Many businesses say they target “anyone interested in my services” or “stay-at-home moms,” but these targets are too general. Targeting a specific market does not mean that you have to exclude people that do not fit your criteria. Rather, target marketing allows you to focus your marketing dollars and brand message on a specific market that is more likely to come back to your website and be a loyal visitor. This is a much more affordable, efficient, and effective way to reach people and generate business.
MGECOM is happy to provide suggestions on helping you define and find your target market for your affiliate website:
Examine your current visitors
Who are your current visitors, and why do they come to your website? Look for common characteristics and interests. Which ones generate the most sales? It is very likely that other people like them could also benefit from your product/service.
Check Out Your Competition
Who are your competitors targeting? Don't go after exactly the same market. Try to find a niche market that they are overlooking.
Analyze Your Website Features
Write out a list of each feature that makes your website different. Next to each feature, list the benefits they provide. These things may differentiate you from your competitors and help you find a more precise target market.
Choose very Specific Demographics to Target
Review your site's analytics to determine the most common demographics of the people that visit your website. The demographics you should be looking at include:
- Age
- Location
- Gender
- Income level
- Education level
- Marital or family status
- Occupation
- Ethnic background
Consider the Psychographics of Your Customer
Psychographics are more the personal characteristics of a person. Determine how your website will fit into your target customer lifestyle. How and when will they visit your site? What features are most appealing to them? Some Psychographics to consider are:
- Personality
- Attitudes
- Values
- Interests/hobbies
- Lifestyles
- Behavior
How to get this data.
You may be asking yourself, “How is it possible to get this level of detail from the visitors to my site?”. There are a few options available to you to assist in collecting this data:
- Ask your site visitors to create a profile/account on your site. During that process, you can ask the questions you want answered.
- You can send your users an email to your users with a link to a short survey. (We like SurveyMonkey.com – its free and provides very robust tracking information). Your response rate will improve if you offer an incentive for completing the survery, ie. a $25 Amazon or iTunes gift card.
- You can provide a small pop-up window when someone leaves your site which asks them to complete a short survey. Note: This pop-up should come at the end of their visit to your site, not when they first arrive. We want your site users to stay on your site, not leave to an external survey as soon as they arrive.
Always remind them in the messaging that you want to make their experience on your website even better. So it will be to their benefit to answer your survey questions.
What do do next?
Now that you have a target market you may have to change your branding strategy or marketing efforts to clarify your mission. You'll definitely want to alter your advertising efforts so that you can be in the right place for your new target market!
If there is anything the Program Managers at MGECOM can help you with, please don't hesitate to send us your questions! We will forward your question to the appropriate person. You can expect a reply within 48 hours. We look forward to hearing from you!