Skip to product menu
close
  • Sales
    Press Space or Enter to display list of options
EXPLORE ALL PRODUCTS

Sales

 
CRM

Comprehensive CRM platform for customer-facing teams.

CRM
 
Bigin

Simple CRM for small businesses moving from spreadsheets.

Bigin
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
RouteIQ

Comprehensive sales map visualization and optimal route planning solution.

RouteIQ
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
Suites
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

CRM Plus

Marketing

 
Social

All-in-one social media management software.

Social
 
Campaigns

Create, send, and track targeted email campaigns that drive sales.

Campaigns
 
Forms

Build online forms for every business need.

Forms
 
Survey

Design surveys to reach and interact with your audience.

Survey
 
Sites

Online website builder with extensive customisation options.

Sites
 
PageSense

Website conversion optimization and personalisation platform.

PageSense
 
Backstage

End-to-end event management software.

Backstage
 
Webinar

Webinar platform for webcasting online webinars.

Webinar
 
Marketing Automation

All-in-one marketing automation software.

Marketing Automation
 
LandingPage

Smart landing page builder to increase conversion rates

LandingPage
 
Publish

Manage all your local business listings on a single platform.

Publish
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Thrive

Complete loyalty and affiliate management platform.

Thrive
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
NEW
LeadChain

Sync, manage, and convert leads across channels seamlessly.

LeadChain
 
NEW
CommunitySpaces

Online community platform for individuals and businesses to grow their network and brand.

CommunitySpaces
 
Suites
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

Marketing Plus

Commerce and POS

 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce

Service

 
Desk

Helpdesk software to deliver great customer support.

Desk
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
FSM

End-to-end field service management platform for service businesses.

FSM
 
SalesIQ

Live chat app to engage and convert website visitors.

SalesIQ
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
Suites
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

Service Plus

Finance

 
Books

Powerful accounting platform for growing businesses.

Books
 
FREE
Invoice

100% Free invoicing solution.

Invoice
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Inventory

Powerful stock management and inventory control software.

Inventory
 
Billing

End-to-end billing solution for your business.

Billing
 
Checkout

Collect payments online with custom branded pages.

Checkout
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo
 
Practice

Practice management software for accounting firms.

Practice
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Commerce

eCommerce platform to manage and market your online store.

Commerce
 
Suites
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

Finance Plus

Email and Collaboration

 
Mail

Secure email service for teams of all sizes.

Mail
 
Meeting

Online meeting software for all your video conferencing & webinar needs.

Meeting
 
Writer

Word processor for focused writing and discussions.

Writer
 
Sheet

Spreadsheet software for collaborative teams.

Sheet
 
Show

Create, edit, and share slides with a sleek presentation app.

Show
 
Notebook

Beautiful home for all your notes.

Notebook
 
Cliq

Stay in touch with teams no matter where you are.

Cliq
 
Connect

Employee experience platform to communicate, engage, and build positive employee relations.

Connect
 
Bookings

Appointment scheduling app for consultations with customers.

Bookings
 
TeamInbox

Shared inboxes for teams.

TeamInbox
 
WorkDrive

Online file management for teams.

WorkDrive
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Office Suite

Powerful collaborative work platform for teams.

Office Suite
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
Calendar

Online business calendar to manage events and schedule appointments.

Calendar
 
Learn

Knowledge and learning management platform.

Learn
 
Voice

Cloud Contact Center Software for businesses.

Voice
 
ToDo

Collaborative task management for individuals and teams.

ToDo
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
FREE
PDF Editor

Collaborative online PDF editing tool.

PDF Editor
 
Suites
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

Workplace

Human Resources

 
People

Organize, automate, and simplify your HR processes.

People
 
Recruit

Intuitive recruiting platform built to provide hiring solutions.

Recruit
 
Expense

Effortless expense reporting platform.

Expense
 
Workerly

Manage temporary staffing with an employee scheduling solution.

Workerly
 
NEW
Payroll

Payroll software with automated tax payments and filing.

Payroll
 
Shifts

Employee scheduling and time tracking app.

Shifts
 
Sign

Digital signature app for businesses.

Sign
 
Suites
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

People Plus

Security and IT Management

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Directory

Workforce identity and access management solution for cloud businesses.

Directory
 
FREE
OneAuth

Secure multi-factor authenticator (MFA) for all your online accounts.

OneAuth
 
Vault

Online password manager for teams.

Vault
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Toolkit

Complete resource for any admin-related lookup queries.

Toolkit
 
Lens

Interactive remote assistance software with augmented reality.

Lens
 
Assist

Remote support and unattended remote access software.

Assist
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA

BI and Analytics

 
Analytics

Modern self-service BI and analytics platform.

Analytics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep
 
NEW
IoT

Harnessing IoT analytics for real-time operational intelligence.

IoT

Project Management

 
Projects

Manage, track, and collaborate on projects with teams.

Projects
 
Sprints

Planning and tracking tool for scrum teams.

Sprints
 
BugTracker

Automatic bug tracking software for managing bugs.

BugTracker
 
Solo

The all-in-one toolkit for solopreneurs.

Solo

Developer Platforms

 
Creator

Build custom apps to simplify business processes.

Creator
 
Flow

Automate business workflows by creating smart integrations.

Flow
 
Catalyst

Pro-code platform to build and deploy your apps.

Catalyst
 
Office Integrator

Built in document editors for web apps.

Office Integrator
 
ZeptoMail

Secure and reliable transactional email sending service.

ZeptoMail
 
QEngine

Test automation software to build, manage, execute, and report testcases.

QEngine
 
Tables

Work management tool to connect people, processes, and information.

Tables
 
NEW
RPA

Automate manual, tedious, and repetitive tasks easily.

RPA
 
NEW
Apptics

Application analytics for all apps.

Apptics
 
Embedded BI

Embedded analytics and white label BI solutions, tailored for your needs.

Embedded BI
 
NEW
IoT

Build, deploy, and scale IoT solutions for connected businesses.

IoT
 
DataPrep

AI-powered data preparation service for your data-driven organization.

DataPrep

IoT

 
NEW
IoT

Low-code IoT platform and solutions for connected businesses.

IoT

Search Result

 
CRM Plus

Unified platform to deliver top-notch customer experience.

Try now
CRM Plus
 
Service Plus

Unified platform for customer service and support teams.

Try now
Service Plus
 
Finance Plus

All-in-one suite to manage your operations and finances.

Try now
Finance Plus
 
People Plus

Comprehensive HR platform for seamless employee experiences.

Try now
People Plus
 
Workplace

Application suite built to improve team productivity and collaboration.

Try now
Workplace
 
Marketing Plus

Unified marketing platform for marketing teams.

Try now
Marketing Plus
 
All-in-one suite

Zoho One

The Operating System for Business

Run your entire business on Zoho with our unified cloud software, designed to help you break down silos between departments and increase organizational efficiency.

TRY ZOHO ONE
Zoho One
Zoho Marketplace

With over 2000 ready-to-use extensions across 40+ categories, connect your favorite business tools with the Zoho products you already use.

EXPLORE MARKETPLACE
Marketplace
Skip to main content
Zoho Academy
  • HOME
  • Quick Reads
  • 66 Questions to Help You Craft Realistic Customer & User Personas

66 Questions to Help You Craft Realistic Customer & User Personas

  • 5 Mins Read
  • Posted on March 4, 2020
  • Last Updated on October 29, 2024
  • By Michelle

At its heart, business is about people. Interacting with people, showing them why your product or service is the best, and using that product or service to improve their lives. But when you think of your customers as a faceless group, it’s difficult to make decisions. That’s where user and customer personas come in.

These personas can help you stay focused, without getting overwhelmed by masses of data. There are two types of personas that come in handy for business:

  1. Customer personas
  2. User personas

Customer personas

A customer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer. If your customers can be divided into multiple types or groups, then you’ll have a customer persona for each type of customer. Customer personas are created based on some combination of raw data, educated guesses, personal experience, and testing. You can use them for everything from designing your website, to adjusting your copywriting, to informing your marketing strategy.

User personas

If you’ve been reading about online businesses, you’ve probably seen the term “user persona” being thrown around. A user persona represents the person who will be using your product and is often used to guide product creation and development. It’s especially common to see the term when talking about app development or the software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry.

Important note: users and customers are not necessarily the same thing

For example, a caretaker may purchase something for one of their patients to use. If you sell software, a manager may sign off on a purchase, even if they won’t be the one using it. Be clear about who is actually using your product and who spends money on it, and if those are the same person.

Having detailed, accurate personas for users and customers is one of the most important things you can do for your business. They can be used to guide everything about your business, from sales and marketing to product development.

Getting started can be difficult, though. With that in mind, we’ve created a list of questions to help you jumpstart the process. When answering them, keep in mind that you’ll have different answers for different personas. Also, some of these details are more important for B2B businesses than B2C (or vice versa).

Demographics

  • How old are they?
  • What gender do they identify as?
  • Where do they live? Is it rural, suburban, urban?
  • What’s their educational level, and what subjects did they study?
  • Do they own their homes or rent apartments?
  • Where do they work?
  • Do they travel to an office or telecommute?
  • What’s their relationship status?
  • What language/s do they speak?
  • Do they have kids or any other dependents?
  • Do they have pets?
  • What’s their salary/total household income?

Job information

  • Do they own their own business or work for someone else?
  • What industry are they in?
  • What’s their title?
  • How did they wind up in this role/industry? What’s the career path that led them there?
  • How big is the company (employees and revenue)?
  • What does a typical day at work look like?
  • What does a productive day at work look like?
  • What skills, knowledge, tools, and experience does their job require?
  • Which of those required tools do they love to use? Which ones frustrate them?
  • What are their biggest work challenges? How are they currently handling them? How would they ideally be handling them?
  • What does “busy work” look like for them?
  • How do they define job “success”?
  • What metrics are they responsible for?
  • What do they ultimately want out of their career?

Personal attitudes, goals, values, fears, and challenges

  • What are their biggest challenges outside of work (home, family, health, etc)?
  • What stresses them out on a daily basis?
  • How is daily life affected by these challenges and stressors?
  • What’s their deepest fear?
  • What are their life goals?
  • What causes are they passionate about?
  • What motivates them to take action? Fear, growth, power, achievement?
  • How do they go about making changes in their lives?
  • What prevents them from achieving their goals?

Personal preferences

  • How do they define “fun”?
  • What are their hobbies and interests outside of work?
  • Who in their life matters most?
  • How do they spend the weekends?
  • Where do they get their news?
  • Where do they turn for advice or information?
  • What are their favorite websites?
  • What blogs or publications do they read?
  • How do they prefer to consume this information (online newspapers/television/podcasts)?
  • What social media platforms do they use (and how actively)?
  • How tech-savvy are they?
  • How do they prefer to communicate (phone/email/text)?
  • What kind of cars do they drive?
  • What associations, forums, or social networks do they participate in?

Buying behavior

  • Where do they spend their money? Do they tend to shop in person or online? What stores do they frequent?
  • What are their common hesitations, doubts, or objections?
  • How do they research what to buy? Google, review sites, word of mouth, thought leaders?
  • What keywords do they use to search for answers?
  • How long does their evaluation process take?
  • What criteria do they consider? Price, features, appearance, ease of use, etc.?
  • What emotional buttons trigger their purchases?
  • Do they prefer to purchase online, over the phone, or in person?
  • How do they want to feel when they’re using it?
  • What are their favorite and most often used brands?
  • Why do they choose these brands over others?

Product- or service-specific characteristics

These questions relate to your persona’s relationship with your business.

  • What are their reasons for buying your product or hiring your service?
  • Is this their first time purchasing from your business?
  • How can your business, specifically, help them overcome their challenges?
  • How does your solution fit their life?
  • What do they ultimately achieve by using your product or service?

Personality

What are their most noteworthy personality traits? Name 3-5. For example:

  • Influencer or follower?
  • A self-starter or someone who needs external motivation?
  • Outgoing or reserved?
  • Methodical or disorganized?

You don’t have to answer all of these questions. You might even come up with others we haven’t listed here, depending on your product or service. Just remember that the strongest persona is one you can empathize with…which means the more of these questions you can answer, the better.

Related Topics