Research Now

Buyer Research Glossary

Key terms used in buyer research, purchase evaluations, and consumer decision-making. A reference for buyers and researchers using BeforeYouBuyX.com.

A

  • Affiliate Link A tracked URL that earns the referring site a commission when a purchase is made through it.

B

  • Buyer Intent A signal that indicates someone is actively researching or preparing to make a purchase decision.
  • Buyer Scorecard A structured evaluation framework that scores a product or service across multiple buyer-relevant dimensions.

H

  • Heat Pump A system that moves heat instead of making it, so it heats and cools with the same equipment. Efficient when sized right, miserable when it is not.
  • Hidden Costs Costs associated with a purchase that are not prominently disclosed in the advertised price.

M

  • Manual J Load Calculation The industry-standard calculation that determines what size heating and cooling system a house actually needs. Most contractors skip it and guess from square footage.

S

  • Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) How much of the sun's heat a window lets into the room. The number that decides whether a south-facing room is pleasant or unbearable in August.

U

  • U-Factor How fast heat escapes through a window. Lower is better, and the number is printed on the NFRC label of every window you are quoted.