Building a website? Make Goal-Setting Your First Priority

During the planning stages of a website build its important that you don’t get caught up in how it should look or what platform it should be developed on. Whilst these things are important they should always be considered after you have set the goals and objectives of the site. Form follows function, the maxim coined by the architect Louis Sullivan, applies just as much to the design of websites as it does to buildings.

What are goals and objectives

Goals are basically some type of outcome you want to achieve, be that increasing the revenue, reducing the amount of support calls or increasing the amount of products sold. Objectives are process-oriented actions taken in the short term which, when combined, help you achieve the overall goal. So both of these elements work together to help you deliver on a vision.

The type of website you require will frame the types of goals you set

A website can exist for many different reasons such as sharing samples of your work, managing bookings, providing help and support to customers, selling products etc. Each of these reasons will require a very different set of goals and objectives in order for your customers to successfully achieve what they came to do within a seamless, intuitive user experience.

Why do I need to set goals

Setting the goals you want to achieve when building your online presence will help to focus your effort when it comes to the design and architecture of the website. Breaking down a larger goal into more specific process-oriented objectives will help you to determine what features should be included on the website, and ultimately it will help you decide what technology platform will be most beneficial.

So with the foundation set lets take a closer look at goals and objectives.

An overview of the main types of goals

There are three main types of goals: outcome-oriented, time-bound and process-oriented goals.

Outcome-oriented

Outcome-oriented goals are set in order to achieve a particular result like increase online sales and revenue, or reduce bounce rates and improve average session duration. However you should be careful with these types of goals as they can be quite elusive and hard to achieve if they are not constructed correctly, this can lead to drop in morale when the desired outcome is not achieved.

Time-bound

Time-bound goals are goals with a specific deadline or timeline attached to them, this helps to focus resources and measure progress keeping the team aligned on the delivery schedule. These goals need to be more specific and have a measurable target attached so that progress can be tracked. An example of a time-bound goal is something like ‘reduce bounce rate by 20% within the next 3 months by optimizing website loading speed and improving navigation.’

Process-oriented

Process goals are shorter term objectives which focus on individual actions which are required to achieve a desired outcome. Begin with an outcome oriented or time-bound goal, and break this down into the process steps required to get you to the end result. This will help you to organize a collection or backlog of tasks that can be divided across your team, once these tasks are delivered the team will know it has achieved the goal. Process goals should be within your control and achievable which is why they are generally based on tasks. Larger more generic goals may not be met, they act as a target which needs to be measured and reported on over time.

A popular framework called SMART is used to help you construct effective goals.

This framework tends to be widely accepted as a successful method that helps you to create clear and actionable goals which achieve results. The following is a breakdown of the component parts of the SMART framework.

Specific

Be very clear in what you want to achieve, this will be much more effective than vague or generalized goals. It will help you to construct attainable goals which can be broken down easier into smaller tasks or ‘process goals’.

Measurable

This is one of the most important principles behind a goal, making it measurable allows you to know when you have achieved the desired result. If you cannot measure the goal then how would you ever know it is complete. Set your targets within reason but also not too low, even if you don’t hit the target you at least know the final result and if required you can add more time or tasks to achieve the original goal.

Attainable

You should be realistic about the goals you are setting and take into consideration what your current resources and capabilities are. The goal should provide a challenge but if it edges towards the impossible it will not help you to achieve the result you need from the website. This results in a morale sapping experience for the team who may have worked incredibly hard without any hope of attaining the goal.

Relevant

There is no point in trying to attain a goal which doesn’t align with the business or organisations objectives, make sure to coordinate with other teams or individuals who may have alternative perspectives. This will help you to build a more holistic view and prioritise for the most beneficial direction according to the resources available.

Time-Bound

Its important to set an expiry on your goals to make them time sensitive. Setting a length of time, which is realistic for completing the goal, helps to have a cut off point so you can review the result and ascertain whether you have completed what you set out to achieve. This also enables you to rethink the strategy if the goal hasn’t been met, extend the time line and go again.

How can you uncover and prioritize goals that will have the right impact on your business?

The first step is to take stock of your current position online, do you have a website or online presence? or is this a new business or new venture into the online space. Both of these scenarios will require a different approach. Lets look at how this can be developed below:

You are developing your first website or online presence.

This is probably the more difficult of the two starting points, its like a blank sheet of paper where its difficult to know where to start. Its important to keep things open and gather together a diverse group from the business to brainstorm potential goals and objectives.

Aligning with your overall business objectives is key to success, this will ensure that the website will be designed and developed in a way that supports the direction of the business.

Another dimension to consider is the type of website you require, will you just need a portfolio type site, are you going to be selling products, or are you looking to support your customers better and have uncovered some business problems which a website can help you to solve?

You already have a website and are looking to improve it.

If you already have an online presence, you benefit from being able to analyze your current performance data. Your existing site should be collecting analytics. If not, you'll need to establish a baseline by implementing an analytics solution and allowing it to collect data for at least a full month before analysis.

The data you collect will provide valuable insights into what is working and where you might need improvement. Review these website analytics, focusing on key metrics such as traffic sources, user behavior, bounce rates and conversion rates. You can also collect qualitative feedback through surveys and user testing to gain more contextual information if required.

Armed with this data, you can identify specific areas for improvement and set targeted goals. For example, if you notice a high bounce rate on certain pages, you might set a goal to improve user engagement on those pages. Or if your analytics show a low conversion rate for a particular product or service, you could aim to optimize that sales funnel.

Examples of Website Objectives

The following are a few examples of objectives which follow the SMART principles. The main component of these objectives is the ability to measure success which will be crucial to tracking the performance over time.

• Increase sales by 5% through online transactions.

• Reduce bounce rate by 30% through improved user experience.

• Increase website traffic by 50% through SEO optimization.

Key Takeaways

1. Align website objectives with business goals: Ensure that website objectives support and align with the company’s broader objectives.

2. Set SMART goals: Use the SMART model (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely) to set clear and actionable website objectives.

3. Consider the type of business: Website objectives vary depending on the type of business, such as e-commerce, B2B, or informational websites.

4. Focus on measurable outcomes: Establish metrics to track and measure website objectives, such as traffic, engagement, conversion rates, and sales.

5. Regularly review and adjust: Periodically review website objectives and adjust them as needed to ensure they remain relevant and effective.

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