The Part of Marketing No One Talks About

There’s something that’s costing many small businesses far more than they realize. Maybe you’re one of them?

Are you making business decisions based on the belief that your website and your marketing are separate?

Because when you treat them that way, you could very well be setting the stage for disappointment, wasted dollars, and broken trust.

Over the past few months, I’ve been in conversation with a well-established business that was being forced, rightfully so, to redevelop its website.

The current site is ancient in technological terms, unable to perform even basic functions that a more modern site requires. And visually, it was definitely showing its age.

This is the kind of website that sends the wrong message to high-end prospects even before a word is ever read.

You have to wonder how many potential clients had already moved on to a competitor because their experience when landing on the site didn’t meet their expectations.

Being faced with the reality of rebuilding their website, they began speaking with multiple vendors, like us, in the branding, web development, and marketing space.

And, not surprisingly, they received a wide range of solutions at very different price points.

Our recommendation to them was a bit different, but what I felt was their best course of action.

We proposed an integrated approach that included an in-depth brand assessment and brand revitalization, custom website design and development, followed by six months of coordinated marketing…all handled by one team, using a unified strategy, over nine months.

When clients come to us needing several things done to get the visibility, leads, and sales they need, this kind of all-encompassing approach feels like the most responsible way to do the work.

And that’s because the structure of your website, the flow of your pages, the clarity of your messaging, the speed, the mobile experience, the tracking, the SEO fundamentals – all of these aren’t just technical details. They directly determine how well any marketing efforts perform.

So, when those elements aren’t done properly, marketing dollars don’t work harder or smarter; they just work faster at being wasted. Campaigns may run, ads may get clicks, content may go out the door, but the return never quite matches the effort.

What looks like a marketing problem is often a foundational one, slowly draining time, energy, and budget behind the scenes.

And yet, I still see businesses prioritize marketing spend while treating the website as something to minimize or rush through. Mostly because they believe marketing is where results are made.

That belief is understandable. It just happens to be backwards.

Marketing doesn’t fix foundational problems; it magnifies them. And when the foundation is shaky, those cracks become impossible to ignore.

In this case, the business owner began considering a split approach: one agency for the brand and website, another for the marketing. On the surface, that can feel like a safer, more controlled decision, especially if you’re risk-averse and looking for reassurance that your investment will pay off.

But I’ve been down that road too many times to pretend it’s not fraught with problems.

We’ve inherited countless websites over the years that look fine, but under the hood are deeply flawed. And then when results don’t come quickly (and they rarely do in those situations), the marketing team is blamed, despite the problems stemming from the foundation at the start.

The marketer knows it won’t go well the moment they see the site. But the business owner doesn’t know what to look for, so they assume nothing is wrong and insist on starting the marketing campaign.

Then trust breaks down as confidence erodes, and suddenly the marketer is stressed to fulfill the next demand of “better results, faster.”

That’s not a situation I’m willing to put a client or my team into.

So, I said something that isn’t always popular. And honestly, it felt counterintuitive for growing my own business:

If you’re not looking for an integrated approach, where one team carries responsibility for the brand, the website, and the marketing together, we should respectfully remove ourselves from consideration.

Not because we can’t run ads or manage campaigns, or build really effective websites… but because we don’t take on work just to make money. We take it on to help businesses succeed.

When a client views marketing as more important than the website, or evaluates value primarily by how much they’re spending rather than who they’re trusting, it tells me they’re still thinking in segments instead of systems.

And brand building doesn’t work in segments.

It’s important to remember that marketing isn’t the engine to help a business move forward; it’s more of an accelerator. So, if the foundation isn’t right, acceleration only gets you to the wrong place faster.

In the end, this business decided that an integrated approach didn’t work for them. They were comparing proposals based on divided scopes and assumed cost splits, trying to make sense of a process that was never meant to be sliced apart.

And I respect their decision, as it’s what made them feel comfortable, and it certainly gave me further clarity that I made the right decision.

It clarified that they were seeking certainty through separation, when what they actually needed was alignment. And it clarified for me that walking away was the most ethical choice.

Because I’d rather say no upfront than allow a business to believe marketing failed them, when the truth is, it never stood a chance.

That’s why I talk a lot about how everything is connected. Your brand, your website, your marketing… they either work together or they deceptively work against each other.

And once you see that clearly, you can’t unsee it.

What part of your business are you hoping marketing will fix for you?

Until next time, I’m Susan Friesen, your small business brand positioning strategist, inviting you to stay clear, stay focused, and stand out.

P.S. If you’re realizing marketing can’t fix what isn’t clear yet, The ‘No More Wasted Marketing’ Workbook walks you through clarifying whom you serve, what you solve, and what needs to come first, before more tactics. Download your copy today.

About the Author, Susan Friesen

Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is an expert in helping businesses establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity.

Her passion for empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the branding and marketing industry.

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