Secret Two: Target Your Audience

Once you have defined your goals for your website, you need to clearly understand whom you are targeting. Your primary audience will drive many of your decisions and priorities for your web site. The more you know about your audience, the more relevant you will be able to make your website and the closer you can align your site with their needs.

The second in a series of the seven essential secrets of a successful web presence

Once you have defined your goals for your website, you need to clearly understand whom you are targeting. Your primary audience will drive many of your decisions and priorities for your web site. The more you know about your audience, the more relevant you will be able to make your website and the closer you can align your site with their needs.

Audience Demographics

Look at basic demographics for your audience. These will typically align with those of your organization. You need to address questions such as:

• What vertical markets are you targeting?
• Who are you trying to reach?
• Are they older, younger, mostly male, mostly female, or a mixture?
• Is your audience primarily new prospects or returning customers?
• Why are they coming to your website?
• What information are they looking for?

Appealing to your Audience

Make your site appeal to them. This should affect many of the decisions that you will make in the design process, such as:

• The personality of the copy/content
• What items go first in the navigation menus
• Information you highlight on the front page
• Content you put on your site
• The colors of the site & style of graphics
• The welcome message you select to present

Next: The third secret - Focus Your Content

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