The Why Behind Your Website
Since the inception of the Internet, businesses have been told they need to have a website or they won’t be taken seriously. Of course, that is absolutely true. The simple fact is that if someone is looking for the types of goods or services you offer, chances are they found you through search, word of mouth or other advertising mediums.
What happens when your potential customer follows up by checking your website? Easy: snap judgment. Sometimes the vetting process is a conscious decision based on what he or she sees, but other times a person’s comfort level with a company is a subconscious. If the site looks hokey or unprofessional, chances are slim that a person will take the next step in converting.
Most company owners are aware that their website needs to look professional. (Still, many think their site looks professional when it doesn’t, but that’s not for this newsletter). What most businesses struggle to execute is the “why” of the website.
Stephen Covey said it best with his phrase “Begin with the end in mind.” That is to say, in terms of your website, what are you trying to accomplish? That sounds like a simple question, but if you ask business owners, you will see a huge disconnect from what they “want” their website to be accomplishing and how the website has actually been constructed.
For example, a business owner says, “I want my website to bring me more leads,” but his/her site is not using best practices to convert visitors to prospects.
Instead, begin with the end in mind. Before the website is created, it’s look, architecture and messaging should all be in line with the goal or “why” of the website.
When creating your next website, consider these questions:
· What is the website’s main goal?
· What is the website’s secondary goal?
· Who is our audience?
· What is our company mood/tone/personality?
The answers to these are the first step to help tie together the look, functionality and messaging for a professional and useful website.
The Department of Marketing is an award winning, world-class boutique marketing agency. We are small enough to have a personal relationship with every client, yet big enough to tackle the largest projects. Specializing in strategy and interactive marketing, we have built our business on our contributions to our clients’ growth. We are headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.
