As a business owner (or prospective business owner), it is important to understand your target market and customers. A customer profile is a description of a customer segment that includes demographics, behaviors, needs and wants.
When it comes to coffee shops, the average customer is looking for a quick pick-me-up, whether it's in the morning to start their day or in the afternoon as a mid-day break.
But there are more nuances and examples of not so average customers that are useful to be aware of as well.
In this article, we'll take a look at the different types of coffee shop customers, how to identify them and what their needs are.
Coffee Shop Customer Profile
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What is a Customer Profile?
A customer profile is a description of a customer segment that includes demographics, behaviors, needs and wants.
Customer profiles are useful when marketing a product or service because they help businesses to target their advertising and marketing efforts at the right people.
They can also be used to make decisions about pricing, product development, and customer service.
Customer Profiles are usually developed by combining data from multiple sources, such as customer surveys, interviews, focus groups, and market research.
Of course, they can also be more informally developed by simply observing customers and making anecdotal notes about them.
There are many different ways to segment customers, but some common methods include:
- Demographics: Age, gender, income, education, etc.
- Location: Urban/rural, country, climate, etc.
- Interests: Hobbies, lifestyles, values, etc.
- Behaviors: Purchase history, spending habits, brand loyalty, etc.
- Needs: Functional needs, emotional needs, etc.
Once you have developed customer profiles, you can use them to make decisions about marketing strategy, product development, and pricing.
For example, if you are selling coffee to young adults, you might want to advertise on social media or target college campuses.
Or, if you are selling gourmet coffee to older adults, you might want to focus your marketing efforts on print ads in magazines or target retirement communities.
Types of Coffee Shop Customers
Now that we've talked about what a customer profile is and how to create one, let's take a look at some different types of coffee shop customers.
The Regular
The regular is the most common type of coffee shop customer.
They come in often, know the baristas by name and order the same drink every time.
They might even have their own mug that they bring with them.
The regular is usually looking for a quick, convenient and familiar coffee fix.
How to identify them:
The regular is usually a very loyal customer who comes in often and orders the same thing every time.
They might even have their own mug that they bring with them.
What their needs are:
The regular is usually looking for a quick, convenient and familiar coffee fix.
They might also appreciate some friendly small talk with the baristas.
The Occasional Customer
The occasional customer is the second most common type of coffee shop customer.
They come in less often than the regular, but they are still a familiar face.
The occasional customer is usually looking for a quick and convenient coffee, but they are also more likely to try new things than the regular.
How to identify them:
The occasional customer is a familiar face, but they come in less often than the regular.
What their needs are:
The occasional customer is usually looking for a quick and convenient coffee, but they are also more likely to try new things than the regular.
They might also appreciate some friendly small talk with the baristas.
The New Customer
The new customer is someone who has never been to the coffee shop before.
They might be drawn in by a special or because they were curious about the coffee shop.
The new customer is usually looking for a good cup of coffee, but they might not be familiar with all of the different types of drinks.
How to identify them:
The new customer is someone who has never been to the coffee shop before.
They might be curious about the coffee shop or drawn in by a special.
What their needs are:
The new customer is usually looking for a good cup of coffee, but they might not be familiar with all of the different types of drinks.
They might also appreciate some help from the baristas in choosing a drink.
The Tourist
The tourist is someone who is visiting the area and stops in the coffee shop for a quick drink.
They might not be familiar with the coffee shop or the area, so they are looking for a convenient and familiar place to get a drink.
How to identify them:
The tourist is someone who is visiting the area and stops in the coffee shop for a quick drink.
What their needs are:
The tourist is looking for a convenient and familiar place to get a drink.
They might also appreciate some help from the baristas in choosing a drink.
Types of Coffee Customers Who Buy Online
If you're selling coffee online you'll also run into different types of customers and different customer profiles. For instance, you might have:
The Loyal Customer
The loyal customer is someone who has been buying coffee from you for a while.
They are familiar with your coffee and they know what they like.
The loyal customer is usually looking for a good deal on their favorite coffee.
How to identify them:
The loyal customer is someone who has been buying coffee from you for a while.
They are familiar with your coffee and they know what they like.
What their needs are:
The loyal customer is usually looking for a good deal on their favorite coffee.
They might also appreciate some loyalty rewards or a discount on their next purchase. You can make the most of loyal customers by offering them subscription plans or discounts for referrals.
The New Customer
The new customer is someone who has never bought coffee from you before.
They might be drawn in by a sale or a special offer.
The new customer is usually looking for a good deal on coffee.
How to identify them:
The new customer is someone who has never bought coffee from you before.
They might be drawn in by a sale or a special offer.
What their needs are:
The new customer is usually looking for a good deal on coffee.
They might also appreciate some help from you in choosing the right coffee for them. If your website offers recommendations, they will likely take advantage of that.
The Expert Customer
The expert customer is someone who knows a lot about coffee.
They might be a barista or a coffee roaster themselves.
The expert customer is usually looking for a specific type of coffee.
How to identify them:
The expert customer is someone who knows a lot about coffee.
They might be a barista or a coffee roaster themselves.
What their needs are:
The expert customer is usually looking for a specific type of coffee.
If you're hoping to target this type of customer, make sure your website is full of detailed information about your coffees. The expert customer will likely appreciate this.
Creating a Customer Profile
Now that we've looked at some different types of coffee shop customers, let's take a look at how to create a customer profile.
When creating a customer profile, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, you need to identify your target market.
Who are you trying to sell coffee to?
Are you trying to appeal to the regular customer, the Occasional Customer, the New Customer, or the Tourist?
Once you've identified your target market, you need to figure out what their needs are.
What are they looking for in a coffee shop?
What type of drink do they usually order?
What time of day do they usually come in?
By understanding the needs of your target market, you can better cater to them and make sure they have a positive experience at your coffee shop.
You can also use this information to create marketing campaigns that are targeted towards your specific target market.
For example, if you're trying to appeal to the regular customer, you might offer a loyalty rewards program.
If you're trying to appeal to the Occasional Customer, you might offer a discount for referrals.
And if you're trying to appeal to the New Customer, you might offer a discount on their first purchase.
Note, if you're looking for a good resource to document and generate customer profiles, we recommend checking our HubSpot's resource page here.
The following image illustrates the sort of templates they provide:
Interest Based Profiles
You can also consider customer profiles through the lens of interests. For instance there might be a lot of overlap between people who like spending time outdoors and people who like coffee.
"Outdoor coffee enthusiasts" might be a group that is particularly interested in your product.
To target this group, you could use marketing language that emphasizes the outdoor experience, such as "the perfect coffee for your next hike."
Analyzing your customer base by interests can help you create more targeted content and identify new marketing opportunities.
Behavioral Profiles
Another way to look at customer profiles is by customer behavior. For example, you might have a group of customers who are particularly loyal to your brand.
These "loyalty club members" might be worth targeting with exclusive offers and rewards.
On the other hand, you might have a group of customers who only come in when there's a sale.
You could target this group with more aggressive discounting and coupons.
When you're thinking about customer profiles, it's important to consider both how your customers self-identify and how they actually behave.
Both can be useful in understanding who your target market is and how to best reach them.
Summary
Customer profiles are a useful tool for businesses to understand their target market and make marketing decisions. By understanding the needs of your target market, you can better cater to them and make sure they have a positive experience at your coffee shop.
Use customer profiles to create targeted marketing campaigns and identify new marketing opportunities. This will give you a well-rounded view of your target market and help you make more informed marketing decisions.
FAQ
What is a target market?
A target market is a specific group of people that a business wants to sell its products or services to.
What is a customer interest?
A customer interest is something that a customer is interested in. This can be used to create targeted content or identify new marketing opportunities.
What is customer behavior?
Customer behavior is how a customer behaves. This can be used to create targeted marketing campaigns or identify new marketing opportunities.
Further Information
In addition to using reviewing these details on generating profiles, we also reccommend you take a look at our article on general coffee preferences. Using a combination of both these points of view will help in developing a strategy tailored to your target market.