Website Purposes: The Ideal Solution For Your Business

Website purpose is an essential topic for most businesses that exist in the 21st century.
Most businesses eventually reach a point where they say:

“We need a new website.”
“We want something modern.”
“We need a webshop module.”

But few stop to ask a more important question: why?
Why do we need it, and what exactly should it achieve?
When you look at the bigger business picture, what is the website’s purpose?
If you already have a clear idea of what your website should accomplish, you can explore different types of websites and see which fits your goals best, like in our post 10 Types of Websites Best for Your Business.
But if you’re not yet sure why your website exists in the first place, what is your website’s purpose? Start exploring this topic here.
In this article, we’ll talk about what the purpose of a website really is, why it matters, and how defining it early can save you time, money, and frustration later. I will also cover common website purposes, depending on the type of business.

Why every website needs a defined website purpose

Let’s start with the basics.
The website’s purpose is the foundation that guides everything else — your goals, user journey, tone of voice, design, SEO, and content.
At Kontra, we often begin our 360° web projects with one simple question:
“Why does this website need to exist?”
Here’s an example.
Imagine you’re a tailor-made travel agency targeting wealthy clients from the U.S., primarily New York City.
What is the purpose of your website? Lead generation.
For whom? Affluent travelers who value exclusivity, trust, and personalized service.
Once you define that purpose, everything else follows:

• The design should feel luxurious and elegant.
• The tone of voice should sound personal and sophisticated.
• The SEO strategy should focus on specific search terms like “luxury travel agency NYC.”
• The contact process should be personal — no chatbots, only real human interaction.

These clients want tailored communication and a white-glove experience. They’ll pay for it — but they expect your website to reflect it.

When we work on such projects, our entire team — marketers, SEO experts, copywriters, designers, and developers — moves in the same direction.
Why? Because we all understand the purpose. And that purpose keeps us aligned.

The primary purposes of a website

Now, let’s examine the primary purposes that websites typically serve.
Using the travel agency example above (where lead generation is key), here are other common website purposes and the types of websites they relate to.

#1 Build Awareness and Trust

That is crucial for making a good first impression and establishing brand recognition.
When you’re new to the market, you want to present yourself in the best possible way.
Your website should leave a mark — through consistent messaging, tone of voice, and visual identity.

Website type: Corporate or company website

#2 Sell Products

The purpose here is clear — sales through online purchases.
A simple, intuitive interface (UI) improves the user experience (UX) and boosts conversions.
Bad checkout flows, unclear shipping details, or outdated design destroy trust and cost you customers.
Website type: E-commerce website

#3 Generate and Nurture Leads

Check out Kontra’s own website. Our purpose is to build trust with potential clients during the discovery and consideration stages.
We do this through case studies, service pages, and thought leadership content.

Our service isn’t something you can sell like a pair of shoes — we first need to start a conversation.

Website type: B2B websites, consulting companies, agencies, and accounting firms

#4 Inform and Educate

Think of The New York Times. Its purpose is to inform readers — and its entire business model depends on doing that well.
For them, SEO and content structure are crucial for reaching and retaining readers. Platforms such as Coursera primarily aim to teach people through various themes and topics. 

Website type: Media, education, or lifestyle websites

#5 Engage, Inspire, and Entertain

Websites in this category build connection and emotional engagement.
For example, Twitch started as a gaming live-streaming platform but has evolved into a hub for entertainment, sports, music, cooking, and art — where communities connect in real-time.
The purpose here isn’t direct sales — it’s engagement and loyalty.
Website type: Media portals, lifestyle brands, travel blogs, fashion or design sites, entertainment platforms, creative studios

#6 Serve and Support Customers

Some websites exist to serve existing clients, not just to continuously attract new ones.
At Kontra, we use Productive as our project management tool. Its purpose?
To give clients and teams access to dashboards where they can track time, manage projects, and collaborate efficiently.
That’s the core of its business — to support and serve users every day, not just once.
Website type: SaaS platforms, booking portals, membership sites, client dashboards, subscription-based services

#7 Present Expertise

Some websites exist primarily to showcase work and credibility.
For designers, architects, or agencies, a well-structured portfolio website communicates trust and authority — and attracts the right kind of clients.
Website type: Portfolio or personal brand websites

What happens if the purpose isn’t clear

If you don’t know whether your website exists to entertain or to sell, you’ll struggle to make every other decision.
Without a clear purpose, you can’t:

• Create a logical user flow
• Write targeted copy
• Optimize SEO
• Design intentionally
• Prioritize development features

You’ll end up with a website that looks fine but does very little. Do you know what that means in practice? When you start marketing your website, there is a big chance of losing money and time.

👉 First comes the purpose. Then everything else.

Your Website’s Purpose Can Evolve

Defining purpose is not a one-time thing; everything is changing, so you are too. 

• An agency can start by generating leads, and over time, it can develop its own product and shift the website’s purpose to achieve goals like sales.
• A startup can begin with lead generation, but after a few years of growth, it can shift its focus to employer branding to attract and hire more talent to drive work.

If that happens, it is important to start again from scratch. That means we start with a new strategy and then prepare all marketing elements to communicate through our website. We need to adjust our website priorities, copywriting, SEO, and design. Sometimes, it is essential to undergo rebranding to reposition ourselves in the eyes of potential customers. We can decrease the impact on existing customers to only 20%. 
One of our clients had a website till 2020. for their retail business, which they operate both in-store and through Facebook. However, when the coronavirus hit hard and everything came to a halt, they decided to change the purpose of their website. Initially, the website’s purpose was limited to presentation and general information; however, today it is primarily used for sales, which is crucial for their business. They are not obligated to open stores in other towns because they sell online.  

Connect to a Bigger Perspective

A website is part of a bigger picture. One day, you will run Google ads. If you don’t know the purpose of your website, how do you know who you are targeting? You bring on-site right users. If you don’t know who you are targeting, are you sure your website copy is compelling? Or, if your design communicates a Luxury brand and you attract middle-class people to your website, how do you expect conversions on your website?
At least, what is our goal? Our goal is to bring the right people to our website, serve them messages, and guide them to take action to achieve our goals.
What is the best way to connect to a bigger perspective?

1. Define website purpose (according to your business/ organization goals)
2. Define strategy.
3. Gather around “one table” the digital strategist, marketing manager, copywriter, SEO expert, web designer, and everyone responsible for the next steps.
4. Create buyer personas.
5. Think about your positioning.
6. Create website copywriting, or content, tailored to your buyer personas.
7. Create an SEO strategy and website structure to empower your personas.
8. Consider UI/UX and create wireframes for your personas. 
9. Design your website according to the buyer personas, taking into account the website’s purpose and strategy.
10. Market your website to your persona after its release.

The Common Mistakes Businesses Make

Unfortunately, many businesses don’t think about the bigger picture and what I have seen during the last 15 years in the business of website development is that they usually: 

• Start with design before strategy.
• Start with website copywriting before strategy.
• Start with website development before strategy.
• Start with the technical aspects of the website before the strategy.
• Try to pursue too many purposes.
• Copy their competition website.

Conclusion

For some businesses, a website may not be a priority, and its impact on their financials is minimal. I understand that they are not ready to invest significant time and money in a project like this. And I agree with that; they can start with a predefined theme website and hire a freelancer to do the job.
On the other hand, if your website represents an integral part of your organisation or business, you should take care of its purpose and slow down the building process, focusing on getting more attention to the purpose and strategy. Yes, it can be slow sometimes and drain energy and money, but if you plan for the long term, do things correctly from the start.
And don’t forget, you will “pay” after, and it can cost you more, so it is better to pay at the start.