Why your lack of website strategy is keeping you from book wedding clients
Digital marketers know that web design isn't just about aesthetics; pretty doesn’t convert! If you’re currently starting or in the process of upleveling your digital marketing agency you are going to need more than just a shiny website to bring in your best clients— what you need is strategy. Starting with strategy is what will get your agency in front of the right and ready eyes of your dream clients.
Whether you’re an agency startup or a digital marketer handling your client’s site, here’s how to build a high-converting website strategy.
In this article, you’ll learn:
What is a website strategy?
The difference between website design and strategy
The key element of a website strategy
My personal strategy that’s helped me launch my business
What is a website strategy?
There’s a lot of noise out there about…well, cutting through the noise. It’s our job as digital marketers—in whatever niche we may be in—to mold strategy from the static.
It’s likely you’re a social media marketer / a photography or videography studio / or a maybe copywriter solo-preneur who wouldn’t want annnnything to do with handling a website if given the choice. You just want an effective method of bringing in clients… and a website is the necessary evil to doing it.
So you get a website— which can actually be really fun at first. At first. I think we all quickly find that colors and fonts choices are the preferable task to SEO. (What even is SEO and what are you supposed to say on a website anyways?!)
Here’s the thing—web design alone is not how you bring in clients; a website strategy is what drives conversion. Alas, the perfect font pairing just isn’t going to make your ideal client want to work with you, I hate to say (take it from someone who has spent a lotttttt of time sorting through brand fonts… only to come back to Helvetica more times than not).
The difference between website design and website strategy
Website design: Your brand colors, fonts, and imagery that are personal and unique to your company. These are the visual and emotional assets to your brand that encompass the big-picture vision for your business— key word being: your. Your site design is how you present and represent your brand; it’s more about showing who you are than it is about the client.
Website strategy: The purpose of your website strategy is to speak directly to your best potential clients and to display your value offerings. Your goal: within the first 3 minutes, they’re absolutely convinced that they want to work with you.
People are smart. Your audience is smart. So if all you have are pretty things on your website, design trends shift, the smoke and mirrors fade, and you’re left with a figurehead website that you spend more time tinkering with than serving the very clients it’s supposed to be bringing in.
Both website design and website strategy are equally important because you never want to lose sight of your professional style and identity just for the sake of getting clients. In likeness, being so focused on your own unique brand that you aren’t effective in communicating the value you provide for your potential clients
Who needs a website strategy?
Entrepreneurs want their websites to be working for them, not the other way around. So if your clients are fellow entrepreneurs, knowing how to put together a powerhouse web strategy and nailing it for your own brand can truly open the door for a high-value (& immensely time-saving) service that you can provide to your clients.
I know, I know you may not be a web designer and the thought of putting together your own site strategy let alone your client’s website strategy might be totally daunting. But I’m going to show you how figure-out-able it really is.
This means learning how to put design/content/trends on the back burner and first and foremost focusing on what converts.
Best place to put this into practice? Your own site.
I’m going to outline the very key pillars to a successful website strategy that helps me transform my client’s sites into killer online brands. We’ll cover:
Site elements and structure
SEO
Copy
Lead captures
Start with a feeling
Every successful web design strategy begins with a feeling. When your client's audience lands on their Squarespace site, how do they want them to feel? Inspired? Engaged? Motivated to take immediate marketing actions? Uncover these emotions in your initial client interactions, then design the website to evoke those precise feelings that drive marketing success.
Research consistently shows that conversion in the digital marketing realm is often driven by emotion. Your design should tap into these emotional motivators to create a truly engaging user experience that aligns seamlessly with marketing objectives.
Critical Elements of Web Design Strategy for Marketing Agencies
Once you've captured that crucial emotion, our web design strategy at Lex Studio Co kicks off with a personalized branding session. This hour-long virtual call delves into the agency's marketing structure, target audience, offered services, goals, and vision for both their business and website.
The pivotal question arises: "How do you want your clients' customers to feel, and what specific marketing actions do you want them to take?" This goes beyond emotion, prompting agencies to consider the specific actions they want their website visitors to take, such as engaging with services, signing up for newsletters, or requesting consultations.
During the strategy call, we explore essential questions tailored for digital marketing agencies:
What specialized services do you offer?
How do you present your portfolio and case studies effectively?
Do you want pricing displayed on the website, or is it better suited for personalized discussions?
How do client testimonials play a role in your marketing strategy?
These insights guide us in crafting a layout aligned with the primary marketing action goal, whether it's engaging potential clients, showcasing expertise, or driving conversions.
In Conclusion
Remember, at Lex Studio Co, strategy precedes design, questions precede aesthetics, and conversions precede creativity. Elevate your Squarespace game by infusing strategic thinking into every design, specifically tailored for the dynamic world of digital marketing agencies.
Ready to transform your website into a strategic masterpiece? Let's collaborate at Lex Studio Co, where creativity meets conversion for digital marketing agencies.
