Here’s what you need to know first!
“We definitely need a marketing strategy, but we’re just doing our website, so I’ll be back in touch once that’s done.” Those dreaded words are all too familiar and unfortunately I’ve heard them more than once.
When it comes to marketing, the top of the list for many business owners is often their website. It’s understandable; it’s the storefront that showcases what you offer and is an exciting milestone for any business. But if you’re jumping straight into web design without a solid marketing strategy, it may not perform to its potential.
Your website is not just a digital brochure or a nice-to-have. It should be a key part of your marketing engine, one that should be working hard to attract visitors, engage them, and convert them into enquiries, leads or customers.
To do that effectively, your website needs to be built with purpose and aligned with your overall marketing strategy.
How a marketing strategy shapes your website build
A marketing strategy is the blueprint for your website, it ensures every decision is driven by purpose rather than guesswork. By starting with a clear strategy, you can align your website with your business goals and create something that not only looks great but also performs. It should cover:
- Goals & objectives
- Competitor & industry research
- Target audience & buying personas
- Positioning & messaging
- Mission, vision & values
- Customer journey map
- Marketing activity plan
- SEO/keyword research
- Tracking & analysis
When you approach your website with a marketing strategy, it’s not just a standalone project, it becomes an integral part of your broader marketing efforts. The result is a well-performing website that’s designed to attract, engage, and convert.
Here are some aspects to consider for your website and how a marketing strategy can inform these decisions.
Avoid style over substance
User experience (UX) is one of the most crucial aspects of web design and development. It’s easy to get caught up in exciting visuals. But what really matters are the foundational elements, the structure, functionality, and how your visitors interact with your site.
It should look good to create a positive impression, but if it’s frustrating to navigate or confusing to use, people won’t stick around.
Set aside some time to research your audience, competitors, and, most importantly, put yourself in the shoes of your prospects and customers and what they are looking for. This should all link back to your strategy, then you’ll have a clear idea of how your website should work.
Get clear on your targeting
A marketing strategy then helps you design a website that speaks directly to their needs, pain points, and preferences.
By understanding your audience, their needs, and the customer journey, you can create content that resonates and calls-to-action (CTAs) that work. It also helps to ensure you’re structuring the site in a way that makes sense to your audience:
- Creates content that they care about.
- Speaks to your ideal customers’ pain points.
- Highlights how your products or services help them.
- Guides visitors to seamlessly act (e.g., book a call, request a quote, download a resource).
Set clear goals
Without clear goals, there’s no way to tell if your website is performing effectively. Consider what’s the purpose of your website. More sales? Increased lead generation? Positioning yourself as a trusted expert in your industry?
A marketing strategy sets measurable goals for your website and helps you track whether it’s delivering a return on investment (ROI). Typically, these would things like:
- Are visitors filling out your contact form?
- Are they downloading your lead magnets?
- Are you getting enquiries from your target audience?
Make your site visible
Search engine optimisation (SEO) isn’t something you slap on at the end as an afterthought. It’s one of the foundational elements to consider right from the start. Without this, you risk launching a site that looks great but doesn’t show up on Google when it matters.
Thorough SEO research will help to define the keywords and topics you want to rank for and those terms your potential customers are actively searching for. This informs:
- The structure of your site (aiding clear navigation).
- The pages you include (like landing pages for specific services).
- The content you create (blog posts, case studies, FAQs).
Focus on brand consistency
Your website is just one piece of your marketing puzzle. It needs to work in harmony with everything else: your social media, email campaigns, paid ads, and offline marketing.
A cohesive marketing strategy ensures your messaging, tone of voice, and visuals are consistent across all marketing channels. That way, no matter where someone finds your business, they get the same clear and positive impression.
Avoid costly redesigns
Skipping the strategy phase can cost you in the long run. A website built without clear goals and direction often needs reworking within a year or two to fix mistakes or align with your growing business.
Getting it right the first time by starting with a marketing strategy saves time, money, and headaches. There’s no reason why a well-thought-out website can’t last you 5+ years, providing it’s structured in a way to grow and evolve with your business.
Remember, the website is just the start
Putting your website live and hoping for the best, won’t work. You need a well-planned launch plan and a regular schedule of ongoing activity to promote and drive traffic to it.
You can have the best website in the world, but if no one knows it exists then it’s pointless. All your marketing activities must work together to get the best results. It needs to be regularly updated, keeping content fresh and relevant, and keeping your blog section updated with relevant news and insights.
Use the data that’s available to make informed decisions, regularly monitor your analytics to pick up trends and patterns and make changes accordingly to optimise site performance. Free tools such as GA4 can be added to the site, and you can schedule regular reports.
Build strong foundations
A marketing specialist doesn’t just help you build a website; they help you lay the right foundations to ensure it works as a powerful tool for your business. Without a solid marketing strategy, it’s all too easy to end up with a website that looks the part but doesn’t deliver results. A strategy ensures that every decision, structure, content, navigation, and SEO, all ties back to your business goals and the needs of your audience.
Think of it like building a house: if you don’t take the time to plan and lay strong foundations, the whole thing risks falling apart. A marketing specialist ensures that your website has a clear purpose, speaks directly to your target audience, and is built to perform. They’ll identify what your audience needs to see and do, map out the customer journey, and ensure every page works to move visitors toward the actions you want them to take.
This strategic groundwork also future proofs your website, so it can adapt as your business grows or your audience changes. By starting with a marketing strategy, you’re not just creating a website, you’re investing in a long-term asset that works hard for your business every day, helping to generate leads, build credibility, and drive growth.
Want more from your website?
If you’re embarking on a new website or your current website isn’t hitting the mark, maybe the design doesn’t feel right, or it’s not bringing in the leads you need, book a call and let’s talk.
