The Santa Barbara Web Design and Marketing Blog

To gain consideration, you have to appear considerate. It sounds simple, even obvious, but the implications for how you communicate, market, and build relationships—especially in the online world—are profound. Let’s explore why showing true consideration, and actively anticipating someone’s viewpoint before they even articulate it themselves, is a power strategy for building lasting trust, relatability, and ultimately, genuine engagement with your audience.

What Does “Appearing Considerate” Really Mean?

When we say you need to “appear considerate,” it’s not about putting on a façade or manipulating emotions. It’s about empathy in action: demonstrating through your words, actions, and timing that you genuinely care about others’ needs, preferences, and potential reactions.

Consideration isn’t passive. It’s anticipatory. It means taking the initiative to see the world through someone else’s eyes, to predict—based on what you know or can learn—what matters to them, what bothers them, what delights or frustrates them. It also means crafting your message, your service, or your product in a way that shows you acknowledge and respect those needs, often even before they’ve expressed them.

The Power of Anticipation

The most successful communicators and marketers don’t react—they anticipate. Think about that for a moment.

Most people spend so much time thinking about what they want to say, what they want to sell, or how they want to be seen, that they forget to focus on what the other person wants, needs, or is feeling. But anticipation flips that dynamic. If you can take the time to really understand your audience—not just demographically, but psychographically—then you’re already steps ahead.

Practical example:

Imagine you’re a web designer talking to a prospective client in Santa Barbara who runs a small yoga studio. If you simply pitch your website packages, you’re doing what every other web designer does. But if you come prepared knowing that summer is their busiest season, that they struggle with online class bookings, and you suggest streamlined calendar automation before they even mention it, you demonstrate insight. You’re operating ahead of their need—and when they finally express their difficulty managing bookings, you can say, “I thought you might be dealing with that, and here’s how I can help.”

They’re likely to feel, “Wow, this person really gets what I’m going through.”

That sense of being understood is powerful. It transforms you from being just another vendor or consultant into a trusted partner.

From Consideration to Trust

Why does showing consideration earn you trust? People are hard-wired to respond positively to empathy—the feeling that someone else actually “gets” what they’re experiencing. In all relationships, business or personal, trust is the foundation that allows anything else to happen. When you anticipate someone’s needs, you take on some of their cognitive load: you’re helping them solve problems before they become problems, or at least before they’ve been articulated.

This act—being proactive rather than reactive—is remarkable because it’s so rare in a world where everyone is fighting to be seen and heard, not to listen or understand.

Demonstrating Consideration in Practice

1. Research your audience deeply.

Go beyond the basics. Look at what your audience is talking about on forums, in reviews, on social media, in competitor spaces. What questions do they ask? What frustrations do they express? These are gold mines.

2. Map out their journey.

Step into their shoes. What is their day really like? What triggers them to search for your product or service? What doubts do they have before making a purchase or reaching out for help?

3. Craft your offering to meet unspoken needs.

Don’t just respond to FAQs—anticipate FUSQs (Frequently Unspoken Questions). If your clients often misuse a tool you set up, create a quick tutorial or onboarding experience that proactively addresses it.

4. Validate concerns before they’re voiced.

In every conversation, try to verbalize the concern you suspect is lurking just beneath the surface. “You might be wondering if this new scheduling system will require extra training for your staff—here’s how we’ve solved that for others.”

5. Show you’re paying attention.

Follow up after meetings with tailor-made resources. Reference specific issues they mentioned that, perhaps, you had already started solving during your preparation.

The Relatability Connection

Yesterday, we talked about relatability—the art of being seen as someone who “gets it.” Relatability and consideration are two sides of the same coin. When you show consideration so personally and effectively that someone feels “they speak my language,” you become relatable. Suddenly, you’re not just a professional in their field; you’re a person who shares their concerns and aspirations.

This is what separates genuinely magnetic brands and personalities from the generic crowd. It’s why some businesses in Santa Barbara—a place teeming with consultants, web designers, marketing gurus, and now, AI trainers—stand out while others blend in.

The Science: Empathy, Mirror Neurons, and Social Proof

Let’s ground this in research. Neuroscience tells us that “mirror neurons” in the brain fire when we see someone experiencing an emotion—even if we’re just observing. This is part of why we pick up on, and are influenced by, the feelings and attitudes of others.

When you, as a marketer or web designer, proactively demonstrate consideration, your audience’s brains mirror back that empathy. They, in turn, feel inclined to reciprocate with positive feelings—like trust and appreciation—and are more open to your message. They give you consideration in return.

Likewise, social proof is multiplied: when others see that you’ve anticipated and fulfilled someone’s needs proactively, they’re more likely to believe you’ll do the same for them.

The Action Loop: Consideration, Relatability, and Engagement

So what does this look like, step by step?

1. You anticipate someone’s need or perspective.

2. You demonstrate that anticipation in your words, actions, and offerings.

3. The person feels seen and understood, which creates trust.

4. They begin to relate to you—actively identifying with your perspective.

5. Relatability increases the chance they’ll engage—buy, sign up, subscribe, or share.

6. Their positive experience becomes your marketing, creating social proof and future anticipation opportunities.

This loop can be as simple as remembering a returning client’s particular pain point, or as sophisticated as building marketing automation that serves personalized content based on browsing behavior.

Why Timing Matters

You may have noticed in the transcript: “If you can operate faster than they operate, then by the time they come around to the view, they’ll realize that that has been shared in common with you.”

The best way to earn trust isn’t just to agree with people when they express a need—it’s to have already shown you’re aligned before they even ask.

For example:

- Publishing a blog post on “Common Mistakes Santa Barbara Businesses Make When Launching a Website” right before a big local business expo.

- Emailing a client helpful checklists or updates before a project milestone, instead of waiting for them to ask.

- Offering onboarding resources as soon as someone books your AI automation training, so they feel cared for instantly.

When your timing is proactive, people connect the dots: “They were thinking about what I needed, before I even realized I needed it.”

The Competitive Advantage of Consideration

In today’s marketing landscape—especially in a digital-first, instant-information world—the bar for “basic competence” has never been lower. There are thousands of web designers, copywriters, marketers, and consultants. AI tools can generate websites, emails, even marketing campaigns.

But no automation or AI can authentically empathize and operate with the proactive consideration that a real, attentive human delivers. For now, that’s your superpower.

When you deeply understand your clients’ journeys, worries, and hidden goals—and act on their behalf before they have to ask—you are irreplaceable. You are not just a “web guy” or “marketing consultant.” You are a trusted advisor.

Making Consideration Your Brand

How do you build consideration into your day-to-day work and brand positioning?

1. Position Yourself as a Problem Anticipator

Update your messaging to emphasize how you study trends, anticipate hiccups, and build solutions proactively. “I listen for what isn’t being said—so I can solve problems before they distract you from your passion.”

2. Design Customer Experiences Around Anticipation

Build onboarding that walks new clients through answers they didn’t realize they’d need. Include FAQs, explainer videos, or live chat support that responds instantly to predictable stumbling blocks.

3. Showcase Relatable Stories

Share case studies on your website or social media that qualify you as someone who “gets it.” “When my client struggled with cross-device email syncing, I set up a solution before they even called tech support—and here’s how that saved their launch day.”

4. Collect (and Leverage) Feedback

After a project, don’t just ask for a testimonial. Ask, “Was there a concern you had that I managed to solve before you reached out?” Use these stories as examples of your anticipatory approach.

5. Stay a Step Ahead in Communication

Don’t wait for your audience to have to ask basic setup questions, chase you for updates, or clarify their project scope. Proactively reach out with projected calendars, regular status emails, and a personal touch.

Examples from the Field: SB Web Guy’s Toolkit

Let’s get specific. Here are some actionable ways you, as “SB Web Guy” or any consultant, can demonstrate consideration:

- Personalized Audit Emails: “I noticed your site’s booking button doesn’t work on iPhone—a fix I can push in 24 hours.”

- Preemptive Online Tutorials: Create short, “just in time” video tips on using new automation tools for Mac and PC users, especially those that solve known sticking points.

- Proactive Content Creation: If a new AI tool like ChatGPT gets an update, send out a quick guide to your subscribers on leveraging its new features—before they start Googling it.

- Holiday or Seasonal Preparation: Notify clients in advance about potential downtime, prepare assets ahead of time, and offer tips for peak season performance.

- Group Trainings: Offer a “what’s new” session for clients every quarter, focused on the most common areas where users typically get stuck.

Each of these actions demonstrates that you are not just waiting for someone to flag a problem—you’re actively shaping their positive experience.

From Consideration to Conversion

At the end of the day, being considerate is not just good manners. It’s smart business. People do business with those they like, trust, and feel understand them.

- If you want consideration—from a prospect, a client, or even a colleague—first demonstrate consideration.

- If you want commitment, show commitment.

- If you want loyalty, anticipate needs and deliver on them before the competition even sees the opportunity.

The Takeaway: Consistent, Genuine Consideration Wins

Earning consideration is an ongoing practice. It requires attention, empathy, and an ongoing commitment to stay ahead of your clients’ needs—not just to react, but to anticipate.

When you consistently demonstrate consideration—by thinking ahead, relating authentically, and acting in ways that put your audience’s needs first—you’ll not only build trust and relatability, but also drive action. Whether that’s a subscriber, a client contract, a partnership, or a referral, it all starts with seeing others before they see themselves—and helping them feel understood, before they even ask.

Remember: in a crowded market, showing up is expected. Being considerate—genuinely, proactively, and consistently—is how you stand out.

Thanks for joining me for this deeper dive into the power of consideration in marketing, consulting, and business relationships. Practice anticipation, demonstrate empathy, and watch how your audience gives you consideration, loyalty, and engagement in return.