Blog posts. Podcasts. Newsletters. Webinars. You name it.
I’ve taken brands from zero to millions of site visitors. Built massive followings. Had viral blog posts and million-view YouTube videos. Every format, every platform.
And yet…
I’ve always struggled to create content for myself.
Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation.
I could create for others. For brands. For campaigns. For growth. But when it came to creating content around me — my thoughts, my voice, my journey — I froze.
It always felt flat. One-dimensional. Not real.
I tried. God knows I tried. Podcasts, blogs, videos, social posts. Since the day we launched Structure, I’ve been trying to give it depth. But something always held me back.
Part of the problem? I’m a writer. A picky one. No one could ever write it quite right. No one captured my voice, tone, depth, or intent.
No matter how many editorial guides I created… it never quite hit.
Early on, I didn’t really know what I was great at. Structure was doing whatever companies needed. But in the last few years, I’ve gotten painfully clear on my own strengths, weaknesses, superpowers, and blind spots.
And that’s helped me clarify the kind of content we actually should be creating—for clients, and for ourselves.
One of my biggest unlocks came from something I call the Content Cascade. It’s a model I built (inspired by Gary Vee, Joe Rogan, and other high-output creators) where:
One long-form piece becomes the source.
That gets broken into blogs, emails, social clips, and more.
I don’t want to impress. I want to document the tension I live in—and share the clarity.
That’s where movement lives.
I’m not just building Structure. I’m igniting a movement—around the ideas, patterns, and growth that are changing how people live, work, lead, and grow.
And it starts by showing up. Not with polish. But with presence.
Let’s build it in public. Let’s go pro. Let’s make it real.
If you’re a marketing or business leader, you’re no stranger to setting website redesign goals—or just the challenge of a website redesign (sans the “goal” part). But what if you could do more than make things look better this time—what if you could magically create 10x growth?
You can, but there’s a hitch: without a plan and solid goals for your website redesign, it might only end up as a costly makeover that ends in frustration and disappointment.
You’ve been around the block, so you know your brand’s online presence is worth investing in.
But with everyone expecting top-notch digital experiences (not to mention the competition breathing down your neck), a botched redesign could mean confused customers, a drop in revenue, and missed opportunities.
Let’s not do that, okay?
So here’s the solution: your redesign must tackle specific goals to create predictable results.
Goals like, “I just don’t like how our website looks,” or “Someone in my networking group said we need to switch website platforms” aren’t specific enough.
In other words, they’re ideas to consider but not good enough reasons to redesign your website.
It all begins by changing how you look at the redesign: from a surface-level change to a strategic effort that improves every business function.
In simpler terms, it’s not about how it looks—it’s about how it works.
When you start with a plan and clear goals, you can reverse engineer growth. Once your goals, vision, brand, budget, and team align, your website redesign will create tangible, long-term results.
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Another way of saying this is “why” are you redesigning your website?
When considering a redesign, you should have a good reason. Often, these reasons coincide with a change or growth in the business that triggers the need for a redesign.
If you’ve tweaked your brand’s look or message, your website should reflect those changes.
It’s about ensuring your online image matches what you stand for now.
2. When you launch a new product or service
Your website can be a powerful tool for gearing up to introduce something new and exciting.
It can help you spotlight your fresh offerings and get potential customers interested.
3. When it’s been more than two years since your website launch
Think of your website like a car – it needs regular maintenance.
If it’s been more than two years since you last spruced it up, chances are it’s not performing as well as it could.
4. When your industry changes
In the fast-paced business world, industries change.
Your website should keep pace if your industry evolves due to new trends or technology. It’s all about staying relevant.
5. When the business gets bought or sold
When new owners step in, they might have different plans for the business. That often means the website needs a makeover to match the new vision.
In short, consider website redesign as a way to stay current, showcase your latest offerings, and reflect any changes in your business journey.
It’s a strategic initiative to keep your online presence in sync with your evolving goals.
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No matter what you want your website to achieve, remember this: your website is your company’s most crucial tool.
It’s always open, often where customers connect and order from you.
It’s even more valuable than a fancy office, a big sign, or updated vehicle wraps. Your website is all those things all the time.
You might remember when things were different if you’ve been around for a while. But now, especially in the digital age, your website is your most important investment. It’s time to update your thinking to get the most out of it.
To do that, let’s clarify what your website isn’t.
1. Your website isn’t a digital brochure; it’s an ecommerce platform.
It’s time to let go of the old-style brochure websites.
Remember when customers used to call for price quotes? Those days are long gone, and an essential webpage isn’t enough.
Websites have a new role now. They’re not just about sharing information; they’re a two-way street, which is excellent for you! If you sell products directly or through dealers, your website must be more than just a digital pamphlet.
If you sell things, your website must act like an online store. An online store is where people browse and buy and where you earn money.
This isn’t just a passing trend; it’s a significant change in how people want to buy from you. They want it to be easy and quick. An online shopping experience isn’t just nice—it’s essential!
Turning your website into an online store can be the key to keeping customers and making sales. People who can’t buy from your website might go to your competition instead. So, it’s time to upgrade!
2. Your website isn’t just a pretty face; it’s how customers experience every aspect of your brand.
Looks are important, but your website does way more than look good.
It’s where people find you, talk to you, and buy from you. What we call the “Flywheel,” your website makes your business work in the digital age.
It’s the primary way people see your brand.
It’s often the first thing customers see.
It’s where folks learn about you.
People use it to talk to you.
It’s where they shop for your stuff.
And it does even more!
So, remember, your website is not just about looks.
It’s about making things happen – like transactions, sharing info, engaging customers, and gathering data. To make it work for you, think beyond the visuals. It’s a powerful tool for your whole business.
3. Your website is not an announcement board; it’s a storefront
As a business owner or marketing manager, treating your website like a giant news billboard is tempting.
You might want to shout about your achievements from the mountaintop.
Celebrating your successes is important, but there’s a better way than plastering them all over your website’s front page.
Your website should be more about your customers and what they need. It’s not just a place to brag.
So, while showcasing your accomplishments is great, remember to keep your website focused on what matters most to your visitors—helping them find what they’re looking for and making it easy for them to do business with you.
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Website redesign goals impact more than marketing
When most people think of “website goals,” they immediately think of traffic, leads, and sales.
Those are great goals—in fact, they’re vitally important! But if your website only provides traffic, leads, and sales to your business, you’re missing out on its full potential.
The truth is that your website can improve all business functions, from marketing to HR.
Here’s a short list of the different business functions that your website can impact—and how it affects them.
1. Strategy and Administrative
Your website can be pivotal in shaping your overall business strategy.
It can serve as a platform to communicate your mission, vision, and goals to internal and external stakeholders.
Internally, it can streamline administrative processes by providing a centralized hub for communication, document sharing, and project management.
Externally, it can showcase your strategic priorities and initiatives, helping investors, partners, and customers understand your direction and values.
2. Sales and Marketing
This is the more traditional website role, but it remains crucial.
Your website is often the first point of contact for potential customers. It should generate leads and sales and serve as a powerful marketing tool.
It can also provide valuable content, demonstrate your expertise, and create a positive brand image—and utilizing analytics and user data helps refine marketing strategies and effectively target the right audience.
For example, it can serve as a platform for online billing and payment processing, simplifying financial transactions.
Regarding HR, it can assist in recruiting talent by showcasing job openings, detailing company culture, and offering an easy application process. Additionally, it can be a resource for existing employees by providing access to essential documents, training materials, and benefits information.
4. Information Technology
From an IT perspective, your website must be secure, scalable, and well-maintained.
It is your organization’s backbone for many digital tools and platforms.
Properly managing your website ensures it remains a reliable and efficient resource for all other IT-related functions. Regular updates, security measures, and technical maintenance are essential for a smooth operation.
5. Operations and Manufacturing
Even for businesses involved in operations and manufacturing, a website can have a significant impact.
It can be a customer portal for placing orders, tracking shipments, and managing accounts.
It can also act as a knowledge base, providing technical information, troubleshooting guides, and customer support resources. Your website can improve efficiency and customer satisfaction in these operational areas by offering self-service options.
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How to set goals for your website redesign
There are many approaches to setting goals for your website redesign.
While many of them are helpful, at Structure, we’ve found that using your Customer Journey as a guide is most beneficial.
Planning based on your customer journey is the most natural and logical way to think critically about the goals you need your website to accomplish for your customers and your business.
Here’s how to go about it:
1. Start with the End – What Do You Want Your Customers to Do?
It’s crucial to clarify your primary objective.
Consider what final action you want your website visitors (customers) to take on your website. Let’s call this your “ultimate goal.”
This ultimate goal can include:
Buy a Product: If you’re an e-commerce business, your goal may be to increase product sales directly through your website.
Request a Quote: Obtaining quote requests from potential clients can be crucial for service-based industries.
Schedule a Call: If your business relies on consultations or appointments, encouraging visitors to schedule a call or meeting is essential.
Consume Content: Some websites aim to provide valuable content, so the goal might be to increase content consumption, such as blog post views or video watching.
Visit a Location: If you have physical locations, guiding visitors to find and visit those locations can be a goal.
Share Content/Product: Social sharing and referrals can be important for spreading the word about your products or content.
Donate: Non-profit organizations often aim to increase donations through their websites.
Register for an Event: Encouraging registrations is a goal if you host events or webinars.
Other: Depending on your unique business model, there may be other specific actions you want visitors to take.
2. Know Where It Starts – How Do Customers Find Your Website?
Next, you need to understand how customers find your website.
Think of this like a map’s “you are here” arrow.
Consider the various possible entry points:
Paid Search: Do visitors visit your site through paid search campaigns on search engines like Google?
Paid Ads: Are online advertisements, such as display or social media ads, driving traffic?
Blog Posts: Is your blog a significant traffic source, attracting users through organic search or referrals?
Podcast: If you run a podcast, are listeners coming to your site through podcast-related content?
Referral Marketing – Influencer/Affiliate: Are influencers or affiliates driving visitors to your site?
Now, you know where you are and where you want to go. All that’s left to do is fill in the gaps.
3. Steps Along the Way – What’s the Next Action?
Once visitors arrive at your website, consider the steps they need to take to fulfill your ultimate goal.
This may involve navigating various pages, interacting with specific elements, or filling out forms.
Pro tip: using the AIDA Framework for this step is helpful.
Use the AIDA framework to document action steps
The AIDA framework is a widely used marketing and advertising model that outlines a potential customer’s stages when interacting with a product or service.
AIDA stands for:
Attention
This is the stage where you grab the audience’s attention.
You must create awareness and pique their interest in your product or service.
This can be achieved through compelling headlines, eye-catching visuals, or engaging content.
Interest
Once you have their attention, you must generate interest in your offering.
This stage involves providing more information about the product or service, highlighting its features and benefits, and addressing the audience’s needs or pain points.
Desire
You aim to create a strong desire or craving for your product or service at this stage.
This is often achieved by showcasing how it can fulfill the audience’s desires, solve their problems, or improve their lives.
Customer testimonials, reviews, and success stories can be powerful tools in building desire.
Action
The ultimate goal of the AIDA framework is to prompt the audience to take action.
This action could be purchasing, requesting more information, signing up for a newsletter, or any other desired outcome.
Clear and compelling calls to action (CTAs) facilitate movement.
At each stage, ask yourself two questions
At each action stage in the AIDA framework, you need to ask yourself the following:
What content is needed to communicate value at this action step?
What is the following action step our customers need to take to proceed toward the ultimate goal?
Take the time to document each action step at each stage in the AIDA framework. I know this sounds like a lot of work. And it is, but it’s how you set great goals for your website.
3. Set SMART website redesign Goals
Now that you have full context and aren’t shooting in the dark, it’s time to determine your website redesign goals.
Do this in two steps.
1. Benchmark your current metrics so you can measure success
As you set goals, it’s essential to understand where you currently stand.
That way, you can measure success. This involves conducting a comprehensive assessment of your website’s existing performance metrics. These metrics may include:
Website Traffic: Analyze the volume of visitors to your site. This includes overall traffic and specific traffic sources, such as organic search, social media, or paid advertising.
Conversion Rates: Examine how effectively your website converts visitors into customers or achieves other desired actions. This might involve tracking form submissions, purchases, or sign-ups.
Bounce Rates: Assess how many visitors leave your website shortly after arriving. High bounce rates can indicate issues with user experience or content relevance.
Average Session Duration: Measure how long users typically spend on your website. Longer sessions can indicate engagement and interest.
Page Load Times: Page speed is crucial for user experience and SEO. Evaluate how quickly your pages load and identify any slow-loading elements.
Traffic Sources: Understand where your website traffic is coming from. Are visitors finding you through search engines, referrals, social media, or other channels?
Keyword Rankings: If SEO is a focus, track the rankings of important keywords to assess your visibility in search engine results.
Conversion Funnel Metrics: If applicable, analyze users’ steps from initial interaction to conversion. Identify drop-off points in the funnel.
Benchmarking these metrics provides a baseline for assessing the impact of your website redesign. It allows you to identify areas that need improvement and sets the stage for defining specific goals.
2. Set SMART goals so you know you’ve succeeded
As an intelligent leader, SMART goals may already be second nature to you.
If so, great! You can skip down to the bullet points below.
However, if you’re new to SMART goals, SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
Setting SMART goals is crucial in ensuring your website redesign project is well-defined and aligned with your business objectives. Here’s a breakdown of each element:
Specific: Goals should be clear and precise. Avoid vague objectives and instead articulate precisely what you want to achieve. For example, instead of a broad goal like “increase website traffic,” a specific goal might be “increase organic website traffic by 20% in the next six months.”
Measurable: Goals should be quantifiable. You need to be able to measure progress and determine when you’ve achieved the goal. This might involve using metrics like percentages, numbers, or other quantifiable units.
Achievable: Goals should be realistic and attainable. While it’s good to aim high, setting unattainable goals can lead to frustration. Consider your available resources, constraints, and historical performance when setting goals.
Relevant: Goals should be relevant to your business objectives and the overall mission of your website. Ensure that achieving the goal contributes meaningfully to your organization’s success.
Time-Bound: Goals should have a clear time frame or deadline. This creates a sense of urgency and helps with project planning. For example, “increase newsletter sign-ups by 15% within three months.”
By setting SMART goals, you’ll have clear targets that guide decision-making, resource allocation, and progress tracking throughout the redesign process.
3 website redesign goals you should focus on in 2024
So, you’re probably wondering about the critical goals for your website redesign in 2024.
Well, the thing is, your website goals should always sync up with what your company aims to achieve, what’s happening in your industry, and what your audience expects.
Now, let’s dive into the top three website goals that should be on your radar for 2024:
1. Mobile and performance optimization
This one’s been around for a while but is more critical than ever.
Why? Because the number of folks using smartphones and tablets to access websites keeps increasing. So, having a website that looks great and works smoothly on mobile devices is non-negotiable, regardless of your industry or what you offer.
It’s all about delivering a top-notch customer experience.
Let’s say you run an online health supplement retail store.
Mobile optimization ensures customers can effortlessly browse and shop for supplements using smartphones while waiting for a bus or during lunch breaks. Fast-loading pages and a smooth checkout process enhance the user experience, leading to more completed purchases.
Optimizing for mobile and performance doesn’t just meet user expectations; it’s a competitive advantage.
It reduces bounce rates, increases user engagement, improves SEO rankings, and leads to higher conversions and customer satisfaction.
2. Create human, original content
You’ve probably noticed that artificial intelligence (AI) is making waves in our world.
It’s everywhere, and with it comes a flood of generic, machine-generated content taking over the internet. The thing is, some of your competitors might be going all-in on this robotic content, and it can make your customers feel, well, a little weird.
But here’s the exciting part: amidst this AI revolution, you have a golden opportunity.
It’s all about staying human in this increasingly artificial landscape. That means finding genuine ways to connect with your customers, to make them feel heard and valued, and to provide an authentic experience that stands out in a sea of automated content.
If you manage a healthcare blog, original content might include in-depth articles written by medical experts, real patient stories, and interviews with healthcare professionals.
This content provides valuable information and establishes your site as a trusted and credible resource in the industry.
Human, original content builds trust, loyalty, and brand authenticity.
It also helps with rankings, as search engines prefer unique and valuable content. Moreover, it creates a lasting impression on your audience, making them more likely to engage with and advocate for your brand.
3. Personalization
Your customers want your website to understand their needs and preferences.
It’s almost like having a friendly, knowledgeable guide.
Personalization is not just a trend; it’s becoming a standard for successful websites. It’s about showing your customers that you truly know them and care about their journey on your site.
Let’s say you run an e-commerce website selling outdoor gear. Through personalization, you can show hiking enthusiasts content related to their interests, recommend hiking equipment based on past purchases, and even alert them to nearby local hiking events or trails.
This not only enhances their user experience but also drives more targeted sales. In 2024, personalization is the key to making each visitor feel like your website was tailor-made just for them.
In this way, personalization can significantly impact your bottom line. It improves user engagement, increases conversion rates, and boosts customer retention. When customers feel understood and catered to, they’re more likely to stay, purchase, and become loyal advocates for your brand.
10 more website redesign goals to consider for 2024
Your company can have one or various goals for their websites, depending on their industry, target audience, and overall business objectives.
I intend for these examples below to inspire your planning and illustrate how specific website redesign goals can impact your business, from growth and revenue to reputation and community-building.
1. Brand Awareness
Goal: Elevate your brand’s online presence.
Why: A website revamp can boost your brand’s online visibility, making it easier for potential customers to find and recognize your business.
Example: After a website redesign, your Consulting company’s improved branding and content strategy resulted in a 30% increase in organic search traffic.
2. Lead Generation
Goal: Capture more high-quality leads.
Why: A redesigned website with optimized lead generation forms can increase your pool of potential customers, providing your sales and marketing teams with valuable prospects.
Example: Your Software Company’s website redesign led to a 25% rise in lead conversions, thanks to strategically placed lead capture forms and compelling content offers.
3. Sales and E-commerce
Goal: Drive more online sales.
Why: An e-commerce website overhaul can enhance the online shopping experience, increasing revenue through more successful online transactions.
Example: Your E-Commerce company saw a 40% surge in online sales within six months of the website redesign, thanks to a user-friendly interface and a streamlined checkout process.
4. Educational Content
Goal: Establish your company as an industry authority.
Why: By showcasing thought leadership content such as insightful blogs, whitepapers, and webinars on your website, you can position your brand as a trusted industry expert.
Example: Your Coaching company website redesign featured comprehensive blog and industry reports and solidified your position as a thought leader, resulting in a 50% increase in event speaking invitations. Hooray!
5. Information Dissemination
Goal: Keep stakeholders informed with timely updates.
Why: A well-designed information hub on your website ensures that clients, partners, and stakeholders stay informed, fostering transparency and trust.
Example: Your Private Equity Firm’s revamped website included a dedicated news section that saw a 20% increase in media coverage and positive public perception.
6. User Engagement
Goal: Foster a vibrant online community.
Why: Websites encouraging user engagement through interactive content, discussions, and social sharing features create a loyal and active customer community.
Example: Your Travel Company’s website redesign included a forum for travel enthusiasts, resulting in a 15% increase in user-generated content and user retention.
7. Customer Support
Goal: Provide efficient customer support.
Why: Redesigned customer support sections with FAQs, live chat, and knowledge bases to reduce support ticket volume and enhance overall customer satisfaction.
Example: Your EdTech Company’s website redesign, featuring a simple help center, led to a 30% reduction in support tickets and faster issue resolution.
8. Event Promotion
Goal: Promote events effectively.
Why: Event-focused website enhancements ensure potential attendees can easily access event details, boosting registrations and attendance.
Example: Your Non-Profit website redesign included a user-friendly event calendar and registration system, resulting in a sold-out conference within weeks.
9. Portfolio Showcase
Goal: Showcase your company’s standout work.
Why: A portfolio-rich website builds trust with potential clients by showcasing your track record of successful projects.
Example: Your redesigned Real Estate website highlighted case studies, resulting in a 40% increase in inquiries from high-profile clients.
10. Recruitment and Careers
Goal: Attract top talent and showcase company culture.
Why: A revamped career page attracts skilled job seekers and provides insights into your organization’s values and work environment.
Example: Your Manufacturing Company career page redesign featuring employee testimonials led to a 35% increase in applications from top-tier candidates.
These are just a few examples of the diverse range of website goals that companies might have. Each goal is tailored to the company’s needs, target audience, and overall business strategy.
Common questions about setting website redesign goals
What is a website redesign goal?
Website goals are the specific things your website aims to do.
Why are website goals important? Well, they give you a roadmap for how your website should look, what content it should have, and how you market it online.
These goals can be diverse for marketing managers and business leaders like you. It could be about getting your brand out there, attracting potential customers, boosting sales, sharing valuable info, getting folks engaged, or achieving specific business targets like making more money or gaining more customers.
But here’s the kicker: keeping an eye on these goals is crucial. It’s how you measure if your website is doing its job and contributing to your overall success.
So, in a nutshell, website goals are the key to a successful website redesign.
What is an example of a SMART goal for a website redesign?
In summary, a SMART goal focuses on a specific aspect of website performance (organic traffic), is measurable, achievable, relevant to the organization, and has a defined time frame for completion.
It provides a clear and actionable target for website improvement.
Here’s an example of a common SMART goal for a website:
Specific: Increase organic website traffic by 20% over six months.
Measurable: This goal is measurable because you can track website traffic using tools like Google Analytics. You can quickly determine whether you’ve achieved a 20% increase in traffic.
Achievable: The goal is realistic and possible based on historical data and industry benchmarks. A 20% increase in organic traffic is challenging but feasible with the right strategies.
Relevant: Increasing website traffic aligns with the organization’s broader marketing and business objectives. It’s appropriate to expand the online presence and attract potential customers.
Time-Bound: The goal has a specific timeframe of six months, providing a clear deadline for achieving the 20% increase in organic traffic.
Many companies are looking to increase web traffic. Maybe you want to steal this SMART goal for your website!
How do you measure the success of a website redesign?
This is a fantastic question.
Most results will give you a list of generic performance indicators to evaluate your website redesign performance. Or, someone will tell you it’s based on how you feel it looks at the end of the project.
Throw out that generic list and pretty brand. Instead, create SMART goals for your website redesign. SMART goals are measurable, so your success metrics are already built in. That’s it!
Measure the success of your website redesign based on how you achieve your goals.
What should be included in a website redesign?
Goals! That’s always a great starting point.
However, it can be tough to pull goals out of thin air.
That’s why we recommend using your unique customer’s buying journey as an easy way to walk through everything that your website must do well to make a sale.
We call this “creating a customer.”
Therefore, your website redesign should include everything necessary to create a customer (and keep them around). Often, this runs the gamut from blog posts to a help center—and everything in between.
What is the main goal of a website redesign?
Great question! Some would say: “sales.” Others would say, “lead generation.”
They’re both right! And you’ll talk to plenty of folks who will say the main goal of a website is “to look impressive.”
Ultimately, every website exists to help a company produce a profit. So, in short, that’s the point. However, other goals are often at play, tailored to the unique needs and objectives of the company it represents.
What’s important is that you take the time to define clear and measurable goals for your website to ensure that it effectively serves its intended purpose—whatever that may be!
What are the best tools and resources for setting website redesign goals?
Setting website redesign goals requires careful planning and consideration of various factors.
While there are many tools available to help you with different aspects of goal-setting and website redesign, here are some of the best tools and resources:
Google Analytics: It almost goes without saying, but Google Analytics is essential for benchmarking your website performance. It provides insights into your website’s traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates, helping you identify improvement areas.
Google Search Console: This tool helps you monitor your website’s presence in Google search results. It provides data on how your site appears in searches, which keywords drive traffic, and any issues affecting your site’s visibility.
Heatmap and User Recording Tools: We use Hotjar to provide heatmaps and session recordings that visualize user interactions on the websites we manage. This often helps identify areas of interest and pain points our website visitors are experiencing.
SEO Tools: Our favorite SEO platform is Ahrefs. It can assist in keyword research, competitive analysis, and SEO performance tracking. Setting SEO-related goals is crucial for website redesign. Note there are many great options with different price points and features like Moz, SEMrush, and Ubersuggest.
User Survey and Feedback Tools: It’s worth getting feedback from your website users with a pay-per-test tool like Userfeel. This economic feedback loop can provide valuable insights into user preferences and issues.
Website Performance Monitoring: We use PageSpeed Insights daily to look under the hood at a website’s performance, including page load times and uptime. Ensuring your website loads quickly is essential for user satisfaction and is a goal worth considering.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems: CRM platforms like Salesforce or HubSpot can help you set and track goals related to customer engagement, lead generation, and sales.
Competitor Analysis Tools: Tools like SimilarWeb can help you analyze competitor websites to identify areas for improvement and set competitive goals.
User Persona and Journey Mapping Tools: Tools like Whimsical can make creating user personas easy and mapping out the customer journey, which is crucial for setting user-centric goals. If you’re savvy and want to take your website planning a step further, check out Slickplan.
As with all tools, there are dozens to choose from. We recommend selecting tools that align with your website redesign goals and requirements. A combination of any of these tools can help you plan, execute, and measure the success of your website redesign project effectively.
The value of web strategy is this: the most beautiful, best performing, and highly profitable websites powering fast-growing companies weren’t built overnight—they were carefully planned. That’s why we created a web strategy template to help you think through every key decision before you ever write a line of code or choose a design.
If I showed you two websites—one that got rave design reviews and another that made millions of dollars yearly—which would you choose? If you’re like most of our clients, you’d say, “Duh, show me the money.”
The thing is that because many websites look fantastic and showcase the latest design trends, you think they’re producing incredible results. Yet, the reality is they fail to meet the expectations of their owners and users. You’d never know it, but they’re challenging to manage in the background, yield terrible ROI, and are just a pretty liability.
Your website should work like an engine that helps you get where you want to go
If you’re working on a new website, you likely want your website to be a strategic asset contributing to your organization’s growth, supporting your marketing efforts, and delivering a seamless customer experience.
Free Web Strategy Template
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Similarly, your customers want your website to provide readily available solutions to their problems. This happens by providing resources, products, or services that improve their life and offer quick and practical solutions to their concerns.
If you’re considering what you want for your website, this short list of expectations from multiple sources will likely stop you in your tracks! If you didn’t already know it, you might be starting to see that building a website is much more complex than choosing the right colors, fonts, and layouts.
Web design is not just an art. It’s a science. You see, designing and creating a website starts with a web strategy—which involves making a plan, aligning with your team, and putting it into motion.
The good news is that you don’t have to figure it out yourself! Using our Website Strategy Template and following the advice and proven 10-step plan in this article, you can plan a beautifully designed website that produces incredible results.
What is a website strategy?
At face value, “Website strategy” is a scary word. It sounds serious, intimidating, and hard to create. The word “strategy” must make it feel this way. Whatever it is, it feels like it’s something you don’t want to mess up.
But don’t worry; it’s not so bad after all. If it helps to know, the most significant way you can “mess it up” is by not doing it. More on what happens when you fail to plan your website later.
Here’s the skinny: a website strategy is simply a strategic plan for your website. That’s it—just a plan for what you want, what customers want, and how you will satisfy those expectations.
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If you’re delving into website strategy, you’re likely tackling a website project, either creating a new site or redesigning an existing one. Here are the scenarios you might be in:
Launching a new product or business
Outgrowing your current website, hindering your team
Rebranding with fresh design changes
Migrating to a more suitable platform
Don’t underestimate the significance of the situation. Your project’s success or failure impacts the company’s reputation, finances, and possibly your job.
If it succeeds, you’ll be proud and likely rewarded for your excellent work. If it fails, on the other hand, you’ll be frustrated and embarrassed and might need to find another job or prove yourself again.
Don’t make the biggest website mistake most leaders make
Rushing into action is a common mistake—it’s easy to dive into website design hastily, thinking it’s simple with no-code builders like Wix, Squarespace, Elementor, and others.
It’s super duper easy, right? You don’t need to know how to code, design, or hardly even think. You don’t even have to be alive! In fact, you could be a corpse and still build an excellent website.
I’m kidding—that’s grossly untrue. But I hope you see my point!
Between amateur “web designers” and no-code website builders, many clients come to us completely confused about what it takes to build a website. They often have a false impression that websites practically build themselves. Either that, or they appear when you snap your fingers and pay your brother’s buddy $5,000.
Okay, I’m still being a bit cheeky.
I’m being extreme to clearly articulate that this way of thinking is a rude misconception—especially if you want a website that produces tangible ROI such as leads and sales. The truth is that website strategy is essential because high-performing sites are planned.
This might contradict your desire for quick results, but it’s the key to success. Ultimately, planning saves time and money and ensures an effective outcome.
12 benefits of creating a website strategy
As discussed, a website strategy is your roadmap to avoid random changes. It ensures your redesign aligns with business goals, user needs, and systems integration, among other things. This strategic approach has multiple benefits for your business.
Here’s more about the advantages of investing in a well-defined website strategy.
Free Website Strategy Template
Download the Structure Website Design Planner to create a website strategy that makes your project successful!
1. You’ll have a clear redesign roadmap
A website strategy outlines specific goals for the website, guiding all efforts toward achieving them.
2. You’ll know what content you need to create
An effective website plan helps you prioritize content creation by aligning it with target audience needs and business objectives.
A straightforward website strategy ensures logical and easy-to-follow navigation by mapping the site’s structure, helping users find information quickly.
5. You’ll have better SEO
We always get the question, “How do I redesign a website without losing SEO?” The answer is: with a website strategy. Part of your strategy should include strategic internal linking, relevant keywords, and structured content that will contribute to improved search engine visibility and organic traffic.
6. Your brand will be cohesive
Considering your brand in your website strategy helps you maintain a consistent brand image across all customer touchpoints with your business, reinforcing brand identity and recognition.
7. You’ll see better conversion rates
By optimizing for user actions, a carefully planned website strategy can lead to higher conversion rates, whether for sales, lead generation, or other goals.
8. You’ll pass up the competition
It’s likely while you’re planning a perfect website, your competition is aimlessly running and gunning. A well-executed strategy sets your website apart from competitors by ensuring you offer unique value and address customer pain points.
9. You’ll save money (yes, it’s true!)
By establishing clear goals and priorities in your website strategy—along with a budget—you’ll prevent wasting time and resources on ineffective initiatives.
10. You’ll have a reusable website strategy template
After you’ve developed your website strategy, you can adapt it over time to immediately pivot or respond to changing market trends, allowing the website to remain relevant for longer.
11. You’ll know if your website redesign is successful
Well-defined goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) enable tracking and measurement of success.
12. You’ll have an easier time managing the website
In the long term, having a strategy makes future redesigns or minor updates more organized and efficient for those working on them.
What happens if you don’t use our website strategy template?
Conversely, disregarding a website strategy during redesign wastes time and energy, causing frustration and unmet expectations. Proceeding without a strategy undoubtedly harms online presence and business goals. To quote Benjamin Franklin, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
Here’s more about what will happen if you fail to plan:
1. You’ll be aimlessly wandering
Without clear objectives, the redesign might lack a central focus, resulting in scattered content and an unclear message.
2. Your content won’t connect
Website content might be missing or fail to align with user needs or business goals, leading to reduced engagement and relevance.
3. Your website will be messy
A lack of strategic thinking can lead to a clunky user experience, causing frustration, high bounce rates, and decreased engagement.
4. Your customers will be confused
Poorly planned navigation and content organization can confuse users, challenging finding what they’re looking for.
5. You’ll lose SEO
Ignoring SEO considerations during the redesign can result in lost organic search visibility and rankings.
6. Your brand will be inconsistent
Without a strategy, the redesign might not align with your brand’s identity, leading to user confusion and diluting your brand image.
7. You’ll see poor conversion rates
Failing to optimize for conversions can decrease conversion rates, impacting sales, leads, or other desired actions.
8. Your competition will pass you up
A strategy identifies potential opportunities for growth, innovation, or market differentiation. Failing to follow it can mean missing out and losing to your competitors.
9. You’ll waste money
A strategy helps allocate resources effectively; without one, you might invest time and money into ineffective or unnecessary elements. Or, you’ll have to keep spending more to get what you want because you didn’t plan for it in the first place.
10. You’ll always have to start from scratch
Without a website strategy, you’ll quickly find it difficult to iterate on the redesign and make informed improvements over time. It’s like every time you start; you’re starting over.
11. You’ll experience change orders and delays
Lack of direction can lead to indecision and revisions, resulting in change orders that cost more money and delay the launch. Talk about frustration and failed expectations!
12. You’ll constantly be playing catch-up
Without a strategy, you’ll only be focused on pre-launch rather than looking ahead at post-launch and how to sustainably manage your website and use it to grow the company long-term.
Develop an effective website strategy template (10 steps)
Now that you understand the importance of website strategy and its impacts, let’s explore the ten starting steps.
We’re offering a free Website Strategy Template to make it even easier. Follow the outlined steps for a fail-proof strategy, simplifying an otherwise complex process. By completing this, you’ll have a robust website strategy.
Free Website Strategy Template
Download the Structure Website Design Planner to create a website strategy that makes your project successful!
While numerous website strategy templates exist, they’re often unengaging spreadsheets or overly complex. Our template streamlines the process, making it accessible to business and marketing leaders, not just content strategists, UX designers, and developers.
Without further ado, here are the ten steps!
Step 1: Document basic company information
The Company Worksheet addresses fundamental company-related queries. It’s not a comprehensive brand strategy, but it confirms existing decisions. It delves into specifics by starting with the company name, core values, target market, and offerings.
Step 2: Organize your ideas into a clear vision
Begin with the end in mind. The Vision Worksheet captures your ideas and focuses on the process and end product rather than a vague vision.
Step 3: Set SMART website Goals
Consider the Goals Worksheet your project’s compass, aligning your team on purpose and tracking success indicators. It functions as a roadmap, ensuring your project stays on course.
Don’t forget to set “Milestones” and “performance indicators.” While these items might make it feel complex, they will make it more manageable. They represent specific steps towards your goal (begin with three) and how you measure their achievement.
Step 4: Build a team around you
According to the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” The conclusion is this: don’t bear all the responsibilities alone. Envision forming a team, whether internal or external, to collectively share the load and guide the project.
Moreover, imagine seamless teamwork where everyone knows their roles and responsibilities, preventing overlaps. Using the DARCI framework, the Team Worksheet in our website strategy template facilitates this result.
Step 5: Unify your branding
The disconnection between a powerful ad and a lackluster website negatively influences how the business is perceived. Ensuring harmonious marketing across online and offline channels is essential to maintain professionalism and credibility.
Completing this worksheet is pivotal for your website strategy, as it may unveil asset gaps or outdated elements requiring refreshment.
Step 6: Plan your pages
Most businesses planning a website redesign have a basic site map, but that’s the start. You’ll want to document your navigation (header and footer), page templates, and main pages associated with those templates.
The notable question you might be asking yourself: “What’s a website page vs. page template?” A website page is a single page that uses a page template but with unique content like text, images, and videos that fit that page’s purpose. A page template is a pre-designed layout serving as a blueprint for multiple pages with consistent design and structure—for instance, one template for all products.
Step 7: Map your buyer’s journey
Your website isn’t an isolated entity; its pages aren’t isolated experiences. They should work together for a seamless customer journey, often called the “buyer’s journey.”
In web design, a customer journey is the series of steps a visitor takes on a site, from arrival to completing a goal like purchasing. It comprises stages like Awareness, Consideration, Decision, and Action. The aim is a positive experience turning visitors into customers and nurturing relationships.
For each stage, you’ll want to define desired customer actions and the content needed to support those actions. Use our website strategy template “Website Journey” worksheet quickly and efficiently.
Step 8: Analyze competitor websites
To stand out, understanding your competition is vital. To understand your competition, and identify how it impacts your website, follow these actions:
Examine a competitor’s site
Note three likes
Note three dislikes
Note three improvements or ideas for your site
Repeat for at least three competitors or similar businesses.
Step 9: Call out your business systems
Often, focus on appearance overshadows functionality. Integrations matter for social media, email marketing, CRM, or lead generation. Neglecting integrations during your website’s design and build phases can be costly.
Step 10: Create a budget
The Budget Worksheet marks the final step, presenting the awaited website redesign cost. However, the challenge lies in seeing beyond costs alone. A website is an investment, not just an expense. Your budget should encompass potential earnings, savings, and expenses, calculating its long-term profit value.
A well-defined website strategy helps guide design, content creation, and user experience decisions to achieve desired outcomes. Your website’s specific strategy should align with its goals, target audience, and industry.
But if you’re looking for inspiration, here are some examples of common website goals that organizations might employ to achieve their website strategy:
1. E-commerce website goals
Focus on a user-friendly and intuitive design to encourage seamless shopping experiences.
Implement personalized product recommendations based on user behavior.
Optimize the checkout process to reduce cart abandonment.
Offer various payment options to cater to different customer preferences.
Utilize email marketing for abandoned cart recovery and customer retention.
Prioritize fast loading times to prevent user frustration.
Simplify navigation and content presentation for smaller screens.
Use touch-friendly elements and buttons to enhance the mobile user experience.
Test the website across different devices and browsers to ensure compatibility.
7. User experience goals
Incorporate interactive elements like quizzes, polls, and surveys to engage users.
Enable user-generated content, such as reviews or comments, to foster a sense of community.
Implement live chat or chatbots to provide instant customer support.
Host webinars, live events, or online workshops to interact with the audience in real time.
Utilize gamification elements to encourage user participation and loyalty.
What is the strategy of a website?
For most business websites, the primary purpose is driving sales through products, services, information, or ideas to a global or targeted audience.
Your website can inform, educate, entertain, or sell, depending on your goals. Whether you aim to reach new customers, provide support, share your expertise, or even express yourself, your website serves as a central platform to achieve those aims and engage with your customers.
Think of a website strategy as the roadmap for your website project. It’s like having a plan that guides all your decisions and actions to ensure your website does what you want. This strategy involves everything from who your website is for, what it’s supposed to do, how it looks, and how people will use it. It’s like setting the direction for your website to help you achieve your business goals.
What makes a website successful?
Successful websites engage and educate visitors, converting them into leads and customers. This purpose should guide design, content, and features.
What makes a website successful is that it accomplishes its goals. As I said in the last question, most businesses deem their website successful if it drives sales. If sales aren’t the goal for you, that’s okay! You’ll want to identify your ultimate goal: donations, inquiries, or impressions.
Either way, your website is an investment that evolves with your business to accomplish something. Figure out what that “something” is, and you will have defined success for your business.
What is a responsive web strategy?
A responsive website strategy involves designing and developing a website that adapts and functions seamlessly across various devices and screen sizes.
The goal is to ensure that the user experience remains consistent and user-friendly whether visitors access the site on a desktop computer, tablet, smartphone, or other devices.
This strategy involves creating a flexible layout, using responsive design techniques, and optimizing content for different screens. By implementing a responsive website strategy, businesses can cater to the preferences of their diverse audience and provide an accessible and enjoyable browsing experience regardless of the device used.
What is a web branding strategy?
That’s a good question! A web branding strategy is a comprehensive plan to establish and reinforce a consistent and compelling brand identity across a company’s website—and ensure that the website identity is consistent across all channels.
A successful web branding strategy ensures that visitors can immediately recognize and connect with the brand when they land on the website. This involves consistently incorporating elements such as the logo, color palette, typography, imagery style, and tone of voice throughout the site. By implementing a solid web branding strategy, businesses can create a memorable and authentic online presence that resonates with their target audience and fosters brand loyalty.
How do you approach a website design?
At Structure, we take a strategic approach to web design. We’ve identified that most websites don’t work like their managers and users want them to because of a failure to plan. That isn’t good if you invested tens of thousands of dollars in something that looks amazing but doesn’t help your business.
That’s why every website project at Structure starts with a website strategy process. We also call it “website planning” or “website definition.” In short, it’s the process we take clients through to figure out what is needed in as much detail as possible, so we can deliver a headache-free design and build process—and, ultimately, a website that works for you.
We aim to help 1,000 businesses and organizations plan and realize successful websites over the next ten years.
What is a web strategy document?
A website strategy document outlines the goals, objectives, tactics, and guidelines for developing, designing, and managing a website.
It serves as a roadmap that guides all decisions related to the website’s creation and requirements. This document typically includes information about the target audience, website purpose, content strategy, design principles, user experience considerations, technical requirements, integration with other systems, and more.
The result of a well-structured website strategy document ensures that all stakeholders are on the same page and provides a clear direction for the entire website project, from conception to execution.
Download our free website strategy template if you’re looking for a simple way to get started.
Free Website Strategy Template
Download the Structure Website Design Planner to create a website strategy that makes your project successful!
What web strategy would help an ecommerce business drive traffic to its website and increase sales?
Several digital marketing strategies would help an ecommerce business drive traffic and sales to its website. It wouldn’t be hard to find a 13-point list. But that’s too complicated.
If you’re looking to drive traffic and sales to an ecommerce website, do these three things:
Use pay-per-click advertising (like Google Ads) to drive targeted traffic to the quiz
Ensure there are as few steps to purchase as possible.
If you do these three things, your ecommerce website will be successful.
What is a web strategy to determine the internal linking structure of a website?
The strategy to determine the internal linking structure of a website is often called “Content Siloing.” This involves organizing the content on your website into distinct groups or categories, each focused on a specific topic or theme.
Within each content silo, you create internal links between related pages, enhancing user navigation and improving SEO by indicating content relevance to search engines. This strategy helps users and search engines understand the relationships between different pieces of content on your site.
This is best done while developing your website strategy to ensure you execute consistently and effectively.
Western Interlock needed content development. They are a family-owned manufacturing company that makes high-end paving stones for the Northwest. We helped them reach, influence, and inspire a larger market by showing all generations how they can DIY with WI.
The Challenge
In early 2019, Western Interlock came to us with a problem: buying and installing paving stones feels daunting, if not completely impossible. In short, their goal was to take the hard out of hardscaping.
Western Interlock was already seeing traction with in-person do-it-yourself seminars at their manufacturing facility in Rickreall, ORE. So we suggested scaling that campaign into the digital space. The result of our planning was a content marketing campaign called DIY with WI that would inspire potential customers and help them feel empowered to tackle projects without hesitation.
Content Development & Company Development
There was another challenge hidden behind the curtain. Not only were we helping people hardscape, but we were also helping a 25-year-old family-owned brick-and-mortar manufacturing brand update it’s marketing from physical to digital.
In essence, while there was a significant physical brand reputation, there was little-to-no digital brand recognition. Part of our work was to transmit the Western Interlock story and culture to channels like Google, YouTube, Facebook.
Within a year of publishing the first DIY tutorial, Western Interlock saw a 351.97% organic increase in new users on their website, according to Google Analytics.
Most notably, sales calls increased by 50.74%.
“Sales Representatives keep telling me how this DIY with WI content cuts their talk time in half. Now we have well-documented answers to many customer’s most common questions about our products and how to use them. You’re making it much easier to make a sale and keep existing customers happy. Thank you!”
Colin Domoschofsky, Marketing, Western Interlock
By the end of 2019, we helped Western Interlock reach a new customer segment they may have never reached if they didn’t invest in such an approachable content development strategy. This only means one thing: sales are through the roof.
Continuing the Content Development Campaign
At Structure, we have a saying: Business Is Personal. This means we embrace uncommon levels of humility, selflessness, and transparency for the good of our clients. In short, we make everything about the client.
We understand that this approach is a bit unconventional. But that’s what makes it so unique.
“Structure has been amazing to work with. We are extremely satisfied with the work that they’ve done for us! I’d recommend them highly to anyone.”
Nathan Wright, Director of Marketing, Western Interlock
We’re proud of our work. However, we’re even more proud of the partnership we’ve built with Western Interlock. After three years, we’re still going strong.
