July 15, 2019
Don’t make Google unhappy!
A mobile-friendly website is no longer an option; it’s a requirement. This isn’t new – we’ve known for years that more and more people are using mobile devices to browse and search online.
The next time you’re sitting in a busy coffee shop, airport, or shopping mall, take a look around and see how many people are quietly staring at their phones. Chances are, you’ve already taken notice. Not since the creation of the television has our society been so captivated by a piece of technology as we are by the smartphone. The amount of information, entertainment, shopping, and other resources available at a user’s fingertips has made mobile devices almost a necessity for some people.
Since 2017, web traffic to all sites from mobile devices has hovered around the 50% mark. That means about half of your customers are likely seeing your site from their phone. Without mobile-friendly, responsive design, the user experience could actually be driving those valuable customers away as they choose to save the search until a computer can be used.
What is responsive website design solution?
Responsive web design (RWD) is an approach to website creation that customizes the layout, appearance, and functionality of a given site or page to the specific device and orientation or window size the user is operating. Text, images, menus, and forms automatically resize and rearrange to provide the best user experience. The need for zooming or scrolling side-to-side is eliminated, allowing customers to jump right into the content they’re looking for in a more customized and personalized web environment. In addition to providing a better user experience, RWD is significantly more cost effective than designing and maintaining a desktop and mobile website.
“But my customers don’t really use mobile devices, and prefer computers”.
This could be a very accurate statement, and data can certainly prove that web traffic to your site does not hit that 50% mobile device statistic. However, there are two factors that could be keeping mobile users away from your site. First, the user experience on smartphones or even tablets could be a reason for a high bounce rate. It’s possible how your images and text are rendering is an immediate call for a laptop or desktop, and potential customers are abandoning their visit. Google algorithms actually give mobile-friendly sites a bump up in the search results list. Your competitors could actually be stealing your spotlight before customers scroll far enough down the list to find you.
So how do my company and customers really benefit?
In 2016, 36.6 million internet users were accessing the web exclusively from mobile devices. In 2021, that number is predicted to increase to 52.3 million. How many of those customers would you like to see enter your sales funnel? Responsive design can expand your reach to those who prefer the smaller devices. For all customers, existing and potential, a consistent experience across all devices can actually increase leads and sales. Also, designing with mobile visits in mind can help to streamline content in order to really focus on what is most impactful. Your teams actually save time and money on managing the content as well as analyzing and reporting results. CTA Responsive sites are where it’s at—and where your site should be at as well!
Call Steve to get your site responsive and mobile ready–262-677-4696.
July 15, 2019
Strategic branding credibility instills buying confidence.
As the information superhighway (AKA the internet) expanded at exponentially rapid rates, so did the skepticism of consumers. With the ability to read reviews of any company, product, or service at the drop of a hat, brands have been forced to up their game in order to obtain and retain valuable customers. Whether analyzing Gen X, Millenials, or Gen Z we can be fairly certain each group is always trying to peek behind the curtain of clever advertising and see who can actually back up what they claim to represent and deliver.
Here are a few business corporate identity and branding ideas to make sure you are authentic and credible.
Determine who you are as a company and what you stand for.
If you’re a fairly new company, this could be as simple as examining your origins and why or how you started in the first place. For brands that have been around for a while, review where you have been, how your company, products, and services have changed, and where you want to go in the future. These are questions that are good to revisit from time to time in order to stay on brand or determine that a change in branding is necessary. First, think of what makes your products and services unique, and how they solve a problem. What emotions or beliefs surround those problems or the lives of your customers? Perhaps your product is more economical or environmentally friendly. Also consider the culture of your company, products, and services. If your offices tend to be a little more casual, let that show within your branding.
Build trust with your customers through consistent communication and service.
Once you have established your core values, be sure to remain true to them in all contact with customers. Be very careful when adding new ideas or stretching the existing values in order to reach a demographic you think has a lot of potential buyers. Luxury brands lose status when advertising as inexpensive. Economic brands can cause customers to look elsewhere when appearing too extravagant. That’s not to say you can’t customize the user experience in different ads within the same campaign. Identify the central values of your customer base, and then identify the demographics within. Create the strategy of the messages for each group based on shared ideals, but craft the copy and design to resonate more effectively on an individual level. Cultivating consistent communication applies to customer service as well. Preserve the company culture and create an environment that inspires your team to live up to the company standards day in and day out. Be sure all employees have a thorough knowledge of the company creed, and equip them with a steadfast guide for how to provide consistent service at every touch point.
Harbor a philosophy of transparency for better or worse.
Any brand that looks too good to be true probably is. In the past, brands have been very careful to only show users a very manicured version of their company. Customers want to see how brands are actively living up to the claims they’ve made about what they believe in. A company that boasts a commitment to helping communities must have evidence of ongoing efforts to actually help communities. A brand that claims to have hundreds or thousands of satisfied customers should have reviews and testimonials to back that up. With the good, must come the bad. No one is perfect and mistakes are made. Ignoring mistakes will not make them go away, but owning up to them helps to further develop the trust of your customers.
Companies consistently report a huge spike in engagement whenever they have to send out an email correcting some previous blunder. Allowing bad reviews to remain on a product page lets customers know that you are listening, and allows new purchasers to make up their minds about what reported issues are relevant to them. Authenticity and credibility are two assets a company cannot buy. They cannot be added to a website with a few words and a cool picture, or conveyed through a couple of ads. In order to appear authentic, a brand must actually be authentic. Maintain a solid sense of self and stick to what you do best because it is what you believe in. Credibility comes with consistently following the values of your company, and giving your customers an honest experience.
Contact us today for a free corporate identity and branding consultation.
July 15, 2019
Digital Marketing – What is it and what can data do for me?
First of all, what is digital marketing? Essentially, it’s a broad category of marketing activities that utilize the web, mobile, display and other digital mediums to communicate with targeted audiences. Quite simply, according to SmartInsights.com, it achieves marketing objectives “through applying digital technologies and media.”
It’s all about the data!
Digital marketing has become an imperative channel to consider as part of an integrated marketing strategy. It’s highly customizable, it’s measurable, and when done the right way, it can generate positive ROIs. In fact, it can deliver faster growth and higher profits for less expense.
Data is KING
Data rules in today’s society and if used the right way, can be the most valuable tool for your marketing. By utilizing data to test and optimize strategies correctly you can scale your marketing to run successful campaigns. Unfortunately one of the biggest obstacles for a business is the lack the expertise to work effectively with data. In order to create highly targeted and successful campaigns for our clients our main focus is on utilizing data-driven marketing solutions. You may have never taken a data statistics course or even know which tools to use and that’s ok. We here Guild Creative Inc., have built our foundation on utilizing data-driven marketing solutions.
Customization will make a big difference.
Every business is different and deserves an analyzed unique approach to their marketing. Our team has years of experience creating highly targeted and successful campaigns for our clients. We understand that consumers evolve and become pickier about which messages they read and which brand they engage with. Guild Creative is here to help create the personalized message that will speak to your targeted market. Let us dive into your brand, your goals and your current marketing tactics and compare our analyzation to your bottom line goals.
Our creative marketing campaigns are heavily backed with data tracking tools to know what attribution points are working. With these key insights we are able to evolve your campaign to continuously deliver the highest ROI possible. Collecting and analyzing data at every touch point is key. Find and retain your ideal customer. Determine who they are, what they really want and how to engage with them. By using data to guide the tactics and strategies, we can tailor campaigns to speak to your niche audience.
When you know about your customers and their behaviors you can create highly successful campaigns and data is the key to all of these BENEFITS:
- Higher Conversion Rates
- Very Cost Effective
- Strong Brand Awareness
- Easily Measured
- Competitor Insight
- Broader Outreach
- Targeted
- Greater Exposure
- Easily Tracked
- Higher Revenues & ROI’s
- Compete With Larger Corporations
- Scalable & Customizable
There are a vast number of digital tactics available. A successful marketing strategy will include a mixture of these, along with a few more traditional tactics. To find out what tactics will work for you contact Guild Creative.
