Aligning your website with your CMO's strategic objectives

Boost brand awareness and conversions through ongoing digital optimisation

Your CMO’s strategic objectives should guide the direction you take your marketing and website in. Naturally, the wider strategy and goals will be influenced by consumer behaviour.

Shoppers now have more choice than ever, and advances in technology means they have higher expectations of their shopping experiences. Provide a cohesive, convenient and personalised experience across all channels and you’re more likely to make a stronger impression.

Achieving this level of alignment across all your brand’s digital touchpoints can be challenging. Marketing teams running campaigns to grow brand visibility or drive sales – and Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) with strategic oversight – must consider the role that their brand’s website plays in the consumer journey. Your website can be:

• A trusted source of information or inspiration for customers in the research and browsing stages
• A transactional platform accessed at the customer’s convenience
• A valuable resource for gathering user data to inform your commercial strategy

As the demands on marketing teams evolve and broaden in scope, those in marketing roles must adapt to changing needs and objectives. Recent Digital Marketing Institute research found that 58% of senior marketers have shifted their marketing budgets from traditional to digital channels.

For CMOs hoping to leverage their brand’s website to deliver on key marketing objectives, it’s essential to have an understanding of the following areas:

Optimising websites through data-driven improvements to design and functionality

Your website is a powerful tool that can be harnessed to build a positive brand image. Visually appealing, responsive site design and seamless functionalities go a long way towards a positive first impression.

On the other hand, a website that takes too long to load, crashes unexpectedly or contains out-of date information can be a deal-breaker. Even a one-second delay can negatively affect a user’s perception of your brand.

It’s crucial that CMOs dedicate resources towards ongoing website performance optimisation. Your website should be maintained and audited regularly to avoid technical issues. Your content should also be updated and reviewed so visitors have all the information they need to decide if they want to shop with you. 

Data is so valuable here. Your website contains key analytics that can be leveraged to meet your marketing objectives. Data guides you to improve the customer journey and user experience (UX). For example, strategic use of design elements can help contribute to higher conversions and customer retention. This could look like: 

• Intuitive navigation so users can find what they need quickly
• Clear calls to action (CTAs) for lead generation such as banners or pop-ups
• Trust badges to build credibility

Effective marketing teams understand the importance of data-driven decision-making. Through data gathering and analysis, you can:

• Segment your customer base into key demographics
• Target your digital ad spend more effectively
• Measure the success of marketing campaigns 
• Identify purchase barriers or points of frustration
• Improve conversion rates to increase profitability

Read our guide on using GA4 to expose (and fix) your major eCommerce weaknesses.

The role of content strategy in reaching your CMO’s strategic objectives

Your website should contain relevant and engaging content that not only attracts visitors but also aligns with your brand’s overall marketing messaging and objectives. It should offer value to visitors regardless of whether or not they make a purchase.

Good content should:

1. Provide answers to common questions
2. Contain accurate product images and relevant specifications
3. Establish an authoritative, trusted brand voice
4. Position your brand as the solution to a problem they face

To achieve this, CMOs should work closely with senior content marketers and product marketers to ensure that all digital content is aligned with key marketing objectives. At the same time, CMOs can use data gathered by web teams to guide content strategy.

Studying website traffic, high-performing content and referrals will reveal what types of content resonate most with your audience, and what websites or platforms they spend the most time on.

This information can help identify content areas most likely to generate leads and conversions, and what user demographics will respond most positively to your brand.

Utilising digital marketing channels that align with your CMO’s strategic objectives

Once your website and content are optimised to reach their full potential, you can focus on extending your marketing reach and driving more traffic to your new and improved website. 

Historically, CMOs of leading brands focused on creating campaigns and promotional content that appealed to mass audiences. This content was then amplified by mass media – newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, and ad agencies all fall under this category. 

The internet has significantly disrupted this model. eCommerce has relatively low startup costs and no immediate need to invest in physical premises, making it an appealing commercial opportunity.

The rise of search engines and social media makes it easier for customers to access and compare multiple brands, and share their experiences with users outside their immediate social circle or geographical location. 

With more competitors entering the market and increased scrutiny on brands, marketers must shift their focus from achieving short-term gains through mass marketing to building long-term relationships with customers through carefully targeted, personalised messaging.

Leveraging opportunities

Digital and traditional marketing both have their place in this new media landscape. However, CMOs developing marketing strategies must strike the right balance between mass appeal and personalisation.

Marketing through legacy media may have a wider reach, but digital marketing allows for greater customisation of messaging and targeting of key demographics. Your content may not reach as many users, but it is much more likely to reach the right ones.

Digital channels that can be leveraged to enhance your online presence include:

• Search engine optimisation (SEO)
• Social media marketing
• Email campaigns
• Online advertising

When developing digital marketing strategies, the key to building long-term customer relationships is listening to you customers. Adapt your approach to better meet their needs.

CMOs can lean into the two-way dialogue between customers and brands. Engage in these conversations and you will be able to foster stronger relationships, nurturing brand loyalty.

Aligning your website with your CMO’s strategic objectives is an ongoing process. As the marketing landscape evolves, we anticipate further shifts towards digital channels. Therefore, it’s even more important to keep your website aligned with your key marketing objectives.

Optimising your brand’s presence across digital channels should be a priority. Good conversion optimisation will make your marketing budget go further. Not only will it drive more traffic to your website, it will also result in more conversions and higher retention.

Take an integrated, omnichannel approach towards marketing that treats customers as individuals and responds to their changing needs. Prioritise:

1. Data-driven optimisation of key digital touchpoints
2. Content strategy that offers value to website users
3. Personalised, targeted messaging across multiple digital marketing channels

Atomic Smash is a WordPress agency and Shopify agency that has helped eCommerce businesses of all sizes optimise their websites to better align with their objectives. We understand the value of long-term collaboration, data-driven decision making and ongoing, incremental improvements to websites. These principles are at the core of how we work.