How many touchpoints does it take to make a purchase?

Pasquale Schifino

Imagine you are looking for a new smartphone.

You see an advertisement on Instagram, read a test report, ask a friend for advice, see the device in the store, receive a personalized email and see a special offer.

At some point, you make the decision and buy it.

But how many touchpoints were necessary to convince you?

In today’s digital world, a single contact is often no longer enough. But how many do you really need?

Find out here!

🎯 The most important summarized:

A purchase is usually only concluded after several points of contact, as customers need time to build trust and make a purchase decision.

The integration of different channels (e.g. website, social media, physical stores) makes it possible to effectively accompany the customer along their entire journey.

A consistent brand message and a consistently positive customer experience across all touchpoints are essential to motivate customers to buy.

The optimal number and type of touchpoints varies depending on the industry and target group – companies should continuously measure, analyze and optimize their strategies in order to best support the purchasing process.

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Table of contents

1. The magic number of touchpoints

2. The journey of the modern consumer

3. The emotional factor

4. Conclusion

5. More about Touchpoints

The magic number of touchpoints

Traditional marketing theories used to say that a customer needs around seven points of contact with a brand before making a purchase decision.

However, digitalization has drastically changed customer behaviour.

Studies show that consumers today often go through between 6 and 20 touchpoints before making a purchase.

The number depends on various factors: the industry, the product, the price and the customer’s individual decision-making process.

The journey of the modern consumer

The customer journey has become more complex.

Whereas advertising or a sales pitch used to be enough, today a well thought-out interplay of online and offline channels is required.

A customer can be influenced by the following touchpoints:

Social media – influencer marketing, advertisements, organic posts
Search engines – Google search queries, SEO-optimized content, Google Ads
Ratings & reviews – testimonials, Trustpilot, YouTube reviews
Email marketing – personalized offers, follow-up emails
Word of mouth – recommendations from friends or family
Point of sale – store visits, test opportunities, consultations

All of these elements interact to lead the potential buyer step by step to a decision.

The emotional factor

A touchpoint is not just a touchpoint.

A customer can see an ad ten times and ignore it, but a single compelling testimonial can persuade them to buy.

Emotion is key: trust, curiosity and urgency can reduce the number of touchpoints needed.

Brands that appear authentic and consistent therefore have an advantage.

Conclusion

The exact number of touchpoints until a purchase is made is not set in stone, as every customer is different.

While some only need a few touchpoints, others need a longer decision time.

Companies should therefore design a customer journey that is as seamless, appealing and personalized as possible in order to minimize the hurdles to purchase.

However, one thing is certain: the path to purchase is not a straight line, but a journey with many stops.

More about Touchpoints

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