Memo to marketing: It's all about the customer

I suppose that seems obvious -- marketing is supposed to focus on how your business meets the customer's needs, right? In real life, it seems, not so much.

I look at a lot of websites for professionals and small businesses. And for many, rather than being about the customer, it's all about me: my services, my credentials, my books, my TV appearances, my philosophy. While all of that is impressive, I'm not convinced that clients make a decision to use your services based solely on your credentials, or even your philosophy.

If you need a surgeon, yes, you do want someone who has performed the procedure successfully many, many times. And maybe you don't care if his bedside manner is a little lacking in empathy and sensitivity. But for other services, I think people want someone who understands their needs and creates a solution to fill those needs, rather than just working off a checklist. It's not that credentials and experience are not important. But I think that's not the only thing, or even the most important thing, that should be on your website.

It's not surprising that small business websites focus on credentials or a list of services. The owner of the business -- the person who's providing services to the client -- is also the marketing department. If you're a good therapist or chiropractor or nutritionist or attorney, you're not necessarily a good marketer.

So, go talk to your marketing department. Take a few minutes to put yourself in the mind of your ideal customer, look at your home page, and ask yourself: Does this professional understand my needs? How will he or she help solve my problem? If your answer is, "maybe" or "I'm not sure," then think about tweaking your site. Make sure it focuses on your customer's needs and how what you do meets those needs.

It's not about you. It's about your customer.