Analyze Audience

Audience analysis

Demographics

Audience analysis is the starting point for any website project. You need to figure out your audiences demographics*: how old they are, where they work, what they earn, where they live, anything that's appropriate. The more that you understand your audience the better are your chances of capturing their attention.

Psychographics

After you've done that, figure out their psychographics. What do they want to accomplish.

People on the internet are seeking information and if you can tell them what they want to know they will respond to your website in a favorable way.

Demographics of Website Visitors

Gathering information

How do you gather this kind of information? Visit the kinds of websites that your target users go to. Read the magazines they are likely to subscribe to. Pay special attention to the ads, because advertisers are doing the same research you're doing to target an audience.

You will have to do your homework on this aspect of website design if you plan on reaching your visitors with your message. Your website must meet the requirements of your website visitors as to their needs and aspirations if you wish to achieve success.

Why You're Losing Traffic and How to Make Them Stay

Your content has to have a goal.

The key thing to remember about audience analysis is the goal of this study: to have a well-defined target audience at the end of the process. The only good audience definition is a specific target definition. You must be able to focus your website content toward a specific group of individuals.

Even if your website is intended for general audiences there will still be certain interests which apply to the population as a whole that you should be targeting. Some universal principles apply to everyone. But, if you are seeking a certain type of individual you need to know specific things about them. The better you can pigeon-hole or niche your audience, the more likely your site will succeed.

Analyze Content

Audience Analysis Resources

There are several resources available to you in your study of the visitors coming to your site but one of the best sources of insight into your visitors mind is researching their reading material.

Collect and study consumer magazines: although there are some general interest magazines, most periodicals go after a well-defined demographic, such as gardening, photography, web designers, etc.. You can use these materials to great effect in targeting your audience.

Remember, knowing your audience makes it easier to write effective, appropriate, and usable content and will serve your visitors interests well.

Website Audience Analysis

*Demographics marketing involves researching who your prospects are and then determining how to position a website to attract them. Important areas are; age specific demographics, languages demographics, regional demographics, business demographics, lifestyle demographics, and interest specific demographics.