Subscribe through RSSWhat’s The Point Of Even Having A Website?
It seems like a simple enough question, “What is the purpose of your website?” But so few clients I encounter have really thought of a specific answer. Most are more concerned about visibility, branding, and website traffic than they are about really defining the purpose of their website.
This lack of definition is probably a hold-over from the days of print campaigns rather than an intentionally misguided Internet business strategy. Companies are still focused on publishing information about their product or service, wrapping it up in pretty design, and topping it all off with a Google map to their location.
While the design of a website can be in and of itself an indicator of purpose – i.e. brand reinforcement, recall or extension, product/service positioning etc. More often than not, it is the content that serves as the true sign of a site’s overarching purpose.
After all, content drives everything from website traffic to online sales.
I often advise clients to consider the purpose of their website and then think about how content can help to support that purpose in a way that provides context …and results! Unless your organization’s only mandate is to publish reference material, an “information-based” site might yield SEO results but could lead to a short shelf-life with moldy content and stale leads.
Most successful websites have three distinct content types that:
1. Drive traffic
2. Provide information
3. Inspire action (“buy now”, “sign-up”, “contact us”)
4. Generate word-of-mouth
5. Encourage bookmarking/repeat visits
All require an organization to define their website’s purpose and identify their target audience prior to even thinking about the content …let alone the design!
Once you have done your due diligence in these areas – through objective setting and persona building – you can then move on to the content phase of your web development project (Information Architecture, Wireframing, Card Sorting, Content Writing, SEO) with a clear understanding that by the time you launch your visual brand …the content will successfully support your website’s ultimate raison d’etre!
