We are getting a response from our website, but we are having trouble getting the customers we want. Is this inevitable or is there something wrong?
There are two main reasons why customers do not come to the market as imagined: first, the customer does not exist within the trade area. This can be seen by looking at census data such as e-Stat orREASA.
The other reason may be a lack of “customer screening” that is not attractive to the customers who want to come and on the other hand, gently turns away those who do not want to come.
Related FAQs
- Q. Is it good for a business to choose or target its customers?
- It is a natural and important part of doing business that stores choose the people they want to provide value to.
It is easy to think that a business should serve everyone, but it is natural for a store to have an image of the customer to whom it can provide the most value. As long as it is not unfair discrimination, it is possible to provide better value by tailoring the service to that person. - Q. I want my ideal customers to come to your store, but I’m worried that if I narrow my target audience, my sales will drop.
- If you are vague about the type of customers you want to attract, you will end up in a situation where you will not be able to resonate with anyone.
If you think, “I want XXX people to come to my website,” but aim for a wide range of customers, you will end up in a situation where you are left in the middle of nowhere. First, focus on the target audience you want to attract, and then optimize your website’s content, design, and methods of attracting visitors. - Q. Even though I know it is important to focus on the target audience, I am afraid of making a sudden change because it is risky.
- We recommend that you start with test marketing to the extent that it does not affect your current business.
If you are not comfortable with suddenly switching your entire business, why not try it on a small scale by creating a small special website for people you want to visit or holding a seminar? You can take your time, listen to your customers, and make sure you have enough time to get started.
I am Nakayama, representative of Roundup Web Consulting.
It is very important in business to “select customers,” saying, “I want this kind of person to come, and this kind of person is not so good….
When we think of business, we tend to think that we must provide services to everyone, but from a store’s perspective, it is natural that there are certain people to whom we want to provide value.
And since the services are also assembled to provide the most value to the person, it is natural to want to be selective. Of course, there should not be any unfair reasons or discrimination involved.
The most common case is that of “being stuck in the middle”.
We feel that in many cases, those who have this kind of problem are stuck in a situation where they are not sure which way to go. They want to focus mainly on “XXX people,” but they are worried that sales will drop if other people stop coming at all.
In such a case, the client may be thinking, “I want to attract a certain type of person,” but at the same time, he or she may want to attract a wide range of people, so the client may end up in a situation where he or she is stuck between the two, and the person who pursues two hares will end up with one hare.
To avoid this, we must basically aim to “set up a system that allows us to focus our business on that target and bring in more and more of them.
When you narrow down your target audience, the way you attract customers, the design and catchphrase in the contents of your website will naturally change.
If it is a storefront business, the interior design of the store and printed materials must also be in line with that. It is also important to have a follow-up system that properly addresses the needs of those who come to the store so that they will want to come back and bring others like them.
However, you may be afraid to narrow it down suddenly.
Although we think so, if we suddenly narrow down the focus and make a mistake, we may find ourselves in a bad business situation….
In such cases, how about creating a small special website or holding a small seminar to “test-start a service on a small scale for those who really want to come?
You would keep your current sales, but conduct test marketing so that it does not affect them. In the process, you should take your time to listen to your customers and build a list, and at some point, you should start marketing the service largely as a separate service.
Since it is in parallel with our existing business, the speed will be slower, but I think we will be able to proceed with mental ease and composure. I think we will be able to move forward with ease and a relaxed mindset, because rushing will not do us any good.
