Who is your audience?

When designing and managing your website, one of the hardest things to remember is who your audience is.

But, why is this hard?

I tend to think that it is hard because we want to write to people that are just like us. We tend to think of ourselves as our audience. We think that we know what our customers want to hear because we have worked with them so long that we just naturally know what they are looking for.

We are convinced that we know best.

Let me be blunt. You probably don't know what your clients want to read. You probably don't know what your clients want to hear.

How rude, why would I say that about you? After all, we just met.

Well, it, in my mind, is simply because you are so focused on running your business that you have become disconnected from what your clients need. You are focused on selling your hardware and software and therefore forget to learn about their business.

Don't get mad at me... read on...

Don't get me wrong. I would never suggest that this is a condition endemic of the printing and imaging industries. I think that it is endemic of just about every industry out there... but you have an opportunity to buck the trends and move ahead of your competition.

Here are the top five areas that your site must overcome (and possibly the way your sales reps communicate) when talking with your clients about buying your systems.

1. Use no jargon.
   Every industry has its own vernacular. We are so accustomed to the way we talk that we often will forget that our clients don't live in our world. I have an example of it on my other blog from a year ago here. Chances are, your clients don't do a Google Search for MFP or EDMS. In fact, most of them haven't even heard those terms. When writing or talking, make sure that you talk like they do.
2. You need the sale more than they do.
   Sometimes this isn't true... but most of the time it is. You are trying to make your quota. Sales reps have sales managers to answer to and managers have owners to answer to. Old school techniques of, "Buy now because the price goes up tomorrow" are not nearly as effective as they used to be (in fact, they tend to backfire). Although it's a buzz word, consultative selling is what people want. They will buy from you when they know you understand their needs and when they know that you have the knowledge and skill to perform. Your website is simply one way that you can show them you understand them.
3. Your clients aren't interested in what you are interested in. 
   You're clients aren't actively searching for articles on print management or electronic forms. More often than not, they don't understand these things well enough to even know they need to search. Your news and blog on your site must carry content like this so the people can learn, but you also need content they are interested in. Your IT clients care about security and streamlining the way they do business. Make sure that you carry content they care about or they will never consider reading what you care about.
4. Your content alone won't drive traffic.
   We offer a service that publishes content (news and blogs) to your site for you, thus providing your site with valuable, consistent key words for people to search on. However, just publishing the content alone will not drive traffic to your site. If people aren't interested in your content Google won't be interested either. You need to have a concerted approach. Your sales staff need to forward sales opportunity specific blog posts. Your managers need to direct people to the blog and site. You need to actively drive your current customers to your site from newsletters, invoices and email blasts.
5. Your clients don't know all about what you sell.
   Your website is a great opportunity to cross sell your other services. What percentage of your copier/mfp only clients even know that you offer print management? How many of your service customers know that you sell document management solutions? How many problems do your clients face that you can solve today if they simply knew you had the solution? If you drive your current customers to your site for service, supplies, meter submission and current promotions (not to mention for good quality blog content) you will have an opportunity to cross sell your other items.

Corey Smith is the webmaster for CopierCatalog.com.

He also is the Chief Web Architect for Dealer Marketing Systems, the Editor in Chief for OfficeProductNews.net and provides a common sense approach to business and technology on his blog.

You can find him on Twitter, FriendFeed, and LinkedIn.