From CTAs to Customer Journeys: James Hipkin on Smarter Digital Marketing for Small Businesses

In this episode of Product Led Growth Leaders, host Thomas Watkins chats with James Hipkin, CEO and Founder of Inn8ly, about why most small business websites miss the mark—and how to fix them with customer-first strategy. With decades of experience in digital marketing, James helps small businesses escape the “inside-out” marketing trap and instead create online experiences rooted in clarity, trust, and real user needs. If you're a founder or operator struggling to connect your website to business outcomes, this episode delivers clear, actionable guidance.

Why Your Website Isn’t Converting—and What to Do Instead

James breaks down a common pattern he sees during website audits: business owners focusing too much on themselves—features, services, accolades—and not enough on the customer’s journey. This “inside-out” approach fails to answer the essential visitor question: Does this brand understand my problem? Instead, James advocates for customer-centric website design, starting with a well-defined customer avatar and mapping their journey from discovery to trust-building and, eventually, conversion.

One of the most powerful mindset shifts James introduces is the move from generic calls to action (CTAs) to customer-guided pathways. Instead of commanding users to “Buy Now” or “Schedule a Call,” pathways give visitors space to self-identify and explore what’s most relevant to them. He illustrates this with a real-world example: creating segmented pathways for beginner versus artisan bakers on a niche food site—leading to better engagement and conversion because each audience felt understood.

James also emphasizes the importance of customer insight gathering—analyzing your top 20% of customers to uncover the patterns that drive 80% of your revenue. For smaller businesses without large research budgets, he recommends simple, structured interviews to inform buyer personas, journey maps, and UX decisions. Whether through strategic segmentation or early landing page testing, James makes a compelling case that the right website isn’t just built—it’s discovered through intentional strategy.

About James Hipkin

James Hipkin is the Founder and CEO of Inn8ly, a digital marketing strategist, agency leader, and educator with over 40 years of experience helping brands—from Fortune 500s to Main Street businesses—design websites that build trust and drive conversions.

About Inn8ly

Inn8ly helps small businesses and service providers create smarter websites that convert visitors into leads. Their strategy-first approach combines UX best practices with affordable, scalable website solutions tailored to the needs of growth-minded entrepreneurs.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Inn8ly – Company Website

• Schedule a Virtual Coffee Chat with James

Key Episode Highlights

• Why inside-out messaging kills conversions—and how to flip it

• The difference between CTAs and pathways—and why pathways build trust

• How to analyze your top customers to shape a smarter digital strategy

• Why UX strategy should come before design or development

• The best way for early-stage founders to validate offers without overspending

Ready to learn how to build a product-led marketing engine that scales?
Explore 3Leaf Consulting to discover how Thomas Watkins helps product-led companies simplify and scale growth through smart marketing systems.
Think you’d make a great guest on Product Led Growth Leaders? Apply here to share your story.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here