The best way to ensure that you completely understand your
target audience is to speak with them and make sure you understand
their mindset and what they think of your product/service and the
way you comunicate it.
You can't speak with everyone, but you can ask them questions
via a survey. I recommend asking the following questions (adjust
the wording as you see fit):
- Who are you? Get the demographical data and
see if there are any trends (e.g. generational). If you've got a
B2B business, ask about their industry and position in the company
(and who makes the decision!)
- What are you using [your product] for? What problem does
it solve for you? Here you want to make sure you understand their
problem. You might discover some unintended uses as well.
- How is your life better thanks to it? Which tangible
improvements in your life or business have you seen? This will tell
you the end-benefit your product provides in the words of your
customers. If some say really nice things, hit them up for
testimonials or case studies.
- What do you like about our product the most? Learn what
your customers think is the best part of your product, and mention
it prominently in your copy
- Did you consider any alternatives to our product (prior to
signing up)? If so, which ones? You want to know who people
compare you to. Next step is that you need to build a 'compare'
page where you compare yourself to the competition and make a case
for your advantages
- What made you sign up for our product? What convinced
you that it's a good decision? Why did you choose us over others?
You want to know what's working for you in your current website +
identify some advantages you might want to emphasize more.
- Which doubts and hesitations did you have before
joining? Identify main sources of friction, and address them
(or fix them if they're usability problems).
- Which questions did you have, but couldn't find answers
to? 50% of the purchases are not completed due to insufficient
information. This helps you identify some of the missing
information your customers want.
- Anything else you would like to tell us? Leave room for
feedback you don't know to ask.
- What else would you like to buy from us (if we were
smart enough to offer it)? Ideas for new products or services your
customers are ready to pay for
Using Google Docs forms, SurveyMonkey or
similar tools is perfectly fine for this.