In the previous edition of the World of WordPress Users & SEO, we named 4 archetypes:
- Spectator
- One-Man Band
- Director
- Digital Plumber
We then took a look at Spectators and One-Man Bands. We haven’t delved into the Director archetype, because while they have a great influence over the tools their clients use, they actually don’t use the tools themselves much, and during this study we weren’t able to determine the ideal user that fit this archetype.
We do have a richer picture of the Digital Plumber however. You’ll recall that agencies or SMBs can fit into more than one archetype.
Digital Plumber
Their approach is very tactical, either because they’re called upon to solve specific problems or because the scope of their work is limited to execution, and not strategy or planning.
The Digital Plumber is a reactive explorer: when a problem arises and they cannot solve it with the resources they have, that is when they look for new solutions.
Their processes are not very structured and their objective is to resolve, repair, translate… with as few incidents as possible.
The Digital Plumber usually calls themselves an “expert” and alternates their own toolkit with what is given to them by the client.
I am a fixer, most clients are a one-time fix thing
– Participant #14
We mentioned that SMBs and professionals who provide services to them, can belong to more than one archetype at a type, or move from one to anoter.
When it comes to these behavioural groupings, a key characteristic of archetypes is their mobility.
Although there are people who remain in the same archetype, others can move from one archetype to another according to the stage they’re in professionally or other circumstances.
Furthermore, there may be interactions among archetypes. For example, a “one-man band” that needs to outsource something can go to a “Digital Plumber” or a “Director”.
| Motivations | Find a solution to their current problem or challenge, as quickly as posssible. |
| Needs | Involving the customer is frustrating for them, and their levels of work efficiency and satisfaction depend on whether they need to interact with the customer. |
| Will adopt tool if.. | There is a clear differenciation from the ones they’re already familiar with. If a trusted expert recommends it, and the technical specs are accessible, that can also sway them. |
| Will recommend tool if… | There are flexible options when cancelling, and it has not incompatibilities. |
| Will abandon tool if.. | Support is inefficient, or the learning curve is too steep. |
| Trusts… | Technical communities, peer networks. |
| Ideal User | Is ambitious, wants to be more than a fixer and would love to have repeat, loyal customers. |
Implications for SEO partners & resellers
Once the Digital Plumber is satisfied with the tool/plugin, they will recommend it non-stop to peers and clients. Customer support and good documentation is essential for them.
The Value Proposition they respond to: automation, accurate data accessible in a single place, actionable recommendations, and automated reports in order to monitor progress. Getting their time back to dedicate to other tasks and enabling recurring communication with stakeholders via reports is key.
Show the Digital Plumber how the plugin can be their ally in creating more loyal customers and increasing their margins.
Objections: they really need to see the plugin’s differentiators clearly, as well as the available plans and where third-party data comes from.
Facilitating the adoption journey:
- Free Trials
- Recommendations coming from the expert community
- Seeing sample monthly reports
- Highlighting integrations such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, etc
- Clear connection between plugin features and impact on daily tasks
- Clear technical product documentation
marketgoo approach
This customer relies heavily not only on our Partner’s customer support, as well as its relationships with community influencers across WordPress and professional communities.
We work with Partners to offer Product cheatsheets in order for customer support representatives to be able to answer questions about features and benefits. We also provide them with basic product and SEO Knowledge Bases which they can repurpose for their own customers.
