.
  4. 56% of survey participants reported using buyer’s intent data to find new accounts to engage.
  5. 52% of marketers use intent data to create customized content, 47% in email marketing, and 44% for personalization.
  6. 56% of B2B companies consider data quality the most significant challenge when using intent signals.

     

It boils down to this

Samantha Spiro

Chief Editor @ ContactInfo

Buying intent is often hiding in plain sight. When someone keeps revisiting your FAQ page or spends time comparing your pricing tiers, they’re telling you exactly where they are in their decision-making process.


Get this: heat mapping studies reveal that prospects exhibiting true buying intent display what analysts call “horizontal oscillation patterns” – rapid back-and-forth movements between similar product features or pricing columns, rather than the traditional top-to-bottom scanning. Even more telling is the “decision pause,” where users hover 47% longer on exit-intent triggers or free trial buttons compared to their first visit.

 

These micro-behaviors, combined with unusual time-of-day engagement (like late-night price checks or early morning feature comparisons), form what conversion experts call the “intent triangle” – a constellation of subtle signals that predict purchase probability with up to 78% accuracy.

A case study to remember 

In 2023, Samsung Benelux partnered with GumGum for a brand and purchase intent lift campaign targeting the most important demographics. They partnered through intrinsic in-game advertising, and the platform powered a campaign by taking a broad yet focused approach in the form of sports, racing, and simulation genres to reach an expanded gaming audience base.

Positive brand attribution increased by 12 points, brand and product perception increased by 16 points, and ad interest grew by 11. At the same time, purchase consideration had increased by +12% among those exposed to the in-game ad.

 

Helpful nuggets to refer back to

  1. Monitor user behavior: Observe behaviors such as visiting product pages, adding items to one’s cart, or downloading resources to identify high-intent clients.
  2. Segment leads: Segment leads based on buying intent, whether they are early-stage browsers or ready-to-buy buyers.
  3. Personalize communication: Send personalized emails, offers, or content using intent data aligned with the customer’s interests and stage in the decision-making process.
  4. Retargeting: Create and publish ads directed toward high-intention users who have not yet converted.
  5. Offer incentives: Offer limited-time discounts or promotions to your purchase-ready customers to encourage them to purchase now.
  6. Simplify checkout: Enable strongly motivated leads to complete their purchase efficiently by providing easy checkout options and support.

Author

  • Samantha has over seven years of experience as both a content manager and editor. Bringing contact info to life is the name of her game. Some might say she's a bit 'SaaS-y.'

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