Empowering small businesses with Google

Introducing: Google Marketing Platform

In 2018, I was a Senior Content Strategist at Beyond, a global design and technology agency, in their London office. During my time at the agency, I worked on a project to reposition Google's suite of tools designed for small businesses. This contributing to building the groundwork of an overarching product overhaul and the repositioning of Google Marketing Platform, formerly known as Analytics 360 and DoubleClick. This work is still being used on the Google Marketing Platform site today.

‍

‍

From product-centric to user-centric

Google's B2B marketing tools– including Optimize, Data Studio, Surveys, and Attribution– offered valuable resources free of charge. However, these tools struggled to gain traction among small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Our research revealed that small businesses couldn't grasp the purpose or value of these products. The older Google sites followed a product-centric user experience, with jargon-heavy messaging that failed to resonate with the target audience. Plus, the products were hidden among the website, not clearly targeting its audience or communicating its benefits in a relatable way.

Insight: 77% of the target market was aware of Google Analytics 360 Suite, yet only 35% could correctly define what it was.

Prototype, test, iterate

Collaborating with a Lead UX designer and Project Manager alongside the Google team, we adopted a design thinking approach to test our ideas. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different product positioning strategies through designing a microsite template that could be dynamically adapted for each product within the suite. Plus, we aimed to reposition the messaging and copy to better communicate how Google's tools could benefit small businesses.

My role required content strategy, information architecture, UX copywriting and product positioning. After conducting a thorough content audit, I collaborated with our UX designer to develop a microsite template and wireframes that shifted the focus from product-led to user needs-based messaging. I created a master copy doc for our client to review and feedback on, and to handover to dev teams.

Try it for free

We used these microsites as a controlled testing environment to gauge the effectiveness of the new messaging and the conversion rates, using the call to action: "Try it for free" .

‍

Impact & results

‍Our targeted approach led to a significant increase in conversions and influenced the redesign of the Google Marketing Platform website. The microsite campaigns achieved conversion rates above industry standards, demonstrating the success of our user-centric messaging and design. The strategies and content I developed were integral to the "For Small Business" section of the newly branded Google Marketing Platform, improving visibility and accessibility for SMBs and aligning with market demands for clearer, more relatable B2B communications.

‍This project underscored the value of simple, empathetic communication with audiences, particularly when explaining complex SaaS products. My work helped Google effectively convey the value of its tools to small business owners, reinforcing the impact of strategic content and thoughtful design on product positioning and business growth.

Below are screenshots of the website as it went live at marketingplatform.google.com