The world is full of websites. Some websites are clearly better than others, but how do we evaluate the quality of a website? Obviously, there are a number of characteristics that we can use to evaluate a site. The way it looks, the visual elements, the user experience, the story it tries to tell. And as I am sure most of you know first-hand, we can invest a lot of time and money into developing websites that look amazing, engage visitors, and tell our story in a meaningful way. But is your website generating quality leads for your organization? Because if it's not, it is very hard to determine the return on investment that you made in your website.

Do you have a blog? If not, you should seriously consider starting one. By creating and maintaining a blog for your organization, you can publish insightful articles and position yourself as an authority in your industry. Blogging can also help you boost traffic, brand awareness, credibility, conversions, and revenue. But writing quality blog posts isn't easy. And even if you do write blog posts, it can be challenging to leverage them in a way that has a tangible benefit your company.

In the modern age of internet searches, ecommerce, and inbound marketing, we exist in a time in which all three roads have gloriously met at one intersection and seem to be bound for the foreseeable future. The vehicle through which businesses (especially small businesses) need to get and stay on this road to the future is a rather obvious one: a killer website. But when it comes to designing a new website (or renovating an old one) knowing what to do is just as important as knowing what not to do. Here are five common mistakes we see small businesses make on their websites:

These are unprecedented times, and there is enough panic, worry, and uncertainty to go around. Business has slowed or, in some cases, ground to a halt. Don’t get me wrong, there is good reason to worry, but you can either spend this time watching sporting games from the early 2000s, overeating, and bird-watching, or you can use this time wisely to do some marketing housecleaning.

In today’s marketplace, consumers research online for information that will help them make smarter buying decisions. This buying behavior trend highlights the importance of a website for today’s businesses. Every type of communication, piece of content, or advertisement that you put in the marketplace should and will drive the consumer back to your website. As such, it’s important that your website gives potential customers a clear idea of who you are, what makes you different, and why they should buy from you.

One thing is certain: we do not live in the same world as we did a few months ago. In 2020, COVID-19 has disrupted all aspects of humanity in all the corners of the world. And as we listen to what the medical experts tell us, we must all face the fact that it's not ending any time soon. Events are cancelled. Businesses are shutting down. Employees are furloughed. But as bleak as it may seem, this is not the end of business, nor of marketing.

Marketers who want to connect with prospective clients in a meaningful way must first take the time to understand what the prospects are going through. With this understanding, inbound marketing and sales pros alike can personalize communications with buyers. Putting marketing and sales communications in the buyer's context helps to bring value to the interaction and will move them closer to doing business with your organization. Sounds easy, right? It's a bit trickier than it sounds.

You've created your personas. You've researched keywords. You created some killer pieces of content to use on your conversion paths and you designed some eye-catching calls-to-action (CTAs). You're blogging on a consistent basis and sharing your blog posts across different channels. Now, you're actually starting to see some leads roll in. Sweet success. Mission accomplished, right? Not necessarily.

The first of January is a perfect time for new beginnings. The motivational aspect of starting with the blank slate of a new year draws people in and inspires them to accomplish personal goals and pursue a path of self-improvement. As marketers, we are no exception. We all have things that we could do better or be more diligent about.

Today, 72% of Americans are on at least one social media platform; 74% of Facebook users and 63% of Instagrammers use the sites daily. With so many people living out their existence in cyberspace, we started to piece together rules for social media managers: here are 6 simple tips that will improve your social media presence.