One of the basic steps of web planning is defining the set of audience. It is very important to decide the target audience or the group of audience for which a web site is
going to be created and maintained. The prospective viewers to the web pages are
considered to be the target audience. The aim or purpose of a web site designing
decides the prospective target audience. It is also essential to know the requirements of
the viewers of the web site and what exactly they would look for. The selection of target
audience also influences the content on the web pages of the site.
In today’s competitive market, it is necessary to ensure regular visitors to a web site.
The strategic determination of the target audience influences the growth of business.
Thus in a global market it is required to set a specific group of audience. But the success
of a web site does not depend on casual visitors. The site needs to attract a number of
visitors to the site and has to ensure that they keep visiting the same.
A web site can be created for both personal and business purpose. In that case the
nature of target audience will also vary. A site that is created as a community forum on
the other hand will draw totally a different type of audience or users. Likewise a web site
designed to cater information will fetch audiences different from those who are looking
for e commerce sites.
Entire web site content can be termed personal if it belongs to a person. Often certain
pages of a site can be reserved for personal content. Blogging is part of personal content
that is shared on the web. The target audience to this kind of web pages or web site will
differ from the commercial sites.
Whatever may be the purpose or aim of hosting a web site, the primary intention of each
and every site is to attract audiences and it has to be so appealing so as to retain them
on the site.
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