HubSpot CMS is an all-in-one platform designed to simplify website management for SaaS businesses. It combines powerful tools like CRM integration, dynamic content, and scalability to help teams create high-performing websites that drive leads and conversions. With features like drag-and-drop editors, HubDB for relational data, and serverless functions for custom logic, HubSpot CMS empowers both marketers and developers to deliver personalized, fast, and secure web experiences.
For SaaS companies, HubSpot CMS reduces technical overhead, allowing teams to focus on growth and user engagement.
HubSpot CMS Features and Tools for SaaS Websites
Before diving into design and development, take the time to plan. Start by outlining your go-to-market (GTM) goals, defining your ideal customer profile (ICP), and establishing clear conversion funnels. For SaaS companies, this means understanding how visitors will navigate through your site and convert into customers - before you build anything.
Did you know that 83% of B2B buyers complete most of their research before ever contacting your sales team? Your website isn’t just a digital brochure; it’s a 24/7 sales machine. It needs to educate, qualify, and convert prospects - even while you’re asleep.
"A website isn't a project. It's a product."
This perspective is key. Your website should evolve based on data and insights, not remain static after launch.
Start by setting specific, measurable goals. Are you aiming for demo requests, qualified leads, or product-led growth (PLG) sign-ups? Each goal demands a tailored site structure. Companies using HubSpot’s all-in-one platform have reported up to a 50% boost in traffic and about 30% more leads in just one year.
Your website’s objectives should tie directly to your revenue goals. Begin with lead generation and pipeline velocity - track how many demo requests you’re getting and how quickly prospects move from visitors to qualified leads. But don’t stop there. Consider how your site can also support customer onboarding and education, particularly during trial phases when users are deciding whether to commit. Content that reduces friction and answers common questions can prevent unnecessary support tickets.
Brand awareness and positioning are equally important, especially if you’re carving out a new market category or competing in a crowded space. Your website should clearly communicate your value to your ICP and offer multiple conversion paths, from self-service sign-ups to enterprise-level sales cycles.
Finally, design with scalability and flexibility in mind. Use a modular design system that empowers your marketing team to launch landing pages and run experiments without waiting on developers. This approach eliminates bottlenecks and ensures your site can quickly adapt to market feedback.
Once your goals are clear, map out how users will move through your site, ensuring a smooth journey from visitor to customer.
It’s important to distinguish between the generic buyer journey (Awareness, Consideration, Decision) and your specific customer journey, which includes all brand touchpoints - social ads, email campaigns, product demos, and onboarding flows.
For B2B SaaS, consider these five stages: awareness, consideration, action, experience, and advocacy. At each step, identify what prospects are thinking, the actions they’re taking, and any friction points that might slow them down. Nearly 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned, showing how even minor friction can derail conversions. Test your own sign-up process on both desktop and mobile. Subscribe to your email list. Request a demo. Pinpoint any obstacles that may discourage users.
"Assumptions ≠ reality. You have to collect the right data, so you're working with facts, not guesses."
Leverage both solicited data (like surveys and user interviews) and unsolicited behavioral data (such as heatmaps, session recordings, and abandoned cart metrics) to understand what users actually do versus what they say they do. Regularly review your journey maps - monthly or quarterly - as your product and market evolve.
HubSpot CMS simplifies this process by connecting visitor behavior directly to your CRM. This allows you to personalize content based on lifecycle stage, past interactions, or company size. For example, use smart CTAs that adapt dynamically to a user’s journey stage, reducing friction while optimizing conversions.
With user paths clearly defined, you can now focus on building a site architecture that grows with your business.
With a clear understanding of user journeys, you can design a site architecture that supports your growth. Start with a theme-based design system that combines templates, modules, and CSS into a unified framework. This ensures content creators have the freedom to create while maintaining brand consistency.
Use a modular design approach. Create reusable modules for elements like pricing tables, feature grids, testimonials, and integration directories. These modules separate content from code, so marketers can make updates - like changing pricing or adding testimonials - without needing to edit HTML or worry about breaking the layout. For site-wide consistency, use global content for headers, footers, and navigation.
For SaaS-specific workflows, such as product directories or integration listings, leverage HubDB or CRM records to generate dynamic pages. Instead of manually creating hundreds of pages, you can update a single data source and have all related pages refresh automatically. For gated content, such as onboarding materials or product tutorials, use the Memberships feature (available in Content Hub Enterprise) to deliver personalized content based on CRM properties like lifecycle stage or company tier.
Key Features for SaaS:
| Feature | SaaS Use Case | HubSpot Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Pages | Product directories, integration lists | HubDB / CRM Objects |
| Personalization | Customer onboarding, gated documentation | Memberships (Enterprise) |
| Reusable UI | Pricing cards, feature galleries | Custom Modules |
| Global Styles | Site-wide branding consistency | Theme Fields (fields.json) |
| Logic/Automation | Custom calculators, API connectors | Serverless Functions |
To ensure long-term flexibility, use the HubSpot CLI and version control tools like GitHub. Developers can test changes in a free CMS Developer Sandbox before deploying them to production. Define style and content options in fields.json files within your themes and modules. This allows non-technical team members to make updates easily, while keeping the core architecture stable and secure.
Custom modules are a game-changer for scaling your SaaS website while keeping development smooth and efficient. These modules combine configurable fields with a template fragment (HTML/HubL, CSS, and JavaScript). The result? HubSpot loads each module's scripts only once per page, cutting down on HTTP requests and boosting performance.
For example, you could create a pricing table module once and reuse it across product pages, landing pages, or comparison pages without compromising speed. Your marketing team can easily update pricing tiers, feature lists, or customer testimonials through a user-friendly interface, while developers maintain code integrity using files like fields.json.
Using the HubSpot CLI, developers can fetch, watch, and sync module files directly from their preferred IDE, making development and version control seamless.
When deciding between custom and built-in modules, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each. Built-in modules are convenient, offering pre-made functionalities right out of the box. However, they lack the flexibility to handle specific branding needs or advanced features. For SaaS companies needing interactive tools like ROI calculators or dynamic feature comparisons, custom modules provide the control and customization required.
Custom modules also excel at localization and accessibility. By utilizing module fields for text instead of hard-coding content, managing multi-language sites becomes straightforward. Additionally, building with semantic HTML and ARIA labels ensures accessibility is baked into every instance of your module.
| Feature | Built-In Modules | Custom Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility | Limited customization | Highly flexible |
| Reusability | Basic functionality | Tailored for SaaS-specific workflows |
| Development Time | Ready to use | Requires coding expertise |
| Maintenance Effort | Minimal | Needs custom code updates |
Once your custom modules are ready, the next step is integrating them into templates to structure your SaaS pages effectively. Templates bring your modules together into cohesive layouts, perfect for pages like pricing tables, product features, or case studies. By using drag-and-drop areas (via dnd_area tags), content creators can tweak layouts with HubSpot's 12-column grid system - no coding required.
Take, for instance, a testimonial module. A simple setup with three fields - customer_name, profile_pic, and testimonial - can be used in the home.html template to create a compelling social proof section.
For more complex elements like pricing tables or feature comparisons, repeater fields in the module settings allow editors to dynamically add or remove rows and columns without developer input. Grouping related fields - such as Price, Plan Name, and CTA - further simplifies the editing process.
To ensure optimal performance, use functions like require_css and require_js to load styles or scripts only when a specific module is used. Wrapping module CSS in