How We Developed a High-End HubSpot Website For Rakuten Delivering Speed, Cost Savings, And Seamless Integration
Pages Launched
Faster Development Time
A High Performance Web Experience Built for Custom Design, Speed, and Seamless HubSpot Marketing Integration
Rakuten is a global leader in eCommerce, digital media, and online services, operating in over 30 countries and serving millions of users worldwide. While best known for its consumer platform, Rakuten also powers a robust B2B ecosystem through its Rakuten Marketplace and Advertising Solutions, connecting brands with opportunities to grow through performance marketing and data driven insights.
Introduction
Rakuten needed a modern, premium looking web presence that loaded fast and integrated directly into HubSpot Marketing Hub without the added cost of CMS Hub. This website development project focused specifically on highlighting Rakuten’s business offerings, targeting advertisers, partners, and enterprise prospects. The team required a sleek, custom-coded solution that met global brand standards and seamlessly aligned with their existing HubSpot infrastructure.
They were looking for a solution that would:
Match their global brand standards
Support sophisticated animations and interactivity
Seamlessly work with their HubSpot lead generation workflows
Launch quickly and cost-effectively
We delivered a high-end user experience built entirely with HubSpot’s Landing Page tools, avoiding the need for CMS Hub while delivering advanced design and full CRM alignment.
The Challenge
Rakuten had:
Strict global brand requirements
A need for custom animations and smooth responsiveness
A tight marketing tech stack centered around HubSpot Marketing Hub
A desire to avoid bloated CMS builds and additional platform licensing
Our solution? A fully custom-coded web experience leveraging HubSpot Landing Pages for marketing functionality and integration while avoiding CMS Hub altogether.
Our Approach
Landing Page Based Architecture
We built the entire site using HubSpot’s Landing Page framework. This meant Rakuten could leverage HubSpot native tools like forms, CTAs, tracking, and workflows without paying for CMS Hub.
Custom Front End Development
Every page was coded from scratch to support design complexity, animation, and responsiveness across all screen sizes and browsers.
Marketing System Integration
All CTAs, forms, and lead data flowed into HubSpot’s Marketing Hub, enabling full visibility and automation across the funnel.
Fast, Cost-Efficient Execution
By skipping CMS Hub and using existing HubSpot functionality, we helped Rakuten stay on budget without compromising quality or flexibility.
💻 Tech Stack Used
- HubSpot CMS
- Custom HTML/CSS/JS
- HubSpot Forms, CTAs, Analytics embeds
- Responsive Frameworks
- Scroll-based and timed animations
- HubSpot-native tracking and CRM sync
Design & Development Highlights
Custom-coded layouts instead of using HubSpot themes
Optimized for performance and mobile UX
Developer-first approach with reusable header/footer code blocks
Branded animations and styling matched to global design specs
The Results
✅ Faster Launch
Launched in ~50% less time than a full CMS build, without sacrificing polish or performance
✅ Cost Savings
Avoided CMS Hub licensing fees and kept dev costs lean with efficient build processes
✅ HubSpot Native Marketing Sync
Fully integrated with existing CRM workflows. No third-party tools required
Build Smart. Launch Fast. Spend Less.
Why It Matters
If You're:
Trying to build a flexible, branded website in HubSpot without committing to CMS Hub
Looking for faster execution with full control over front-end design
Seeking full CRM and lead tracking alignment
This approach proves you can build high-end digital experiences using tools you already own.
Cost Savings
Rakuten saved tens of thousands of dollars by bypassing HubSpot CMS Hub. We delivered a fully custom, high-performance web experience without the added licensing fees or development overhead typically required for CMS-based builds.
We achieved:
Custom front-end experiences without platform add-ons
Full HubSpot Marketing Hub integration for forms, CTAs, and analytics
A clean, branded result that rivals CMS-native builds
Perfect for teams who want premium UX without inflating their MarTech spend.
Lessons Learned & Pro Tips
You don’t need CMS Hub to build great looking websites in HubSpot
Clear upfront design requirements help speed up dev time
Custom-coded landing pages can scale better than rigid template builds for certain use cases
HubSpot’s native tools are underutilized. This project tapped into their full potential
