Why do you need to create a customer profile? Because every successful business knows that the most important thing to sustain you in the marketplace is to know your customers. No business is able to last for many years without fully understanding who its customers are and what they want. After all, as consumers in a free market, when a product or service does not meet our expectations we simply switch to the competitor that does.
When the choice is quite wide, it is not enough for a business to simply offer the best product or service. It must also connect with its customers deeply so that they keep coming back, stay loyal to the brand and recommend it to those close to them. It doesn’t matter what you are selling; you must connect with your customers. Also, understand who they are, what matters most to them and how your brand fits into this puzzle.
As Re Perez says, the best way to understand your customers and get to know them deeply is to ask the right questions. This is why at Hey Design we always start any Branding Project with a workshop with our clients. Then we continue with an internal research to fully immerse ourselves in the market and the mind of your audience.
10 Things You Need to Know to Have a Good Profile of Your Customer
1. How old is he/she?
It seems obvious and very basic but if you are not clear about your customer’s age range you will not be clear on how or where to find them. Besides, you could waste time and resources sending messages in the wrong direction.
2. Why does he/she buy your product or service?
There are many reasons why a customer may buy your product or service. And certainly not all of them are as obvious as paying for a computer repair because it broke down. Sometimes the reasons are more emotional or value-based; like preferring your brand over the competition because your values resonate with theirs. An example of this is preferring to buy local products even if they are a little more expensive for the simple fact of supporting the business and its cause. Another example might be that perhaps the company has promised to donate a percentage of its profits to charity. Also, it might claim to have sustainable processes that provoke a positive and favorable response from the public.
3. How did he/she find your business? How did he/she hear about you?
Hand in hand with the first point, it is necessary to know how your customers are reaching you to better understand your communication channels and points of contact.
4. What attracts them to your brand?
Maybe your customer feels super cool or different from the rest when using your product. Maybe they want your company to succeed because you represent some value and they want to support you. Maybe they feel a loyalty to your brand because of tradition.
Whatever the case may be, you must be clear about it in order to put together the right marketing messages.
5. What do they expect from your brand?
Nobody likes to be lied to and today consumers have more power than we think with multiple media at our fingertips.
When your brand does not fulfill its promise (tagline, slogan, messages) and the customer feels that he is being deceived at any level, it is certain that he will simply fly away and will not come back.
6. What do you think of your competition?
No business lasts long without competition. Especially today when consumers can purchase products and services over the Internet from other places in the world. In order to keep your business going you need to be aware of your competition. It means to know who they are, what they do and what your customers think of them.
Maybe there is something about them that makes them prefer you. Or maybe there is something about you that makes the customer prefer your competition. Whatever the case, you need to know what it is and be attentive to establish as much distance as possible.
7. Where does your customer prefer to shop?
It is no news that online shopping is growing every day. Hence, as millennials and Gen-Z grow and occupy an important part of the market, it is essential to adjust to their expectations. Millennials are already an important part of the market with purchasing power and 60% of their purchases are made online.
Make sure you offer your customer as many options as possible to purchase your product or service and make the buying process as easy as possible.
8. How do they like to shop?
Maybe your audience likes to shop online, but do they prefer to do it from their computer or from their cell phone? Pay with credit card, debit card, maybe with an application like MACH.
9. How much do they like to buy?
Some products are designed to be purchased one at a time and last for a long time. On the contrary, others are meant to be purchased in packages and/or on a regular basis. As a business you must understand how much your customer wants to buy and set a base price accordingly.
10. Why doesn’t he buy more?
If your customer bought once and never came back when your product or service is meant to be recurrent then there is something wrong. As a result, you need to identify and fix it as soon as possible.
Maybe your website is not optimized to close sales. Maybe your product did not meet expectations. Perhaps your audience thought they were buying something else than what you offered. Whatever the case, you need to remedy it. Know your audience, develop an effective customer profile and continue to grow your business.
Need help in creating a customer profile?
Contact us for the development of a sustainable brand strategy and the creation of a solid identity at hola@heydiseno.cl
Bibliography: Things to Know About Your Customers | Top 10 List (brandingforthepeople.com)