Before investing in a new website, develop a solid marketing strategy for your business that ensures your website becomes a tool for growth- not just a digital placeholder.
I send a regular email newsletter to my followers, discussing a range of topics around marketing, websites, and marketing strategies. After my latest newsletter, a friend got in touch to ask about rebuilding his business’s website. He wanted a new and improved website to help his business grow, but throughout our conversation, it became clear that the higher priority for him, given they are still bootstrapping their business, was that what they needed was a system put in place to monitor and measure their current marketing efforts’ performance. They needed a system to identify what their current activity is delivering, where they are seeing success, and where they should focus their limited marketing budget to achieve the greatest return on investment.
To give some additional context to the story, this business is about 5 years old, they have seen double-digit revenue growth year-over-year, and he and his business partner are the sole employees delivering a home maintenance service. They have grown the business through word of mouth, door-to-door sales and doorknob hangers, and some Google Adwords buys. They built their website themselves, and have succeeded so far with grit and hustle. Their goal is to build the business into the number one business for their service in their market, and then franchise into new communities.
Why your marketing strategy should come before a new website design
He asked what would be helpful to have prepared and ready at hand before we sat down to discuss things further. Here’s what I suggested he have organized:
Inquiries received: Daily, weekly, monthly.
Tools in use: Lead tracking, marketing, scheduling, etc.
Job profitability: Average job vs ideal job.
Generally speaking, I want to know how and what impact investing in a new website/ marketing will have on a potential client’s business goals, and more importantly, their personal lives as entrepreneurs, before we engage in a new project.
Here’s what I aimed to uncover:
The volume of sales inquiries they are currently getting from all sources,
How much traffic is their website currently getting, and how are people getting there?
What is the business problem they’ve identified, that they hoped a new website would fix?
Understand your marketing metrics before you build your new website
Often, entrepreneurs invest in a new website, thinking the “shiny new thing” will help to attract more customers. But, in reality, what is needed is a better understanding of the buyer pathway into your business, and how your website fits into your marketing matrix. Knowing your numbers will reveal the true value of each new customer, helping you determine how much to invest in customer acquisition and forecast your return. For instance, if investing $15,000 into a new website will help you land $50,000 in new business, then I don’t know a single business owner who wouldn’t make that investment. Similarly, if you don’t know your numbers, it’s not hard to end up in a situation where you’re spending $150/month in advertising, which is only bringing you $100 in new business… not a position you want to find yourself in.
Digital marketing isn’t always the solution
Depending on your business, and the product/service you deliver, perhaps digital marketing isn’t even the lowest-hanging fruit for you to chase. For many businesses, grassroots activities – like doorknocking, attending industry events, and networking- outperform social media marketing or digital advertising. Building relationships with your target audience will always yield better results than attempts at gaining attention amongst broad audiences.
When a Landing Page is better than a full Redesign
If you’re in the process of considering redoing your website, take the time to think about your overall marketing strategy, and how your website fits into it. Perhaps, rather than investing in a complete rebuild of your entire website, what you actually need is a conversion-focused landing page. A landing page is laser-focused on converting traffic into leads, with a single message, and clear call-to-action. In contrast, a website homepage introduces your brand/business but may not always direct traffic toward a specific action.
With website traffic analysis, using tools like Google Analytics, Tag Manager, and Search Console, you can start to then build a picture of how traffic moves about your website. You can also start to identify what actions people take on each page and adjust the page’s content to steer them in the right direction for the action you want them to take.
Examples:
Website homepage- introduces your brand, showcases services, and provides general information. A digital billboard.
Landing page- focused on one goal, with a clear CTA (eg. “Get a free website audit”, or “Book a Consultation”)
See how one is instantly focused on converting traffic, while the other is more of a billboard?
Conclusion
Your website isn’t just a digital presence – it’s a tool for measurable business growth. By aligning your marketing strategy with your website, you’ll ensure every dollar you invest works toward your goals. Start tracking your metrics, understanding your customer journey, and identifying where your leads fall off in your sales funnel. With that clarity, you can confidently decide whether a new website or a simple high-impact landing page is the best investment.
Ready to turn your website into a growth engine for your business? Book a free consultation today and turn your website into a growth engine.n