You’re getting traffic. Ads are running, maybe you got featured somewhere, numbers are going up.

But signups? Flat. Or worse, going down.

And you’re sitting there thinking something is broken.

Nothing is broken. Your website just doesn’t match how you actually sell.

See, every startup sells in one of three ways. And each one needs a completely different website. Most founders never think about this. They just copy whatever Notion or Salesforce is doing and hope it works.

It doesn’t.

So let me break down what your website should actually look like, based on your GTM strategy.

The 3 GTM Types (and Why They Matter for Your Website)

1. Product-Led Growth (PLG)

The user signs up, tries the product, and converts on their own. No sales call needed. The product does the selling.

2. Sales-Led Growth (SLG)

Everything goes through a sales team. Demo first, relationship second, close later. The website’s job is to get people on a call.

3. Sales-Assisted

Somewhere in between. Users can explore on their own, but at some point a human steps in to close. This is where most startups actually are.

The problem? Most founders don’t consciously pick one. They just copy other websites without realizing those companies have a completely different GTM motion.

PLG: Product-Led Growth (Notion, Slack,...)

Your Website IS the Product.

If you’re product-led, your website is the funnel. Everything pushes to “Try it free” or “Start now.” The entire goal is to get users into the product as fast as possible.

What this looks like in practice:

• Zero friction signup. No long forms, no “book a demo” buttons
• Show the product immediately. Screenshots, interactive demos, even a playground
• Social proof is about scale: “Join 10,000 teams,” usage numbers, logos everywhere
• The website should feel like using the product already

Go look at these websites:

→ Slack — Freemium model, instant signup, the product sells itself through team adoption

→ Notion — “Get Notion free” is the entire homepage CTA. No demo. No sales call.

→ Figma — You can start designing in the browser before you even create an account

→ Linear — Clean, fast, shows exactly what the product does. One CTA: “Start building”

PLG companies grow 30-40% faster than traditional sales-led companies on average. And their customer acquisition costs are significantly lower. But only if your website actually supports that motion.

SLG: Sales-Led Growth (Salesforce, Workday,...)

Your Website is Your Sales Team’s Best Friend.

If you’re sales-led, your website is NOT the product. It’s the thing that gets someone interested enough to talk to your team.

Everything pushes to “Book a Demo” or “Talk to Sales.”
On-Page conversion is not that important.
You’re trying to build enough trust that someone picks up the phone.

What this looks like in practice:

• Build trust and credibility: case studies, ROI numbers, security badges
• Less about showing the product, more about showing the outcome
• Social proof = logos of big clients, testimonials from decision makers (not random users)
• Pricing is often hidden or “Contact us”

Go look at these websites:

→ Salesforce — Enterprise-focused. Every page pushes to a demo or sales conversation

→ Palantir — You won’t find a “Sign up free” button anywhere. It’s all about outcomes and trust

→ Workday — Case studies, industry pages, everything designed to start a sales conversation

→ Dealfront — Clear demo CTA, enterprise positioning, ROI-focused messaging

Sales-led models work well for complex products where customer education and personalized guidance are part of the value. But if your website is trying to self-serve users into a product that actually needs a sales team to explain? You’re losing people.

Sales-Assisted: The Tricky One

This is where most startups actually land. And it’s the hardest to get right.

Your website needs to do both: let users explore and try things on their own, AND give them a clear path to talk to someone when they’re ready.

The mistakes I see constantly:

• Going full PLG design when you actually need sales touches (users get lost, never convert)
• Going full SLG and killing the curiosity before it even starts (users bounce because they can’t try anything)

Go look at these websites:

→ HubSpot — Free CRM gets users in the door. Sales team upsells to Marketing and Sales Hubs

→ Loom — Free tier is generous. But enterprise features push you toward a sales conversation

→ Airtable — Self-serve for small teams, but sales-assisted for larger organizations

→ Calendly — Freemium separates hobbyists from serious users. Different CTAs on different pages based on intent

​Calendly’s CRO actually talked about how they studied visitor paths page by page, then placed different CTAs based on what people were looking for on each page.

“Talk to Sales” on pricing and enterprise pages. “Get a Demo” on feature pages. “Sign up free” on the homepage.

That’s the level of intentionality sales-assisted websites need.

The One Question That Changes Everything

Here it is: Does every CTA on your website match how you actually sell?

If you’re PLG and your homepage says “Book a Demo,” that’s a problem. If you’re sales-led and you’re hiding your sales team behind a free trial, that’s a problem too.

Your GTM strategy should design your website. Not the other way around.

Want me to look at your website and tell you exactly what to fix?
I do €49 UX Audits where I go through your entire site and give you a prioritized action plan. Takes 48 hours.

That’s about it. See you next week.

— Nik