Why Your New Website Needs to Work Harder

Why Your New Website Needs to Work Harder

26 Oct 2021

We get it – a new website is what you need.
Your current one is outdated. A bit tired. And it doesn’t work.
The last web designers promised the earth, but now the shine’s worn off, you’re in a world of disappointment.
You suspect that you’re closing sales despite your website, not because of it.

So, you need a new website. From… another web agency? Beware – the curse of the new website starts there.
If you only change your website, only your website will change.
You’ll get yet another visual update. A facelift that doesn’t touch fundamental growth. A website’s just the tip of a business iceberg. Making waves means flipping that iceberg.
You need to shake the foundations.

That’s why at Hunt & Hawk, we’ve pioneered a new chemistry of sales, marketing, and tech.
It re-conceives the website as a conversion tool. It’s anchored with branding and messaging. It attracts customers with content and tracks them with tech.

We’ve spent more than 20 years turning wasted websites into website weapons.
Here’s what we’ve learned about lifting the curse of the new website.

Website page displaying the words 'Be creative' against a backdrop of plants.
There needs to be substance behind a shiny new website. Credit: Angelo Pantazis on Unsplash.

Find Your Voice, Then Use It

Customers don’t listen if they don’t like you.
And they can’t like you if you sound like everyone else – no matter how pretty your new website might be.
Website weapons start with a war of words, and that means finding your brand voice.

It’s easy if you know what you’re doing – and if you have the right help.
That’s why our Head of Content is a senior brand copywriter who listens to your leadership group and then creates your brand voice, brand concepts, and brand story.
Basically, join the big leagues – brands that have figured out how to talk like people – not like a high school business essay.

McDonald’s has ‘I’m lovin it!. Nike has ‘Just do it. We’ll craft your own big ideas into copy that sets you up for impact – not invisibility.
And your website?

The brand copy hits your audience hard and leaves an impression.
Instead of ‘What we do’ and generic service info, it might be, say, ‘We smash doubts’.
Instead of ‘Who we are’ and some waffle, it might be, say, ‘Forty years of fabulous’.

Whatever the big impact copy, it’ll be unique to your brand, because it’ll be written in your brand voice – not the underwhelming, generic tone that’s been losing you eyeballs.
The takeaway? Too many web agencies slap together pretty websites and leave you to fill in the content. But killer brand copy is the first step to crushing the curse of the new website.

The words Just Do It appearing on a black and white graphic.
Create your own ‘Just do it’ message. Credit: Peter Aroner on Unsplash.

Messages Matter – Make Them Count

Does your website seem to bury the very things that make your business awesome?
That’s the curse – and the cure is your content roadmap. It all starts with messaging.
During deep brand briefings, we distil the messages behind your value proposition.

As copywriters, we use them to write you a brand story that’s a million miles from the usual brand history. It’s like a manifesto.
It targets everything your audience cares about and inspires action with tight messaging about how you solve problems for your customers – and why they should trust you.
On your website, it shows up everywhere. And that’s just the start.

As marketers, we then pull out your messages. Unique angles on your business features and benefits that uniquely light up your audience’s radar.
We pull them together into a content roadmap and set you up for the year ahead. It’s the game plan that leverages your new brand assets and feeds your new website.

The content roadmap keeps all your communications strategic. It ends the ‘content for content’s sake’ dilemma and kneecaps most marketing spend.
It takes your brand voice and puts it out in the world for a strong, compelling conversation that doesn’t just reach new prospects – it makes them sit up and take notice.

Laptop resting on bench displaying a website homepage.
Is your website clearly demonstrating how it solves your audience’s problems? Credit: Ben Kolde on Unsplash.

Website Activity Gets Audience, So Get Visible

Your new website needs traffic – otherwise what’s the point?
So, you dutifully crank out emails and social posts. “Hey! Come and visit us!”
Do people read this content? Not if you’re writing it. Harsh? Maybe. But probably fair. And it’s all part of the curse.

You’re great at what you do, but you’re not even good at writing content for articles, lead magnets, socials, email marketing, and ads.
It slows you down, haunts your inbox, and, at best, you solve it with a junior marketer who barely does better. Or you turn to a social media agency that seems clueless about your voice and real value propositions.
Stop.

We take your voice and ideas, mix in your messaging, and publish monthly waves of content across all your channels that have you walking 10 feet tall in the eyes of the world – requiring just a fraction of your time each month.
We interview you and your key people to get your best insights into thought leadership articles. You’ll be the visible experts with mastery of your field.

We interview clients and write readable success stories that profile your people and selling points. You’ll be the storytellers with rockstar customers.
We promote it all using a downloadable lead magnet, social media posts across channels, emails targeted to your list, landing page copy, and video content.
It all feeds your website as a foundation for growth, not an expensive facelift.

Laptop displaying a fashion website homepage.
Crafting quality copy is an art form. Credit: Le Buzz Studio on Unsplash.

Track the Traction – Use Tech for ROI

The content that feeds your website is best tracked by tech.
Many touchpoints across so many channels is great. But you need tracking for insight into which ones work best.
We’ve written elsewhere about HubSpot – and being on its advisory board shows we prefer it – as not every marketing tech platform can track how your content and website are performing. But accurately and efficiently tracking ROI is crucial.

There’s a value against every interaction – a blog post or social media strategy will impact sales and drive revenue – but how do you know which worked best, and how do you assign real financial value to these efforts?
With the right tech.
From lead scoring to marketing attribution, deal velocity to conversion optimisation; from bounce rates and open rates to tracking pixels and pipelines, tech helps lift the curse of the new website – and then banishes it forever.

HubSpot homepage displayed on a computer monitor.
We’re unashamed advocates of HubSpot because it genuinely demonstrates ROI among so much else.

Lift the Curse, Love the New Website

Don’t get the new website that agencies think you’ll pay for. Get the website your business deserves.
Hunt & Hawk’s integrated marketing approach is backed by the serious content talent and tools that gear you up for growth – not fatten you up for another facelift.

Your new website should be driving your growth – not demanding a rebuild in your next budget cycle.
Get in touch with us today. We’ll get you started on a website that actually works.
Contact us at hello@huntandhawk.com or book a meeting to chat.

For more marketing, branding, and sales tips and insights and plenty else, check out more of our blog.

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