Are you repelling your customers?… The Golden Thread Part II

Are you repelling your customers?Are you repelling your customers?…

You could be, if your website is mis-targeted.

Readers decide in the flash of an eye – about 4 seconds – whether a website applies to them or not.

For example, I’m in my 40’s. If I land on a clothing website showing a woman in her 60s, I’ll click away.

For this reason, it’s vitally important to know your customers. Now you may be saying, ‘Hey, I’m a plumber – my customers are people who use plumbing – which is everyone!’ Wrong! A plumber’s target markets might be… home owners who don’t do their own plumbing, (eg single women, busy working couples or the elderly), landlords, businesses and schools. Each group has its own needs and the plumber who explicitly targets them will get more work.

People are drawn to images and text that speak to them. So when you focus on a specific market niche, you don’t get fewer customers – you get more.

I can’t emphasise enough how important this is – knowing your customers is the basis of a good business.

You may have several customer types. That’s OK – start by focussing on one. Pick your favourite one – the one you want more of.

Now, profile this customer. Write down their age, gender, likes and dislikes. Why do you like this customer? Why do they come to you rather than someone else? What might stop them coming to you? How can you make their lives easier? How can you exceed their expectations? Are there any services you can offer specifically to them? Are they price-conscious or more concerned about quality?

Now give your ideal customer a name. You might even find a picture and paste it into their profile.

When writing for your website, newsletters etc, write as if you were talking to this customer. Don’t worry about alienating other customers. By speaking to your target niche you’ll end up with more customers, not fewer.

If you’re not sure who your customers are and what they want, ask them!

Subscribe for my free web tips and I’ll send you a worksheet to help you identify your ideal customer profile.

Jackie Stallard

Thank you for reading :)

Jackie

Read The Golden Thread that leads customers to your cash register… The Golden Thread Part I

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