Large companies typically set website goals and make working towards them a priority. Small business owners on the other hand often forget about website goals as they get caught up with the day to day running of their businesses.
While it may seem like yet another task to add to an already long list, setting and achieving worthwhile website goals can in fact help you make your business more efficient while growing its revenue and customer base.
In this article we’ll explore the 15 most important website goals you should set to get better results out of your website.
What is the Purpose of Your Website?
While we cover the subject of a website’s purpose in more detail in our article, “What is the Purpose of a Website? A Small Business Guide“, it is nonetheless worth understanding the basic purpose before diving into more specific sub goals and purposes.
“The purpose of a website is to present information relating to a visitor’s search intent and link to other information that may be relevant. A visitor may search for information using a search engine, click on an advert or social post or look directly for a brand’s website by name, but what is most important is that they find the information they expected to find. For this reason it is vital that you understand the needs of the visitors you wish to provide content for.”
What are SMART Website Goals?
SMART website goals follow the acronym SMART, where each letter represents a different element of goal-setting.
S stands for specific, meaning that the goal is clear and particular. If your goals are vague an undefined or too broadly defined then you will have a hard time working out the action steps you need to take to actually achieve your website goals.
M represents measurable, meaning the goal is quantifiable, and it is possible to measure and track progress. The beauty of website is that that analytics tools make it easy in most cases to measure and track the performance of your website and each web page.
A stands for achievable, meaning that the goal is realistic and can be accomplished within a specified time frame. While I am a firm believer in setting big goals, your website goals should still be within the realm of reality. For example, having a goal to attract 10 000 monthly visitors from Google’s organic search engine results pages (SERPS) is a great goal. However, if your website is only a week old and you want to achieve this goal in a month or two then you are in for disappointment.
R represents relevant, meaning that the goal aligns with the website’s overall mission and contributes to its success.
Finally, T stands for time-bound, meaning there is a designated timeline for achieving the goal. If you don’t place time limits on achieving your goals then you won’t have any pressure to achieve them and you will end up on a meandering route to nowhere.
SMART website goals help website owners to create specific, achievable, and trackable objectives that help to improve website performance and achieve long-term success.
What are the Key Website Goal Categories?
The goals of a website can vary depending on the department responsible for its creation and utilization.
For marketing and sales teams, goals may include increasing website traffic, capturing leads, and driving sales conversions. The website should be optimized for search engines and have clear calls-to-action that attract visitors to engage with the business.
In contrast, customer service departments may have goals such as reducing customer service calls by providing comprehensive online resources or creating an FAQ section with common enquiries.
While, IT departments may prioritize website security and stability to ensure optimal user experience, HR teams may focus on creating an engaging career page to attract top talent.
Regardless of the department, a website’s goal should always align with the overall business strategy and attract the desired audience.
What Website Goals & Sub-Goals Should You Set?
When setting website goals, it’s important to consider the purpose and audience of your website. Most website goals are interrelated and often the optimizations you carry out can move you towards achieving more than one goal. Here are the most important website goals to consider setting for your website:
- Increase Website Traffic
- Improve Engagement Metrics
- Increase Conversion Rates
- Generate More Leads or Sales
- Decrease Cart Abandonment Rates
- Improve User Experience
- Establish a Strong Brand Identity
- Boost Search Engine Rankings
- Expand Social Media Reach
- Provide Valuable Information and Resources
- Establish Credibility
- Increase Mobile Responsiveness
- Start Blogging Regularly
- Increase Your Email Subscriber Base
- Make Your Website More Accessible
1. Increase Website Traffic by a Certain Percentage
The goal of increasing website traffic is crucial for any small business or organization that has an online presence.
Website traffic is a vital metric that indicates the health of the business and how effectively it is reaching its target audience. Good traffic volumes are also necessary to generate leads and sales.
Achieving this goal requires a strategic approach that focuses on various traffic sources, such as search engine optimization, social media marketing, content marketing, and targeted advertising.
A consistent effort towards increasing website traffic will not only increase brand awareness and lead generation but, if done correctly, will also improve search engine rankings, which will eventually lead to more traffic organically.
A successful website with high traffic and low bounce rate indicates that the business is meeting the needs of its target audience and is in a position to grow and increase its revenue.
2. Improve Engagement Metrics like Time Spent on the Website or Lowering Bounce Rate
A key goal of any website is to attract and retain visitors. However, the success of a website relies not just on visitor traffic, but also on the ability to keep visitors engaged and interested.
That’s where lowering the bounce rates, increasing time on site, and increasing engagement come in.
Bounce rates measure the percentage of visitors who leave the website after viewing only a single page. By lowering the bounce rate, a website can attract more visitors, increase the time they spend on the website, and improve visitor engagement.
By increasing visitor engagement, a website can make sure that visitors are more likely to return, recommend the website to others, and ultimately become customers.
By focusing on these key metrics, website designers and small business owners can improve their website’s effectiveness and help it achieve its goals.
3. Increase Conversion Rates by a Certain Percentage
The website goal of increasing conversion rates involves creating a user-friendly design and providing relevant content that leads the audience towards desired actions.
This may involve improving the overall functionality of the website, optimizing landing pages, improving calls-to-action, simplifying the checkout process, and leveraging social proof to increase customer trust and confidence in the brand.
In order to achieve these goals, the website may also require a comprehensive marketing strategy that includes targeted advertising such as Google Ads, SEO tactics and social media content creation that focuses on driving qualified traffic.
By implementing the right combination of design, content, and marketing strategies, a website can successfully improve conversion rates and ultimately increase revenue and profitability for the business.
4. Generate More Leads or Sales
One of the most important website goals is generating more leads or sales. This is crucial for any small business looking to expand their customer base and improve revenues.
For most small business owners, the ultimate objective is to convert website visitors into paying customers. This is best done by providing relevant and valuable information, clear calls-to-action, and a seamless user experience.
To achieve this goal, SME businesses must focus on developing effective digital marketing strategies that target their ideal audience, drive traffic to their website, and optimize conversion rates.
This involves creating engaging content, implementing search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, leveraging social media marketing, and utilizing email marketing campaigns.
In summary, your website should serve as a powerful tool for generating leads and sales, helping you to attract and retain customers, and achieve long-term success.
5. Decrease Your Cart Abandonment Rates
The website goal of reducing cart abandonment is a common problem for online retailers and eCommerce stores. According to Statista, cart abandonment rates in 2023 average almost 70%.
To decrease your cart abandonment rates and ensure your website goals are achieved, it is important to:
- Simplify the checkout process.
- Reduce the number of steps required to complete a purchase.
- Eliminate any unnecessary information fields among other optimizations.
- Provide multiple payment options that are secure and easy to use.
- Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and optimized for all devices.
- The use of real-time inventory management can prevent customers from abandoning their carts due to unavailable items.
- Offering incentives such as free shipping or discounts for first-time buyers can also go a long way to reducing cart abandonment.
- Finally, setting up cart abandonment emails to remind customers to complete their purchases and offering assistance can help you save sales.
By implementing these strategies, you can decrease your cart abandonment rates and increase your conversions and be well on your way to achieving one of your most important eCommerce website goals.
6. Improve User Experience by Reducing Page Load Times or Simplifying Navigation
When a small business invests in improving its website’s user experience, it can positively impact its customers’ satisfaction and retention.
One of the first things visitors encounter when exploring a website is the page loading time and navigation, which can significantly impact their engagement and experience.
If your web pages load slowly or the navigation is complicated, it can frustrate visitors and even lead to high bounce rates. This can ultimately result in lower engagement, reduced traffic, and decreased customer satisfaction for your business.
However, SME website owners can take several measures to address these issues and create a fast, efficient, and easy-to-use website.
Implementing website performance optimization to optimize images, minimize code, setup page caching can make a huge difference to load times and user experience.
Simplify navigation by streamlining menus and properly labeling links to clearly communicate what they link to can also make a massive difference to your visitor’s experience of your website.
By fulfilling these important website goals, small businesses can enhance customers’ experience, drive engagement, and ultimately achieve greater success.
7. Establish a Strong Brand Identity with Consistent Design and Messaging
Establishing a strong brand identity with consistent design and messaging is one of the most important goals of any website.
This is because a strong brand can help a company differentiate itself from competitors and build customer loyalty.
A consistent design and messaging strategy will ensure that every aspect of your website, from the logo to the content, reflects the company’s core values and mission.
Consistency is critical because it helps establish trust between a brand and its audience. It shows that a brand is reliable and committed to providing a consistent experience, both on and off the website.
By implementing a consistent design and messaging strategy, a company can create a strong brand identity that resonates with its target audience and sets it apart from the competition.
8. Boost Search Engine Rankings through Optimization Techniques
One of the most important website goals for any small business owner should be to ensure that their website appears at the top of the search results whenever potential customers search for keywords related to their business.
The key to doing this is the implementation of a good search engine optimization strategy.
Search engine optimization or SEO, encompasses a broad range of techniques, including optimizing website content, conducting keyword research, building quality backlinks, conducting on-page optimization, and using various analytical tools to track and measure your website’s performance.
Implementing these best practice SEO strategies, you can significantly improve your website’s visibility and rank higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
By investing in effective SEO strategies, you can drive more organic traffic to your website, boost your brand’s visibility, and achieve greater online prominence. It’s a smart, cost-effective way to establish your business as a leader in your industry and build a solid digital presence for the future.
9. Expand Social Media Reach by Sharing Content and Engaging with Followers
Expanding social media reach is a common website goal for small businesses and individual entrepreneurs alike.
By increasing your presence on social media platforms and reaching a wider audience, you can improve your brand awareness and grow your following. This can lead to more website traffic, higher engagement rates, and ultimately, more conversions.
To achieve this goal, it is important to identify the social media channels that are most relevant to your target audience and create relevant quality social content and use a consistent posting schedule.
You can also leverage social media advertising to increase your visibility to a larger audience.
By staying active on social media and engaging with your followers, you can build a strong online community and achieve your goal of expanding your social media reach.
10. Provide Valuable Information and Resources for Visitors
For small and medium enterprise (SME) owners, a website serves as a valuable resource for potential and existing customers.
By providing valuable information and resources for visitors, SME owners can enhance their website’s user experience and build customer loyalty.
Creating educational content that helps your visitors understand the products or services that your business provides is essential. This can be done using blog articles, product guides and FAQ pages.
Offering downloadable resources and tools such as e-books, whitepapers and templates establishes your business as an authority in the industry, and provides value to visitors beyond the products or services provided. This is also the best way to generate new leads that can be nurtured into customers.
Furthermore, frequently updating the website with new information and resources helps to keep the website fresh, encourages repeat visits and promotes the perception of the business as reliable and trustworthy.
Ultimately, providing valuable information and resources for visitors is an excellent website goal for SME owners as it can help to inform, educate and build trust with potential and existing customers.
11. Establish Credibility through Testimonials, Reviews, or Awards
One of the most valuable website goals to target is establishing credibility through testimonials, reviews, or awards in order to build trust with your website’s audience.
Testimonials provide social proof that the website’s products or services are effective and worth investing in. Reviews offer unbiased feedback from previous customers, which can give potential customers a sense of what to expect from the website’s products or services. Awards serve as a third-party endorsement and can give the website added credibility in the eyes of potential customers.
By including these credibility enhancers on your website, you increase the likelihood that users will trust your website and make a purchase or engage with your content.
Establishing credibility through testimonials, reviews, and awards is a crucial component of any successful website that aims to build trust with its audience and you should be sure to include it amongst your website goals
12. Increase Mobile Responsiveness to cater to the Growing Number of Mobile Users
Increasing mobile responsiveness has become a crucial goal for websites in recent years because of the widespread usage of mobile devices for internet browsing.
A website that isn’t optimized for mobile devices can cause a frustrating user experience, leading to high bounce rates and a loss in potential traffic. Plus, with Google’s mobile-first indexing, a website’s search engine rankings can also be negatively impacted if it isn’t mobile-friendly.
Therefore, as a small business owner, you need to make having a mobile responsive website one of your priority website goals and thus ensure that your website and content is easily accessible on all screen sizes.
By achieving mobile responsiveness, your websites can improve its user engagement and search engine rankings, ultimately resulting in increased traffic, leads, and conversions.
13. Start Blogging with Regular Posts Published at Least Twice Per Week
Blogging regularly is a crucial website goal because it can help drive traffic to your website, improve your search engine rankings, and establish your authority and credibility in your industry.
With frequent blog updates, you can share valuable information, provide insights and opinions, and demonstrate your expertise to potential customers and clients.
By consistently publishing new content, you can also keep your existing audience engaged and encourage them to return for more.
Furthermore, blogging regularly can help you build relationships with other bloggers and media outlets, which can lead to publicity opportunities and collaborations.
By, committing to a regular blogging schedule you can help you grow your online presence and achieve your business objectives.
14. Increase Your Email Subscriber Base
Including increasing your email subscriber base as one of your website goals is important because it can can have an enormous impact on your revenue and profits.
By having a sizable email subscription list, you can disseminate regular content, such as newsletters or promotional emails, directly to your subscribers.
Additionally, a great email list provides opportunities to run email marketing campaigns and drive traffic back to your website. More website visitors usually mean more opportunities for conversions, which can translate to improved sales.
Email marketing is one of the most cost effective methods of generating leads and sales.
A solid email subscription list is a valuable asset for any small business or entrepreneur looking for more control over their marketing and ways to make it more cost-effective.
15. Make Your Website More Accessible to Visitors with Special Needs
Making your website more accessible to visitors with special needs can greatly benefit your online presence. While this is not always one of the highest priority website goals it should be given greater importance.
By implementing accessibility features such as alt tags for images and closed captioning for videos, and better colour contrast you are able to engage with a larger audience and provide a better user experience for those with disabilities.
This not only demonstrates your commitment to including those with disabilities, but it can also improve your search engine optimization and overall website traffic.
By prioritizing accessibility, you are creating a more welcoming and user-friendly environment for all visitors.
Making your website more accessible is a worthwhile website goal to ensure that everyone has equal access and opportunity to engage with your content.
Measure and Track Performance with Website Analytics to Monitor Progress and Make Data-Driven Decisions.
Measuring and tracking performance with website analytics tools is vital for achieving website goals because it allows you to uncover valuable insights about visitor behavior and website performance.
With this information, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your website for improved user experience, increased traffic, and higher conversions.
By monitoring progress and tracking key performance indicators, such as bounce rates, conversion rates, and average time on site, you can identify areas for improvement and make strategic changes to your website to maximize its effectiveness.
Website analytics tools provide valuable data that enables small businesses to measure their progress towards meeting their online objectives and helps to inform their marketing and business strategies.
By leveraging website analytics tools, small businesses can gain a deeper understanding of their audience, improve website performance, and achieve their website goals.
