How important is it, really, to have a some specific goals for your website?

Why not just get on with it and just aim for "lots of" something - like paying customers?

Well, you could.

You never know, maybe thousands of people can't get enough of your product and the phone or email will be running hot. This sadly, is rare and only happens if you are lucky enough to have the right product in the right place at the right time.

In the real world, goals give you something to aim for. 

They guide your decisions because you can ask yourself "How is this is going to achieve more visitors/more sales" and "What do I need to do to get to xyz in monthly revenue".

There is no proven 'best tactic' or 'easiest way' to get your website working well because what is going to work depends on your goals, along with your market and your own preferences. Without them, you'll end up wasting time and money chasing unicorns - so just say NO to those hawkers who ring or email you with a can't-be-beaten web marketing offer.

Your website is the external face of your business. In E-Commerce, it IS your business. Most (96%!) internet users in NZ will start their search for a business with Google. When (or if) they find you, what will they see?

You're not going to be right there to talk to visitors and explain how the website 'isn't important to our marketing and promotion', or  'all our sales come via word of mouth ' or 'it's being redesigned' or what ever other excuse - ahem, sorry reason – you have to explain that your site isn't a powerful marketing tool that shows visitors how you are going to solve your markets problems or provide just the thing they're looking for.

Set (or review) your Goals

A website can do many things but which one is right for your business?

• Do you want to grow your business or get bigger clients?
• Do you sell product that can be bought online?
• Do you want people to call you?

Put your goals in writing using the SMART methodology. This means be specific rather than saying something like 'make more money'.

How many new enquiries or sales from your website do you want? How many could you reasonably handle in a day – 10, 150, 500?

Good specific website goals:

• Increase subscriptions by 50% within 6 months
• Receive 10 email enquiries per week
• Sell $10,000 worth of products a week

Here's a worksheet you can use to record this information:Goal Worksheet

The goals you put in place will define what your website needs in terms of content and functionality.

What about your audience goals?

OK, so you know what you want to achieve, but you also need to know who your audience is and what they want – giving them what they want will get you what you want.

Describe your audience in terms of a problem they have (which will be one that you can solve for them, naturally!).

This might be someone who:

• Needs to use Excel in their business, but needs tutorials on how to do it
• Needs that perfect gift for their wife/husband/child
• Needs help with their business bookkeeping

Don't try and appeal to everyone who you think could do with a bit of what you offer, as this will only dilute your message. So don't say 'all small businesses' or 'everyone with a car'.

Demographics, profiles and persona's can help you get specific and think like your customer.

As a customer, are there any features I want that will make me pick you over the others that do the same thing?

Is it: a) quality b) reliability, c) speed, d) low price, e) choice etc.

Now you have both your own and your market's goals, you can bring them together in your site design, content and promotion!

Establish Why you and not them

What is your Unique Selling Proposition or Value Proposition? Or in layman terms, why should I buy from you instead of the other guy?

You need to distinguish your product or service from the competition, and this is usually by one of the following:

• Price – you are cheaper than anyone else
• Niche service or product – you offer something to a group of customers with a specific need
• Market leadership – you do it better than anyone else (and often at a higher price). It doesn't mean you are the biggest!

Quality of service isn't really a differentiator – it's just good business!

This is not about how you market or promote your business, it's a business decision about the basis on which you will compete.

A USP is not just a clever tag-line although your marketing messages must convey it to the audience.

It's not enough for you to be different – you have to convince a potential customer. This will become a vital piece of information to include in your marketing campaigns.