Is Your Brand Website Due For A Refresh? Take A Page From The E-Commerce Playbook

In a world where every digital interaction counts, brand websites hold a unique advantage in creating emotional connections with their audience. While they may not drive instant revenue like e-commerce sites, they are essential for shaping perception, building trust, and engaging buyers at pivotal moments in their journey.

In fact, consumers view a brand’s website as its most important digital touchpoint, with 87% prioritizing user-friendliness as their top expectation. But with hundreds of thousands of websites created daily, your site has to deliver a unique, memorable experience to break through the noise and provide value to users — whether you’re a marketer at a university, media company, non-profit organization, or government agency.

While brand and e-commerce websites have different purposes, applying strategies from the retail world can help you create a digital experience that’s more engaging and highly tuned to meet user needs.

Think brand websites are dead? Think again

E-commerce websites are built to turn visits into purchases. Designed for facilitating transactions, most retail sites boast features like product catalogs, streamlined checkout processes and user-friendly navigation.

On the other hand, brand websites create an experience through visuals, storytelling, and detailed product information. Rather than the need to turn browsers into buyers upon first click, brand websites represent one of the first steps in the customer journey — and they’re essential touchpoints for building trust and awareness.

Picture a consumer who has never encountered your brand searching online for a new backpack. They might start with a general search, like “best backpacks for traveling,” and find your brand site where they can explore your products and company values in depth. As they browse, your site has the opportunity to shape the consumer’s preferences, introducing them to features they may not have initially considered in their research — like ergonomic design or eco-friendly materials.

Alternatively, someone already familiar with your brand may visit your website to learn more about specific product features, ultimately leading them to purchase your product from a big-box retailer. In either scenario, a thoughtfully crafted brand website can leave a lasting impression that guides the consumer further along their purchase journey.

By providing engaging content and more intuitive features, you can transform your website into a touchpoint that supports discovery and decision-making, even if the actual purchase happens elsewhere.

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5 ways to approach brand website creation through a retail lens

While brand websites don’t have the same transactional focus as e-commerce sites, incorporating retail-inspired features can make them more engaging and user-friendly.

From incorporating search functionality to adopting a more user-centric design, here are five e-commerce-inspired strategies that can elevate your brand website:

1. Offer robust search functionality.

Most e-commerce websites allow users to filter search results by categories like product type, size, department and color. While brand sites may not require these specific filters, an intuitive search function is still essential for helping visitors find information quickly and easily.

A clear, accessible search function helps users quickly locate key information, such as FAQs or sustainability and sourcing practices. Additionally, incorporating a solution finder feature can help users identify products that match their specific needs, making the experience frictionless.

2. Elevate customer interactions.

While people typically associate live interactions like chatbots with e-commerce sites, there’s no reason your brand site can’t benefit from these same features. When visitors land on your website, they may have specific questions, like which local retailers carry certain products or detailed information on product materials.

A chatbot can provide immediate answers for a more engaging and useful experience. For example, Peloton’s website uses its Peloton Assistant chatbot to answer commonly asked questions, from product options to membership benefits. This makes it easier for users to find information and connect with the brand, within seconds and without additional clicks.

3. Focus on the end user.

Just as retail sites feature curated product categories like “backpacks for adventurers” or “gifts for her,” you can use storytelling to make your brand feel personal and relevant. With 68% of consumers saying brand stories influence their purchase decisions, focus on telling your brand story in a way that’s authentic and emotionally resonant.

Your brand narrative should not only highlight the “why” behind your company, but also reflect how your values align with those of your target customers. By keeping your story consistent across all touchpoints, you can reinforce your brand identity and maintain authenticity — making it clear why your brand matters to the people it serves.

4. Optimize the mobile experience.

Most e-commerce sites prioritize mobile optimization through dedicated apps or high-performance mobile sites. Since consumers typically use smartphones for casual browsing and buying, optimizing your site for mobile is table stakes. Responsive design helps your site adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes, changing the layout and organization of content to suit a variety of devices.

To further enhance the mobile experience, consider simplifying navigation menus, reducing form fields and ensuring calls-to-action are clear and easy to tap. From an SEO perspective, focus on improving mobile load speeds and functionality. Regularly testing and refining the mobile experience can help maintain the performance of your site.

5. Iterate based on performance metrics.

Beyond enhancing mobile site performance, you can leverage different metrics to assess the overall effectiveness of your website and the quality of users’ visits.

Unlike e-commerce sites where cart abandonment and conversion rates indicate performance, look at engagement metrics like bounce rate, pages per session and time on page. Then use these findings to make improvements to your website. For example, if your homepage shows a high bounce rate, you may need to reevaluate content relevance or test page load speed to encourage users to further explore your site.

Turn your brand website into a consumer engagement hub

Despite their non-transactional nature, brand websites are foundational tools for building awareness and trust with consumers. But transforming your site into a true engagement powerhouse means borrowing a few strategies from the e-commerce playbook.

Center the experience on the customer, making every interaction as seamless as shopping on your favorite retail site. With ongoing, data-driven improvements and a focus on customer-centric design, your brand website can foster deeper connections and drive long-term loyalty.

Remember, your brand website is more than a landing page — it’s a powerful tool for fostering lasting connections.

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