Your website needs a purpose. Apart from the fact you should get benefit from the money you've invested in it, purposeful websites feel more comfortable to visit. If I'm reading a site and I'm unclear what it's for and what I can do on it I feel uneasy. It's harder to trust a business that's not clear and cohesive. Feelings of trustworthiness and credibility are important to a reader.

Your purpose

Simplistically your website helps you sell stuff. If you want to be a sustainable business it'll help you maintain relationships and serve people. Your website is part of your marketing and communications. It may also be your shop or the place you share your knowledge.

Generally websites have a mixture of purposes. This next section describes some of them. I've also included a description of what your reader is looking for and a guide to the type of content each type of site needs.

As well as fulfilling your business' needs you have to fulfil your reader's needs. A successful site finds a balance between the two.