Starting a website is not a big deal, but running it by following a proper website strategy requires huge efforts. One must have a clear vision about their long-term and short-term goals which they strive to achieve through their website strategy.
When formulating your website strategy, you should have the answers to the following questions:
- What is the process of your website strategy?
- Who you want to execute your website strategy?
- What outcome are you expecting from it?
- When would the strategised product be implemented?
Website strategy is a long process, it must be kept up to date with the time. If your website strategy is built properly, it will publicise your brand, strengthen your credibility, enhance your skill set and above all it will generate more leads. Above stated benefits of the website, the strategy is not as easy to achieve as it seems. Therefore, we have consolidated some important tips for a website strategy which will accomplish your website’s goal and allows you to track the result. Let’s start with five website strategy tips.
1. Setting Up Your Website Goals
The first and foremost thing is to decide, the motto which you want to accomplish through your website. Have a perfect clarity on the same. Decide your specific goals, measures them with the real-time situations and ultimately set up your time duration in which you want your website to achieve your goal. Now the question is, what goal? The goal can be anything, do you want to generate leads through your website? Or you want yourself to establish as a branch leader or if you want to establish your credibility? Determining the website goal is the foremost thing for your website strategy.
2. Decide A Web Design And Content That Meets Your Goals
As a famous entrepreneur, Jeffery Zeldman said: “Design in the absence of content is not designed, it’s decoration.” The design is vital enough in either making or breaking your brand value, which is why this is an incredibly important part of a really good website strategy. Even more important is to get the right message across. Both (content and design) should work hand in hand to convey your message to your website visitors and ultimately paying into achieving your goal. So when you set up your goals, you must give deep thinking on designing your website or on its redesigning if you already have one. Convey your goals to your team, the designer, the developers and others so that they will work accordingly. Be vigilant enough on what content you are keeping on your website. All your content should be crafted according to your set website goal.
3. Understand Your Website Visitors
They say a satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all, and so true it is. As per the survey, approx 38% people dump the websites with poor content and layout. Do research about your present and potential customers. You can also interview them through an online survey, and ask them what they like and dislike about your product or services. Develop attractive and fascinating content that draws them in and makes them stay on the website for a longer time. Do not cram your website with your accomplishment, rather keep the user-engaging elements that give your visitors a valid reason to stay. A good website strategy understands the users and creates a comfortable online presence for them that is well-signposted so it automatically leads them into the right direction (to contact you, to buy from you, etc.).
4. Competitors Analysis
Finding what your competitors are up to and built a strategic way to compete them is the one important keys to a well-planned website strategy and consulting. Roy L Smith once said, “The successful man is the one who finds out what is the matter with his business before his competitors do.” Now the question is how to analyse your competitors’ websites. There are several online competitive research tools which will help you out. Some of the best competitor analysis tools are:
Have a look at what your competitors do, try to find out what they are good at and bad at and use your new knowledge to your advantage.
5. Resetting Your Goals
You must be thinking, if you have already set your goals previously, why you need to do it again. That’s an obvious thought and the answer is simple. Setting goals is a continuous process within setting and continuously improving your website strategy. Through this, you can get more close to your goal. After all, the above-discussed points help you to analyse the level that you have achieved with previously set goals. Measure your goals with real-time data, perform necessary adjustments according to your readings, and set another benchmark.
Final thoughts
Building a website strategy is an ongoing process. Strategies changes with the time. Always remember one rule, never build a website without a clear strategy. The website strategy and consulting services lead your website exactly where you want to see your website in the near future – no one would start sailing a ship over the oceans without planning through and preparing for the journey. If you need help in developing a clear website strategy, let us know.