Your website is more than just an online brochure. It’s the cornerstone of your brand and the primary platform for engaging with potential customers. But what’s the point of a cornerstone if it’s in the wrong place?
The key to unlocking your website’s true potential lies in aligning it with your business goals. By defining your objectives, crafting a strategic website design, and implementing effective content, you can transform your website into a powerful lead generation engine.
What is the goal of a business-to-business website?
Many businesses struggle with a disconnect between their website and their overall business goals. The business is developing new products, but customers discover no mention on the website. The website is generating enormous traffic from a new market – but it’s not the market the business is trying to break into.
These are just a couple of common examples. Every business has its own. But one thing is always consistent: this misalignment can lead to wasted resources, missed opportunities, and ultimately, a lack of lead generation and business growth.
What’s the solution?
How do you set goals for your website?
Before embarking on any website optimisation journey, you need a clear understanding of your business goals, and then align these with what you want your website (and your greater digital presence) to achieve. This is how you can set specific, measurable objectives that will drive your website’s success.
As a business owner, chances are, you’ve encountered SMART goals. SMART goals are the cornerstone of effective goal-setting. They are:
- Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve.
- Measurable: Set quantifiable targets so you can track progress.
- Achievable: Ensure your goals are realistic and attainable within your resources.
- Relevant: Align your goals with your overall business strategy and objectives.
- Time-bound: Establish a specific timeframe for achieving your goals.
This framework is incredibly powerful for all types of business planning and strategy. Website strategy and alignment is no different. By using the same framework for your website as you would for the rest of your business, you can more easily ensure that they are aligned. They’re speaking the same language.
While SMART goals provide a framework, you also need to identify your key business objectives – the overarching goals that your website will contribute to. Common objectives will include:
- Lead generation: Getting more prospects into the top of your funnel.
- Brand awareness: Ensuring that everybody knows and trusts your name, even if they aren’t yet ready to buy.
- Sales: Drive revenue and generate income to keep the lights on and the motors running.
- Customer retention: Keep customers happy and create advocates that will spread the good word to others.
These are all areas that an expertly made and aligned website can help with. The key questions are:
- What does the business want to achieve?
- How will the website meaningfully contribute to that?
Check out some of these examples:
Objective: Lead Generation
- Business Goal: Generate 500 new qualified leads per month within six months
- Website Goal: Increase the number of leads captured through the website by 25% within three months by optimising landing pages, forms, and CTA buttons.
Objective: Brand Awareness
- Business Goal: Increase brand awareness by achieving a 30% growth in social media followers and a 25% increase in website traffic within one year through a comprehensive marketing campaign
- Website Goal: Boost website traffic by 25% within six months by publishing two new blog posts per week and optimising content for SEO
Objective: Sales
- Business Goal: Achieve a 20% increase in sales revenue from new customer acquisitions by the end of Q2 by implementing targeted sales promotions and enhancing sales team training
- Website Goal: Improve the e-commerce website’s conversion rate by 10% within the next quarter by optimising the checkout process and product pages
Objective: Customer Retention
- Business Goal: Increase the customer retention rate by 15% within nine months by introducing a loyalty program and enhancing customer support services
- Website Goal: Increase the returning visitor rate by 15% within six months by adding personalised content and exclusive offers for existing customers
How to weave your website into your business strategy
It’s crucial to remember that your website isn’t a standalone entity. It’s an integral part of your overall business strategy. Think of your website as a key player in your business strategy, playing a vital role in achieving your overarching objectives.
Now that you have a clear understanding of your business goals and objectives – and how your website will support them – it’s time to execute on them. This involves aligning every aspect of your website, from its design to its content, with your overarching objectives.
Website design and user experience
Your website’s design is the first impression you make on potential customers. A website should be intuitive and engaging, guiding visitors towards desired actions, such as filling out a contact form, downloading a brochure, or making a purchase. Key elements to consider include:
- Clear call-to-actions: Prominent and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) encourage visitors to take the next step.
- User-friendly-navigation: A simple and intuitive navigation structure allows visitors to easily find the information they need.
- Mobile responsiveness: With the majority of internet users accessing websites on mobile devices, a mobile-responsive design ensures an optimal experience across all platforms.
Content strategy
What is the importance of aligning content to a website’s goal? Simple: The content on your website is your most powerful tool for engaging with visitors, establishing authority, and ultimately driving conversions. Your content strategy should be driven by your target audience’s needs and interests, addressing their pain points and offering valuable solutions.
- Target audience-focused content: Create content that resonates with your target audience and provides valuable information.
- SEO optimisation: Implement SEO best practices to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract organic traffic.
- Conversion-oriented content: Develop compelling content that encourages visitors to take desired actions, such as contacting your business or making a purchase.
Functionality and tracking
Your website should be equipped with the necessary functionalities to support your business goals and provide insights into your website’s performance.
- Forms: Use forms to capture valuable lead information for your marketing and sales efforts.
- Contact pages: Ensure that visitors can easily get in touch with your business through contact forms and clear contact information.
- Analytics tools: Utilise analytics tools to track key metrics, such as website traffic, bounce rates, conversion rates, and user engagement, to measure your progress and identify areas for improvement.
While you’re taking steps to align your website with your business goals, you may be thinking, “This sounds like a lot of work!” And you’re right – optimising your website for lead generation requires expertise, time, and resources. That’s where Growth Partners comes in.
Growth Partners: Business website experts
At Growth Partners, we understand the complexities of aligning your website with your business goals. Our team of digital marketing experts offers comprehensive website strategy development and implementation services.
We don’t just offer generic solutions. We tailor our strategies to your unique business needs, leveraging proven methods for lead generation and business growth – including our proprietary DigitalArchitect® system. From targeted content marketing campaigns to strategic SEO optimisation, we develop personalised strategies designed to drive tangible results.
We believe in building long-term partnerships. Growth Partners doesn’t just design and build websites – we provide ongoing support and guidance to ensure your website continues to perform at its best. We offer ongoing website maintenance, content management, and analytics reporting to help you continuously optimise your online presence.
Let Growth Partners be your trusted partner in achieving your website goals and driving significant business growth. Get in touch for an obligation-free chat to kickstart your growth journey.