Outshine the competition, gain market share and make a name for yourself. A strong brand and marketing strategy helps your B2B business do all three — and then some. Especially when roughly 90% of business decision makers ignore cold outreach, having a solid multi-faceted marketing strategy can open the door to new connections. B2B marketing, or business-to-business marketing, is unique…
Sales and marketing go together like peanut butter and jelly — or at least they should.
Aligning your sales and marketing efforts — making sure teams are on the same page, speaking the same language and working toward shared goals — is essential for success. Not only is it important for building trust and improving efficiency, but it impacts the bottom line. It’s estimated that sales-marketing misalignment costs businesses over $1 trillion each year. Yet, as your business grows and your teams get larger, it becomes harder to keep these teams in sync.
Integrated marketing campaigns use a multi-pronged approach to raise brand awareness and connect with your target audience. But marketing campaigns don’t exist in a vacuum. Marketing can drive leads all day, but those leads need to convert to truly move the needle — and that’s where the sales team comes in. In the B2B industry, the average conversion rate is just 3.6 across all industries.2 When sales and marketing are misaligned, that percentage may be even lower, and your company is likely missing out on high-value opportunities. But the good news is that the flipside is true, too. When there’s synergy between these two teams, you’re likely to see a powerful impact on your conversions and growth.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how you can bridge the gap between sales and marketing. From brainstorming to sharing milestones, here are a few actionable steps that can help your teams work together.
One of the biggest hurdles in getting on the same page? Not speaking the same language. While teams may be talking about similar topics, they may use different terminology or language to mean the same thing. For example, “flysheets” and “one-pagers” may both refer to a single- or double-sided flyer. Or, vice versa, they may use the same vocabulary words to mean different things. For example, “conversions” likely refer to different goals for each team — marketing may use this term to refer to web traffic that completes a specific action like submitting a new business form, while sales may use this term to refer to the number of prospects who sign up for your service.
To get teams to speak the same language — and to truly understand each other — it can be helpful for them to spend time meeting regularly. For example, weekly or bi-weekly huddles can be used as a time to check in and connect, and shadowing sales calls or marketing strategy sessions can provide a firsthand view into the language each team uses day to day.
It can be easy to get swept up in corporate lingo or industry jargon. But buzzwords and acronyms can make it much more difficult to connect with cross-functional teams. Instead of speaking in what is essentially code, when team members speak plainly using accessible language and take the time to explain acronyms to colleagues who may be unfamiliar with them, it goes a long way in improving communication. Explaining any department-specific acronyms or short-hand phrases will help both teams get on the same page.
Another important way to build connection between the team is to define milestones, metrics and even shared goals. Clarifying the key performance indicators (KPIs) used to measure success provides insight into how both teams contribute to the overall goals — and how they can support one another. The teams can work together to strategize ways to achieve the defined KPIs and meet project milestones on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. Not only does this support internal processes, but it has a major impact on your business’ bottom line. Companies typically see a 27% faster profit growth when sales and marketing teams work toward shared goals.3
Sales teams speak to prospective customers — so they understand the concerns and most common questions that arise. Their firsthand knowledge means that they know what terminology is being used by current and prospective customers. The marketing team can, in turn, use these valuable insights to align your company’s marketing initiatives with your ideal customers.
Marketing teams can take this information to address your customer’s specific needs — the challenges they’re encountering day to day, the benefits they’re looking for, what’s holding them back from making a purchase or signing up for your service. These factors can be addressed directly in the marketing materials, providing powerful and persuasive sales tools.
A lot of strategy, effort and money goes into developing integrated, multi-platform marketing campaigns. But marketing is only one half of the battle. If the sales team is disconnected from the campaign goals, the potential for success diminishes. So rather than operating in silos, marketers can collaborate with the sales team to ensure they are not only informed but also connected with the company’s campaigns.
Marketers can bounce ideas off the sales team to get a better understanding of what might connect with customers. This can take many different forms — from structured meetings to freeform ideas sharing sessions — but, ultimately, the goal remains the same: to brainstorm ways to effectively communicate your value, services and products with your ideal audience.
Once your teams are on the same page, speaking the same language and working towards the same goals, it’s time to put things into motion. Here are some tools that marketers and creative teams can craft to help the sales team close more deals.
Ideal for both cold calls and warm lead nurturing, email marketing templates and automations can be used to connect with prospective customers and keep your company fresh in people’s minds. These are great to send after events, successful sales calls or even to begin a new conversation, freeing up the sales team’s time while still keeping their leads warm.
Branded presentations are essential for building brand recognition and conveying credibility. Creative teams can design editable templates to serve as the foundation for the sales team, providing flexibility and removing stress.
By providing a snapshot of your business’ offerings and benefits, one-pagers, flyers and sales sheets are helpful tools to keep customers engaged and raise top-of-mind awareness. These materials can be created in digital or print formats depending on the team’s needs.
Embracing alignment ultimately lifts both teams up by cultivating strong communication and cross-functional development. Rather than feeling disconnected or siloed as each team works toward its own goals, bringing both teams together allows them to pool resources, gain new insights and share knowledge with each other. What’s more, the numbers show that companies whose sales and marketing teams work in sync with each other are able to increase their revenue by up to three times.3 This clearly shows the power in partnership. When teams work together to amplify each other’s strengths, great things are possible.
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Rumor has it that email marketing is not as effective as it once was. There are too many emails, too many businesses vying for space in your inbox, and too few ways to really make emails break through the static. So, is email marketing dead? The short answer? Heck no.
Email marketing strategy is still alive and well. Strike that. It’s alive and thriving! How can you argue with statistics like, 77% of marketers saw an increase in email engagement in 20231; or email marketing revenue is estimated to reach just shy of 12.5 billion in 20242; or 87% of brands say email marketing is critical to their success3?
The answer is: you can’t. So, here’s how your business can benefit from email marketing plus a few more ways your email marketing can be more effective and cut through the clutter.
If you’re in the camp that says email marketing is pointless, you may want to think again. There are many ways email marketing adds value to your business, from increasing customer engagement to generating website traffic.
Typically, segmented lists drive more opens and click-throughs because the content—from the subject line to the call-to-action — can be tailored to a specific audience subset. Personalized content is also highly important in 2024, as you may recall from our 2024 market trends article. Content is so important because people are absolutely inundated with information. Hyper-personalizing what you distribute and targeting to a segmented list means you can connect with your audience in a meaningful way.
Sure, you can post on social media or use other means to drive traffic. But when it comes to email marketing in 2024, most are reading your communication on their phone. And what’s easier than using your fingertip to click a button or link via your inbox? For an on-the-go audience, email marketing reaches them anywhere — which means they are just one click from your website at any time.
Traditional print or direct marketing campaigns can often be budget breakers, and digital advertising costs add up quickly when bidding against competitors. With email marketing, you have an engaged audience of potential customers who want to get information from your company. There’s no battling against the masses to get noticed. Plus, email marketing services typically base pricing on email list size, making it much more cost-effective to send multiple campaigns at a fraction of the cost of other mediums (yay frequency!).
Reaching people at the right time is half the battle. Email marketing platforms offer lots of features so you’re able to explore data, as well as time your emails to reach each segment (by location, open rate and so on) at exactly the right moment, making your business always top-of-mind.
When your business shares worthwhile content like industry news, promotions and deals and educational content, you begin to cultivate a loyal customer base. When they start to expect helpful, thoughtful content that resonates, your audience will be more willing to pay attention to your emails — even the salesy ones that will increase your ROI.
The future of email marketing is still bright — although there are trends that are reshaping how individuals engage with email content. There is an email marketing transformation happening that prioritizes dynamic content to create a true experience for the recipient. So, how can you create a mini moment? Here are a few takeaway tips:
As the data shows, most emails are opened from mobile devices. That means designing and programming for mobile users is key. We’ve all received an email where the margins are wonky and the text overflows or the images takeover the content we’re trying to consume. Getting on board with mobile-friendly email marketing is key to engagement. Consider these tips on your next email campaign:
We’ve got the trends down—and the experience to know what to leverage and when. Let the Design At Work team plan the right combination so your business sees the benefits of email marketing. Contact us to get started on your refreshed email marketing strategy.
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By developing an internal marketing and branding strategy, you can turn your team members into brand ambassadors.
Marketing. We know it can build brand awareness, engage customers, boost sales, and grow your business overall. But what about internal marketing? How you interact with employees directly correlates to how they feel about being on your company’s team, if they support your company’s goals and objectives, and if they trust you as their employer. From simply raising morale to improving customer service, internal marketing is essential — and here’s why you should make it a priority.
According to Gallup, only 20% of employees feel engaged at work1 — and when engagement ties to job satisfaction and satisfied employees tend to work harder, you must wonder, what is happening with the other 80%. Where are businesses dropping the ball when it comes to employee engagement?
A main culprit: thinking employee buy-in falls on the sole shoulders of HR. And yes, while HR processes are in place to keep consistent communication and ensure satisfaction with benefits, when it comes to a company’s brand (whether external or internal perception), that’s a marketer’s responsibility. Consider monthly newsletters or other forms of communication to stay in touch with your team. Mass texting is also a good way to disseminate information while fostering a team feeling.
Design At Work created internal marketing materials such as videos, a monthly newsletter template and social media posts to help employees engage with the bank’s brand and see the benefits of working for Central Bank. These efforts were in tangent with the bank’s HR team’s initiatives to highlight what makes Central Bank different and a great place to nurture a career.
Building an invested team starts with laying a strong foundation — and we believe that begins with company culture. What business wouldn’t want to increase productivity and provide a healthy work environment to create an invested team? Most see the correlation between a solid company culture and satisfied employees, and in turn, that satisfaction returns higher retention rates and performance. So how do you create a strong company culture?
Promoting your company’s vision, mission, services and values through internal marketing helps build and sustain a well-oiled workforce. While it used to be comprised of updates or alerts about new products or changes within a company, today, marketing to your team means making champions for your business (and fostering goodwill, comradery and happiness is key). Making employees feel a more seen and heard can have a huge impact on overall company culture. Instead of a person in a cubicle or working the floor, internal marketing can help create a strong emotional connection between the employee and their work.
When COVID-19 hit, Nexus Health Systems used internal marketing efforts to simultaneously thank their healthcare heroes while boosting morale to keep company culture strong.
While the Nexus Cares campaign commenced at the height of COVID-19 in 2020, the initiative continues today ensuring employees are taken care of mentally, physically, and emotionally. Now quarterly, employees anticipate some sort of small gift or special event to recognize their effort and to show appreciation.
From specialty BBQ sauces to make summertime more enjoyable to health system-wide Astros games to company swag, Nexus knows how to connect with their team — and the results have been remarkable. From employees sharing photos and tagging #NexusCares on social media to an increase in scholarship nomination form submissions, Nexus has connected with their team on another level which in turn fosters more buy-in, boosts morale, and gives individuals a greater reason to help see their health system mission through.
Authenticity resonates, both with customers and your employees. From Gallup’s list of behaviors that inspire trust in their leadership research, authenticity emerged as highly important. The survey found, “Employees who trust their leaders are 61% more likely to stay with their company and not look for another job.2”
Virgin CEO Richard Branson said on X (formerly Twitter), “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” This also boils down to trust, and a big part of trusting an employer has to do with company longevity.
Regardless of milestone, if your company is recognizing an anniversary or celebrating a special moment in company history, employees should be involved. From small gatherings to more elaborate celebrations, when you get your team involved you foster trust — and with that, your company can go anywhere.
McCoy Rockford celebrated the power of 10 years recently, recognizing the merger of their Austin and Houston offices. To mark the milestone, they used internal marketing efforts to spread the word not only about the significance of the moment but the week-long events calendar. From a celebration breakfast to company-wide t-shirt day, McCoy Rockford created a memorable and positive experience for their team. Circling back to our first point, they engaged the team with ways for them to get involved in the celebrating and even asked employees to share on social media for clients and vendors to experience as well.
Whether it’s poorly executed, or not very appealing, internal marketing efforts need to be well thought out. You can’t just throw something together and hope it resonates.
At Design At Work, our team knows internal marketing needs to be inspiring and linked with what your employees care about. Once you get them on board, the possibilities are endless. Contact us if you need any help to get started on your next internal marketing campaign.
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There are many marketing trends to be aware of and follow in 2024 — many of which will help your business grow and reach its goals.
Five years ago, 88% of consumers1 said they wanted to connect with, follow and make purchases from brands that push the boundaries and go beyond what is expected in traditional marketing.
Fast forward to 2024, and those findings are truer now than ever. A recent study on customer centricity found 64% of consumers wish brands would respond faster to their changing needs2. It’s important for businesses to embrace the idea that their customers are multi-dimensional with changing viewpoints (including how they see themselves) and evolving needs.
Marketing trends in 2024 will not only be about pushing traditional marketing boundaries, but also helping brands communicate with customers in a meaningful way that resonates with their needs — now and five minutes from now. Below we outline some of the latest marketing tactics your business should employ in the new year and beyond.
While artificial intelligence or AI for marketing is a relatively new approach to content creation, the writing is on the wall. Generative AI tools — like ChatGPT, Bard and DALL·E — are used to create new content, images, code, videos, you name it. And they’re changing the marketing landscape.
Although you can easily use AI for fun (Who doesn’t want an image of Taylor Swift on the moon or an entirely unique song created about them?), it can also generate all sorts of practical content. From helping brainstorm new products, optimizing business practices and analyzing data — to compiling customer research, breaking down nuanced data, creating personalized content and outputting graphics, when used right, generative AI delivers.
It can be hard to get on board with a new marketing trend, let alone disruptive technology like AI. But like most marketing trends that become standard practice, it’s important to understand how something that is pushing boundaries can turn into a benefit for your business. Disruptive marketing works when executed right.
AI or not, it’s important for your business to consider questions like: Does your marketing tell a story that resonates? How can you pique your customers’ interests? How can you be innovative and make people think differently? In addition, you must ensure your marketing is original. No one wants to digest marketing that feels duplicated. Stay true and authentic to your brand.
“Disruptors don’t have to discover something new; they just have to discover a practical use for new discoveries.”
—
Jay Samit, American digital media innovator
How did we ever search without the hands-free option of voice assistants? Today, over 60% of Americans use voice assistant across different types of devices3. It may be time to assess your website again to determine how it stacks up when it comes to voice search rankings. Making small tweaks can really enhance your online presence when customers are using voice search queries.
When it comes to talking versus typing, there are differences. When talking, we include detail and usually complete thoughts. But when it comes to typing a query, we may only enter a few words or just start our query and select from the autogenerated options.
So how can you optimize your website for voice search? Number one, make sure your site loads quickly — Siri isn’t going to wait to serve up a result. Two, target long-tail keywords conversational phrases and question words (think: how, what, why, when and where). And three, make sure your site is mobile friendly.
We hate to break it to you, but content is still king. And while it can be daunting to plan and develop content that is fresh, consistent and engaging — it’s important. Hyper-personalized content experiences are what consumers demand. Don’t let the name stress you out though, this type of super-targeted content helps you align with your potential customers’ interests, directly impacting how willing they are to engage with your business.
To be or not to be… influenced. Authenticity is key with it comes to businesses building their online communities. People want to buy from companies they trust and feel are truly bringing something useful to the table. Leveraging content from the real world does just this. But remember, it is 2024, so you need to step up your content game. Gone are the days of simply posting pictures of happy diners’ plates of food or patients at work in a physical therapy session. You must think outside the box when it comes to sharing content.
Taking a pulse of what is being said about your company, product or brand online is vital. However, just knowing what is out there isn’t enough. Social listening, sometimes referred to as social media listening, should be goal oriented. You can also look for insights when it comes to your customers, gathering information about their habits and preferences. Social listening tools can even scour the internet for certain keywords so you can have a slew of data to review and make sound decisions from.
It sounds like listening is more like monitoring, but it’s not. Monitoring is simply that. It’s observing what is happening online to gather information; yet, there isn’t necessarily a strategy on what to do with all that data. Social listening on the other hand implies more thought. A company will aggregate data to develop a marketing strategy.
While marketing changes are often fluid, the trends mentioned above are likely sticking around. The good news is that you don’t have to be a marketing expert — or even a trendy business owner — to leverage the benefits.
At Design At Work, we have a whole team of marketing gurus who stay current on the latest methods, and more importantly, how they can impact your business and help your brand stand out. Contact us if you’re looking for outsourced marketing and need someone to guide you through the right 2024 marketing for your business.
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A clever organic social media strategy can help you cut through the noise to build an audience and connect with prospects.
A little more than a decade ago, spreading the word about your business involved press releases, advertisements and word-of-mouth marketing. While these channels remain important, social media has evolved into an equally critical marketing tool. Knowing how to plan your social media marketing strategy is essential to making the most of its potential.
With a carefully considered plan, you can relate to new audiences in different and more targeted ways. Facebook users, for example, tend to be methodical shoppers who skew older, while Instagram remains a haven for aesthetically motivated consumers between the ages of 18 and 24. Determining where your audiences spend their time — and what types of content encourage them to stop scrolling — will allow you to connect with key segments, develop brand awareness and build a loyal following.
In this article, we’ll help you determine which social media platforms are best for your business — and how to create content that delights and engages audiences.
When choosing which social networks are best suited to your business, it’s important to remember that not all platforms are created equal. Different platforms appeal to different demographics, and the same message might not resonate across all social media channels. Make sure you consider the following:
Understand who your target audiences are and find out which platforms they use most. For instance, younger demographics gravitate towards Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, whereas professional audiences spend their time on LinkedIn. Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) have a broad user base and can cater to most demographics — but each is geared toward particular types of content.
Different platforms are better suited for different types of content. For example, Instagram and Pinterest are designed to highlight photos and videos, whereas LinkedIn is a great place to share insightful, long-form content. Keep in mind that the capabilities of each network are constantly changing, so it’s important to stay up-to-date as new mediums emerge.
B2C companies may find more success on Instagram or Facebook, which allow for a more personal connection with customers. Conversely, B2B companies may be better served by LinkedIn or X, which are more conducive to sharing industry news and professional content.
Whichever platforms you choose, all social channels require a significant investment of time and effort to achieve a significant ROI. Be realistic about how much time you can devote to social media. It’s better to share incredible content on one channel than mediocre posts on several.
Once you’ve chosen the right platforms, it’s time to think about content. Your content strategy should be informed by your overall business goals. Are you looking to drive sales, increase brand awareness, engage with customers or position your brand as a thought leader? No matter your objectives, the following best practices are foundational to most successful strategies.
Share content that’s genuinely useful or interesting to your audience. This could be information or entertainment in the form of blog posts, infographics, how-to videos, industry news or thought leadership articles. Just make sure every piece of content you share aligns with your overall brand storytelling strategy.
Social media isn’t just about broadcasting your message; it’s about fostering a two-way conversation. Ask questions, seek feedback, respond to comments and engage with your audience in a meaningful way.
While it’s okay to promote your products or services, make sure it’s balanced with other content. A good rule of thumb is the 80/20 rule — 80% of your content should inform, educate or entertain your audience, while only 20% should directly promote your business.
Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your brand or products. This not only allows you to aggregate free content, but also fosters a sense of community and trust around your brand.
Humans are visual creatures, so it’s no surprise that visual content tends to outperform text-based content on social media. Try to incorporate photos, infographics, animation and videos into your content.
Posting consistently not only keeps your audience engaged but also helps to improve your visibility and reach on social media. Create a content calendar to ensure regular posting and plan your content in advance.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of deploying a social media game plan, let’s talk! Design At Work can help you develop an approach that will generate awareness and drive sales.
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Henry Ford famously said that “a man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.” It’s true — whether you’re a small start-up or an established mid-size business, your company needs marketing to thrive and meet its goals. But when the budget is limited, it can be difficult to know how best to allocate your marketing funds. Rather than hiring an in-house team or a marketing agency, some are turning to part-time Chief Marketing Officers, or fractional CMOs.
In this blog post, we explore the pros and cons of hiring a fractional CMO — and explain why, in our humble, unbiased opinion, an agency can be your marketing partner and more.
A fractional CMO is a seasoned marketing executive who provides strategic marketing leadership to companies on a part-time, or contractual basis. Unlike a traditional full-time CMO, a fractional CMO works with multiple companies simultaneously, offering them a “fraction” of their time. The arrangement is akin to a time-share: you enjoy access to all the amenities of an experienced leader, but you have to share them with other “investors,” so you can’t guarantee they’ll be available when you need them.
There’s a reason why some businesses choose this option — fractional CMOs offer some of the benefits of an in-house marketing team lead without the costs associated with a full-time employee. Here are some of the upsides of fractional CMOS.
If your budget is limited and you’re looking for someone to develop a high-level strategy for your in-house marketing team, the idea of a fractional CMO might be appealing. For a much lower cost, you’re essentially hiring a contractor to propose a strategy and provide leadership for your team.
Since fractional CMOs often work with various industries and business models, they can leverage cross-sector expertise and propose ideas that may be less well-known in your corner of the market. In theory, at least, this can introduce an out-of-the-box approach.
Full-time roles typically require a lengthy recruitment and onboarding process, as they carry greater financial and legal commitments for your company than a contractor. With a consultant such as a fractional CMO, you can skip the protracted head hunting, salary negotiations and learning curve necessary for internal hires. In the cons section, however, we’ll explain why the time you save during onboarding may be nullified by the time it takes a part-time team member to learn your business.
As contractors, fractional CMOs can be let go at any time. Businesses who only need strategy and leadership for a season — during a period of expansion, for example, or for a critical project or product launch — may bring in a contractor, rather than recruit an internal hire who won’t be necessary long-term.
As we have seen, fractional CMOs offer some benefits — but the relationship isn’t without drawbacks. Let’s look at some of the reasons why this setup is sometimes unsuccessful.
The number one drawback of a fractional CMO is in the title — they’re only able to give you a fraction of their time and professional investment. Since these contractors are part-time leaders for multiple teams, you run the risk of paying someone who isn’t available when you need them. Perhaps more importantly — they’re tasked with the challenge of leading a team to which they don’t fully belong. Your team is less likely to feel fully supported by and committed to a leader who isn’t fully bought into the company.
With divided attention comes less time spent engaging with your in-house team — hearing their ideas and struggles firsthand, understanding how they work individually and together, learning their unique personalities and communication styles. It takes time for new in-house executives to learn about the people and culture of a company. For someone who devotes only part of their attention to a team, it can take much longer. For this reason, the time you save onboarding a contractor may be offset by the time it takes your fractional CMO to learn how to lead your employees.
“To me, teamwork is a lot like being part of a family. It comes with obligations, entanglements, headaches, and quarrels. But the rewards are worth the cost.”
— Pat Summit
The best leaders are fully invested in those they lead.
As with any outsourced marketing solution, making sure a contractor stays up-to-date on the ins and outs of your business can be a challenge. What a full-time CMO would pick up simply by being part of internal conversations, a fractional CMO must learn through additional emails, phone calls and meetings. For the arrangement to work, the contractor has to be flexible and readily available for time-sensitive conversations.
In many cases, a marketing agency can offer all the benefits of a fractional CMO — and more. The average monthly cost of an integrated agency is on par with the salary of a fractional CMO, but rather than gaining one outside perspective, you gain the insight of a whole team of specialists. An agency can not only provide strategic recommendations, but also implement the strategies it suggests. It can also work with your team, either directly with leadership or an in-house marketing team, rather than awkwardly leading on a part-time, outside basis. You can learn more about the benefits of hiring a marketing agency in our recent blog post.
At Design At Work, we pride ourselves on being forthright with prospective clients. If we don’t feel confident we can meet your needs, we’ll tell you. Contact us if you’re looking for outsourced marketing and need someone to guide you through the process of choosing the best option for your business.
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From optimization to personalization, it's important to keep these essential web development best practices in your toolkit.
The digital landscape is constantly evolving. Most recently, we’ve witnessed the rise of AI, an increased awareness of accessibility issues and growing concerns about privacy, all of which have impacted global regulations and user expectations.
To ensure your business’ website engages, guides and provides value to customers — while staying up to date on user-friendly requirements — it’s important to stay abreast of changes in the field. Here, we explore some essential best practices for website development in 2025.
Per Google’s mobile-first indexing, the mobile version of your website is now considered the primary version,1 which makes designing a mobile-friendly interface an absolute must. Use responsive design to ensure your site looks good and performs well on all devices, including tablets and smartphones.
In today’s fast-paced digital world, users expect websites to load within two to three seconds. Any delay, and they’re likely to bounce. That’s why it’s crucial to optimize your website for speed. This includes minimizing HTTP requests, enabling browser caching, optimizing images and minifying CSS, JavaScript, and HTML.
A good website doesn’t just look beautiful; it provides a smooth, intuitive user experience. This involves clear navigation, easy-to-use menus, sensible page hierarchy and interactive elements that provide feedback. The more user-friendly your website is, the more likely users are to stay and engage with your content.
The integration of AI and personalization in web development is no longer a novelty; it’s a necessity. AI can be used for chatbots, automated customer service, personalized recommendations and ongoing content creation. The more personalized and interactive the user experience, the more engaged your visitors will be.
In addition to personalization features, AI can be used for the development process itself, optimizing tasks such as programming, wireframing, prototyping and quality assurance.
Good website development is inherently search engine-friendly. This includes fast load times, mobile-first design, proper use of header tags, appropriate meta descriptions and a well-structured URL. An optimized website will help you rank higher in search engine results, thereby driving more organic traffic to your pages.
Ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can access your website is more critical than ever. When developing with accessibility in mind, consider color contrast, font size, keyboard navigation, alt text for images and transcripts for audio and video content.
With the rise of cyber threats, website security is a top priority. Make sure your website is secure by regularly updating your software, using HTTPS, limiting file uploads and employing security measures like a web application firewall.
PWAs offer an app-like experience on the browser, combining the best of both web and mobile apps. They’re reliable, fast and engaging. Embrace PWAs to enhance user experience, drive engagement and increase conversions.
Micro-interactions are small, subtle animations or design elements that guide a user or give feedback on their actions. These can include button animations, scroll animations and hover effects. They can significantly enhance the overall experience and increase the amount of time users spend on your site.
Once your website is up and running, make sure to perform regular updates and maintenance to ensure your pages remain relevant and function correctly. Keep all plugins, themes and your content management system up-to-date and run audits periodically to test for functionality, speed and errors.
Does your website need an upgrade, or are you looking to start fresh with a completely new site? Reach out! We can help you implement best practices to encourage traffic and engagement on your website.
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The key to attracting more traffic to your site? Providing useful, readable content.
Search engine optimization (SEO) has come a long way since the term was first coined in the mid-1990s. In the early days of search engines (remember AltaVista and Ask Jeeves?), ranking highly in search results required little more than writing sufficient content and packing it full of more keywords than your competitors — a practice known as keyword stuffing. In 2000, Google changed the game with its Toolbar PageRank update, which allowed it to rank page importance by the number of quality links pointing to it.1
More than two decades and dozens of updates later, marketers are still scrambling to keep up with Google’s ever-evolving algorithm. The good news is that the arc of Google’s progress bends toward the user, which equates to higher-quality content. In this article, we offer tips for increasing your organic website traffic using the latest SEO best practices.
Quality content is the lifeblood of SEO strategy. Useful, interesting and readable content attracts inbound traffic to your site by answering questions, providing information or facilitating transactions. This is called organic traffic — visitors who arrive at your site via unpaid sources such as Google and Bing. To entice those visitors, you have to understand what they want and why they’re searching for it.
Broadly speaking, there are four main types of search or keyword intent.
Once you know what your users want, it’s time to investigate how they’re searching for it. This is what’s known as topic or keyword research — an inquiry into the language your audience is using in its search queries. If you can’t speak your users’ language, they won’t be able to find you.
For example, let’s say you’re a residential construction company and you want to make it easier for prospective customers to locate your website through organic search. Perhaps “residential construction” is the phrase that first leaps to mind, so you decide to test the keyword “houston residential construction.”
The metrics above suggest that some users enter the phrase “houston residential construction,” but not many. How else might your audience describe what they’re looking for? You might test the keywords “houston house contractor” and “houston home builder” to see if they yield more promising results.
And voilà! The phrase “houston home builder” returns a higher search volume and more competitive keyword difficulty (we’ll talk more about this shortly). The trick to keyword research is empathy. Try to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. What do they know and what do they not know? What words are they likely to use to describe your product, service or related topic? Keep testing different synonyms and word combinations until you find the right keyword.
So how do you know when you’ve found the right keyword for a given piece of content? Generally, we recommend opting for long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are specific phrases comprised of three to five words that allow you to target niche queries and demographics. Short-tail keywords, on the other hand, are broader, one-to-three-word phrases.
While short-tail keywords attract higher search volumes, they’re also extremely competitive, which means it takes longer to increase your search result rankings. The short-tail phrase “home builder,” for example, has a search volume in the thousands and an extremely high keyword difficulty. While every platform has its own SEO metrics, volume usually refers to the number of people searching for a keyword within a given period, whereas difficulty refers to how much time and effort will be required to compete with other sites for the same keyword.
Long-tail iterations of “home builder,” such as “environmentally friendly home builders” or “sustainable home builders near me,” reveal much more promising numbers. The first targets a subset of consumers interested in green building practices, and the latter takes it one step further by localizing the query. Both of these long-tail keywords have a relatively high search volume and low keyword difficulty, making them an excellent choice for your primary keyword.
Why? Because with good traffic and low-to-medium difficulty, you have a better chance of ranking on the first page of Google — and doing so faster.
Since 2014, Google has been promoting what it considers high-quality content through featured snippets or SERP (search engine result page) features. These snippets are highly visible and helpful, making them likely to attract significant amounts of organic traffic.
To claim one of these coveted spots, you can optimize your content by using a question-and-answer format. For example, if you want to be featured for the keyword “how to clean a cast iron skillet,” you could include the question in a header or subheader on your page, then answer the question in subsequent body copy. Even if you don’t manage to snag a featured snippet, formatting your content in this way will increase readability and improve the performance of your page.
Page titles and meta descriptions are like an SEO appetizer — they give readers a taste of what’s to come on your page. As such, it’s important that titles not only entice users with attention-grabbing phrasing, but also accurately describe your content. Make sure to include target keywords in page titles and meta descriptions, and keep character limits in mind. Only 30-to-60-character titles will appear in full on SERPs, and meta descriptions should be less than 160 characters. Portent’s SERP Preview Tool makes it easy to ensure you’re staying within your character limits and offers a preview of how your content will appear in SERPs.
If you’re looking for a partner to help you implement the latest and greatest SEO strategies, look no further than Design At Work. Let’s talk about how we can increase your website traffic and boost your rankings.
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Does your brand need a fresh coat of paint? Before you select a shade, as it were, it's important to carefully consider your company's differentiators and goals.
We love a makeover show — Queer Eye, Love It or List It, Fixer Upper. Watching an overworked single dad get a head-to-toe glow-up, or a house with Addams Family vibes transformed into the most modern place on the block? What’s not to love?
What these shows do for people and buildings, we do for businesses. Branding is a lot like a makeover, but instead of Spanx and spackle, we use messaging and graphic design. And, like a good makeover, successful rebranding does not attempt to reimagine the business, but rather reveals what’s been underneath all along.
You might be wondering — when is the right time to rebrand? It depends on your business, industry, history and objectives. These are a few of the most common signs your brand needs a makeover.
To effectively communicate who you are, it’s essential to understand your brand’s identity. Ask questions — the right questions2 — to identify what sets you apart from the competition. What makes your product or service different? What do you offer that others don’t? What do your customers love about you? Just as importantly — what do you like and dislike about your current brand identity?
The answers to these questions will guide you as you make creative decisions throughout the rebranding process.
With a clear understanding of your differentiators, you’re ready to get the message across with the right language. This is where the magic of copywriting comes into play, and great copy is about two things: what you say and how you say it.
The “what” is fairly simple. In fact, after answering the questions above, you probably emerged with a basic understanding of what you want to say. If customer service sets your company apart, for example, then your copy may focus on how well you communicate, adapt and address client pain points. Determining your brand voice, or how you convey your message, may take a little more thought and finesse.
Your brand’s voice is its personality. Just as personality traits affect how people communicate, your brand’s voice guides how you connect with consumers. If your B2B company offers advanced technological solutions, then your voice might be intellectual, crisp and professional. If you manufacture trendy clothing for twenty-something shoppers, your voice may be more conversational, colloquial and even irreverent. Remember that conversation is a two-way street. Understanding who you’re speaking to (your target audience) is just as important as knowing your own brand’s identity.
While your brand voice will remain consistent across channels, your tone will vary. Brand tone is the style in which you communicate, including word choice, syntax and cadence. If your company serves a range of industries, your tone may change depending on the vertical you’re targeting. Likewise, a social media post can (and should) sound different than a formal sales presentation.
Refining brand messaging requires strategic planning, editing and testing. Make sure your copy is subjected to a thorough internal review process involving stakeholders who “get” your brand voice. Once you’ve released your copy into the wild, track how it performs on different channels and make adjustments as needed.
No brand makeover is complete without a visual revamp. Remember those questions above? Your answers will determine which direction you take with your graphic design.
Sometimes (but not always) a rebrand includes an upgraded color palette. Consider who you are as a company, what differentiates you and how you want your target audience to feel. Does your current color palette uniquely represent your product or service, or does it conflict with what’s seen in your industry or the quality of your offerings? Exploring color theory, psychology and your competitors’ branding can help you make smart decisions about color.
The great thing about a rebrand is that you’re not starting from scratch; you have a whole history of visual materials you can evaluate and tweak to help you make the best decisions moving forward. Look back at previous marketing collateral to assess your current fonts. Are they easy to read in print and digital formats? Do they support your brand’s personality and voice? Are they out of date? If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” it may be a good idea to select new fonts.
Whatever changes you make to your brand’s color, typography and imagery, consistency is key. Set the new guidelines in stone and make sure they’re clearly delineated for anyone who has a hand in your company’s marketing. Establishing a recognizable brand identity helps customers remember, connect with and trust your business.
Once you’ve established your new look and feel, it’s time to shout it from the mountaintops! Announcing your rebrand, especially if it deviates significantly from previous materials, will generate excitement about your business and answer any questions customers have. Clients may wonder, for example, if the rhetorical and visual changes are the result of new ownership or offerings. Be sure to explain why you rebranded — usually, because it more accurately reflects your business’ personality, products and services — as well as any changes customers can expect going forward. Then start to roll out key marketing materials, like your website, brochures, emails and more with your refreshed brand.
Need a brand makeover? Not sure where to start? Contact us and we’ll get your business ready for its closeup.
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