Starting a new website

Attracting website visitors

Improving conversion rates

Measuring and Testing

What is the purpose of your website

Many businesses have a website simply because everyone else has one. Understanding why you should have a website and what you want to achieve from it can seem difficult, but it is essential to be clear on your aims if you want to build a website that will benefit your business.

Below is a list of some of the things a website can achieve and how:

1. Generate sales leads
To generate sales leads, you will need to include clear 'call to action' links on your site. These may be 'request a quote / brochure / callback', download a report, or call now links.

2. Qualify sales leads
Well thought out website forms can help to qualify your visitors before you try to sell to them. Think carefeully about the information you ask for.

3. Make sales over the internet
If you rely on selling to a mass market, an online shop can work very well as you can sell 24 hours a day, at very little ongoing cost to yourself.

4. Reduce operational costs
Reduce your postage costs, invoicing costs, marketing costs, sales costs and much more by allowing your website to take on much of the work automatically.

5. Develop your relationships with existing / potential clients
Forums, blogs, useful content, and email newsletters are just a few ways you can maintain regular contact with site visitors.

6. Increase credibility
Presenting an informative and professional image on the internet can give potential customers reassurance and increase the likelihood of a sale.

After reading this list, you may be thinking “I want my site to do all of those things”. If this is the case, make sure you have a big budget.

However, if like most businesses, your budget is more limited, focus on one or two key aims, you can always develop it later on.

These articles are part of the '10 steps to building a new website guide'. Move onto step 2 - Your target market and the buying process - or go directly to the main contents page.

Once you know what to change on your website,
the question becomes how...

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