Think about them, not for them
Jerry L. Kennedy | TLT Social Media Marketing April 2015
Pay attention to what works for your clients and ask questions.
When business owners design and build Websites according to their own preferences, they are making a classic blunder.
www.canstockphoto.com
IF I HAD MY WAY, WEBSITES WOULD BE divided into clearly defined categories based on content type: text, images, video and music. There would be no cross-over, unless it was for social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Why? Because when I want to read something, that’s all I want to do: read. I don’t want to be distracted by images or videos or music blaring from the page. It probably has something to do with the fact that I’m an avid reader, and I don’t really want anything getting between me and the words on the page.
Fortunately for the rest of the world, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who feels this way. I’ve mentioned the idea to a few friends and they always have the same reaction: a sideways glance and a slight movement away from me. For most people, the multisensory experience of the Web is an essential part of the experience. I know I’m a bit of a weirdo.
But what if I operated under the assumption that because I enjoy Websites without pictures or videos, my clients must feel the same way? What if I insisted on building Websites that matched my aesthetic preference for text only? Sounds a little silly, doesn’t it? And yet, that same kind of thinking plays out in countless Website design (and other marketing) consultations every day.
When business owners design and build Websites according to their own preferences, they are making a classic blunder. My business partner, Michael, calls it “thinking
for them instead of
about them.” How does thinking for your clients tank your marketing efforts? And how can you start thinking about them instead?
First and foremost, thinking for your clients is detrimental to your relationship because you are putting yourself in the position of knowing what’s best for them. Think of the last time a salesperson tried that on you. You may have walked into a store knowing exactly what you wanted, only to have a store employee try to steer you in a different direction without ever taking your desires into consideration.
How did that feel? Was it an enjoyable experience? Did you leave the store thinking, “Gee, I’m sure glad that arrogant salesperson showed up to set me straight?” More important, did you buy the product they wanted you to buy? Or did you tell them to pound sand and go buy what you wanted at a different store? Wouldn’t it have been better if the salesperson had taken a few minutes to ask some questions about how he or she could be helpful?
And that’s the key to making the shift to thinking about your clients instead of for them: ask more questions. Asking questions is the best (and only, unless you’re psychic) way for you to find out what’s important to your clients. That information, of course, is absolutely necessary if you’re going to deliver what they want.
But how can you ask questions about your Website or other online marketing? It’s pretty easy, actually: Pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. In other words, measure your results. You can accomplish this in a number of ways. Site analytics, A/B testing, heat maps and click tracking will give you insight into what your customers want from your Website.
If you’re not measuring your results and making adjustments based on what you find, chances are pretty good that you’re thinking for your clients instead of about them.
Jerry Kennedy earned his stripes as an operations and sales manager in the lubricants industry. He is currently the co-founder of CDK Creative, a digital marketing agency that brings his real-world sales and operations experience to the world of online marketing. Learn more or request a consultation at http://cdkcreative.com.
Email him at jerry@jerrykennedy.com.