Are you considering starting a website for your business or feel like you want to make it more effective than it currently is? If so, one question that is necessary to ask yourself is, “What is the website’s purpose?” There are many different purposes, depending on the type you want to create.
Let’s start by identifying the major kinds of websites. They are:
Each one has a different purpose. To help you figure out the purpose of your own site involves determining which type it is.
These sites feature facts, resource lists, guidance, and other kinds of information. They are driven by info, with the website owners positioning themselves as authorities in their field of study.
The goal here is to provide readers with useful information about a certain topic. The details can be conveyed in blog posts, slideshows, Infographics, and more.
Selling products is the main goal of this type of website. The most effective ones at doing so feature SEO optimized content that ranks well in search engine results pages. Each page or article typically ends with a call to action that encourages readers to buy the product.
The design is attractive and easy to skim, includes links that take readers to associated buy pages, and includes payment options. It also requires a mobile-friendly design.
From movies to sports news, many entertainment websites exist. Their purpose is to provide information to those who want to learn more about the topics relating to their favorite area of entertainment.
Staying up to date and sharing the latest news is important for this type of website to be successful. The design is simple for users to navigate, and it often includes quality videos.
Encouraging visitors to buy the service being offered is the chief purpose of a service-oriented website. To be successful in this goal involves creating a website that positions the business as trustworthy and the service as fulfilling a need for the customer.
Usually, people will research a company online before using their services, so it’s helpful to post user reviews on both the website and review platforms. Doing so will build the reputation of the business.
It is also helpful to post examples of the services in use and explainer videos as well as informative articles. Don’t miss out on website visitors because of a slow network; instead, use Shock IT Support services for your website.
Often run by one person or a small team, blogs provide regular updates in a conversational tone of voice. They are usually free to start, and they can showcase products and services or simply be an online journal.
While one person can have a blog, so too can a company. For businesses, blogs provide a way to share updates about their organization or the industry in general, as well as announcing launches of products or services to inform their audience.
These types of websites are primarily a means to communicate with others online, from loved ones to acquaintances and complete strangers. Building a network of connections is the primary goal of users so that they can stay in touch, share experiences, have conversations, and more.
Successful businesses use social media networks as part of their marketing strategy to build excitement about their offerings and get feedback on their products or services. They can also strengthen their brand through what they post on these sites, which include Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
After looking at the list above, you might decide that you have an e-commerce or service-oriented website. If so, then the site’s purpose is to sell products or services directly through it or indirectly via marketing strategies.
As for the other listed types of websites, they provide unique experiences. For example, they might provide a place for people to have conversations online or be solely to entertain readers.
Let’s focus next on websites that are e-commerce or service-oriented, identifying how to make them the most effective.
When selling a product or service is the main goal of your website, it’s important never to lose sight of that. A common error that business owners make is getting caught up in self-expression rather than using the website to increase sales.
If that is your goal, then your website exists to:
If you are asking yourself why creativity is not on that list, here’s why. While it certainly is important, what’s even more so is that you establish how you can help the potential customer. How do you fill a need for them? They want to get the answer to this question on their first visit to your website; otherwise, they might not return.
Thus, your site must be specific about what it will provide to a certain type of customer in a confident tone of voice. Only by doing it like that will you convince the client that they need to work with you.
While you can spell out to them what you will provide, you can also hint at it by including samples of your work on the website. Also, don’t assume that your target audience will magically find you once you create a website.
You have to SEO optimize the content you publish on the website so it will appear in search engine results pages and get click-throughs that way. Also, share the content to social media websites to get more eyes on your articles, pages, and newsletters.
A great thing about websites is that they run even when you’re sleeping, so your business doors are open 24/7, unlike with brick-and-mortar locations. So, you’re growing your brand continually when you have an effective site.
But establishing a good reputation will only bring people to your website, not get them clicking on the buy button. So, what else do you have to keep in mind when creating the website?
If someone is interested in your product or service, then what? Including a call-to-action statement at the end of a page or article is likely to get them to click through to the buy page so you get more sales. If they are ready to buy, then they can do so.
Or, the CTA might invite them to read another blog post, call you, subscribe to your blog, or take another step toward working together. An interested person who clicks on the CTA is a genuine lead.
Help them get to that point by providing a website design that excites them, as well as a logo and colors that you choose. You can start to shape their impression of your brand, which is another important reason for having a website.
Why leave the first impression up to random reviews? Show them your organization is trustworthy, starting with the moment they click on your site link.
By the time that the engaged person reaches out to you through your website, they already have a first impression of your business. Hopefully, it is a positive one.
By reading your website’s content and seeing any visuals there, your prospects are already thinking about the quality level of the products or services they can expect from you. That’s why it’s more important than ever that you establish your website purpose and meet it.
But it is important to point out that you can’t just blatantly sell to every visitor. They will be put off by this approach. Instead, provide them value with your articles, videos, infographics, and other types of content that they see there.
Also, create a Contact page where the interested person can reach you if they have questions. Include an About page too so that they can learn more about your business, including its purpose and why you do what you do.
Get them engaged before showing them a CTA, and then they’re more likely to click through to the buy page and be receptive to it. That is the way to convert them from visitors to customers and to keep them returning for more.
Creating a website that is engaging takes work. But it is well worth it when you start to experience sales or to meet another purpose.
Most customers today expect you to have a website, so not having an online presence can be off-putting for them. They might wonder if you are a legitimate business, which instantly creates an obstacle in the buying journey. Avoid it by creating a quality site.
A well-designed, secure website provides a way to share your expertise, connect with potential clients, and deliver marketing messages. Thankfully, many modern websites don’t require that you know coding, so it’s likely easier to start than you initially thought. But a website does require that you put in the effort to create and maintain them.
Remember, the website is often the customer’s first impression of you. So, make it a good one.
