For many shoppers, the Path-to-Purchase is fairly linear:

At each point along this Path-to-Purchase, many factors influence a consumer’s decision. The impact of these factors varies from person to person and across sectors, but some of the most profound differences are found between the paths of in-store shoppers versus consumers shopping online. In particular, because online shopping does not require contiguous blocks of time to complete a shopping experience, the opportunities to reach these audiences are different. Consider the following timelines illustrating in-store versus online shopping:

Make sure you reach your customers at the right times and in the right channels by more fully understanding their Paths-to-Purchase.