The response was simple. Essentially, the company wanted me to design
the site so that visitors would be able to find what they were looking
for.Interesting answer. In other words, their primary goal is for
visitors to be able to locate what they are searching for, without
defining specific goals for what the company wants visitors to do once
the arrive at the home page. Their response implied that there is a
conflict between designing a goal-oriented site and designing around
visitors' needs.
Based on my own personal experience, a lot of people perceive the
same conflict. They believe it is better to invite visitors in and ask
them to look around, without defining specific actions they want
visitors to take. To them, being visitor-oriented means being passive,
and designing a goal-oriented page is in opposition to a strong customer
focus.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Of course, the first priority of web design is to meet the needs of
your visitor. Your every decision in designing your site should revolve
around them--not you.
But does that mean it's wrong to set goals for your site and define
what you want visitors to do? Nope.
Think of it like a dating relationship. Does the object of your
affection want to be completely controlled? Of course not. But do they
want you to be passive? Not that either. On the contrary, they want
their hearts to be won.
Your visitors are the same way--they want to be won as well. They
need you to be persuasive. Visitors are expecting YOU to have the answer
to their problem. They want you to have a game plan. And finally, they
want you to tell them exactly what to do to get to the solution.
Keep in mind that many people who come to your site have poorly
articulated needs. They need someone to help them define their need,
educate them about their circumstances and options, explain why your
solution is the best, and tell them exactly what to do to get that
solution. They need you to be persuasive.
Of course you need to be visitor-oriented. But if you learn how to
match your solutions to well-defined, clearly articulated needs on the
part of the visitor, there won't be any discrepancy between what they
want to do and what you want them to do. In that sense, you'll be able
to design a visitor-oriented page that is also completely goal-oriented.
In other words, instead of asking a client, "What are your goals for
this page," I could just as well ask, "What do your visitors need from
this page?" (In fact, it's helpful to keep both versions of the question
in mind for balance.) The answer to both questions will be the same.
As you seek to be visitor-oriented, don't underestimate the
importance of defining specific goals. Doing so will help both you and
your visitor achieve satisfaction.
