How a Chicago FCMO Improves Site Design for SaaS

The power of a good website is not to be underestimated. With almost everyone owning a computer or smartphone and having access to the internet, businesses have more chances than ever to promote their products and make themselves stand out.

The software industry is no exception. By creating a clean and optimized website, your company can see a significant increase in new customers. Here is where the marketing expertise of a fractional CMO for SaaS comes in handy.

Continue reading this guide to learn more about our Chicago FCMO’s site design for SaaS companies and how you can get the same winning results. 

Plus, we have Jason here talking about what our SaaS fractional CMOs do: 

SaaS in Chicago: More Competitive Than Ever

The technology sector in Chicago is nothing short of amazing—and competitive. According to World Business Chicago, the SaaS industry was reported to be one of the top verticals in 2023 by growth capital, with $7.73 billion raised, ranking 4th overall.

Given the Windy City’s relationship with tech, we can expect these numbers to get even higher. 

As venture capital grows, so will the competition among SaaS companies. This heightened competition means marketing teams need to come up with innovative solutions to stand out to survive. 

Why Site Design Matters for SaaS

Big picture: Your website is the face of your company and where your customers turn to find answers to their questions.

Important details: Here’s why site design is critical in attracting new audiences to your SaaS business.

Sets First Impressions

When customers learn about a new SaaS product, their first instinct is to search for the product and visit the website. This is your opportunity to make a solid first impression and win customers over with a clean and simple website.

A website with intuitive navigation and relevant features grabs users’ attention and invites them to spend time on it. It prioritizes the user experience and encourages customers to explore your product.

Builds Trust With the Audience

As the first point of contact between customer and business, your website is a reflection of your professionalism and commitment to quality service.

The better your site looks and operates, the more users will interact with it, increasing time on site (an important metric on Google Analytics). More time on a site leads to higher engagement rates, increasing the chances of conversion.

Improves SEO

Website design is one of the key factors in increasing online visibility in a saturated industry like SaaS. Google prioritizes sites that put the user first, have all technical elements accounted for, and provide a seamless user experience. (This is what we call technical SEO.)

Your website is more likely to rank on the search engine if it’s well-designed and optimized. Better SEO performance leads to more visitors to your site, which also increases conversion rates. (When it comes to SEO content, that’s “on-site SEO.”)

Sets You Apart from the Competition

Almost every SaaS company has its own website. Honestly, it would be weird if a SaaS company didn’t have one. If you want your SaaS site to remain competitive, designing a website is one of the first steps.

Furthermore, your website is yours alone, meaning you have the freedom to design it how you want and establish your identity. A distinct look and branding on your website is how you can differentiate yourself.

Looking to crack the SaaS marketing code? We’ve got you! Jason covers the top challenges and recommendations in 10 minutes here:

8 Ways a Chicago FCMO Enhances SaaS Site Design

Maintaining a website can be a lot of work, but with the help of a fractional CMO for SaaS, you can bring in a steady stream of visitors, ultimately leading to greater conversions and more high-fives at the company holiday party. 

Check out eight ways a Chicago FCMO improves site design for SaaS:

1. Strong Branding

As mentioned earlier, your website is one of the best places where you can showcase your branding and identity. FCMOs are branding specialists who can come up with a branding strategy to distinguish your SaaS company from others.

They bring your company’s vision to life through signature colors, logos, and other visual elements that communicate the message of your brand.

Coming up with strong branding goes beyond colors and logos. An FCMO also finds ways to highlight your brand’s core values on your website. From crafting a compelling brand narrative to articulating your mission and vision, the FCMO plays a big role in helping audiences know your brand and spread awareness.

2. Showcase Your Product

Your SaaS website is where your main product takes center stage. This is your chance to make your product shine and show how it outperforms others in the industry.

With the help of an FCMO, your website should highlight your product’s unique selling proposition (USP). You can support this statement with testimonials, visuals, product descriptions, and demonstrations that present its features and benefits.

Apart from all the bells and whistles that your product has to offer, it’s also crucial to show how it can make a positive impact on your customers. This is where an FCMO can strategically market your product in a way that resonates with your audience.

3. Improve User Experience

Chicago UX design experts, like your FCMO, help teams create a website that’s easy to navigate by removing all possible disruptions to optimize time spent on the page. They also utilize simple templates and layouts that streamline the user’s journey.

This also includes making it easy to find relevant information such as contact details, forms, and product information. For eCommerce sites, this includes a simple and hassle-free payment and checkout process.

A user visiting your site and taking a look around is good, but fulfilling a call to action is even better. Calls to action lead to more conversions.

FCMOs help teams create clear and concise calls to action, such as making a purchase or scheduling an appointment. These CTAs are designed to be unobtrusive yet noticeable enough to catch the user’s attention.

4. Enhances SEO Performance

Website design and optimization is one of the most important parts of ranking high on the search engine. An FCMO can significantly improve your site’s SEO performance and enhance visibility and brand awareness by following SEO best practices.

These practices include conducting proper keyword research to find the most appropriate keywords that align with your audience’s search intent. Along with this, FCMOs also help create a strong content strategy to give users valuable and relevant information related to your product or service.

On-page and off-page SEO elements also play a critical role in site design. These details increase the chances of a site being recognized, indexed, and given a nod of approval by Google, leading to higher rankings. Since most people don’t scroll past the third search result, much less page one, it’s vital to reach the top. 

Create a checklist of on-page and off-page SEO elements to keep track of, which may include:

• Title tags
• Meta descriptions
• Alt texts for images
• Proper headings
• Internal and external links
• URL structure
• Updated and relevant content
• Schema markup

5. Optimize For Mobile Responsiveness

Mobile responsiveness means that users have a consistent and reliable experience across all devices. This is beneficial for users who are constantly on the go and require a quick and convenient search on their mobile devices. Plus, more people search on mobile devices anyway, even in their homes! 

An FCMO can help with mobile responsiveness by optimizing your website to different screen sizes and devices. Part of this process is using a mobile-friendly layout that doesn’t affect how users interact with the interface. Find a simple template or layout that prioritizes user navigation and accommodates mobile responsiveness. You can scale up from there.

6. Content Creation

Content makes the digital world turn, and it’s no different for the SaaS industry. Creating high-quality content for your site attracts visitors and keeps them engaged in your brand. It also helps solidify your position as an authority figure in your niche.

A fractional CMO for SaaS helps teams create a content strategy that converts leads into customers. They may start by creating an effective landing page that introduces the business and what users can expect. 

Content types include:

• Blogs
• Guides and tutorials
• Case studies
• White papers
• Newsletters
• Videos

Content creation also involves creating a content calendar (which guides your entire content strategy). Following your content calendar ensures consistency and gives your users value on a regular basis. 

Important elements of this calendar include:

• Types of content to create
• Date and time of publishing
• Content status updates (Written, Editing, Completed)
• Future content ideas

Apart from content creation, another crucial part of maintaining site design is content auditing. This process consists of reviewing content on your website and checking if they’re still relevant and updated (no outdated info, no broken links, and more).

Part of this process involves removing low-performing content and rewriting outdated content. You should also check if all content pages follow on-page and off-page SEO requirements.

Our fractional CMOs and SaaS marketing agencies do great work. Here’s some of our proudest: 

7. Clear Pricing Model

One of the key elements of your SaaS website is the pricing model. When creating your pricing model, keep everything straightforward — no hidden costs or suspiciously complex checkout processes.

Clearly outline the terms and conditions of each pricing tier to establish trust with your customers and have clearly defined expectations. Being clear about each pricing model also allows customers to make informed decisions and understand what exactly they’re purchasing.

To help move customers along the pipeline, consider offering free trials or demos. It’s best to make this easy to find and allow users to cancel at any time.

8. Monitor Website Analytics

There’s no better way to gain insight into your site’s performance and user behavior than by monitoring site data and analytics. FCMOs analyze site performance by using tools like Google Analytics to assess different metrics, such as:

• Organic traffic
• Conversion rate
• Bounce rate
• Page loading time
• Click-through rate
• Page rankings
• Core web vitals

These key performance indicators (KPIs) provide data-driven insights into how to improve your site’s performance. Look over previously set goals and KPIs to find out where you were successful and what can be improved next time.

When Does My SaaS Company Need a Fractional CMO?

Your SaaS marketing team can greatly benefit from having a fractional CMO on board. If you’re experiencing any of the following signs, hiring an FCMO may be a wise decision.

Poor Conversion Rate

An inefficient website may lead to poor conversion rates. Users may bounce off the site quickly or not fulfill the desired call to action. Other factors that may cause this include complicated layouts or failure to communicate the USP.

If you notice a low conversion rate, then a fractional CMO’s help would be invaluable. Fractional CMOs are ideal for optimizing workflows and identifying disruptions or roadblocks. They also refine your marketing messages to better resonate with the audience.

A fractional marketing expert helps teams implement polished marketing tactics that boost engagement and lead to better conversions. A Chicago FCMO’s site design for a SaaS company’s to-do list often includes A/B testing, content auditing, or improving the site’s layout.

Stagnant or Declining Sales

If you haven’t achieved much growth over the past few months or years, having a fractional CMO lead the way is a good step forward. 

An FCMO can re-examine your marketing efforts or previous campaigns and see what parts of the process need improvements. They also find ways to eliminate any bottlenecks that could be impeding sales.

Illinois FCMOs also gather customer feedback to get a better understanding of what drives customers to make a purchase. These insights are part of both minor adjustments and strategic marketing revamps to bring in new, loyal customers and retain your existing ones.

Product Launches

Many different factors contribute to a successful product launch for SaaS companies. To have a successful product launch, you can enlist the help of a fractional CMO. 

Fractional CMOs play a big role in planning and executing product launches by allocating resources and crafting marketing messages that resonate with audiences.

They are instrumental in getting the word out and generating buzz for the product launch to attract new customers. They also collaborate with different departments to ensure that all parts of the product launch are moving according to plan. 

Finding the Best Chicago FCMO for SaaS Site Design

Website design for SaaS shouldn’t be overlooked, as it can make a big difference in securing new customers. Digital Authority Partners is home to Chicago’s best fractional CMO services that can take your website to the next level.

As the go-to place for expert marketing advice, our team of professionals strives to transform your website into a high-converting and user-friendly platform that represents your brand well. 

Send us a message today and let’s talk about your SaaS’s site design!