Web surfers are goal-driven

Every visitor to a web site is trying achieve a specific goal. This goal will vary widely for each visitor, and even for different visits by the same person. The long-term success of a web site depends on it being able to meet the goals of its visitors.

Visitors can be classified into three broad categories:

• The Reader is looking for specific information about a topic. They may be researching a purchase, looking for technical support or just trying to learn more about a topic.
• The User is at your site for a specific purpose. You probably know what this purpose is, because sites with Users are fairly specialised. Perhaps they are on a site to shop, to book a holiday or to chat with associates. The User will probably have an account on your site and may be an existing client.
• The Surfer is just filling in time on the web or has been misdirected to your site by a search engine. They aren't intending to spend any money on your products or services, although they might be interested in what you have to offer.

Just as there are three types of visitors to sites, there are three categories of sites:

• The Library is a repository for information about the site's area of specialisation. The Juggernaut site is predominantly a library.
• The Mall is a site which offers a service or range of services to Users.
• The Arcade caters to Surfers. These sites use all the latest whizz-bang technology to create a multimedia experience the Surfer won't forget in a hurry.

The Reader and the Library

The sort of web site that has Readers is generally a reference site of some kind. It will contain detailed information about the products or services of the organisation who owns the site. Most corporate sites have content of this nature. These sites seek to inform visitors of the range of products and services the organisation offers or to provide support for these products.

Often Readers will be customers or potential customers of the organisation. They will be researching a purchase or obtaining support for something they have purchased. It is important to look after the needs of these visitors as they supply the life-blood of the organisation. The site must present information clearly and accessibly to help these visitors reach their goal.

The User and the Mall

The User is a very special visitor to the web site. If the site is an e-commerce site Users are customers looking to buy goods. If the site has a forum or offers some special service, Users are the target audience of this service.

Users are the source of the site's revenue so the site must help these visitors reach their goal as efficiently and effectively as possible.

The Surfer and the Arcade

When we're just Surfing to fill in time (as opposed to actively reading or using the web) we're not in the frame of mind to buy products or utilise services. Surfers may generate revenue at some stage in the future if they like the products and services they see on the site. But the main focus of a site should be the Readers and Users.

It is only important to help Surfers meet their goal if they have the potential to return to the site as a Reader or User in the future.

The Implications

The User and the Reader are the two kinds of visitors from which the web site generates revenue. Helping these users reach their goal must be the primary aim of a web site.

The current trend in web site design is to create extremely complex sites. Lots of graphics and Flash, complex navigation systems, unique user interfaces... these all present an obstacle for Users and Readers.

It is our opinion that a web site should primarily cater for Readers and Users, the visitors who actively generate revenue for the site. Any elements of the site which don't assist these visitors to achieve their goal should be carefully considered. It may still be possible to build a parallel site which appeals to Surfers, and which links back into the core site which is designed primarily for Readers and Users. This structure has the added benefit of actively trying to convert Surfers into revenue-generating users.

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