When you first try your hand at IM (Internet Marketing) there are so many new things to learn it can appear overwhelming.  

Keyword research, buying a domain name, deciding on a niche, setting up a Wordpress site, getting to grips with article writing and SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and worrying about where your pages and /or site are ranked in Google or Bing or Yahoo ...

Those that are new to IM are always advised to choose a niche that they’re really interested in for their first website rather than one they know little about but think will make them lots of money. It’s sound advice because it’s easier to write about something that you have some knowledge of and feel passionate about rather than something that’s entirely new.

However, there’s a also a danger in choosing a niche that is a passion because  it can make you complacent thinking that you know what people want or need without thinking through properly who exactly are your intended customers.

I’ve reviewed quite a few sites from members recently and one of the things that I’ve found difficult to pinpoint is exactly who the site is intended for.  A common response when I’ve gone back and asked is  ‘anyone who’s interested in the subject’.  

I find this approach puzzling to say the least and certainly it’s not an approach that the most successful  marketeers would follow.  If you have no real clue who your potential customer/customers are how can you create a site and sell products or a service that will specifically appeal to them?  Of course you can make a lot of wild guesses and some might be right on the mark but it’s hardly a guarantee of success.

That’s why I believe investing a little of your time to drawing up one or more customer profiles for your site is well worth it.  Having that profile can help you keep focussed as your site devlops

 Here are some of the issues that I’ve seen (in no particular order)
1.    A header with cartoon characters clearly meant to appeal to children under the age of 8 on a site selling products for adults.

2.    A site selling high quality products with an extremely low quality design and layout and badly written information.

3.    Jokey language which was amusing to read (as a reviewer) but as a potential customer was sexist and patronising.

4.    Promotion of affiliate products that make claims which clearly could not be backed up to a group of vulnerable people

5.    Linking to affiliate products (eg Amazon) that only have poor reviews 2 star or less

6.    Providing medical advice – without any explanation of how they are qualified to do so.

7.    Describing how products work without telling people what the benefits are to them

8.    Using ‘I’ a lot rather than ‘You’

9.    Inappropriate language – slang, colloquialisms, poor grammar, acronyms with no explanation and unnecessary technical language.

10.    Promoting products without offering any added value or advice to customers.

These are just a few of the things that I’ve seen which for me are all indicators that the website owner isn’t thinking enough about who their potential customer is.  There’s nothing wrong in using technical language, slang or colloquialisms if you know they’re going to be understood by the customer.

Getting some of these things wrong is off putting to potential customers and even if you drive traffic to your site,  people won’t stay, because you won't be appealing to them.  This isn't about having the 'perfect site' that many people worry about, but it is about promoting the right products and speaking the right language for the customer.

Understanding who your core customer is and responding appropriately by what you offer, will play a key part in your success as an internet marketeer.