Previous blogs have covered the subject of website usability which is essentially ensuring that your website meets the needs of your visitors i.e. clients and potential clients.  When you meet these needs you will be meeting your own business needs.

Looking at your website from your visitor’s point of view is a critical step in the website design process and one which is, unfortunately, so often overlooked. Sometimes the design takes over and this is where usability can fall by the way side. Your website is not all about the design it is about your visitor and what they want from your site.

However, before you can even begin to look at your website from your visitor’s point of view you need to work out what you want from your website. Once you know what your online business objectives are you can work out how to ‘direct’ visitors accordingly and in doing so, you will be addressing the very reason they came to your site in the first place.

Perhaps you would like people to make a booking for your seminar or for your bed and breakfast. Perhaps you have written a white paper that you would love visitors to your site to download? Perhaps you really would like visitors to subscribe to your newsletter because you know for you that engaging with people creates sales e.g. creating a client/customer relationship.
Perhaps you would like people to purchase your products.

There are so many different types of  business objectives so work out what yours are and you are on the road to creating a website that meets your needs and those of your visitor. Whatever your objective/s you should make sure that these feature prominently on your website. So if you are looking for bookings for seminars, accommodation etc you should have a prominent ‘Book Now’ image on the site preferably at the top. If your only need is to get visitors to subscribe to your newsletter make this obvious.

The key is to always remember that your website is not for you but for your visitor and so bear this in mind when starting the design process. Often the most simplest, functional website designs are the most successful. Trade Me is a very good example of such a website. Not a fancy design but a functional one that is extremely successful.