Target audience: How to find yours [+ real-life examples]

Have you ever seen an online ad campaign that has absolutely nothing to do with you? I just saw one on Facebook — it was a brand I've never heard of promoting a product I’d never buy. I'm not the brand’s target audience, and that brand is missing out by not understanding who to market their product towards.

No company can market to everyone — so who are you selling to? That's the question that your target audience answers.

Good targeting speaks directly to a specific group, making viewers feel connected with the brand. Understanding target audiences is key to any successful marketing strategy.

Every product and service has a target audience, no matter how niche. In this article, I'll walk you through how to perform a target audience analysis for your brand.

Table of Contents

• What is a target audience?
• Target Market vs Target Audience
• Types of Target Audiences
• How to Find Your Target Audience
• Target Audience Examples

What is a target audience?

“Target audience” refers to a group of consumers characterized by shared qualities like demographic data, behaviors, interests, etc. Most companies and products will have multiple target audiences representing diverse products and user groups.

Brands identify their target consumers by articulating audience features to create a clear picture of who the potential customer is. This image clarifies brand messaging, focuses marketing efforts, and even guides what products to develop next.

For example, a wine company can't sell to both high-end wine aficionados and novice wine drinkers. Through target audience research, they could identify their target wine drinkers as those ages 24 to 30 who have an interest in wine but limited budgets. Knowing their audience, they can focus on appealing to those buyers instead of trying to appeal to everyone.

Is it the same as a buyer persona? No — your target audience represents your entire potential consumer group. Your buyer persona is a fictional representation of one target audience member.

Target Market vs Target Audience

Both target market and target audience are ways of grouping customers for segmentation. However, “target market” refers to the broader group of potential customers. The target audience sits within the target market and is a more specific segment.

Let's use an example of the IKEA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:

• Target market: People in western Pennsylvania.

• Target audience: People in western Pennsylvania who want to buy budget-friendly furniture.

• One potential target segment: Expectant parents in western Pennsylvania who need budget-friendly nursery furniture.

After identifying a target segment, you then create buyer personas that represent the detailed emotions and needs of each customer segment.

Are the terms making more sense? Don't worry, this isn’t a test and you won't fail — as long as you focus on understanding the people who buy your product.

Types of Target Audiences

The world doesn't need more generic marketing campaigns. Personalization is key, and it’s something that modern consumers expect. A Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey found that more than 80% of respondents reported wanting and expecting personalized experiences.

This is achieved by focusing on your brand's different target audience types. Here they are at a glance:

1. Demographics: Who your customer is
2. Customer journey stage: How well they know your brand
3. Interests: How customers spend their time
4. Subcultures: Relevant customer identities
5. Values: What matters most to your buyers

Let's look at what makes these special, plus pull real-life examples to learn from.

Demographics

Demographic segmentation divides a market into smaller categories based on variable characteristics such as age, race, gender, marital status, income, education, and nationality.

Each demographic factor influences consumer behavior and product preferences. For example:

• Gender: Consumers often make fashion, beauty, and health purchases that align with their gender identity. Marketing strategies often differ when targeting men, women, or non-binary shoppers.
• Income: Economic status influences buying power, impacting what products or services consumers can afford.
• Age: Product preferences can vary significantly between different age groups, as do advertising media and ad campaigns.

For example, AARP's business strategy is built on age segmentation: the brand targets individuals who are at retirement age or pre-retirement age. This is clearly reflected in marketing materials like this Facebook post about “elderspeak.”

Demographic data is acquired through censuses, market surveys, and analytical tools.

Customer Journey Stages

The term “customer journey” refers to the different touchpoints that a customer has with a brand. Common stages include product awareness, consideration, purchase, and retention.

When targeting different points of the customer journey, your marketing should address questions like:

• Awareness: What is this product?
• Consideration: Why should I buy?
• Purchase: Is this product right for me?
• Retention: Why should I buy again?

This type of targeting is effective because it delivers the exact messaging people need, given their familiarity with the product.

Let's look at electrolyte company Liquid IV as an example and see how they create content targeting the different stages of the customer journey:

• What is Liquid IV? Awareness content educates prospective buyers on the product pain points and introduces the product as a solution.
• Why should someone buy it? Consideration content helps users understand product benefits.
• What's the best product for me right now? Purchase content shares product details and social proof.
• Why should I buy it again? Retention content encourages repeat purchases by sharing additional product uses.

Source

Interests

Interests represent the hobbies and activities that customers enjoy. Understanding customer interests helps you unearth buyer motivation and behaviors and connect with your audience in a relatable way.

One product can have different target groups based on customer interests. Let's use a bicycle as an example. Cyclist A might be interested in racing bikes. This customer wants to burn calories after work by cycling long distances. Cyclist B could enjoy a relaxing bike commute to work.

Understanding customer interests as they pertain to your product is crucial in reaching the right buyers.

Priority Bicycles caters to the interests of Cyclist B. That's clear through the company slogan: “bicycles for everyday riders.” This clear stance makes it very easy for cyclists to self-select if this company is right for their interests.

Source

Subcultures

Subcultures represent interests, lifestyles, or identities that some of your customers share. They're similar to customer interests, but a subculture is directly tied to identity.

People define themselves by their subcultures, and each group has distinctive interests and needs. For example, not all parents are the same. Parents of adult children belong to a different subculture from parents of toddlers.

Understanding the subcultures within your target market helps sharpen marketing materials and make groups feel represented.

A real-life example of subculture targeting is Liquid Death, a canned water company. The company has been rooted in the music subculture from the beginning. It has maintained that connection to the music industry through social media content, company aesthetic, partnerships, and events.

Source

Values

Consumers have unique values that impact how they live their lives and which brands they monetarily support. Customers who align with a brand's values are more likely to try a product, repeat a purchase, and recommend the product to others. Some values include:

• Sustainability
• Transparency
• Social justice
• Accessibility
• Affordability
• Community
• Inclusion
• Diversity

These values are more than just talking points: they're deep insights into how consumers see themselves and who they aspire to be.

Examining customer values can also help you identify industry trends. For example, an interest in plastic-free product packaging is a manifestation of the public's growing awareness about ocean pollution and landfill contribution.

Nuud deodorant knows that its customers care about the environment and the chemicals they use on their bodies. The product aligns with customers' values by being plastic-free, natural, vegan, and cruelty-free.

Tip: This classification is less straightforward than demographics because it deals with subjective internal characteristics that can be harder to measure. Consider trying a customer survey or using social listening tools to gather data on what values align with your product.

How to Find Your Target Audience

Here are five steps you can take to define and refine your target audience.

1. Use HubSpot Analytics to learn more about your customers.

According to HubSpot's 2024 State of Marketing report, only 65% of marketers have high-quality data about their target audience. This leaves 35% who don't know their audience definitively.

HubSpot Analytics is an excellent tool for gathering demographic details about your audience, as well as real-time analytics about your marketing campaign's performance.

Here's some information you can find in the analytics dashboard.

Traffic Analytics

This tracks your website's performance and other digital assets. It provides metrics like page views, unique visitors, bounce rates, and session duration.

You can also see your traffic sources (organic, direct, referrals, social media, etc.), which helps you understand which channels are driving the most engagement.

Conversion Analytics

HubSpot allows you to track how well your landing pages and other conversion tools are performing. This includes data on form submissions, lead conversions, and the effectiveness of different calls-to-action (CTAs).

You can also analyze the conversion paths to optimize the steps your visitors take from entering the site to becoming leads to becoming paid customers.

Campaign Analytics

Easily measure the performance of each marketing campaign you're running inside of HubSpot. This includes impressions, clicks, conversions, sales, and ROI. This helps you gauge which campaigns are the most effective.

Custom Reports

HubSpot allows you to create custom reports that fit specific needs. You can pull together various data points from across marketing, sales, and service platforms to create comprehensive reports to meet your unique business requirements.

Pro tip: If you're not using HubSpot analytics, you can connect your website to Google Analytics to find demographic data about your target audience, including their age, gender, interests, lifestyle, nationality, and more.

2. Use website data to gauge audience interests.

Which website pages are getting the most views, shares, and comments? Both the thriving and floundering pages contain valuable behavioral insights for you to learn from.

Start by learning from the top performers. Are there themes between the most popular pages? How are users finding them? How long do users spend on the page, and how far down do they scroll? After reading, do they click around or become an email subscriber?

Pro tip: Implement a streamlined navigation menu or sidebar that prominently features your popular content so visitors can easily find these thriving pages.

Some businesses highlight their top-performing content on their website in a “trending” or “most popular” section, like Glossier's blog:

Source

Then, analyze underperforming content. Are there themes between which pages get the least traffic? Are they visible on the website, or are they buried? Are they optimized for search? Is it possible that the pages with low readership are aligned with your audience, but the pages aren't being discovered?

I've found that many businesses have quality content buried deep in their blog archives. If you find old pieces aren’t being read but are still valuable, update them for improved search visibility.

3. Analyze social media data for additional insights.

Social media channels collect different data from your website that can include robust insights into customer demographics and content preferences.

Analyze two types of social media data:

1. Demographic data: Where do customers live? How old are they?
2. Content preferences: What do viewers engage most with? What attracts the most new viewers? What's working and what’s not?

Every social channel is different and has a diverse audience, so it's essential to look at your analytics across all social platforms. Here's an example of some of the insights you can get from Facebook Analytics:

Pro tip: Some platforms, like Facebook, allow you to use detailed demographic information to segment your audience and customize your marketing campaigns. You can effectively tailor your content, messaging, and advertising strategies to match the characteristics and preferences of different audience segments.

Free Market Research Kit

5 Research and Planning Templates + a Free Guide on How to Use Them in Your Market Research

4. Engage with social media followers.

Social media is a readily available, free place to conduct market research. Engage with your audience through surveys, interactive polls, and “ask us anything” questionnaires.

Use this invaluable two-way medium to ask questions like:

• How are they using your product?
• What's their biggest complaint related to the problem you solve?
• How often do they use your product?

This can be done directly on social media platforms — Instagram Stories is probably the most popular place. Alternatively, you can create a formal survey and ask social media followers to participate. Remember: all engagement is valuable, whether it's positive or negative.

Pro tip: You can maximize engagement by showcasing the results of your questionnaires. This signals to your audience that their input is valued, which enhances loyalty and attracts new followers.

Here's a great survey example from budget bus company FlixBus:

Source

FlixBus' social media content aligned perfectly with its audience: budget travelers who love a good deal. As a customer, I feel seen by their humor and surveys.

5. Articulate your inverted audience.

Sometimes the details of a well-defined target audience emerge most clearly when describing who you aren't targeting. What consumers would be a bad fit for your brand? Who are you trying to repel? This is also known as a negative persona.

Let's look at two contrasting water brands as an example. First up is Boxed Water, which targets consumers who are interested in the environment, wellness, and simplicity.

Source

Let’s compare Boxed Water to Evian Water. Evian might describe its customers as people who value sports, luxury food, and premium events. Seeing the Instagram feeds side-by-side helps sharpen the qualities that make these brands unique.

Source

Remember this inverted thinking exercise as we look at examples below. I pulled five real-life target audience examples and included contrasting brands for each one to help make the audience crystal clear.

Target Audience Examples

Let's take the concepts we’ve reviewed above and see how they manifest in the examples below.

1. Aldi

Aldi is a budget supermarket chain that appeals to practical shoppers who prioritize savings over style.

The company's approach to audience targeting works because of its focus on the average consumer’s everyday needs. The majority of the store is stocked with staples instead of endless SKUs and brand names. One section of the store (nicknamed the “Aldi finds” section) is stocked with random rotating items that range from underwear to seasonal cookies to dorm room decor.

Source

Aldi's marketing doesn’t make buyers aspire to put together a perfect Instagram-worthy dinner or transform their health. Instead, they lean into budget cooking and life's everyday chaos. Their marketing is relatable and laughs along with viewers, like this post on Threads:

Source

Who isn't Aldi trying to target? Aesthetic shoppers (like Trader Joe's) or health-first consumers (like Whole Foods).

What I like: When Aldi first became popular where I live, it was known as the store with the weird layout and no shopping bags. The company didn't try to blend with the competition: it built a relationship with consumers based on reliable prices and food quality.

2. Duolingo

Duolingo is a language learning app that uses humor and pop-culture relevance to appeal to Gen Z and millennial consumers who want to dabble in language learning.

Have a look at Duolingo's marketing channels and you may ask yourself “What does any of this have to do with language learning?” The answer: not much.

Instead of sharing grammar tips, the marketing focuses on establishing the brand as a piece of pop culture. Language learning is typically rooted in a cultural interest in the language you're learning. But Duolingo understands that casual language learning is a cultural shift in itself, from formal to fun.

Source

Duolingo's approach to audience targeting works because of its emphasis on progress instead of fluency. Gamification is a key piece of its brand and how it differentiates itself from competitors.

Here's an example of a viral TikTok video that aligns learning Korean on Duolingo with Netflix’s popular show Squid Game:

Who isn't Duolingo trying to attract? Serious language learners who want to develop conversation skills (like Rosetta Stone).

What I like: As a Duolingo user (currently practicing Dutch), I don't expect to gain language fluency on the app in a few minutes a day. I just enjoy the satisfaction of daily practice, no matter how small.

3. Dunkin'

This company‘s understanding of its target audience is apparent even in the name. Dunkin’, previously Dunkin' Donuts, underwent a rebrand in 2018. It pivoted away from its sugary namesake and embraced what its audience loved most: coffee to help you through the daily grind.

Dunkin's approach to audience targeting works because they understand how their consumers use their product: Dunkin’ knows that users love grabbing a coffee on their way to work.

Source

They position themselves as being embedded in customers' busy routines, even with their slogan: “America runs on Dunkin'.” This philosophy oozes out of Dunkin's funny, relatable social media content:

Source

Who isn't Dunkin' trying to attract? Coffee drinkers who want to get comfy with a cup of specialty coffee in a stylish setting (like Starbucks).

What I like: Dunkin‘s rebrand showed that companies can successfully pivot when the customer data shows that consumers are moving in a new direction. Follow customers’ leads instead of trying to tell them where to go.

4. Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness is a gym chain that positions itself as a “Judgement Free Zone” for people of all fitness levels.

Their approach to audience targeting works because they understand that their customers experience gymtimidation: anxiety about going to the gym. This is often rooted in fear of judgment or uncertainty about how to use the machinery.

 Source

On social media, Planet Fitness doesn't share weight loss before-and-after photos or six-pack abs for motivation. They focus on the emotional gains of going to the gym and making exercise feel accessible.

Here's an example of mobility training the company shared on YouTube that can be completed at home without even needing a gym membership:

Who isn't Planet Fitness trying to attract? People interested in a boutique class experience (like SoulCycle) or intense lifting enthusiasts (Gold's Gym).

What I like: The emotional connection that Planet Fitness builds with its targeting is so effective. They found their unique proposition and went all in on it, from their gym design to their social media content, where they help people start moving even from home. That inclusivity helps foster long-term brand loyalty.

5. Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry's is an ice cream brand that appeals to socially conscious consumers who prefer to buy from values-based brands.

The company takes strong stances on public issues, even when those issues have nothing to do with selling ice cream.

Source

Blending ice cream with social issues alienates some potential customers. So why bother? Consumers know what Ben & Jerry's stands for, and this attracts loyal, aligned customers. The company values strengthen its customer relationships.

Instead of just being normal ice cream, the company positions itself as ice cream with a cause. Here's an example from the 2018 “Pecan Resist” campaign (word play on the phrase “we can resist”):

Source

Who isn't Ben & Jerry's targeting? Healthy shoppers (like Halo Top) or people treating themselves to a pleasure (like Magnum).

Why this value targeting works: One-off social justice campaigns easily backfire or feel performative. Ben & Jerry's stance works because the company has a decades-long history of activism. As a result, the values-driven marketing messages have built brand loyalty.

Identify your target audience like a pro.

Consumers don't want to see ads for products they’d never use. And no company wants to waste ad spend on the wrong people.

I hope all of the real-life examples of audience targeting helped you recognize the hidden mechanics behind every brand's relationship with its viewers.

The steps I outlined above will help you stop focusing on the mass market and invest in finding your desired customers.

Are you ready to dive in? Use the free HubSpot Market Research Kit to help you dig deeper. Inside, you'll find an instructional guide, SWOT analysis template, survey template, focus group template, and more.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/target-audience

Have you ever seen an online ad campaign that has absolutely nothing to do with you? I just saw one on Facebook — it was a brand I've never heard of promoting a product I’d never buy. I'm not the brand’s target audience, and that brand is missing out by not understanding who to market their product towards.

No company can market to everyone — so who are you selling to? That's the question that your target audience answers.

Good targeting speaks directly to a specific group, making viewers feel connected with the brand. Understanding target audiences is key to any successful marketing strategy.

Every product and service has a target audience, no matter how niche. In this article, I'll walk you through how to perform a target audience analysis for your brand.

Table of Contents

• What is a target audience?
• Target Market vs Target Audience
• Types of Target Audiences
• How to Find Your Target Audience
• Target Audience Examples

What is a target audience?

“Target audience” refers to a group of consumers characterized by shared qualities like demographic data, behaviors, interests, etc. Most companies and products will have multiple target audiences representing diverse products and user groups.

Brands identify their target consumers by articulating audience features to create a clear picture of who the potential customer is. This image clarifies brand messaging, focuses marketing efforts, and even guides what products to develop next.

For example, a wine company can't sell to both high-end wine aficionados and novice wine drinkers. Through target audience research, they could identify their target wine drinkers as those ages 24 to 30 who have an interest in wine but limited budgets. Knowing their audience, they can focus on appealing to those buyers instead of trying to appeal to everyone.

Is it the same as a buyer persona? No — your target audience represents your entire potential consumer group. Your buyer persona is a fictional representation of one target audience member.

Target Market vs Target Audience

Both target market and target audience are ways of grouping customers for segmentation. However, “target market” refers to the broader group of potential customers. The target audience sits within the target market and is a more specific segment.

Let's use an example of the IKEA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:

• Target market: People in western Pennsylvania.

• Target audience: People in western Pennsylvania who want to buy budget-friendly furniture.

• One potential target segment: Expectant parents in western Pennsylvania who need budget-friendly nursery furniture.

After identifying a target segment, you then create buyer personas that represent the detailed emotions and needs of each customer segment.

Are the terms making more sense? Don't worry, this isn’t a test and you won't fail — as long as you focus on understanding the people who buy your product.

Types of Target Audiences

The world doesn't need more generic marketing campaigns. Personalization is key, and it’s something that modern consumers expect. A Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey found that more than 80% of respondents reported wanting and expecting personalized experiences.

This is achieved by focusing on your brand's different target audience types. Here they are at a glance:

1. Demographics: Who your customer is
2. Customer journey stage: How well they know your brand
3. Interests: How customers spend their time
4. Subcultures: Relevant customer identities
5. Values: What matters most to your buyers

Let's look at what makes these special, plus pull real-life examples to learn from.

Demographics

Demographic segmentation divides a market into smaller categories based on variable characteristics such as age, race, gender, marital status, income, education, and nationality.

Each demographic factor influences consumer behavior and product preferences. For example:

• Gender: Consumers often make fashion, beauty, and health purchases that align with their gender identity. Marketing strategies often differ when targeting men, women, or non-binary shoppers.
• Income: Economic status influences buying power, impacting what products or services consumers can afford.
• Age: Product preferences can vary significantly between different age groups, as do advertising media and ad campaigns.

For example, AARP's business strategy is built on age segmentation: the brand targets individuals who are at retirement age or pre-retirement age. This is clearly reflected in marketing materials like this Facebook post about “elderspeak.”

Demographic data is acquired through censuses, market surveys, and analytical tools.

Customer Journey Stages

The term “customer journey” refers to the different touchpoints that a customer has with a brand. Common stages include product awareness, consideration, purchase, and retention.

When targeting different points of the customer journey, your marketing should address questions like:

• Awareness: What is this product?
• Consideration: Why should I buy?
• Purchase: Is this product right for me?
• Retention: Why should I buy again?

This type of targeting is effective because it delivers the exact messaging people need, given their familiarity with the product.

Let's look at electrolyte company Liquid IV as an example and see how they create content targeting the different stages of the customer journey:

• What is Liquid IV? Awareness content educates prospective buyers on the product pain points and introduces the product as a solution.
• Why should someone buy it? Consideration content helps users understand product benefits.
• What's the best product for me right now? Purchase content shares product details and social proof.
• Why should I buy it again? Retention content encourages repeat purchases by sharing additional product uses.

Source

Interests

Interests represent the hobbies and activities that customers enjoy. Understanding customer interests helps you unearth buyer motivation and behaviors and connect with your audience in a relatable way.

One product can have different target groups based on customer interests. Let's use a bicycle as an example. Cyclist A might be interested in racing bikes. This customer wants to burn calories after work by cycling long distances. Cyclist B could enjoy a relaxing bike commute to work.

Understanding customer interests as they pertain to your product is crucial in reaching the right buyers.

Priority Bicycles caters to the interests of Cyclist B. That's clear through the company slogan: “bicycles for everyday riders.” This clear stance makes it very easy for cyclists to self-select if this company is right for their interests.

Source

Subcultures

Subcultures represent interests, lifestyles, or identities that some of your customers share. They're similar to customer interests, but a subculture is directly tied to identity.

People define themselves by their subcultures, and each group has distinctive interests and needs. For example, not all parents are the same. Parents of adult children belong to a different subculture from parents of toddlers.

Understanding the subcultures within your target market helps sharpen marketing materials and make groups feel represented.

A real-life example of subculture targeting is Liquid Death, a canned water company. The company has been rooted in the music subculture from the beginning. It has maintained that connection to the music industry through social media content, company aesthetic, partnerships, and events.

Source

Values

Consumers have unique values that impact how they live their lives and which brands they monetarily support. Customers who align with a brand's values are more likely to try a product, repeat a purchase, and recommend the product to others. Some values include:

• Sustainability
• Transparency
• Social justice
• Accessibility
• Affordability
• Community
• Inclusion
• Diversity

These values are more than just talking points: they're deep insights into how consumers see themselves and who they aspire to be.

Examining customer values can also help you identify industry trends. For example, an interest in plastic-free product packaging is a manifestation of the public's growing awareness about ocean pollution and landfill contribution.

Nuud deodorant knows that its customers care about the environment and the chemicals they use on their bodies. The product aligns with customers' values by being plastic-free, natural, vegan, and cruelty-free.

Tip: This classification is less straightforward than demographics because it deals with subjective internal characteristics that can be harder to measure. Consider trying a customer survey or using social listening tools to gather data on what values align with your product.

How to Find Your Target Audience

Here are five steps you can take to define and refine your target audience.

1. Use HubSpot Analytics to learn more about your customers.

According to HubSpot's 2024 State of Marketing report, only 65% of marketers have high-quality data about their target audience. This leaves 35% who don't know their audience definitively.

HubSpot Analytics is an excellent tool for gathering demographic details about your audience, as well as real-time analytics about your marketing campaign's performance.

Here's some information you can find in the analytics dashboard.

Traffic Analytics

This tracks your website's performance and other digital assets. It provides metrics like page views, unique visitors, bounce rates, and session duration.

You can also see your traffic sources (organic, direct, referrals, social media, etc.), which helps you understand which channels are driving the most engagement.

Conversion Analytics

HubSpot allows you to track how well your landing pages and other conversion tools are performing. This includes data on form submissions, lead conversions, and the effectiveness of different calls-to-action (CTAs).

You can also analyze the conversion paths to optimize the steps your visitors take from entering the site to becoming leads to becoming paid customers.

Campaign Analytics

Easily measure the performance of each marketing campaign you're running inside of HubSpot. This includes impressions, clicks, conversions, sales, and ROI. This helps you gauge which campaigns are the most effective.

Custom Reports

HubSpot allows you to create custom reports that fit specific needs. You can pull together various data points from across marketing, sales, and service platforms to create comprehensive reports to meet your unique business requirements.

Pro tip: If you're not using HubSpot analytics, you can connect your website to Google Analytics to find demographic data about your target audience, including their age, gender, interests, lifestyle, nationality, and more.

2. Use website data to gauge audience interests.

Which website pages are getting the most views, shares, and comments? Both the thriving and floundering pages contain valuable behavioral insights for you to learn from.

Start by learning from the top performers. Are there themes between the most popular pages? How are users finding them? How long do users spend on the page, and how far down do they scroll? After reading, do they click around or become an email subscriber?

Pro tip: Implement a streamlined navigation menu or sidebar that prominently features your popular content so visitors can easily find these thriving pages.

Some businesses highlight their top-performing content on their website in a “trending” or “most popular” section, like Glossier's blog:

Source

Then, analyze underperforming content. Are there themes between which pages get the least traffic? Are they visible on the website, or are they buried? Are they optimized for search? Is it possible that the pages with low readership are aligned with your audience, but the pages aren't being discovered?

I've found that many businesses have quality content buried deep in their blog archives. If you find old pieces aren’t being read but are still valuable, update them for improved search visibility.

3. Analyze social media data for additional insights.

Social media channels collect different data from your website that can include robust insights into customer demographics and content preferences.

Analyze two types of social media data:

1. Demographic data: Where do customers live? How old are they?
2. Content preferences: What do viewers engage most with? What attracts the most new viewers? What's working and what’s not?

Every social channel is different and has a diverse audience, so it's essential to look at your analytics across all social platforms. Here's an example of some of the insights you can get from Facebook Analytics:

Pro tip: Some platforms, like Facebook, allow you to use detailed demographic information to segment your audience and customize your marketing campaigns. You can effectively tailor your content, messaging, and advertising strategies to match the characteristics and preferences of different audience segments.

Free Market Research Kit

5 Research and Planning Templates + a Free Guide on How to Use Them in Your Market Research

4. Engage with social media followers.

Social media is a readily available, free place to conduct market research. Engage with your audience through surveys, interactive polls, and “ask us anything” questionnaires.

Use this invaluable two-way medium to ask questions like:

• How are they using your product?
• What's their biggest complaint related to the problem you solve?
• How often do they use your product?

This can be done directly on social media platforms — Instagram Stories is probably the most popular place. Alternatively, you can create a formal survey and ask social media followers to participate. Remember: all engagement is valuable, whether it's positive or negative.

Pro tip: You can maximize engagement by showcasing the results of your questionnaires. This signals to your audience that their input is valued, which enhances loyalty and attracts new followers.

Here's a great survey example from budget bus company FlixBus:

Source

FlixBus' social media content aligned perfectly with its audience: budget travelers who love a good deal. As a customer, I feel seen by their humor and surveys.

5. Articulate your inverted audience.

Sometimes the details of a well-defined target audience emerge most clearly when describing who you aren't targeting. What consumers would be a bad fit for your brand? Who are you trying to repel? This is also known as a negative persona.

Let's look at two contrasting water brands as an example. First up is Boxed Water, which targets consumers who are interested in the environment, wellness, and simplicity.

Source

Let’s compare Boxed Water to Evian Water. Evian might describe its customers as people who value sports, luxury food, and premium events. Seeing the Instagram feeds side-by-side helps sharpen the qualities that make these brands unique.

Source

Remember this inverted thinking exercise as we look at examples below. I pulled five real-life target audience examples and included contrasting brands for each one to help make the audience crystal clear.

Target Audience Examples

Let's take the concepts we’ve reviewed above and see how they manifest in the examples below.

1. Aldi

Aldi is a budget supermarket chain that appeals to practical shoppers who prioritize savings over style.

The company's approach to audience targeting works because of its focus on the average consumer’s everyday needs. The majority of the store is stocked with staples instead of endless SKUs and brand names. One section of the store (nicknamed the “Aldi finds” section) is stocked with random rotating items that range from underwear to seasonal cookies to dorm room decor.

Source

Aldi's marketing doesn’t make buyers aspire to put together a perfect Instagram-worthy dinner or transform their health. Instead, they lean into budget cooking and life's everyday chaos. Their marketing is relatable and laughs along with viewers, like this post on Threads:

Source

Who isn't Aldi trying to target? Aesthetic shoppers (like Trader Joe's) or health-first consumers (like Whole Foods).

What I like: When Aldi first became popular where I live, it was known as the store with the weird layout and no shopping bags. The company didn't try to blend with the competition: it built a relationship with consumers based on reliable prices and food quality.

2. Duolingo

Duolingo is a language learning app that uses humor and pop-culture relevance to appeal to Gen Z and millennial consumers who want to dabble in language learning.

Have a look at Duolingo's marketing channels and you may ask yourself “What does any of this have to do with language learning?” The answer: not much.

Instead of sharing grammar tips, the marketing focuses on establishing the brand as a piece of pop culture. Language learning is typically rooted in a cultural interest in the language you're learning. But Duolingo understands that casual language learning is a cultural shift in itself, from formal to fun.

Source

Duolingo's approach to audience targeting works because of its emphasis on progress instead of fluency. Gamification is a key piece of its brand and how it differentiates itself from competitors.

Here's an example of a viral TikTok video that aligns learning Korean on Duolingo with Netflix’s popular show Squid Game:

Who isn't Duolingo trying to attract? Serious language learners who want to develop conversation skills (like Rosetta Stone).

What I like: As a Duolingo user (currently practicing Dutch), I don't expect to gain language fluency on the app in a few minutes a day. I just enjoy the satisfaction of daily practice, no matter how small.

3. Dunkin'

This company‘s understanding of its target audience is apparent even in the name. Dunkin’, previously Dunkin' Donuts, underwent a rebrand in 2018. It pivoted away from its sugary namesake and embraced what its audience loved most: coffee to help you through the daily grind.

Dunkin's approach to audience targeting works because they understand how their consumers use their product: Dunkin’ knows that users love grabbing a coffee on their way to work.

Source

They position themselves as being embedded in customers' busy routines, even with their slogan: “America runs on Dunkin'.” This philosophy oozes out of Dunkin's funny, relatable social media content:

Source

Who isn't Dunkin' trying to attract? Coffee drinkers who want to get comfy with a cup of specialty coffee in a stylish setting (like Starbucks).

What I like: Dunkin‘s rebrand showed that companies can successfully pivot when the customer data shows that consumers are moving in a new direction. Follow customers’ leads instead of trying to tell them where to go.

4. Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness is a gym chain that positions itself as a “Judgement Free Zone” for people of all fitness levels.

Their approach to audience targeting works because they understand that their customers experience gymtimidation: anxiety about going to the gym. This is often rooted in fear of judgment or uncertainty about how to use the machinery.

 Source

On social media, Planet Fitness doesn't share weight loss before-and-after photos or six-pack abs for motivation. They focus on the emotional gains of going to the gym and making exercise feel accessible.

Here's an example of mobility training the company shared on YouTube that can be completed at home without even needing a gym membership:

Who isn't Planet Fitness trying to attract? People interested in a boutique class experience (like SoulCycle) or intense lifting enthusiasts (Gold's Gym).

What I like: The emotional connection that Planet Fitness builds with its targeting is so effective. They found their unique proposition and went all in on it, from their gym design to their social media content, where they help people start moving even from home. That inclusivity helps foster long-term brand loyalty.

5. Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry's is an ice cream brand that appeals to socially conscious consumers who prefer to buy from values-based brands.

The company takes strong stances on public issues, even when those issues have nothing to do with selling ice cream.

Source

Blending ice cream with social issues alienates some potential customers. So why bother? Consumers know what Ben & Jerry's stands for, and this attracts loyal, aligned customers. The company values strengthen its customer relationships.

Instead of just being normal ice cream, the company positions itself as ice cream with a cause. Here's an example from the 2018 “Pecan Resist” campaign (word play on the phrase “we can resist”):

Source

Who isn't Ben & Jerry's targeting? Healthy shoppers (like Halo Top) or people treating themselves to a pleasure (like Magnum).

Why this value targeting works: One-off social justice campaigns easily backfire or feel performative. Ben & Jerry's stance works because the company has a decades-long history of activism. As a result, the values-driven marketing messages have built brand loyalty.

Identify your target audience like a pro.

Consumers don't want to see ads for products they’d never use. And no company wants to waste ad spend on the wrong people.

I hope all of the real-life examples of audience targeting helped you recognize the hidden mechanics behind every brand's relationship with its viewers.

The steps I outlined above will help you stop focusing on the mass market and invest in finding your desired customers.

Are you ready to dive in? Use the free HubSpot Market Research Kit to help you dig deeper. Inside, you'll find an instructional guide, SWOT analysis template, survey template, focus group template, and more.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

via Perfecte news Non connection

Signs it's time to redesign your website [+ 15 steps to follow]

I never thought I needed a website redesign strategy until I lost search traffic and the revenue it brought. That was in 2022, when I had several websites generating earnings via affiliate commissions. Back then, you could have an “ugly” website and still rank well in search.

But not anymore.

Today, your website needs more than just content. To appear in search engine results, websites must balance user experience, brand clarity, site structure, security, and technical infrastructure. And I’ll say that’s fair, because customers expect nothing less from a business they trust.

In fact, according to a study, 75% of visitors decide if a website is credible based on how the content is presented. If your website is experiencing a high bounce rate, a drop in conversions, declining traffic, or other issues, you might need a redesign strategy.

Below is everything you need to know.

Table of Contents

• What is website redesign?
• How to Redesign a Website
• Signs You Need a Website Redesign

Over the years, I’ve seen many brands redesign their websites when they pivoted their business strategy, transformed their brand, or simply because their conversion suffered.

Website Redesign vs. Website Refresh

Website redesign often requires substantial resources, time, and effort to accomplish. It isn’t a simple makeover that can be completed overnight. So before we move on, let's determine whether you truly need a total redesign or a simple website refresh.

A website refresh, unlike a website redesign, focuses on updates that don’t affect your website’s structure. This means that you don’t need to republish entire blogs, revamp landing pages, or realign the customer journey with new content.

For example, if you’re just tweaking the font, colors, or layout of your homepage, that’s a website refresh. On this note, I’d suggest using HubSpot’s AI Website Generator to quickly reimagine your homepage, create a prototype, and draw inspiration. All you need to do is describe your business, the style you want, and the tool’s generative AI will do the heavy lifting.

Signs You Need a Website Redesign

Sometimes, you need to revamp your entire website to stay relevant, especially in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.

Even if your website still looks presentable, some style, content, and features may have become outdated. For example, effects like typewriter and parallax were trending around 2019, but many brands opt for a minimalist layout these days.

If you’re unsure whether you need to redesign your website, use these questions as a guide.

• Are you seeing a massive drop in impressions, traffic, and conversions?
• Do your webpages take a long time to load?
• Do users struggle to navigate to their destination pages easily?
• Has your brand evolved beyond the existing design, style, and voice?
• Is your website insecure from emerging threats?
• Does your target audience struggle to find your web content on search engines and AI platforms?

A “yes” to most of the questions often calls for a redesign, because, in my experience, there are no shortcuts to revitalize a website that is failing in many aspects. Also, more often than not, several issues are correlated, which means you can’t fix one without addressing the other.

Let’s say that your business has grown and is adopting new brand values. Chances are, the existing color, content, and style no longer match your brand’s new identity. A brand and web content mismatch, then, will undermine the audience’s trust, resulting in decreased dwell time and conversion rate.

There are no strict rules about website redesign. That said, some best practices, when applied in a planned sequence, help you avoid mistakes that can be costly to fix.

Below, I share the steps I use to redesign my website.

1. Audit your website.

Before you kickstart the redesign process, analyze your current website. It’s important to know what’s working and what needs improvement. Otherwise, you might end up repeating the same non-performing element, or worse, mistakes, when redesigning your site.

Trust me — it’s painful to find out that the revamped website is no better than the previous one, especially after paying handsomely for it. I made that mistake once when running my engineering business. Back then, I had no clue that a website could be such a powerful lead generator, and one that I shouldn’t revamp without a plan.

So, go to your analytics and note down these metrics.

• Traffic acquisition. Learn where your visitors come from, including their demographics, medium, and the landing pages they land on. Knowing these metrics helps you prioritize specific channels and content when redesigning the website.
• Bounce rate. A high bounce rate is a red flag that visitors are not finding what they want from specific web pages.
• Search performance. Take note of the top-performing keywords and web pages for your website. Be mindful when reworking content, as you don’t want the new website to suffer a decline in search rankings.
• Conversion rate. Some of your landing pages might be effective in capturing leads. Note down the framework, copywriting, and design used and replicate that in the new design.
• Revenue. Some businesses, such as ecommerce and retail sites, turn visitors into paying customers with product pages. Similar to landing pages, analyze what’s working well and leverage the findings when rebuilding the website.

2. Determine your redesign goals.

I must remind you that website redesign isn’t a minor task. Often, you need to invest time, effort, and money to revamp your website. So, ask yourself — what are the results you want to achieve with your website?

Typically, companies revamp their websites for these reasons:

• To increase search traffic.
• To increase dwell time.
• To increase qualified leads.
• To improve conversion rate.
• To increase orders and revenue.

I know that some business owners are tempted to redesign a website just for the sake of doing so. Gentle advice: Don’t. This is because if you don’t tie your website redesign to quantifiable goals, you won’t be able to measure its success later.

3. Research your audience.

A successful website reboot relies on audience insights. If you’re aware of their preferences, navigation behavior, and how they consume information, you can avoid design blind spots and misguided assumptions.

So, reach out to your target audience and ask for their opinion. Better still, create one or several personas you want to target. Then, let them explore your website and tell you what’s working and what’s not working.

For example, I’m currently revamping my personal website, which offers SEO content creation services, and I’ve reached out to marketing managers to gather feedback.

But don’t stop here.

If possible, map the persona to a customer journey so that you can structure your website accordingly. For example, a marketing manager might not immediately engage my services. Therefore, I funnel them to an email newsletter and nurture them.

Pro tip: Some businesses target multiple personas, which can be challenging to manually create. Check out HubSpot’s handy buyer persona builder to help you create detailed buyer personas.

Source

4. Define your branding and messaging.

A website bridges the gap between your business and its customers, which calls for an engaging and relatable experience. Therefore, avoid using generic design templates as-is.

Instead, your website should reflect your brand through the choice of colors, fonts, messaging, and layout. Be it your logo, blogs, or product pages, be consistent when aligning them with your brand.

For example, if you’re running a tech startup that pitches products to improve productivity, you’ll want a minimalist website that reflects the time-saving benefits. Meanwhile, a business championing environmental causes leaves a lasting impression with a blend of green-themed elements and empathetic messaging.

I know that deciding on branding elements has significant implications, so I often browse similar websites for inspiration before shortlisting a few themes. But these days, you can use AI web development tools to generate web prototypes simply by describing your brand to the chatbot.

5. Analyze competitors.

Does exploring your competitor’s website help you redesign a better one? Well, yes and no. Remember that every business is unique. Therefore, you wouldn’t want to be overly influenced by what other websites look or feel like. What works for another may not work for you.

Yet, competitor analysis helps you uncover content gaps, architectural issues, funnels, and marketing strategies you might overlook. For example, you can find out their best-performing web content on search engines. This way, you can create better content that will potentially outrank your competitors.

6. Choose a web platform.

Next, decide if you want to stay with the same web hosting provider and content management software (CMS). For example, many small businesses began with WordPress and Wix due to their ease of use and low cost. The downside is having to integrate dozens of plugins to enable business, website, and other functions, which, based on my experience, is challenging to manage at scale.

However, as their business grows, many companies seek a more scalable CMS that is integrated with their sales and marketing workflows. Some might choose to develop a custom website, particularly if they plan to offer in-page apps or tools. While this provides more control over the entire redesign workflow, you’ll need to manage the technical complexities that come with it.

Meanwhile, I’ve also seen businesses that host their websites on business-driven CMS like HubSpot. The beauty of this option is that it allows them to create web content, monitor performance metrics, and nurture leads from a unified platform. Moreover, they can also use HubSpot’s Content Hub to create AI-assisted content that reflects their brand voice.

Source

7. Choose your web design team.

It’s tempting to take on the mammoth task alone. But be aware of the tasks involved when redesigning your sites. You’ll need a blend of creativity, content creation, SEO know-how, coding, and other skillsets to rebuild a website successfully.

For most businesses, their time is better spent on core activities, such as sales and marketing. If that’s the case, collaborating with an external web design team is better. For example, I’ve built several websites from scratch in the past, and it pushed me to my limits. Now, I collaborate with web designers I trust.

8. Structure your website.

Your new website must be easy to navigate, both for humans and search engines. So, decide how you organize topics, web pages, and blogs. And that’s where a sitemap is helpful. A sitemap describes the hierarchy of various web content, usually grouping similar topics together. It also serves as a blueprint that guides web designers, developers, and SEO specialists.

For example, if you run a software development company, you can organize your site into separate sections for generative AI development, mobile app development, and application testing. Then, create blogs, web pages, and landing pages for each category. This way, visitors can easily find the information they’re searching for.

9. Create an audience-led content strategy.

Chances are, you will need to revamp most of your web content. As you do so, keep the audience in mind, because that’s the reason why websites exist. Instead of randomly publishing content, align it with your customer’s journey.

Remember, an effective content strategy not only increases conversion but also positions your brand as an authority. Think of content as a layered funnel that supports your audience throughout their purchase cycle. Each piece of content should meet the user’s intent.

Personally, I’d suggest striking a balance between transactional and informational content. Simply put, don’t only publish product pages, but also include blogs that guide the audience in their discovery, commercial investigation, and purchase touchpoints. Additionally, you can also publish case studies, whitepapers, and success stories to subtly convince them that your brand is worth its value.

Once you have decided on the type of content to publish, schedule it into an editorial calendar. You don’t have to create all the pieces of content at once. Rather, you can launch the new website with several strong pieces and continue publishing from your content pipeline.

10. Apply best UX design practices.

While it’s great to have a stylish website, it’s even better to have a functional one that actually drives business outcomes. According to a study, businesses lost $1.42 trillion in sales due to poor user experience (UX). If you don’t want to leave money on the table, you need to take UX seriously.

User experience (UX) is not merely giving a website a superficial facelift with fancy colors and layouts. Often, you need a more thoughtful consideration of how users actually interact with a website. Specifically, when you optimize your site for UX, you focus on the ease of use, accessibility, and convenience that your website offers.

To get started, you’ll need to answer questions like:

• What’s the optimal font size and color to use?
• Are web pages designed optimally for mobile users?
• How can you incorporate accessibility features to promote greater inclusivity?
• Are you using the right contrast to showcase different parts of the design?
• Can buyers complete the checkout easily?

Then, you turn them into an actionable plan.

For example, if a landing page has a high drop rate, you need to find out whether customers find the purchase path confusing. Then identify other possible causes that cause customers to leave. Sometimes, the problem can be technical, such as slow loading pages. However, there are also cases where the choice of copy, such as in the call-to-action, might cause customers to hesitate.

11. Work on SEO.

If your website has been driving search traffic, you’ll want to maintain, or, if better, improve your revamped site’s search visibility. And that means integrating SEO into your web redesign strategy.

SEO is a broad topic that involves various principles, strategies, and tactics. I learned SEO when I started building WordPress websites in 2015. Since then, I’ve helped my clients rank web content on Google. If there’s anything I can share with you, it’s to keep these points in mind.

Redirect old pages.

Use a 301 redirect to route traffic from the web content that you’ve removed to the new one. This is important because some web pages might have gained credible backlinks over time. If you don’t redirect them, you’ll lose backlink authority and, consequently, your search ranking.

Perform on-page optimization.

Make sure your content is skimmable. Use subheadings, bullet points, and numbered lists to structure your content. Otherwise, you risk turning visitors away because of large, chunky text.

If possible, use rich media like charts, images, and videos in your web content. Not only do they help with SEO, but they can also provide more context to your content.

Also, don’t forget to connect related pages with internal links. For example, you can link an old blog about “email marketing tips” to a new “best email marketing software” article. Doing so helps your website establish topical authority, which in turn improves its SEO performance.

If you’re building your website on HubSpot, you can cross-check on-page optimization with the SEO recommendations it offers when you create a blog. Personally, I’ve tried it, and I must say, it’s solid.

Source

Use keywords strategically.

Keywords help search engines understand our content, even in the age of AI-led search. You still need to optimize your web content with keywords if you want it to be found by the right users. Just remember, don’t overstuff them.

Pro tip: As a best practice, I use the target keywords naturally once in the title, first paragraph, and at least one of the subheadings.

Optimize for AI search.

Traditionally, the goal of SEO was to rank on Google and other search engines. Now, with generative AI transforming the search landscape, many brands are hoping to be found on AI platforms like ChatGPT as well.

At the moment of writing, AI search optimization is still evolving fast. Basic SEO still matters. But what the SEO community knows is that brand presence is a contributing factor to being cited by AI.

Pro tip: If you’re not sure if your business has a strong brand presence, use HubSpot’s AI Search Grader. It’ll return a score indicating your brand’s sentiment and share of voice.

12. Stage your website for testing.

Always test your new website before replacing the existing one. Despite having a comprehensive redesign plan, there might still be issues to iron out. For example, some landing pages might look awkward to actual users. Or you might face integration issues with third-party tools.

While you can run internal tests to assess the website, I recommend conducting usability tests with actual users. That’s because if you’re involved in the redesign effort, you might develop familiarity blindness, a phenomenon when you’re so used to seeing the design that you don’t really notice that there’s something amiss.

13. Perform a switch-over.

After validating your website’s functionality, plan for a switch-over. But before you do so, inform all stakeholders that you’re replacing the existing site with a new one. Give customers and users enough time to prepare for the eventual rollover and notify them of what changes they can expect.

Also, if possible, consider allowing users to remain on the existing web interface for a grace period. This way, they can explore the new web interface at their own pace, which helps in easing the transition.

Of course, not all businesses are in a position to do so, because maintaining both versions on the production environment can be challenging.

14. Monitor performance.

The first several weeks are crucial after your new website goes live. Based on my experience, even if you’ve done your best, some issues might slip through the tests you conducted.

So, be on the lookout for metrics that can help you identify post-launch issues. And that includes:

• User interactions.
• Traffic sources.
• Conversion rate.
• SEO performance.

In a way, you’re re-auditing your website again to ensure that the redesign is meeting its objectives.

I know — measuring so many metrics can be challenging. When I started building websites in 2015, I had to use several tools to consolidate them. But these days, you can use HubSpot’s Marketing Analytics to unify all the data.

Source

15. Optimize post-launch.

Your job doesn’t end after your new website has gone live, even if you’ve ironed out all the glitches. Website technologies, customer behaviors, and marketing trends don’t last forever. In fact, we’re in a fast-paced era where we can’t afford to be complacent with our web strategy.

Therefore, periodically assess web performance, conversion, and customer satisfaction. If necessary, make adjustments to the content, layout, or site structure so your website remains relevant.

Now, you’re ready to redesign your website.

We’ve covered everything to redesign your website, including audit, restructure, content, SEO, and launch preparation. Apply the steps I shared to redesign a website that attracts more consumers, wows more visitors, and converts more customers.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in March 2013 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33924/how-to-develop-a-website-redesign-strategy-that-guarantees-results-free-template.aspx

I never thought I needed a website redesign strategy until I lost search traffic and the revenue it brought. That was in 2022, when I had several websites generating earnings via affiliate commissions. Back then, you could have an “ugly” website and still rank well in search.

But not anymore.

Today, your website needs more than just content. To appear in search engine results, websites must balance user experience, brand clarity, site structure, security, and technical infrastructure. And I’ll say that’s fair, because customers expect nothing less from a business they trust.

In fact, according to a study, 75% of visitors decide if a website is credible based on how the content is presented. If your website is experiencing a high bounce rate, a drop in conversions, declining traffic, or other issues, you might need a redesign strategy.

Below is everything you need to know.

Table of Contents

• What is website redesign?
• How to Redesign a Website
• Signs You Need a Website Redesign

Over the years, I’ve seen many brands redesign their websites when they pivoted their business strategy, transformed their brand, or simply because their conversion suffered.

Website Redesign vs. Website Refresh

Website redesign often requires substantial resources, time, and effort to accomplish. It isn’t a simple makeover that can be completed overnight. So before we move on, let's determine whether you truly need a total redesign or a simple website refresh.

A website refresh, unlike a website redesign, focuses on updates that don’t affect your website’s structure. This means that you don’t need to republish entire blogs, revamp landing pages, or realign the customer journey with new content.

For example, if you’re just tweaking the font, colors, or layout of your homepage, that’s a website refresh. On this note, I’d suggest using HubSpot’s AI Website Generator to quickly reimagine your homepage, create a prototype, and draw inspiration. All you need to do is describe your business, the style you want, and the tool’s generative AI will do the heavy lifting.

Signs You Need a Website Redesign

Sometimes, you need to revamp your entire website to stay relevant, especially in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.

Even if your website still looks presentable, some style, content, and features may have become outdated. For example, effects like typewriter and parallax were trending around 2019, but many brands opt for a minimalist layout these days.

If you’re unsure whether you need to redesign your website, use these questions as a guide.

• Are you seeing a massive drop in impressions, traffic, and conversions?
• Do your webpages take a long time to load?
• Do users struggle to navigate to their destination pages easily?
• Has your brand evolved beyond the existing design, style, and voice?
• Is your website insecure from emerging threats?
• Does your target audience struggle to find your web content on search engines and AI platforms?

A “yes” to most of the questions often calls for a redesign, because, in my experience, there are no shortcuts to revitalize a website that is failing in many aspects. Also, more often than not, several issues are correlated, which means you can’t fix one without addressing the other.

Let’s say that your business has grown and is adopting new brand values. Chances are, the existing color, content, and style no longer match your brand’s new identity. A brand and web content mismatch, then, will undermine the audience’s trust, resulting in decreased dwell time and conversion rate.

There are no strict rules about website redesign. That said, some best practices, when applied in a planned sequence, help you avoid mistakes that can be costly to fix.

Below, I share the steps I use to redesign my website.

1. Audit your website.

Before you kickstart the redesign process, analyze your current website. It’s important to know what’s working and what needs improvement. Otherwise, you might end up repeating the same non-performing element, or worse, mistakes, when redesigning your site.

Trust me — it’s painful to find out that the revamped website is no better than the previous one, especially after paying handsomely for it. I made that mistake once when running my engineering business. Back then, I had no clue that a website could be such a powerful lead generator, and one that I shouldn’t revamp without a plan.

So, go to your analytics and note down these metrics.

• Traffic acquisition. Learn where your visitors come from, including their demographics, medium, and the landing pages they land on. Knowing these metrics helps you prioritize specific channels and content when redesigning the website.
• Bounce rate. A high bounce rate is a red flag that visitors are not finding what they want from specific web pages.
• Search performance. Take note of the top-performing keywords and web pages for your website. Be mindful when reworking content, as you don’t want the new website to suffer a decline in search rankings.
• Conversion rate. Some of your landing pages might be effective in capturing leads. Note down the framework, copywriting, and design used and replicate that in the new design.
• Revenue. Some businesses, such as ecommerce and retail sites, turn visitors into paying customers with product pages. Similar to landing pages, analyze what’s working well and leverage the findings when rebuilding the website.

2. Determine your redesign goals.

I must remind you that website redesign isn’t a minor task. Often, you need to invest time, effort, and money to revamp your website. So, ask yourself — what are the results you want to achieve with your website?

Typically, companies revamp their websites for these reasons:

• To increase search traffic.
• To increase dwell time.
• To increase qualified leads.
• To improve conversion rate.
• To increase orders and revenue.

I know that some business owners are tempted to redesign a website just for the sake of doing so. Gentle advice: Don’t. This is because if you don’t tie your website redesign to quantifiable goals, you won’t be able to measure its success later.

3. Research your audience.

A successful website reboot relies on audience insights. If you’re aware of their preferences, navigation behavior, and how they consume information, you can avoid design blind spots and misguided assumptions.

So, reach out to your target audience and ask for their opinion. Better still, create one or several personas you want to target. Then, let them explore your website and tell you what’s working and what’s not working.

For example, I’m currently revamping my personal website, which offers SEO content creation services, and I’ve reached out to marketing managers to gather feedback.

But don’t stop here.

If possible, map the persona to a customer journey so that you can structure your website accordingly. For example, a marketing manager might not immediately engage my services. Therefore, I funnel them to an email newsletter and nurture them.

Pro tip: Some businesses target multiple personas, which can be challenging to manually create. Check out HubSpot’s handy buyer persona builder to help you create detailed buyer personas.

Source

4. Define your branding and messaging.

A website bridges the gap between your business and its customers, which calls for an engaging and relatable experience. Therefore, avoid using generic design templates as-is.

Instead, your website should reflect your brand through the choice of colors, fonts, messaging, and layout. Be it your logo, blogs, or product pages, be consistent when aligning them with your brand.

For example, if you’re running a tech startup that pitches products to improve productivity, you’ll want a minimalist website that reflects the time-saving benefits. Meanwhile, a business championing environmental causes leaves a lasting impression with a blend of green-themed elements and empathetic messaging.

I know that deciding on branding elements has significant implications, so I often browse similar websites for inspiration before shortlisting a few themes. But these days, you can use AI web development tools to generate web prototypes simply by describing your brand to the chatbot.

5. Analyze competitors.

Does exploring your competitor’s website help you redesign a better one? Well, yes and no. Remember that every business is unique. Therefore, you wouldn’t want to be overly influenced by what other websites look or feel like. What works for another may not work for you.

Yet, competitor analysis helps you uncover content gaps, architectural issues, funnels, and marketing strategies you might overlook. For example, you can find out their best-performing web content on search engines. This way, you can create better content that will potentially outrank your competitors.

6. Choose a web platform.

Next, decide if you want to stay with the same web hosting provider and content management software (CMS). For example, many small businesses began with WordPress and Wix due to their ease of use and low cost. The downside is having to integrate dozens of plugins to enable business, website, and other functions, which, based on my experience, is challenging to manage at scale.

However, as their business grows, many companies seek a more scalable CMS that is integrated with their sales and marketing workflows. Some might choose to develop a custom website, particularly if they plan to offer in-page apps or tools. While this provides more control over the entire redesign workflow, you’ll need to manage the technical complexities that come with it.

Meanwhile, I’ve also seen businesses that host their websites on business-driven CMS like HubSpot. The beauty of this option is that it allows them to create web content, monitor performance metrics, and nurture leads from a unified platform. Moreover, they can also use HubSpot’s Content Hub to create AI-assisted content that reflects their brand voice.

Source

7. Choose your web design team.

It’s tempting to take on the mammoth task alone. But be aware of the tasks involved when redesigning your sites. You’ll need a blend of creativity, content creation, SEO know-how, coding, and other skillsets to rebuild a website successfully.

For most businesses, their time is better spent on core activities, such as sales and marketing. If that’s the case, collaborating with an external web design team is better. For example, I’ve built several websites from scratch in the past, and it pushed me to my limits. Now, I collaborate with web designers I trust.

8. Structure your website.

Your new website must be easy to navigate, both for humans and search engines. So, decide how you organize topics, web pages, and blogs. And that’s where a sitemap is helpful. A sitemap describes the hierarchy of various web content, usually grouping similar topics together. It also serves as a blueprint that guides web designers, developers, and SEO specialists.

For example, if you run a software development company, you can organize your site into separate sections for generative AI development, mobile app development, and application testing. Then, create blogs, web pages, and landing pages for each category. This way, visitors can easily find the information they’re searching for.

9. Create an audience-led content strategy.

Chances are, you will need to revamp most of your web content. As you do so, keep the audience in mind, because that’s the reason why websites exist. Instead of randomly publishing content, align it with your customer’s journey.

Remember, an effective content strategy not only increases conversion but also positions your brand as an authority. Think of content as a layered funnel that supports your audience throughout their purchase cycle. Each piece of content should meet the user’s intent.

Personally, I’d suggest striking a balance between transactional and informational content. Simply put, don’t only publish product pages, but also include blogs that guide the audience in their discovery, commercial investigation, and purchase touchpoints. Additionally, you can also publish case studies, whitepapers, and success stories to subtly convince them that your brand is worth its value.

Once you have decided on the type of content to publish, schedule it into an editorial calendar. You don’t have to create all the pieces of content at once. Rather, you can launch the new website with several strong pieces and continue publishing from your content pipeline.

10. Apply best UX design practices.

While it’s great to have a stylish website, it’s even better to have a functional one that actually drives business outcomes. According to a study, businesses lost $1.42 trillion in sales due to poor user experience (UX). If you don’t want to leave money on the table, you need to take UX seriously.

User experience (UX) is not merely giving a website a superficial facelift with fancy colors and layouts. Often, you need a more thoughtful consideration of how users actually interact with a website. Specifically, when you optimize your site for UX, you focus on the ease of use, accessibility, and convenience that your website offers.

To get started, you’ll need to answer questions like:

• What’s the optimal font size and color to use?
• Are web pages designed optimally for mobile users?
• How can you incorporate accessibility features to promote greater inclusivity?
• Are you using the right contrast to showcase different parts of the design?
• Can buyers complete the checkout easily?

Then, you turn them into an actionable plan.

For example, if a landing page has a high drop rate, you need to find out whether customers find the purchase path confusing. Then identify other possible causes that cause customers to leave. Sometimes, the problem can be technical, such as slow loading pages. However, there are also cases where the choice of copy, such as in the call-to-action, might cause customers to hesitate.

11. Work on SEO.

If your website has been driving search traffic, you’ll want to maintain, or, if better, improve your revamped site’s search visibility. And that means integrating SEO into your web redesign strategy.

SEO is a broad topic that involves various principles, strategies, and tactics. I learned SEO when I started building WordPress websites in 2015. Since then, I’ve helped my clients rank web content on Google. If there’s anything I can share with you, it’s to keep these points in mind.

Redirect old pages.

Use a 301 redirect to route traffic from the web content that you’ve removed to the new one. This is important because some web pages might have gained credible backlinks over time. If you don’t redirect them, you’ll lose backlink authority and, consequently, your search ranking.

Perform on-page optimization.

Make sure your content is skimmable. Use subheadings, bullet points, and numbered lists to structure your content. Otherwise, you risk turning visitors away because of large, chunky text.

If possible, use rich media like charts, images, and videos in your web content. Not only do they help with SEO, but they can also provide more context to your content.

Also, don’t forget to connect related pages with internal links. For example, you can link an old blog about “email marketing tips” to a new “best email marketing software” article. Doing so helps your website establish topical authority, which in turn improves its SEO performance.

If you’re building your website on HubSpot, you can cross-check on-page optimization with the SEO recommendations it offers when you create a blog. Personally, I’ve tried it, and I must say, it’s solid.

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Use keywords strategically.

Keywords help search engines understand our content, even in the age of AI-led search. You still need to optimize your web content with keywords if you want it to be found by the right users. Just remember, don’t overstuff them.

Pro tip: As a best practice, I use the target keywords naturally once in the title, first paragraph, and at least one of the subheadings.

Optimize for AI search.

Traditionally, the goal of SEO was to rank on Google and other search engines. Now, with generative AI transforming the search landscape, many brands are hoping to be found on AI platforms like ChatGPT as well.

At the moment of writing, AI search optimization is still evolving fast. Basic SEO still matters. But what the SEO community knows is that brand presence is a contributing factor to being cited by AI.

Pro tip: If you’re not sure if your business has a strong brand presence, use HubSpot’s AI Search Grader. It’ll return a score indicating your brand’s sentiment and share of voice.

12. Stage your website for testing.

Always test your new website before replacing the existing one. Despite having a comprehensive redesign plan, there might still be issues to iron out. For example, some landing pages might look awkward to actual users. Or you might face integration issues with third-party tools.

While you can run internal tests to assess the website, I recommend conducting usability tests with actual users. That’s because if you’re involved in the redesign effort, you might develop familiarity blindness, a phenomenon when you’re so used to seeing the design that you don’t really notice that there’s something amiss.

13. Perform a switch-over.

After validating your website’s functionality, plan for a switch-over. But before you do so, inform all stakeholders that you’re replacing the existing site with a new one. Give customers and users enough time to prepare for the eventual rollover and notify them of what changes they can expect.

Also, if possible, consider allowing users to remain on the existing web interface for a grace period. This way, they can explore the new web interface at their own pace, which helps in easing the transition.

Of course, not all businesses are in a position to do so, because maintaining both versions on the production environment can be challenging.

14. Monitor performance.

The first several weeks are crucial after your new website goes live. Based on my experience, even if you’ve done your best, some issues might slip through the tests you conducted.

So, be on the lookout for metrics that can help you identify post-launch issues. And that includes:

• User interactions.
• Traffic sources.
• Conversion rate.
• SEO performance.

In a way, you’re re-auditing your website again to ensure that the redesign is meeting its objectives.

I know — measuring so many metrics can be challenging. When I started building websites in 2015, I had to use several tools to consolidate them. But these days, you can use HubSpot’s Marketing Analytics to unify all the data.

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15. Optimize post-launch.

Your job doesn’t end after your new website has gone live, even if you’ve ironed out all the glitches. Website technologies, customer behaviors, and marketing trends don’t last forever. In fact, we’re in a fast-paced era where we can’t afford to be complacent with our web strategy.

Therefore, periodically assess web performance, conversion, and customer satisfaction. If necessary, make adjustments to the content, layout, or site structure so your website remains relevant.

Now, you’re ready to redesign your website.

We’ve covered everything to redesign your website, including audit, restructure, content, SEO, and launch preparation. Apply the steps I shared to redesign a website that attracts more consumers, wows more visitors, and converts more customers.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in March 2013 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

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