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The 2024 State of the Website

Key challenges and opportunities for marketing leaders

Introduction

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Webflow’s inaugural “The state of the website” report, in partnership with Vanson Bourne, was produced from interviews with 500 marketing leaders across the US & Canada.

Webflow conducted an online survey between July 2023 and August 2023 across the United States and Canada using a rigorous, multi-level screening process to ensure only suitable candidates participated. Respondents are all marketing leaders, which are defined as someone who holds a Director-level position or above in a marketing department. All respondents work at an enterprise organization in the public or private sector with at least 50 employees.

Foreword

Today, websites are the cornerstone upon which modern, enterprise businesses create and grow their online presence and connect with their audiences. They serve as a digital billboard — the first point of contact with potential customers, a reflection of your company’s identity, and a source of truth for critical information about your brand, mission, and offerings.

As competition and consumer expectations rapidly shift, a well-designed and well-executed marketing site is not a luxury but a necessity. And while marketing leaders understand the positive impact a website can have on their bottom line, many continue to struggle when it comes to building, developing, and maintaining them — and this comes at a cost.

Growing businesses looking to drive innovation at scale and deliver relevant customer experiences faster need a winning digital strategy to get them there. However, creating truly stunning web experiences is a delicate art that requires a balance of people, processes, and technology.

In our experience serving hundreds of thousands of customers globally over the last decade, we know striking the right balance can be challenging. That’s why as we enter this new era of building for the web — one that merges the power of design and development — it’s up to marketing leaders to eliminate constraints and guide their teams into a future where they can bring their most creative and impactful ideas to life on the web.

— Shane Murphy-Reuter, Chief Marketing Officer, Webflow

Executive Summary

Section 1: Keeping up with customer expectations

Marketing teams are spending on average $1.6M on website teams and software annually.

The website is becoming an increasingly expensive and time-consuming asset to manage, and organizations are struggling to quickly deliver on their customers’ needs. This presents a major, ongoing challenge for marketing teams, who are facing more pressure to innovate than ever before.

$1.6M spent on website teams and software annually

Section 2: Website ownership

Website ownership is a persistent challenge for 81% of marketing teams. 

While marketing teams are commonly the owners of the customer experience, the large majority of these teams are currently restricted by developers and other teams — inhibiting their ability to deliver on their goals.

81% of marketing teams find website ownership a challenge

Section 3: The web tech stack

60% of marketing leaders believe their current web tech stack is missing the mark.

Most marketing leaders agree that they need to improve their websites to achieve their business goals. However, their current stack fails to sufficiently empower their business users to make this a reality.

60% of marketing leaders believe their current web tech stack is missing the mark

Section 4: The impact of modern web tools

50% of marketing teams that have implemented no-code or low-code tools are already witnessing incremental benefits.

Organizations are seeking out modern web tools to help them deliver on their business goals, and early adopters are already seeing measurable impact when it comes to collaboration and workflows.

50% of marketing teams that have implemented no-code or low-ode tools are already witnessing benefits

Closing thoughts: The work ahead

Marketing leaders need to establish the right harmony between their teams, technology, and processes to achieve web success.

Relying solely on technology is not a scalable solution. In order to supercharge their websites, marketers must build a new operating model — spanning team structures, collaborative processes, and workflows — that allows them to better leverage web development tools and deliver stunning digital experiences to their customers.  

Marketing leaders need to establish the right harmony.

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