Purpose Amnesia: Why Web Projects Lose Focus (Plus a Free Template to Stay Aligned)
We’ve all had those moments: you walk into a room, and then ask, “why did I come in here?”.
Sometimes the answer comes quickly. Other times, it nags at your mind for the rest of the day.
At home, the consequences usually aren’t too dire. But nobody wants this to happen at work, right?
And yet it’s surprisingly common to get a similar feeling right after launching a new website, or even in the middle of a redesign or migration project.
The team starts with enthusiasm, confidence, and usually a documented set of objectives.
But somewhere along the way, amid technical decisions, design debates, and content consolidation, the original purpose gets fuzzy.
People forget the forest for the trees, and often it’s not until six months after launch that stakeholders find themselves asking the uncomfortable question: "We spent all that money and time... but what did we really gain?”
How does this happen? Especially if objectives were documented up front??
I contend that the main reason is a lack of strategic context when defining project objectives. In other words, everyone’s thinking about WHAT they want, but not WHY it’s necessary.
They’ve forgotten to align their project objectives with their organization’s ultimate purpose.
The High Cost of Misalignment
We've seen too many teams invest significant budget, time, and effort, only to launch a website that fails to move the needle on their true priorities.
The consequences of this misalignment are serious:
Wasting resources on features that don't support your core mission
Dropping purpose-driven features from the scope due to timeline, budget or stakeholder pressure
Overlooking innovative ideas from team members who understand the broader mission
Internal frustration when the new website doesn't solve long-standing organizational challenges
Difficulty measuring success beyond basic traffic metrics
A digital presence that feels disconnected from your brand identity
Owch! 😬
But…
The Strategic Advantage of Clarity
Organizations that explicitly connect their website goals to their broader mission experience powerful advantages:
Decision-making is simplified: “Does this feature advance our core goals? If not, why are we building it?”
Teams unite around clear success criteria and maintain mutual accountability
Technical partners can make informed recommendations that serve your actual needs
Post-launch measurement focuses on meaningful outcomes rather than vanity metrics
The finished website authentically communicates who you are and what you do
These benefits don’t happen by accident. You’ve got to start with a clear picture of what you’re doing and why.
Template: Purpose Alignment Brief
We've created a simple template, called the Purpose Alignment Brief, to help you define your “why” and keep it front and center throughout your project.
As you fill this template, you’ll start with the broad perspective of your organization's mission, work your way down to specific website features and metrics, and come full circle by tying those details back to the larger strategy.
We recommend:
Completing this template with key stakeholders as early as possible in your project planning efforts
Sharing it with all parties involved, so everyone can rally around the same driving factors
Include regular checkpoints in your project timeline to review if goals are being met or need adjustment
Remember: Your digital presence should embody your values and accelerate your impact, not just showcase your information.
The Purpose Alignment Brief serves as your anchor throughout the project, continually bringing conversations back to what matters most: your organization's reason for being, and how this investment will strengthen it.
Get your copy of the Kairos Purpose Alignment Brief Template here:
