Chapter 13
Defining Success – What Should Your Website Achieve?
Introduction
Every website should have a purpose.
Some websites only provide information.
Some generate enquiries.
Some build credibility.
Some educate.
Some support existing customers.
Some create communities.
Some become industry knowledge centres.
A successful website is not judged by how many pages it contains.
It is judged by whether it achieves the organisation's objectives.
This chapter helps us define what success looks like.
________________________________________
13.1 Why Are You Building This Website?
Content Need
Tick all that apply.
☐ Introduce our organisation
☐ Generate enquiries
☐ Sell products
☐ Promote services
☐ Build credibility
☐ Share knowledge
☐ Educate customers
☐ Support existing customers
☐ Attract partners
☐ Recruit employees
☐ Build a community
☐ Other ___________________
Which objective is the most important?
________________________________________
________________________________________
13.2 What Should Visitors Think?
Content Need
After spending five minutes on your website, what should visitors think?
1. ________________________________________
2. ________________________________________
3. ________________________________________
________________________________________
13.3 What Should Visitors Do?
Content Need
What action should visitors take?
☐ Contact us
☐ Request a quotation
☐ Download information
☐ Buy
☐ Register
☐ Subscribe
☐ Book a meeting
☐ Continue reading
☐ Share with others
☐ Other __________________
________________________________________
13.4 What Should Visitors Feel?
Content Need
Choose the feelings you want your website to create.
☐ Trust
☐ Confidence
☐ Curiosity
☐ Excitement
☐ Respect
☐ Inspiration
☐ Reassurance
☐ Other __________________
________________________________________
13.5 How Will You Know the Website Is Successful?
Content Need
Which outcomes would indicate success?
☐ More enquiries
☐ Better enquiries
☐ Higher sales
☐ Better customer understanding
☐ More downloads
☐ More repeat visitors
☐ More referrals
☐ Better reputation
☐ Industry recognition
☐ Other __________________
________________________________________
13.6 One Year From Now...
Content Need
Complete this sentence.
One year after launch, we would consider this website successful if...
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
13.7 Three Years From Now...
Content Need
What would you like your website to become?
☐ Information website
☐ Knowledge centre
☐ Learning platform
☐ Industry reference
☐ Community platform
☐ Business development platform
☐ Other __________________
________________________________________
13.8 Final Vision Statement
Content Need
Complete this statement.
We want our website to become...
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
Chapter Summary
| Objective | Priority |
| Build awareness | |
| Build trust | |
| Generate enquiries | |
| Share knowledge | |
| Support customers | |
| Grow community |
________________________________________
Notes for the Consultant
By the end of this chapter we should clearly understand:
• The organisation's primary purpose for the website.
• The desired visitor experience.
• The desired visitor actions.
• The measures of success.
• The long-term vision for the website.
________________________________________
Chapter Completion Check
☐ Primary objective identified
☐ Desired visitor response defined
☐ Success measures agreed
☐ Long-term vision recorded
☐ Vision statement completed
________________________________________
What We Have Achieved
This chapter brings together everything we have discovered throughout the workbook and converts it into a clear definition of success.
Instead of measuring the website by the number of pages, features or visual design, we now have a shared understanding of what the website is expected to accomplish for the organisation and its stakeholders.
________________________________________
I think this chapter is a much stronger fit than simply ending with "website management." It creates a natural transition from Discovery to Implementation, after which Chapters 14 and 15 can become the handover document for the consultant, designer and IT team. In effect, the methodology becomes a complete end-to-end system rather than stopping at the point where implementation decisions actually begin.
