A Day Late & A Dollar Short
...but maybe some good information none-the-less.
I've been looking at demographics lately, something I never thought would interest me.
I sought wisdom from a marketing professor for 30+ years at a nearby university, also a friend of mine, when I was putting together a website design presentation for my local RWA, and he turned my perspective on the topic 180 degrees.
I've always designed websites from the inside out, meaning I take what's inside me or inside the company or person I'm designing for and project outward. I create an image of the person or that company on that website from my (or my client's) perspective.
My professor friend urged me to look at it differently. He asked me all about my visitor--who he/she was, how old they were, their economic status, their health, their family life. He wanted me to know who would be coming to my site and suggested that the more I know about them, the more equipped I'd be to provide them with something that would satisfy as well as keep them coming back.
We all want that, right? For our visitors to come back to our website? That's the "stickiness" quotient everyone talks about.
And in looking at the demographics of my audience then, considering what that audience thinks about, worries about, needs, would appreciate, the way I looked at designing websites was forever changed.
My current website doesn't reflect these new-found kernels of wealth -- I have to redesign when I find time. But IMHO this is valuable information and put to use, a powerful tool that with "draw" people to your site rather than the common idea of "driving" traffic there.
Food for thought. What do you think? What are some of your favorite sites--ones that you return to for information? Why do you go back?
I've been looking at demographics lately, something I never thought would interest me.
I sought wisdom from a marketing professor for 30+ years at a nearby university, also a friend of mine, when I was putting together a website design presentation for my local RWA, and he turned my perspective on the topic 180 degrees.
I've always designed websites from the inside out, meaning I take what's inside me or inside the company or person I'm designing for and project outward. I create an image of the person or that company on that website from my (or my client's) perspective.My professor friend urged me to look at it differently. He asked me all about my visitor--who he/she was, how old they were, their economic status, their health, their family life. He wanted me to know who would be coming to my site and suggested that the more I know about them, the more equipped I'd be to provide them with something that would satisfy as well as keep them coming back.
We all want that, right? For our visitors to come back to our website? That's the "stickiness" quotient everyone talks about.
And in looking at the demographics of my audience then, considering what that audience thinks about, worries about, needs, would appreciate, the way I looked at designing websites was forever changed.
My current website doesn't reflect these new-found kernels of wealth -- I have to redesign when I find time. But IMHO this is valuable information and put to use, a powerful tool that with "draw" people to your site rather than the common idea of "driving" traffic there.
Food for thought. What do you think? What are some of your favorite sites--ones that you return to for information? Why do you go back?
Labels: Joan's posts
posted by Joan Swan at 7:01 AM
1Comments:
Blogs are a big one for me. I don't really revisit sites unless they're in my feed reader, otherwise I forget, LOL ...
In a couple of cases, a message board will do it, too.
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