Do you think your website is for you? Or your customers?
I can’t count how often this subject comes up in conversations. It is a relatively obvious answer, but the discussion is always helpful, as it further educates clients on the importance of the business asset what tends to take up much time and energy to create.
The first and most important question which should be asked and answered before getting started on your new website project:
Who is this website for?
You laughed, didn’t you? Many people do. Some might say it’s a strange question. But it isn’t and here’s why:
Very often, the first, only and most common answer for many clients is:
“Me! The website is for ME. It’s my business, of course. It’s MY business. I’m hiring you to make ME a website!”
This answer is at least 99% incorrect. Why?
“You” aren’t the intended customer your website should attract. You are too close to it, being the owner or manager of a business, personal preference tends to get in the way of objectivity.
Although you may own the business and you are hiring someone to create a website for your business, you aren’t the one who will be visiting the site and looking to hire yourself or buy your products.
Generally speaking, you are likely not the customer of your own business. Some of you might be, but it is not as common as you think and in the grand scheme of things, serving your own needs is not the reason you are having a website created.
What makes my website easy to use and how do I know?
The website is for your customers and visitors. Period.
Your customers are the only audience you should be thinking about when you have your website created. When you are too focused on the color that makes YOU happy or features YOU like, or any the other websites YOU think are cool, and you want to add every single one of the 20 different things you’ve seen elsewhere to your new website, STOP. You are missing the whole point.
Making your customers happy by providing them an excellent, seamless, and excellent experience when visiting your website will make you happy in more ways than you expected. Thus, focus less on what your personal preferences are, and more on what your customers want.
User experience matters every time.
We spend time researching the best approach and solution when we design and build websites to be sure they will be the most appropriate design and functionality for your audience.
From experience, not all audiences will interact with all websites in the same way. Some use mobile devices way more than desktop computers and vice-versa.
There is no cookie cutter “one size fits all” solution to website design and adding all those bells and whistles to a website because someone else has them could be the worst thing you could do.
Want to learn more?
We’d love to speak to you about your website project, answer questions you might have and start planning the next big thing! Contact us today to get started using the following form!