Information is power, and knowing the ins and outs of your customer base is critical in launching a successful online marketing campaign. In order to understand how best to proceed, certain questions about your business and your customer base need to be addressed.

• Who uses your product? You need to understand what your customers value, what type of products they prefer.

• Understanding some key demographic characteristics can help you cater towards a more defined target audience. For instance, what are the ages of those who you use your product? What is their occupation? Education? Where do they live? These types of questions are important in the development of an online marketing strategy.

• What is the primary means by which your existing customers have been finding your business? Is it reputation based, or has your business been active in trying to attract new customers? Understanding how your current customers have found your business will allow you to develop marketing initiatives that amplify what is currently working.

• Make sure you understand your own company’s aspirations and needs, so that you can better plan the direction that your marketing strategy will take.

In the end, your customer is the top priority; it is imperative that you learn as much as you can about them. Without this knowledge, you run the risk of launching an ineffective online marketing campaign that serves only to waste time and money; and time is money.