Developing a clear idea of your ideal coaching client will make your web design and branding process SO much easier. If you have been in business for a while, you have likely honed in on your ideal client and have a lot of specific information about him/her.
All of your customer experience and research data will allow you to craft a compelling brand story that will start attracting the “right” clients and repelling the “wrong” ones. You know who I’m talking about–we’ve all had them!
There are several different aspects of your target customer profile. In this article we are going to cover demographic, geographic and psychographic characteristics.
Demographic Data
Demographic data about your target customer includes age, gender, income level, family size, occupation, education level and marital status. It’s the “who” in your brand story and messaging. Keep in mind that, depending on your business, you may need to fill out several profiles as you have several target customer personas.
In my experience, it’s helpful to think of this target customer as an actual person. Give him/her a name and start describing them using the demographic characteristics mentioned above. For example, I might refer to my target customer as Erica. She’s a 40 year-old college-educated mother who started her own massage therapy practice in town.
Geographic Data
Whether you operate a brick and mortar or online business, it’s important to know where your customers are geographically. If you are a business that services local customers, identify which metro areas, towns or zip codes in which your customers reside.
If you operate your business online, Google Analytics can be a helpful tool to identify where your customers reside. Do you sell online only in the U.S or do you provide services to residents of other countries? These are important considerations to include in your target customer profile as this will help determine your brand messaging, in addition to where you promote and advertise your business.
Pyschographic Data
Of all of the target customer attributes, psychographics is probably the one with which most of you are least familiar but can give you the most insight into your ideal client/customer.
Psychographics represent the “why” of your customers. Why do they seek out your product or service? Examples of psychographic characteristics include attitudes, interests, opinions, and beliefs. Let’s go back to my target customer profile “Erica.” If I were to describe her psychographics, I would say that she is ambitious, cares deeply about her community and wants to be a strong role model for other women business owners.
Your Target Customer Attributes May Change Over Time
As you business changes and evolves, your target customer profile is likely to change with it. It’s a good idea to revisit your profile(s) once a year and any time after you add a new service or offering. Any time you pivot in your business, you should take a look at your target customer profile and make sure it’s still aligned with your brand’s messaging.
Once you have nailed down your target customer profile(s), revisit your web design and branding to ensure that it’s in sync with that profile. If it’s not, I invite you to schedule a call and see how we can ensure that it does!