Preparing your web : Target Audience

Now we know the purpose and theme of our site, we need to know who it is we have created this site for.


We must first address - what is a Target Audience?
Definition: A specified audience or demographic group for which an advertising message is designed.
Now we know the purpose (the reason why the site exists) and theme (what the site is about) of our site, we have to ask ourselves:

Who is it we must reach to achieve the goals of the site?
We need traffic (visitors) to our site or our efforts are in vain but we cannot be everything to everyone. A determination must be sought on the types of people that will want and need to interact with our website.
We need to understand our intended target audience might belong to a specific:

• gender
• race
• age group
• geographical locality
• profession

We need to consider also their:

• technology limitations
• economic situation
• knowledge of the Internet
• online experience
• interests
• hobbies

Once we understand who our target audience is that this site was intended for (website purpose), we can start planning a site that will appeal to this particular audience. In other words, your site has to reflect the needs and interests of its target audience, providing high-value, complementary content that is styled to appeal to them.

How do you find out the needs and interest of your target audience?

• Read - Industry journals, trade magazines, selected news sources.
• Visit - Online forums, message boards, discussion groups, classified ads, other competing websites etc that are based on your target audience's interest.
• Subscribe to - Online ezines and other mailing information of interest to your target audience.
• Belong to - Associations that closely link in with your targeted market.
• Reference - Related online directories and search engines for a wealth of available information.

All of the above are just some examples of where to begin to get into your target audience's shoes. Most of the above will lead off into areas you probably didn't consider. Once you know the type of audience you are seeking, you can start to become them, think like them and anticipate their motives.