Homepage messaging that talks to the gatekeepers

TL;DR

Sanity’s homepage is built for the technical gatekeeper, not the decision-makers or end users. Instead of “pleasing everyone,” it leads with messaging that wins over the person with veto power: the developers.

The homepage shows technical capability and operational flexibility, making the developer’s decision easy to justify. This gatekeeper-first approach sacrifices broad appeal for deep influence, helping serious buyers move forward faster.

What makes Sanity’s homepage stand out

Although Sanity is ultimately targeting content creators and business leaders, its homepage speaks to tech people using heavy developer jargon.

That’s no accident. It’s a smart homepage messaging strategy with a clear purpose. But to understand it, we’ll first have to look at what Sanity actually does.

The simple version

Sanity is like a super-flexible content management system.

You write something once (like “Today’s special: Fish Tacos - $12) and it automatically appears everywhere: your website, mobile app, social media, digital menus, you name it.

This is possible because of a simple three-step process:

1. Developer builds the machine: Sets up how content flows from Sanity to your platforms
2. Marketing managers, writers, etc., just log in and update content without touching the code.
3. Content appears everywhere instantly. No copy-pasting, no updating multiple places.

Think of it like this: the developer builds a really smart photocopier, and then anyone can just put in a document and copies appear everywhere they’re needed.

Talking to the gatekeeper

And here’s what makes Sanity’s homepage so clever: the team figured out something important about how SaaS purchase decisions really work.

The reality:

• Content managers and marketers need this tool for daily use
• But developers have to set it up and make it work
• If the developer says “this won’t work with our setup,” no one will purchase the tool

So Sanity made a smart choice. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone with business benefits and promises, they focused entirely on talking to developers.

The psychology behind it

The genius move: By making developers genuinely excited about Sanity (look at all those integrations! clean APIs! flexibility), they turn the technical gatekeeper into an advocate.

How this might play out:

• Marketing Director: “We need a better content system.”
• Developer, after seeing Sanity’s homepage: “This looks really solid and works with our React setup.”
• The project moves forward.

The opposite scenario:

• Marketing Director: “Look, I found this easy-to-use content tool!”
• Developer after investigating: “I don’t see anything of value.”
• The project dies.

Why this approach works

It’s like getting the chef to love your kitchen equipment. Even if the restaurant owner makes the final purchasing decision, the chef’s enthusiasm will heavily influence that choice.

The end result: Developers become internal champions for Sanity, which is far more powerful than any marketing campaign.

When to apply this approach

• Your product requires technical implementation. If someone needs technical skills to set up or integrate your product, speak to them first.
• You have multiple stakeholders with different roles. When the user, buyer, and implementer are different people, identify who has veto power.
• Technical feasibility is a major concern. If your prospect’s first question is “Will this work with our existing setup?” address that immediately in your homepage messaging.
• You’re in a competitive technical space. When developers have strong opinions about tools and frameworks, winning their enthusiasm creates lasting advocacy and loyalty.