1. Learning Outcomes
  2. Module
  3. Video Tutorial
    1. Transcript
  4. Take Action

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, you will:

  • Better understand the purpose of your website
  • Have considered what elements are vital to fulfilling that purpose

Estimated time to complete: 15 minutes

Module

To properly reorganize your site and analyze its performance, you need to understand the point of your website. Some possible site purposes are:

  • To provide information to users
  • To encourage registration to a service or to sell a product
  • To act as a database or storage for information

If you are having difficulty thinking of your specific goals, consider the following :

  • What is the reason for your site? Why do you have a website?
  • Who is your target audience? Do they need to be made aware of your site?
  • What do you want visitors to do on your site?
  • Does your website serve a different purpose in different seasons? For example, a website made for students might be all about starting the new school year in August, and then focus on recruitment for the winter and exam preparation in March

Each of these purposes requires different priorities in site content, layout, and navigation. For example, here are three different types of sites, with their respective requirements and focuses.

Site purpose Requirements Focus
Providing information
  • Logically organized and easy to find information.
  • Clear and easy to process content
  • A site structure that is designed to guide the user to the information they need
Clarity of content and navigation
Promoting a product or service
  • Generates site traffic and interest
  • Content that clearly relates to the service or product and persuades the user to try it.
  • A site structure that leads users to a clear registration / purchase link.
SEO and clear CTAs (calls to action, in this case, a registration or purchase link)
Acting as a database
  • Content that can be easily located by those who need to access it
  • A highly organized site (both in the back and front end) to accommodate different types of content being logically placed within the site
Organization of your site and navigation

Keep in mind that it is likely that your site will either fit somewhat into a few of these categories, or not fit into any. We suggest creating your own list of what your site needs and suggestions for what to focus on, based on the purpose you have identified for your website. This will help you conduct a more effective site review.

Video Tutorial

Transcript

Take Action

Review the list of site review goals that you created in the last module. Take note of your website’s main purpose(s) and add items to the site goals list that will help your website achieve its purpose. You can also remove items which, after considering your website’s purpose, are no longer relevant. Star or otherwise highlight items that are essential to fulfilling your site’s goal.

Act on some of the goals for your website by adding or reorganizing content on your pages. For example, if your site’s goal requires your visitors to be led to a certain page, add clear CTAs leading to that page from key pages. If you are unsure which pages are key pages, you can bookmark this task and return to it after modules 3 and 4.