Take some time to think about your purpose and passion, and write your thoughts down. Recording these details will bring clarity and help you define how your site will function and feel. For many reasons, it’s an excellent exercise!

IN THIS LESSON

In this video, I discuss four key questions to consider:

  • What is your passion, and why are you building a website?

  • Who is your target audience?

  • What action do you want your visitors to take?

  • How does what you offer or provide meet your visitor’s needs?

TRANSCRIPT:

Hello, welcome back. In this module, we're going to talk about purpose and passion.

These are concepts you've probably heard about before, and you may well understand, but the idea of getting really clear about who you are, what you love, and who you're trying to help will allow you to create a message that will help to attract the people who are looking for you and what you have to offer. Certainly, in this world where people have access to so much information, the clearer your message is, the more success you'll have.

0:44 So, when we talk about purpose, we're thinking about what kind of category your website is going to be in and what your goals are. Are you creating a website that sells products online or advertises products sold in a physical location? Are you trying to generate leads for your new or existing business? Are you trying to build a personal brand or create a portfolio to show people what you do and share information through blogs and newsletters? We want to think about not just how your website will perform but also what you are passionate about.

1:55 Why are you building this website and business? Often, people recommend that you create an identity and design that down to tiny details. Often, people will suggest that you create an avatar. An avatar is a profile or version of a person who fits the criteria of the client or customer you're looking to attract.

2:16 I thought that I would offer a couple of examples for this exercise. One example is I'm a Reiki practitioner. I prefer working with women in my age group who are already interested in holistic health. They've experienced Reiki before, so they don't need to be convinced that Reiki works. Because I don't have space in my home to offer Reiki sessions, I prefer to work virtually. So, I want to attract somewhat tech-savvy people willing to work by Zoom or phone and are comfortable with that and the idea of not being face-to-face. It also means that I don't have the limitation of locale when finding clients. So those are the kinds of details I would think about adding to my ideal client.

2:46 Another example could be that I'm an herbalist, and I have an herbal store or shop that makes tinctures, salves, teas, and other products people buy. I have a beautiful piece of land, and I grow my own herbs and sell them to people in my local area. And I like to attract people who want to do their own projects, the do-it-yourselfers, who enjoy working with herbs. And I want to have workshops and have people come to learn about herbal products here on my land. I like teaching people, and I enjoy working in person.

3:47 Or I could use my own situation here with Chaco Webworks. I love to build websites, but I don't want to build websites for big grocery stores, tax firms, or businesses like that. I enjoy working with small businesses, primarily solopreneurs and people working alone. People like myself, who are healers and in the spiritual realm, because that interests me. I like technology and find it easy to understand, but I want to help people who aren't as comfortable and might not have the skills and confidence around digital marketing.