Shooting Fish In A Barrel

Reading ads for making websites might give someone the impression that doing business on the internet is easy. It is like shooting fish in a barrel. Pay someone a few hundred dollars, put up an online store in 30 minutes, and watch the money start pouring in.

If only that were true.

The internet is a wonderful place. It provides all of us with access to the entire world. It gives the small business owner the ability to put his store on digital Main Street. But even that doesn’t guarantee instant sales.

I grew up in south Florida. Consequently I spent a lot of time on the water. Whether under or on top of the surface I was always trying to catch fish. Sometimes, donned in scuba gear, I would seek out my prey where it lived. At other times I used bait to draw my potential catch to the surface. But my attempts were always calculated.

I saw other fishermen use a different approach. They tied three-pronged hooks to the end of their fishing line. Then they cast the assembly over and over again until by chance they hooked an unsuspecting passerby.

This latter method is very popular on the internet. Millions of websites clutter the digital waves hoping an occasional passerby will get snagged. There is a better way.

Know Your Ideal Customer

The first important point to keep in mind is that people are not fish. Or more to the point, they are not prey. We should not try to lure people in with empty promises just to make a sale. Instead we should have the attitude that we want to give people what they want.

People want information. They want solutions. They want a more enjoyable life. We can be a part of that. But we can’t give everybody everything they want. We can, however, offer something to a small segment of the human race. The question is… to whom?

The answer… your ideal customer.

• Who is she?
• What is she like?
• What is her mood when she finds your website?
• What has she been promised before?
• What is she really looking for?
• What benefits can your product or service offer her?
• What is in it for her?

Your real goal is to give your customer what she wants. In other words, provide the benefits she is looking for. She wants to know what is in it for her. You have to tell her.

But the problem … you can’t tell her what is in it for her if you do not know who she is. You need to have a thumbnail sketch of her. Then you have to go another step. You have to get into her mindset. You have to know what she is thinking. You need to become your customer.

Whether you are a web professional or just thinking about starting a website, this discipline will make you stand out to your niche audience. Your ideal customer has heard a boatload of promises. But if you show her that you understand her and can provide the benefits she wants she will trust you and be more inclined to do business with you.

Gregs website http://www.make-your-own-website-wealth.com is committed to helping ordinary people build successful web businesses. The internet provides great opportunities to those who desire to turn their passions into profitable niche websites.