Why do users go to your website?

In my webinar Understanding Google Analytics, website design, I went over the value and importance of creating a positive user experience on your website.

This statistic, to me, is one of the most important statistics regarding website functionality: 88 percent of users won't return to a website following a bad experience.

A part of that user experience is attributed to assessing what is the purpose of your website and what do you want people to get from it?

There are four categories users fall in when they are going to website (outside of third-party validation that you are a legit business. Remember, users often go to social media first, then to the website to validate you).

Those four categories are informational, navigational, commercial and transactional.

Let's take a look at each and what a user is typically doing in those respective categories.

Informational

• Want to know
• What, Why, How? Looking for information. Answers to a question.
• Example: "How many people live in the United States?"

Navigational

• Want to go
• Reach a specific page
• Example "United States Census Bureau"

Commercial

• Want to compare products/services
• Research before purchasing
• Example: "top snowblowers"

Transactional or Call-To-Action (CTA)

• Want to do
• Buy, reserve, book, contact
• Example: "places near me to buy snowblowers"

Again, understand what your website is and what you want users/visitors to take away from it.