Make New Year’s Resolutions for Your Website in 2023 You’ll Actually Keep

Any time of year is a suitable time to reflect on the past and set goals for the rest of the year ahead. This can be especially important for your website, as it’s often a key aspect of your business or personal brand. By setting new year’s resolutions for your website, you can improve its performance, attract more visitors, and achieve your overall goals.

Before we work out how, let’s spend a few moments discussing why New Year’s resolutions so often fall flat.

Why Do Website New Year’s Resolutions Fail?

The most common reason new year’s resolutions people set for their websites is that people do so without having a plan for actually achieving them. If you have an idea of what you want to accomplish but no clear roadmap, your resolution is less likely to become reality.

That’s why it’s important to break down the process into smaller, more manageable goals and then create a plan for success—with actionable steps. This way, you can make sure that the goals you set are realistic and achievable.

How to Set Realistic New Year’s Resolutions for Your Website

Now that you know why resolutions fail, let’s discuss how to create a plan for success in 2023. Here are six steps to get started:

1. Assess Your Current Website

Before you set new goals for your website, it’s important to take stock of its current state. This will help you identify areas for improvement and set realistic goals. There are a few key ways to assess what’s currently going on with your website, both the good and the bad:

• Analyze traffic and conversion rates: Use tools like Google Analytics to track how many people are visiting your website and how well it’s performing in terms of conversions (e.g. sales, newsletter signups). Look for trends and areas where you can improve.
• Gather feedback from users: Reach out to your audience and ask for their feedback on your website. You can do this via social media or even by sending out a survey to your subscribers using a service like SurveyMonkey. What do they like? What could be improved? Use this information to guide your resolutions.
• Review your website’s overall performance: Look at factors like load times, mobile friendliness, and overall user experience. Are there any issues that need to be addressed?
• Assess your site’s design: Does your website look modern and up-to-date? Are there any design elements that could be improved upon, such as typography or use of white space? Are there emerging trends you’d like to incorporate?
• Consider the included features: What does your website offer its visitors? Are there any features that could be improved upon to enhance the user experience? Think about if there are new features that could be added as well that could better serve your site visitors in specific ways. For instance, if you have a blog or eCommerce store, you may wish to consider adding features like live chat or product recommendations.

Essentially, take a thorough inventory of your website. You’ll have a better understanding of where it stands and what needs to be done to improve it.

2. Set Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART) Goals

As you set your website resolutions, it’s important to make sure they are SMART goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound, which makes them easier to achieve and track. Here are some examples of SMART goals for a website:

• Increase website traffic by 20% by the end of Q2 through search engine optimization and social media marketing.
• Increase the average time spent on the website by 2 minutes through the addition of more engaging content.
• Increase the conversion rate by 10% by improving the design and usability of the checkout process.
• Complete an SEO audit and update all necessary components to improve the website’s search engine rankings by the end of Q1.
• Create a content plan and publish new blog posts every week to increase engagement and attract new visitors.

Your SMART goals may be different, of course, but so long as you have a clear roadmap for what you want to achieve and how you’ll get there, it should serve you well and help drive your website toward success in the new year.

3. Create a Plan of Action

Once you’ve set your website resolutions and identified the resources and knowledge you’ll need to achieve them, it’s time to create a plan of action. This will help you stay organized and on track as you work towards your goals.

Here are some steps for creating a plan:

• Break your goals down into smaller tasks: It can be overwhelming to tackle a big goal all at once. Instead, break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. For example, if your goal is to increase website traffic by 20%, you could create a task list that includes activities like keyword research, on-page optimization, and guest blogging.
• Assign deadlines: Giving yourself deadlines will help you stay focused and motivated. Make sure to set realistic deadlines based on the complexity of the task and your availability. And don’t forget to add these deadlines to a calendar or project management tool so you don’t forget about them.
• Make use of automation tools: Automation can help make tedious tasks like SEO or social media marketing easier to manage. There are many automation tools available, so be sure to do your research and pick the one that works best for you.
• Research other required tools: Depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, you may need other tools or resources. Do some research and choose the ones that are most suitable for your project.

Creating a plan of action will not only help you stay organized and on track, but it will also help you measure your progress towards your website resolutions.

4. Monitor Your Progress

Monitoring your progress towards your website resolutions is key to staying motivated and on track. By regularly tracking your progress, you’ll be able to see how far you’ve come and identify any areas that need improvement. There are a few ways you can monitor your progress:

• Use analytics software: Google Analytics and similar tools can provide you with invaluable information about your website’s performance. Allocate some time to monitor essential metrics such as site visits, conversions, and other key indicators regularly. This way, you will be able to stay ahead of the curve in terms of growth opportunities for your business!
• Use social listening: Social listening is an essential and powerful tool that can help you track the conversations happening around your brand. This will enable you to stay up-to-date with what your customers are saying about you and help you understand how to better serve them.
• Track key performance indicators: Set up KPIs (key performance indicators) for your website and track them regularly. This will help you stay focused on the metrics that matter most to your business and understand how your website is performing in terms of its goals.

Keeping an eye on your progress will ensure that you stay focused and adjust as needed to achieve your desired goals.

5. Be Flexible and Adaptable

As you work towards your website resolutions, it’s important to be flexible and adaptable. Things don’t always go as planned, and being open to new ideas and approaches can help you achieve your goals more effectively. Here are a few tips for staying flexible:

• Conduct regular evaluations: Take some time every few weeks or months to assess your progress and see what’s working and what isn’t. This will help you make any necessary adjustments and stay on track.
• Be willing to pivot: If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to pivot to a different approach. This could mean changing your goals or the tactics you’re using to achieve them.
• Stay open to new ideas: Keep an open mind and be willing to consider new ideas and approaches. This could involve seeking out new resources or consulting with others in your field.

By exhibiting versatility and resilience, you’ll be better prepared to face any obstacles that arise and accomplish your website goals.

6. Stay Motivated and On Track

Achieving your website resolutions can be quite difficult, so it’s important to remain inspired and motivated. Here are some useful tips for propelling yourself towards success:

• Set reminders: Use tools like Google Calendar or a to-do list app to set reminders for tasks and deadlines. This will help you stay organized and ensure that you don’t miss anything.
• Enlist the help of others: If you’re working on a team, consider enlisting the help of your colleagues or hiring a freelancer to assist with tasks. This can help you stay motivated and make progress more efficiently.
• Reward yourself for progress: As you complete tasks and make progress towards your goals, reward yourself with something small, like a cup of coffee or a nice walk. This will help you stay motivated and focused on the big picture.

Following these tips will help you remain steadfast and make strides towards achieving the goals for your website in the new year.

Use Envato Elements to Get Closer to Your Goals

Envato Elements is a great resource for website design and development. It offers a wide range of assets, including templates, graphics, and stock photos, that can help you achieve your website resolutions.

For example, if one of your resolutions is to improve the overall design of your website, you could use templates from Envato Elements to save time on design tasks. Or if you want to increase website traffic, you could use stock photos from Envato Elements to create more engaging content.

And for just one low monthly subscription fee, you can access a growing library of website assets to get closer to your goals.

Learn from Other Tutorials

Want to learn more about setting goals, New Year’s resolutions, and website planning? We have a wide range of tutorials on topics like design, development, and SEO right here on Tuts+. By regularly learning from experts, you can stay on top of industry trends and find new ways to improve your website. Here are a few tutorials to get you started:

• 

  Design and Code Your First Website in 9 Easy-to-Understand Steps

  

  Nathan Umoh

  31 Aug 2022
• 

  22 Best SEO Plugins for WordPress

  

  Jane Baker

  26 May 2022
• 

  8 Web Design Trends to Get Ready for in 2023

  

  Suzanne Scacca

  19 Dec 2022

Dive Into 2023 Website Planning With Confidence

By following the steps outlined in this article, you’ll be well on your way to setting and achieving website resolutions that you’ll actually keep in 2023. Whether you want to increase traffic, improve conversions, or simply make your website more user-friendly, setting specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals and creating a plan of action will help you stay focused and motivated.

So take some time to reflect on your website’s performance in the past year and set your sights on what you want to achieve in the year ahead. With a little planning and dedication -- and some resources from Envato Elements -- you can make meaningful improvements to your website this year.