Are You Seeing Your Business Through Your Customers' Eyes? Or Just Your Own?
Are you invisible to your own customers? Here's how to see your business through their eyes — and fix what's missing.
Hey marketer! 👋🏻
Some client relationships start with a very specific request. Like: “Jan, can you fix my e-shop? It doesn’t work well on mobile and that’s why we’re not selling.” I sit down, look at the website — and find the real problem somewhere completely different. Yes, the mobile experience has issues. But that’s not the main problem. The main problem is that a visitor has absolutely no idea what the business actually offers or why they should care. 🤷
This story repeats itself constantly. Business owners get so deep inside their own world that they forget to look through their customers’ eyes. They know their field inside out, use technical jargon without thinking twice, and assume everyone understands things as naturally as they do. But that’s not how it works.
What I See Most Often
Here are some patterns I keep running into:
Benefits for the customer are written unclearly — or not mentioned at all
It’s not obvious why someone should buy from them specifically
The “About Us” page is either empty or full of generic phrases like “we provide quality services”
Social media profiles have outdated information
They have a newsletter, but nowhere does it say what’s in it or how often it arrives — so nobody signs up voluntarily
They’re running promotions, but no one knows about them because they haven’t been communicated
They have loyalty programs, but customers have no way of finding out
They use industry jargon that feels “professional” to them but just confuses the customer
And you know what the worst part is? The owners have no idea. For them, everything is obvious. Of course they know how their service works, how products are shipped, what guarantees they offer. But all of that exists only in their heads — and it’s nowhere on the website.
The Grandma Test Works Beyond Business Models
Remember the “grandma test”? If you can’t explain what you do to your grandmother in 10 seconds, you have a problem. But the same applies to your website content. If a visitor doesn’t understand within a few seconds what you offer and why they should want it — they leave.
And here’s the trap: as a business owner, you see your business from the inside. You know every detail, every advantage, every trick. But your customer only sees what you show them. And if you don’t show them what matters to them, they go elsewhere.
Step Into Your Customer’s Shoes
Imagine you’re looking for a service in a completely unfamiliar field. Maybe you need a tax advisor, a construction lawyer, or someone to renovate your bathroom. What do you want to know?
Who are these people? I want to see the team I’ll actually be working with. Not an anonymous company.
What exactly do they do? Not “we provide comprehensive services” — what will they specifically solve for me?
Why them? What’s their background? What experience do they have?
Can I trust them? Do they have reviews? Happy customers? How long have they been around?
How does it work? What does the process look like? What does it cost? How do I reach out?
What if it doesn’t work out? What guarantees do they offer? How do they handle complaints?
These are the questions every visitor asks when they land on your website. And the answers are often missing — because you, as the business owner, consider these things self-evident. Or you assume people will just call and ask. But most people won’t.
A Simple Tool: Value Proposition Canvas
There’s a great framework that helps you look at your business through the customer’s eyes. It’s called Value Proposition Canvas, and it’s essentially a structured set of questions that force you to think from the customer’s perspective.
Think of it as two circles. One holds the customer and their world — their jobs to be done, their frustrations, their fears, their desires. The other holds your offer — what you provide, how it addresses their pain points, what benefits it brings.
The customer circle asks:
What does the customer need? What are they trying to achieve?
What’s stopping them? What are their fears and worries?
What would delight them? What are their hidden wishes?
The value circle answers:
What products and services do you offer?
How do you remove the customer’s fears and worries?
How do you create the value they’re looking for?
When you connect these two circles, you’ve got a winning combination. You’re offering exactly what the customer needs — and communicating it in a way they actually understand.
How to Use This in Practice
1. Know your customer Before you write a single word for your website, sit down and think about who your customer really is. Not “companies” or “clients” in the abstract — get specific. What are their worries? What are they trying to solve? What stresses them out? What would make them happy?
Say you sell swimming pools. Your customer:
Wants easy, relaxing summers with the family
Is worried it’ll be too complicated and expensive
Fears running into an unreliable contractor
Would love for someone experienced to handle everything
Wants to know how the process works and how long it takes
2. Audit your content Go through your website, social media, newsletters — everything you’ve created. Ask yourself:
Does this answer my customers’ questions?
Is it clear what I offer and why they should want it?
Am I using jargon they won’t understand?
Is all the important information actually there?
Are my contact details up to date?
You’ll often find that half the critical information is missing. Because it seemed obvious to you. But what isn’t written down might as well not exist.
3. Write for your customer, not yourself When describing your offer, don’t focus on how great you are. Focus on what it does for the customer. Not “we have 20 years of experience,” but “our experience means you can count on us.” Instead of “SEO optimization,” say “we help people find you on Google.” Instead of “full-stack development,” say “we build your website from start to finish.”
4. Remove their fears Every purchase comes with risk. Customers ask themselves: What if it doesn’t work? What if I waste my money? You need to address those fears directly. That’s why reviews, case studies, guarantees, and a clearly explained process matter so much. Showing a real team, being transparent — all of this builds trust and lowers the perceived risk.
5. Make the first step easy The customer found you, they like what they see, they want to reach out. And then what? Is there just an info@yourcompany.com address? Or do you offer them a way to book a call, schedule a meeting, fill out a form, or message you directly? The easier you make that first step, the more people will take it.
You’re Also Preparing for the AI Era
The clearer you describe your offer, the better it’s understood — not just by people, but by AI. Last week I was working on a client’s website when she called me directly from a ChatGPT conversation — the AI had recommended me to her. New reality.
If your website clearly explains what you offer, who it helps, and how it works, AI assistants like ChatGPT or Claude can accurately recommend you to people looking for exactly what you do. But if you have nothing but vague phrases? The AI simply doesn’t know who to send your way — or why.
What to Do Next
Make time for a review. Don’t treat it as a big project. Set aside an hour a week and go through your content piece by piece. Website, social media, profiles, newsletters. Look at it through a stranger’s eyes, not your own.
Ask your actual customers. The best feedback comes from people who’ve already bought from you. Ask them: What convinced you to buy? What were you unsure about? What were you looking for that you couldn’t find?
Test for clarity. Hand your content to someone who knows nothing about your field. A neighbor, a friend, a family member. Did they understand what you offer and why they’d want it? If not, you have work to do.
Fill in the gaps. What did you consider obvious but never actually wrote down? Add it. Reviews, guarantees, how your process works, the team, contacts. Everything a customer needs to know.
Simplify your language. Everywhere you use technical terms, ask yourself: Will my customer understand this? If not, rewrite it in plain English.
Marketing isn’t about promoting your product. It’s about understanding your customer and offering them a solution to their problem.
So tell me — when did you last look at your website through the eyes of a complete stranger? 🤔
Jan Barborik
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