Secret One: Setting Your Website Goals

The basis for any project needs to begin with a clear understanding of your goals. This is critical to maximize your web presence. These goals help guide many of your decisions for content, navigation, design/lay-out and features. Without them, your web site will lack a clear cohesion and focus.

The first in a series of seven essential secrets of a successful web presence

The basis for any project needs to begin with a clear understanding of your goals. This is critical to maximize your web presence. These goals help guide many of your decisions for content, navigation, design/lay-out and features. Without them, your web site will lack a clear cohesion and focus.

What to think about when setting your goals

Why are you creating the website? What are you trying to achieve? How does your website fit within your overall marketing strategy of reaching your audience? How will you know if you’ve reached your goals? Are your goals clear? Are your goals measurable?

There are many laudable goals for a website. You should consider one or two primary goals and then some smaller goals within that. Some of them include:

• Generate leads for potential business
• Sell products or services
• To provide a centralized location for information about your organization.

Measuring Your Goals

The best goals will also be clearly measurable. Measurements come in different forms and include statistics from both the web site as well as other sources, such as visitor reports.

• Number of visitors to the web site
• Promotional materials driving customers to the site
• Issued address via the website instead of more traditional means, like phone and mail

Next: The second secret - Target Your Audience

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