What is the purpose of a website?
by Scott D'Ambra Owner at ClearTech Interactive
Different kinds of websites have different purposes depending on who the intended audience is. Some websites are geared towards selling products and other websites are geared towards providing practical information, while others are merely for entertainment. Let’s take a look at some of the different types of websites that are out there.
The Purpose of Informative / Practical Information Websites
The purpose of an information centric website is to convey specific, helpful information to a specific user/audience so that the reader learns something new or understands a topic better. These websites are geared around more actionable information and may contain “how to’s”, tips and tricks, fix and repair, guidance, support information, directions, instructions, etc.
The Purpose of Entertainment Websites
These websites showcase entertaining information for visitors. Online magazines, gossip oriented websites, celebrity news, sports coverage, movies, the arts, humorous websites, etc. These websites are designed to be easy to navigate and frequently updated in order to keep users coming back for more information. They can be made more engaging by using dynamic content, such as videos, podcasts, slideshows, etc.
The Purpose of E-Commerce Websites
The purpose of e-commerce websites are to sell products to users. The most successful websites are carefully optimized to achieve a high percentage of purchases. To achieve success e-commerce websites need to integrate all of the latest online closing & upsell techniques available which have been proven to increase the chances that a visitor will purchase. There are many important elements that go into building a successful e-commerce website such as removing friction during the purchasing process, making the checkout smooth and easy, making the website fast and attractive, up selling users on related products, incentivizing buyers, reducing cart abandonment, nurturing past buyers to buy again, remarketing to past visitors who haven’t yet purchased, using the proper payment options, having a mobile ready design, etc., etc.
The Purpose of Service-Based Business Websites
The purpose of a service-based business website is to convince website visitors that they should become customers of the service company. This is done by positioning the company as a dependable, trust worthy and experienced service provider in the target market.
Visitors will pre-screen potential service providers by reviewing their websites before they make any phone calls. During this process, they are trying to find the best company that will meet their specific needs. They are trying to ascertain how expert the company is, the quality of the work they will receive, whether the provider has a good reputation and how long the company has been in business. Visitors can be helped by providing them with information and articles which demonstrate your knowledge, a visual portfolio of your work, videos, customer testimonials and so on.
The Purpose of Blogs
The purpose of a blog is to provide a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style. Blogs can be started up very easily online using a number of free services, such as wordpress.com. There are many personal and professional blogs out there that are entertaining to read and which give a very personal insight into a person’s life. Blogs can be for entertainment purposes or used as an online journal or used by companies to keep their customers abreast of what is going on. The hallmark of a blog is that it’s very easy for an untrained person to maintain with little to no technical knowledge.
The Purpose of Social Media Websites
The purpose of social media websites are to make it very easy to share and connect with friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances and even strangers. Social media websites make quick and easy work out of building up a network of connections so as to keep in touch, share daily experiences, photos, interests, preferences, etc. Social networks can be used for both personal and commercial purposes. Businesses use social networks to build direct connections with their customers which allows them to get feedback on their products and services and allows them to learn more about what their customers really need and want.
