A £10k Website With Zero ROI: Why Design Alone Isn’t Enough

Before Christmas, I had a call with a prospective client who’d spent almost £10,000 on a new website in 2024… but with no SEO content strategy.

Naturally, I asked the most important question:

What return has the website delivered so far?

The answer?

A big fat zero.

Now, don’t get me wrong – as a small business owner myself, I sometimes think I’m too cautious when it comes to investing money in my business. Very Yorkshire of me, I know.

(If only I applied the same restraint to my personal spending 🤣)

And to be fair, the website itself looked great.
Super slick. Polished. Professional.

And to be fair – that £10k had also included some very cool branding.

But all the cool branding in the world couldn’t solve their big problem…

The website launched… and then nothing happened

Other than three blogs – clearly added at launch – there hadn’t been a single piece of new content published since the site went live.

No blog updates.
No SEO content.
No ongoing strategy.

So after a five-figure spend on design and branding, not a penny had been invested in keeping the website visible, relevant, or working as a business tool.

My mind was genuinely boggled.

Why wasn’t a website SEO content strategy part of the conversation – from the start?

If someone is selling you a website at this price point, you should 100% be getting conversations around:

• SEO
• content strategy
• and the importance of regular updates

As STANDARD.

For a high-end website, this input and advice should not be an add-on or an optional extra. I work with web designers all the time. And they care about long-term results, not just cash in the bank on launch day.

One designer I work closely with, Chris, at Ampersand Digital, puts it better than I can:

‘Victoria is my go-to for clients who need new copy and an SEO strategy that actually makes sense.
She’s a brilliant writer, but she also thinks about search intent, user journeys and long-term visibility.
If you want your website to actually bring in business, I couldn’t recommend her more.‘

That’s exactly it.

A website isn’t a finished product.
It’s a foundation.

Without content and SEO, it’s basically a very expensive brochure. Tucked away on the back of the rack… out of sight.

But… what if I can’t afford to invest in SEO content?

To be clear – this isn’t about shaming small or new businesses.

I’ve been there. Felt the squeeze. Got the bootstraps!

If you’re just starting out, scraping together the budget for a basic website, it’s completely understandable if SEO and content have to wait.

Or even… shudder… if you have to employ ChatGPT to get you started.

Time, money and energy are limited – you can’t do everything at once.

But if you’re at the point where you’re able to think about investing a few grand in a website… then please.

For the love of God.

Put some aside for a shit-hot SEO content strategy.

Because Google doesn’t care about your super-cool branding.

Your website SEO should work as hard as you do

If your website isn’t:

• attracting traffic
• building authority
• answering real search queries
• or generating leads

Then it isn’t doing its job. And you’ve wasted your hard-earned cash.

You’ll end up with a beautiful website that:

• no one finds
• no one reads
• and worst of all… doesn’t make you any money

So what should you do instead?

If you’re planning a new website (or already have one), ask yourself:

• Is there a clear SEO content strategy behind it?
• Do I know what content I should be publishing – and why?
• Do I have the time to write it myself, or the budget to outsource it?

If the answer to all three is ‘no’ – don’t stress.

It just means you’ve got a bit of work to do to make sure your website does the business.

Final thoughts (and a gentle nudge)

I’m Vikki.
And if you’re feeling slightly sick about spending good money on a website that isn’t delivering a ROI you’re not alone.

I help businesses turn websites into actual business assets through:

• SEO strategy
• content writing
• and LinkedIn ghostwriting that gets you seen and generates leads

If you want a website that helps you get seen, grown your business, and make sales – get in touch today.