Comments on: Know your audience – whoever they are http://rockley.com/blog/?p=39 Thoughts and essays on content management Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:34:47 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Charles Cooper http://rockley.com/blog/?p=39&cpage=1#comment-345 Charles Cooper Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:53:41 +0000 http://rockley.com/blog/?p=39#comment-345 I agree, it's obvious, but it's still surprising how often organisations don't manage to do it, especially over the long term. Often, as a website ages, it changes and becomes focused on the needs of the company (sell, sell, sell), rather than the needs of the users (where can I find that information?). Sometimes the audience simply changes over time, and the company doesn't realise it. Suddenly the company finds that site visits are shorter, there are fewer of them and web logs show that people are looking for information - but can't find it, and so they leave. You have to design the communication (website, whatever) with your customers and their needs in mind, but also remember to keep up with them as their needs change. Remember to have a close look at the page now and then and ask - does this still meet the needs of my customers? Good point about the advertisers. Usually a website has many diverse audiences and you have to be able to serve their (sometimes) conflicting needs well to be successful. If you're advertising on a site, it can bring in a whole new level of complexity. I agree, it’s obvious, but it’s still surprising how often organisations don’t manage to do it, especially over the long term.

Often, as a website ages, it changes and becomes focused on the needs of the company (sell, sell, sell), rather than the needs of the users (where can I find that information?). Sometimes the audience simply changes over time, and the company doesn’t realise it. Suddenly the company finds that site visits are shorter, there are fewer of them and web logs show that people are looking for information – but can’t find it, and so they leave.

You have to design the communication (website, whatever) with your customers and their needs in mind, but also remember to keep up with them as their needs change. Remember to have a close look at the page now and then and ask – does this still meet the needs of my customers?

Good point about the advertisers. Usually a website has many diverse audiences and you have to be able to serve their (sometimes) conflicting needs well to be successful. If you’re advertising on a site, it can bring in a whole new level of complexity.

]]> By: Contented Management » Create a commercial persona http://rockley.com/blog/?p=39&cpage=1#comment-340 Contented Management » Create a commercial persona Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:48:15 +0000 http://rockley.com/blog/?p=39#comment-340 [...] a lot of stuff on the web about knowing your audience. It’s pretty obvious really: understand who the people are who visit your site, the kind of [...] [...] a lot of stuff on the web about knowing your audience. It’s pretty obvious really: understand who the people are who visit your site, the kind of [...]

]]>