When starting a web business, it's important to Know Your Customer! If you are going to design a site, you need to know who you are designing it for. OK, we can just build a site that looks neutrally appealing to any potential visitor, but you'll have a bigger impact if you design for a particular customer - plus you'll stay focused more easily.

Notice the singular "Customer", not "Customers". Pick an individual - is it "John", the middle aged stock broker living in New York, a divorced workaholic? Or is it "Tina" the 28 year old live at home mother of 1, with a hardworking but well paid husband? You can get a picture of "John" or "Tina", and each time you make a design change ask 'What would Tina think of this?' Get inside your customer's head - understand what makes them tick? What do they like? If you can't ask them, create a stereotypical persona and project onto them.

Why? All too often when surfing around the web, I stumble on sites and find myself asking - who is this for? There are sites around with no market. If you consider selling screwdrivers online, you have to ask, would "Tina" or "John" buy them? If not, then is there a persona that would? And if there is no persona, then don't do it! It's very easy to throw a website together, but to put a web business together takes a greater understanding of your potential market - if you don't, someone else will. Your idea isn't unique, but your presentation could be.

But, if I target a small market segment, surely I'm cutting out thousands of other potential customers? Not so! Just because your focus is on the "Tina's" of the world, doesn't mean "John" won't buy from you. And if John buys from you - Take The Money! :) Trying to be the best for one market segment is more effective than trying to be something for everyone. Know Your Customer, and understand them.