What exactly is website strategy?

A well written, focused, long-term plan behind a website’s goals and direction is commonly referred to as a web strategy.  Any organization that strives to build an effective online presence must first define the true purpose of the website before any design and development work can be successfully completed.

Elements:

• Internal components: Corporate, Brand/Marketing, Technology and major stakeholders.
• External: Website Strategist and team of focused disciplined experts.
• Diagnostic of current state.

Results: By including strategy as a driving force behind development, organizations are able to properly plan, build, and manage websites which deliver return on investment (ROI), usually within their first year of operation.

Understanding goals
Every website must have goals.  What is the purpose that you are a building a website for?  Typically, to:

• Increase Market Share
• Increase and properly reflect Brand awareness
• Increase Exposure
• Increase Lead or Sales
• Deliver content / functionality to current and potential customers/clients
• Increase internal operational efficiencies
• Build loyal visitor base / online communities

Do not forget to set specific values: Key Performance Indicators to measure the overall success of these high level goals.  Every user of a website also has a set of goals.  Why do you visit a website?  Typically, to:

• Find information to aid in a buying/research/sourcing process
• Communicate with someone or request support
• Participate in a user community

A strong web strategy is one that identifies business goals and user goals and assembles them into scenarios where they can easily co-exist with each other.  When goal achievement is equally satisfying for both the business and the user, a win-win situation occurs and a website can be considered balanced.  This means that visitors will want to reach your site and patronize your business.  You will gain the capital required to expand the website and offer even more avenues for the achievement of goals so that even more visitors will be attracted, thus achieving a cycle of sustained growth that only goal-oriented strategies can offer.  Understanding and embracing this philosophy is important if you are seeking to produce results and deliver the greatest ROI.