Do You Really Know Your Customers?

Most businesses think they know their customers. You might know their age range, the social media platforms they prefer, or even the kind of content they like to engage with. But when it comes to translating that knowledge into something actionable – creating targeted campaigns, designing better products, or aligning teams – the gaps often become obvious.

In building Profyl, I’m taking a more intentional approach. I want to build something that truly solves a problem. And one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from my previous business – and the principles I teach as a coach – is this: research is everything.

So, before diving into the development phase, I decided to ask entrepreneurs and business owners a simple yet revealing question: “What’s your experience with customer personas?”

The results were fascinating.

What the Research Revealed

1. Customer Personas Are Common… But Often Flawed

A large majority of respondents (78%) said they use customer personas in their business. On the surface, that sounds great – it shows that the concept of personas is well understood and valued.

But here’s where it gets interesting: over half of those same respondents admitted that their personas are based on assumptions rather than real data.

Think about that. Many businesses are putting time and energy into creating personas, only to rely on guesswork when defining their customers’ behaviours, preferences, or challenges. One respondent summed it up perfectly:

“I have a persona, but if I’m honest, it’s more of a best guess than something rooted in evidence.”

2. Creating Personas Is a Challenge

Another key finding was that 63% of participants said they struggle to know where to start when creating a persona. Should you focus on demographics? Buying behaviours? Interests? Values?

For many, the sheer number of possibilities feels overwhelming. This leads to one of two outcomes:

• Creating personas that are overly generic and not useful for targeting specific customer segments.

• Avoiding the process altogether because it feels like too much effort with unclear payoff.

3. Personas Are Underutilised

Perhaps the most surprising finding was that only 34% of respondents said they update their personas regularly. The majority admitted that once a persona is created, it tends to sit in a document, untouched and forgotten.

Why? Because updating them feels like a time-consuming process, and many entrepreneurs don’t have the tools or systems in place to make it easier.

This is a problem. Markets evolve, customer needs shift, and trends come and go. If your personas aren’t keeping up, neither is your marketing strategy.

Why This Research Matters

Hearing these challenges directly from entrepreneurs confirmed something I’ve suspected for a while: while most businesses want to understand their customers better, the tools and methods available just aren’t cutting it.

Traditional persona templates often focus on generic demographic data – age, income, location. While these can provide a starting point, they don’t tell you what really matters:

• What motivates your customers?

• What do they value most?

• How do they make decisions?

These are the insights that drive better marketing, stronger connections, and real business growth. And yet, they’re often missing from traditional persona-building exercises.

How Profyl Will Help

This research validated the need for Profyl and shaped its direction. My goal is to create a platform that solves the common challenges businesses face when creating customer personas:

• No More Guesswork: Profyl uses engaging quizzes to collect real, actionable data directly from your customers. Instead of guessing what they care about, you’ll know.

• Simple and Fun: Creating personas shouldn’t feel like a chore. Profyl turns it into an enjoyable process for both you and your customers.

• Dynamic and Relevant: With Profyl, your personas will evolve alongside your customers. You’ll always have up-to-date insights to guide your strategies.

Imagine being able to launch a quiz that not only engages your audience but also delivers valuable insights about their values, behaviours, and preferences. That’s what Profyl is designed to do.

Some Key Stats

Here’s a snapshot of what I’ve learned so far:

• 78% of respondents use customer personas in their business.

• 63% struggle to know where to start when creating personas.

• Over 50% rely on assumptions rather than hard data.

• Only 34% update their personas regularly, even though customer needs are constantly changing.

These numbers highlight a clear gap between intention and execution – a gap that Profyl aims to bridge.

Why I’m Sharing This

I’m building Profyl in public. I want to share not just the wins but also the challenges, the learnings, and the steps along the way. This research is one of those steps – and a crucial one at that.

Understanding the market before building something isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the foundation of a successful business. And now that I know the challenges entrepreneurs face with customer personas, I’m more excited than ever to bring Profyl to life.

Add Your Voice to the Research

This is just the beginning, and I’d love your input. What’s been your experience with customer personas? Have they worked for you, or do they feel like an overwhelming task on your to-do list?

You can add to the research by completing this short questionnaire:

👉 https://forms.gle/ukRmQz7Mh6woXgTM8

Your insights will help shape the future of Profyl and make it the best possible tool for entrepreneurs and business owners.

Thank you for being part of the journey.