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Building a strong brand website beyond the homepage

Build a website that does more than just look good.

When creating a brand website, the homepage often gets the lion’s share of attention. It’s the welcome mat, the first impression, and the digital handshake. But focusing solely on the homepage is like decorating the foyer and neglecting the rest of the house. For your website to be a powerful tool that works for your brand and your customers, you need to think beyond the homepage. From clear navigation to engaging content, from product showcases to intuitive design, every corner of your site must work seamlessly together to build a cohesive brand experience.

At BEAN CREATIVE®, we’ve honed a process that goes far beyond slapping together a homepage and hoping for the best. Before we go into the design, we take a deep dive into your brand’s identity, your business goals, and the needs of your target audience. Only then do we start crafting the wireframe, laying out a structure that highlights the most important elements of your website while ensuring ease of use. In this article, we’ll walk through the key elements of building a strong brand website and offer insight into the detailed process we follow to ensure your website goes beyond the homepage, becoming a strategic tool for growth.

We have full documentation for this accordion component here. You can use it to edit this component —or to build your own accessible accordion from scratch.

A brand website is much more than a digital business card. It’s the online extension of your brand’s identity, values, and story. The purpose of a website is multi-fold: it's meant to inform, engage, convert, and support long-term relationships. A well-designed website should:

  • Clearly communicate your brand's value proposition.
  • Offer easy access to information about your products or services.
  • Build trust and credibility.
  • Encourage interaction, whether that’s through sales, inquiries, or content engagement.
  • Reflect the brand’s personality and ethos across every page.

Understanding these goals is the first step in building a strong brand website. Every decision made in the design process should support these objectives. This is where a detailed analysis comes in.

We have full documentation for this accordion component here. You can use it to edit this component —or to build your own accessible accordion from scratch.

Before we begin designing or even thinking about visual elements, the team at BEAN CREATIVE® performs an in-depth analysis. Why? Because every brand is different. What works for one company may be disastrous for another. The key to creating a strong website is understanding the business goals, brand personality, and, most importantly, the needs of the audience.

Understand the brand identity

Your website should be an extension of your brand identity, so it's critical to have a clear understanding of what your brand stands for. If you don’t have answers to these questions yet, now’s the time to start:

  • What are your brand’s core values?
  • What tone and voice does your brand use?
  • What differentiates you from your competitors?

Identify target audience needs

A brand website must resonate with its audience. In this stage, we ask:

  • Who is your target audience?
  • What are they looking for when they visit your site?
  • How can we guide them effortlessly toward a solution?

Define the business objectives

Every brand website must serve a purpose. For some, that might be generating leads. For others, it might be showcasing products in a way that inspires purchases. Clearly defining the website’s business objectives shapes every other decision. This includes:

  • Determining whether your focus is on e-commerce, information, or engagement.
  • Understanding key performance indicators (KPIs) and goals like boosting conversion rates or increasing site traffic.

We have full documentation for this accordion component here. You can use it to edit this component —or to build your own accessible accordion from scratch.

Once the analysis is complete, we move into wireframing—the architectural blueprint of your website. This stage is critical in ensuring that your brand website is not just visually appealing but also highly functional.

Prioritize user experience (UX)

A visually stunning website is useless if it’s frustrating to navigate. User experience (UX) is at the heart of our wireframing process, ensuring the site flows intuitively from page to page. Here are a few ways to build a strong UX:

  • Consistent Navigation: Your visitors should always know where they are and how to move around. Having a clear and consistent menu structure, breadcrumbs, and footer links ensures seamless browsing.
  • Mobile-First Design: More users access websites on mobile than ever before. A responsive design that adapts to smaller screens should be prioritized from the wireframing stage.
  • Actionable Elements: Calls-to-action (CTAs), buttons, and interactive elements should be strategically placed for maximum engagement, encouraging users to explore further or complete an action, such as subscribing to a newsletter or making a purchase.

Showcase products and services clearly

The pages beyond the homepage—your product pages, service offerings, and content sections—should serve as showcases for what your brand offers. We structure these pages to emphasize:

  • Visual Hierarchy: Important information should stand out, whether through font size, images, or layout.
  • Clarity Over Clutter: Each page should be streamlined, with concise, engaging copy that highlights key benefits without overwhelming the user.
  • Interactive Features: For product-heavy websites, interactive features such as zooming in on images, viewing product details, or comparing products are essential.

Map out content strategy

Content is often treated as an afterthought, but it should be integrated into the wireframing process. Each page of your website needs to be built around the message it conveys. Consider:

  • Landing Pages for Campaigns: Custom landing pages should cater to specific campaigns, audiences, or product launches, each with its own tailored message and visuals.
  • Blog Integration: A blog provides ongoing engagement opportunities with your audience. It should be easy to find, read, and share.
  • Consistent Messaging Across Pages: Your tone of voice, style, and brand personality need to shine through on every page—not just the homepage.

We have full documentation for this accordion component here. You can use it to edit this component —or to build your own accessible accordion from scratch.

Once the wireframe is set, we develop a model layout, often starting with key internal pages such as product pages or service pages, before refining it across the website. This is the stage where visual elements like colors, fonts, and imagery come into play. But we don’t simply move forward blindly.

Refining with client feedback

At BEAN CREATIVE®, client feedback is an essential part of the process. We present the model layout for review, not just to check off aesthetic boxes, but to ensure that the visual structure aligns with the brand and that all key functional requirements are met. Some areas of focus include:

  • Visual Consistency: Does the design align with the brand identity? Are the colors, fonts, and imagery reflective of the overall brand tone?
  • Functionality Testing: Before moving into the final design phase, we ensure that all interactive elements, from forms to navigation, are easy to use and contribute to the site’s overall functionality.

Testing across platforms and devices 

Ensuring your website performs seamlessly on all devices and platforms is critical. The process includes:

  • Responsive Design: Testing across different screen sizes guarantees the site remains consistent and functional, whether accessed on a desktop or smartphone.
  • Browser Compatibility: Ensuring the website operates smoothly across major browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox provides a uniform experience.
  • Performance Optimization: Monitoring load times on various devices helps improve speed and overall user experience.
  • Interactive Features: Verifying that forms, buttons, and other interactive elements work flawlessly on mobile and desktop ensures smooth user interactions.

This thorough testing guarantees a reliable and engaging experience for all users, regardless of their device or platform

Content integration

Finally, we integrate the content, ensuring that every word, every image, and every call-to-action aligns with both the wireframe and the model layout. This content integration phase includes not only copy but also rich media like images, videos, and animations, all of which should enhance the overall user experience without slowing down the site.

We have full documentation for this accordion component here. You can use it to edit this component —or to build your own accessible accordion from scratch.

With the model layout finalized and the client’s feedback fully incorporated, we move into the design phase. This is where everything comes to life—where visuals meet functionality, and the website goes from blueprint to reality. But even in this final phase, we prioritize user experience and brand alignment over aesthetics for aesthetics’ sake. It’s about creating a cohesive, immersive experience that draws users in and keeps them engaged beyond the homepage.

We have full documentation for this accordion component here. You can use it to edit this component —or to build your own accessible accordion from scratch.

Building a strong brand website is about more than just making a flashy homepage. Every page should contribute to a cohesive, immersive experience that reflects the brand and serves the business’s goals. Here are the key takeaways:

  • Understand your brand and business goals before starting the design process.
  • Perform an in-depth analysis to define your audience’s needs and how your website will address them.
  • Focus on user experience from the very beginning, ensuring the site is easy to navigate, responsive, and engaging on all devices.
  • Structure the website logically, with clear navigation, interactive features, and a content strategy that aligns with your brand’s message.
  • Refine through feedback—involving key stakeholders throughout the process to ensure the website truly reflects the brand.
  • Don’t neglect the pages beyond the homepage—product and service pages, blogs, and landing pages should all be carefully considered for maximum impact.

A strong brand website does more than just make a good first impression—it builds lasting relationships with customers by providing them with valuable, engaging, and easy-to-use experiences. At Bean Creative, we take a strategic, thoughtful approach to web design, ensuring that every site we build goes beyond the homepage and helps your brand thrive in the digital landscape. You can see this philosophy in action in our client works!

We have full documentation for this accordion component here. You can use it to edit this component —or to build your own accessible accordion from scratch.

FAQs

We have full documentation for this accordion component here. You can use it to edit this component —or to build your own accessible accordion from scratch.

We have full documentation for this accordion component here. You can use it to edit this component —or to build your own accessible accordion from scratch.

We have full documentation for this accordion component here. You can use it to edit this component —or to build your own accessible accordion from scratch.

Once the analysis is complete, we move into wireframing—the architectural blueprint of your website. This stage is critical in ensuring that your brand website is not just visually appealing but also highly functional.

Prioritize user experience (UX)

A visually stunning website is useless if it’s frustrating to navigate. User experience (UX) is at the heart of our wireframing process, ensuring the site flows intuitively from page to page. Here are a few ways to build a strong UX:

  • Consistent Navigation: Your visitors should always know where they are and how to move around. Having a clear and consistent menu structure, breadcrumbs, and footer links ensures seamless browsing.
  • Mobile-First Design: More users access websites on mobile than ever before. A responsive design that adapts to smaller screens should be prioritized from the wireframing stage.
  • Actionable Elements: Calls-to-action (CTAs), buttons, and interactive elements should be strategically placed for maximum engagement, encouraging users to explore further or complete an action, such as subscribing to a newsletter or making a purchase.

Showcase products and services clearly

The pages beyond the homepage—your product pages, service offerings, and content sections—should serve as showcases for what your brand offers. We structure these pages to emphasize:

  • Visual Hierarchy: Important information should stand out, whether through font size, images, or layout.
  • Clarity Over Clutter: Each page should be streamlined, with concise, engaging copy that highlights key benefits without overwhelming the user.
  • Interactive Features: For product-heavy websites, interactive features such as zooming in on images, viewing product details, or comparing products are essential.

Map out content strategy

Content is often treated as an afterthought, but it should be integrated into the wireframing process. Each page of your website needs to be built around the message it conveys. Consider:

  • Landing Pages for Campaigns: Custom landing pages should cater to specific campaigns, audiences, or product launches, each with its own tailored message and visuals.
  • Blog Integration: A blog provides ongoing engagement opportunities with your audience. It should be easy to find, read, and share.
  • Consistent Messaging Across Pages: Your tone of voice, style, and brand personality need to shine through on every page—not just the homepage.

We have full documentation for this accordion component here. You can use it to edit this component —or to build your own accessible accordion from scratch.

BEAN CREATIVE® is a branding agency committed to delivering practical™ solutions that are easy to use and easy to build.

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