SMART Goals
What Does SMART Mean?
“SMART” is an acronym. Every letter stands for an adjective that defines the characteristics that the goals would have. Basically, the five words are the criteria to follow to set the goals.
Here’s the explanation of each letter of the SMART framework:
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Specific: is targeted on an area of improvement;
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Measurable: has clear success metrics assigned to it;
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Achievable: can be broken down in realistic steps;
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Relevant: fits inside the general scope and strategy of the project;
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Time-bound: has a (realistic) deadline;
Setting up your SMART goals should work approximately like this:
Specific
What area are you trying to improve? What exactly will you do?
Example:
Generic goal: I want more leads
Specific goal: I will improve the conversion rate of the website
Measurable
How will you know you have achieved your goal? In what ways will you measure it?
Generic goal: I will increase the conversion rate of the website
Measurable goal: I will increase the conversion rate of the website by 25%. I will track goals in Google Analytics to make sure I reach the result.
Achievable
Take a look at all the past data you have. Taking trends, patterns, and needs into account, what result is most likely to be achieved? Do you have the resources and capabilities? Can you break the goal down into steps?
Achievable goal: I will increase the conversion rate of the website by 25%, by optimizing the CTAs, changing the button size, and moving the content above-the-fold. I will track goals in Google Analytics to make sure I reach the result.
Relevant
How does the goal fit into the strategy? Is it meaningful? Will it help or jeopardize other goals?
Time-bound
How much time will you allow for reaching this goal? Can you define a reasonable deadline in the calendar?
Time-bound goal: I will increase the conversion rate of the website by 25% in Q2, by optimizing the CTAs, changing the size of the buttons, and moving the content above-the-fold. I will track goals in Google Analytics to make sure I reach the result.