Leading with this simple question allows your customers to build your business and make all important decisions.  I’m not talking about having your customers come over and build their own products and fill your website with content(although that’s not a bad idea).

I’m talking about working from the customer out, like with SEO.   This is how it’s done online.   The core idea is how can you  help the customer.  That is the key concept to build your website, SEO and whole marketing strategy around.  It’s not to sell more products or services, it’s to solve your customer’s problems.

Sure, we can sell things by persuasion but, like door-to-door salesmen, those jackrabbits that hop to your door just as you are ready to bite into dinner, pushiness is a easily ignored online.

Dale Carnegie once remarked that if someone wants to buy something, they will have bought it already.    So sales and marketing is not helping people buy…folks know how to purchase and easily execute once they are ready.   Sales in my opinion should only be order taking.   Marketing is uncovering needs and linking up the proper services to meet those needs.  Leave the buying up to the customer.

Working from the customer out requires putting your “great ideas” on the back-burner while you survey, sample and listen to what people want.  Start by asking the question, “How can we help you with …”   People will be more than willing to share this information.  The internet actually speeds up this process by providing detailed metrics on what people are searching for in the search engines, types of questions they are asking about in forums and traffic volume on particular topics.

Then, you tailor your business, products and services around meeting the verified needs of your customers.

This is the Essence of SEO

With Search Engine Optimization you work from the customer back, finding out what the customers are looking for online.  Keyword planning during the SEO process is crucial to determine this.

This is a novel and amazing concept which will transform lives when applied.   Work can be a place for service and you will make a large difference in the world.  Meeting peoples needs instead of selling, helping people instead of working.

And lastly, don’t be Microsoft.    They actually restricted this process with their self-stated great new product, the Xbox One.   They received a large amount of customer backlash in the gaming community as they changed the way video games could be bought and sold.

Buying and selling used games is very popular and essential among gamers.     Microsoft made the move and is now reeling to get the good will and positive publicity back before Sony capitalizes on this blunder.

Test and Ask.   Find out what people want and need.  The internet is an ideal place for determining your markets wants and desires.   Only online, can you communicate with customers en masse, along with testing via split test pages, traffic metrics, etc.   Take advantage of this.

So, how can I help you with your internet marketing?