If you just build it, they WON'T come ... [🐝U]

“If you build it, they will come”

It great for movies
But terrible business advice!

I mean … it IS kinda corny

I know … terrible joke.
But too many of us fall for the romanticized movie magic …
Believing if we just ‘build the thing’ people will magically show up.

At least, that can’t be the only thing you do.

Some of the loneliest moments in business happen right after you hit “publish”

I’ve been there…
& I’ve lost count of how many entrepreneurs quietly admit this to me on calls:
“I thought once the website went live, people would come”

& the worst part of it all…
we think there’s something wrong with us
→ our idea
→ or it’s our ‘fate’ …

That’s not it at all.

If we do things in the wrong order, we focus on the wrong things to “fix” when it doesn’t go the way we planned.

We obsess over the shade of a button
→ debate about menu placement
→ overthink themes, plug-ins
→ freakishly focus on SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
→ the website address & business name

I learned this the hard way.

For my very 1st website …
I spend weeks hemming & hawing over a domain name.
I ended up changing it 2 years later

It made sense to absolutely no one but me
dmbyego . com
stood for Digital Marketing by EG Orren
people saw “dm bye go” & typed “dm by go”
when I said it they heard “dm by eagle”

It was short
I thought that made it easier

I obviously changed it.
Be Yourself Marketing . com
Now people comment that it’s long
But it’s a clearer message
& easier to remember (& spell)

Not to mention all my obsessing over WordPress themes, layouts, colors, fonts
… all the “aesthetically perfect” details

We do a nosedive into the tech rabbit hole to build a site
then sit back & wait
& wait
& wait

… for nothing but the sound of crickets

No comments
No contacts
Not even a spam message!

It wasn’t because the site was bad.

I was avoiding the 1 thing that actually matters
& when nothing happens, we start grasping at straws for solutions … any solutions

So some other marketer comes along & sell us on
→ better SEO
→ more content
→ updated website copy

That’s NOT going to help you any more than it helped me

Your website becomes a shiny brochure on a desert island.
& it can actually kill your business before you get started

If you just build it, they won’t come …

Not in 2025 … definitely not in 2026…
Not with how crowded the messaging is & how distracted people are

& this is where people expect me to say they’re right & everyone else is wrong.

What always gets clients squirming in their seats on calls?
Telling them to STOP putting a website launch 1st.

I’ve lost clients over this.
Not because I was wrong …
Because this part of the process feels very uncomfortable.

I’m asking you to put a pin on the “busy work” so you can face the hard stuff.

Look, I get it … you put a lot of resources into building it … time & money
You’re invested.
It represents you & how you want to help.

Technically, everything does work.
… if it didn’t, it wouldn’t still be an option

But … & it’s a big BUT …
Everything doesn’t work for everyone
& to really make things effective, you have to do them in the “right” order.

So let’s zoom out a bit …

What comes 1st, the chicken or the egg?

It’s the classic chicken & egg problem …

Because no one knows it’s there.
You have to tell people about it

But you need to know what exactly to say that’s relevant to them?
& how do you tell them?

How to tell people you’re out there

Thankfully, there are only 4 ways to get in front of people.

There are 2 types of people … those you know & don’t
& 2 different ways to reach them … 1-to-1 or 1-to-many

Alex Hormozi calls this the “Core Four” in his book $100M Leads

→ face-to-face … assuming they don’t start turning & running in the other direction when they see you coming … Because they know you’re going to tell them to go to your website &/or buy something.

& unless you’re business is very focused on a local audience, it’s incredibly difficult to grow beyond where you live

→ social media

I had a musician as a client at the height of the COVID pandemic. They had to have a crash course in social media because there was literally no way for them to perform & meet people in person.

They complained about all the lack of engagement from their Facebook posts.
Turns out they weren’t actually using it themselves.
They were posting on Instagram & using the app’s auto-post for Facebook.

Facebook & Instagram may be owned by the same person.
& the app may make it seem easier to expand reach into another platform
But they’re 2 very different platforms.

It’s very obvious - even to the novice user - when a Facebook post is really an Instagram post … the excessive hashtags, the account tags that don’t work, etc

It’s hard to get people to engage if you’re not showing up either.

When she took the time (less than 1 minute) to share all the same content manually instead of automatically, her engagement skyrocketed a lot more than it was on Instagram

The social media time trap

You don’t need to be everywhere.
In fact, you shouldn’t ever be.

Start with 1 platform organically (aka no paid ads)
Focus where your audience is mostly likely hanging out.
Use it to talk to your audience, test your content
& how you share it

So now that you’ve narrowed down 1 social media platform to focus on, how do you show up to get attention?

Your message matters more than your images

Your ideal clients don’t really care about you … or that your website exists.
They’re not interested in your experience or features
They don’t know how much time (& money) you spent on it.

It’s not personal.
They’re overwhelmed.
They need more clarity & less risk.

What they actually care about is: What’s in it for them?

→ They need to know you “get” what they’re going through
→ They have to see how you make their life easier
→ They care about their results

Listen to what your audience says about their challenges & share things that help
You have to turn your features into their benefits

If you’ve ever watched someone’s eyes glaze over while you explain what you do (instead of who you help) … that’s the moment your features lose

You can’t write about those things until you know what they are.

You’ve got to “talk” to your target audience.
→ learn about their biggest challenges
→ listen to how they describe their struggles

Because once you’re actually listening, how to respond & share becomes clearer

so here’s an order that works …
& turns your website into an investment instead of a business-breaking expense

Step 1: Talk to PEOPLE

Before you write a single line of copy or pick a color theme start with conversation:
→ Send DMs. Ask before you “announce”: What’s the hardest part of… [problem you solve]?
→ Post a question or poll your audience online. The results will surprise you!
→ Grab a (virtual or real) coffee with your target audience & even “competitors” working with similar audiences
→ Listen to the language they’re using to describe their pain & desired outcomes.

What you learn becomes your messaging, your tone, & eventually your website copy.

You’ll find it’s more about the who & why
& a lot less about the what & how

Once you start having real conversations with real people …

Step 2: Share Your Work

Promotion doesn’t have to feel a sleazy used car salesman

You don’t have to (& shouldn’t) be the human equivalent of a pop-up ad.

You’re not standing on a corner shouting “buy my stuff,” you’re able to say:
“Here’s something I learned/did today that can save you a headache.”

Ways to share without selling hard:
→ Post lessons learned, mistakes made, insights from actual projects
→ Share your behind-the-scenes: your process, how you think, trends you’re spotting
→ Create tiny, helpful posts or mini-guides relevant to your offer
→ Invite conversation & feedback (instead of pushing a sale)

Doing this gets people wanting to know more about you.
& it also tells algorithms (& real humans) that you’re present, active, & relevant.

Step 3: Earn the traffic, then let tech do its thing

Once you’ve talked to humans & started sharing, then your site becomes more than decoration. It becomes a hub that reflects real needs & real language.

When you’re ready — yes — you can lean on tech.

Today’s tools make building a legit site easier & faster than ever.

For example, some newer AI-powered site builders (like beehiiv) let you skip the design hell & go straight from your messaging to a clean, functional site with built-in newsletter & podcast & selling products.

But … you shouldn’t do it all in step 1

The trick is knowing where you’re going, & containing the tech to as few platforms (& subscriptions) as possible.

That’s going to make your life easier & your business more successful

… because you’re not wasting resources working on maintaining tech
you’re investing them on your clients success … which leads you to more business (& income)

But (& this is important) …
The tech should help amplify what you’ve already built.
That’s why I always say “tech last”
(notice how I haven’t mentioned paying for ads?)

If you lean on tech before you’ve done the talking & sharing,
You’ll end up with a big expense with 0 return.

& this is why the order you do things matters a whole lot more than the tools

Why This Matters

If you start with social stuff first … your website:
→ gets written with words your clients relate to
→ reflects actual problems + needs (not assumptions)
→ becomes easier to write, maintain, & update

… because your audience tells you what they need … They Ask, You Answer!

TL;DR

When you build a website before talking to your audience, it’s going to be lonely & collect dust.

→ Talk to people first
→ Share content (based on what they’re telling you) next
→ & then use tech (& a website) to amplify what’s already working.

If you’re stuck between “I think I know my audience” & “I’m terrified to waste time on the wrong thing” …

Let’s talk about what you’re working on.
I’ll point you to the right next step that builds momentum

Not the expensive or overwhelming 1 that keeps you stuck & questioning yourself

Let’s make your next website a place people want to show up to — not a lonely art project.

Make it a great “corn-free “ week!
EG

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