What is the purpose of a website?

The purpose of a website hasn’t changed since the first website went live in November 1992. CERN might not have had social media integration or elaborate HTML5 widgets or mobile scalability or a responsive design or any design or images or colours or literally anything besides black text and blue hyperlinks… but it was a website whose purpose was to convey information.

Sure, the website has come a long way since then, and we can do things with a website now that people in the 90s could only dream of; but the main purpose of a website remains the same, to convey information. All that’s changed is that a website achieves this purpose with a lot more functionality at their disposal.

However; that information on your website can do a lot more than just… well… inform. On top of its primary purpose, the information on your website can serve an additional purpose; such as entertaining an audience, selling a product, generating leads, presenting an argument, forming connections, etc.

It’s highly probable that; if you have a business, you have a website. However, does that website just do its purpose and store your business’ information, or does your website go beyond that purpose and do something with it that will benefit you in the long term?

Before we discuss the purpose of a website, you should read our article on the advantages and disadvantages of a website.

What can my website do for my business?

What can’t a website do for your business? If you aren’t using your website to its full potential and only letting it serve one purpose, your business will get completely eclipsed by your competitors. However, if your purpose is to use everything your website has to offer, you’ll catapult your business forward and reach a level of success that, without your website, would not be impossible.

In the article below, we’ll cover what other purpose your website can fulfil beyond just storing information, so you understand just how important the purpose of your website is.

1. Attract consumers to your business

Fun fact; as of 2022, there are about 5 billion people in the world that are using the internet for the purpose of interacting with all kinds of businesses via that website. That is a massive pool of potential customers for your business. And, if your website serves its purpose, they will come to you.

There are two ways your website can attract new customers with purpose;

• The website experience itself can create an inviting atmosphere with purpose driven design – using various forms of media as an elaborate sales pitch to potential customers
• The purpose of search engine optimisation (SEO) is to ensure that your website ranks at the top of Google’s search engine results page (SERP) for the product or service that you provide, with your website giving you access to your potential customer base before your competitors
  

2. Sell your products and/or services

Once you’ve attracted customers to your website, your purpose is to convert that into sales. A website gives you full control over the customer journey – the same way that you use signage and wayfinding to guide your customers in a physical store, you can ensure that your website is built to serve the purpose of directing customers between finding the right product and making their final purchase.

Additionally, your website will have access to all kinds of sophisticated payment services. Not only will navigating your website and its online store be a comfortable experience, but customers will remember the ease of use and security that your purpose driven website offers for transactions. Your purpose includes making sure they look back on interacting with your website fondly.

The more you create a rewarding purchasing experience for your customers with your website and its purpose driven design, the more recurring customers you’ll have on your website.

3. Build your online presence and reinforce your branding

The internet is a great equaliser for businesses regardless of size. If you own a small business and you were relying on word of mouth alone to serve the purpose of getting you customers without a website to help, it’d be likely that a big business in your industry would have no problem stomping you out (it’s a harsh truth, but it’s true nonetheless). After all, they have resources and a considerable head start (and probably a really nice website to boot).

However, another purpose of a website is to give you an opportunity to level the playing field. When finding a website with which to make an online purchase, the vast majority of customers are going to research the product or service they are looking for, and this is where your website can serve its purpose and secure their purchase before your larger competitors even get the chance.

There are so many ways to do this with your website, and they all revolve around content. Use images, blog posts, stories – even a podcast to curate your website content! All of this content on your website serves the purpose of creating a brand that will resonate with customers and encourage them to buy from your website.

4. Showcase your authority and establish trust

Your website is an extension of your business. To that end, another purpose of your website should be to demonstrate the authority that you have in providing the products and services that you do. There are two particular ways in which this purpose is achieved;

• Demonstrating social proof in the form customer testimonials and reviews that demonstrate to your audience that you can be trusted, and you offer a stellar purchasing website experience
• Showing off your awards and recognition – after all, if you know what you’re doing, and you have the accolades to back it up, why not post those accolades on your website?

5. Generate high quality leads

While its purpose remains the same, the marketing landscape has changed dramatically over the course of decades. Consumers aren’t as receptive to TV, radio and print ads as they used to be. Instead, they are more likely to go for a website. All of your marketing should be done online, and your website plays a pivotal role in that by serving as a target for all of your marketing to link to.

This is great for businesses, because it means that you don’t need an exorbitant budget to serve the purpose of getting people to come to you. All you need is some creativity and you can generate all kinds of high quality leads with a well designed website. 

6. Keep your regular customers updated

The customer/business relationship has always been important for business success, and your website has made cultivating this relationship easier than ever. Not only can you keep your audience updated on any changes to your business using social media or blog posts, but you can do so in a way that humanises your business. The purpose of humanising your website content is to help your customers feel like they are purchasing from people, not a faceless business. 

7. Entertain your audience

For Halloween 2022, beer brand Carlton Dry created a marketing campaign called Slabface, a fake movie that evokes slashers of the 70s and 80s like Halloween and Friday the 13th on purpose. The company’s website tells Slabface’s backstory while encouraging people to dress up as him for Halloween.

Why did they do this? Because it’s purpose was to entertain. A website is great at entertaining people because they can host many different kinds of media with ease. Write stories, show videos – let your audience experience your ideas at their own pace as they navigate the website you made for them.

While all marketing serves the same purpose, not every website marketing campaign needs to be you selling your product by listing what’s great about it. Sometimes, you can cut loose (pun intended) and create something fun for your website that your audience will remember, leading to purchases later on.

8. Attract & educate your staff

The purpose of the information you store on your website doesn’t stop at attracting customers. With strong job markets, competition for staff is at an all time high. Therefore, your website can actually be used to help make your business stand out as an attractive place to work. 

You can also host information under login on your procedures and company policies as well for your customers to access on your website whenever they need it. It’s simple to add information in your website, but it enhances your customer service because it leaves your staff better equipped to conduct transactions in your business.

9. Create a back-and-forth with your audience

With a website, not only can you interact with your customers – your customers can interact back. Another purpose for your website is to create new avenues for your customers to communicate with you; from more conventional methods such as email and phone calls, to newer and more convenient contact methods such as 24/7 chats and connecting your website to your social media.

Can you help me make the perfect website for my business?

At Digital Treasury, we have helped many businesses get the perfect website that communicates their brand, attracts customers and boosts sales, thanks to our expertise in website design and SEO services.

Contact us today and find out how our web designers can assist you.