When building a new website for a client, one of the first questions we ask is what they want their new site to accomplish. Many clients are surprised by this question. Surely, a new website is built to be better, but what exactly does “better” mean? Do you want to increase sales? Generate more leads? Improve customer satisfaction? Wanting a better website is not a clear objective and can actually end up hurting your site in the long run.
By taking the time to define your goals and objectives, you can build a site that aligns with them. Your site won’t just look pleasing – it will perform well, too. If you’re not sure what constitutes a goal, we’ve outlined some of the most common examples below.
Marketing Website Goals
Marketing departments want websites to attract and engage customers, generate leads and increase brand awareness. Their goals typically focus on:
- Lead generation. Lead generation websites increase the number of leads for the sales and marketing teams. Rather than setting a certain number of leads to acquire, I suggest setting a percentage rate. Also, don’t forget to define what a “qualified” lead is. Not all leads are equal.
- Conversion-focused websites are effective at capturing visitor information and converting them into prospects. Before you build a conversion-based website, know what your current conversion rate is. Your goal is to increase conversions with the same amount of traffic.
- Brand awareness. Websites that educate users about their products and services are best at increasing brand awareness. Because these websites don’t need to sell products online, they are great for informational purposes and capturing visitor information.
Sales Website Goals
Sales websites are generally ecommerce sites that sell directly to customers. Their purpose is to sell more products and boost sales.
- Increased sales. Ecommerce sites are intended to sell products – the more, the better. It’s helpful if you set a percentage rate increase instead of a set number. This makes it easier to reach your goals while accounting for seasonal changes.
- Sales conversions. Ecommerce sites should convert leads into paying customers. As with the marketing goal, know what your current sales conversion rates are. Your new site should have a higher conversion rate from the same number of traffic.
Customer Satisfaction Goals
Another area you may want to work on is customer satisfaction. If people aren’t happy with your service, they won’t trust you. Here are a few customer satisfaction objectives to focus on:
- Customer satisfaction. It can be hard to measure satisfaction, but there are ways to work around this. Consider how your website can make your customers’ lives easier. Offer these features and then survey users before and after your site’s redesign to determine if they are providing a better experience.
- Improve navigation. Users want to find the solution to their problem in as few steps as possible. Look at the time it takes people to complete tasks on your site. The less time it takes, the happier you can assume your visitors are.
Whether you’re updating your current site or building an entirely new one, be sure to consider what goals and objectives you want your site to achieve. Though websites should be beautiful and functional, they also need to serve a purpose. To learn more about what your website can do for you, contact Magna Technology.
