What Comes First? Brand or Website? Branding Before Website Always and Forever

One of the most common ways businesses waste money and time is by purchasing a website without an understanding what to say on your website.

Sadly, we see this time and time again.

Everyone needs a website. A website is a thing you can buy. It seems like a good first step.?

It is not.?

The first step is to understand your brand, develop your brand strategy and message, positioning and differentiation – and then website copy BEFORE purchase or update your website.

(Good web developers will bend over and kiss your feet if you understand this.)

If brand and marketing had an order of operations, this would be it:?

brand message and strategy first

website second

social/email/marketing third

Period.

Many of our amazing clients realize they’ve screwed up the order of operations after they already signed a contract for a website.?

Most website developers are aware of this common error, and so they try to work through/around this by expecting clients to provide website copy.?

This creates the time-wasting recurring crisis of “What do I say?” which leads many business owners and leaders to acknowledge brand work should have come first.?

(FYI: generally website developers are not website copy writers. Different skill set)?

Final thoughts: If you are purchasing a website, please do not assume your developer will be providing web copy for you. Also do not assume they will provide a robust, differentiated brand strategy. Also, do not expect you will be able to distill your brand into language easily. This is an extremely difficult task, akin to cutting one’s own hair or acting as one’s own therapist. Instead, ask your web developer about their process for web copy. However you go about getting a website up, you will need a clear idea of your brand strategy and message before you begin the process.