In this comprehensive episode of the 90-Day Website Mastery Podcast, Jonny Ross and Pascal Fintoni address a crucial question from their community about creating customer personas and avatars for website design projects. The discussion explores why most businesses either lack proper customer personas or fail to use them effectively, and provides a practical roadmap for developing these essential marketing tools.

The hosts also examine Universal Search Optimisation (USO) - the evolution beyond traditional SEO that acknowledges how users now search across multiple platforms, from TikTok and ChatGPT to Amazon and podcast platforms.

Additionally, they showcase two innovative tools for enhanced content creation and share immediate website improvements that can boost engagement and conversions.

If you're a UK business owner, marketing manager, or website administrator looking to improve your digital presence and understand your customers better, this episode delivers actionable insights you can implement straight away.

❓How Do I Create Effective Customer Personas for My Website Project?

When a website designer requests customer personas or avatars, many business owners feel overwhelmed or admit they've never created them properly. Jonny and Pascal break down the persona development process:

• Start with daily reflection, not formal workshops - observe patterns during client conversations and meetings
• Capture demographic details including sector, seniority level, and decision-making authority
• Document pain points and questions that prospects frequently raise
• Focus on language and communication preferences to improve conversion rates
• Create your own template rather than copying generic persona formats
• Update regularly - personas should be living documents that evolve with your business
• Use personas across all marketing - not just website design but social media, SEO, and content strategy
• Remember the four visitor types: Investigator, Relationship Builder, Dreamer, and Negotiator (from the WebProud methodology)

The key insight: targeted messaging to specific personas increases conversion rates without alienating other customer segments.

❓What Is Universal Search Optimisation and Why Should UK Businesses Care?

Based on Umesh Panchal's analysis for CMSWire, Pascal and Jonny explain why traditional SEO is evolving into Universal Search Optimisation (USO):

The Changing Search Landscape:

• Users now search across multiple platforms, not just Google and Bing
• Jonny's 12-year-old daughter searches on TikTok and Snapchat for school information
• AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are becoming primary research tools
• Google itself now serves AI summaries, featured snippets, and multimedia results

Where to Focus USO Efforts:

• Traditional search engines: Continue optimising for Google and Bing
• Social media platforms: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn
• AI search tools: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and other conversational AI
• E-commerce marketplaces: Amazon, Etsy, and sector-specific platforms
• Emerging channels: Podcast platforms, forums, app stores, and digital publications

Implementation Strategy:

• Diversify content formats - combine text, video, audio, and interactive elements
• Structure your data properly for AI and search engine parsing
• Maintain mobile-first design across all content types
• Monitor competitor activity on these alternative platforms
• Include platform-specific behaviour in your customer personas

The core principle remains: create helpful, comprehensive content that serves your audience across whatever platform they prefer to use.

❓What Tools Can Enhance My Website's Visual Content?

Framer (Jonny's pick):

• Intuitive web design platform for building responsive websites without coding
• Perfect for marketers creating prototypes and landing pages quickly
• Ideal for testing design concepts before full development
• Available at fr.com

Vidify Shopify App (Pascal's pick):

• AI-powered tool that creates product videos from static images
• Upload two product photos from different angles, and AI generates a 20-second transition video
• Enhances e-commerce listings and social media content
• Represents Pascal's philosophy of using AI to enhance existing content rather than create from nothing
• Available through Shopify's app store

❓What Quick Website Changes Will Improve User Engagement?

Jonny's Website Call to Action:

• Add "New" badges to recent content - simple visual stickers that draw attention to fresh blog posts, products, or services
• Works particularly well for B2B websites that rarely use visual engagement techniques
• Encourages exploration and increases click-through rates on internal content

Pascal's Website Call to Action:

• Audit how you represent your website on social media - many businesses share links without explaining what users will find
• Create a content calendar that highlights different website sections and features
• Move beyond basic "check out our latest blog post" messaging
• Help your social media audience discover parts of your website they may not know exist

Key Insights and Messages

The episode touches on several broader trends affecting UK businesses:

• The battle for search dominance between Google's Gemini, Microsoft's Copilot, and independent AI platforms
• Generational differences in search behaviour and platform preferences
• The importance of content diversification in an increasingly fragmented digital landscape
• Integration challenges as businesses try to maintain presence across multiple platforms

Both Jonny and Pascal emphasise that successful website management in 2025 requires thinking beyond traditional metrics and embracing a more holistic approach to digital presence.

🔑 Key Takeaways — What You’ll Learn (with timestamps)

01:40 – You Ask We Answer: Customer personas and avatars question

02:50 – Why most businesses struggle with customer personas

04:21 – Pascal's approach: Taking time with avatar development

06:33 – Using personas across all marketing channels

08:03 – The four visitor types from WebProud methodology

09:21 – Website Stories: Universal Search Optimisation article

10:58 – Why users search beyond Google: generational differences

15:11 – Diversifying content for multiple platforms

18:23 – Question from community: "Is AI the death of Google?"

19:30 – Website Engine Room: Framer and Vidify tools

22:39 – AI enhancing existing content vs creating from nothing

25:14 – Jonny's Website Call to Action: Adding "new" badges

27:11 – Pascal's Website Call to Action: Rethink website representation on social media

28:40 – Episode recap and key takeaways

🔎 SEO Keywords & Tags:

customer personas development, universal search optimisation USO, multi-platform search strategy, customer archetype templates, website design briefs, conversion rate optimisation, target audience research, social media search behaviour, AI search platforms ChatGPT, TikTok search trends, customer journey mapping, website engagement tactics

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• Jonny Ross
• Pascal Fintoni

About the Hosts

Jonny Ross is a leading digital marketing consultant and SEO strategist with decades of experience helping businesses transform their online presence.

Pascal Fintoni is a digital skills trainer and video marketing expert, known for making complex tech topics accessible and actionable.