Your website is your first opportunity to tell your story to the world.

So when you’re pivoting from an existing website that isn’t clear, designed the way you want, or bringing in leads, one thing is true: the process probably isn’t as straightforward as you hoped.

These days, almost anyone can put a website up pretty quickly–but building an effective site that connects and converts leads requires a degree of strategy and know-how.

And too often, you have to go to multiple sources to get everything you need.

The most important thing to consider is that the more in sync every step of the process, the more effective your website will convert leads. But if you have no background in website building, it’s tough to know where to start.

The most crucial things your website will need to succeed are:

1. A clear message.
2. Strategic copy that connects.
3. Unique, eye-catching design.
4. Speed and security.
5. A sales funnel that offers real value.
6. A project manager to bring your vision to life.

These are the 6 roles you need to hire to bring your StoryBrand website to life:

1. Hiring a StoryBrand Messaging Expert

The first step to building an online presence is identifying who you are and what you offer to the world. You need to be crystal clear on who your ideal customer profile is. Before you tackle writing website copy or getting your design together, you need a clear message that helps people understand what you do and how your product improves their lives in 10 seconds or less. This is especially true as you consider the words on your homepage, including your header, which is the handful of words people read when they land on your website.

The easiest way to get your audience to click away from your website is to confuse them.

Forbes breaks this down, offering this advice: “Have a short, clearly defined message and communicate it consistently.”

A StoryBrand Certified Guide will help create your brand message by focusing on why your business exists, what you value, and why your audience should care. Your brand message needs to distill this clearly, and straightforwardly, like a 30-second sales pitch.

A practical StoryBrand Certified Guide must also clearly understand the market and how your brand will be perceived in relation to other businesses in your industry.

2. Hiring a StoryBrand Informed Copywriter

Forbes also adds that for your website to be effective, you must “be authentic and empathetic to your audience.” That begs the question: who’s your audience? What are your customer’s problems? What do they value, fear, and desire? What do they need from you, and what obstacle does it help them overcome?

Your website copy needs to speak directly to the people you want to take a direct call to action on your site, which requires some strategic planning and a copywriter who knows how to connect.

To connect meaningfully and inspire clients to take action, your content should be built to lay out a straightforward customer journey, carrying them past their objections and leading them to take direct action. Anyone stopping by your website should immediately understand precisely how your product or service will make their lives better.

Great copywriting considers your audience and offer and wraps it into a clear, concise journey.  Plus, it would be best if you had an eye for SEO (Search Engine Optimization), meaning what potential customers search for on Google. While the homepage is the most important from a clear message perspective, you should not ignore the SEO keywords you’re ranking for on your current website. More specifically, you want to create a website sitemap that contains the new pages for your site as well as the 301 redirects you will need to maintain your SEO rankings on the new website.

Following a proven framework like StoryBrand positions you as a guide to take your ideal client where they want to be. It allows you to let them know you understand their problems and clearly show them how you will help solve them.

3. Hiring a StoryBrand Informed Designer

When you browse a website, what catches your eye?

A great website design should be aligned uniquely with your brand and an extension of how you want to tell your story and make your ideal clients feel.

While words are arguably the essential means of connecting with clients, website design matters as much.

According to research done by Stanford, 75% of consumers admit to making judgments on a company's credibility based on the company's web design.

While do-it-yourself templates offer a lower-cost option for those trying to get a website together quickly, they don’t typically offer the flexibility you need to create unique websites that flow with your copy. A designer will usually start by having you list some website designs that you love and then hone in on what makes them stand out.

If nothing comes to mind, browse some websites from other businesses in your field, and you’ll quickly find massive differences between websites with eye-catching designs and those that are basic, full of big blocks of text, and don’t lay out a friendly user experience.

4. Hiring a Web Developer

If someone asks, “Which content management system are you using?” you’ll probably respond with, “What’s a content management system?”

Don’t worry–you’re not alone!

That’s where a developer comes in. A developer will know how to ensure your website is fast and secure when it launches. That process included deciding on the right host, optimizing photos for speed, and using a lightweight CMS for development.

Most B2B SaaS business owners without website experience don’t know where to start. A Content Management System (CMS) is the software used to manage your website content.

If your website is glitchy, takes ages to load, or is overly complicated to navigate, readers will probably hop right back over to Google and find a faster, more attractive site that gets right to the point. A great developer will make sure that doesn’t happen.

Plus, it would be best if you were 100% sure that the website is secure so that anyone taking action on your site knows their privacy is being protected. You don’t want to leave yourself vulnerable to hacks that could end up causing unnecessary headaches for you and your clients.

Your relationship with your developer is ongoing because your content will require continued edits and updates, and your website needs to scale with your business. Think of your site as a car–it will need some servicing from time to time, and you want to ensure it’s in the right hands.

5. Hiring a Product Marketing and Sales Enablement Expert

Even with a clear brand message, compelling copy, and eye-catching design, not everyone will be ready to commit as soon as they land on your website for the first time.

And that’s okay!

One of the most critical components of your website that most people don’t consider is testimonials. Do you have video or test testimonials on your homepage that people can watch or read? Do the testimonials tell stories of transformation that your website visitor can also attain?

Outside of testimonials, it's essential to have a marketing plan (and sales plan!) that helps your team follow up with leads and sell your product with the new messaging you created in step 1. You may even want to make a sales funnel allowing them to download valuable content in exchange for their email address. Not only does the download serve as a frequent reminder that you’ve already helped them out, but you now have an in to keep in touch and nurture leads.

Think of it like this: most single people aren't ready to marry someone after a first date. Similarly, new website visitors aren't always prepared to click the call to action button on their first visit. Capturing an email address by providing something of value (also known as a lead generator: a webinar, a checklist, an informative PDF, etc.) is your way of "going on a date" with your audience before asking them to commit!

You can also provide them with ongoing content that further enforces how transformative your product or service can be for them. With a strategic funnel, automated emails will have you booking leads in your sleep–as long as you have the right tools to execute your campaigns effectively. The more content you create, the easier it will be to tell your story and connect with the communities that need you most. A sales and marketing expert can help you create sales funnels and execute ongoing, strategic campaigns aligned with your client’s needs.

Building content equals building trust. And nurturing trust with your clients is the most effective way to create mutually-beneficial and long-lasting relationships.

6. Hiring a Project Manager

With the right look, right words, and the right plan, you can finally increase sales and love running your business–but you need a partner to help you bring all of that to life. The PM is the glue that holds all of these pieces together, like the maestro ensuring that every part of the symphony comes together to produce a beautiful song.

A project manager will ensure that each component of your project, from your brand message to your copy, to your design, is running smoothly so you can launch a website you love on time.

How do you fill all of these essential roles?

You can either take them on yourself, hire 5-6 freelancers (and manage them yourself), or hire one company with all these roles in-house. Here are a few pros and cons that go along with each option.

Option 1: Hire 5-6 freelancers.

The Good: You might get a better price, but that's not always guaranteed with "one-off" projects.

The Bad: Quality can be hit or miss and require a considerable time investment. Plus, you’re taking on the additional task of managing a large team.

Option 2: Do it yourself.

The Good: It’ll save you some money.

The Bad: It requires a considerable time investment, and quality may suffer because you’ve never launched a website.

Option 3: Hire one company that specializes in all 6 roles (and has them in-house).

The Good: High-quality work (because this is all the company does), affordability (because the company does it for many customers at scale), and time savings (because the company does it all for you).

If you think Option 3 is your best bet, consider scheduling a call with us to chat about your next website project. We help you leverage the power of the StoryBrand framework to connect with your ideal clients, allowing you to communicate your value and inspire readers to take action on a beautiful website built to help you drive more website leads.

Ready to take the first steps to finally bringing your brand online? Schedule a call here.

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