| As you read this you may be finding it difficult to | | | | some of us do but we have our own special |
| produce a consistent flow of customers into your | | | | peculiarities). |
| business. | | | | No, people go there to find immediate providers |
| Or maybe you get one-time customers but little | | | | or at least to research potential providers. |
| repeat business. | | | | Even on social media not all people say what they |
| Or worse still, your phone never rings. | | | | really think. Certainly a lot tell their truth but for |
| Yet you deeply believe your product or service is | | | | some it's a game. For others, they say what they |
| just what other companies need. | | | | think is cool. And for more, they don't want to be |
| So what went wrong? Where is your steady | | | | seen in public. |
| stream of clients? | | | | But Google gives them privacy and information |
| Most businesses struggle to thrive or even fail | | | | without being hassled by sales people. Your |
| because they don't conduct market research | | | | prospects feel safe using Google. |
| before they open, to see if there is a demand for | | | | The only source of your customers' truth |
| two things:- | | | | So, to increase your chances of success, or |
| | | | rather to reduce your chances of failure, redefine |
| 1. their service or | | | | yourself and your business based on what people |
| 2. their positioning - how they differentiate | | | | are typing into Google for your broad category. |
| themselves from everyone else | | | | You can then drill-down to find more detailed data |
| They rely on their belief rather than fact or | | | | and then use those Search-terms on your |
| testing the market. | | | | website. |
| Why don't more people do it? | | | | And here's a big tip. |
| One reason is that people just don't think about | | | | Don't forget to use those terms in your off-line |
| doing it. | | | | communications as well. People will recognise their |
| Another is that market research is notoriously | | | | words and feel more connected to you as a |
| difficult to get any meaningful output. There are | | | | result. |
| many reasons such as: | | | | Rename your offering from the bland "Services" |
| · the difficulty of finding willing respondents in the | | | | that everyone else uses to match the best |
| first place. | | | | Search-term you can find. |
| · getting "sensible" answers from them. | | | | For example, in the tree-maintenance industry, |
| · and finally, being able to believe what they say. | | | | instead of crown-lifting, use tree pruning. |
| Often people will say what the think you want to | | | | Treat your business to the best investment you |
| hear. | | | | will ever make. |
| Simply put, you cannot rely on what your | | | | Go to Google's Keyword Research Tool. It's free. |
| customers say. | | | | Find out what words people are really using to |
| The only reliable source of the truth is what | | | | describe your business. You'll find loads of data. |
| people do. | | | | And then use those words on your website. |
| And there's one place where people freely and | | | | Learning what it all means and how to use it will |
| consistently tell you what they want by their | | | | be the best day's work you can do. But then I |
| actions. | | | | would say that wouldn't I, as an SEO guy.:-) |
| Google. | | | | But it really is the best research tool you can find. |
| When people type into Google for business | | | | Or, if that all sounds too complicated, ask an |
| services or products, it's not to while away an idle | | | | expert to do it for you to turn all that data into |
| half hour or, out of curiosity, to see what the | | | | useful information. |
| local plumbers are up to on their websites. (Well | | | | |