Don’t believe what your customers tell you.

As you read this you may be finding it difficult to produce a consistent flow of customers into your business.

Or maybe you get one-time customers but little repeat business.

Or worse still, your phone never rings.

Yet you deeply believe your product or service is just what other companies need.

So what went wrong? Where is your steady stream of clients?
Most businesses struggle to thrive or even fail because they don’t conduct market research before they open, to see if there is a demand for two things:-

1.    their service or
2.    their positioning – how they differentiate themselves from everyone else

They rely on their belief rather than fact or testing the market.

Why don’t more people do it?
One reason is that people just don’t think about doing it.

Another is that market research is notoriously difficult to get any meaningful output.  There are many reasons such as:

•    the difficulty of finding willing respondents in the first place.
•    getting “sensible” answers from them.
•    and finally, being able to believe what they say. Often people will say what they think you want to hear.

Simply put, you cannot rely on what your customers say.

The only reliable source of the truth is what people do.

And there’s one place where people freely and consistently tell you what they want by their actions.

Google.

When people type into Google for business services or products, it’s not to while away an idle half hour or, out of curiosity, to see what the local plumbers are up to on their websites. (Well some of us do but we have our own special peculiarities).
No, people go there to find immediate providers or at least to research potential providers.

Even on social media not all people say what they really think.  Certainly a lot tell their truth but for some it’s a game.  For others, they say what they think is cool. And for more, they don’t want to be seen in public.

But Google gives them privacy and information without being hassled by sales people.  Your prospects feel safe using Google.

The only source of your customers’ truth
So, to increase your chances of success, or rather to reduce your chances of failure, redefine yourself and your business based on what people are typing into Google for your broad category.

You can then drill-down to find more detailed data and then use those Search-terms on your website.

And here’s a big tip.

Don’t forget to use those terms in your off-line communications as well.  People will recognise their words and feel more connected to you as a result.

Rename your offering from the bland “Services” that everyone else uses to match the best Search-term you can find.

For example, in the tree-maintenance industry, instead of crown-lifting, use tree pruning.

Treat your business to the best investment you will ever make

Go to Google’s Keyword Research Tool It’s free.

Find out what words people are really using to describe your business.  You’ll find loads of data. And then use those words on your website.

Learning what it all means and how to use it will be the best day’s work you can do.

But then I would say that wouldn’t I, as an SEO guy.

But it really is the best research tool you can find.

Or, if that all sounds too complicated, ask an expert to do it for you to turn all that data into useful information.

Email me at Andrew@gigmarketing.biz for a no obligation, fixed-price quotation to find out what your market is really looking for.

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