Who Am I Selling To? How to Clarify Your Buyers Personas and Set Up Your E-Shop Accordingly
You know what, it's completely normal that in the early stages of your e-shop, you don't really know who you're selling to. At first, you're selling to everyone who comes along. But as the e-shop grows, it starts to hurt: you don't know what to write on the homepage, the categories seem chaotic, the texts are generic, and people leave without ordering. Another discount won't help, but a clear idea of your customer will.
What is a buyers persona (in simple terms)
Forget about "woman 25–45 years old, living in a city, has a high school education." That's a dry statistical description. A buyers persona is a real, living person that you can give a name and a story to. For example:
- Janka, 32 years old, two children, lives in a smaller town, mainly shops in the evening because she doesn’t have time during the day. She makes quick decisions, but if she can't find something, she goes elsewhere. She is most interested in free shipping and clear categories.
- Martin, 41 years old, IT guy, likes to study everything before buying, compares reviews. He is willing to pay extra for quality, but he wants to be sure he’s not buying something useless.
Do you see the difference? It's not "male/female 25–45", but a real person with a story, needs, and fears.
Why an online store suffers without personas
Maybe you’re familiar with it: categories full of junk, texts like “best products for everyone”, and a homepage without a clear direction. Result? Poor conversion rate, people get lost or are not interested in anything.
Example from practice:
- You write a product description universally: "A quality bag for every day." But Janka wants to know if it can hold spare diapers and a laptop. Martin, on the other hand, wants to know if it can withstand carrying a laptop and if it has a zipper that doesn't jam.
If you don't know your personas, you don't know what to write, what to highlight, what photos to use, or how to organize products.
Typical eCommerce personas: What do they look like?
Value Hunter
- Deals with: Best price, discounts, promotions.
- Fears: Overpaying, missing a better offer.
- Behavior: Compares, looks for promotions, filters by price.
- Needs to see: Prominent discounts on the homepage, “cheapest” filter, clear sale information.
Comfortable Shopper
- Deals with: Convenience, simplicity, quick shopping.
- Fears: Complicated process, too many clicks, confusion.
- Behavior: Often shops via mobile, wants everything handy.
- Needs to see: Simple menu, large buttons, clear path to order.
Emotional/lifestyle Customer
- Deals with: Brand story, emotions, wants to identify with it.
- Fears: Impersonal approach, "mass production".
- Behavior: Follows blogs, social media, gets inspired.
- Needs to see: Stories, real people photos, brand values on homepage.
Rational Researcher
- Deals with: Specifications, reviews, comparisons.
- Fears: Bad choice, low-quality product.
- Behavior: Reads reviews, studies tables, looks for detailed info.
- Needs to see: Comparisons, tables, reviews, FAQ sections.
Eco/cause-based Customer
- Deals with: Eco-friendliness, origin, sustainability.
- Fears: Greenwashing, lies.
- Behavior: Reads about origin, looks for certifications.
- Needs to see: Certifications, origin, stories of manufacturers, "Our mission" section.
Gift Shopper
- Deals with: Quickly choosing a suitable gift.
- Fears: Wrong choice, wrong size, late delivery.
- Behavior: Looks for gift tips, wants fast delivery.
- Needs to see: “Gift tips”, quick delivery, return option.
How to create your own personas (4 steps)
- Look at real orders. Who buys the most? Who returns often?
- Go through customers in Google Analytics (GA), check demographics, devices, where they come from.
- Call or write to 3–4 customers. Ask: What were they looking for, what helped them, what was missing?
- List 2–3 specific stories. Give them a name, age, lifestyle, and what they deal with when shopping.
How to incorporate personas into your online shop
Menu and categories:
- Value Hunter: “Discounts and Promotions” section
- Comfortable: “Bestsellers”, clear menu
- Gift: “Gift tips by price”
Filters and organization:
- Rational: filter by parameters, comparators
- Emotional: collections by style, stories in categories
Product card:
- Rational: table of parameters, FAQ, reviews
- Emotional: real photos, product story
Blog, newsletter, campaigns:
- Eco-customer: articles about origin, sustainability
- Comfortable: tips for quick shopping, new products
Example: If I thought about the “gift” customer – on the homepage there would be a banner “Last-minute gifts? With us, delivery in 2 days!” In categories, there would be filters by age and interests.
Mini workshop: 30 minutes for your personas
- List 5–10 customers you remember.
- Choose 2–3 that are most repetitive.
- Give them a name, age, describe their day and what they deal with when shopping.
- Add a specific story: What brought them to your online shop? What helped them? What delayed them?
- Answer yourself:
- Who are you writing the headline on the homepage for?
- Who are you showing the main action in the menu to?
- Who reads your blogs?
If you do this, you will have a clear idea of what to change on the website as soon as tomorrow. Texts will be more specific, categories more understandable, and your online shop will finally stop being "for everyone" and start being "for the right ones".
After this exercise, you will know who your customer is and what exactly you need to tidy up on your online shop. Every adjustment will make more sense because you will no longer guess, but specifically target those who actually earn you money.