Skip to main content
Chykalophia

Know what to say before anything gets built

Most websites and campaigns fail long before design starts, because nobody wrote down who the buyer is, what they doubt and why you're the safe choice. Strategy fixes that first, in about two weeks.

Book a callSee how it works
01.Strategy

You walk away with:

A written strategy and messaging framework you can use in your next sales call, before anything is built.

Typically weeks 1 to 2

When
Typically weeks 1 to 2
Your time
Two 90-minute conversations
Run by
Our senior team, with Ari and Peter
You get
A written strategy and messaging framework
Why it comes first

Your buyer is deciding something specific. Most sites never ask what.

A B2B buyer doesn't land on your site to admire it. They're trying to answer a short list of questions: do you do what I need, can you do it for a company like mine, and what happens if I reach out? When the site can't answer those fast, they leave quietly and you never find out why.

That's why we don't open a design file in week one. We talk to the people who sell, read what your buyers actually ask, look at your numbers and your competitors, and write down the argument the work has to make. Every later decision, from the homepage headline to the form fields, gets checked against it.

If you've ever sat through a redesign where the debate was about colors and fonts, this is the phase that was missing.

1% to 3%is where most B2B websites convert. Top performers reach 10% or more, and the gap is rarely traffic.
Ruler Analytics, 2025
Where buyers hesitate

We map every point where a buyer might stop

Each stop below is a question your buyer asks, usually without saying it out loud. Pick one to see what we look for, and what we write down.

The first few seconds

“Is this for me?”

What we look for

  • Does the headline name the buyer and the problem?
  • Are there cues for industry, company size and deal type?
  • Would a buyer know within seconds that they're in the right place?

What we write down

The one-sentence answer to who you're for, in your buyers' own words.

Step by step

How the two weeks run

  1. 1Day 1 to 2Kickoff and accessA first 90-minute conversation about your business, your buyers and what success looks like. You share access to analytics and any sales numbers you're comfortable with.
  2. 2Days 2 to 6ResearchWe study your buyers, your competitors and your current positioning. We read your sales emails, proposals and reviews, and look at where people drop off on the site today.
  3. 3Days 5 to 8Find the hesitation pointsWe map the exact places where a buyer stalls: a vague headline, a missing proof point, a form that asks too much too soon. Each one gets a written fix.
  4. 4Days 7 to 10Write the argumentPositioning, the core message, the proof that backs it and the objections it has to answer, in plain language your sales team would actually say.
  5. 5End of week 2Review togetherThe second 90-minute conversation. We walk you through the strategy, test it against real deals you've won and lost, and adjust before the build starts.
Side by side

Who does what in Strategy

Your part

  • Two 90-minute conversations
  • Access to your analytics and sales numbers
  • Honest answers about what isn't working
  • One decision-maker who can sign off

Our part

  • Buyer, competitor and positioning research
  • Analysis and synthesis, start to finish
  • The written strategy and messaging framework
  • A plan for what gets built, and why
What you walk away with

A strategy you can use on Monday, even if we never build a thing

You own the document outright, and you can start using the messaging in sales calls before the new site is live.

  • 01Buyer profileWho buys, who influences the decision, what they're trying to get done and what makes them nervous.
  • 02Positioning statementWho you're for, what you do better than the alternatives, and why a buyer should believe it.
  • 03Messaging frameworkThe headline message, supporting points and proof for each, written in your customers' words.
  • 04Objections and answersThe doubts that stall deals, with the evidence that answers each one, ready for the site and for sales.
  • 05Hesitation mapEvery point on today's path where buyers stop, ranked by how much it costs you.
  • 06The build planWhat gets built, in what order, and the number we'll measure success against.
Side by side

What changes when strategy comes first

First meetingHow it often goes: A mood board and a sitemapHow we run it: Your buyers, your numbers and your lost deals
Who writes the messageHow it often goes: Whoever gets to the copy lastHow we run it: Decided in writing before design begins
How feedback gets settledHow it often goes: Taste and opinionHow we run it: Checked against the agreed strategy
What you can use right awayHow it often goes: Nothing until launchHow we run it: Messaging your sales team can use this week
Strategy in practice3×qualified leads within a month of launchTelling IndustriesBuyers couldn't work out which product they needed, so they called and waited, or left. The strategy rebuilt the brand and the path to a sales call around how Telling's customers actually buy.Read the story
Where this phase runs

The same four phases, sized to the job

Keep reading

Go deeper on this phase

From our articles

Free tools and worksheets

From our help center

Questions about the Strategy phase

OverviewSee the whole processNext phase 02. Build
start with the argument

Find out what your buyers are really asking.

On a free call, up to an hour, we look at your site and your sales process together and point out the first hesitation points we'd dig into.

Book a CallOr take the free Scorecard