#230: Messaging | In this episode, Matt sits down with Talia Wolf, founder and CEO of GetUplift, to unpack what’s really wrong with most B2B websites – and how to fix it. After reviewing 100+ member-submitted sites from the Exit Five community, Talia shares what she sees over and over again: messaging that’s too focused on the product, poor design flow, and a lack of real customer understanding.

Matt and Talia cover:

Why most B2B sites focus too much on features and not enough on buyer emotion
How to use emotional targeting and customer research to write copy that converts
The biggest design mistakes B2B marketers are making (and how to fix them)
How to get stakeholder buy-in for website changes
Why great websites start with strong product marketing

Timestamps

(00:00) - – Intro to Talia
(03:37) - – Why most B2B websites fail to convert
(06:03) - – The common thread across 100+ website reviews from Exit Five members
(08:48) - – Why focusing on features instead of emotion kills conversions
(11:36) - – What is emotional targeting (and how to actually use it)?
(14:51) - – The power of customer research in website optimization
(18:13) - – How to apply emotional triggers to your homepage copy
(21:42) - – Mistakes B2B companies make with above-the-fold content
(24:44) - – Why you should write copy before designing the site
(29:05) - – Structuring your site around buyer intent and behavior
(32:22) - – How to get internal buy-in for messaging and UX changes
(35:39) - – The difference between product marketing and “just copywriting”
(38:55) - – The role of hierarchy, visual flow, and CTA placement
(42:21) - – When to simplify and when to educate on B2B websites
(45:43) - – Final takeaways and practical steps to start improving your site

Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.com
Join the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Check out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/
Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership

***

Today’s episode is brought to you by Grammarly.

Ever have one of those weeks where you spent more time replying to Slack and email than doing actual marketing work?

You’re not alone. The average marketing team spends 28+ hours a week just keeping up with comms.

That leads to burnout, frustration, and a whole lot of performative productivity that doesn’t actually move the needle.

AI-fluent marketing teams are changing that. Grammarly’s 2025 Productivity Shift Report shows how they’re using AI to:

– Cut down on back-and-forth

– Automate content, research, and reporting

– Eliminate busywork

– Make space for strategy

We’re marketers because we love crafting campaigns, driving revenue, and proving impact – not spending all day buried in messages.

Get the report and see how top teams are making AI actually useful.

Visit go.grammarly.com/exitfive to grab it.

***

Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.

They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
Visit hatch.fm to learn more

Jacqueline

Top 10 podcasts with Jacqueline

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts