What is the goal of your website?

Before you start to build a new website for your business, you need to ask one question. What is the goal of your website going to be?

Obviously, the generic answer to that is that a website is there so that people can find you or your business online and that you can present information to the user. So the goal is essentially for it to be a digital flyer.

But if you really think about it and go below the surface, what is the true actual goal of a website? And the answer you’re probably going to find is that, in the end, you want users to take a specific action to “convert” into a “customer”.

You want to make sure that your website is set up to accomplish that mission. That all of your landing pages, all of your blog posts and all of your calls to action, funnels the user to take that one action that turns them into being a customer. That’s what this is all about.

Now, the specifics about what the “convert” action and what “customer” means will change depending on what your business is and what you’re wanting to do.

For example, if you’re creating a website for your business to sell your products online, then obviously the convert action is to get people to buy your products and become an actual customer. Furthermore, if you sell a service, you’re trying to get people to sign up for your services and become your clients.

Where it might get a bit murkier is if you’re a blogger or maybe a news website. What does it mean to “convert” people into being “customers”. Well, if you’re a subscription based news organization, then you’re obviously trying to get people to buy subscriptions. And even if you present your writing for free, you might be trying to get them to sign up for your newsletter. And yes, that’s technically a conversion.

Every website can be boiled down to this “convert to customer” model. It doesn’t matter how big or small they are.

So why does this all matter? Because from here on out, this mindset will direct what you do. It must dictate how you go forward and make decisions for your website so that it helps your business.

From what you plan this website to be to the agency or person you select to build this website to the design and content of the website and then how you manage your website, the goal you decide for your website will control it all.

And if you can do that, you’re going to end up with a website that truly helps your business grow.

Defining the goal of your website

The goal of a website truly depends on what you want it to do. Each business is different, so obviously there isn’t going to be a one-size-fits-all answer.

Instead, you really should take some time now to define your goal for the website. What do you need it to ultimately do? What will define success for your website? How will you figure out whether it’s actually working or not?

Take some time to print and fill out the “Defining your Website’s Goal” worksheet. Everything you do for your website will revolve around that.

To help you get started, here are some basic examples.

Online Store

This one seems to be the most obvious. Your goal is to get people to buy your products. You want them to add products to their online cart and then checkout. So your focus will be making sure they are able to easily go through that process. And you’ll know if your website is hitting your goals by the number of sales you make through the online store.

Services

If your business is focused on services, like plumbing, marketing, cleaning, etc., then the goal of your website is to get people to sign up for your services. You might make content to show that you’re an expert in your field. But at the end of the day, you want them to fill out a lead generation form and then turn them into a client.

Membership Website

Another type is a membership website where people sign up to be a member of your community centered around the website. You probably have forums and other ways for people to connect. In this case, the goal of the website is to get people to sign up for a membership. And the more members that sign up, the better the website is performing.

Newspaper/Magazine

This one might be a little bit tricky, and it might depend on your . For example, maybe you have a lot of content that’s behind a paywall because your business model depends on people paying to subscribe for the content. In that case, your ultimate goal is to get people to sign up for subscriptions.

Another business model might be making money through advertisements. In that case, your goal is to get more people to your website so that you can bring in more money by selling those advertising slots.

As we go through this book and as you plan your new website, always have this in mind. It will guide you to the website that’s going to help your business grow.