The New COS Website Design: 7 Ways to Crush it with CMS Hub

For every startup or small business, building a phenomenal team is a top priority. You’re only as strong as your weakest player, right? To be successful, every team member must carry their respective weight. However, for a lot of teams, there’s an additional opportunity for an even stronger player in plain sight: your website.

Your website should be your top salesperson, attracting traffic and converting high-quality leads 24/7. This type of high-converting website is built using a powerful content optimization system, along with a lean COS website design process.

With the right technology and a lean process, you can create the type of site you need to really grow and scale your marketing and sales efforts, launching an affordable, high-performing site that attracts traffic and delivers leads like never before.

When Did COS Website Design Become CMS Hub?

First, let’s define what COS website design is. COS website design is a lean, modular approach to building HubSpot website. You can only conduct COS website design using HubSpot, as HubSpot coined “COS” or content optimization system to describe their one-of-a-kind, fully integrated sales and marketing platform.

Back in 2020, HubSpot made a branding shift. What used to be COS (Content Optimization System) got a rebrand: CMS Hub. But plenty of marketers still say "COS" out of habit.

The shift wasn’t just about a name change. COS was always a HubSpot-exclusive approach to modular, customer-focused website design. Unlike traditional CMS platforms like WordPress or Drupal, it integrated marketing and sales from the ground up. But CMS Hub? It took things further.

CMS Hub streamlined customization, security, and performance—things that used to require workarounds. It also introduced tiered pricing to fit different needs:

• Starter: Basic website management, ideal for small businesses.
• Professional: More advanced customization, A/B testing, and dynamic content.
• Enterprise: Full-scale content governance, membership portals, and serverless functions.

If you’re still thinking in "COS" terms, it’s time to level up. In this post we’ll break down exactly how to get the most out of your CMS Hub.

Common Mistakes Made With COS Website Design

If you’ve been researching the HubSpot COS, you know that HubSpot is expensive. You can’t just hop in and create a website for free like you can with Wix or WordPress. And while HubSpot’s price tag can be intimidating, the high expenses that stem from HubSpot and website design often come from a few common mistakes, rather than the platform itself. 

When you know how to effectively implement HubSpot and go through the right COS website design process, you can avoid these mistakes. A ton of our clients has built high-quality, affordable HubSpot websites, following a COS website design process, for under $30k. We use our one-of-a-kind website builder, Sprocket Rocket, to build high-converting sites.

Using Sprocket Rocket, while following these COS website design tips, you can do the same. 

1. Start with Smart Templates and Modules

During any website project, there’s a significant amount of time spent on planning, content, and strategy before you even get to the CMS. 

Building every page from scratch is a waste of time. CMS Hub allows you to create reusable templates and custom modules that keep your website consistent while making updates faster and easier. Instead of forcing your team to reinvent the wheel with every new page, develop a library of pre-approved modules—testimonials, pricing tables, feature comparisons—that can be mixed and matched on demand.

By standardizing design elements, you ensure that marketers can launch new pages without needing a developer. This not only speeds up production but also prevents off-brand designs from sneaking in.

Beyond efficiency, structured templates help with long-term scalability. If your current setup requires a developer for minor changes, it’s time to rethink your approach.

Pro-Tip: We recommend Sprocket Rocket for a killer modular site builder on HubSpot

2. Leverage Smart Content for Lean Personalization

A generic website is a missed opportunity. CMS Hub’s smart content features allow you to personalize the visitor experience based on factors like location, device, referral source, or customer lifecycle stage. Someone visiting your site for the first time should see a different message than a returning customer.

Personalization doesn’t have to be complex. Small changes—like adjusting CTAs based on a visitor’s industry or swapping out homepage messaging for returning users—can make a measurable impact. The goal is to create a frictionless journey that makes visitors feel like your site is speaking directly to them.

Using HubSpot’s smart rules, you can dynamically update content across your site without creating multiple versions of the same page. This not only improves engagement but also ensures that your website is working as a true marketing and sales tool rather than just a static online brochure.

You can read more about the details of a lean website process here, but overall, the process ensures that you minimize waste and maximize value during your site build.

• Develop Strategy, Buyer Personas, and Buyer Journey
• Build Sitemap and Plan Website Pages
• Outline Page Flows
• Conduct Rapid Prototyping
• Write Messaging and Copy
• Implement Light Design
• Build, QC, and Lean Launch Site
• Optimize Over Time
  
  

3. Integrate the Full HubSpot Ecosystem

CMS Hub is powerful on its own, but it shines brightest when integrated with HubSpot’s full suite of tools. When connected with Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, and Service Hub, your website becomes more than just a digital storefront—it becomes the central hub for customer engagement.

Marketing automation is where the real magic happens. When a visitor fills out a form, Marketing Hub can trigger a follow-up email sequence. Sales Hub can notify the right rep instantly, ensuring fast outreach while interest is high. If a customer submits a support ticket, Service Hub ensures they receive a seamless experience without bouncing between disconnected platforms.

The biggest mistake companies make is treating their website as an island. By linking all your HubSpot tools, you get a complete, data-driven view of the customer journey. This alignment leads to smarter marketing, more efficient sales, and stronger customer retention.

4. Implement a Growth-Driven Design Strategy

The idea of launching a “perfect” website is outdated. A better approach is growth-driven design, where you start with a core version of your site and continuously improve based on real user data. Instead of spending months perfecting every detail, you launch a high-impact version and refine it over time.

HubSpot’s built-in analytics allow you to track visitor behavior, identify friction points, and make data-backed improvements. If a landing page isn’t converting, tweak the CTA and test a new version. If users are bouncing from a service page, experiment with clearer messaging or a stronger offer.

This approach doesn’t just save time — it makes your website an active driver of business growth. A static website is a liability in a fast-moving market. By iterating continuously, you ensure that your site remains optimized for conversions and user experience at all times.

5. Master the Content Strategy Tool

A scattered content strategy won’t cut it. CMS Hub’s content strategy tool helps you organize your content into topic clusters that boost SEO and make navigation more intuitive. Instead of creating random blog posts, you structure your content around pillar pages that cover broad topics, with supporting subtopic pages linking back to them.

This method benefits both search engines and human readers. Google rewards structured, interlinked content by ranking it higher in search results. Visitors benefit from a logical content flow that guides them through your expertise, making it easier for them to find what they need.

The key to success is intentionality. Instead of churning out endless blog posts, focus on building high-quality clusters that demonstrate authority and drive traffic to conversion points. A well-structured content strategy isn’t just about visibility—it’s about turning visitors into leads and customers.

6. Optimize for Mobile and Page Speed

Mobile-friendliness isn’t optional—more than half of web traffic now comes from mobile devices. CMS Hub is built for responsiveness, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore mobile optimization. Test how your pages render on different screen sizes and make adjustments where necessary.

Page speed is just as critical. Slow websites frustrate users and tank search rankings. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to diagnose slow-loading elements and optimize your site’s performance. Compress images, enable lazy loading, and minimize unnecessary scripts to keep load times fast.

Related Read: 5 Growth Marketing Tactics Proven to ROI (+ Real Examples)

A high-performing website is about more than just looking good. If visitors have to wait even a few extra seconds for a page to load, they’re likely to bounce. Speed and responsiveness aren’t just technical concerns—they directly impact conversion rates and user satisfaction.

7. Create Actionable Dashboards

Data is only useful if you know how to apply it. CMS Hub’s custom dashboards allow you to track not just vanity metrics like page views but meaningful engagement metrics — conversion rates, bounce rates, time on page, and form submissions. These insights tell you what’s working and what needs improvement.

Set up dashboards that align with business goals. If lead generation is a priority, monitor how different pages contribute to conversions. If retention is key, track engagement metrics for customer-facing content. Make these dashboards accessible to stakeholders so they can make informed decisions based on real data, not gut feelings.

Your website should be a revenue-driving asset, not just an online presence. By connecting performance metrics to business outcomes, you can prove your site's impact and refine your strategy for continuous improvement.

Growing With The HubSpot COS / CMS Hub

If you're a startup or small company that needs a new website and a better inbound marketing strategy, investing in HubSpot and the COS website design process makes the most sense. From the start, you'll have all of the training, support, and resources necessary to create and deploy marketing that works. After the launch of your site and marketing strategy, you can use an array of optimization and reporting features to improve your efforts even more.

The "too long, didn't read" version of this article? The longer you wait to adopt a tool like HubSpot and build a site that your customers will engage with, the more you will delay your growth. In a few years, you’ll wish you began with HubSpot, rather than wasting a significant amount of budget and time in trying to use less robust and reliable solutions.

If you're hooked and want to know more about saving on HubSpot, check out how to get 60% off your first year in our handy guide.

You can also get in touch with our HubSpot experts to talk through a custom setup that will help you get the most ROI from your HubSpot investment.