If you could ask your visitors three questions?

[zackster]

Nowadays thanks to Twitter I have the ability to reach out to people who visit my website and engage with them. Some people email me directly too, of course, since I always make sure to have a contact address listed.

I think it would be very helpful (keeping with principle of Truth ) to learn more about my visitors. Who are they? What did they come here for? Why?

I feel like three questions is a good number to ask. I could probably talk people into answering three questions.

If you could ask your visitors any 3 questions...

...What would they be?

[Curtis2011]

I would ask them what kind of products they want me to make and sell in the future.


1. Get feedback.
2. Make products.
3. Increase sales.
4. CHA-CHING!~!!!#$$$$$$$

They get what they want, I get what I want

[zackster]

Nice, nice, Curtis...definitely something to consider.

Any long-term views?
For example, maybe knowing more about my audience would help me first grow traffic. Turn it into something special BEFORE the short-term cash out.

But how to frame "knowing more about my audience" into 3 questions...

[zackster]

Anyone have ideas?

I think this is a really important question!

At least, its answer would be useful.

[AlexCD]

What problems are you going through right now?
What problems were you not able to find solutions for?
What are you frustrated with?

Solve people's problems is the key.

[Curtis2011]

Originally Posted by zackster

Nice, nice, Curtis...definitely something to consider.

Any long-term views?
For example, maybe knowing more about my audience would help me first grow traffic. Turn it into something special BEFORE the short-term cash out.

But how to frame "knowing more about my audience" into 3 questions...

Knowing what your audience wants to buy is in no way a short-term cash out. Most businesses make way more money on the back end, that is, selling more products to people who have already bought a product, than they do on the front end, ie the first sale.

I don't see how selling a great product that your customers want to buy is a cash-out? It is something you must do if you want to sell anything at all, that is, find out what someone wants to buy and then make it available to them for purchase. If you try to sell random crap without having a clue what your visitors want to buy, well guess what, you won't be selling very much of it.

A survey of your customers is a great way to get information about what your visitors want, and I've heard many success stories from internet marketers (real guys, not scammers) who get pretty much all their information from surveying their lists of customers and potential customers.

[Weena]

I did ask questions to my "visitors" . You can make an online survey and ask people if they'd answer so you can serve them better. I did a competition as a deal sweetener, the people who answered the (anonymous) survey gave me their name, and one of them won the prize.

[zackster]

Originally Posted by Curtis2011

Knowing what your audience wants to buy is in no way a short-term cash out. Most businesses make way more money on the back end, that is, selling more products to people who have already bought a product, than they do on the front end, ie the first sale.

I don't see how selling a great product that your customers want to buy is a cash-out? It is something you must do if you want to sell anything at all, that is, find out what someone wants to buy and then make it available to them for purchase. If you try to sell random crap without having a clue what your visitors want to buy, well guess what, you won't be selling very much of it.

A survey of your customers is a great way to get information about what your visitors want, and I've heard many success stories from internet marketers (real guys, not scammers) who get pretty much all their information from surveying their lists of customers and potential customers.

I agree it's a good idea in many cases, however, I am skeptical that it generalizes to be applicable in the case of the project I am referring to - CompassionPit.com. Though maybe it is... maybe I should ask visitors what they're struggling with and if they would be interested in reading a book to solve problem X? The thing with that, is, though, I am trying to make CompassionPit into something special and it might turn them off to be marketed to. It's different from marketers with lists of people who are aware they're going to be marketed to when they sign up, and are specifically asking for it, just because they have already identified themselves as a CUSTOMER with a need..

It's like the customers makes a psychological shift into "willing to buy mode"... "I realize this is a problem I have, and I realize I am willing to pay for it"

Maybe someone else can correct me if I'm full of it, but this is my current perception/understanding of customer behavior.

Originally Posted by Weena

I did ask questions to my "visitors" . You can make an online survey and ask people if they'd answer so you can serve them better. I did a competition as a deal sweetener, the people who answered the (anonymous) survey gave me their name, and one of them won the prize.

What questions did you ask them?

Originally Posted by AlexCD

What problems are you going through right now?
What problems were you not able to find solutions for?
What are you frustrated with?

Solve people's problems is the key.

This is helpful.