Week 2: Owned Media & Rapid Prototyping

Welcome to Week 2. This week, we transition from planning to building. You will create the foundational asset of your digital marketing strategy: your Owned Media hub (the Sandbox).

1. Pre-Work: Fundamentals of UX and CRO

Before you build your site, you must understand how users interact with websites. The goal is not just to make a site look good, but to make it convert.

User Experience (UX) Basics

Good UX means minimizing friction. A user should understand exactly what you offer and what they should do next within the first 3 seconds of landing on your page.

Clarity over cleverness: Use simple, direct language.
Visual Hierarchy: Use size, color, and placement to guide the user’s eye to the most important elements (like your Call to Action).

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

CRO is the systematic process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action.

A high-converting landing page typically includes:

A compelling Headline: States the primary value proposition.
A clear Call to Action (CTA): What do you want them to do? (e.g., “Get a Quote”, “Download Now”).
Social Proof: Testimonials, reviews, or trust badges.
Low-Friction Forms: Only ask for the information you absolutely need.

2. Lab Session: Building The Sandbox

In today’s lab, we favor speed and function over perfection. We will use agile builders to deploy a live asset.

Agile Website Deployment

Select one of the following free tools to build your sandbox:

Google Sites: Best for absolute beginners; integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace.
Carrd: Excellent for simple, single-page landing pages.
Webflow (Free Tier): Best for those who want more design control and are willing to learn a slightly steeper interface.

Structuring for Lead Generation

Your sandbox must be structured to capture leads.

mindmap
  root((Landing Page Structure))
    Hero Section
      Value Proposition Headline
      Subheadline
      Primary CTA Button
    Benefits
      Feature 1
      Feature 2
      Feature 3
    Social Proof
      Testimonials
      Trust Logos
    Lead Capture
      Simple Form Name/Email
      Secondary CTA

Mobile Responsiveness and Speed

Over 60% of web traffic is mobile.

Use the preview tools in your builder to ensure your site looks good on a smartphone screen.
Keep image sizes small to ensure fast loading. A slow site kills conversions before they happen.

3. Deliverable

Live URL of your sandbox website.

The site must be published and publicly accessible.
It must clearly articulate the value proposition of your chosen business concept.
It must include a visible Call to Action (CTA) designed to capture a lead.

Submit the live URL to the instructor before the start of Week 3.

Week 2: Owned Media & Rapid Prototyping (The Sandbox)