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If you’re reviewing proposals for a new HubSpot website, it can be hard to know what’s actually important.
You’ve likely seen a mix of page counts, timelines, and feature lists, but few explain what really matters when it comes to building a site that performs.
And let’s face it: just because a proposal mentions “design” or “integration” doesn’t mean it includes the strategy, structure, and scalability your business needs.
Now the biggest question is: what exactly needs to go into the build? What’s essential, what’s optional, and what’s going to move the needle?
In this article, you’ll get a clear view of what a strategic website build really includes and the non-negotiables to look out for in any proposal, so you don’t end up with a site that looks nice but delivers little.
What’s Usually Included in a Website Build
Most website builds tend to include the basics… and that’s the problem.
Here’s what typically shows up in a standard build scope:
- Homepage design: A top-level landing page with visual elements, branding, and calls to action. Often designed to “look good,” but not always built with performance or lead flow in mind.
- Internal pages: A few key pages like About, Services, and Contact. These may be sometimes treated as static pages, without much thought to structure or user flow.
- HubSpot CMS setup: This usually means installing a HubSpot theme and setting up templates, branding, fonts, and colours. It’s the foundational setup but doesn’t guarantee a scalable system.
- Forms connected to your CRM: A contact form or two that syncs with your CRM, so leads are captured and appear in your database.
- Basic lead capture: Usually limited to a generic “Contact Us” form or newsletter signup, with no deeper strategy around conversion.
- Mobile responsiveness: Making sure the site adjusts to mobile and tablet screens. Important, but standard.
- SEO foundations: On-page elements like title tags, H1s, and meta descriptions are usually included, but rarely tied into an actual content strategy or keyword plan.
On paper, it sounds like a full site. And technically, it is.
It will look good, it’ll load fine, and you can technically capture leads.
But none of this ensures your website is strategic. It doesn’t guarantee conversion, content strategy, scalable structure, or meaningful data capture.
That’s what we’ll unpack next.
What Strategic Components MUST Be Included (And Often Aren’t)
A good-looking website isn’t the same as a strategic one.
To turn your site into a real business asset (one that converts, scales, and integrates with your marketing) there are some non-negotiables.
These often get skipped in basic builds, but they’re what separate high-performing websites from expensive brochures.
Here’s what must be included:
| Strategic Component | Why It Matters |
| Customer journey mapping | Ensures your site is designed for how real buyers think and move, not just aesthetics. |
| Wireframes informed by strategy | Wireframes aren’t just about layout, they map directly to goals, conversion paths, and buyer psychology. |
| Messaging and content coaching | Your site’s words matter as much as the visuals. RedPandas offers coaching, content review, and support for writing high-converting copy. |
| SEO keyword research and structure | A foundational SEO strategy underpins the entire sitemap, ensuring your site drives the right traffic. |
| Sitemap architecture + content migration | Structured to scale, not just “get it live”. Includes cleaning up existing pages, migrating what matters, and setting redirects properly. |
| Storybrand framework (where relevant) | Helps you clearly articulate your value proposition and align messaging across the site. You can learn more about the Storybrand Framework here. |
| Modular Design | You should be able to launch pages and campaigns without dev bottlenecks. A modular design is one in which a non-designer or non-developer can jump in and create website pages that look professionally designed as needed on demand. |
| Smart forms and automation setup | Every form should connect to workflows, lists, and CRM logic. It’s more than just “plugging in” a form. |
| Reporting-ready configuration | From the start, the site should be built to track performance through HubSpot (or your preferred CRM), so you can actually measure ROI. |
| Launch support and quality assurance | Live launch assistance, testing across devices, and full QA, to avoid common errors that cost you leads or credibility. |
These aren’t optional, they’re foundational. If they’re missing from your proposal or build plan, you’ll feel the impact later (usually in the form of poor leads and underperformance).
3 Examples of Websites with Great Content
Common Shortcuts & What They’ll Cost You Later
When timelines are tight or budgets are stretched, it’s tempting to take shortcuts. And on the surface, everything might look fine… the site launches, the pages load, and the forms technically work.
But the cracks start to show quickly.
One of the most common shortcuts is skipping proper customer journey planning. Without it, you end up with a site that has no clear conversion path. Visitors don’t know where to go, CTAs are generic, and bounce rates climb. You’ll find yourself tweaking pages endlessly, wondering why no one’s converting.
Comprehensive Guide: Creating a Customer Journey Map for Sales Enablement
Another red flag? No SEO foundation.
Plenty of sites launch without keyword research, site architecture, or even basic on-page optimisation. The result? Google can’t index your site properly, and organic traffic flatlines.
Then there’s content. Businesses often assume they’ll “write the copy later” or just copy-paste from their old site. But content written without guidance, or worse, rushed in at the last minute, weakens your entire message. It’s also one of the biggest reasons launches get delayed.
How to Write High Converting Website Copy
Skipping integration planning is another costly mistake. If your forms aren’t mapped to the right workflows or CRM properties, your leads might disappear into a black hole. You’ll lose precious time, and potentially high-value prospects.
These shortcuts don’t just cost you leads, they often end up costing more to fix than to do right the first time.
Our Recommended Checklist: What Your Build Must Include
If you’re reviewing proposals or planning a website build, this checklist keeps you focused on what actually matters. These are the foundational elements every strategic HubSpot website should include:
- Strategic planning
- Customer journey mapping based on user goals
- Data-informed sitemap and page flow
- Wireframes aligned to conversion, not just design
- Messaging and content
- Guidance or coaching for writing clear, high-converting copy
- Defined value propositions and messaging frameworks (e.g. StoryBrand)
- Content beyond the basics: lead magnets, case studies, FAQs, etc.
- SEO and structure
- Keyword research tied to buyer intent
- Planning for pillar pages and topic clusters
- Technical SEO setup: redirects, clean URLs, meta tags
- Smart HubSpot setup
- Modular templates to allow page creation without developer input
- Forms connected to workflows, lists, and CRM properties
- Tracking and attribution set up correctly from the start
- Quality assurance and launch
- Full mobile and browser responsiveness
- Site speed checks and functional testing
- Launch support, QA, and client handover or training
If these elements are missing from your build plan, you risk launching a site that looks fine but doesn’t perform, convert, or scale.
Don’t just get a website, get a growth engine
A HubSpot website build isn’t just a design project. It’s a strategic investment in how your business generates leads, communicates with your audience, and supports growth.
The difference between a basic build and a strategic one isn’t always obvious in a proposal, but it becomes painfully clear once the site is live. If you skip the foundational pieces, you’ll end up with a site that looks nice… but quietly underperforms.
But when you get it right (with clear journeys, strong messaging, scalable structure, and smart integration) your website becomes one of the most powerful assets in your business.
So, if you’re planning a new build or reviewing proposals, use this article as your filter.
And remember it’s not about how many pages you get. It’s about what those pages are built to do.
Check out this guide on exactly what’s included in a RedPanda’s Website Project.
