Stating the Goals

Stating the Goals
In the abstract, the goal of every web site builder is to organize the site's content in a useful and intelligible way. It's time to put this theory into practice. What are the specific goals of your particular site? What tasks does your web site need to accomplish? What, through it, do you want to say? You probably have several ideas about this already, so take out a fresh sheet of paper and jot down some notes.

If you're building a site for your business or organization, your list of goals might look like this:

To introduce potential clients to our business: who we are and what we do

To tell potential clients how we can help them

To provide a detailed list of our products and services

To announce new products and initiatives (e.g., a press room)

To give our contact information to potential clients

To generate leads for our sales reps

The goals for a fan site about comic books aren't necessarily the same:

To give monthly reviews of my favorite comic books

To summarize the most recent storylines for people who may have missed an issue

To post bits of news about comic books and upcoming comic book movies that I happen to pick up

Tips from me and eventually other visitors about where to find rare comics at decent prices

Gems from the bargain bin: recommendations for great older comics that have been overlooked by most collectors

Even at this early stage, you can tell that the tone of the sites is going to be different, just by comparing the list of goals. The first site means serious businesscompetitors beware. The second site exists solely for entertainment, both for the builder as well as the audience. Where the first is tactical, the second is relaxed, but not so relaxed that it lapses into disorganization.

All web sites, regardless of content, should include the following among their goals:

To provide a way for visitors to contact the administrator of the site

This lifeline to your visitors is essential. First, you need to be on top of any miscellaneous bugs, glitches, and technical problems that might crop up. You'll test your web site thoroughly before you launch it, but no amount of testing can account for every possible combination of software and hardware that your visitors might use. If your site is performing poorly for some people, they'll let you know about it, and you can take measures to fix it. Second, direct visitor contact is the best way to judge the effectiveness of your site. Visitor comments help you to figure out what sections of your site are the most popular and which aren't making much of an impact. Based on this analysis, if your site isn't meeting one of its primary goals, you can see about improving matters.

Don't feel like you have to set up a toll-free number or hire a team of customer service reps in order to stay connected with your visitors. A simple email address is sufficient in most cases. Just make sure that you read the email that your web site generates and listen to what your visitors are saying. If you're able to send brief but personalized replies, that's all the better. It helps to foster the community spirit that enables your site to grow.