Startups fall into the same trap all the time. They spend months building out the perfect product, website, or app—sweating every detail from the logo to the font size—only to get to the finish line and realize… no one’s waiting for them. No traffic. No leads. No one even knows they exist.
Now they’re stuck. They’ve spent thousands, or more, and 2-3 months building something amazing—but forgot to build any anticipation, visibility, or demand. And they’re just now thinking about marketing.
According to a 2021 CB Insights report, 42% of startups fail because there’s “no market need.” But here’s the thing: in many cases, the product was solid—it just launched into silence.
That’s where we come in.
At ATX Web Designs, we take a different approach. We don’t wait until your site or app is done to start marketing. We build your online presence and marketing infrastructure at the same time we build your product. Why? Because a great idea with no audience is just a hidden gem. And gems don’t sell themselves.
The Common Mistake: Waiting to Market
Here’s the typical flow we see over and over again:
- You build the product.
- You design the website or app.
- You launch.
- You start thinking about getting customers.
But by then, you’ve already lost precious time. You’ve built a race car and waited until race day to put gas in the tank. And while you’re scrambling to figure it out, your competitors are already off and running.
What We Do Instead: Build + Market, Together
We believe in moving fast—but strategically. So we start building your website or app and your marketing engine at the same time.
Here’s a snapshot of how we run it:
Week 1-2: Laying the Groundwork
We kick things off by diving into who you’re trying to reach, what you’re offering, and what success looks like for you. While our design/dev team starts mocking up your site or app, our marketing team is already researching keywords, identifying your competitors, and mapping out a strategy.
You’ll get a rollout calendar that shows exactly how we’re syncing development milestones with marketing checkpoints. Every step we take is built to create traction, not just completion.
Week 3-6: The Dual Track
This is where things really get moving. While our dev team codes your site or app and builds the features, our marketing team is:
- Launching a simple landing page to start collecting leads
- Writing blog content to start showing up in search results
- Building your Google Business Profile
- Creating social posts and pre-scheduling them
- Prepping your first email sequences
You’re not waiting for the launch to start showing up—you’re already out there.
Week 7-8: Launch and Roll
By the time we launch your full site or app, you’re not launching into a void. You’re launching with warm leads, early followers, traffic from Google, and a real plan in place.
We also kick off retargeting ads, start testing performance, and keep a close eye on what’s working (and what’s not).
A Real Example: From Crickets to Conversions
One of our clients launched a medical software. At first, their only focus was getting the website up and running. But we pushed them to also think about marketing early.
While we were building their platform and automation, we created a simple “Coming Soon” page optimized for local med clinic keywords. We started a Facebook campaign and a referral code offer.
By launch:
- They had 80+ email signups
- Sign ups for the free trial started rolling in within the first week
- They hit ROI in their first 30-45 days
And this was before they even spent real money on marketing. It happened because we didn’t wait until the site was done to start showing up.
Why This Works
This approach works because it’s proactive. You’re not hoping customers show up—you’re inviting them in before the door opens.
You’re shortening the time it takes to get your money back. If you invest $10k–$15k into your business over 8 or more weeks, why should you wait another 8 weeks to see revenue? That math doesn’t work. We help you make money faster.
It’s Not Just the Plan. It’s the Team.
We don’t have one person juggling everything. We assign:
- A project manager to keep everything moving
- A dev team building and testing your site or app
- A marketing strategist running the campaigns
- Content creators writing copy that converts
Everyone plays their part at the same time so nothing slips. We’re not reacting after launch. We’re planning for it.
If You Wait, You Pay
Let’s say you drop $25,000 or more into a new business. If you wait until it’s all done to start marketing, your runway gets shorter, your timeline to profitability gets longer, and your risk goes way up.
But if you start getting leads before you even launch, you’re ahead. You’re building a list. You’re building curiosity. And you’re stacking wins.
Bottom Line
Too many founders treat the launch like the finish line. It’s not. It’s just the hand-off point where the marketing engine should already be humming.
So when we work with clients, we help them go from: Idea → Launch → Revenue
Not: Idea → Launch → Then Try to Get Revenue
And that difference? It can mean the difference between closing your first customers this month—or 3 months from now.
If you’re launching something soon—whether it’s a website or an app—and want to do it the smart way, we’d love to chat. No pressure, just making sure you’re not building in a vacuum.
Launch smart. Market early. Profit sooner.
