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n If you could improve one key aspect of your marketing at a stroke
what would it be?

I cannot pretend that this is an exhaustive list of questions that I ask in
any specific situation. The answers to good questions always lead to sup-
plementary questions and they often only have relevance in the light of
what has already been discussed. Similarly, not all of the questions listed
will be the key questions to which your specific situation and strategy
demands full and careful answers. They should, however, be of consider-
able relevance and, at the very worst, they will remind you of the impor-
tant questions that you ought to be asking yourself.

From a marketer’s viewpoint whether you market online or in the local
flea market you must always keep in the forefront of your mind:

n Who is my best type of customer?
n What do they need?
n What do they want (WOMAN – wants overcome (lack of) money

and needs)?
n What motivates them to buy?
n What motivates them to buy from a specific supplier?
n How can I give them more of what they like?
n How are their interests, needs and desires changing?
n If they want “A” today could they be persuaded to want “B”

tomorrow?
n What is the lifetime value of a customer?
n How much can I spend to attract the right customer?
n How will I delight and go on delighting my customers?
n How can I dump those who are more trouble than they are worth

without damaging my reputation, credibility and image?
n How can I make the best, most economical use of emerging

technology to delight and go on delighting my customers?

Ten tips for the small (and large) business
website (and for consultants)

1. Identity – Be clear about who you are and what you offer from the
customer’s viewpoint.

2. Take a pride in your expertise, but don’t try to push what customers
don’t want.

3. Creativity – be creative, but never cloud the purpose of your business
with cleverness for its own sake.

174 Key management questions