The One Factor That Sets Successful Websites Apart

Why do some websites succeed on the internet while others do not? Your competitor reaches the target audience measurably more successfully than you, but you're not sure what they're doing differently? In this article, we take a look at a frequently overlooked factor that makes the difference between success and frustration in a website project.

What is Success on the Internet?

When we examine why some websites on the internet are significantly more successful than others, we first need to consider what success actually means. Many fall into the first thinking trap here.

Success on the internet is only partially related to your reach, that is, how many people perceive your offering. You achieve success when your offering is accepted by as many people as possible.

This difference may seem small but is of utmost relevance in practice. Imagine you have a small retail store offering custom clothing. Now, you realize there are six groups of people:

1. Those who have no idea that you and your store exist.
2. Those who know your store but have no interest in it.
3. Those who know your store, are interested, but just stop at the storefront.
4. Those who know your store, are interested, enter it, browse around, and maybe even try on the clothes.
5. Those who have made a purchase at your store.
6. And repeat customers who have made purchases and keep coming back.

Which of these groups contribute to your success?

It's like a funnel. The selection gets narrower towards the bottom. And the amount of water flowing through the funnel is not only determined by its width at the top but mainly by its diameter at the bottom.

In other words, your store will only be successful if you can attract - and retain - as many customers as possible. The number of prospects is only indirectly relevant.

Success with a website is not solely about reaching many potential customers. Success is achieved when you can consistently increase the number of your actual customers.

What Distinguishes Prospects from Customers

Once we understand the difference between prospects and customers, the next logical question is: What sets prospects apart from customers? How does someone become a prospect, and how do prospects become customers?

To illustrate, think again about our clothing example. What might prompt you to look at a clothing store's storefront, maybe even enter it or try on the clothes?

The reasons can be diverse and individual:

• You find the store appealing.
• You are waiting for someone and have time to spare.
• You are naturally curious.
• You like the colorful decorations in the storefront.
• The clothing reminds you of your beloved grandmother.
• A friend has raved about the store.
• ...

But are these the reasons that ultimately lead you to make a purchase? Perhaps. However, one thing ensures that you actually make a purchase in the end: The clothing fulfills a need you have - at a price you find acceptable.

Looking at the purchase from the perspective of underlying needs, the following scenarios may arise:

• You have a need for the good feeling of having done something for your community. Here, you buy clothing because it brings you joy to support a likable store.
• Or you have a need for regional and individual fashion - and the creative clothing aligns perfectly with this need.
• Or you have a need to give someone a personalized gift - and you suspect that the clothing would bring joy to the recipient because it fulfills a need for them too.

A Needs-Oriented Website

In theory, this sounds simple, but in practice, it's an art mastered by few. The urge to showcase oneself, the allure of apparent validation through ever-increasing reach, and the superficial understanding of the real needs of your target audience are significant challenges.

Do you know exactly who your target audience is? Can you pinpoint their interests, hopes, wishes, and concerns? How do your customers live? What products surround them? What political or ideological beliefs drive them? This requires detective work. Are your customers predominantly male or female? Are there age-related focal points? Why have you been successful with your existing customer base - and what needs underlie this success?

The more precisely you can answer these and similar questions, the more accurately you will be able to consistently align your offering with the wishes and needs of your target audience - thus widening the bottom diameter of the funnel. Because in the end, your success on the internet is not about what goes in at the top but about what comes out at the bottom.