23/11/2023
WHERE ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS FINDING YOU?
Hey, it's been a minute!
So today I wanted to share a thought about the visibility of your business. This was a very interesting one for me as I have just revamped my website, and the next task is to ramp up the SEO. I know what I would enter for a search online if I were looking for someone like me to build a website, but then I know the lingo, and it's not the same as that which my target audience would use.
So, I took myself off to find exactly the kind of folk that would use my service (freelancers in this case) and asked them the basic question...
"IF YOU WERE SEARCHING FOR SOMEONE TO CREATE A WEBSITE FOR YOU, WHAT KEYWORDS WOULD YOU USE?"
I didn't quite get the response I expected!!
Instead of getting some beautiful long-tail keywords or snappy descriptions I hadn't considered, what I heard was, "Well I wouldn't"...
(Oh!)
It turns out, most of my target market would ask for recommendations or look within their own networks. Now while this is obviously a route many would take, it left me thinking...
Why am I optimising my website for all those people who aren't even searching for my services?
Not a single person offered a useful keyword. Admittedly they didn't even know what to look for and instead said they would have gone straight to the likes of Wix or Squarespace for what they believed would be their only affordable options.
So what's the moral of this post?
Asking the obvious questions is probably a big takeaway. Let's not assume that customers look for us in the ways we think they do.
Do your research, and be prepared to adapt your approach to hit your target audience and be visible to them.
I'm operating in a particularly saturated market which is also not location-specific. I need to differentiate my business (that's a whole 'nother topic!) and find ways to speak directly to potential customers, and that's a slow burner.
"What ya gonna do then?", I hear you ask.
The next steps for me now are to continue showing up in the places my target audiences lurk in and keep demonstrating my professional expertise in those groups. I'll write blogs that help small business owners navigate the murky waters of owning a website and I may be forced into some paid ads or promotion - which is interesting for someone like me who's always been into organic (growth that is!)
I also have another little idea in mind to tap into niches - watch this space 😉.
Does anyone else share this challenge? What would your approach be?
If you're interested in sharing this and other topical discussions for small businesses, come and join me in my
"Small Business - BIG IDEAS" FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallbusinessbigideas/
