How to Find the Perfect Customer in Any Niche

When it comes to building a profitable business, it sounds obvious, but it's vital that you figure out who is most likely to give you their money. A common mistake people make with their websites or products is thinking that they will appeal to everybody. This is almost never the case. Even something as prevalent as the light bulb didn't start out with mass appeal - it originally had a target market.

• Income - How much money do they make? From what sources do they derive their income?
• Location - Where do they live? Take vacation? Work?
• Age - How old are they? Note: You can use a range, but the wider that range, the more you have to justify it.
• Gender - Is it intended for males? Females? Both?
• Occupation - What do they do for a living? Do they feel trapped by it, or love it? How long have they been doing it? Do they have plans for advancement?
• Interests - How do they spend their free time? Hobbies, recreation, organizations, etc.
• Miscellaneous - Anything else you can think of. A few examples; religious affiliation, do they have children, medical concerns, watch TV, what kind of music do they listen, and so on.

Once the profile is complete, ask yourself why a person fitting this description would be your perfect customer. This step is at least as important as creating the profile. As you do both steps, you may be surprised at what develops. In fact, you may find you have to make significant changes to your product before it's released.