Why Your Digital Marketing Agency Can Work Remotely Without Sacrificing Efficiency

The digital age has given rise to teams who quite often work remotely as part as a large whole. This isn’t simply an issue of convenience. It’s a method by which digital marketing companies can access a much broader and more diverse pool of skilled workers. Some digital marketing firms are largely made up of workers collaborating across the country, or even around the world.

 

In fact, digital marketing agencies are one of the prime candidates for remote teams, simply because it allows them to maintain their level of service 24/7, without a drop in quality. The recent outbreak of Coronavirus has the world on edge, and while many markets and industries are being affected, your digital marketing agency is probably weathering the storm quite well.

 

Think for a moment about the advantages for your business. With no lull in service or delivery quality, your digital marketing agency is always on call to help you deal with the fallout of a situation like the Coronavirus epidemic. In the coming weeks, the outbreak will begin to taper off as certain measures begin yielding a drastic reduction in new cases. An economic bounce-back is practically guaranteed, which means companies will need to ramp up their workloads in order to get back to a normal routine. In the meantime, your digital marketing agency plays a vital role not only in managing your reputation during this crisis, but preparing you for when it eventually comes to an end.

 

Consider the many moving parts of a digital marketing agency. Account reps, website devs and content writers are just a few cogs in the machine, but each one works within a digital space. In our age of ultra high-speed internet and a plethora of team management apps, it’s never been easier for a digital marketing agency’s employees to coordinate remotely, without missing a beat. Facetime, Skype and Google Hangouts make it easy for project leads to set up regular meetings and stay on top of current projects. Digital delivery of finished products is a breeze, thanks to website servers, business Cloud storage and other mediums.

 

The world may have slowed during the Coronavirus outbreak, but your digital marketing agency has not. They realize the importance of communication between your company and your clients, and their job never ends. That’s a good thing, not just for them, but for your company as well. A digital marketing agency can show you how to turn a negative into a positive, and spin the Coronavirus situation into an opportunity to spread a little cheer once it all goes away. As market certainty rebounds, so too will the economic engine begin picking up steam.

 

A recent Gallup poll revealed that three-quarters of Americans believe remote workers are just as, if not more productive than office workers. Make of this what you will, but it does lend credence to the notion that a digital marketing agency can easily maintain its level of service and quality through any situation. They have the tools, the experience and the know-how to stay on top of things, even when the team has been separated. Technology has evolved to a point where we’re one step away from virtual conference rooms, which means the future of digital marketing is going to get even better; a definite boon for businesses!

 

It’s also great for the employees, as well. Remote workers report a happier health/life balance, and feel the company both trusts and cares about their well being. Happier employees translates to better work, and greater quality for you, the customer. Plus, the advantage of a digital marketing agency having access to such a wide range of talent can only spell great things for everyone. It’s a win/win, right across the board.

 

To summarize, you shouldn’t worry that your digital marketing agency will be affected negatively by Coronavirus, or any other troublesome event. They’re ready to go when you are, and while the world struggles to get a stable foot-hold, they can show you ways to prepare for that recovery period, and the benefits still yet to come! If you’d like more information on how digital marketing agencies operate, and how they can be of benefit to you, we invite you to get in touch with us today. We’ll be happy to work with you.

The Six Stages Involved In Website Design

There are plenty of articles that dive into what makes a great company website, but many forget the core fundamentals of the process and instead focus on the technical aspects. There’s more to a great website than its coding, platform and graphics. How it functions will determine its success rate, and that requires forethought and planning.

Read along to learn about the six stages of website design, and why each one is so vitally important in creating the proper user experience for your customers.

 

#1) Research

Many companies claim they want a website, but they haven’t a single idea about how it’s supposed to function, or what its main purpose will be. If you find yourself in this boat, don’t fret! It’s easy to assume that simply having an online presence is enough in our digital age. The truth is, your website needs to stand apart, and that means you’re going to have to get involved.

First, you must define the goals of your website, and what you wish to see it accomplish. While having an online presence will give customers a means to learn more about you, it should also work as a soft sales tool. Are you attempting to drive traffic, sales, or both? What would you like to see the website do for your company over the course of 6-12 months, and beyond? A competitive analysis can work wonders here, by giving you a little more context from which to move forward on.

 

#2) Outline Of Scope

The key to crafting a good website user experience is to put yourself in the shoes of multiple customer types. They’re not all visiting for the same reason, and that can have a dramatic effect on your overall design. The right website will cater to many different kinds of visitors, so it’s important to think ahead, and ascertain what they’ll do when they reach your site.

Break down your target customer base and section them off into sub-groups that you can cater to. If you’re selling products, you may put a lot of your focus on buying customers, but what about pushing a competitive edge in relation to your peers? Creating incentive to browse your site, learn about your corporate culture, and even job opportunities can help serve a diverse array of visitors who may have different reasons for showing up.

 

#3) Information Architecture

It’s never wise to enter the design phase of a website build without properly creating a site map. This hierarchical structure can help you branch off from your homepage and determine what sub-pages you can link to.

The key here is to maintain consistency and ease of use across your entire site. Too many pages can be overwhelming, while too little can stifle the impressiveness of the site, overall.

By creating a site map, you can quickly compartmentalize appropriate information into a nicely rounded set of pages that are easy to browse, informative to the viewer, and tidy.

 

#4) Wireframes

Creating wireframe mockups of a site can quickly give you an idea of its layout and functionality. It helps to identify image and text placement, but don’t neglect the website header, either. This top-most section usually includes static links that visitors will use for main navigation to important sections of your site.

Overburdening your site with too many elements can cause chaos and drive visitors away, so it’s important to keep things neat, clean and well laid out. If your first wireframe sketch seems too busy, refine it with a secondary draft so you can reach a better level of balance. Not everyone is a designer, so if you need help, it pays to consult a digital marketing agency that understands the core tenants of good website design, and can custom tailor them to your company. That doesn’t mean your wireframes are worthless, however. Bring them in and share them with your digital marketing agency so they can understand your vision, and help shape it.

 

#5) Visual Mockups

This is where things start to get interesting! Visual mockups can be created by a graphic artist in a program like Photoshop, or a web mockup tool like Adobe XD. It’s good to have a seasoned expert lead the charge here, as they understand important criteria such as screen resolutions, colors and other technical requirements.

This mockup phase will help narrow down the final website design to the point where you’ll be ready to get started. Keep in mind that the design will most certainly change during the building process, but that will depend heavily on the accuracy of your mockup. Regardless, it’s vital to have a solid vision laid out before attempting to move forward with the building phase.

 

#6) Development

Unless you’re a coding pro, you might want to sit this one out and have the experts take over! A great website coder will build out your site in real time using important coding languages like HTML5, CSS and Javascript (among others). They will have already identified your vision and determined what is needed for particular elements on the website.

The end goal is to get as close as possible to your vision, and make the entire thing run like a well oiled machine. By adhering to these 6 steps, not only will you have a greater understanding of how websites work, but why they work that way. It might seem intimidating, but your input is vital in crafting a website that speaks directly to your visitors, from the heart and soul of the company.

We’re well versed in company website design, so if you’ve enjoyed this article and you’re interested in developing a site of your own, please contact us! We’ll be glad to help!