En Affaires? En Ligne!: Case Study

We’ve been calling him “Mr. Gruff,” and I’ll continue with that shorthand. Leading characteristics: small, probably established business owner. Intelligent, which is why he’s wary of jumping into new media. Keeps a tight rein on the business budget, probably from necessity. May be curious, may worry that an important way of making connections is passing him by, but unable to see the direct value in getting online at this point. This is the classic “web-resistant” or “web-reluctant.”

Key questions will be: If I’m not using the Internet, why should I believe everybody else is? How does this compliment or enhance the advertising I already do? How does this make me money? How much trouble is it going to cause me/ time is it going to take up after you hand it over? Are there lots of hidden charges/ long-term fees I don’t know about that you’ll hit me up for endlessly?

A Québécois small business owner is, statistically, more image conscious than typical business owners. This should help him to understand the value of a good-looking website, as opposed to a cheap, throw-it-together site. (Like any other small business owner, he may have, or once have had, a nasty ugly web-1.0 site that was totally useless, which will make him more wary but more easily convinced that a better site has value and an ugly site has none.)

Sub-personas which subtly influence how you need to pitch them on the site and in person:
No-frills— (most needing education, most wary, nagging understanding of the need, least disposable income for the business—may even fear losing the business, sticks to the old ways in spite of that).

I’ve arrived— (thinks no-frills folks are beneath him, appreciates more hand-holding, established, jaded, very tight rein on purse is part of his success, knows the site he has hasn’t produced anything).

I’m hot stuff— (image is way more important in QC than in the ROC, and a small businessperson who’s thriving after the economic downturn feels he deserves to be quite proud of that; can be influenced by “You need a site befitting your company’s status” argument; still knows his numbers very well and must see value)

Focus:

In this case you’ll want two, because the QC small business owner will strongly identify both as a Québécois and as a struggling or accomplished small business owner.

Focus 1. The best of Québec pride. Forward-thinking. More focus on style, sentiment/ emotion, and image than in a typical B2B interaction.

Focus 2. Small-businessperson. Established. Proud of surviving ups and downs and believes if what he’s done has worked so far, why change? May be a determined do-it-yourselfer, or may be a hands-off delegator…. Slow to decide/ change until the right trigger presents itself,… probably aware that ineffective or no web strategy is costing him business.

Key goals for design and copy of site:

• Visually simple.
• Directed experience.
• Repetition. Use copy to repeat—Value. Ease. Intimate understanding of the particular needs of Québec small business and the Québec customer base.

These would always be good rules of thumb, but it’s even easier to distract and lose a web-reluctant B2B customer than a more web-savvy customer….