The new year is approaching, so it’s a great time to set 7 goals for your website (although any time is a good time to review and monitor goals…). Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to improve an existing site, setting specific, measurable goals -a.k.a. SMART goals- will help you and/or your business stay on track throughout the year.
There is a wide variety of different types of websites and therefore very different purposes; it’s worth noting that no single approach will work for every website, it is a combination of multiple tactics that drive the most results, and it’s essential to test, measure and optimise the approach over time based on the website’s specific needs and goals.
That said, we have chosen 7 (perhaps 6) website goals that are easily applicable to any web and that you should take into account if you want your site to perform properly:
Website goal 1: Increase your website traffic
One of the most common goals for any website is to increase the number of visitors. Websites represent the basis of a Digital Marketing strategy and ensure the digital presence of a company. Through websites of any kind, leads are attracted, relationships are built with the public, dialogue is established with consumers, and sales are closed.
Hence the importance of developing strategies and actions that help companies to stand out on the internet, attract the attention of the public and get the click that guarantees their visit. This can be accomplished by a variety of methods, including Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), social media marketing, paid advertising, email marketing, and even referral marketing campaigns. By focusing on these strategies, you can improve your website’s visibility and attract more visitors to your site.
Website goal 2: Expand your online presence
Speaking of traffic… another goal you should keep in mind is to improve your online presence. We can get an idea of how good your online presence is based on how easy it is for a user to find your brand or company online. And you know what? Your website plays a major role. It is important, for example, to build reputation and brand awareness, or to provide visibility for your products/services when users search for related keywords.
FACT: Most users search for the company before making a purchase.
Being online is a competitive advantage because it allows you to show your best, in terms of image, and thus stand out from the competition. That is why it is extremely important that you stick to your Digital Marketing strategy, and respect the tone and image you want to project to your potential customers on your website. You should also interact with your audience as much as possible (and don’t overlook customer support), this will lead to positive comments and reviews.
In addition to the recommendations we give you in this post to improve your online presence through your website, there are other methods that you cannot ignore. This can include building a stronger social media presence, increasing your online reviews, or establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
So all this plays in your favour in a sort of virtuous circle: by expanding your online presence, you will increase your visibility and attract more visitors to your website.
Website goal 3: Create more engaging content
A goal you can set for your website is to create more engaging content. But creating quality content is not as easy as it sounds, it requires research, hard work and thought… in a short, time. If you want your content to be really engaging, you have to take on more responsibility because it is not just about “creating”, but also making it worthwhile so that people are interested in it. Otherwise, you will be wasting your time and probably money.
As a brand or company that wants to increase engagement, you need to create content that is valuable not only to you as a company, but also to your visitors. Luckily we live in an era full of analytics tools, so you can first determine who you will create content for; this will give you clues as to what type of content to create. If you are consistent, soon you will be able to increase engagement thanks to your blog posts, videos, etc. as you are creating something that interests your target audience (they will end up becoming your potential buyers).
“OK, we are already getting online presence and traffic to our website. Now what?“
Website Goal 4: Improve User Experience (UX)
Another important goal to set for your website is to improve the user experience (UX). User experience is the set of elements that involve the interaction of a user with a device or with a certain environment, in this case, your website. This process can have a positive or negative impact, which will depend on the result and the perception of each visitor. The UX is one of the fundamental aspects for your website to be successful, as it is directly related to two very important factors: SEO and CRO.
Think about it, it’s quite logical: your website should make it easy for visitors to get to the information they are looking for quickly. Otherwise, they will most likely leave (increasing your bounce rate) and will not come back to your site again, so you will lose the possibility of converting visits, decrease your sales or even receive complaints from users.
So pay close attention to loading speed, design and layout, structure and navigation, readability, and above all, responsive design. This will not only improve the “SEO score” of your website but probably also the conversion rate.
Website goal 5: Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)
Did someone say conversion rate? Increasing the number of conversions on your website is another important goal to set. The specific term has evolved into “CRO” or Conversion Rate Optimisation, and it is understood as a set of techniques whose ultimate goal is to improve the performance of a website in relation to its conversions (whether it is selling more products or services, getting more form submissions or phone calls, collecting more email addresses, or whatever each website defines as a conversion). In other words, getting more out of existing traffic and leads, as opposed to entirely new traffic.
To achieve this goal, you will need to -once again- review your Digital Marketing strategy so as not to act against it… Once this is understood, you will need to identify the “conversion barriers” and act accordingly. In many cases, a few changes are enough to substantially improve your visitors’ response to the experience you create for them.
Some common examples are poor design/navigation, hidden or unclear information, too few or weak CTAs, too many forms or registrations, time limits or other types of restrictions… As we mentioned before, UX is intrinsically related to CRO. But in all cases, a good CRO strategy results in highly qualified leads, higher revenue, and lower acquisition costs.
Website Goal 6: Enhance your Website Security
With privacy becoming increasingly relevant, website security is more important than ever. By enhancing your website’s security, you are protecting your business’s sensitive data (and reputation) and that of your customers and visitors. Unfortunately, this is an aspect that most people put on the back burner. Whether it is a hobby website, a business website, an affiliate marketing website or any other type of website, keeping it secure should always be a priority!
FACT: Your customers will lose confidence in your business if cyber-security is compromised
Phishing, brute force attacks, backdoors and Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks are some of the most common methods used to breach websites and it happens more often than you think. So make sure you take the necessary actions! We assume that you are already doing the basics such as creating strong passwords, implementing security and encryption protocols such as SSL certificates, using a competent hosting service, and performing regular updates… right??
Website goal 7: [insert your own website goal here]
It is what it is… No, seriously now. I know we promised 7 website goals, but keep in mind that every website is a world with its individual structures, specific audiences, and infinite variables. You should be clear about your Digital Marketing strategy and select a goal aligned with that strategy.
