The 5 Pillars of Success for Every Website

There are currently more than?1.3 billion websites?on the internet – a number that is growing by the second.

Before launching a business, many owners believe that?developing a website?is step one. In simple terms, this is true. However, it’s essential?first to step back and consider your overall business objectives.

Instead of thinking in terms of just?needing a website, they must first come to realize that what they?need?is customers.?A website is merely the means to get them.

Customers are at point A, and point B is when they convert, buy, or take the desired action. If the road between those points is unnecessarily long, uneven, and full of obstacles, customers will have no problem finding a different route to a different destination.

On the other hand, if you create a smooth highway on a scenic route with plenty of amenities, getting to point B is much more desirable.

Just like road trippers, customers have specific needs that must be met to take action – not all of which are equal. On a road trip, there are essential needs like a car, gas, and a paved road. Then, there are lesser needs like air conditioning, music, or a sunroof. The same concept applies to websites. This idea is known as the “Website Hierarchy of Needs.”

When looking at this hierarchy, there are?five key measures?that are crucial to the success of any website, and your results are much better if you start from the ground up. Let’s discuss.

1. Functional

This measure refers to the basic needs a website visitor has. For a road trip, they need a car that turns on and has working pedals. When looking at a website, the platform needs to work, the landing pages need to?load, the site needs to have web hosting, and most importantly, it needs to be secure.

In the grand scheme of things, websites that?only?meet the basic needs of functionality do not add significant value for the user. This measure is more or less expected and serves as the foundation for a website.

For many companies, this is where their website efforts have ended. After the project first launched, they just forgot about it. Often this means that their website isn’t producing the results that they should expect from the world’s largest marketing platform (the internet!).

2. Reliable

With the basics of functionality met, there are a whole new set of needs that come into play. The car can’t shut down ten miles into the trip. The brakes need to work EVERY time you press the pedal.

Your website needs to perform consistently. Sure, it looks alright, but does it work? Are there outdated plugins? Has it become insecure? Does it?only?work well on a desktop? Are the code and images optimized for loading quickly? Does it work as well on a mobile device as it does on a desktop computer?

Websites need to possess a certain level of reliability. Not only is it crucial that you maintain this measure; it needs to be blatantly clear that you?value?it. Keep your website components updated on a regular basis. Prioritize your back-end?analytics?and keep up with content management.

A reliable website is trustworthy and doesn’t have significant technical inconsistencies. These characteristics need to be present across the board.

3. Understood

Having a website that looks good and functions isn’t enough. Once you’ve got all the functionality and reliability ironed out, customers need an understanding of what your site is all about. They need to understand the meaning behind your efforts, and need to be lead on the journey you want them to take. On a road trip, this is the main reason why people go to a particular destination. People drive to the grocery store for food, the movie theater for entertainment, the gas station for fuel, and so on. This measure should work to answer the “why.”

Success in this regard comes down to how well you understand your target market.

• Who is your ideal customer or client?
• What are their pain points?
• How do they communicate?
• What types of content resonate with them?

Ultimately, this is the?unique selling point?you provide with your website. It should encourage people to take your desired action, whether it’s signing up for your newsletters, creating a profile, or purchasing a product.?This website?does an excellent job of immediately spelling it out to visitors:

You will note that in the above example, DistroKid does not focus on themselves. Their content is customer focused. The better you can speak to your visitors’ needs, the better they will understand your offering, and the better your customer sustainability will be.

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