Searching for WaaS Customers in the Wrong Places

When Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks, he said, “because that’s where the money is.”

Now I’m not suggesting that you become a bank robber, (but if you do make sure to send me an affiliate check :P) but on a more serious note, the same principles apply when searching for your ideal customers. You need to get your message in front of them, by placing it where they already are.

Obviously if you place your ads or messaging somewhere where your ideal customers aren’t at, they’ll most likely never find you.

Now as obvious as this sounds, you’ll be amazed on how many people I’ve talked to who actually ignore this. They spend so much on activities that don’t put their message in front of their target audiences.

I assume you’re like most and don’t have money to burn on ineffective advertising, especially if you’re just getting your websites as a service (WaaS) up and running. Spending more than you need on customer acquisition is a quick road to failure.

Shiny objects syndrome

If you’re anything like me, you’ll see a new tool or marketing method that will “easily solve” your client acquisition challenges and you’re quick to buy and try it. Stop! Don’t let new ineffective marketing tactics waste more of your time or money. (Trust me, I’m writing to myself more than anyone else when it comes to shiny objects. I’m a sucker for them!)

I see a lot of our WaaS.PRO customers spending so much time and money on strategies like search engine marketing, social media, blog posts and other time consuming busy work that doesn’t necessarily net many sales.

Now don’t get me wrong, all of these things can be helpful to an extent, but only if your target audience is paying attention to these channels. Otherwise you’re wasting your time and money if they’re not.

Honestly if your prospective customer is searching for a WaaS solution that will solve a critical issue for their company, do you really think they’ll be looking for it on Pinterest?

But that’s not to say your niche isn’t on Facebook or LinkedIn. I’m just saying you need to have a good understanding where your WaaS customers are.

Don’t get too fixated on new digital tactics either. You’re most likely overlooking some very effective traditional tactics that could work much better for you. I’ve had customers tell me that they’ve had great success at trade shows. Others have told me good ol’ post card mailers attracted a lot of qualified opportunities for them. You never really know until you try for yourself.

Unsure where your prospects are

Some companies just don’t know where the right places are.

We can make a lot of guesses about how our prospective customers think. We can even make some sophisticated guesses that involve deep market research and behavioral analysis.

But just because you create an in-depth “buyer avatar” doesn’t mean it will tell you where you’ll find them. Where do they go when they’re looking for a new website? Who do they ask for recommendations and referrals from, etc.?

When I work with WaaS developers in helping them create their strategies, I often suggest that the easiest way to get these answers is to ask a few of their customers. If they don’t yet have customers, I suggest that they identify a few ideal prospects and ask them if they could share their research and buying experiences with them.

What they’ll often find is that they’re prospects are searching specific keywords online that they hadn’t yet thought of, or that they go to particular trade shows and/or read a particular publication to get answers. Then there are times where I have heard of totally unexpected sources.

Once you can figure out where your target prospects go when they’re searching for a website solution, it’s a lot easier and less expensive to put your marketing message in front of them.

Michael Short

Michael Short

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WaaS Marketing

Hi, I’m Michael Short, creator of WaaS.PRO, and the founder/CEO of Blitz Industries, Inc.  Before we started WaaS.PRO, my team and I spent many years in the agency business and what seems like THOUSANDS of hours on our own WaaS network. We’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to marketing and we’ve carried this experience over to marketing websites-as-a-service (WaaS) solutions.  Whatever issue you’re facing, there’s a good chance that we’ve seen it before. We started WaaS.PRO to share our experiences with you (the good, the bad and the ugly.) Our focus with these articles is to provide practical, actionable advice that will hopefully have a measurable impact on you and your WaaS business.

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