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Do you remember heading out to your local playground, seeing your friends, and collectively deciding on what to do, and if someone grimaced, you figured something was wrong, and you changed plans? If you've ever asked a group of people questions to find out their opinions so that their views would inform the decision you chose to make, you understand the concept of a focus group. Online focus groups are fantastic for any service business. They are a powerful tool you can use to understand what people think about your business, services, marketing, and more. However, to run a focus group efficiently, you must be clear about the top 8-10 things you want to know from online focus group participants. With this said, you want to respect attendees' time by preparing questions ahead of time. You should also limit your meeting to about an hour. Structuring Your Focus Group Questions Start your questions with "how," "what," or "why" to get focus group attendees talking. Then, follow each question with a question that aims to take the initial inquiry a step deeper. You can say something as simple as, "please, tell me more." Make sure you only ask one question at a time. Don't ask two questions in one question. A sign that you are simultaneously asking two questions would be that you've used the word "and" in your inquiry. For example, a question you shouldn't ask would be the following: "What do you eat and drink when you go to an Italian restaurant?" Instead, ask: What do you eat when you go to an Italian restaurant? (AND THEN) What do you drink when you go to an Italian restaurant? You also want to be sure to ask questions about your attendees' buying motives and brand perceptions, including feedback on any brand marketing you're doing. The focus group is your opportunity to make the best use of a captive audience. Just know that you may need to run your focus group a few times with different people. Then, when you start the hear similar answers in group sessions, you can stop. Selecting Online Focus Group Participants As for online focus group attendees, you should select consumers you would love to work with to reach your business goals. For example, if you are a lawyer catering to small businesses making over $250,000 in revenues, interview 10+ small business owners making this amount of money or more. Now, if you don't know anyone, tap your family members and friends. Don't overlook them because they're close to you. I've gotten some of the best consumer insights from honest conversations with my inner circle. People in your network can also be great for your focus group. Incentives for Focus Group Participants For some, getting focus group participants without offering an incentive can be a real challenge. If this is the case, think about providing an incentive to those who participate in your focus group. Incentives can range from a complimentary service to a gift card. Moderating Online Focus Groups With your attendees secured, you have to prepare to moderate your online focus group. Make sure you formalize how you approach them and where you bring them together. An online video chat would be a great place. Make sure you record the meeting to replay your video and analyze it later. Be sure to introduce yourself and let people know you'll be recording them and that you need to see their faces and upper body. Let them know that responses will remain anonymous and collected only for research. Then, it's your responsibility to set the mood and expectations for your online focus group. It is also your job, during your focus group, to keep the group on topic and elicit responses.

A while back, I was asked to visit any business of my choice to people-watch. While watching people, I was to take notes on social interactions. For this post, the establishment will go unnamed. But, I aim to show you the importance of observing your target audience. Spying On People In A Restaurant The individuals I decided to observe were those in a barbecue joint with a happy-hour lunchtime. Unfortunately, the restaurant didn’t look open from the outside to set the scene, and the steps and awning needed repair. In many ways, this restaurant did not look welcoming and was not well lit from the inside. Instead, natural light from a street-facing picture window filled the space. Entering the venue, all patrons happened to be in the bar area. They were either sitting at the dark wood bar or on stools at matching dark wood highboy tables. Sadly, the servers were as uninviting as the restaurant looked. Servers didn't greet arriving guests. Only after guests sat themselves did they interact with them. Servers also responded to guests who waved them down for help or whom they knew already—the guests whom servers did not communicate with kept to themselves. Generational Cohorts In The Restaurant Among all the patrons in the space, there were five distinct generational cohorts. Seniors The first person I observed was a senior man who looked like he had been at the bar for a while. On the bar laid the man’s bifocals and a knit hat as he silently watched basketball highlights on ESPN with his second dry martini arriving. When he finished his drink, he quietly paid his bill and left the restaurant. Generation Xers and Echo Boomers The Echo Boomer was much more boisterous than the Gen Xer. She dominated the conversation, and the Gen Xer only interjecting occasionally. But, when a Gen X male entered the bar, the Gen X woman became more talkative while the Echo Boomer shied away from speaking loud around the men. Xennials The Xennials in the restaurant, born between 1977 and 1983, kept to themselves. They seemed comfortable eating alone with mobile phones close. Just know, Xennials are known to be a tech-savvy generation with money to spend. For this reason, Xennials are a prime target for restaurateurs or should be. Millennials ​Similarly, Millennials were standoffish. They were connected to their electronic devices at lunch like the Xennials. The Millennials at the restaurant were two young females. They were not together, but both wore listened to music and texted while eating lunch. Restless, one continued to leave her seat to people-watch through the window. The other young woman wanted to text more than engage with anyone at the bar and people-watch. According to the marketer, Michael Solomon, we should expect the younger generations (Millennials and Xennials) to be more comfortable multitasking in this capacity – dining while using multiple electronic devices. Marketing Recommendations After Observations At the end of my observation, here were my marketing recommendations for the restaurant I never delivered to them, but maybe I should've... 1. Cater to Solo Diners With more people dining alone, the restaurant's large bar was perfect for solo patrons. According to restauranteur Mike Egan, "Single diners do not like sitting at tables for two. They like sitting up at the bar or a counter-type operation." But, for those who are single, they also like to people-watch. So, it would be ideal if there were seats by the window in the bar I visited for solo diners to do so. Catering to solo diners would also help make a better restaurant experience for a significant cross-section of generational cohorts observed. 2. Have Staff Act As Substitute Dinner Companions The restaurant could've provided places to charge cell phones. So often, people leave restaurants because they can't charge their phones. This change would allow patrons to stay longer and eat and drink more, as mobile phones have become a substitute for human dinner companions. And with a mobile phone, many diners find it easier to dine alone, according to the Waitrose Food and Drink Report 2017-18. On the flip side, servers can also act as dinner companions, which means that the restaurant could benefit from training employees on communicating better with patrons. This change would undoubtedly be beneficial to the restaurant during lulls. The word would spread about the fun environment during downtimes and help to increase sales. 3. Upgrade The Restaurant Menu The layout of a menu is so vital to a restaurant. Therefore, improving the restaurant's marketing would include an upgrade of the restaurant's menu design. The font size should be 12pt or larger for everyone to see since older adults are a prime restaurant market. According to Michael Solomon, seniors control "more than 50 percent of discretionary income." More importantly, the menus looked worn and a little dirty. A restaurant menu in this state has been known to make consumers lose their appetite and not return. A new menu design should improve customer retention. If designed well, it should act as a silent salesperson. 4. Promote Happy Hour Happy hour at this restaurant begins at noon, and by noon, everyone in this establishment had a happy-hour drink. Yet, with happy hour drinks being a big seller, the venue did not advertise the happy hour in front of the venue or bar. Happy hour menu items were also on the back of the menu. The restaurant could also: Put up signage by the bar promoting happy hour drinks and the pricing. Place a sandwich board on the street to promote happy hour. Give the happy hour more real estate on the menu or create happy-hour table displays. Lessons Learned Before dining in the restaurant, I didn't expect to observe much. I've seen this restaurant very busy, as well as empty. The time of day makes a significant difference in how busy the restaurant might be. Also, people are complicated, and you never know what you may learn from their behaviors. Moreover, "being there" during fieldwork is an exercise in patience. Making sure you "blend in" can be challenging. Restaurant servers did begin to act weird around me. I can only assume that they were trying to figure out if I was a restaurant critic. Being undercover is like hiding in plain sight, and in my case, I have realized that I would have to find a better way to hide in doing this type of qualitative research. One significant change I would make would be to take notes in a small notebook rather than a big one. Doing this would draw less attention to myself. In the future, I would also create more intentional social disruptions during my observation to see how everyone responds. Lastly, you can know your target audience better by observing them. Your audience can be at an event, at work, or in a store. You can create better business growth strategies with the more you know.

Websites help businesses showcase their brand and all their brand has to offer. They should also be profitable with the perfect blend of visual appeal and visitor usability. Websites also help deliver a message explicitly crafted for a specific target audience. Messaging that can articulate a brand’s promise and build brand trust. So, hiring the right website designer is key. But, all website designers are not created equal. Many brand guardians are figuring this out the hard way. They are learning that a crappy website will result in nothing but slow profits. And, with so many people out here creating poorly designed websites, I know you are scared — scared of getting ripped off or stuck with a design that makes you sad, so here’s my holy grail rundown of how to best go about hiring a website designer for your brand. 1. The website designer should ask you for and know what a brand strategy is. If a website designer does not ask you for any brand guidelines, do know you are on the road to wasting money and time. When you are not clear about your brand personality and the colors that align with that personality, you will be missing the opportunity to create a website with a greater chance of converting visitors to quality leads who understand the value you offer. If you are excited about having your website designed more than once, please proceed with creating your website without a brand strategy. 2. The website designer should have a good-looking website. It is okay to judge a web designer based on their website. If you visit a web designer’s site and are not impressed, you can expect your website to look the same. Now, if you feel like you don’t have an eye for design to judge, here are a few things to check for: Does the website look outdated? Do page elements seem too close for comfort? Do page elements look out of alignment? Does the website have numerous typos and broken links? 3. Don’t judge the potential quality of a website on price. You could find website pricing guidelines, but many designers do not know that this type of research exists. However, some do know general guidelines exist but don’t care to align with them. For the most part, many designers are just trying to provide fair pricing if they are ethical. Unfortunately, this attempt to figure out pricing often leads to designers underpricing or overpricing their services. Just expect that the more reputable to company, the more you may pay for the service. Price differences would be like comparing a Michelin-star restaurant to a fast-food joint. What you must do is work within your budget. This means that you must have a realistic budget. I know you want quality work. But, realistically, quality work will never be cheap. And if it is, someone is cutting some corners. So, penny-pinch if you want to, but it’s very likely you will be doing yourself no favors. You may not see the value in investing more money than you want to in your brand. But going dirt cheap is what has led to a slew of bad website designers on the market. These are designers who have clients flooding social media timelines with website design horror stories. 4. Determine why there is a price difference between website designers. There are various reasons for price differences, and you must compare them with a leveled head. A designer may be more expensive for a few reasons, including: Having high-touch clients Offering more website deliverables Creating custom vs. templated website designs To find out where the differences lie, do not be afraid to show the deliverables of one designer to another — ask why the prices are different. Now, if you really like a designer but cannot afford them, don’t desperately go for the deal that seems too good to be true. Instead, ask the designer to scale the website design back to something in your price range. This way, you can have a website design you can build out over time with them, which is better than working with someone who will not provide your website with a solid foundation from the start. 5. Check to see if the web designer has a portfolio. If a designer does not have a portfolio, they could be new to freelancing or consulting or do not have any good designs to show. If the designer is new, prepare to be a guinea pig and pray they can do the job well. If they are not a good designer, best believe they will not do much better at designing your website. And, please do not hire a company just because they list many clients but show no work. You don’t know if these clients are real or fake. You also cannot discern the scope of the actual work they performed for the client they’ve listed. Now, if the web designer has a portfolio, see if they show variety or if their designs look very similar. If their designs look very similar, and it is what you like, by all means, contact the designer. In any event, always check portfolios before signing a contract. 6. Does the designer only compose layouts, or do they create graphic designs as well? Technically, web designers are responsible for the computer-related aspects of a website design project. These responsibilities include: Writing code for website functionality Making sure the layout of a website looks well put together The graphic designer handles visual concepts. One person can do both, or two people will need to complete your website. If who you hire is just a website designer, you will need to hire an extra person. But, if you find someone who can provide both services, pay that one person the same way you would pay two people or close to it. This person had to double-duty to build up both skills, and you’re paying for expertise and convenience. 7. Beware of poor customer service. From the start, if a designer is unresponsive, has a bad attitude, or jerks you around, don’t do business with them. Also, stay away from designers that take more than 1-2 business days to get back to you. If they are too busy or lazy to reply promptly, you can expect this when working together. Don’t expect a response on the weekends, holidays, or when the designer is on vacation. Be considerate. Something else to be examined is the designer’s onboarding process. If a designer does not have one, you should rethink working with the designer. A designer should have a step-by-step approach to get you to your end goal of having a fabulous website design. They should also have questionnaires and document the discussions they have with you. 8. Is your website designer in your location? Guess what? It DOES NOT MATTER where they are located! There’s NO NEED to sit down with a website designer in person. If you need to have a meeting, a video call or phone call should do. Creating a website is a computer-based service. Be considerate and think about travel time and costs. If you’re not willing to pay for transportation, travel time, and the meeting time, don’t make designers travel. What should matter most should be the designer’s customer service and work. 9. Your designer should give you options. A website designer should either give you more than one design option to choose from or give you the ability to request design edits. Some designers will do both but find this all out before approving the quote or proposal. 10. Don’t expect your website designer to be your marketing agency. You should not expect a designer to do more than website design, like content writing. Some agencies offer more than one service because they have the staff to handle the request. But, most consultants do not excel at a laundry list of marketing tactics. Instead, have an honest conversation with your designer. Learn what their strengths and weaknesses are. 11. Good designers and good clients respect deadlines and meeting times. A website designer should provide you with a rough timeline of how long the design project will take. Just know that it can never be exact because edits will be part of the design process. So, be realistic. Also, you, the client, often end up being the bottleneck in accomplishing the design deliverable. With this said, treat people how you want them to treat you. For example, if you don’t want a designer making you wait forever for a response, don’t make the designer wait for you. It is not only unfair but borderline abusive. 12. Your designer should offer a formal service contract for your project. Even if you provide a deposit to start work, a designer should be clear about what you want and if they can do it for you. They should also follow up on your conversation with a service contract. The contract should outline: The service Terms of the service Payment terms Confidentiality Who owns the domain and copyright to your website (as you should) Graphics and content ownership (once paid for, should be all yours) What happens in the event things go badly Photo ownership (the photographer owns the stock photos) And their termination policy 13. Will the designer maintain your website after the initial design? Not every designer wants to or can manage the websites they create. In this case, you may have to find someone else to do manage or maintain your website. Whether it is another designer or a virtual assistant, you will need someone to update your website. 14. Does the designer create easy-to-maintain websites in the event they cannot, or will not, manage your site for you? The worst stories I hear are from people who have a website but are unable to update it. Now, their business is suffering. 15. Does the designer provide original and editable source files? Source files will help you to make website changes in the future without any problems. And you don’t want problems. This wraps up the 15 things you should consider before hiring a freelance website designer. Bonus Considerations Now, let’s get more personal. Lastly, think about how you feel after talking to the designer. Do you feel like you can have a good rapport with them? Do they seem comfortable discussing their expertise? Was the initial conversation productive? Can they turn the design around by the time you want it? I hope you like the bonus questions. All I want is for you to be armed with the information you need to make the best buying decision. No one wants a headache, only a smooth design process.

You're already used to researching what you want before making a purchase, from checking out Seamless and Amazon reviews for the best item to asking your friends the best place to go on a vacation. What's a little research to make sure you pick the right direction for your marketing and promotions after you've tackled your brand and messaging strategy? Due diligence never hurt anybody, and it's the best way to approach your marketing, especially your social media marketing. Like you, many service businesses want to be actively present on social media but do not know how to use social media effectively to achieve their business goals. Since the best use of social media for a service business is to build brand awareness, you want your business to win on the battlefield for attention. Winning requires being targeted with your efforts to build brand awareness by running A/B tests on your content. Why A/B Test? Just because you were told which content marketing tactics would work best on social media marketing efforts does not mean that the recommended marketing tactics will necessarily work for you and your target audience. You have to determine what your audience wants to watch, read, or hear from you. For example, pictures may work for your best friend's business, but your audience prefers to watch videos. How To A/B Test You can A/B test your content by producing and distributing similar content but with one element of the content changed. A change to the content may mean swapping out the main image on social media but keeping the copy or altering the blog's title but not changing the blog's body copy. You can check out the examples below for more context. For example, do you see how only the content in red changed and not the entire design? What's most important is that you test one change at a time. If you run tests on too many elements, you will struggle to determine which change achieved the best results, which will defeat the test's purpose. Keep in mind that A/B testing is a method of marketing testing meant to optimize conversions. So, if you want to maximize the impact of your content, A/B testing is the way to go. What About Split Test? Split testing for your service business marketing is not A/B testing. For example, to conduct a split test, you would use, let's say, one of your social media posts as the control and then create an entirely different design for the same post to see which one your audience likes more. ​ Below is an example of a split test with most of the layout altered when comparing both designs. Ways To A/B Test Same Copy Different Images With social media posts, you can create one with the same copy but with different images. Same Images Different Copy You can create a post with the same picture while changing the text copy. Image vs. No Image You could also test posts with the same text but one with an image and one without a picture. We all hear that posts with visuals do better, but that may not be the case for your service business. Other A/B Testing Variations You can run an A/B test by either changing a post's length, style, tone, or hashtags. Add a quote, emojis, or bullet points to switch things up, too. This exercise will help you to see which posts receive more engagement and use the content that works best for your audience. Also, be sure to test different changes to your content on various platforms. For example, what seems to work well for your service business on Instagram may not work as well on Twitter.

Marketing is a critical component of any successful business. Without a well-planned and executed marketing strategy, it's challenging to gain visibility, attract new customers, and grow your business over time. A well-planned and executed marketing strategy is a comprehensive approach to promoting a business that is designed to achieve specific goals and objectives. It includes various marketing tactics and initiatives that work together to attract and engage potential customers and ultimately lead to business growth. There are several elements that make up a well-planned and executed marketing strategy, including: A clear understanding of the target audience: A successful marketing strategy starts with a deep understanding of the target audience. This includes identifying their needs, wants, preferences, and pain points, as well as their behavior and preferences when it comes to engaging with businesses. A solid brand strategy: A strong brand strategy is the foundation of any successful marketing plan. This includes developing a clear and distinct brand identity that reflects the values and personality of the business, as well as establishing a unique selling proposition that sets the business apart from competitors. A comprehensive messaging strategy: An effective messaging strategy communicates the brand's value proposition and unique selling points to the target audience through consistent messaging across all marketing channels. A variety of marketing tactics: A well-planned marketing strategy utilizes a mix of marketing tactics that are tailored to the target audience and the business's goals. This may include content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, paid advertising, and more. A focus on metrics and analytics: An effective marketing strategy includes a focus on metrics and analytics to measure the effectiveness of marketing tactics and optimize campaigns for better results. This includes tracking website traffic, social media engagement, and conversion rates. By incorporating these elements into a marketing strategy, businesses can create a plan that is tailored to their specific goals and objectives, and effectively reach and engage with their target audience to drive business growth. And while word-of-mouth marketing can be an effective way to generate new business, it's not enough to rely solely on this approach. Your business needs a comprehensive 360-degree marketing initiative to remain competitive and stand out in a crowded marketplace. To develop an effective marketing strategy, you need to start with a winning mindset that is committed to achieving your business goals. From there, you can create a brand strategy and messaging strategy that accurately represents your business, values, and services. The brand strategy should focus on developing a clear brand identity, which includes elements such as brand positioning, brand promise, brand story, brand personality, and brand voice and tone. These elements will help you differentiate your business from your competitors and establish a strong position in the market. Once you have a clear brand strategy in place, it's time to focus on creating brand expressions, such as a website, logo, and other visual and verbal assets. Your website is one of the most important platforms for promoting your business and connecting with potential customers. To ensure your website is effective, it should be designed to address the concerns and needs of your target audience. Your website should be easy to navigate, provide valuable information, and offer a clear call-to-action that encourages visitors to engage with your business. Another essential aspect of your marketing strategy is building an email list of interested prospects. You can grow your email list by offering a valuable resource, such as a free ebook or webinar, in exchange for an email address. To ensure your content is engaging and easy to consume, it should be well-written and formatted for readability. The easier your content is to read and understand, the more likely it is that potential customers will find value in it and share it with others. In conclusion, marketing is a necessary component of any business, and without a well-planned and executed strategy, it's challenging to grow and remain competitive. By developing a clear brand strategy, creating a user-friendly website, and building an email list of interested prospects, you can establish your business as a leader in the industry and attract new customers. If you need help with your brand strategy, just click the button below and fill out my contact form.

In today's highly competitive business environment, it can be challenging for a brand to stand out in a crowded industry. However, with the right brand strategy and understanding of consumer behavior, it is possible to differentiate yourself from the competition and establish a strong position in the market. In this post, we will explore ten ways a business can stand out in a crowded industry using brand strategy and consumer behavior. 1. Develop a clear brand identity A clear and distinct brand identity can help a business stand out from the competition. A strong brand identity includes a unique brand name, logo, color scheme, and voice that is consistent across all channels. 2. Know your target audience Understanding your target audience is essential to building a successful brand. By knowing their needs, interests, and pain points, you can create targeted messaging that resonates with them. 3. Identify your unique selling proposition (USP) Your unique selling proposition (USP) is what sets your brand apart from the competition. Identifying your USP will help you differentiate your brand and focus your marketing efforts. 4. Build a strong online presence A strong online presence is essential in today's digital age. A website, social media accounts, and online reviews can all help to establish your brand as a leader in the industry. 5. Create valuable content Content marketing is an effective way to engage with your audience and establish your brand as an authority in the industry. Creating valuable content, such as blog posts, whitepapers, and videos, can help to drive traffic to your website and increase brand awareness. 6. Utilize social media Social media is a powerful tool for building brand awareness and engaging with your audience. By using social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, you can connect with your target audience and build a loyal following. 7. Offer exceptional customer service Exceptional customer service can set your brand apart from the competition. By going above and beyond to satisfy your customers and stakeholders, you can build a loyal following and support and establish a positive reputation in the industry. 8. Create a unique customer experience Creating a unique customer experience can help to differentiate your brand and build a loyal following. This could include personalized marketing, exclusive offers, or a unique shopping experience for your customers. 9. Leverage influencers Influencer marketing is a powerful way to increase brand awareness and reach a new audience. By partnering with influencers in your industry, you can tap into their followers and establish your brand as a leader in the space. 10. Monitor and adjust your strategy It's important to monitor the success of your brand strategy and make adjustments as necessary. Analyzing metrics like website traffic, social media engagement, and sales can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your strategy for maximum impact. However, these ways to stand out can be further supported by understanding the customer decision journey. The Consumer Decision Journey The customer decision journey is a framework that describes the stages a consumer goes through before making a purchase. By understanding the customer decision journey, businesses can tailor their brand strategy to address the needs and concerns of the consumer at each stage of the journey. For example, during the awareness stage of the customer decision journey, a business may focus on building brand awareness and creating targeted messaging that speaks to the consumer's needs and interests. This could include developing content marketing materials that educate the consumer about the benefits of the product or service. During the consideration stage, a business may focus on creating a unique customer experience that differentiates the brand from the competition. This could include personalized marketing, exclusive offers, or a unique shopping experience that helps the consumer see the value of the brand. Finally, during the decision stage, a business may focus on offering exceptional customer service and leveraging social proof to help the consumer make their final decision. This could include providing reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers or offering a money-back guarantee to help the consumer feel more confident in their purchase decision. By tailoring their brand strategy to address the needs and concerns of the consumer at each stage of the customer decision journey, businesses can stand out in a crowded industry and establish a strong position in the market. Final Thoughts In conclusion, standing out in a crowded industry is a challenge, but it is possible with the right brand strategy and understanding of consumer behavior. By developing a clear brand identity, understanding your target audience, identifying your unique selling proposition, and understanding your customer decision journey, you can differentiate your brand and build a loyal following. Using social media, offering exceptional customer service, and creating a unique customer experience are also all effective ways to increase brand awareness and establish a strong position in the market. By leveraging influencers and monitoring and adjusting your strategy, you can continue to refine your approach and maintain your competitive edge in the industry.