The purpose of the web site needs to be clearly identified.
Define the purpose, the mission, and the goals of the site, then the site can be designed and developed with the intended function(s).

A site can have one or several purposes:
to showcase an organization,
provide product/service information,
offer consumer support information,
give detailed information of organization,
provide a good presentation of the organization,
provide quick and efficient access to the organization,
provide office location maps and details,
public relations,
give event schedules,
receive consumer/user input,
take and process orders, requests and other user information,
provide public interest information,
conduct user polls and surveys,
offer an on-line catalog,
and any number of other functions.

In fact, a web site will serve any purpose that is served by the media of print, radio and television. Furthermore, an interactive site can serve as an automated sales and support office. Any purpose that involves consumers and the general public can be served by a web site. The real limit to the uses of a web site are not the technical design and development issues, but the imagination.

Whether the purpose is to reach local consumers or the entire world, a properly designed web site will serve any organization well. By determining the purpose, the content and layout of the site can be properly developed. If needed, additions and changes to the site can be done to incorporated additional purposes. However, the initial content and layout needs an initial purpose(s), with intended missions and goals, to be properly developed.