When it comes to website projects, we see the misalignment between leadership and marketing as one of the biggest (and most costly) hurdles to get over.
Leadership teams & stakeholders often have a clear vision of where the business is headed, but marketing teams are left to interpret that vision, sometimes without the clarity or context needed to execute effectively.
The result? Confusing website messaging, delayed timelines and internal frustration.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Why does alignment matter?
Your website is a strategic tool. For it to perform well, leadership and marketing need to align on its purpose, audience and goals. That alignment creates a ripple effect:
- Marketing teams have the clarity to execute with confidence
- Leadership teams see their vision translated effectively
- The entire team moves faster, with less friction
So, how do you get there?
Through structured, facilitated alignment.
5 steps to align marketing & Leadership teams around website goals
#1 Start with a brief
Before any strategy or alignment sessions, gather individual insights from leadership and marketing stakeholders.
- What are their top goals for the website?
- What does success look like?
- Where are they seeing gaps?
This brief becomes the foundation for a targeted discussion, rather than starting from scratch or trying to guess what everyone wants.
#2 Bring everyone together
Bring the leadership and marketing teams together in a focused session. The goal isn’t just to gather input, it’s to create shared understanding. Use this time to:
- Clarify the business goals the website needs to support
- Define primary audiences and desired user actions
- Align on tone, voice and brand expression
- Prioritise what matters most( strategically and tactically)
#3 Define clear website objectives
In the strategy session, boil down shared goals into 2–3 clear objectives. For example:
- Increase qualified leads from mid-market accounts
- Shift brand perception toward innovation and thought leadership
- Improve conversion rates on key service pages
These goals should guide every content, design and UX decision moving forward.
#4 Translate strategy into execution
Once you’ve got alignment, it’s time for marketing to take the lead. But they shouldn’t work in isolation. Use the shared vision to inform:
- Messaging frameworks
- Site architecture and navigation
- Content priorities and page-level goals
Leadership’s involvement continues here, not by micromanaging, but by reviewing execution through the lens of the aligned strategy.
#5 Revisit and reinforce alignment
As the project moves forward, continue to anchor decisions in the original strategy.
New ideas will surface. Priorities might shift. That’s okay, just keep returning to the shared goals to ensure consistency and avoid scope creep.
Ready to align your team?
If you’re struggling to connect leadership’s vision with marketing’s execution, you’re not the only one.
We help businesses bridge this gap through our Strategy & Clarity Workshop, a hands-on session designed to align your stakeholders and kickstart your next website project with confidence.
Want to see if it’s a good fit for your team? Book a free strategy call today.
