A website should have something on it that gets the visitor to do something. It should have a Call to Action.

It might be as simple as leaving an email address, so you can build contact lists. It could be a file download of your catalogue. It could be an upload of a photo. It could be something you want to sell. Your website should have a goal.

The features your website has will depend on the question “what do want them to do?”, ie, what is the call to action?

• If you want feedback from users, you need a forum or a form to submit.
• If you want a poll, you need a survey.
• If you want to sell something, you need a catalogue and a shopping cart.
• If you want to send out a newsletter, you need a database of clients.
• If you want to show something, you need a gallery or a map.
• If you want them to have something, you need a download option.
• If you want them to send you something, you need an upload option.
• If you want them to use a piece of software, you need a module that holds it.
• If you have some information that you want to share, you need a newsfeed, a blog or a graph.
• If you want to show video, you need a video player.

You might just want to run a site that hosts advertisements. In that case, you had better have something on your site that keeps people returning to it.
Put up some games, information, articles, blogs, quizzes, funny photos, video, anything you have access to.

Be clear about your site’s purpose. Putting a lot of distractions in a viewer’s way can divert them from the Call to Action.

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