Even with a perfect product, investors and customers need to learn about what you do — on a platform you own. That’s why one of the first projects I tackle in my consulting engagements is getting a minimum viable website published.

Your pitch deck, your product name, your brand messaging, the perfect domain name you secured … these are all important.

But until your website is published and findable to potential investors and early adopters, your business might as well be invisible.

How to become the proud owner of a Minimum Viable Website in less than a week

New websites are less overwhelming to build if you approach them in phases — just like your product roadmap.

Step away from the scary road where you see the whole, huge website project with all its bells and whistles, and just focus on the ten feet of the path that lies just ahead of you.

What we’ll talk about here is Phase 1: The bare minimum pages you need to have in place to launch your startup’s digital front door. I call this phase your Minimum Viable Website — a concept you’re already familiar with as a founder.

I’m going to show you how to do just that in less than a week, because as a founder, you already know the value of shipping fast.

After all, why wait? Websites, like products, are endlessly editable, so don’t sweat it — get something published this week. You can A/B test and optimize later!

Make a mindset shift — from “It must be perfect before I make it live“ to “It must be live and then I’ll make it perfect.“ 

Aiming for “done” rather than “perfect” will help you build your Minimum Viable Website quickly and make it live with confidence.

Aim for early traction, not perfection

Making even a minimum viable website live can feel nerve wracking.

I know — I’ve felt those nerves myself, and have virtually held the hands of many a consulting client as they were about to hit publish for the first time.

But keep in mind …

There’s a very good chance that in the earliest days of your site going live, only your most interested investors and early adopters are actually paying attention.

In short — most people won’t see your website right away.

That’s because meaningful web traffic takes time to build.

And although not showing up in search or AI recommendations may feel frustrating, I’m going to ask you to try to see the upside of this situation.

In the beginning, when you’re first putting your site together, you can fly under the radar for a few months.

And that is a beautiful thing.

In the early days, you’ll make pivots and adjustments (all founders do). Take advantage of this time when traffic is still low to learn the basics of managing your business’s online presence.

What this article excludes from the Minimum Viable Website process

This article isn’t about the tech side of building a website. I’m not going to go into detail about what platform to use, which theme to choose, or what email provider to sign up with.

(My preferred tools are here if you’re curious.)

In this article, we’re covering the hard part of creating your website content — how to get those first pages written, built, and published.

You may wonder:

• What pages does my Minimum Viable Website need?
• What should those pages contain?
• How many pages should I have ready before I make my site live?

All this (and a little more) are below. I hope you find it helpful!

3 essential pages for your Minimum Viable Website

The three basic pages you need to prepare before you hit publish happen to be “evergreen.” That means you’ll create them once and won’t need to change them much over time.

Here’s what to focus on creating this week:

1. Your Home page (your pitch)
2. Your About page (your credibility)
3. Your Contact page (your accessibility)

I know what you’re thinking! “What about a features page?” “What about investor resources or a hiring page?” “Where’s our blog supposed to go?”

Those pages are important, and can be the next thing you tackle once you’ve made your site live.

For now, publishing the three essential pages above is going to feel daunting enough, especially when you’re already managing product development, investor relations, and a growing team.

I recommend you focus on getting those pages in place first, and then work on adding other sections to your site later.

Let’s look at each of these essential pages individually:

How to create your Home Page

Your Home page is the digital version of your elevator pitch. And that pitch should communicate — in a split second — what visitors need to know about the solution you’re building.

Your Home page should answer visitors’ most basic (and unspoken) questions:

1. What does this business do?
2. Is this solution worth my time?
3. Is the founding team credible?

Answer the essentials …

How to answer the “What does this business do?” question: Visitors arrive on your site from various channels —social channel mentions, investor referrals, or AI searches. Give them immediate confirmation they’ve found the revolutionary solution they’ve heard about by prominently displaying your startup name — and what you do — high on the page.

How to answer the “Is this solution worth my time?” question: Follow your name with a powerful value proposition, typically as a large headline at the top of the page. This headline should immediately convey the core problem you’re solving, and the transformation you deliver.

A short, effective formula goes like this (fill in the blanks between the brackets):
[Startup name] [transforms/revolutionizes/eliminates]
[painful problem] for [target market] through [unique approach]

Read: Use This 4-Step Framework to Build Powerful Marketing Messaging: Examples + Worksheet

How to answer the “Is the founding team credible?” question: The rest of the page should build conviction that your solution deserves attention and investment. Add authority-building elements that showcase your founders’ expertise and early traction.

Use this list as a guide for what to include in the trust-building section on your home page and don’t worry if you don’t have all these items yet! You can update as you grow:

• A compelling explanation of your solution and the problem it solves (150 to 300 words)
• Testimonials from early users, beta testers, or industry experts
• Founder credentials and relevant past successes
• Accelerator programs, pitch competitions, or funding announcements
• Media coverage, tech blog mentions, or industry recognition
• Early metrics that demonstrate problem-solution fit: quote data that proves your approach works

Plan to update this section regularly as you hit new milestones, close funding rounds, and gather more user success stories.

How to create your Team/About page

Don’t gloss over this page! About/Team pages are some of the most-visited pages on a startup site — investors and early adopters are innately curious about the founders and the expertise behind a new venture. No minimum viable website should be without this page.

Feature these elements (in this order):

The problem you’re solving. Start with a compelling headline about your mission and let visitors know they’ve found a team that understands their pain points.

Who your founding team is. After you’ve established the problem, introduce the founders and key team members with clear explanations of their expertise and why they’re uniquely qualified to solve this problem

Your vision and roadmap. Add brief descriptions of your current solution and hint at future developments without giving away your competitive advantage

How to create your Contact/Get Early Access page

When potential users or investors are ready to engage, they’ll want a clear path to connect with your founding team.

Warning: Don’t post the team members’ email addresses on your Contact page. Not only will you get flooded with spam, but you’ll miss the opportunity to qualify and segment incoming inquiries.

To manage inquiries efficiently, use a smart contact form that sends responses to your CRM or team inbox, with routing options for investor inquiries, partnership opportunities, and user feedback.

A 1-week plan to launch your Minimum Viable Website

I’m a big believer in applying the same iteration principles to your website that you use for your product — quick drafts, feedback loops, and decisive shipping.

Unless you’ve already hired a marketing lead (a luxury most early-stage startups don’t have), the website content may fall to you as the founder — or to a non-marketer on your team.

That means you’ll need to put these pages together quickly but effectively, leveraging feedback from your co-founders, advisors, or early users before you make them live.

Once written, use a GenAI tool to analyze the gaps on the page. It’s not as precise as a skilled human editor, but it’ll help polish your copy enough that you can feel confident publishing it.

This schedule is designed to be easy to follow — no late-night marathon editing sessions required. Remember, we’re keeping this simple and building a foundation you can add to later.

Before you start, find at least one mentor, advisor, or fellow founder with experience in your sector to review your published pages. Those first reviewers are crucial.

Monday (Day 1: Strategy)

Define your core messaging. This is a big job, but fortunately, I have resources for you. The article below, and the free “Core Messaging Blueprint” I developed will help.

Read: Use This 4-Step Framework to Build Powerful Marketing Messaging: Examples + Worksheet

You can get my Core Messaging Blueprint worksheet here.

Write your value proposition. Use this formula, which emphasizes the transformation you deliver:

[Startup name] [transforms/revolutionizes/eliminates]
[painful problem] for [target market] through [unique approach]

Compile your startup’s early validation signals: beta user testimonials, advisor endorsements, accelerator affiliations, and any early metrics worth sharing.

Tuesday (Day 2: Content Creation)

Write the first drafts of your Home, Team/About, and Contact pages.

Weave in the messaging you developed. Highlight founder-market fit, and why your team is uniquely positioned to solve this problem.

Wednesday (Day 3: Implementation)

Begin adding the page copy and brand elements to your site builder. Consider using startup-friendly platforms like HubSpot, Webflow, Squarespace, or WordPress for quick deployment.

Set up a contact form that integrates with your startup tools (Airtable, Notion, HubSpot, Google Sheets, etc.). Include options for different inquiry types: investors, potential users, and partnerships.

Thursday (Day 4: Refinement)

Soft-launch your Home page and send the link to your closest advisors and team members for rapid feedback.

Finalize your Team/About page content, including founder headshots and relevant experience that builds credibility with both users and investors.

Enable your Contact form with proper routing rules, publish the page, and test that submissions correctly reach your team inbox or CRM.

Friday (Day 5: Launch)

Finalize all pages with suggested edits. Prepare tracking tools to monitor site performance and conversion points.

Make any final adjustments based on team feedback.

Congratulations, Minimum Viable Website owner!

If you work through this schedule day by day, you’ll have a Minimum Viable Website created and published in one week — without derailing your product development timeline.

Now, start sharing your site with your network, potential users, and yes — investors.

Expect to iterate on your messaging in the coming weeks as you gather user feedback and refine your pitch.

That’s the beauty of having a digital presence — it can evolve as your business does.

Need a marketing strategy to supercharge your site?

I specialize in giving early-stage businesses a competitive advantage with marketing systems that grow with them. Learn about my marketing advisory services.

“But our product does so many things,” he protested. “If we narrow down our message, won’t we miss opportunities?”

I hear this concern in almost every startup coaching session I lead. Founders worry that focusing their message means limiting their market.

The reality? The opposite is true.

In the early days of your business, one of the most important marketing moves you can make is to create marketing messaging that attracts the best prospective customers and the right investors.

If your message isn’t clear and memorable, you risk putting both to sleep.

This article shares marketing messaging examples — good and bad — plus a 4-step framework you can use to get yours created.

The hidden cost of “meh” marketing messaging (examples here)

I have watched my fair share of startup pitches. Each founder had built something genuinely innovative, and I was rooting for them.

But their messaging?

Most of it blurred together in my brain — it was a fog of buzzwords and vague promises.

“We’re disrupting the [industry] space with our AI-powered platform…”

“Our innovative solution leverages machine learning to…”

“We’re revolutionizing how businesses handle…”

Sound familiar?

Here’s how uninspiring marketing messaging costs you:

• Prospects who could benefit from your solution don’t recognize themselves in your message
• Investors can’t grasp (or remember) your value proposition
• Team members struggle to explain what makes your product special
• Your marketing dollars get diluted across weak, generic campaigns

The good news? You can fix this. And you don’t need an MBA in marketing or a $60,000 branding agency to create marketing messaging that sings.

A 4-step framework for clear, compelling marketing messaging

I recommend you start with a Google doc, and you set aside about 90 minutes of focused time. 

Here — grab the one I made for you now, which includes a step-by-step blueprint for creating your messaging.

It’s free when you subscribe to my newsletter:

Let’s break this process down into four powerful steps:

Step 1: Define your key audiences

First, get crystal clear about who matters most to your business. Those would be your prospective customers, and prospective investors (if you plan to seek funding). 

Open your doc and create two sections (you’ll find marketing messaging examples in each section):

For your Ideal Prospect (or Ideal Customer):

• What’s their role or position?
• What key problem keeps them up at night?
• How does this problem impact their business or life?

Then capture your definition of an ideal prospect in one powerful line:

“Our solution is perfect for [type of customer] who needs [specific outcome].”

How will you use this ideal customer description? Whenever you talk to a prospective customer, use this messaging so they recognize themselves. And if you’re networking in any way, spread the word about who you help with this single sentence.

For your Ideal Investor (if you’re seeking funding):

• What areas do they typically invest in?
• At what stage do they prefer to invest?
• What value can they bring beyond funding?

Summarize your ideal investor like this: 

“Our company is a good fit for investors focused on [focus areas] who invest at the [investment stage] and bring [value beyond funding] to the table.”

Use this quick description so potential investors know immediately if your company is a match for them.

Step 2: Articulate your unique value

Warning: This step is where most people get stuck when building their marketing messaging. Even experienced marketers jump straight to talking about features instead of focusing on the value those features deliver. 

Advertising legend Jay Abraham said, “When somebody goes to a hardware store to buy a drill, they really don’t want a drill — they want a hole. And they don’t want a hole, they want to fasten something.”

Let’s figure out what your prospective customers want to fix, and find a way to talk about that. Each section below features a framework with marketing messaging examples which are italicized to make them easy to find.

Start with the problem:

• What specific challenge does your prospect face?
• How is this impacting their business right now?
• What solutions have they already tried?
• What’s the real cost of leaving this problem unsolved?

Then clarify your solution:

• How exactly do you solve their challenge?
• What specific results can they expect?
• What evidence proves your solution works?

Pull it all together in your value statement:

“We help [ideal customer] solve [specific problem] by [unique approach], so they can [desired outcome].”

This message is the one you want to use when you want to quickly explain your core solution.

Step 3: Define your communication style

Your brand needs a consistent personality. Think of it as your company’s character traits.

Nail down your personality:

• What’s your primary character trait?
• What supporting traits round out your personality?
• What traits do you actively avoid?
• What existing brand or voice do you most relate to?

Set your brand guidelines:

• What’s your typical tone of voice?
• What expressions do you commonly use?
• What topics do you avoid?
• What subjects do you love to discuss?

Capture your voice in one clear statement:

“We’re the [adjective] voice that helps [ideal customer] feel [emotion] about [outcome].”

This one sentence will help keep your brand voice consistent over time, no matter who is creating your marketing.

Step 4: Craft your origin story

Every compelling brand has an origin story that explains why they exist. Here’s how to find yours:

Document these key moments:

• When did your “aha moment” happen?
• What problem did you witness firsthand?
• How did it impact you personally?
• What action did you take in response?
• What future did you envision?

Create your story statement:

“When we saw [specific situation], we knew we had to [take an action] to ensure [meaningful outcome].”

Then paint a picture of the transformation you deliver:

“[Your prospects] will experience [transformation you deliver], so they can [do/have/become].”

Where will you use your origin story? In pitch decks, at networking events, and when you get that precious 15-minute meeting with the investor you’ve dreamed of.

Put it all together to build your core marketing message (examples of bad a good messaging)

Now it’s time to weave these elements into a clear, compelling message. Here’s your formula:

“We help [specific customer] solve [painful problem] by [unique approach], which means [desired outcome].”

This message is your universal, overarching statement about who you help, what challenge you solve, how you solve it, and why it matters. Memorize this, and ask your team to do the same!

Marketing messaging examples (bad and good)

Let’s look at some bad examples and some good ones. Can you spot the difference?

“Our platform uses AI to optimize retail operations”

“We help independent retailers compete with national chains by automating their pricing strategies, so they can maintain healthy margins without working endless nights and weekends”

“Our innovative HR solution streamlines employee management and engagement with powerful analytics”

“We help HR leaders at high-growth startups solve unexpected employee departures by detecting burnout signals in communication patterns, which means they can retain top performers without conducting endless stay interviews”

“Revolutionary marketing platform that optimizes campaign performance using machine learning”

“We help B2B marketing teams solve low conversion rates by automatically personalizing website content for each visitor’s industry, which means they can double qualified leads without hiring more content writers”

“Next-generation payment processing solution for modern businesses”

“We help ecommerce businesses solve payment failure issues by automatically retrying failed transactions with optimized timing, which means they can recover lost revenue without growing their support team”

“Collaborative workspace platform that enhances team productivity and project visibility”

“We help remote engineering teams solve fragmented communication by centralizing project updates in an automated dashboard, which means they can ship features faster without endless status meetings”

Each of the first examples includes generic jargon. The second ones use precise, aspirational benefits that make prospective customers and investors say, “Yes!”

How to use your core marketing messages

Once you’ve crafted your core marketing messaging:

Consider creating message variations for different contexts

• 5-word version (elevator pitch)
• 25-word version (email signature)
• 50-word version (website homepage)

Share your marketing messaging with your entire team

• Add it to your internal wiki and brand guidelines
• Review it in your next all-hands meeting
• Use it to guide product decisions
• Put it in the hands of your customer support and sales teams

Test it with real humans

• Share it with current customers
• Try it at your next networking event
• Use it in casual conversations

Keep in mind that marketing messaging is organic — and should evolve over time. As your business adapts and grows, so will your messaging.

That’s one reason capturing marketing messaging examples in a shareable document makes sense — you can easily keep everyone updated with any changes.

The key is to start with a focused message today, then let real-world interactions guide your refinements.

Clarity attracts. Confusion repels.

Remember: Your marketing messaging is often the first impression prospects and investors have of your business. 

Make it clear and compelling, and you’ll open doors. Make it boring and forgettable, and those same doors will remain firmly closed.

If you’re “not a marketer” and feel uncomfortable creating your marketing messaging yourself, I get it. But here’s what I know:

No outside consultant or agency will ever understand your business like you do. That’s why I believe you are uniquely qualified to lead your early stage marketing efforts.

Subscribe to my Minimum Viable Marketing Moves newsletter to get my Core Messaging Blueprint for free.

The Minimum Viable Marketing Moves newsletter contains practical guidance (like what you just read), delivered straight to your inbox.

It’s a mix of exhaustion and confusion. They know their marketing strategy’s not working, but they can’t put their finger on exactly why.

Let me save you some time.

After working with both large corporations and early-stage startups, I’ve identified three clear signs that your marketing strategy has a weak link.

Let’s look at what they are before I show you how to fix them.

3 warning signs your marketing strategy’s not working

Take a moment to read through the three warning signs below. Recognize any of them?

Warning sign #1: The Blank Stare Response

You know this one. You’re sharing your startup idea — the one you’ve poured your heart and soul into — and you’re met with polite but empty nods. Blank faces. Glazed eyes.

People just aren’t getting it.

This isn’t because you’re “not comfortable sharing your elevator pitch” yet. It’s a clear signal that there’s a disconnect between how you’re explaining your solution and how your market understands the problem you solve.

Warning sign #2: The Funding Gap

This one stings — and directly impacts your ability to grow.

You want to — need to — reach investors.

And you’re trying. You’re networking your heart out, following up on every connection, and sharing your idea with anyone who’ll listen.

And yet, you watch other startups attract investment while you struggle to get second meetings.

Your solution might be groundbreaking, but if you can’t communicate its value clearly, investors won’t see its potential.

Warning sign #3: The Difficult Customer Cycle

Sometimes you’re attracting some customers. But unfortunately, they:

• Require excessive hand-holding
• Consistently question your pricing
• Don’t seem to value what you provide

Here’s the truth:

These aren’t just marketing problems. They’re symptoms of a deeper issue in how you’ve positioned your business.

Marketing strategy’s not working? Here’s the root cause

Most founders focus their marketing efforts in the wrong direction. They obsess over:

• Creating the perfect website
• Crafting clever social media posts
• Writing polished marketing materials

But none of these matter if you haven’t nailed the fundamentals first.

After seeing hundreds of startups struggle with these issues, I’ve developed a straightforward approach that transforms how they communicate their value.

It’s a three-step solution, and it’s important to do these steps in order.

Step 1: Define your Ideal Customer Profile

This goes way beyond basic demographics. We need to understand:

• The specific problem they’re experiencing
• How they describe this problem when talking to colleagues
• What triggers them to start looking for a solution
• How they evaluate potential solutions
• What tells you they’re ready to invest in fixing the problem

Most importantly?

We need to verify they have both the means and motivation to pay for your solution.

READ: Create an Eye-opening Ideal Customer Profile [Free Worksheet]

Step 2: Craft a compelling narrative

Once you know exactly who you want to reach (and the type of customer you want to avoid), it’s time to develop a simple, clear way to communicate:

• Who you help (with laser precision)
• The problem you solve (in your customer’s words)
• The value of the transformation you deliver (in concrete terms)

The key here is simplicity. If you can’t explain your value proposition in a few sentences, it’s not ready yet.

Write it out, test it, and watch people closely to see if your short narrative sparks a moment of recognition and excitement.

For help with this, click the next link and do the exercise in my article:

READ: The Transformative Effect of a Well-Built Brand Statement

This is something we can tackle in a single coaching session if you need help.

Step 3: Create your investor story

This is where many founders stumble: They use the same message for investors that they use for customers.

Instead, we need to translate your customer-facing message into investor-friendly terms:

• Market size and opportunity
• Scalability of your solution
• Clear path to revenue growth
• Competitive advantages
• Key metrics that matter in your industry

Your goal is to translate your narrative into the language investors speak so they see the value of what you offer immediately — and get excited to support your growth.

Going from “my marketing strategy’s not working” to seeing sparks fly

When founders implement this framework, their entire approach to marketing shifts:

• They stop second-guessing their messaging
• They become more selective about which customers they pursue
• They present their startup idea with quiet confidence — to prospective customers and investors alike
• They watch their close rates improve
• They have more productive conversations overall

If your marketing is not working, tackle this messaging problem first. Great marketing results flow from this foundational strategy.

Why work on this now

You only have one chance to make a first impression. And if your marketing strategy’s not working, don’t waste another moment.

Instead, maximize every interaction you have as a founder with clear messaging.

Think about all those:

• Customer conversations
• Investor pitches
• Team recruiting
• Partner discussions

The results you get from these conversations depend on how clearly you communicate your startup’s value.

The time you invest in getting this right pays dividends across every aspect of your business — now, and well into the future.

Ready to fix your marketing weak link?

I find that most founders can dramatically improve their marketing foundation in just one focused coaching session. You’ll walk away with:

• A clear understanding of your best-fit customer
• A simple framework for communicating your value
• Specific next steps to strengthen your marketing strategy

The most successful startups don’t try to perfect everything at once. They start by building a solid marketing foundation, then scale from there.

Let’s talk about strengthening your marketing foundation.