Why Your Website Needs More Than Just IMAGES AND TEXT

A website isn’t just a place for people to check out your business - it’s the heart of your brand’s online presence. Yet, so many websites fall short because they lack a critical element: strategy.

Building a website without a plan is like throwing a party without sending out invitations—it’s unlikely anyone will show up. That’s where brand strategy comes in.

If you’ve ever wondered why your website isn’t attracting the right clients or driving business growth, it might be time to rethink your approach.

In short, a brand strategy turns your website from “just a collection of words and images” into a powerful marketing tool that drives results.

In this post, I’m going to cover the elements of brand strategy, and walk you through a real example of the brand strategy that I created for Janice Z Dog Training. I’ll include every component of brand strategy and how we applied it to her website.

Here is how her site looked when she reached out to me compared to after we developed a brand strategy and created a new website.

Some of her main pain points with the old site were:

The home page only had one image, which lacked visual appeal
Most of the page consisted of text on a white background, which readers tend to skip over
It was difficult to identify which training was the best one for the client, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and confused

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What Is Brand Strategy, and Why Does It Matter?

Brand strategy is the intentional, long-term plan that defines how a brand communicates its values, personality, and offerings to its target audience. It aligns every aspect of a brand—its messaging, visuals, tone, and user experience—to create a cohesive and memorable identity that resonates with customers.

In this post we’re going to focus on six main components of brand strategy:

1. TARGET AUDIENCE

Before you can even start to lay a roadmap of designing your site, you first need to establish who your audience is. It really lays the groundwork for your entire site (and business). This may seem like a simple, obvious point, but sadly most people overlook it.

I start every custom website project off with a brand strategy call. This allows me to hear from the client directly what their pain points are and what they’re looking for in a new website. From there, I can create a brand strategy to implement the design of their new website.

When I met with Janice about her dog training business, she told me that by the time most people came to her, they had exhausted every avenue. Many were on the brink of having to surrender the dog, or possibly even euthanization (if there was a biting incident), and that marriages were struggling as a result.

This was very helpful in knowing how to write the copy for her website. Tired, hopeless, frustrated people were going to be browsing her site looking for answers. Including text that conveyed these same feelings would be invaluable in showing the user that Janice understood how they were feeling.

Right under the hero section of the home page, I placed this section that immediately grabs the reader’s attention and shows that a) We understand how you feel, b) We can help, and c) Get help by clicking the button.

the problem and solution opening statement on janice's website

2. BRAND POSITIONING

Chances are, you aren’t the only business in your field. Your website should set you apart and explain to the user why you’re different. So, what makes you different? Maybe it’s years of experience. Or a specialty service or specialty item that you offer. Or maybe it’s just you - your personality, customer service, etc.

There’s no one like you. So whatever it is that sets you apart from the competition, that should be conveyed on your website. This is not the time to be shy or humble! Give yourself permission to brag about yourself. You’ve worked hard to get to where you are.

As for Janice, even though she is in a small area, there are still several other dog trainers competing for business. Janice’s website needed to position herself as the expert in the field.

One thing that astounded me to learn in our strategy call was that dog training is an unregulated field. Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, even if they don’t have a single certification. This was a huge golden nugget that we needed to include on the site. Janice’s expertise and years garnering education and certifications was a huge asset in setting her apart.

Here is the section on the About page that positions her brand as different from the rest:

screenshot of janice's website comparing janice to other dog trainers

3. TONE & PERSONALITY

The tone and personality of a brand are crucial because they shape how customers perceive and connect with your business. Just like people, brands have their own voices. The way a brand communicates—whether friendly, professional, humorous, or authoritative—sets the tone for how customers will feel when interacting with it.

On my call with Janice, I asked her if she wanted her brand to be more “fun and playful” or “serious and professional”. The answer would greatly impact which route I took for the design. A fun and playful site would have a different font, different sentence structure, and a different image layout than a serious and professional site.

Either personality style would have worked well, but ultimately we went the “serious and professional” route, which helped to establish Janice as the authority and leader in the field.

This is reflected in the tone of her “About” section, which emphasizes her experience and approach to dog training.

4. VISUAL IDENTITY

Your logo, color palette, fonts, and images are key visual elements of your brand identity that go beyond simply looking appealing. Each element plays a critical role in conveying your brand’s personality, values, and message.

A well-designed logo creates instant recognition, while a thoughtfully chosen color palette evokes the desired emotional response from your audience. Fonts, too, are more than just readable text—they help set the tone, whether professional, casual, or modern.

Part of the brand strategy for Janice’s business was to create a new logo that reflected her level of professionalism. The typography in the logo matches the typography on her new site. I also included a vibrant blue from the new color palette and a memorable dog icon that makes the entire logo eye-catching.

Images, whether photos, illustrations, or icons, complement the overall strategy by supporting your brand's narrative and enhancing user experience. When all these visual components are aligned with your brand strategy, they create a cohesive, memorable identity that not only attracts attention but also builds trust and emotional connections with your target audience.

For Janice, she mostly works with medium to large size dogs, particularly pit bulls. This needed to be taken into consideration when curating images for her website. I created a beautiful image of a golden retriever to use in the hero section. The dog is wearing a harness that represents the blue in the color palette (maintaining brand consistency) and the text quickly explains who Janice’s business is and what she does.

5. USER EXPERIENCE

User experience (UX) is crucial when it comes to turning visitors into loyal customers. If your website is easy to navigate, easy to understand, and provides the information people need, they’re more likely to stay engaged and ultimately turn into a client.

A seamless experience means users don’t have to think too hard about what to do next—everything is clear and easy to follow with call to action buttons guiding them to the next step.

On the flip side, if your site is confusing, cluttered, frustrating to use or difficult to make a purchase or book an appointment, visitors will quickly look elsewhere. People don’t have time to waste, and if they feel overwhelmed or lost, they won’t hesitate to hit the “X” and get out of there.

Janice’s previous site listed the trainings on her home page, but because it was a lot of text against a white background, visitors “checked out” instead of engaging with the site and choosing a training. This was the most important part of creating a brand strategy for her new site.

We spent some time discussing the programs she offered and narrowed it down to 4 trainings. On the new site, the 4 trainings are clearly identifiable and the descriptions allow people to quickly determine which program is best for them.

image of the training courses offered on janice's home page

6. BRAND CONSISTENCY

Brand consistency is essential for building trust and recognition with your audience. Every piece of messaging, from the language you use to the images and colors you choose, should align with your brand’s core identity.

This should extend beyond your website to include social media and marketing materials. This familiarity builds confidence and strengthens your brand in their minds, making it easier for them to remember and engage with you.

Inconsistent branding can feel unprofessional and cause potential customers to doubt your business’s reliability. When everything works together in harmony, it fosters a deeper connection with your audience and helps you build long-term loyalty.

I kept the header sections of Janice’s site consistent by using images of happy dogs that were outside on a sidewalk and had a blue accent. All of the images work together and maintain the same look and feel across the site. Janice also updated her logo in her CRM, email signature, social media, etc to launch her new brand.

Final Thoughts: Your Website Should Work Smarter, Not Harder

Your website is much more than just a place to display your business—it’s a powerful tool that can either make or break your brand. With the right brand strategy, your site becomes a well-oiled machine that attracts the right people, guides them through an easy, seamless experience, and ultimately converts them into loyal customers.

Just like I did for Janice Z Dog Training, a well-thought-out brand strategy can transform a lackluster website into a resource that not only attracts visitors but turns them into clients. It’s not just about slapping together some images and text—it’s about creating a cohesive, intentional experience that speaks to your target audience.

If you’re ready to take your website to the next level and create a brand strategy that really works, let’s chat. Book a strategy session with me today, and we’ll get started on making your site a powerful tool that attracts the right customers and helps your business grow.

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