The problem with most websites is they’re built for the people who are building them.
All the things which matter to the person who pays for a website are almost entirely irrelevant to their poor audience. Is it cool? Are the corners rounded? Where is the SEXY GROUNDBREAKING NEW FEATURETM?
Chances are you don’t notice these things much on the websites you actually use. Even if you do, they won’t be the reason you’re using that site.
Your website breaks down into your wants, and what your audience wants:
The magical region where these overlap, is your perfect website:
In this region you get something you want, and so does the audience. Why is this important? Because your audience is in control, and if you don’t give them something they want, they’ll leave. Quickly.
Just as importantly, by giving your audience something they want, the power of the Internet shifts in your favour. People want to recommend you, and they can – through email, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Digg and other tools which exist solely to spread the word about stuff people like. Google will like you more too. Which means lots more visitors, and less advertising.
So, what to do?
The first mistake people make is they don’t know what they want from their site. The rationale for a website is never “we need one”. It exists to do something for you.
Here are some things you may want from your site:
- Money
- Time
- Opportunity
- Reputation
- To better the world
Your audience also has their own needs, which are usually more predictable:
- Information
- Make a purchase / donation
- Entertainment
Together, we get this:
Unfortunately, things rarely look like this. Most websites have a third section, things you think you want:
Things you think you want are not necessarily bad. They include SEO, animation, video, pretty design, Web 2.0, podcasts, blogs and other buzzwords of the month.
The problem is you’re aiming for the wrong thing. What you want is, say, more sales leads. It may turn out that the best way to do this is through professional video presentations on your key products, because they sell like you want and they inform and entertain your audience.
However, you shouldn’t start by saying “we need video”. This is similar to saying “I want to make a movie starring Jennifer Lopez”, and even less effective. You’re contriving your design to meet your pre-conceived notions of a ‘good website’, instead of designing an optimal solution for you. The result is usually the website equivalent of Gigli.
In summary: decide what you want your website to do for you. Identify your audience, and what they want. And consider ways you can best bring the two together. A website which doesn’t consider its audience rarely has one.
If this sounds familiar, this article is based on a talk originally given by Oliver Emberton in 2007.
