An Online Store Without a Strategy — It’s a Nice Box Without Content

Your online store is not just a website

Sales begin long before the launch. But most entrepreneurs don’t understand this and start launching a store with technical aspects — choosing a CMS, looking for a designer, discussing button colors. And it’s logical: you want to see something tangible, something you can ‘touch’ — even with a mouse. But there’s a catch: most sales problems arise not from the design but from the lack of strategy.

Imagine you’ve opened an offline store without understanding who your customer is, where they live, how they make decisions, and what annoys them. All you’ve done is set up beautiful shelves and ordered a bright sign. And then you sit and wait. This is exactly what a typical online store looks like without a marketing strategy. Beautiful, convenient, but deaf to the client. Marketing is not something that is added “later” when everything is ready. It’s what you should start with.

Misconceptions about creating online stores

To be frank, in the Ukrainian business environment, several harmful myths still prevail. They sound harmless but cause as much damage as bad code. Among the most common misconceptions are such as:

• ‘I’ll create a site, and sales will come by themselves.’
• ‘The main thing is a cool design; everything else will follow.’
• “We’ll launch first, and set up the advertising later when the money starts coming in.”
• “We’re so great that everyone will buy from us without any marketing.”

Behind each of these phrases is not just a misconception but a risk of wasting the budget and losing time. The irony is, that even with high demand, a site without a marketing strategy loses up to 80% of potential revenue — simply because the user doesn’t understand where to click, why they need it, and why this product is better than others.

So the first thing to learn is: an online store is not a website but a business tool that should communicate with the client in terms of benefits. And if this language isn’t set from the start, no fancy button will save it.

What is a Marketing Strategy for eCommerce

What does an effective strategy consist of? Before discussing effectiveness, we need to understand what is meant by the term ‘marketing strategy’. For some, it’s just ‘setting up advertising’, while for others, it’s a 50-page document with charts, audience profiles, and a content plan for the year.

The truth, as always, lies somewhere in between. A marketing strategy is a structured plan on how a business will find customers, convert them into buyers, and bring them back again. It is like a navigator showing: here’s where you are now, here’s where you want to go — and here’s how to get there with the least losses.

To better understand what should be inside such a strategy, we should look at its basic components. Among the essential elements of a marketing strategy for an online store, there are usually these components:

• Target Audience: who are your buyers, what is important to them, and how do they make decisions.
• Unique Selling Proposition (USP): what sets you apart from others — price, service, range, atmosphere, or all at once.
• Sales Funnel: what steps does a person take from introduction to purchase.
• Communication Channels: where should you be seen — Instagram, Google, email, offline posters?
• Content and Messages: what exactly are you saying in your texts, videos, banners, advertisements.
• Efficiency Metrics: how to assess if the strategy is working? It could be CPA, CTR, ROMI, or just the number of repeat purchases.

Each of these points is not just for show. They directly impact how the site will look, which blocks will be there, where feedback forms will appear, how texts will sound, and even which photos should be added to the product card.

Case: How the Strategy Tripled Sales

To prove that strategy is not just an office buzzword but a real tool for growth, let’s recall the case of the Ukrainian marketplace MakeUp.ua. In the early years, the platform grew chaotically: new brands were added, and marketing operated on an ad-hoc basis. However, when the team formed a clear strategy—defined the main target audience (women aged 25-40 who value quick delivery and bonuses), relaunched communication, and integrated personalized recommendations—within just half a year, the average receipt increased by 34%, and repeat sales by 57%.

And all of this—not through redesign or technical improvements, but thanks to a well-thought-out marketing strategy. The strategy allowed the brand’s values to take center stage and turned the client into not just a buyer, but a part of the community. By the way, it’s the strategy that answers the typical question: “Why should a client buy from you?” Without it, it’s like being without a mirror: you imagine something, but you don’t know how it looks to others.

How marketing influences website development

The structure, texts, and functionality should work towards sales. When a designer creates a website layout without a marketing background, it often turns out beautiful. But not always effective. Because aesthetics are about appearance, while marketing is about customer behavior. And as we know, it is not always logical and definitely not driven by the color of a button.

Imagine your website is a sales consultant. If it is silent, doesn’t make eye contact, doesn’t ask questions—you won’t buy. The same goes for the website: its task is to lead the user by the hand to purchase, addressing objections, nudging, convincing. And all this is thanks to a well-constructed structure, thoughtful texts, and functional blocks based on marketing logic.

The most typical decisions made at the development stage under the influence of strategy look like this:

• Building the site structure: pages, categories, navigation are formed based on how your audience specifically searches for the product.
• Placement of triggers and call-to-action (CTA) buttons: they should appear exactly where the user is ready to click, not where it’s convenient for the designer.
• Sections with advantages, reviews, guarantees: are added when the strategy indicates that the target audience has doubts about delivery, quality, or price.
• Texts for product cards and pages: are created not “like everyone else’s,” but tailored to the needs and motivations of the specific audience. Sometimes this involves an emotional presentation, and other times—technical details.
• Blocks with cross-selling or promotions: are formed depending on seasonality, receipts, repeat purchases—all of this determines the strategy.

And here’s where the difference between “the site exists” and “the site works” appears.

5 reasons to start with marketing, not design

At the start of a project, we want to see results. Something beautiful, clickable, something that makes eyes shine. And here it’s easy to fall into a trap: starting with design. Because it’s visible. You can discuss it with your team, show it to friends, brag about it on social media. But marketing is invisible. Charts, analysis, avatars, numbers—boring at first glance.

But this is precisely the trap. Because if a business starts with a ‘pretty picture’ rather than sales logic, it ends up doing two projects: the first—beautiful and useless, the second—with understanding. And that’s why it’s much more profitable to start with marketing.

Marketing defines the content, not just the form

A site without a strategy is like a poster without a concert. It promises something, it says something, but nothing happens. While design is responsible for the outer presentation, marketing shapes the very essence of communication: what we talk about, to whom, why it should matter right now. And it is marketing that asks the questions that change the game:

• Why should the customer buy here?
• What is critically important to them?
• What pain are we solving?
• What words will trigger ‘I want this’?

Without this, design is just background music. Even the most beautiful palette won’t save the situation if the client doesn’t understand why they’re here and what’s being offered.

The target audience is not a fantasy, but a starting point

Many business owners think they know their customer. But when it comes to deep analysis, surprises arise: the most active buyers are not who the advertising was targeted at. For instance, they thought it was teenagers, but it’s mothers who are buying. Or vice versa — instead of men 35+, it’s TikTok girls who make the main income.

Marketing allows you to figure this out at the start, not after a failed launch. And then decisions are made based not on emotions, but on numbers.

Thanks to audience analysis, you can:

• Build the correct website structure.
• Write texts that ‘hook’ rather than just inform.
• Select a design that speaks the client’s language — sometimes it’s simplicity, sometimes brightness, sometimes restrained minimalism.

Without this, the site will be convenient… for you. But not for those who are buying.

Marketing saves budget, nerves, and time

How much does a website cost? On average — from 2 to 5 thousand dollars initially. And about the same again for fixing mistakes that will appear if there was no strategy. Because here’s what a typical scenario looks like:

1. We build a website based on intuition.
2. We launch an advertisement.
3. We don’t get orders.
4. We start testing new banners, texts, offers.
5. We realize the website structure needs changing.
6. We return to the developer.
7. We pay again.

And it’s not ‘if’, it’s ‘when’ — if the logic is not laid out from the start. A marketing strategy helps avoid this cycle of revisions. It works like a blueprint for a builder — before drawing anything, we learn what needs to be there, for whom and with what function.

Strategy creates demand even before launch

Proper marketing doesn’t wait for the site to appear. It warms up the audience even before the ‘buy’ button appears. As a result — on launch day, the first customers are already in the chat, already with questions, already with money.

This works through:

• content marketing — when potential clients see valuable materials and await the launch;
• email campaigns — which warm up the base before the launch;
• targeted advertising — that tests different USPs and gives an understanding of what ‘catches on’ the best.

If you do everything the other way around — first the site, then marketing — you’ll have to spend money not on development, but on fixing.

Strategy is a shield from chaos in the team

Everyone has their own “I think that…”. And during the website creation stage, this can be dangerous. When there is no strategic document, everything relies on opinions: one wants bright banners, another desires minimalism, and a third wants it “like the competitors”. It all turns the process into an endless series of redesigns, redraws, and nerves.

In such situations, a marketing strategy is like a technical specification for a project:

• It explains why this particular color is used.
• Justifies button placements.
• Determines which blocks should be on the homepage.
• Provides the team with a shared vision and saves dozens of hours of discussions.

And most importantly — it helps to make decisions based on client benefits, not the manager’s liking for the color blue.

Who should create the strategy — developer, designer, or marketer

Let’s imagine a situation: the team is assembled, deadlines are looming, the site is already in progress — and someone suggests, “Let’s strategically think about what we’re actually selling and to whom.” At this moment, the designer rolls their eyes, the developer removes their headphones, and the manager grabs a coffee. Because there’s never time to “think” — it’s time to “do”.

And this is where the most typical pitfalls begin: everyone tries to become a bit of a marketer. The designer because they ‘see trends,’ the developer because they ‘saw such a structure somewhere,’ and the manager because they ‘feel the client.’ In the end, the site resembles a Frankenstein Edition: a piece from here, a button from there, logic from nowhere. To avoid this, it’s important to assign roles correctly before starting development.

What a marketer does—and why the strategy doesn’t work without them

A marketer is not someone who ‘just sets something in advertising.’ They are a strategist, a translator of business goals into the client’s language. They decode the needs of the target audience, gather data, see patterns, and find profitable entry points.

Their tasks:

• to conduct competitive analysis;
• to formulate a clear USP;
• to describe audience personas and their customer journey;
• to develop the sales funnel logic;
• to set the structure and functional requirements for the site;
• to compile a technical RFP for the team.

A marketer isn’t confined to Excel spreadsheets. They think about how the client will see the product, what they’ll think, what will stop them, and what will make them say ‘yes.’ All of this is captured in the strategy, which then becomes a handbook for the entire team.

What a designer should not do

A designer should not decide where a call-to-action should be placed. Not because they can’t, but because they shouldn’t be devising business logic instead of a marketer. They should visualize solutions, not create them from scratch.

The most common mistakes that occur when a designer takes on a strategic role:

• creates a website structure without understanding the sales funnel;
• focuses on trends rather than the behavior of the target audience;
• avoids text when it’s needed and embellishes where there should be a clear call-to-action.

This is not about bad designers. It’s about a lack of focus. The best result comes from a team where everyone is responsible for their part but understands the logic of the entire project.

What a developer should not decide

A developer is someone who builds the website so it works smoothly. But due to their technical background, they are often delegated tasks outside of their area of responsibility.

Common phrases from reality:

• “It seems better to remove this block because it’s hard to implement.”
• “Can we simplify the structure to launch faster?”
• “SEO? Well, we’ll make a sitemap, that should be enough.”

And here lies the main danger: technical convenience begins to outweigh client logic. This means the site works perfectly — but not for the buyer, rather for the server. Therefore, strategy should dictate the technical task, not the other way around. Compromises are possible, but not at the expense of sales.

Who should be the “conductor” in this entire orchestra

In a well-constructed team, there’s a figure who doesn’t code, design, or layout. Instead, they understand how everything should work together. This could be a marketer, strategist, project manager with a strong business background, or a separately hired analyst. The main thing is that this person has a holistic vision and real experience. Because they:

• maintain the unified logic of the project;
• make data-driven decisions;
• explain to each team member why it’s important not just to ‘do it this way’ but ‘do it this way for the client.’

In conclusion: neither the designer nor the developer should create the marketing strategy. They should work according to it. And only then does each person, in their place, create not just a website, but a system that sells.

Early planning saves money

There is one rule that an entrepreneur learns only with experience — the most expensive thing is always what seemed cheap at the start. Especially when it comes to creating an online store. Initially, everything seems simple: “we’ll make an MVP, then refine it.” And then it turns out that this “refinement” costs as much as another site.

The most costly mistakes occur precisely because of the lack of a clear strategy at the initial stage. In situations where there is no logic, decisions are made randomly: whoever speaks the loudest is right. This means constant revisions, delays, and stretched budgets.

To avoid making baseless claims, it’s worth looking at what exactly entrepreneurs spend money on when they start without a marketing plan.

Among the typical expenses that can be avoided:

• Complete restructuring of the website — because it turns out later that users don’t understand where to click, where to find things, and how to place an order.
• Rewriting all texts — because the first ones were written “by eye,” without considering customer behavior and positioning.
• Replacement of blocks and functionality — because after launch, it turned out that the site lacked key elements: reviews, online chat, lead magnets, and mobile device adaptation.
• Change of visual style — because “we wanted minimalism, but it turned out cold,” or “it was made bright, but the audience doesn’t accept it.”
• Unstable advertising — because initially “everything was spun for everyone,” and only later did they realize that the budget went nowhere.

And here’s the paradox: a business invests in a site that should save time, sell, and automate — and instead spends even more to make it work.

What a strategy at the start provides — in numbers and feelings

Strategy is not just a checkbox. It’s a way to synchronize business, website, and marketing. Without it, everyone pulls in their own direction: the designer for aesthetics, the developer for technical simplicity, and the manager for ‘I like it.’ Strategy removes subjectivity and brings the team back to the main focus — the client.

From a pragmatic perspective, a marketing strategy is not an expense, but an investment in savings. It allows you to:

• reduce the project’s launch time by 20-30%;
• minimize the number of revisions;
• avoid double payment for the same tasks;
• launch an advertising campaign directly on hotspots;
• achieve first sales within the first month.

And if you focus not on numbers, but on feelings — it’s peace of mind. Instead of ‘just making a website,’ you clearly know why it’s being created, how it should work, and what role it plays in the business. An entrepreneur who starts with marketing isn’t being overly cautious. They’re playing the long game. They’re not guessing — they’re acting based on data. And that’s why they don’t have three versions of the site, but one — which started selling right away.

Conclusion: an online store without strategy is like playing roulette

Your website can be perfect — fast, beautiful, responsive. But if it’s built without a clear strategy, its effectiveness is just like a spin of a roulette wheel. You might get lucky. Or not. And that’s not business — that’s gambling.

Throughout this article, we’ve shown that marketing isn’t something you do after — it’s what you do before. It’s the strategy that defines what should be on the site, how the structure should work, what kind of content converts, and how visitors become customers.

For an entrepreneur who wants consistent online sales, strategy is not just a formality. It’s a working tool that:

• saves your budget;
• reduces team stress;
• gives clarity on where your customer is and how to reach them;
• prevents unnecessary rework and wasted time;
• turns your website into a source of profit — not just “something that exists”.

Let’s ground this in practical steps.

How to start right: tips for those launching today

Even if development is already underway, it’s not too late to pause and check your direction. And if you’re just starting — even better.

Here are a few simple but essential steps:

1. Start with a marketer. Meet, brief, clarify your goals. Paying for strategy is cheaper than paying for a second website.
2. Define your USP. If you can’t explain why a customer should choose you — they won’t get it either.
3. Research your audience. Don’t guess who they are. Study the data, analyze behavior, ask real people.
4. Plan the website like a sales funnel. It’s not a collection of pages — it’s a journey toward a purchase.
5. Don’t skimp on content. Texts, visuals, videos — everything should work for conversion, not just “fill space”.

And most importantly — don’t be afraid to plan early. It doesn’t delay launch — it accelerates results. A website without strategy will inevitably take you back to strategy — just after failure. But if you start with it, you play the long game. And then, success doesn’t depend on luck.

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