Ask An Expert; Business Series

Welcome to Ask an Expert Business Series with Misty Lambrecht, the owner of Webfoot Marketing and Design, sharing valuable insights based on her extensive 15 years of experience in business startups and advising in Lincoln County. Why are customer profiles so important? The more you know about your customers, the better prepared you are to service their needs and meet their expectations. Let's begin with a less detailed profile: a male business owner aged 52-55 in the construction industry, seeking a website. Fairly straightforward and manageable clients.

Now, let's craft a more comprehensive profile for this individual and assign him a name

to add depth. Introducing Low-tech Tom, a male business owner aged 52-55, who has

recently acquired his first Smartphone with Camera; He informs me that he can be

found on Google using his name, accompanied by a unique character encircled,

followed by gmail dot com.Tom has a keen interest in photography and aims to

incorporate his snapshots into his website, although he is uncertain about the process

of transferring images from his phone and contemplates the necessity of a cable. He

expresses concern about the potential influx of website traffic but deems it safer than

Facebook, especially following his cousin’s hacking incident on the platform.

Taking into account the additional insights I have now gathered about Tom's customer

profile, what steps must be taken to ensure the success of the website project? What

are Tom's perceptions concerning websites? Will Tom possess the capability to

independently make alterations to the website? Can he drive traffic to the website via

social media, distribute a link through email, or include a QR code on his invoices? Is he

able to share links to testimonials with clients? Collaborating with Tom would

necessitate substantial hands-on assistance, involving tasks such as managing image

transfers, generating content, refining his images for website use, and aiding his

comprehension that owning a website does not guarantee a top spot in Google search

results for "construction".

While the world is populated with numerous low-tech individuals like Tom, each

possessing distinct beliefs about websites and varying technical skills, grasping the

nature of these clients and their requirements enables my business to establish

effective systems and convey realistic objectives for website performance. This insight

may also facilitate the formulation of a marketing strategy aimed at reaching similar

clients. When marketing to diverse businesses, it is advisable to delve into detailed customer

profiles. Concentrate on elements like their belief systems, routines, lifestyle, and solicit

feedback from current clients regarding aspects they value in your business.

Core principles such as supporting local businesses, favoring handmade, organic,

sustainable, or recycled products play a pivotal role in the purchasing decisions of many

individuals. Understanding who holds the purchasing authority within different

relationship dynamics for various types of items is also crucial. When contemplating

paid advertising to reach a distinctive or unique client base through channels such as

social media, radio, or general online searches, an in-depth understanding of the client

substantially enhances your ability to employ appropriate language, visuals, and

platforms to effectively communicate. Understanding their perceptions of your product

or service ultimately contributes to heightened customer satisfaction.