Why do you have a website?
I recently gave a presentation and my opening question to the delegates was, “Why do you have a website?”
This is the most important question I ask my clients before we do any work on any website. If you don’t know why you have a website, how are you going to make it an effective website?
So, why do you have a website and how can knowing this help you?
1. Tell a story
Your website is your opportunity to tell the world who you are, what you do, where you do it and most importantly, why you do it!
If you’re not answering these questions, you need to review your content.
2. Engage with the user
Your website is an opportunity to interact with the user without being there in person. Establishing a relationship with the user is vital.
This isn’t about tricks and gimmicks. This is about increasing trust. There are several ways you can engage a user through good simple content, easy to read and easy to find. Accompanied it with good use of images and well-placed calls-to-action and you’re most of the way there.
It’s easy to lose people through bad experiences like slow-loading pages, unexpected pop-ups, broken links or out-of-date content. These all decreases trust.
So the aim here is to continually review your website’s user experience and make it the best you can.
3. Generate income
Engaging with the user usually means parting with their money. Whether that’s through online sales, donation, or lead generation, the point of most websites is to generate income of some sort.
The better the website experience, the more likely users are to buy, donate, get in touch.
4. Because everyone else has one
It seems these days, you don’t actually exist unless you exist online. That’s certainly the case for businesses.
The first thing people do these days when they want to know something about someone is search for them online.
However, I challenge this reason. Before committing to building a website because ‘everyone else has one’, I would encourage you to think about what you want people to know about you when they search. There are plenty of ways you can exist online without hosting an actual website. Tweets, posts, videos, blogs, vlogs, Google business listings, LinkedIn and so on…. all contribute to your online profile.
Your website is only one part of your digital strategy.
5. Two-way communication
A website is a great way to hear from your users and usually inexpensive. Online reviews, chat, comments…. We’re always asked for feedback.
Providing users with a way to get in touch with you is an important part of your digital experience. Plus, well managed, even bad comments can be positive experiences.
6. Deliver information that is too hard to supply in hard copy
Instead of knocking on people’s doors to make sales, or calling them on the phone, potential leads are coming to you.
You don’t need to published flyers, design leaflets, produce hard copies of annual reviews. You can simply create a new webpage. Every page can talk to a different audience with targeted messages. You can add links, video’s, reviews. Everything easy to find and in one place.
What I love about digital technology is that it’s breaking down traditional barriers to smaller organisations. Without needing a big investment, anyone can join in.
I loved hearing all the reason’s people in the room had a website, the important thing is - they had an answer!
Make your website more effective
Get in touch