What’s the purpose of a website?
Every business owner has known now for decades that they need a website. Much like the need to use social media, each and every business requires some sort of website. But why? Most importantly, what is the point or the purpose of that website?
Keep it simple
Quite often the question of ‘why’ is often missed by businesses. Too many businesses pour tonnes of content onto their website. They cover every aspect of their business in forensic detail and end up confusing potential customers. Less really is more!
A website needs to be simple and targetted in its purpose. But what could or should the purpose be of a business’ website? I have distilled the purpose of any business website into four categories.
- Selling items or products
- A point of reference
- Generate leads
- Provide clarification
Let’s look further at each of those purposes.
Selling items or products
Yes, this is the most obvious purpose of a website. There are upwards of 20 million eCommerce websites on the Internet.
The ability to buy products online from anywhere in the world is one of the fundamental uses of the Internet. We know of great eCommerce stores, such as Amazon, eBay and Alibaba. They all sell a near-endless list of different products to consumers in all corners of the world.
For so many businesses the ability to sell their physical or digital products online is a key part of their business. The cost of buying or renting a physical shop is far higher than the cost of building and maintaining an online shop.
So, should every business use the Internet to sell products? Absolutely not! In a previous version of Tiny Blue Rocket, we attempted to sell digital marketing services with an online shop. Quickly it became apparent that was not how people accessed SEO solutions or email marketing platforms. It was a mistake I spotted and rectified.
I recently was looking at local driving instructor websites for one of our clients. Whilst searching, I spotted a driving school was using an eCommerce shop to sell driving lessons online. This baffled me and still befuddles me to this day! Why would anyone purchase and pay for driving lessons via an eCommerce shop? This website provided me with a great example of someone else who believes eCommerce is the expectation of every business website.
While eCommerce can be the backbone of many businesses, only those select few who are actually focused exclusively on selling products should set up an eCommerce store.
A point of reference
Yes, that is an opaque title. What I mean is a blog or a website that’s focused on providing insights into a business or its industry.
Blogs are great and can help attract people to a business or help them find out more about a business and their services. Hence why I’m writing this blog now! Websites like Huffington Post and Techcrunch slip themselves somewhere in the middle between a news outlet and a blog.
People, such as Jack Monroe have made themselves very successful and grown their own personal brand by building a food and recipe blog. In fact, food blogging has been a big driving force in the online blog world and in the catering industry, although not everyone likes it!
Often a business gets confused between whether they should have a website or a blog. An awful lot of clients I’ve spoken to think a business can have either one or the other. In reality, the best approach for any business that isn’t entirely blogging-based is to have a blog within a website.
If a business, such as a cafe, restaurant or even a plumber, wants to provide blog content for their prospective clients, they don’t need to get a second website that’s a blog or set up a blog away from their website. Every business website can benefit from having a blog integrated within it. A blog can help a business provide news updates, offers and so much more.
Generate leads
While this one might seem more niche or actually just part of any website, it can be a unique use of a website.
When a visitor comes to your website you want them to take action. You might want them to phone or email you, pop into your business or buy a product.
Lead generation should be at the core of your business’ website. Essentially, every business website can benefit from a signup form, an occasional seasonal competition or simply a contact form.
Many digital marketers have made a career out of helping businesses target online users to take a specific action. ‘Click this button’ or ‘download this ebook’, whatever it is, lead generation is key to business websites.
Some websites are entirely focused on lead generation. Have a look at Further. The home page of the website is simply a box for you to enter your email address and join their mailing list.
Other business websites, such as Databox, encourage the user to sign-up and access their digital resources really quickly and easily.
So, should every business website forget the pages of content and just use an email address form? For most businesses that would be a poor use of their website — providing insufficient information for visitors. Imagine you’d come to a cafe’s website to find out when they’re open and have to sign-up to their email list to get that information. Not a good idea!
Rather than focus their entire business website on generating leads, many businesses use lead generation on a landing page. Companies like Shopify, Nauto and Unbounce have built landing pages within their business’ website to help generate leads.
Much like integrating a blog into your website, you can integrate lead generation pages into your business website.
Provide clarification
We finally get to by far the most important use of a website for business — simply providing clarification.
As we near the start of the 2020s, we live in a world immersed in social media. One of the main ways we discover a new business through social media.
If social media is so powerful, why do businesses still need a website? For the most part, it’s all about clarification.
Imagine a friend shares a post on Facebook about a local cafe. It looks lovely, perhaps you will pop there at the weekend. When is it open? Is it child-friendly? Do they provide gluten-free cakes?
You know the answer to those questions will be easiest found on the cafe’s website. And there is the purpose of that cafe’s website — to provide simple clarification to potential customers.
Yes, the cafe could sell branded mugs in an eCommerce store. Yes, the cafe could integrate a blog into their website. Yes, the cafe must use lead generation to get you to sign up to a newsletter or enter a competition. However, at the heart of the cafe’s website, the purpose of it is to provide basic clarification.
A plumber’s website should tell you the services they provide and how to get in touch with them. A salon’s website should tell you their opening times and the treatments they provide. A driving instructor’s website should tell you the area they operate in and how to book a lesson.
Some businesses lose sight over time about what the purpose of their website is. As social media takes over as the main way people will find out about your business, often the only purpose of your website is simply to provide clarification.
In summary
If you own a business and already have a website, take a minute or two to ask yourself, ‘what is the purpose of my website?’ Then check that against your website.
Does your website provide the right solution? Does it fit its purpose?
If you are in any doubt or would like some help redesigning or editing your website, get in touch today.
