Top Five Blog Posts of 2017

Top Five Blog Posts of 2017

Let’s take a look back at some of the blog posts that caught your attention in 2017.

How to Turn Your B2B Website into a Sales Tool

We get it – websites aren’t always about making a sale. This is true especially for our B2B clients whose products or services are either expensive or highly customized (or both). They’re typically dealing with long sales cycles and relationship-driven interactions.

When that’s the case, what role might the website play in the sales process? How can it help build trust, share information and eventually, lead customers to take action?

You Can Change Anything You Want, Except Where the Pieces Are

Last year, we had the pleasure of working with the Barry-Wehmiller Leadership Institute (BWLI), a team of facilitators who teach leadership through books, podcasts and seminars. To help understand BWLI’s offerings, Mike and Rich attended their Think Like a Leader seminar – and ended up discovering a little something about themselves along the way.

Deceptive Design: Why It Happens, and How To Avoid It

Design is manipulative. It says “look here, not there.” It nudges people toward a specific decision, whether it’s which button they should click on a website, the direction they should walk through a museum, or the decision to “impulse buy” a candy bar strategically placed near the checkout.

But today, consumers are more informed, more vigilant and more vocal. At a time when transparency and trust are major drivers of brand love and loyalty, how can designers and marketers ethically, openly and successfully guide consumers down a specific path?

Six Ways to Calm Your Fear of Launching a New Brand

It’s natural to feel anxiety when rebranding your company, launching a new product or navigating other major business changes like mergers and acquisitions.

After guiding clients through similar situations, we’ve learned a thing or two. While there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach, we’ve discovered six steps you can take early in the process to set yourself up for success.

The Role of a Marketing Firm

One of our oldest and most popular blog posts – it’s from 2010 – this post has stood the test of time, and still resonates with us (and with readers, apparently).

In it, Mike discusses what we believe the role of a marketing firm to be, and it isn’t to sell you a website, produce a bunch of brochures, or push the latest social media channel. We believe that the greatest role a marketing firm can play is that of inspiration. Inspiration for clients to see their business in a new light. To discover their strengths (and weaknesses). To find new ways to communicate.

Thanks for reading in 2017! We look forward to sharing even more insights on marketing, design and business in the coming year.