Brandography https://www.brandography.com Twin Cities Digital Marketing Agency Thu, 15 Feb 2024 15:36:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.brandography.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Favicon-Dog.png Brandography https://www.brandography.com 32 32 Shopify vs Shopify Plus https://www.brandography.com/shopify-vs-shopify-plus/ <![CDATA[brandogadmin]]> Thu, 15 Feb 2024 14:27:26 +0000 <![CDATA[Blog]]> https://www.brandography.com/?p=12892 <![CDATA[

Shopify is a trusted eCommerce platform known for its 24/7 support, customizations, and user-friendly setup. To keep up with the growing demands of online shopping, Shopify released an advanced version of their platform called Shopify Plus. Today, we’ll break down the nuanced differences between both platforms as you decide which is right for your brand.  […]

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<![CDATA[Two computer monitors showing Shopify websites.

Shopify is a trusted eCommerce platform known for its 24/7 support, customizations, and user-friendly setup. To keep up with the growing demands of online shopping, Shopify released an advanced version of their platform called Shopify Plus. Today, we’ll break down the nuanced differences between both platforms as you decide which is right for your brand. 

Shopify vs Shopify Plus 

The most significant difference between the two options lies in the target audience and the scale of businesses they cater to. Here’s a concise breakdown:

Shopify

 

Target Audience

  • Aimed at small to medium-sized businesses.
  • Budget-friendly pricing that’s suitable for startups and growing enterprises.

Features

  • Essential e-commerce features.
  • Limited customization.

Scalability

  • Scalable for growing businesses.
  • Some limitations in handling extremely high traffic and extensive customization needs.

Pricing 

  • Straightforward pricing
  • Ranges from $29 to 299 a month depending on your tier: Lite, Basic, Shopify, and Advanced

Shopify Plus

 

Target Audience

  • Geared towards larger enterprises and high-growth businesses.
  • Custom pricing based on business requirements.

Features

  • Advanced features like real-time carrier shipping.
  • Extensive customizations for personalized brand experience.

Scalability

  • Can handle high traffic and large-scale operations.
  • Priority support and dedicated account management.

Pricing 

  • More complex pricing structure
  • Minimum of $2,000 per month with a switch to a revenue-based model after $800,000 per month in sales 

Here’s a good way to think about the main difference between these two eCommerce options: 

  • If you’re a smaller business with modest requirements, Shopify might be a more cost-effective and suitable choice.
  • For larger enterprises with complex needs, higher budget, and high annual sales (roughly 1 million in sales annually) Shopify Plus has the necessary tools and support for your robust e-commerce operations.

I still don’t know what’s the right choice…

Picking the right website platform can make a big difference to your business, goals, and year of sales. And with the digital landscape constantly changing, you want experts by your side. Brandography analyzes your business needs, learns about your goals, and recommends the right platform for your brand. 

Insights from our team

“Shopify Plus is the enterprise level, top-of-the-line service level that provides storefront owners with better rates on their transactions and a TON of additional functionality to provide even more customization. It does come with a substantial monthly investment of $2,500/month, so would be very strategic on recommending this based on a client’s overall revenue, the number of transactions, and how many staff users they’d want. Some of the bigger features that clients usually ask that can’t be done unless they have Shopify Plus are customizations to the checkout and thank you/status pages.  

There are several other service tiers that we explore for new clients before suggesting Shopify Plus. The right fit should be tailored to our client’s business.” – Allen Bredeson, Director, Client Services  

The 8 main steps to switch from Shopify to Shopify Plus

Upgrading platforms is designed to be seamless, but there’s still quite a bit involved to make it happen:

  1. Evaluate Your Business Needs. Understand the additional features (advanced analytics, custom checkout scripts, and increased scalability) to see if they support your current and future business needs.
  2. Contact Shopify Support. Tell them you’re interested in upgrading. They’ll talk you through the process and pricing, answering your questions.
  3. Review Pricing and Contracts. As mentioned above, Shopify Plus has a pricing structure that is different from standard plans. Does this new pricing fit in your budget? If you already have a contract with them, discuss any contract-related considerations.
  4. Recreate Themes and Customizations. If you have customized themes or made modifications to your current store, you’ll most likely need to recreate or adapt them. Some customizations may need to be reviewed and updated.
  5. Test, Test, Test. Before going live, test the website to identify and address any issues. You want all functionalities working correctly to make the transition smooth for you, your team, and your customers.
  6. Launch. Once you are satisfied with the testing results, you can officially launch your store!
  7. Keep Learning. Familiarize yourself with the new features at your disposal. Luckily, Shopify provides resources, documentation, and 24/7 support so you can leverage all the new capabilities at your disposal.
  8. Leverage your Data. Shopify Plus comes with additional reporting and the ability to create advanced custom reports so you can dig deeper into how your shop is performing.

While the process is designed to be straightforward, the complexity can vary based on the size and complexity of your existing store. Plan carefully, communicate with any stakeholders, and schedule the switch during a low-traffic period to minimize disruptions.

Or you could leave the work to a digital marketing agency…

If the above steps sound like a lot of work, that’s because they are! But when you hire a digital marketing agency to handle the transition, you leave the hard work to us. At Brandography, we’re well-versed in migrating sites and can create a plan that leaves you and your customers with the best experience possible. 

Reach out to our team for a no-pressure initial consultation. We look forward to connecting with you! 

The post Shopify vs Shopify Plus first appeared on Brandography.

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The 5 Most Important Things to Consider Before Creating Your eCommerce Website https://www.brandography.com/the-5-most-important-things-to-consider-before-creating-your-ecommerce-website/ <![CDATA[brandogadmin]]> Thu, 25 Jan 2024 14:00:23 +0000 <![CDATA[Blog]]> https://www.brandography.com/?p=12670 <![CDATA[

An eCommerce website is the most powerful tool in your arsenal, allowing you to reach customers around the globe. But diving into the eCommerce world without a sound strategy isn’t going to yield the results you want.  Today, we dig into five things to consider when building an ecommerce website: Your Brand – Consider how […]

The post The 5 Most Important Things to Consider Before Creating Your eCommerce Website first appeared on Brandography.

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<![CDATA[Hands on a computer, angle looking straight down on keyboard.

An eCommerce website is the most powerful tool in your arsenal, allowing you to reach customers around the globe. But diving into the eCommerce world without a sound strategy isn’t going to yield the results you want. 

Today, we dig into five things to consider when building an ecommerce website:

  • Your Brand – Consider how your brand can support, reinforce, and drive traffic to your eCommerce website. Integrate digital resources to increase sales, spread brand awareness, and keep happy customers coming back.
  • Your Goals – Key performance indicators are imperative for building a successful website. But how do you decide which metrics mean something to your business?
  • Your Team – Determine how hands-off you want to be in creating, updating, or managing your site. Discover strategies to make the most of the assets available to you, including hiring an agency, choosing a more automated platform, and dividing responsibilities among your team.
  • Your Website Platform  – There are many different platforms to build with, but we’ll tell you the best e-commerce website builder out there.
  • Your Customer – Learn how to optimize your website for your customer’s needs and expectations and create an unmatched user experience.

Brandography’s eCommerce development team helps businesses of all sizes exceed their goals! Contact us to learn more about unleashing your business’s eCommerce potential.

Things to consider when building an ECommerce website

 

#1 Your Digital Brand 

Many business owners don’t sufficiently develop a cohesive brand identity. However, the digital marketing world demands a clear persona and strategy. All your marketing materials must be consistent, strategic, and reputable, from your logo to your packaging to your email marketing.

Step 1: Create a captivating eCommerce site

Your restaurant could have the best burger in the world, but if your dining room is a mess, the menu is confusing, and your staff is rude, sales will be few and far between. This same principle holds true for developing a eCommerce website. You want people to look forward to and enjoy interacting with your digital brand, and your eCommerce site should be the heartbeat.

Step 2: Consistently Consistent Consistency

Whenever customers interact with your brand, they need to have the same experience. Social media, PPC, website, consumer reviews, comparison shopping engines, third-party sellers – wherever someone crosses paths with your digital brand, the experience must be the same.

Learn more about creating a consistent brand identity here!

Step 3: Support, Reinforce, and Drive Traffic

Below are digital marketing strategies to support, reinforce, and drive traffic to your eCommerce website through various online avenues. Don’t just post a link and sign off till next week, but:

  • Build conversation among customers
  • Cultivate a distinct and engaging culture
  • Use the targeting power of social advertising
  • Address customer concerns and questions authentically

PPC campaigns can be a growing eCommerce site’s most powerful tool for acquiring new customers.

  • Create specific landing pages for different ad groups
  • Exploit niche and non-brand keywords
  • Negative keywords are diamonds in the rough
  • Actively monitor campaigns and make adjustments to promote better-performing ads or ad groups

Customers trust other customers more than you, so give them every opportunity to let them market for you! Ensure your business has a presence on:

  • The BBB
  • Google Business
  • Yelp!

Monitor these sites and thank customers for great reviews or resolve any issues. A timely response to a complaint is the most powerful damage control a business can take. 

Get your products and website on relevant comparison shopping engines ASAP:

  • Research which shopping engine is the best match for your company and which holds the best potential for a high ROI
  • Make sure you can compete with other companies’ prices
  • Carefully choose which products you post, knowing you might need to adjust pricing
  • Write thorough, consistent product descriptions 

Finally, if you’re not selling on Amazon, there’s money on the table. Align your digital brand with the popularity and reputation of these eCommerce sites to draw more traffic to your products and website.

The Power of Email Marketing

Acquiring the email address of a potential customer is like asking your customer on a date. You may not have made a sale yet, but with this information, you could win their heart forever. Email marketing services remains incredibly effective for retargeting website visitors.

Collecting the Coveted Email Address

  • Offer exclusive deals or coupon codes in exchange for a visitor’s email
  • Create a birthday club and give deals to all that sign up with an email address

With your growing email list, you can send out information on deals, stories about your brand, and other enticing content for your future fans! 

Brandography’s brand identity experts have helped craft successful (and profitable) online presences for all types of businesses! Let us know your eCommerce goals, and we’ll work together to develop a digital brand that will actively support your business.


#2 Goal Setting 

A business without goals is like a ship without a map. It might be able to survive for a while, but before long, it’s in trouble. Before building an eCommerce site, understand what you hope to achieve. These goals help you gauge how well your website performs and play an essential role in the design process.

Setting goals and measuring success (or lack thereof) helps business owners: 

  • understand what is going well
  • what areas could use improvements
  • encourages growth and innovation within any company. 

While you may know setting goals within a brick-and-mortar store, countless tools and analytics for tracking eCommerce website objectives make gaining insights easy, but understanding them complicated.

Goals, Strategies, Tactics, and KPIs 

eCommerce stores present unique challenges and opportunities when developing goals, strategies, tactics, and KPIs. Remember, back every goal with a strategy, including realistic tactics monitored by KPIs. Set SMART goals before determining strategy before laying out tactics.
What is a SMART goal? It is a target that is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Examples in eCommerce:

  1. Increase sales by 25% in 12 months
  2. Sell 750 units over the previous quarter
  3. Achieve an average of 1,000 unique monthly visitors within a year of launching

*Notice how each goal has a specific metric within a set timeline.

What is a strategy? A strategy is an idea or plan to achieve your business goals.

Examples in eCommerce:

  1. Add more products or SKUs to your offerings online
  2. Get existing customers to purchase more products at a time
  3. Attract new web traffic from related sites

*Notice how these are not specifics, just ideas.

What is a tactic? A tactic is a specific action that will support the larger strategic idea.

Examples in eCommerce:

  1. Offer 5 new colors and additional sizing options for t-shirt line
  2. Offer free shipping when the transaction is over $50
  3. Invest in a PPC campaign to draw in new web traffic

*Note: Multiple tactics can support a single strategy.

What are KPIs? Key performance indicators (KPIs) provide insights into how a website is performing in regards to achieving a goal.

Examples in eCommerce:

  1. Daily page views for each new product
  2. Conversion rates on products over $50
  3. Daily unique visitors acquired through paid traffic

How Google Analytics Can Increase Profits 

If you’re not using Analytics on your eCommerce website, stop reading this and call us now! Google Analytics provides valuable insights into the actions of your site visitors. Without it, you’re shooting in the dark. With it, you can make informed decisions about your business and measure results in real time.

  • Tracking Goals in Analytics
    Most eCommerce websites don’t use Google Analytics to its full potential. One of the application’s most powerful and underutilized eCommerce tools is the ability to set and track goals on any KPI.
  • Goals = Profits
    Using goals, businesses can track nearly any action on their site and learn which visitors are most likely to make purchases. At its core, the goal tool provides valuable insights into how to more efficiently use marketing dollars and is vital for any eCommerce store’s Analytics reporting.

Person looking at eCommerce website on phoneSetting Goals and Dreaming Realistically

If You’re New to eCommerce…

If you are just starting an eCommerce platform, it may be hard to understand what to expect when setting goals. Do it anyway. Think about your current sales numbers, consider how you will market the new website, and ask yourself if your target market is technologically savvy and eager to purchase online. Working through exercises like these will help you put a number and timeframe to your expectations.

 If You’re an eCommerce Pro…

If you’ve been using an eCommerce store for a while, take this opportunity to consider how this new web design will affect sales and then refine those goals. Is it user-friendly? Does it make completing a purchase more straightforward? Are visitors likely to spend more time on the new site? Thinking through questions like these will help you reassess your eCommerce goals.

It’s Not All Just About Purchases

It’s easy to become hyper-focused on sales numbers in Analytics. Don’t let this be you. In addition to sales, page views, and visitors, there are countless other metrics to track that will provide insights into how your online store is performing, including:

  • Leads
  • Trial signups
  • Account creations
  • Newsletter signups
  • Whitepaper downloads

#3 Your Team 

Many of our eCommerce clients are surprised by the time required to manage their website and scramble early on to cover all the tasks. Below are some of the many roles your team will need to cover before creating your site: 

  • Have a designated team member to address customers’ questions and concerns regardless of size. Before beginning your eCommerce site, decide who will help customers to ensure consistent and quality service.
  • You’ll need someone (or a team of someone’s) to manage and maintain inventory and shipping relationships. Avoid backorder issues by checking inventory is being stocked. If you run out of a product, your website needs to reflect it to avoid confused and angry customers.
  • An eCommerce website that doesn’t work doesn’t make you any money. Even the best eCommerce sites require regular maintenance to perform efficiently, so ensure you have an eCommerce developer who can keep things running smoothly.
  • If your site goes down, you’ll need a plan. We offer an ongoing maintenance plan that every eCommerce brand should consider. Think of it as an insurance policy for your website. 

Partnering with a digital marketing agency is a smart way to take your eCommerce presence to the next level. Through pay-per-click ads, SEO, social media, and more, let professionals optimize your eCommerce website for success so you can focus on what you do best.


Molekule eCommerce website

#4 The Platform

Every eCommerce store is different in the products it offers, the design it uses, and the desired user-experience it delivers to customers. Many of the points we’ve discussed focus on how the website’s front-end affects the UX. However, the actual motor for any eCommerce website resides in the backend and the platform it is built on.

Each platform has quirks that will either benefit or hinder the site based on what the business is trying to achieve.

Choosing the right eCommerce platform is similar to selecting the ideal commercial space for a brick-and-mortar shop. The right foundation makes everything much easier as your company and client base grows.

After years in this business, we’ve found Shopify to be the best ecommerce website builder.

Shopify logoShopify is easy to use, with customizable templates that can align with your product needs. There are plenty of apps and third-party integrations, so you have everything you need. And because it’s easy to build a responsive site, your brand will look great to all of those people shopping on their phones (which is an increasing number!). Finally, our Shopify developers can ensure your products are organized intuitively to directly impact conversions. 

Migrating from another platform is easy when you leave it to the professionals. We’ve helped clients across industries transfer from Magento, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce and move over to Shopify. 

Read more about this successful Magento to Shopify Migration. 

Now, with all this being said, Shopify might not be the right platform for your business. Brandography – Minneapolis’ own eCommerce development team – understands the unique benefits of each platform and can help you find the right choice to grow and achieve your goals.


#5 The Customer 

Attracting, engaging, and retaining customers is the goal of any business. Achieving this begins with a contemporary web design agency and an intuitive user experience.

Have you ever walked into a store that was a mess? Displays are crooked, light bulbs are out, and items are scattered on the floor; you can’t get out of that place fast enough. Like a brick-and-mortar location, an online store should make shopping easy and intuitive for customers. You would never stand for disorganization in your store – apply the same mindset to your site. 

It starts with design & copy

Your site’s foundation and credibility begin with web design. No matter how great your product is, no one will buy from (or trust) an ugly website.

Website Photography: Invest in custom web photography for your products instead of poorly lit iPhone photos. You want to show your brand in the best light possible.

Messaging: Your copy should intrigue a visitor to complete an action, whether purchasing a product or signing up for your newsletter. Crafting effective web content that compliments a site’s design is an art form. An SEO copywriter offers a fresh perspective on your brand messaging, underscoring what the customer wants and needs to know.

Prioritizing UX 

Let’s delve into the three most important factors that go into building user experience for an eCommerce site design:

  • Site Speed: A slow website will stop customers in their tracks and send them to a competitor. A professional eCommerce development team will build your site correctly, ensuring it can handle all that traffic you’ve been working so hard to bring in.
  • Product Selection: Customers don’t want to spend hours searching for what they need. Create an organized product structure that’s easily searchable. Define products by categories, brands, or sizes to help visitors narrow your inventory to their needs. Invest upfront to build a custom product search engine that will deliver precisely what a visitor is looking for in the first few results.
  • Transaction: 70% of online shoppers abandon their cart right before purchasing (Baymard Institute). Why is this? They likely feel apprehensive about the purchase and leave the site to do more research or browse other sites for a better price. The goal is to make customers feel confident when on the shopping cart and transaction pages. Here are some ways to do just this:
    • Shipping Costs: Avoid the surprise of high shipping costs by letting your customers know earlier on right there on product pages or even on the home page. 
    • Accepting Payments: Give customers every opportunity to pay with multiple payment methods. 
    • User Accounts: Forcing customers to create an account to complete their purchase often leads to a last-minute decision not to buy. Making an account doesn’t immediately benefit the customer and unnecessarily prolongs the transaction. If you’d like to offer the option of a user account, wait until after they’ve completed the purchase before bringing it up or present it in the context of making future purchases quicker and easier.

Pro Tip: You would never let a customer leave your store without asking, “…did you find everything you need?” Cart abandonment tools are the eCommerce version of this. Ask about these when building an eCommerce site.

Should I Partner With a Digital Marketing Agency?

A digital marketing agency can take work off your plate while continuously enhancing your site. Brandography’s eCommerce developers and digital marketing specialists have partnered with companies to help them grow! Whether you’re just starting to sell online or looking to take your online store to the next level, we’d love to be a part of your team. 

This is Just the Tip of the eComm Iceberg

Attracting, engaging, and retaining customers online isn’t easy. Partnering with a digital marketing agency specializing in eCommerce design and development ensures that this process remains efficient, cost-effective, and -dare we say- fun!  

Contact Brandography’s eCommerce team to learn about creating a successful and profitable online store that your customers can’t wait to shop at again and again.

The post The 5 Most Important Things to Consider Before Creating Your eCommerce Website first appeared on Brandography.

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2023 Recap: UX Insights From 75 of Our Websites https://www.brandography.com/ux-insights/ <![CDATA[brandogadmin]]> Tue, 23 Jan 2024 16:37:21 +0000 <![CDATA[Blog]]> https://www.brandography.com/?p=12646 <![CDATA[

Metrics can tell you an awful lot about your site—how people are using it, which aspects are intuitive (and which are not). We analyzed UX insights from 75 of our own client websites to see what we could learn about user experience and what best practices we recommend broken down by industry.  Clarity Inforgraphic   […]

The post 2023 Recap: UX Insights From 75 of Our Websites first appeared on Brandography.

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<![CDATA[Computer with Google Analytics chart showing

Metrics can tell you an awful lot about your site—how people are using it, which aspects are intuitive (and which are not). We analyzed UX insights from 75 of our own client websites to see what we could learn about user experience and what best practices we recommend broken down by industry. 

Clarity Inforgraphic

Clarity metrics and graphic

 

First, what do these metrics mean? 

Scroll Depth: Indicates that users find the content interesting and valuable! A shallow scroll might suggest the content isn’t engaging or users can’t find what they’re looking for. 

Pages Per Session: A higher number of pages per session generally indicates strong user engagement. It suggests that visitors are interested in exploring various website sections, potentially leading to increased conversions.

Quick Backs: High quick backs may highlight usability issues, unclear navigation, or mismatched user expectations. Address these concerns to improve overall user satisfaction.

Rage Clicks: Identifying rage clicks helps pinpoint elements causing frustration, whether broken links, unresponsive buttons, or confusing navigation. Clearing up these issues enhances the user experience and reduces user frustration.

To Read: Why is UX Important for Your Overall Marketing Strategy? 

Website UX Insights Industry-By-Industry

 

Healthcare & Medical Devices

Our healthcare industry clients represent a broad scope, but on average, we see strong engagement metrics with a scroll depth of around 55%. Users spend an average of 2 minutes actively interacting due to a focus on providing clear, informative content. 

Healthcare UX Best Practices
  • Intuitive Information Architecture
    • Ensure a seamless and intuitive information hierarchy for easy navigation.
    • Prioritize critical health information, making it easily accessible to users.
  • Engaging Multimedia Elements
    • To simplify complex medical information, utilize multimedia elements, such as videos and infographics.
    • Integrate chatbots to provide instant assistance and answer common queries effectively.

Engineering & Manufacturing

Manufacturing websites exhibit varied engagement levels, some showing strong user interaction and others with room for improvement. On average, the industry has a scroll depth of around 40%, while more dynamic, interactive sites have a deeper desktop scroll depth, and even better, users spent more time on the page.  

We’ve found that personalizing the user experience to showcase manufacturing capabilities with multimedia or interactive features enhances overall engagement.

Manufacturing UX Best Practices
  • Interactive Product Showcases
    • Implement interactive features that showcase manufacturing capabilities, such as 3D product models or virtual tours.
    • Use multimedia, like videos and animations, to highlight complex manufacturing processes engagingly.
    • Provide detailed product information with specific calls to action for further exploration.
  • Customizable User Dashboards
      • Implement real-time updates and notifications to keep users informed about manufacturing milestones.

Non-Profit

Non-profit websites, on average, receive a high number of page views, but engagement metrics, including scroll depth and active time, are moderate. Non-profit sites may benefit from strategies to increase engagement, such as compelling storytelling or interactive elements. Analyzing user journeys could unveil opportunities for enhanced user involvement.

Non-Profit UX Best Practices
  • Compelling Storytelling Techniques
    • Harness the power of storytelling to create emotionally engaging narratives.
    • Showcase real-life stories of individuals positively impacted by the organization.
  • Interactive Donation Features
    • Implement user-friendly and interactive donation features on the website.
    • Use gamification elements to encourage ongoing engagement and contributions.

Retail & eCommerce

The retail industry stands out with an exceptionally high average number of page views compared to all other sectors—2x more traffic! Retail websites could leverage this high traffic by optimizing product visibility and ensuring a seamless shopping experience. We recommend regularly updating content based on user behavior to maximize conversion opportunities.

Retail UX Best Practices
  • Dynamic Product Visibility
    • Utilize dynamic and visually appealing product displays on the homepage to capture user attention.
    • Implement personalized product recommendations based on user browsing and purchase history.
    • Optimize search functionality for easy product discovery, ensuring a smooth navigation experience.
  • Seamless Checkout Process
      • Streamline the checkout process to minimize steps and reduce friction for users.
      • Implement guest checkout options to cater to users who prefer a quick and hassle-free experience.

Man typing on a computer with Google Analytics chart and graph

Make the Most of Your Metrics

Curious to see how your business stacks up? At Brandography, we utilize in-depth analysis from multiple sources to understand how your website is performing. This approach informs a specific strategy tailored to your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities, with tactics that have proven successful. 

Whether you’re ready for a new website, a competitive analysis, or need ongoing retainer work, Brandography can meet your digital marketing needs with our collaboration, innovation, and dedication.


The post 2023 Recap: UX Insights From 75 of Our Websites first appeared on Brandography.

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The Benefits of Moving From Magento to Shopify https://www.brandography.com/moving-from-magento-to-shopify/ <![CDATA[brandogadmin]]> Wed, 03 Jan 2024 16:22:18 +0000 <![CDATA[Blog]]> https://www.brandography.com/?p=12560 <![CDATA[

Finding the right website platform for your eCommerce business can be challenging, especially when the digital marketing world seems everchanging. You want to offer your customers the shopping capabilities they need without continually navigating new software problems on your end. How do you know where to invest your resources and which platform will stay relevant?  […]

The post The Benefits of Moving From Magento to Shopify first appeared on Brandography.

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<![CDATA[Person at computer looking at Magento to Shopify migration plan on paper

Finding the right website platform for your eCommerce business can be challenging, especially when the digital marketing world seems everchanging. You want to offer your customers the shopping capabilities they need without continually navigating new software problems on your end. How do you know where to invest your resources and which platform will stay relevant? 

Today, we explain why a Magento to Shopify migration is a worthwhile investment for your sales, clicks, KPIs, client satisfaction, and your own peace of mind. 

Talk to our team about a Magento migration.

Why Make the Move to Shopify? 

Moving an eCommerce website from Magento to Shopify can be a strategic decision for your brand. Here are some common reasons why businesses choose to migrate from Magento to Shopify:

– It’s Easy to Use (So Your Team Can Spend Less Time in the Backend) Shopify is known for its user-friendly interface and easy setup. It’s designed to be accessible for users with different technical and back-end knowledge. If Magento’s complex interface takes too much time for your team to navigate and update, you might benefit from Shopify’s simplicity.

– There’s Opportunity for Scalability (So You Can Grow the Business the Way You Want)
While both platforms are scalable, Shopify is well-poised for businesses experiencing rapid growth. It can handle increased traffic and transactions seamlessly. Not to mention, Shopify Plus offers advanced features for larger enterprises.

– It’s a Hosted Solution (So You Can Eliminate an Unnecessary Expense)
Shopify is a fully hosted platform; hosting is included in the subscription fee. This setup eliminates the need for you and your team to manage your own hosting infrastructure, unlike Magento, which requires separate hosting arrangements.

– It Automatically Handles Many Updates and Maintenance (So You Can Get Time Back)
Shopify automatically takes care of many updates, security, and maintenance tasks. With Magento, managing updates and ensuring security can be more complex, time-consuming, and even require additional resources.
It’s worth noting that while Shopify handles most updates, it doesn’t handle all of them! That’s why we offer Guardography, our website maintenance package. Having one of our developers look through your site each month keeps everything in working order, including cart functionality, state tax accuracy, and more!

– It Provides Better Uptime (So Your Customers Find You When They Want To)
Shopify is known for having excellent uptime rates (as of the publication of this article, it’s at 99.99% over the last 90 days). Not only is that good news for your user experience and brand credibility, but search engines take website availability into account in their SERPs (search engine results pages).

Common Roadblocks We Hear From Our Customers

Hesitation about moving your site is common! Here are a few things we hear from prospective clients who know their site needs a change:

“There’ll be too much downtime during the transition.”

Some clients worry that a website migration will interrupt their revenue stream. But our team’s efficiency means a seamless transition.

“The website will look totally different.”

While we can rebrand your site, we can also accomplish a migration that looks on-brand and familiar to loyal customers.

“A Magento migration will be too complicated.”

You can leave the complexities of the migration to us. We execute Magento to Shopify migrations all year, so our team has a strong handle on what needs to be done and how to do it right the first time. 

At Brandography, we’ll keep you in the loop at every stage of the migration process. Before long, your online shop will be up and running with better features, reporting analytics, and customer satisfaction than ever before.

Read Real Results From a Client 

See how one of our clients saw a 151% increase in mobile conversions after investing in a Magento to Shopify migration with the help of the Brandography team. 

Read the full case study. 

“Our ability to better offer and manage our subscription service has greatly increased. We can offer more promotions and respond to customer needs faster. And we can now improve our partnerships as we can more easily integrate with their apps.” – Client

Considering a Magento Migration? Make the Move to Shopify

If you’re ready for a change, chat with one of our eCommerce development professionals. We’ll do a deep dive into your website’s existing roadblocks and future goals. Our efficient, well-honed Magento migration process helps ensure a smooth transition so you can get back to business without missing a beat.

Schedule a 1:1 consultation with the Brandography team using the contact form below! 

The post The Benefits of Moving From Magento to Shopify first appeared on Brandography.

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Seasonal Marketing Calendar Strategies https://www.brandography.com/seasonal-marketing-calendar-strategies/ <![CDATA[brandogadmin]]> Thu, 30 Nov 2023 22:29:28 +0000 <![CDATA[Blog]]> https://www.brandography.com/?p=12469 <![CDATA[

As a marketing leader, investing in seasonal marketing is essential to stay ahead of the competition and reach your target audience. Here are a few tips from our passionate content marketing team, including how to create your own seasonal marketing calendar.  What is Seasonal Marketing?  Seasonal marketing is the tactic of connecting your marketing to […]

The post Seasonal Marketing Calendar Strategies first appeared on Brandography.

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As a marketing leader, investing in seasonal marketing is essential to stay ahead of the competition and reach your target audience. Here are a few tips from our passionate content marketing team, including how to create your own seasonal marketing calendar. 

What is Seasonal Marketing? 

Seasonal marketing is the tactic of connecting your marketing to a seasonal event or holiday. This popular marketing approach can create a more personalized and engaging customer experience—increasing brand awareness, driving sales, and building customer loyalty. 

But seasonal doesn’t have to mean the same thing across all industries. Yes, Black Friday and Christmas are an increased time for eCommerce and direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites. But your business might have a completely separate busy season and an off-season. How are you accounting for that in your marketing strategies? 

A tip from us: think outside the box. 

Most brands incorporate the major holidays into their marketing. But lesser-known holidays can be just as fun to play with. From Arbor Day to Cupcake Day, seek out niche ideas specific to your industry and audience. Plan 2-4 fun content ideas around them (e.g., promotions, landing page, social media post, blog, e-blast, etc.) 

How do I create a seasonal marketing calendar?  

Now that you understand seasonal marketing, let’s talk about how to organize it all. A well-structured content calendar helps ensure your messaging is timely and consistent across all channels.

Here are a few tips we’ve learned doing it ourselves.

1. Make a list of the holidays or seasons you want to prioritize. There are a few ways to go about this. 

  • Look at when your sales or traffic tends to spike to see when your customers engage most.
  •  Use Google Trends to see when your industry is getting more attention. 
  • Think about which seasons, holidays, or events most align with your KPIs. 

Let those be your guiding light for your marketing strategies. 

2. Think in terms of seasonal marketing campaigns. Now that you know where in the calendar year you want to focus, what do you want to say? Ideate a few points of view that’ll resonate with your audience. Then, build 2-3 pieces of marketing content per concept to be used across multiple platforms.

Pro-tip: Use a color coding system to segment your seasonal marketing campaigns. This will make it easier to execute without getting confusing!

3. Be creative. One of the best parts of seasonal marketing is the flexibility to be creative. This is a great time to flex your originality, sense of humor, and key differentiators to showcase your brand personality to your target audience. If you’re usually more formal, try adding a bit of levity to your content!

4. Set hard deadlines. Your seasonal marketing calendar should include deadlines, taking into account the optimal time for implementation. You don’t want to send an email announcing a sale after it’s been running for a few days, nor do you want to talk about it too early. Dates and deadlines keep your strategy working together!

5. Plan ahead. Don’t let the big holidays take you by surprise. By plotting out your content marketing strategy, you won’t be overwhelmed when your big marketing months roll around. That’ll give you time to align promo codes, designs, and content for your e-blasts, PPC campaigns, social media posts, and landing pages. 

Did you know that almost 50% of shoppers start their holiday shopping before Halloween? It’s true, according to a study from Bankrate

6. Track your stats. Too many people plan their marketing campaigns but forget to review their performance. Add a column on your calendar where you can log traffic, impressions, clicks, sales, and any other KPIs on your list. Highlight what worked and what didn’t so you can hone in on your campaign for the next big holiday! 

Need a second set of eyes on your content marketing

The creation, upkeep, and execution of a seasonal marketing calendar is a lot of work. If you’re looking for help, contact the digital marketing experts at Brandography.

We’d love to look into your brand and create and execute a content strategy combining seasonality, industry trends, and high-value answers to popular queries—always optimized for SEO to help your website gain organic traffic. It’s what we love to do!

Schedule a (free) consultation—let’s chat content for a productive 2024. Oh, and happy holidays from our team to yours! 

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The post Seasonal Marketing Calendar Strategies first appeared on Brandography.

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Prioritizing Web Design for Your Rebrand https://www.brandography.com/prioritizing-web-design-for-your-rebrand/ <![CDATA[brandogadmin]]> Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:48:05 +0000 <![CDATA[Blog]]> https://www.brandography.com/?p=12434 <![CDATA[

Rebranding your business is a huge decision. And once you start, it’s time to go full steam ahead, sharing your new look and feel with the world!  Here’s the deal: your website is your digital footprint, and it needs to accurately reflect your branding. Otherwise, you risk confusing and losing past and potential customers. A […]

The post Prioritizing Web Design for Your Rebrand first appeared on Brandography.

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<![CDATA[Website designer with stylus pen working digital tablet and computer laptop on wooden desk. Casual business man hand touching on touchpad screen, close up. Freelance online working from home, close up

Rebranding your business is a huge decision. And once you start, it’s time to go full steam ahead, sharing your new look and feel with the world! 

Here’s the deal: your website is your digital footprint, and it needs to accurately reflect your branding. Otherwise, you risk confusing and losing past and potential customers. A website redesign or redesign can help bridge that gap so you can keep existing connections while actively building new ones! 

Psst, are you already itching for a website redesign? Schedule a consultation with our team! 

3 Common Ways to Update Your Site During a Rebranding

 

  1. Logo, Colors, and Fonts Update.
    These are the building blocks of branding—your digital calling card, if you will. An experienced designer can use these elements to transform your visual identity, representing this new chapter in your business without a complete overhaul of your existing site.
  2. New Homepage + Graphic Updates.
    Your homepage is one of the most important pages on your site because it’s what your customers see first. Updating it with refreshed branding and better graphics can signal you’re up to something exciting.
  3. Full Rebranded Website
    After a massive rebrand, it’s time to reflect that change digitally with a whole new website. From new service pages to strong CTAs, this is a massive opportunity to impact your industry and show them you’re a worthy competitor.

Why Redesign a Website? 

Here are just a few signs that it’s time to invest in a website redesign: 

– UX Needs Improvement. Modern websites prioritize usability. A streamlined UX results in better conversion rates, turning site visitors into leads. An intuitive, innovative web design can make all the difference to your customer’s experience on your site.

– It’s Time to Keep Up with Trends. Digital marketing trends are constantly changing. If you haven’t refreshed your website in a couple of years, chances are it’s outdated, and—trust us—your customers are noticing. Whether it’s a dynamic cursor or a sleek mega menu, use the latest trends to your advantage.

– It Doesn’t Look Good on Mobile. People are searching on their smartphones more and more. Is your site ready for that? Don’t invest in a desktop design that looks squished on a phone. Optimization across devices is key, and a responsive redesign can help.

– Accessibility Isn’t There. When was the last time you analyzed your website for accessibility? A rebrand is the perfect time to make sure everyone can enjoy your website. Plus, accessibility can directly impact your search engine positioning.

– Your Platform is No Longer Serving You. As your business grows, it may outgrow your initial website platform. WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce—we can look at your needs and recommend a platform migration that can drastically improve conversions. 

A Real-Life Example: See how a Magento to Shopify platform migration leads to a 151% conversion increase on mobile for one of our clients!

Stats from website redesign

Brandography’s Website Redesign Process 

Capitalize on recent web design trends without disrupting or confusing your established audience. At Brandography, we’ve ideated and executed rebrands for businesses across all industries. Our trusted process combines your brand insights with our industry expertise. Here’s how it works: 

  1. Consultation. First, we meet with you and ask questions designed to get at the heart of the matter. What are your short and long-term goals? What roadblocks are stopping you? How has the industry changed around you?
  2. Brand Analysis. From there, we look at your current branding, competitors, KPIs, and industry needs. We’ll talk you through our findings, ensuring you are comfortable with the direction we’re going and answering questions that come up.
  3. Creation. Here comes the fun part! Our creative team will dive into new color palettes, typography, messaging—all kinds of elements that come together to refresh who you are. Along the way, we check in regularly, keeping you in the driver’s seat. After all, it’s your business.
  4. Execution. With the creative part approved, we’ll work on the website redesign. Before your site launches, we’ll put everything on a staging site so you can see exactly how it’ll look once it’s live.
  5. Double and Triple Check. Our team gives your refreshed site a double and triple check to ensure no stone goes unturned. We want everything to be pitch-perfect for your official launch date!
  6. Launch. Your new site goes live into the digital landscape. You’re ready to meet new customers and inspire previous contacts who haven’t engaged in a while.
  7. Celebrate. Sit back, take a breath, and watch your KPIs rise. 

Hire Our Website Redesign Services

If your brand needs a refresh and a website redesign, chat with our team here at Brandography. We’re ready to put our expertise and passion to work, help you grow organic traffic, and see an increase in conversions. It’s kind of our thing! 

Who You’ll Talk To

Schedule a (free) consultation here. Or fill out the form below!

The post Prioritizing Web Design for Your Rebrand first appeared on Brandography.

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How to Avoid Unwanted SEO (& When It’s Essential to Do So!) https://www.brandography.com/avoid-unwanted-seo/ <![CDATA[brandogadmin]]> Tue, 31 Oct 2023 17:13:34 +0000 <![CDATA[Uncategorized]]> https://www.brandography.com/?p=12404 <![CDATA[

Getting your website and information at the top of the Google SERP is usually a cause for celebration. But what happens if the search engine puts information at the top of the SERPs and it’s flat-out wrong? Unwanted SEO or unwanted search terms can harm your organic traffic, digital marketing strategy, and user experience.  If […]

The post How to Avoid Unwanted SEO (& When It’s Essential to Do So!) first appeared on Brandography.

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Getting your website and information at the top of the Google SERP is usually a cause for celebration. But what happens if the search engine puts information at the top of the SERPs and it’s flat-out wrong? Unwanted SEO or unwanted search terms can harm your organic traffic, digital marketing strategy, and user experience. 

If you’ve been following the latest Google algorithm updates, you’ll notice October brought many changes, the most notable being that Google shifted to better help people answer questions when typed explicitly into the search engine. This change recently resulted in an interesting few days for one of our clients. 

Screenshot of Google search result with incorrect information featured. A real-life example of unwanted SEO 

Now that it’s shopping season, people are starting to request catalogs from some big box retailers around the United States—specifically Target. 

After the latest Google update, one of our clients with “Target” in the name saw a significant uptick in phone calls unrelated to his business. After searching “How Do I Get a Target Catalog,” he noticed that the latest update pulled his phone number to the top of the SERP. Because it’s the first phone number listed, he started getting a barrage of calls requesting Target’s sought-after catalog.

Luckily, our SEO team jumped in quickly and efficiently. By reporting the error to Google to trigger a review, downvoting the incorrect connection, and making adjustments to the site, the calls significantly slowed down and then stopped altogether.

What can you do to prevent this? 

The issue here isn’t only that this search has nothing to do with our client’s business, but because this is such a popular item, it clogs their phone lines, taking time, attention, and resources away from their goals and KPIs.

For SEO depreciation on terms you don’t want to rank for, try these things: 

  • Update the landing page. Update the landing page to change the query slightly. You may still want your page to rank for specific search terms, just not these search terms. Change the title a little bit. Add additional keywords to modify what the crawlers are pulling. In this case, we added “shooting” to the catalog request to help depreciate the exact match search of this query.
  • No-index your page. If this is a page you don’t need indexed, consider adding a no-index tag. Your page may not need to be indexed or hold no search value at all. In this instance, it may make sense to remove it from Google index altogether and save yourself the time and effort it takes to respond to those who aren’t looking for your page.
  • Robots.txt. Similarly, you may want to add this page to your robots.txt file. Similar to the no-index tactic, you can set the file to tell crawlers not to crawl your page. This will also help your page drop out of the SERPs for any crawler you see fit.
  • Take control of your knowledge graph. If you’re having issues with people calling you for something as specific as ordering a Target Catalog, update your knowledge graph with additional information to inform people this may not be what they are looking for. 
  • Send feedback to Google. When looking at the results for questions people commonly search on Google, there is a feedback link. Don’t be afraid to send your feedback. If enough people use this, it will trigger a manual review on Google’s end. Hopefully, someone on their team will see what is happening and depreciate the value of this search for your landing page.

Screenshot of sending feedback to Google to correct unwanted SEO terms.

In the end, strategic SEO depreciation for search terms you don’t want to rank for helps alleviate unhelpful traffic and call-ins that aren’t relevant to your business. 

Getting the right traffic to your website will make your analytics cleaner, helping you figure out which actions and events are truly helping or hurting the traffic on your website.

Get the Attention You Want

The only thing worse than getting no attention is getting the wrong kind. If you want more impressions and clicks from your target audience, we’re your digital marketing agency. With in-depth industry understanding, our Minneapolis SEO Agency uses cutting-edge SEO tactics to get your page in front of the right people at the right moment. And when that happens, anything is possible. 

Schedule an appointment with our Brandography team! 

The post How to Avoid Unwanted SEO (& When It’s Essential to Do So!) first appeared on Brandography.

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301 vs. 307 Redirect: Is Your Team Using Them Correctly? https://www.brandography.com/301-vs-307-redirect/ <![CDATA[brandogadmin]]> Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:21:28 +0000 <![CDATA[Blog]]> https://www.brandography.com/?p=12304 <![CDATA[

Let’s assume you own a business, which means you likely operate a website. We’ll also wager that you or your marketing team spend time updating its pages, adding new content, or removing outdated pages that don’t bring in relevant traffic or push you to the top of customers’ search results.  With so many changes occurring […]

The post 301 vs. 307 Redirect: Is Your Team Using Them Correctly? first appeared on Brandography.

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Let’s assume you own a business, which means you likely operate a website. We’ll also wager that you or your marketing team spend time updating its pages, adding new content, or removing outdated pages that don’t bring in relevant traffic or push you to the top of customers’ search results. 

With so many changes occurring in one place, you need to utilize SEO best practices to ensure a seamless website experience for your users and search engines.

So, let’s take a minute to talk about redirects. Redirects send users from one URL to another, but if not used correctly, they can cause problems, including slow page load times, broken links, and decreased search engine rankings.

Notice we said “redirects” vs. “redirect”? The plural means there is more than one. In fact, there are three: 301, 302, and 307.

Why do we use redirects? 

Redirects should be part of your ongoing website maintenance and serve two equally important purposes: 

  1. Getting users to the intended URL
  2. Getting search engine bots to crawl the intended URL

Both are integral for SEO rankings and usability. After all, what’s the point of that gorgeous page if no one – human or bot – can access it? 

301 vs. 302 vs. 307 

While they may all be in the 3XX family, you don’t want to use these three codes interchangeably. Let’s look at how these three redirects differ from one another. 

301: A 301 indicates the page isn’t available at the original location anymore and should no longer be indexed that way. This redirect passes all the SEO value to a new URL. Use this only if you never plan to use the original URL again. 

You might use a 301 redirect when permanently moving or deleting a page or changing the page’s permalink structure.

302: This used to be for temporary redirects, but it’s been replaced by the 307 and now is used infrequently. If you leave a 302 for too long, Google or Bing may start thinking of it as a 301 anyway, passing along the link’s value to the redirected URL. 

307: A 307 is a temporary redirect, meaning your URL has been moved for now but will eventually be back. This distinction is important for site visitors and helps search engines understand how you’re using the URL in question. 

Use this code only when the redirect is temporary. In this instance, you know you’ll be using the old URL again, so you don’t want to lose or move its SEO performance. 

You might use a 307 temporary redirect when temporarily shutting down the site for routine maintenance, changing your domain name, or moving to a new Content Management System (e.g., going from Wix to WordPress).

It’s also a good idea to use a 307 when updating your content, which you’ll want to be doing every couple of months. 

What’s at stake: If you omit using redirects or use the incorrect redirect status code, you risk a dreaded 404 error message and potentially losing the precious SEO rankings you’ve worked so hard to achieve. 

Is a 307 redirect bad for SEO?

No, a 307 redirect isn’t bad for SEO. That’s because you’re indicating how you want the page indexed and that its value should remain with the original URL. 

Clean up your website 

Understanding redirects can help you troubleshoot website issues, ensuring your customers have a seamless experience.

Need help with an outdated site full of broken links? Brandography’s SEO team can help clean up your front- and back-end for a seamless customer experience and prevent you from losing valuable link juice. With our help, you’ll see faster load times, improved SEO rankings, and better UX for all!

Schedule an initial consultation with our team to chat through your current digital marketing frustrations. We’d love to offer advice and recommendations to keep your website pristine and ahead of the competition. 

The post 301 vs. 307 Redirect: Is Your Team Using Them Correctly? first appeared on Brandography.

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Trend Alert: Building a Brand Narrative for Your Business https://www.brandography.com/brand-narrative/ <![CDATA[brandogadmin]]> Thu, 05 Oct 2023 14:51:03 +0000 <![CDATA[Blog]]> <![CDATA[brand narrative]]> <![CDATA[brand storytelling examples]]> <![CDATA[content marketing]]> <![CDATA[storytelling tactics]]> <![CDATA[what is a brand narrative]]> https://www.brandography.com/?p=12293 <![CDATA[

In a competitive digital landscape, brand positioning matters more than ever. Sometimes, you only have a second or two to capture the attention of a potential customer. How do you do that successfully? Well, you use basic storytelling tactics.  Every brand has a unique voice and story to tell. In this article, we’ll explain the […]

The post Trend Alert: Building a Brand Narrative for Your Business first appeared on Brandography.

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In a competitive digital landscape, brand positioning matters more than ever. Sometimes, you only have a second or two to capture the attention of a potential customer. How do you do that successfully? Well, you use basic storytelling tactics. 

Every brand has a unique voice and story to tell. In this article, we’ll explain the benefits of a strong brand narrative, including questions to guide the process and how this framework can directly impact your bottom line. 

Why does brand messaging matter? 

Strong brand messaging captures an audience’s attention, potentially turning a one-time customer into a lifelong brand enthusiast. And research shows brand loyalty dramatically impacts your ROI. Repeat customers often spend more money and are easier to market to, making your job easier.

Giving credit where credit is due 

We didn’t come up with this perspective all on our own. This content marketing approach is inspired by StoryBrand, a framework developed by author and public speaker Donald Miller. 

What is a brand narrative? 

Most brands center around their own story. And it makes sense—you want customers to understand who you are and take an interest in you. But your messaging makes a bigger impact when your clients are in the spotlight. 

Narrative branding uses storytelling tactics that showcase your business as the solution to your customer’s particular problem or a resource for a burning question. How do you do that? So glad you asked!

Using storytelling tactics to your advantage 

The hero’s journey has always been a storytelling staple. Imagine Star Wars or The Wizard of Oz. Both have a main character (Luke Skywalker/Dorothy Gale) and a helpful guide (Yoda/Glinda). 

In this content marketing approach, your customers are the main character, the star of the show. Your brand becomes their guide. You’re a trustworthy advocate, getting your hero to their happy ending where their struggles are no more. 

By directly addressing customers’ pain points, a brand narrative presents your services or products through the lens of their unique challenges.

With this approach, you can: 

  • Put yourself in their shoes
  • Elevate each customer’s personal/professional growth
  • Emphasize with the user
  • Position you as the solution
  • Be more relatable 
  • Keep the focus where it should be – on your target audience.

Constructing your brand narrative 

Let’s go through a few storytelling tactics to try out: 

Identify the obstacle 

Most stories contain an obstacle the main character has to overcome. Your brand narrative is no different. You’ll identify your audience’s key struggles as you usher them toward a solution (your brand offerings). 

What exactly is your potential customer facing? Think about what they may be searching to find you. Beyond the literal struggle (a disinfecting product to clean the kitchen sink), think about the emotional and internal struggles (keeping a house clean is time-consuming and expensive, it can be frustrating to buy something that doesn’t work, etc.) If it helps, you can think of their struggles as villains you’re helping to vanquish!

Ask yourself: Am I putting myself in my customer’s shoes? 

Make a plan and shout it out 

Every guide has a plan to get the main character where they want to be. Content marketing is your chance to lay out your strategy and why it’s the only choice forward. 

Many potential customers are likely curious about your brand but hesitant to take the first step. A clear plan helps minimize that fear because they know how it’ll all roll out. 

Ask yourself: Am I making this journey look inviting (yellow brick road) or scary (dark, forbidden forest)? 

Showcase positive and negative outcomes

You want the audience to come along with you. If they do, they get to defeat the bad guy or go home—whatever it is they want. But what happens if they don’t follow you? Maybe they remain stressed out or unhappy. Maybe everyday life gets even harder. 

Ask yourself: What happens to potential customers if they don’t choose your brand? 

Use a consistent voice/tone

Like our beloved characters, your brand must have a clear identity. Are they friendly and conversational? Or are they professional and formal? This is informed by what products or services you offer. Think about it—a doctor’s office and a nightclub need different language treatments. 

Ask yourself: Does my brand have an established voice and tone? If not, it’s time to create a document to ensure consistency across channels. You want to keep the message clear and compelling. 

Keep it simple 

Now, you may be excited about everything your brand can do and want to explain every possibility, every solution, and every idea. But keep it simple. You don’t want to overwhelm your audience—otherwise, they’re bouncing off your site. 

Ask yourself: Am I making my message clear or trying to accomplish everything at once? 

Brand Storytelling Examples

Let’s examine a fictional brand and how we might transform their messaging: 

A local roofing company wants to encourage homeowners to take better care of their roofs. They can express empathy by talking about how caring for a home is a lot of work, but a routine inspection can remedy potentially expensive issues before they get out of hand.

Testimonials and experience highlight brand authority. And calling out the dangers of ignoring roof problems, they inform their target audience of how much they’re potentially losing (e.g., time, money, peace of mind) by not making an appointment). They know they’re safe in their home once they make an appointment. 

A conversational, slightly humorous tone helps customers immediately connect with the brand. After all, caring for a home doesn’t have to be all drudgery—it can actually be fun. 

Let’s look at how this comes across in two different headlines.
Before: We’re the Roofers You Can Trust
After: Roofing Made Easy

How narrative branding helps your marketing efforts 

Using this content framework allows you to make human connections. This can pay dividends when it comes to customer engagement and retention, which directly correlates to revenue growth. It also differentiates you from your competitors, especially if they still rely on the stuffy approach of centering themselves in their content marketing.

Finally, narrative branding can be a source of innovation and inspiration. The more time you spend empathizing with your target audience, the more you’ll see more problems you can solve for them. 

Beautiful landscape from Precipice Walk in Snowdonia overlooking Barmouth and Coed-y-Brenin forest coming out of pages in magical story book.

Tell Your Story 

Now that you know what’s possible, uncover your unique brand narrative. Brandography can help you build a brand voice and key messaging with its Narrative Branding Services. Contact our passionate team for an exploratory meeting to discuss how we can resonate with your target audience and kickstart your KPIs! 

Schedule a consultation. 

The post Trend Alert: Building a Brand Narrative for Your Business first appeared on Brandography.

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Top Five Black Friday Campaign Ideas That Drive Sales https://www.brandography.com/black-friday-campaign-ideas/ <![CDATA[brandogadmin]]> Thu, 28 Sep 2023 16:00:38 +0000 <![CDATA[Blog]]> <![CDATA[eCommerce]]> <![CDATA[black friday business]]> <![CDATA[black friday checklist]]> <![CDATA[black friday small business saturday]]> <![CDATA[black friday tools]]> https://brandography.local/?p=9963 <![CDATA[

This Black Friday, don’t get left in the dust—start planning your marketing strategy now to stay ahead of the competition.  With the holiday shopping season fast approaching, it’s crucial for your business to make the most of this opportunity. In this article, we’ll explore 5 Black Friday campaign ideas to effectively market your products and […]

The post Top Five Black Friday Campaign Ideas That Drive Sales first appeared on Brandography.

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This Black Friday, don’t get left in the dust—start planning your marketing strategy now to stay ahead of the competition. 

With the holiday shopping season fast approaching, it’s crucial for your business to make the most of this opportunity. In this article, we’ll explore 5 Black Friday campaign ideas to effectively market your products and services during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.

Whether you’re an eCommerce store or a brick-and-mortar retailer, we promise you can tailor these strategies to suit your needs. So, buckle up and get ready to maximize your brand’s visibility and drive those sales through the roof.

Why You Can’t Miss Out!

Black Friday marks the official start of the holiday shopping season—and that checkpoint gets earlier each year! DID YOU KNOW…that in 2022, U.S. consumers spent $270 billion online across the holiday season, and 47% of spending came from smartphones?

But eCommerce isn’t the only one having all the fun. In-store sales across the United States have increased 12% YoY, and in 2022, Black Friday was the biggest day for in-store shopping, reaching 72.9 million consumers.

Simply put, Black Friday presents a critical period for retailers like you to capitalize on, but now is the time to start planning your strategy! 

Planning your Black Friday strategy

Want to make the most of Black Friday in 2023? Start by setting clear goals and objectives for your campaigns. 

 Increasing sales is likely your top priority, but are you also trying to attract new customers, maintain a loyal following from returning ones, or build brand awareness in new markets? 

Black Friday checklist graphic icon.Next, consider the following:

    • Inventory: One of the most critical aspects of Black Friday planning is inventory management. Both online and brick-and-mortar brands need to ensure they have enough products to meet the increased demand during the event. 
    • Site speed and load time: You also need to ensure that your website and other online platforms can handle the increased traffic and have backup plans in case of any technical glitches.
    • Staffing and support: Be sure you have enough staff to handle the increased foot traffic in physical stores and customer queries or payment issues online.
    • Budget: When planning your Black Friday marketing campaign, allocate your budget wisely. To maximize your reach, for example, consider investing in paid advertising, social media promotions, and/or email marketing. 

Finally, establishing a timeline and setting specific deadlines for each aspect of your Black Friday campaign(s) is also crucial to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Top Black Friday campaign ideas

Without further ado, let’s dive into our top 5 favorite Black Friday strategies to maximize your marketing impact and drive sales.

Campaign idea 1: Exclusive early bird deals and flash sales

One of the keys to a successful Black Friday campaign is knowing how to effectively entice customers to make a purchase. 

Buy one. Get one free graphic icon.There’s a few ways to achieve this:

Exclusives and limited time offers: Consider offering exclusive discounts or limited-time promotions to create a sense of urgency and incentivize customers to take action. 

Save big when you buy more: Bundling products together, offering extra savings when you purchase more than one item, or offering free shipping when you spend $50 or more, will provide additional value to help sweeten the deal. 

Early access: To create a sense of exclusivity, consider offering early access to your Black Friday deals to loyal customers or email subscribers. This helps build anticipation and generate buzz around your brand. 

Cross Promote: Finally, consider partnering with other businesses to create joint promotions or cross-promote each other’s products. Doing so can expand your reach and attract new customers who may not have been aware of your brand.

Campaign idea 2: Gamification and interactive experiences

By creating engaging and interactive experiences, you can easily capture the attention of your target audience and drive more engagement.

One way to do this is by creating a Black Friday-themed game that customers can play to win exclusive discounts or prizes. Doing so creates a fun, memorable shopping experience for your customers and encourages them to convert.

Interactive experiences such as quizzes or surveys are another effective way to engage customers and gather valuable data. You can then use this information to personalize future marketing campaigns and offer targeted discounts to returning customers.

Campaign idea 3: Influencer collaborations

Marketing influencer graphic icon.Influencer marketing has become increasingly popular and can be highly effective for your Black Friday strategy.

  • Start by identifying influencers in your industry with a significant following and those who align with your brand values. 
  • Reach out to these influencers and propose a collaboration for your Black Friday campaign.

Remember to establish clear goals and expectations when working with influencers. To do so, provide them with the necessary information about your products or services and the key messages you want to convey. 

Just as important, allow your influencer(s) creative freedom to showcase your offerings authentically and engagingly.

  • Consider hosting giveaways or exclusive discount codes through influencers to drive engagement and attract new customers.
  • Encourage influencers to create content that showcases your products or services and drives traffic to your website or landing page. 
  • Monitor the performance of influencer campaigns and analyze the results to identify what worked well and what can be improved for future collaborations.

Campaign idea 4: Personalized offers and targeted marketing

As mentioned, by analyzing customer data and behavior, you can offer personalized discounts and promotions to customers.

For example, you can offer discounts on products customers have previously shown interest in or create personalized bundles based on their purchase history. This creates a sense of exclusivity and personalization, encouraging customers to purchase.

Targeted marketing is another effective way to reach specific customer segments and drive engagement. Use social media and other digital channels to target specific demographics or interests, promoting Black Friday deals that are most relevant to their needs.

Campaign idea 5: Implement a multi-channel strategy

As you can probably tell from the other campaign ideas above, you need to leverage your existing marketing channels to promote offers and engage with your target audience.

Start by optimizing your website to create a seamless shopping experience for your customers. 

  • Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly—remember, a significant percentage of Black Friday purchases are made on mobile devices! 
  • Optimize your product descriptions and images to highlight the value and benefits of your offerings.

Next, utilize your social media platforms to engage with audiences and promote your Black Friday deals. 

  • Create eye-catching graphics and videos that showcase your offers and encourage sharing. 
  • Utilize relevant hashtags and collaborate with influencers in your industry to expand your reach and attract new customers.

Email marketing is another powerful tool for Black Friday promotions. 

  • Start by segmenting your email list based on customer preferences and purchase history. 
  • Craft personalized and compelling email campaigns that highlight your offers and provide a clear call-to-action. 
  • Utilize dynamic content in your emails to allow you to personalize the content based on each recipient’s preferences and past interactions with your brand.
  • Consider offering exclusive discounts or early access to your email subscribers as an added incentive.

Tips for analyzing your Black Friday marketing efforts

Black Friday data and stats graphic icon.Once Black Friday is over, it’s crucial to analyze the success of your marketing efforts and identify areas for improvement. 

  • Start by analyzing your sales data to determine the impact of your promotions and offers. 
  • Identify which products or services performed well and which ones fell short of expectations.
  • Conduct a comprehensive review of your marketing campaigns to evaluate the performance of each channel and tactic used.
  • For eCommerce, utilize web analytics tools to track website traffic, conversion rates, and customer behavior. 
  • Identify any bottlenecks or areas for improvement and make the necessary adjustments.

Remember to gather feedback from your customers! Send post-purchase surveys or encourage reviews and testimonials to understand their experience with your brand. 

Use all this data to refine your strategies and make data-driven decisions for future Black Friday campaigns.

So, is your business ready for the big day?

With proper planning and implementation, Black Friday can be a powerful opportunity for businesses to increase sales, attract new customers, and build brand visibility. 

Of course, with so much to do in addition to running your business, it can quickly become overwhelming. Good news! We’ve got you covered. At Brandography, we can plan, execute, and measure your Black Friday strategy to ensure its success this year and the next!

To learn more about our capabilities in helping eCommerce stores and retailers across the United States get the most impact from their Black Friday campaigns, schedule a chat with us today!

Let’s Get to Work!

The post Top Five Black Friday Campaign Ideas That Drive Sales first appeared on Brandography.

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