What is the exact purpose of your website?
Many small business owners intuitively know that to do business these days and to be seen as legitimate and professional they need a website. However, few stop to ask themselves this important question of what is the purpose of my business website?
This is a key factor to consider as it will largely determine what website development methods best suited to your business. Below are a number of questions to ask yourself to help you narrow down what the exact purpose of the website will be.
What role do you need your website to play in your business?
- Do you want your website to be a lead generation tool? To get phone calls?
- Do you want an online brochure to send customers to so that they can get more information about your products or services?
- Do you want an online portfolio to showcase your talents and previous projects?
Who will use your website?
- Prospective customers
- Existing customers
- Business partners
- Employees
How will users find your website?
- Search engines (e.g. Google, Bing, Yahoo)
- Google maps or Apple maps
- Social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram,
LinkedIn) - By visiting your website directly via email or direct links from directory sites
- Offline methods such as business cards, word of mouth referrals physical signage etc.
What do you want users to do when they visit your site?
- Read information
- Download files
- Fill out forms
- Contact you or your business
- Call and arrange a quote
- Purchase a product
- Visit the store
The answers to these questions will vary depending on the type of business you’re in and how you want to run it. For the majority of business owners: they want a website which represents their brand in a unique, professional light, showcases their work, and ultimately generates new leads and customers.
They want a website that is designed for prospective customers who have never bought any products or services from the business. Since the website is targeting new customers, business owners want people to find their website through Google search results.
Once you’ve successfully identified the exact purpose of your company website, only then should you start looking at methods (DIY website vs professional) to create a website to meet your needs.
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