what's the point?

A lot of businesses seem confused about why they have a website. They know that they need one and they’re sure it deserves some portion of their marketing budget, but they’re not sure why.

The result is a website that delivers little impact and brings no real benefits to the company.

Knowing why people visit your website is the key to understanding why you need it and what it should contain. They visit your site for a reason and, if it doesn’t give them what they want, they’ll leave and find one that does.

A professional, well-designed website can help to increase sales and offer valuable promotion for your brand. A poorly planned site will do the opposite.

To understand why people visit your website, you first need to consider how they get there. There are a number of ways visitors will find your site...

• Search engines
• Web directories and other websites
• Word of mouth
• Offline marketing (advertising, brochures, business cards)

But finding your website in a search engine or seeing the address printed on a brochure you sent them doesn't mean anything. Its the fact that they've taken the trouble to click on a link or type it into their browser that is important. They wouldn't make that step if they didn't have a reason.

There are many reasons for people visiting your site, but most will fit into these main categories...

To make contact

Anyone that needs to get in touch with you could look on your website for contact details

To buy online

Customers may visit your site to try and purchase your products/services

For product or service information

Visitors may be looking for more details on what you sell

For company information

Visitors may want to learn more about you

To find you

Customers or suppliers could look on your website for maps or directions to your premises.

If you can fulfil your visitors' need for information, you will greatly increase the chances of them becoming customers.

Make sure the information you provide on your website is detailed - don't give limited summaries of your services in the hope that anyone interested will contact you for further details. After speaking with you or reading a brochure, a potential customer would visit your website to learn more, not less.

Include product photos, datasheets, case studies, testimonials and anything else you can to convince visitors to buy your products or services. Give your full contact details and use automated enquiry forms to make it easy for customers to get in touch. Ensure your website looks attractive and professional and make it as easy as possible to get to important information.

As more and more of your potential customers are becoming familiar with the power of the Internet, the potential of your website as a marketing tool is ever increasing. Give these customers what they're looking for and you will find yourself a step ahead of the competition.

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