Design
Overview - Reaching 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? A specified audience or
demographic group for which an advertising message is
designed.
We need
traffic to our site or our efforts are in vain
but we cannot be everything to everyone. Considerations must
be made to determine the types of people that will want and
need to interact with our website.
We need to
consider the following factors:
- gender
- race
- age
group
-
geographical locality
-
profession
|
-
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 understand
your target audience. 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.
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