#122 Mastering Customer Avatars, Universal Search & Smart Website Tools

In this comprehensive episode of the 90-Day Website Mastery Podcast, Jonny Ross and Pascal Fintoni address a crucial question from their community about creating customer personas and avatars for website design projects. The discussion explores why most businesses either lack proper customer personas or fail to use them effectively, and provides a practical roadmap for developing these essential marketing tools. The hosts also examine Universal Search Optimisation (USO) - the evolution beyond traditional SEO that acknowledges how users now search across multiple platforms, from TikTok and ChatGPT to Amazon and podcast platforms. Additionally, they showcase two innovative tools for enhanced content creation and share immediate website improvements that can boost engagement and conversions. If you're a UK business owner, marketing manager, or website administrator looking to improve your digital presence and understand your customers better, this episode delivers actionable insights you can implement straight away.❓How Do I Create Effective Customer Personas for My Website Project? When a website designer requests customer personas or avatars, many business owners feel overwhelmed or admit they've never created them properly. Jonny and Pascal break down the persona development process:Start with daily reflection, not formal workshops - observe patterns during client conversations and meetingsCapture demographic details including sector, seniority level, and decision-making authorityDocument pain points and questions that prospects frequently raiseFocus on language and communication preferences to improve conversion ratesCreate your own template rather than copying generic persona formatsUpdate regularly - personas should be living documents that evolve with your businessUse personas across all marketing - not just website design but social media, SEO, and content strategyRemember the four visitor types: Investigator, Relationship Builder, Dreamer, and Negotiator (from the WebProud methodology) The key insight: targeted messaging to specific personas increases conversion rates without alienating other customer segments.❓What Is Universal Search Optimisation and Why Should UK Businesses Care? Based on Umesh Panchal's analysis for CMSWire, Pascal and Jonny explain why traditional SEO is evolving into Universal Search Optimisation (USO): The Changing Search Landscape:Users now search across multiple platforms, not just Google and BingJonny's 12-year-old daughter searches on TikTok and Snapchat for school informationAI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are becoming primary research toolsGoogle itself now serves AI summaries, featured snippets, and multimedia results Where to Focus USO Efforts:Traditional search engines: Continue optimising for Google and BingSocial media platforms: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedInAI search tools: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and other conversational AIE-commerce marketplaces: Amazon, Etsy, and sector-specific platformsEmerging channels: Podcast platforms, forums, app stores, and digital publications Implementation Strategy:Diversify content formats - combine text, video, audio, and interactive elementsStructure your data properly for AI and search engine...