Digity Web Design & Marketing Blog

Why Consistency Will Be the Make-or-Break Factor for Your 2026 Content Strategy

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 08:00:07 GMT

You can have strong ideas, a clear brand and well-crafted campaigns - but if your marketing presence is inconsistent, your audience won’t remember you.

A few months into 2026, one thing is already clear:

This is the year consistency outperforms everything else.

Not perfection.
Not posting volume.
Not chasing every new trend.

Just showing up - clearly, reliably and with intent

Here’s why it matters more than ever.

1. Platforms now reward consistency, not bursts

Across all major platforms, consistent posting continues to be prioritised by algorithms.

Brands that show up week after week are seeing stronger reach, better engagement and more stable growth than those posting in irregular bursts.

In 2026, visibility is earned through reliability.

2. Familiarity builds trust - and trust drives action

People engage with brands they recognise.
They enquire with brands they trust.

Consistency in messaging, visuals and tone creates familiarity, and familiarity reduces hesitation. Even modest but steady content outperforms sporadic “big pushes” when it comes to building confidence in your brand.

3. Consistency keeps you front-of-mind until the timing is right

Most people aren’t ready to buy the first time they encounter your brand.

Consistent marketing keeps you present during the consideration phase, so when the need arises, your business is already established in their mind.

Visibility creates opportunity - but only if it’s sustained.

4. The modern buyer journey demands repeated exposure

The buying process has evolved.

In 2026, decisions are shaped through multiple touchpoints across different channels. Prospective clients observe, compare and build confidence over time before committing.

Consistency ensures that each interaction reinforces credibility and clarity. When every touchpoint aligns, trust builds naturally - and decisions become easier.

5. Consistency creates internal clarity

Regular content forces focus.

It sharpens how you communicate, clarifies what you stand for and aligns your team around a shared message. Over time, consistency becomes a strategic tool - not just a marketing habit.

6. It amplifies everything else you do

Your website performs better when your brand feels familiar.

Ads convert better when people recognise you.
Emails land stronger when your audience is already engaged.

Consistency connects your entire marketing ecosystem.

Ready to build a brand that shows up with confidence?

If your business wants stronger visibility, clearer messaging and a marketing rhythm that actually delivers results, we can help you build a plan that’s realistic, consistent and sustainable.

Get in touch with Digity to start transforming how your brand shows up.

We think you'll also like...

Behind the Scenes of a Content Day: What We Film and Why

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:30:13 GMT

When people think of a content day, they often imagine a few polished photos and a couple of videos filmed back-to-back. In reality, the most effective content days are carefully planned, thoughtfully paced, and built around telling a brand’s story in a way that feels natural, credible, and genuinely useful to the audience.

Recently, we spent two full days on-site with Exact Kitchens at their Wokingham showroom, capturing a mix of video and imagery designed to work across their website and social channels. Each day had a different focus, and every piece of content had a clear purpose behind it.

Here’s a look behind the scenes at what we filmed - and why.

Day One: Expert-Led Video Content That Adds Real Value

The first day was all about video. But not the generic, surface-level advice that people scroll straight past.

Instead, we focused on capturing genuine expertise; filming Jason Ivil, Director at Exact Kitchens, walking through the showroom and talking in detail about what really matters when designing a kitchen. From how mood boards shape the look and feel of a space, to the practical considerations behind kitchen islands and breakfast bars, the content was rooted in real-world experience.

This “walk and talk” style allowed Jason to explain design decisions in context, using the showroom displays as visual reference points. It keeps the content engaging while reinforcing Exact’s depth of knowledge - the kind that only comes from decades in the industry.

Alongside the practical advice, we also paid close attention to tone. It was important that the videos didn’t just inform, but also reflected the warmth and approachability of the Exact team. Kitchen design is a personal process, and these videos help potential customers see the people behind the brand, not just the finished spaces.

Day Two: Natural Photography That Feels Human, Not Staged

The second day shifted focus to photography.

We captured a series of relaxed, professional headshots of the team, deliberately avoiding anything too stiff or overly corporate. By using different kitchen backgrounds throughout the showroom, we created a varied image bank that feels consistent but not repetitive - perfect for ongoing use across social media, the website, and marketing materials.

We also photographed Jason and Chay together, capturing more candid, lifestyle-style shots. Talking, laughing, interacting naturally. These images help bring personality into the brand and give context to the expertise shown in the videos. They’re the kind of visuals that make a business feel approachable and trusted, rather than distant or sales-driven.

Why This Mix of Content Matters

By splitting the shoot across two days and clearly defining what we wanted to achieve with each, we were able to create a well-rounded content library that serves multiple purposes.

Video content that positions Exact as experts and educates their audience
Photography that humanises the brand and builds trust
Assets that can be repurposed across social media, the website, and future campaigns

Everything we captured was intentional. Nothing was filmed “just to have something”.

Our Approach to Content Days

At Digity, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all content. Every shoot is planned around the client, their audience, and how the content will actually be used once we leave the site.

For Exact Kitchens, that meant balancing authority with warmth. Showing deep knowledge, without losing the personal, family-run feel that’s been central to their business since day one.

Content days aren’t about creating noise. They’re about creating useful, authentic content that works hard long after it’s been filmed.

If you’re thinking about refreshing your brand visuals or want content that truly reflects how your business works behind the scenes, a well-planned content day is one of the most effective places to start, get in touch to book your 2026 content shoot.

We think you'll also like...

Case Study: Building a Fully Bespoke Website and Digital Strategy for Grover Accident Repair Centre

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:59:57 GMT

Client: Grover Accident Repair Centre
Sector: Automotive, B2C
Platform: Duda
Timeframe: 2 months
URL: www.groverarc.co.uk

The Challenge

Grover Accident Repair Centre, a leading accident repair specialist with decades of experience, wanted to modernise their online presence to better reflect their expertise and professionalism.

Challenges included:

An outdated website that didn’t showcase the quality of their work
Limited online visibility, reducing potential customer reach
Lack of authentic imagery to convey the precision and care behind their services
Inconsistent social media output, leaving customer stories and results untold

Grover needed a modern, credible digital presence that would build trust, drive enquiries, and visually represent the skill and pride of their team.

Our Approach

We delivered a fully bespoke website and digital strategy designed to showcase Grover’s craftsmanship, streamline the customer journey, and strengthen their position as a leading accident repair centre.

Objectives included:

Highlighting technical expertise and high-quality workmanship
Creating a seamless, engaging online experience for customers
Elevating the brand’s credibility and trust across all digital touchpoints

Deliverables

Website design & development (Duda)
Copywriting
On-site photography & videography
Content creation for social media
SEO optimisation
Social media management

Transforming the Website

The website was redesigned to be sleek, user-friendly, and performance-focused, with key enhancements including:

Dynamic homepage video featuring real footage from the workshop to add energy and authenticity
Streamlined navigation for a smoother customer journey
Expanded service pages highlighting specific car makes and models to improve SEO visibility
Showcasing Carbon Neutral accreditation and customer testimonials to reinforce credibility

The result is a website that accurately reflects Grover’s expertise and professionalism, while driving enquiries and building confidence from the first click.

Elevating Brand Awareness

A tailored digital marketing strategy supported the website launch, focusing on traffic growth, audience engagement, and brand storytelling:

SEO optimisation of high-value service pages
Social content featuring behind-the-scenes insights, client testimonials, and before-and-after transformations
Short-form video content for Instagram and TikTok

Results included:

83% increase in organic traffic
88 new keyword rankings
Significant growth in social engagement and website enquiries

Bringing the Brand to Life on Social Media

To create an authentic and engaging presence, we captured on-site content showcasing the team at work and the precision behind every repair.

Content outputs included:

A six-month content bank for consistent posting
Bespoke photography highlighting the team and their workmanship
Short-form videos optimised for social platforms
Updated website imagery reflecting professionalism and brand culture

Social results since launch:

Follower growth: 100+ across all platforms
Reel and TikTok views: ~4,000
Engagement rate increase: 100% (+1.5k interactions)

Results

By combining a modern website , story-driven content , and a consistent social media strategy , Grover Accident Repair Centre has:

Strengthened their position as a leading accident repair brand
Increased visibility and credibility with potential clients
Showcased the expertise, precision, and care that set them apart in the automotive sector

This case study demonstrates how a cohesive digital strategy can transform an established business’s online presence, connect it with new audiences, and reinforce trust with existing customers.

Thinking about upgrading your own site? Let’s make something great together.

Most marketing budgets aren’t actually budgets

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:48:38 GMT

I’ve noticed something over the years.

Most founders can tell me exactly what they spend on rent every month.

But when it comes to marketing, the answer is usually vaguer.

“I guess, in total… with the time various people put into it… we spend about…”

“Well, it changes depending on the month and how it’s working…”

“Whatever’s left after everything else…”

The truth is: most marketing “budgets” aren’t budgets at all.

They’re leftovers.

And when you really think about trying to compete using leftovers, it becomes clearer why growth so often feels like hard work.

Don’t get me wrong, I get it. Cashflow matters. Committing spend feels risky. Marketing results are never guaranteed. And it’s easy for anyone in my position to say “ just spend X% of turnover and everything will be fine. ”

But here’s the issue.

When you cut back on marketing, you rarely feel it straight away. The impact comes later on, when enquiries slow, pipelines thin out, and suddenly it feels like you’re pushing uphill to get momentum back.

That’s usually when confidence drops, spend tightens further, and marketing gets blamed for not working.

From the businesses I’m introduced to by accountants, bank managers and business coaches, I see the same pattern repeatedly: marketing that feels time-consuming, dull and frustrating. That isn't because marketing doesn’t work, but because the plan was never properly set up or backed in the first place.

Underfunded marketing doesn’t become lean.

It becomes random.

A simple way to bring some clarity (no spreadsheets required) is to answer three questions honestly:

Roughly what is one new customer worth to you?
(If you have multiple client types, pick a good one.)
How many more would you actually like to win this year?
What would you be comfortable paying to acquire each one?

Sharing those answers with whoever leads your marketing should change the conversation completely. No more speculative spend. No more “nice to haves”. Just a structured approach built around commercial reality.

If you do nothing else after reading this, ask yourself:

Could I clearly explain why our marketing budget is what it is? Or is it just the number we landed on?

This is often the very first conversation we have with founders before tactics, channels or tools even come into the picture.

More on this to come in future blogs but if you want to discuss this further, feel free to get in touch with me direct. If you're new to me/Digity, click here to book an call with me and we can talk it through.

How to Get My Website Included in ChatGPT

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:45:42 GMT

AI is changing the way people discover information. Instead of searching through pages of Google results, more users now go straight to tools like ChatGPT for quick, reliable answers. And increasingly, those answers reference specific brands, experts, and websites.

For businesses, this opens up a powerful new opportunity:
becoming a trusted source that AI tools naturally include in their responses.

There’s no form to submit and no ‘trick’ to fast-track your way in, but there are clear signals that help AI recognise your expertise and choose your website over others. Here’s how it works (and how you can put your business in the best position).

AI Doesn’t Crawl the Web - But It Does Reward Credibility

Unlike search engines, AI systems aren’t scanning websites in real time. They rely on established, trustworthy information and patterns across the wider internet to build their understanding.

This means AI is constantly evaluating:

Which websites consistently publish clear, accurate content
Which businesses demonstrate real-world expertise
Which sources are trusted and linked to by others
Which pages are well-structured and easy to interpret

If your website looks trustworthy to a human, AI is more likely to treat it as trustworthy too.

Clear, Human-Friendly Writing Makes a Big Difference

AI tools are built to understand natural language. So the clearer your explanations are, the easier it is for AI to recognise what you’re an authority on.

This doesn’t mean writing for machines. It means writing for people.

Great content is:

Straightforward
Well-organised
Focused on the reader’s questions
Free of unnecessary filler

The more clearly you communicate your expertise, the easier it is for AI to reference your insights.

Structure Helps AI Know What You Do Best

Even when your content is well written, structure helps tie everything together.

You don’t need technical formatting - just logical organisation.

For example, a page about tax planning might naturally break into:

What the service includes
Who it’s for
FAQs
Examples
Key considerations

This helps humans skim and understand the content. And because AI mirrors human interpretation, it benefits there too.

Structured content = easier for AI to extract meaning from.

Authority Is the Real Deciding Factor

While old-school SEO focused on keywords, AI focuses on credibility .

Authority signals matter more than ever, including:

Backlinks from trusted sites
Named authors with expertise
A strong online presence
Up-to-date content
Consistent publishing
Verified business information

The more digital proof of your expertise, the more confidently AI tools treat your website as a reliable source.

Fresh Content Wins Over Outdated Information

If your content hasn’t been refreshed in years, AI is less likely to reference it.

Regular updates, even small ones - send a powerful signal that your information is current and relevant. This includes:

Updating statistics
Refreshing images or examples
Adding new insights
Correcting outdated advice

Freshness supports credibility. Credibility supports visibility.

Website Experience Matters More Than You Think

AI aims to replicate human judgement.
A confusing, slow, or messy website undermines trust.

A website that feels reliable typically:

Loads quickly
Works well on mobile
Has clear navigation
Uses readable layouts
Shows contact details and business legitimacy

If your site feels professional and trustworthy, AI is more likely to treat your content as credible.

Original Content Is Your Biggest Advantage

Most businesses publish the same generic information as everyone else - and AI tools can spot it a mile away.

What stands out is content rooted in your real experience:

Case studies
Results you’ve delivered
Industry insights
Commentary on trends
Data you’ve gathered
Behind-the-scenes expertise

This kind of content is far more likely to be referenced because it offers something unique and valuable.

So… Can You Actually “Get” Your Website Into ChatGPT?

Not by submitting it.
Not by paying for placement.
Not by gaming the system.

But you can make your website the kind of source AI tools naturally choose to reference.

Here’s the formula in one sentence:

Be clear, be credible, and publish content that genuinely helps people - and AI will recognise you as an authority.

The businesses that embrace this now will be the ones AI consistently surfaces in the future.

Want help building content that AI - and people trust?

If you’d like to strengthen your online presence and position your brand as a source worth citing, our team is here to help.

Speak to the Digity team today and let’s build content that gets recognised and recommended. ��

Find out more about Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and how it’s shaping the future of search.

We think you'll also like...

Get Your Business Ready for 2026 - 5 Key Digital Areas to Review

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 10:34:55 GMT

When the new year arrives, most businesses look for a fresh start, but very few actually prepare for one. The truth is, your 2026 momentum depends on the foundations you set now.

Here are the essential digital areas to review, plus why they matter and what happens if they’re ignored.

1. Website Messaging and Core Pages

Your website should not only reflect your brand, but your goals for the year ahead. Consider your focus for where you want to be by the end of 2026 and check whether your website is working hard enough to help get you there.

Consider things like:

Product or Service specific pages - are you giving enough information (or too much?), increasing intrigue and building desire?
Project/work/team highlights - what can people see about your business and your overall offering as well as what they specifically want or need?
Are you directly asking the website visitor to do something? It’s all very well presenting some useful information but what next? Do you want them to download something, fill in a form, pop a live chat, book a call or actually make one? It’s amazing how little things like clearly presenting phone numbers and email addresses can increase contact so make sure it’s celar, easy and inviting to get in touch if that’s what you want.
FAQs & resources can offer amazing places to add more information in neatly designed formats - providing good content for search engine and AI benefits as well as inspiring potential customers.

Never underestimate the importance of keeping your website fresh. In 2026, people will be making decisions faster than ever. If your site doesn’t feel relevant on that first hit, you could lose trust (and potential business) instantly.

2. Social Media Profiles and Branding

A new year is a great time to refresh your bios, pinned posts, highlight covers, and visual direction. But most importantly for 2026? Make sure real people show up in your content.

Now and into the new year, social media users value:

Faces over logos
Voices over graphics
Personality over polished perfection

Your people are what differentiates you from all the other businesses posting the same generic content. Without them, your brand risks feeling distant, replaceable, and easy to scroll past. Presence without personality simply doesn’t convert.

3. Email and Database Utilisation

Update your automated flows and plan your first January email now. Small tweaks go a long way:

Refresh subject lines
Tighten your welcome email sequence
Update any outdated references/links
Create a simple “welcome back” message for early January

Why it matters: Your email list is the audience that already cares so don’t let them go cold.

If missed: You start the year sending outdated messages, low-energy campaigns, or nothing at all… which makes your competitors’ emails land harder.

4. Marketing Materials People Actually See

Review things like:

Brochures
Digital downloads
Pitch decks
Proposals
Menus/price lists

These often get ignored for years but are prime touchpoints.

If missed: You keep handing out materials that no longer match your business - which quietly undermines your professionalism.

5. Your First 90 Days of 2026

Have a small, simple plan:

Social post themes
Emails mapped out
Relevant website updates or pieces of fresh content

The goal isn’t intensity, it’s control.

Without this , you will be unprepared, inconsistent and reactive. A strong early presence gives you visibility while others are still getting organised.

The Goal? A Clean, Cohesive, Confident Digital Presence for 2026

This isn’t a full strategy overhaul - it’s the essential groundwork that sets you apart when the new year hits.

If you’d like our expert input on your digital presence or want a fresh pair of eyes on your 2026 plan, get in touch to book your 2026 Digital Review.

We’ll help you enter the new year clear, aligned, and ahead of the curve.

We think you'll also like...

How AI Search Expands — Not Replaces — SEO

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:27:58 GMT

There’s been a lot of noise recently about AI “replacing” traditional SEO. Suddenly, instead of chasing rankings, we’re left wondering whether all that effort is obsolete. But in reality, early evidence suggests AI search (known as Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO) doesn’t replace SEO — it extends the reach, value, and shape of how search works.

Let’s dive deeper…

Coexistence, not collision

Reality check: ChatGPT is not killing Google . In fact, studies show that the adoption of ChatGPT and other AI tools correlates with stable (or even slightly increased) use of Google Search. The hypothesis that users are simply substituting one for the other doesn’t hold up. Rather, it’s an expansion in how people look for information.

In other words: we’re not in a world where AI and SEO are adversaries. They’re different access points to information — and brands need to show up in both if they want to win.

GEO + SEO: Two sides of the same coin

First, let’s summarise the difference between SEO & GEO:

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): aims to improve a website's ranking in traditional search engine results, prioritising factors like high-quality backlinks, technical site health and short-tail keywords.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) : focuses on ensuring content appears in AI-generated answers, emphasises content structure, clarity, and factual precision to be easily understood and cited by AI models.

Now we’ve summed up the differences, let’s explore the similarities and why trying to “kill off SEO” in favour of GEO could hurt your business:

Trust, authority, and credibility still matter. AI models often select content to cite based on perceived authority, domain reputation, clarity, and originality. That’s long been the backbone of SEO.
Contextual relevance and semantics remain central. GEO demands content be structured, context-aware, and rich enough for a model to “pull” meaningful segments. But good SEO has always rewarded those qualities (depth, topical coverage, internal linking).
Zero-click does not mean zero value. As more searches end without a click (especially via AI Overviews or Modes), visibility becomes less about clicks and more about being the reference . Measuring brand mentions, AI citations, sentiment, and how people invoke your content in conversation becomes as important as CTR.
Overlap in discovery mechanisms. If AI draws from search indexes (or references search-derived sources), being organically visible still gives you a pathway into GEO. It’s not always an either/or scenario.
Different intent, different tools. Some queries will, for years, remain navigational or transactional — better served via SERPs (search engine results pages). Others — exploratory, comparative, contextual — may default to generative answers. The brands that come out on top will be the brands that cater to both.

So, the goal shifts from “competing with AI” to “being favoured by AI.”

How to shift our thinking to ‘hybrid search’

To remain visible in a today’s (let’s face it, complex) search sphere, here are some key strategic actions to take:

From keywords → topics / intent clusters
Instead of optimising isolated keywords, build content hubs that answer the full range of queries around a topic. This increases your chance of being cited in AI-generated summaries or sidebars.
Design for citation & extractability
Use clear headings, bullet points, featured snippets, short definitions, and summary boxes. Those structures make your content more “AI-friendly.”
Earn true authority
Run original research, gather data, publish case studies. These help models and users see you as a reliable, primary source.
Expand monitoring beyond clicks
Track how often your brand or content is mentioned in generative engines, not just how many visitors click through. Monitor sentiment, share of voice, and overall AI visibility.
Optimise structural and technical layers
Things like meta descriptions, structured data (schema), and canonical tags act like signposts, helping these systems quickly identify your content, know it’s trustworthy, and show it to the right audience. Think of it as giving your content a clear, organised map so AI can find and cite it correctly.
Iterate with AI feedback loops
Use AI tools to test which parts of your content are being cited or pulled, see where there’s overlap or gaps, and refine. Chris explores this further here - with guidance on the right prompts to use to find out what AI thinks of your business .
Be flexible with attribution
Accept that in AI-led responses, traditional last-click attribution is less reliable. Make room for hybrid attribution models (brand awareness, mention-based metrics, and assisted conversions).

Real-world thinking: how search might look today

Scenario A : A local service provider creates a well-structured guide (e.g. “How to choose a plumber”) with clearly labeled pros/cons, FAQs, and summary boxes. An AI engine may pull the summary box or bullet list, citing the brand — even if the user doesn’t click. That brand is now “present” in consciousness.

Scenario B : A blog on “solar panel ROI 2025” includes original benchmarking data. Because theirs is one of the few recent data-rich reports, AI models may favour citing it over older superficial articles — boosting their “citation authority.”

Scenario C : An SaaS client sees organic Google traffic dip slightly due to rising AI Overviews, but mentions of their brand (in AI responses) increase. They lean harder into brand-focused content, press, and content that displays “why us” rather than just “how to.” They preserve long-term visibility.

A new era of search

Generative search isn’t here to kill SEO — it’s here to expand how people search. Smart brands will treat SEO and GEO not as rivals, but as complementary paths to visibility. The metrics will evolve, the tools will evolve, but the core remains: be authoritative, be clear, be referenceable.

If any of this feels abstract or you’d like to see how it applies to your industry, we’d be glad to run a mini-audit, free of charge, to help guide you in getting ahead.

If you’re working with us, we want to ensure you’re not blindsided by changes in how people find answers — and that your content is ready for whatever “search” looks like tomorrow.

Find out more about Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and how it’s shaping the future of search.

We think you'll also like...

How Setting up LinkedIn Notifications Can Boost Post Performance

leanne@digity.co.uk (Leanne Gresswell) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:33:18 GMT

When it comes to beating the algorithms, early engagement (we’re talking the first hour ) on LinkedIn is key. The more engagement your post gets straight off the bat, the more momentum it will build… like a snowball effect.

One simple way to ensure early post engagement is by utilising some of your best brand ambassadors: your team. But when they’re preoccupied by the daily hustle (and obviously not scrolling social media under their desks ��) - how can you make sure they don’t miss the opportunity to boost your post reach?

By setting up LinkedIn notifications, employees will be notified of any activity related to your LinkedIn business page, including when there’s a new post to jump on. It’s easy to do and is a helpful step for ensuring that all-important early post engagement.

Watch the video below to see how to set up LinkedIn notifications for your business page:

How to set up LinkedIn notifications for your business page

Login to LinkedIn and find your Business Page (if you are an admin of the page, you will need to click ‘view as member’)
Find and click the bell icon in the top right of the header (under the main image)
Select ‘All’ and save
Wait to receive a notification of a new post, and then go and support your business and team with a like, share or comment (or all of the above)!

What else can I do to improve my LinkedIn post performance?

As well as early engagement, here are a few additional tips for maximising your LinkedIn performance:

Repeat content - yep, you heard that right. Social algorithms love repetition ( especially if the post did well the first time around).

Utilise carousels* - the swipe-through style typically goes down extremely well on LinkedIn.
*Top Tip: To post as a carousel on LinkedIn, you will need to save the media as a PDF and schedule/publish as a ‘document’.

Avoid external links in the caption : LinkedIn will prioritise posts that aren’t trying to take people off platform. Instead, place links in the first comment.

Not finding the time to effectively manage your social media presence? Let's talk about how our team can help lighten the load.

Social Media Secrets: How Links, Hashtags & AI Really Impact Your Reach

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 09:00:27 GMT

Social Media Secrets: How Links, Hashtags & AI Really Impact Your Reach

Social media is changing faster than ever. What used to be simple - post, tag, and share - has evolved into an algorithm-driven game where every link, hashtag, and AI-generated caption can make or break your results.

At Digity, we’ve seen how small decisions (like how you use links or where you place hashtags) can have a big impact on reach, engagement, and conversions. Here’s what’s really going on behind the scenes - and how to make it work for you.

Links: Helpful or Harmful?

The role of links on social media keeps changing – what once boosted reach can now hold it back.

On LinkedIn and X (Twitter), external links often limit visibility because platforms want to keep users on-site. Still, they’re not off-limits – try placing them in comments, using carousels, or mixing them with engagement-driven posts to keep balance.

Meanwhile, Instagram continues to evolve. Clickable links in captions remain unavailable, but Stories, bio links, and link stickers have become key traffic tools.

The takeaway? There’s no one-size-fits-all rule anymore. Stay flexible, test often, and use links where they genuinely add value – not just out of habit.

Hashtags: Still Worth It (When Used Right)

Hashtags aren’t dead - they’ve just grown up.

On Instagram, they now work more like keywords, helping your content appear in relevant searches rather than simply adding reach. LinkedIn, meanwhile, uses them to categorise content - meaning a few well-chosen hashtags can still boost discoverability.

But here’s the trick: quality over quantity. Three to five targeted hashtags that match your audience or niche will outperform 20 generic ones every time.

AI: Finding the Balance Between Efficiency and Authenticity

AI tools can transform how brands create content — speeding up planning, research, and even writing. But what once felt like a shortcut to smarter marketing is now a bit of a grey area. Platforms are evolving to spot overly automated content, and audiences are getting better at recognising it too.

The problem isn’t AI itself — it’s how it’s used. When every caption starts to sound the same, your brand voice gets lost in the noise.

Used thoughtfully, AI should enhance your creativity, not erase it. Think of it as a creative assistant: great for brainstorming, testing ideas, or reworking phrasing — but it still needs a human edit.

�� Spot the AI giveaways:

Phrases like “discover,” “unlock,” or “in today’s world”

Repetitive sentence patterns or unnatural pauses

Emoji overload (especially at the start of captions)

Content that sounds polished, but says very little

The best social content blends AI efficiency with genuine human insight. When personality meets precision, that’s where engagement really happens.

The Algorithm Loves Authenticity

Whether it’s hashtags, links, or AI, one thing remains consistent - platforms reward engagement that feels real.

People connect with people, not templates. So mix in personal posts, behind-the-scenes content, or thought-led insights alongside polished marketing pieces.

At Digity, we find that posts showing real faces, real results, and genuine expertise often outperform ads or automated posts by more than double the engagement rate.

The Takeaway

Social media success in 2025 isn’t about tricking the algorithm - it’s about understanding it.

Use links smartly. Choose hashtags with intent. Let AI help, but don’t let it take over. And most importantly, keep your content human.

Want to see how we can optimise your social strategy and boost engagement across every platform?

Get in touch with the Digity team today and let’s make your content work harder. ��

November Content Calendar: National Days to Celebrate this Month

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 16:52:34 GMT

November offers a mix of thoughtful awareness moments and feel-good, creative opportunities. From wellness and kindness to big seasonal shopping days, there’s plenty to inspire your content this month. Whether you manage your own social media or work with a marketing agency, these dates will help you plan ahead, create relevant content, and connect with your audience in smart, timely ways.

Key November Dates to Keep in Mind

All Month – Movember (Men’s Health Awareness Month) ��
Encourage open conversations about men’s mental health, prostate and testicular cancer, and wellbeing. Share supportive resources, team stories, or fundraising efforts.

1 November – World Vegan Day ��
Celebrate sustainability and plant-based living. Share vegan recipes, eco-friendly swaps, or shout out a local vegan business.

5 November – Bonfire Night ��
A seasonal favourite! Share cosy autumn visuals, firework safety tips, or a nostalgic caption about warm nights and sparklers.

11 November – Remembrance Day ��

A moment to pause and honour those who served. Keep posts simple, respectful,

and sincere.

13 November – World Kindness Day ��
A lovely chance to highlight good deeds, community stories, or ways your business spreads kindness.

18–22 November – Anti-Bullying Week ��
Focus on kindness, respect, and inclusivity - values that resonate across all workplaces and industries.

23 November – Carers Rights Day (UK) ��

Recognise the incredible contribution of unpaid carers. Share stories, resources, or advice for those balancing work and caring responsibilities.

28 November – Black Friday ��️

If you’re in retail or e-commerce, this is your big sales moment. Or, take the alternative route and share content about mindful spending or small-business support.

Why Utilise Awareness Days on Your Social Media?

Awareness days make it easier to plan timely, relevant content that connects with your audience emotionally or practically. Whether you’re joining the conversation for Movember, celebrating kindness, or taking part in Black Friday, these moments help your brand feel in touch, human, and current.

However, it's important to make sure it feels right for your business, brand, and audience. Find out more about how to utilise national awareness days for your business here .

Keeping up with these dates not only makes your posts more engaging, but it also signals to your audience that your business is up-to-date, in touch with cultural moments, and aware of current trends - a simple but powerful way to stay relevant online.

What Does AI Think of Your Business? (And Why You Should Care)

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 12:34:24 GMT

Whether you use AI daily for your work or are still hiding behind the sofa waiting for it to come knocking, one thing’s for sure — in business, you need to be all over it like a rash. That’s my view and one I’m discussing with clients every time I meet them at the moment, after undertaking some fascinating AI-driven projects recently.

A Quick Trip Back to 2011

When I set-up Digity in 2011, it was a glorious time. Google Ads did exactly what you needed them to, websites were king, I had hair, and if you asked anyone what an influencer was, the best they could probably come up with was Jesus. Fast-forward to 2025 and the digital landscape has evolved at a frenetic pace — one only a super-marketing athlete could keep up with. Luckily for you, I’m all about giving back. So let’s skip the nostalgia and get down to business...

Why should you care what AI thinks of your business?

The Buyer Journey Has Changed — Again

In the old days, you’d go on Google, type in a few keywords, find some websites, maybe read a few reviews or ask around, and then get in touch. Simple.

Now, that 'simple' little journey is evolving — fast!

People are talking to ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini and other AI assistants. They’re not just asking for advice, guidance or help; they’re asking for opinions. Let’s say your company is ABC Co. and you sell legal services. I might need your help, I may have even been recommended to you, but now, it’s entirely feasible that I’ll ask my AI what it knows about you before I take the leap and get in touch.

That might include:

How well you fit what I actually need
Background on your business and team
Strengths and weaknesses
Or worse, a direct comparison with your competitors

Can you see where this is going?

You’ve gone from landing your next best client to being transported back to the Colosseum in 44 BC where you're on your knees in front of Julius Caesar, waiting for the thumbs up or down (guess who re-watched Gladiator recently?).

The Good News: You Can Influence the Verdict

As dramatic and potentially unfavourable as the AI summary might be, there’s hope.

Imagine Caesar got distracted and was invited to a year-long pottery-painting convention. Every night, you could sneak into his room and whisper sweet nothings about your business in his ear. Over time, he might come around, realising you’ve got more value than he first thought, as you fill his mind with new angles, depth and perspective.

That’s exactly what you can start doing with AI today.

By consistently updating and adding content that reflects your expertise, culture, and credibility, you’re effectively training AI to form a more positive, relevant opinion of your business.

Try This AI Prompt to See What It Thinks of You

Here’s a simple but powerful way to test your digital reputation.

Paste this prompt into your AI of choice (ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini etc.) — and see what comes back:

Prompt:
“Based on what you know about [ insert your company name ] from what we put out publicly (excluding what we’ve discussed directly): who would you say we suit? What are our strengths? What sort of typical budget does a company need to engage us — and what should they expect? Where do we sit, how do we compare, etc.? Are there any reservations about working with us or potential weaknesses?

After you answer, please let me know how you compiled these answers i.e. your sources of reference, etc.

For context, the curiosity is threefold:

We’re genuinely interested in your view in case any prospective clients also ask about us;
We want to understand what we’re putting out (or not) that contributes to you forming that view; and
Where we can focus to help improve our positioning if your response isn’t aligned with our goals.

Thanks.”

Always say “thanks” — it’ll help when they take over. ��

Turn AI’s Perception Into Your Advantage

This exercise gives you a fascinating window into what AI — and, by extension, your cold prospects — might think based on your public footprint.

It’ll highlight any content gaps, inconsistencies or weaknesses in how you’re represented online.

From there, build a content strategy that reinforces the version of your business you want AI to know and trust.

And if you need help crafting or amplifying that story...

Want to understand how AI actually interprets your brand - and how to optimise for it? Find out more about Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and how it’s reshaping the way businesses show up in AI-driven search.

�� Get in touch with Digity. We’ll make sure Caesar of the modern era, gives you the thumbs up.

Notes about this blog post...

This post came from a Chris Lunn original masterpiece - I'm not even sure all the AI's in all the land could link Russell Crowe to chatGPT like this
Yes I had my chatGPT proof read it
It asked me if I'd like it to evolve my structure and add some headings for SEO and people scan reading - I said yes.
As you can see, it created some magnificent graphics in about 90 seconds each - that was a particular highlight!

So, there's a LOT of talk and hype about AI taking jobs, ruining the creative process and pumping out vanilla content. I agree, they are all risks and the downside of AI being used by lazy people, however, if you can put some time in and a bit of imagination, it's amazing what can be achieved - it should make you stronger, not replace you.

Open A Google Ads Account With Us And Get FREE Ad Credit

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 18:47:32 GMT

If your business doesn't yet have a Google Ads account, now could be a great time to get one.

At the time of writing, Google are offering free ad credit which is matched to your spend (to a certain limit) which offers incredible added value. If you're thinking of running ads to boost your business, get in touch as we can help set-up and manage your campaigns to drive traffic and interest in your products/services.

At Digity we run ads for a wide variety of clients who sell a mix of products and services. Whilst it's relatively easy to set-up and run an account, it's arguably even easier to spend valuable ad spend and generate no meaningful results. We'll therefore identify keywords to bid on for clicks and also look at what happens next - how fit for purpose is your website likely to be at turning that interest into a lead/sale?

If you'd like to discuss this opportunity and how we can help, get in touch. If you already have an account but are unhappy with the returns, we also offer a free ads audit to help assess if there are opportunities to improve.

*Terms apply, contact us to find out more.

How a simple website refresh turned the tap back on

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 10:27:25 GMT

Earlier this year, a client came to us with a problem; their leads had stopped. For the best part of a year, they had received no online enquiries, it was completely static. And guess what? So was their website.

What once worked to deliver a steady stream of enquiries was no longer converting and they didn’t know why - but we did.

Let's get into it...

Why you shouldn't leave your website static

When your website remains static, eventually your leads will become the same. Websites need to keep being refreshed and updated for a plethora of reasons; SEO, changes in user behaviour, to keep returning visitors engaged… the list goes on. In fact, one of the most harmful things you can do for your lead generation is publish a website and then just leave it alone.

From what to why: A simple website and copy refresh

We put our heads together, alongside our client, to audit their current website and understand what about it was no longer working and it quickly became apparent that the key was in the copy; it was all about what they did and not why people needed it.

Along with a relatively straightforward design refresh to modernise their appearance, we flipped the copy on its head, focusing primarily on why their clients need them and what key benefits they bring to other businesses. We worked closely with our client to understand their customers, so we could talk to them in their language and consider what information was the most important from their perspective.

The outcome: new leads and a happy client

The result? A few months post-launch and our client now has two big projects in the pipeline - both of which came from website leads. No massive budget, no disruptive timeline of designing and building a whole new site, just a simple rethink and refresh of what was already there.

If you need help breathing new life into an existing website, get in touch to request a free audit at hello@digity.co.uk .

October Content Calendar: National Days to Celebrate this Month

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 07:00:09 GMT

October is a month full of opportunities for businesses to engage with their audience - from meaningful awareness campaigns to light-hearted, creative moments. Whether you manage your own social media or work with a marketing agency, these dates will help you plan ahead, create relevant content, and connect with your audience in smart, timely ways.

Key October Dates to Keep in Mind

All Month – Black History Month ✊��
A time to honour and celebrate the contributions, history, and culture of Black people in the UK. Share educational content, highlight influential figures, or showcase ways your business is supporting diversity and inclusion.

1 October – International Coffee Day ☕
Celebrate the UK’s coffee culture - share team coffee snaps, your go-to order, or even a coffee-related offer.

4 October – World Animal Day ��
Perfect for celebrating pets, promoting animal welfare causes, or sharing some feel-good animal stories.

10 October – World Mental Health Day ��

A key date to share resources, wellbeing tips, or open a conversation about mental health in your industry and workplace.

16 October – World Food Day ��️
Highlight a recipe, food product, or partnership with a local food charity.

27 October – National Black Cat Day ��‍⬛
A fun one for Halloween tie-ins or to add a mysterious, stylish twist to your content.

27 October – National Cheese Toastie Day ��
The ultimate comfort food moment! Share a fun poll, a “how to” recipe, or a metaphor about keeping things warm and toasty in business.

31 October – Halloween ��

From spooky-themed product shots to light-hearted office costume photos, there’s plenty of room for seasonal creativity.

Why Utilise Awareness Days on Your Social Media?

Using awareness days strategically means your content can strike the right balance between thought-provoking and entertaining. Black History Month and World Mental Health Day allow you to share purposeful, socially aware messages, while dates like Cheese Toastie Day and Black Cat Day show your business’s fun, creative side.

However, it's important to make sure it feels right for your business, brand, and audience. Find out more about how to utilise national awareness days for your business here .

Digity Achieves Silver Partner Status for Leadinfo in the UK

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 13:43:23 GMT

Proudly helping clients enhance their R.O.I. and validate spend

We were delighted to learn this week that we've officially become a Silver Partner of Leadinfo. This status comes with great benefits, such as access to exclusive events and our beta group, in addition to a direct line straight into their talented team.

If you haven't heard of Leadinfo yet and you market/sell B2B, we need to talk. It's a fantastic product which helps identify which companies have visited your website each day - great for spotting new opportunities as well as old prospects re-engaging. One of the best features is the visitor recording they offer, enabling you to see how people are interacting with your website. It's helping clients validate their ad spend, make informed decisions on website improvements and understand what's working in their marketing mix.

Ironically this week, we also spotted our first referral from chatGPT which was great to see and if you're not yet looking into GEO (generative engine optimisation), get in touch to find out more.

The Power of Geographical Targeting in Today’s Search Landscape

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 09:30:14 GMT

Why SEO Alone Isn't Enough

In today’s digital landscape, optimising for search engines isn’t just about using the right keywords, it’s also about reaching the right people, in the right places.

Geographical targeting (geo-targeting) is a powerful SEO strategy that ensures your content is tailored to specific locations, helping your business connect more effectively with the audiences that matter most.

Whether you're a local shop trying to attract nearby customers or a growing brand expanding into new regions, combining traditional SEO techniques with smart geo-targeting can significantly boost your visibility, relevance, and results.

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the art and science of improving your website’s ranking on search engines like Google. This includes optimising your website’s content, keywords, structure, and backlinks to appear higher in search results, thereby driving organic traffic.

What is Geo-Targeting?

Geo (Geographical) targeting focuses on tailoring your marketing efforts based on a user’s physical location. It means making sure your website, ads, and content are relevant to users in specific regions, cities, or countries; helping you connect with audiences who matter most to your business.

Why Geo-Targeting Matters More Than Ever

Search engines are getting smarter. With the rise of AI-powered search tools and changing user behaviours, platforms like Google are increasingly prioritising user intent and context, including location.

AI-driven search doesn’t just match keywords; it interprets what users are looking for and serves the most relevant results. That includes local relevance. For example, someone searching for “coffee shops” will see results tailored to their exact area, even without specifying a location.

If your website isn’t optimised for that level of local intent, you could be missing out on high-value traffic.

Why SEO and Geo-Targeting Must Work Together

Combining SEO and geo-targeting is key to reaching customers effectively. For example, a bakery in Brighton doesn’t just want to rank for “best cakes” globally; it wants to rank for “best cakes in Brighton.” Geo-targeting helps refine SEO to be hyper-local, improving relevance and conversion rates.

The Role of Google Business Profile in Local SEO

One of the most powerful tools for geo-targeting is your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). Having an optimised profile ensures your business appears in local search results, Google Maps, and the local “3-pack” (the map-based listings that often appear above traditional organic results).

By keeping your profile up to date with accurate location details, opening hours, services, photos, and customer reviews, you significantly boost your visibility in your target area. It’s one of the simplest yet most effective ways to show up when local customers are searching for what you offer.

Let's Level-Up Your SEO

In a world where search is increasingly intelligent and personalised, your SEO strategy needs to go beyond keywords and rankings. It needs to consider where your audience is and how to reach them more meaningfully.

At Digity, we help businesses blend SEO and geo-targeting to create strategies that feel local, relevant, and effective.

If you're ready to connect with more of the right customers, we’d love to help you get there.

The Age of the Silent Scroller: What It Means for Your Social Media and Business

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 09:59:48 GMT

What is Silent Scrolling on Social Media? And What Does it Mean for Your Business?

If you’ve noticed your social media posts getting fewer likes, comments, or shares lately, you’re not alone. The way people engage online is changing - and it’s leaving many business owners wondering if they’re doing something wrong. Spoiler: you’re not. Welcome to the age of the silent scroller.

What is a Silent Scroller?

Simply put, a silent scroller is someone who scrolls through social media without reacting - no likes, no comments, no shares. According to a 2024 survey by Pew Research, over 70% of social media users say they often scroll silently , consuming content without interacting. This shift can feel frustrating, but it’s a natural evolution in how people use social platforms.

Why Silent Scrolling Happens

People are busier and more selective with their time online
Algorithms are prioritising content from close friends and family, which reduces public engagement on business posts
Privacy concerns mean users prefer to “watch” rather than “talk” on social media

What This Means for Your Business

It might seem like your posts aren’t working, but silent scrolling doesn’t mean no one’s paying attention. In fact, research shows that even posts with low engagement can influence purchase decisions - up to 85% of consumers report discovering new products through social media quietly, without necessarily interacting.

We recently launched an Instagram account for Grover Accident Repair Centre. They're on just 8 followers to-date but their content has been viewed over 1,200 times. So next time you're feeling deflated by static followers or lack of likes, take a look at your reach, impressions and views and you might just be surprised.

How to Adjust Your Approach

Focus on clear goals: Instead of obsessing over likes and comments, track meaningful actions like website visits, enquiries, or sales originating from social media.
Quality over quantity: Content that truly resonates builds brand trust - even if it’s not always obvious through visible engagement.
Use Stories and Reels: Formats that encourage quick, informal interaction can help connect with silent scrollers who avoid commenting on standard posts.
Be patient: Social media is always evolving - what works today might change next month. Consistency and flexibility are key.

If you’re feeling unsure about your social media , don’t worry - silent scrolling is part of the new normal. The important thing is to focus on your business goals and use social media as one of many tools to reach your audience.

Need help navigating these changes? At Digity, we provide clear, practical advice tailored to your business - so you stay ahead in the ever-changing social media landscape.

Get in touch to find out how we can level-up your social media:

Behind the Build: Redesigning Zanoo.co.uk – A Web Designer’s Perspective

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 07:00:13 GMT

When Zanoo approached us to redesign their website, we knew we were stepping into a project with purpose. As a growing consultancy specialising in software quality assurance, Zanoo needed a digital presence that reflected their authority, technical expertise, and growing portfolio of enterprise clients. Our role? Translate that vision into a website that looks sharp, works seamlessly, and speaks directly to their audience.

Here’s how we approached the redesign - from the design studio’s point of view.

1. Discovery: Listening Before Designing

Zanoo came to us with a clear brief: update their brand presence and position the company as a trusted partner in software testing and quality engineering. They had outgrown their previous site - it no longer reflected their full capabilities or communicated the maturity of their services.

During our early workshops, we focused on:

Who their users are and what they need
How their service areas overlap (e.g., test automation, QA strategy)
The story their brand needs to tell

This gave us a solid foundation before we touched a single pixel.

2. Strategy Meets Simplicity

From the start, our design strategy revolved around clarity, conversion, and credibility . Zanoo's offerings are technical, but that doesn’t mean the design should be complex.

We:

Simplified the navigation structure to guide users to key areas like Solutions, Delivery Models, Case Studies, and Insights.
Created a modular page design system that allows content to scale as their services expand.
Embedded calls-to-action throughout, encouraging engagement without overwhelming the visitor.

3. A Visual Identity That Reflects Confidence

Zanoo needed a look that matched their consultancy-level professionalism while remaining approachable. Our design direction included:

A confident, minimal colour palette led by deep navy and purples to convey reliability and tech expertise.
Clean, modern typography for clarity and elegance.
Bespoke icons, illustrations and subtle animations to explain technical topics and enhance visual storytelling.

The end result is a site that feels premium, without pretension.

4. Function That Follows Form

Good design isn’t just about how it looks - it's about how it works. We focused heavily on:

Responsive design : Every layout is mobile-optimised, ensuring a consistent experience across devices.
Accessibility : We adhered to WCAG best practices to make the site usable by everyone.
Performance : Images are compressed, pages are lean, and the codebase is optimised for speed.

We also made sure Zanoo’s internal team could manage and grow the site without needing to code.

5. Content That Converts and Builds Trust

The new site tells a clearer story, not just of what Zanoo does, but why they matter:

Case studies showcase real-world success with recognisable brands.
Certifications and compliance (like ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials) are presented front and centre.
Service pages are structured to answer user questions quickly and drive enquiries.

Every page has a purpose and every design element supports that purpose.

6. A Partnership Worth Celebrating

One of the most rewarding parts of this project was the collaboration itself. The Zanoo team came with a clear vision and a commitment to quality, making the entire process smooth, creative, and focused.

Here’s what they had to say about the experience:

"It was a pleasure working with the Digity team on the development of our new website and we felt in safe hands from start to finish. Chris, Gemma and the team understood our vision and turned it into a superb, user-friendly website that perfectly reflects our brand. Their professionalism, creativity, and attention to detail made the process a real pleasure and we couldn’t have asked for better partners to bring our ideas to life."

Jessica Flanagan - Zanoo

Final Thoughts

The redesigned zanoo.co.uk is more than a new look, it’s a digital evolution that matches where Zanoo is today and where they’re heading. From a designer’s perspective, this project was the perfect blend of strategy, creativity, and collaboration. We’re proud of what we built and even prouder of how it’s helping Zanoo stand out in a highly competitive space.

Thinking about upgrading your own site? Let’s make something great together.

Digity Becomes Certified Partner of Leadinfo

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 16:54:02 GMT

We're delighted to announce that we've officially partnered with Leadinfo to offer visitor tracking software to our B2B focused clients.

What is visitor tracking software?

Well it does what it says on the tin by tracking and identifying visitors (at a company level), you attract to your website. For example, if you had it on your website and I visited, you could see that someone from 'Digity' has been on the website. You can see what pages I've looked at, how long I spent on each one and even, how I found your website in the first place i.e. Google ad, organic link, LinkedIn etc. Unfortunately it can't tell you 'Chris Lunn' has been on but this system does help highlight some key people via LinkedIn for you to reach out to.

Watch this short video to find out more:

We're delighted to announce that we've officially partnered with Leadinfo to offer visitor tracking software to our B2B focused clients.

Want a FREE 2 week trial?

As partners we can offer you a free 2 week trial where we can support your set-up and help review the data. Clients who have it in place are finding it fascinating to;

a) highlight potential new prospects

b) identify those in the sales pipeline who are active again and checking you out

c) watch specific video recordings of visits to see where people go, how long they spend at certain elements of a page etc. This can be good to help strengthen/improve the user journey and conversion too.

To find out more, get in touch:

Is the Hashtag Dead? What you Need to Know

tiggy@digity.co.uk (Tabitha Pearson) — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 12:53:10 GMT

Hashtags used to be one of the go-to tools for getting noticed on social media. But things have changed. Instagram’s latest algorithm updates show that hashtags just aren’t as powerful as they once were.

So, what’s going on? And what should you be doing instead to get seen by more people online? Let’s break it down.

�� Why Hashtags Are Losing Power

1. People Are Using Instagram Like Google
More and more users are searching using keywords (like “coffee shop Reading” or “home office ideas”) rather than clicking on hashtags. That means your content needs to be clear and relevant, not just stuffed with tags.

2. Instagram Is Getting Smarter
Instagram now looks at the actual content of your post — the caption, the image, even the alt text — to decide who to show it to. If your caption clearly explains what the post is about, that will help more than a bunch of hashtags.

3. Visual Search Is on the Rise
Instagram is leaning into what people see . If your image or video clearly reflects what someone’s looking for, you’re more likely to show up in their feed — no hashtags needed.

✅ What to Do Instead of Relying on Hashtags

�� Write Better Captions
Make your captions more descriptive and keyword-rich;

Instead of: “New drop just landed!”
Try: “New minimalist jewellery just landed – handmade in Brighton using recycled silver.”

This helps Instagram understand what your post is about — and helps your audience too.

�� Use the Alt Text Option
Alt text is a great place to add extra detail for visibility. When you upload a photo or video, you can add a short description like: “Sustainable homeware collection – wooden trays, ceramic mugs, linen napkins.”

�� Tag Your Location
If you're a local business, tagging your town or neighbourhood helps people nearby discover you.
Posting about client work? Tag their location too — it all helps you get found.

# Be Selective with Hashtags
Don’t ditch hashtags completely — just use them with a clear purpose.

Use branded hashtags (e.g. #BakersOfBrighton or #MadeBySmith)
Include location tags (e.g. #ManchesterMakers or #KentCoffee)
Keep industry tags niche and relevant (e.g. #WeddingStationeryDesign or #DogGroomingTips)

�� What About Other Platforms?

Hashtags on Twitter (X):
Still useful — keep it to 1–2 targeted hashtags.

“Looking for tips to grow your business online? Our team helps local brands thrive. #SmallBizTips”

Hashtags on LinkedIn:
Focus on professional, clear language. Hashtags like #SmallBusinessSupport or #FemaleFounders can work — but your first few lines matter more.

Hashtags on Facebook:
Hashtags don’t do much here. Just write clear, engaging text and focus on keywords instead.

✅ When Hashtags Still Work

Branding: Create a unique hashtag to group all your content together

→ #SmithDesigns or #ShopLocalWithUs

Events: Promote a specific event or campaign

→ #BristolMakersMarket2025

Local Discoverability: Reach people in your area

→ #CambridgeCoffeeLovers

Niche Communities: Still popular in specific groups

→ #ZeroWasteLiving or #MumsInBusiness

�� Final Thoughts

Hashtags aren’t completely dead, but they’re also not the secret weapon they used to be. For small business owners, the best strategy now is:

Write clear, keyword-rich captions
Use location tags
Make the most of alt text
Use hashtags only when they really add value

The goal? Help Instagram (and your audience!) understand your content better, so it reaches the people who’ll care most.

Need help adjusting your social strategy?

At Digity, we help small businesses stay visible and ahead of the curve. Get in touch for practical advice that works.

Think of your website like an employee - it's a game changer!

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 29 May 2025 08:13:11 GMT

Imagine having an employee that worked 24/7, helped your business grow, dealt with customer support, attracted new team members and more... all for less than the Living Wage.

We had a team lunch earlier this week and I was reminded of a state of mind I used to encourage all of our clients to take - "think about your website like you would your most valuable employee" .

What did I mean by that? Well if I brought you the perfect employee through the door, what would you pay them? Someone who could work 24hrs a day without complaining. Someone who never took a sick day or needed a holiday? Someone who could bring you new business on a plate, provide great customer service, help attract new talent into your team and up-sell, cross-sell and re-sell your existing customers too...

Now think about what would that be worth to your business? Would it help it grow? Would it add value to your business?

Taking it a step further, when you find a great and ambitious employee, how do you manage, inspire and develop them even further? Setting KPIs is often the answer so think about the stats you could focus on regularly that would help you decide whether the website/employee is doing a good job.

Here are some example KPIs you can set today;

How many visitors has it attracted directly from search engines? Is that number increasing/decreasing/staying the same over time and how does it compare to the competition? (if you're not sure on that, we offer a complimentary benchmarking report to show you vs 2 competitors)
How well is it presenting your products/services? Equally, how does it portray your company and team in general to help generate the right type of interest? Quite often now you look at the social media accounts for companies which are on fire with great videos, photos etc. and their website looks like it's been gathering dust for 5 years.
How many potential new clients has it inspired via lead capture forms / live chats / call bookings / brochure downloads etc? How valuable are the leads - is the website bringing through the prospects you want it to?
How many applicants has it taken CVs from to push through to your hiring manager? Are they good potential hires or not? If not, is that because of how the company is presented?
How many times has it provided support to your customers and saved you having to pay a human to do the same repetitive tasks, whilst delivering an exceptional customer experience?

You get the idea hopefully but unfortunately businesses invest in their website in the same way they would a brochure. They miss the true value of what I see as a living, breathing asset which has a pulse and can play a massive impact in the success of your business. Yes it requires a shift in your thinking and budgeting but keep investing and when it's well managed, the return on that investment will fuel your growth .

Anyway, whether you agree with me or simply clicked in because of the photo featuring the happiest guy I could find on Adobe Stock, thanks for reading. As you can probably tell, this article is a Chris Lunn original without the help of any AI tools so if it's littered with typos, I can pretend that's all part of me making it feel genuinely authentic.

By the way , if you've got to the end of this and are thinking " I'd fire my website if it was an employee ", we should talk! At Digity, we specialise in creating websites you'd want to give a nice big bonus, so if yours isn't helping your business grow - get in touch and I'd be happy to share some examples of our work and budget estimates to suit your goals and give you something to think about.

Find out more:

Maximising the Sale Price of Your Business: Why a Strategic Approach to Marketing is Essential

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 14 May 2025 22:18:51 GMT

For many business owners, the day will come when you start to seriously consider the next chapter — whether that's stepping away completely, passing the business on, or preparing for sale. Whatever your long-term vision, one thing is certain: the value of your business isn't determined solely by its current revenue or client list. It's also about its potential.

From a marketing perspective, your strategy plays a pivotal role in that perceived value. Buyers are looking for businesses that aren’t reliant on the founders or directors for growth. They want structure, momentum, and clarity — a business that functions like a well-oiled machine. That's where marketing becomes a key asset, not just an activity.

Marketing as a Value Multiplier

If you’re looking to maximise the sale price of your business, your marketing needs to do more than generate leads — it needs to demonstrate that the business has long-term growth potential baked in. That means:

Clear messaging
A consistent brand presence
Proven lead generation channels
Marketing assets and systems that anyone can pick up and run with

I'll now break that down into actionable areas:

1. Have a Clear Marketing Strategy Aligned with Commercial Goals

Your marketing strategy should be underpinned by your business objectives. Whether your focus is increasing recurring revenue, growing market share in a specific sector, or expanding into new regions — your marketing must be directly aligned with these goals.

A well-documented strategy shows a potential buyer that you’re not guessing or acting reactively. It proves that your business growth is intentional and measurable.

This includes:

Knowing your target audience(s) inside out
Mapping customer journeys
Selecting the right channels (SEO, paid ads, email, social, etc.)
Defining KPIs and tracking them consistently

Most importantly, your strategy should live beyond your head. If you (or another director) are the only one who understands your marketing direction, then the business isn’t truly independent — and that can be a red flag to buyers.

2. Implement a Repeatable, Scalable Plan

A good strategy isn’t just a document — it’s a set of actions and campaigns that are consistently implemented. You need processes in place that are:

Documented: Clear task lists, calendars, content guidelines, campaign playbooks
Delegable: Team members (in-house or outsourced) should be able to pick things up and keep running without constant oversight
Repeatable: Marketing shouldn’t rely on bursts of energy or last-minute decisions

This makes your business look much more attractive. When a buyer sees a working marketing engine that runs with minimal director involvement, it builds confidence in the future performance of the business.

3. Track Performance and Demonstrate R.O.I.

It’s not enough to “do marketing.” Buyers want to see evidence that marketing works.

Ensure you have systems in place that:

Track website visits, conversions, and lead sources
Attribute leads and sales to specific campaigns or activities
Monitor customer lifetime value and acquisition costs
Use dashboards or reports that tell the story simply and clearly

Over time, this data becomes part of your value story. You can show how much it costs to acquire a customer, how quickly they convert, and what they spend — all of which gives a buyer insight into potential growth and profitability.

4. Refine Your Approach Over Time

A static plan is a dying plan. Marketing success comes from testing, learning, and refining.

Your systems should include regular reviews of:

Campaign performance
Audience engagement
Messaging effectiveness
Channel performance

Show that your business learns from what works (and what doesn’t), and adapts to market changes. This demonstrates maturity, agility, and resilience — three things buyers love.

5. Build Independence from the Owner/Founder

This is a critical point when preparing your business for sale.

If your brand presence, social media engagement, or lead generation relies heavily on you as the owner, then you're not selling a system — you're selling yourself. And unless you're part of the deal, that devalues the business.

Ask yourself:

Can someone else write your social posts or blogs without your help?
Do leads come in via consistent channels or personal networks?
Is your brand story clear without you having to tell it?

Start moving toward a model where the business has its own voice and rhythm — not one that's dependent on yours.

What Next?

Whether you're planning to sell in 1 year or 10, investing in a well-documented, well-executed marketing strategy is one of the smartest ways to increase the long-term value of your business.

At Digity, we specialise in helping SME owners plan, implement, and refine marketing systems that are both commercially effective and buyer-ready. From brand positioning and campaign planning to automated lead generation and performance tracking — we help put marketing on autopilot, not guesswork.

If you're serious about making your business more valuable, we'd love to talk.

�� Book a free marketing consultation call

Peaceful Minds Yoga Website Goes Live

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:56:37 GMT

Yoga and mindfulness for children - Helping every mind feel peaceful

We were recently approached to help create a brand and website to help launch a new business offering yoga classes to schools. The name is Peaceful Minds Yoga and that's exactly what they deliver. Whilst this may sound like quite a novel business idea and service, this entrepreneur has focused on supporting neurodiverse students to help enhance their typical school day. It's a fascinating concept and one we were really delighted to be a part of and help play a role in getting this out to schools to help many people in many ways. Naturally the impact on the students themselves will be significant but it will also help the teachers, parents, fellow students and other people in certain ways.

During the process we worked with Martina to help create brand which looked credible, relaxed and professional - a fairly tricky combination to get right but everyone is delighted with the outcome and it's been very well received so far. The website contains various information to help people working within schools to find out more about the service and get in touch, saving time for Martina who can focus on delivering the yoga sessions.

If you'd like to find out more, visit: www.peacefulmindsyoga.co.uk

How to utilise National Awareness Days on social media

leanne@digity.co.uk (Leanne Gresswell) — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:51:57 GMT

National Awareness Days on social media: waste of time gimmick or potential marketing opportunity?

In the fast-paced world of social media marketing , and with algorithms that favour regular posting, brands are always on the lookout for ways to engage their audience and stay relevant. National awareness days, whether celebrating mental health, sustainability, or more quirky themes like National Doughnut Day, offer ready-made opportunities for content creation. But are they always the right fit?

While jumping on these trending topics can boost visibility and help build personality around your brand, misusing them can come across as inauthentic or opportunistic. In this blog, we’ll explore the pros and cons of incorporating national awareness days into your brand’s social media strategy, helping you decide when and how to join the conversation.

3 Golden Rules

Rule 1: Relevancy

There is one way to get the use of national awareness days on your social media wrong, and that's by shoehorning a topic that doesn't fit with your brand. To make the most of these opportunities and drive the best engagement, consider this: is the theme of the day relevant to my brand values? For example, there are many days throughout the year that focus on sustainability, which is a great opportunity for businesses to showcase the steps they're taking to reduce their carbon footprint, or to push their environmentally friendly products. However, if you can't actively demonstrate your efforts in this area, it's best to steer clear from talking about it.

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. That's to say, you don't need to be Papa John to celebrate National Pizza Day, as this could simply be about showing your business behind the scenes and adding some personality to your brand, but it still needs to fit with your overall tone. I.e. Going for a well-polished, corporate tone? Pizza Day might not be for you (by all means, indulge off camera).

Rule 2: Variety

Rule 3: Authenticity

Finally, make sure the content you post is unique and authentic. Simply posting 'Happy XXX Day' will likely get lost in the crowd and could pull your relevancy into question. Find a unique angle that will resonate with your audience and, finally, have fun with it! Be creative, be authentic and be relevant - that's the trio that will help you drive engagement and build your audience. Need some help getting started? Here are some examples of how we've used National Days within our client's social media plans:

Recent examples

Here are 3 quick examples of how recent days have been embraced by companies to help them stand out:

1. Neurodiversity Celebration Week carousel post

For Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we created a carousel post for Glenside Commercial Interiors about the importance of considering neurodiversity in office design. An important topic, with a very relevant angle and strong call-to-action ticks all the boxes of how to nail a National Awareness Day post.

2. Individual team Profiles for International Women's Day

Seeing all this great content going out for our clients, the boss got a little jealous, so for Digity we jumped on one of the big days in the calendar - International Women's Day. Our marketing and creative team is made up in large part by talented women, so what perfect chance to celebrate them and give our audience a bit more insight into the girl power that helps drive Digity forward?

3. Creation of an 'Employee Appreciation Day' video for the team

Our longstanding client, Rapid Clean, has around 1,000 employees across the UK, who work tirelessly to keep offices, schools, healthcare facilities and other commercial spaces clean for those who use them day in and day out. To help them say thank you to each and every one of them, we created a video for Employee Appreciation Day.

The client followed this through with a celebratory banner in their Head Office, an epic lunch spread, and an after-lunch quiz. Now that's authenticity.

A Neurodiversity Celebration Week carousel for an Office Interior Design & Fit Out company

An Employee Appreciation Day video for a Commercial Cleaning Company

The client followed this through with a celebratory banner in their Head Office, an epic lunch spread, and an after-lunch quiz. Now that's authenticity.

Digity Team Profiles for International Women's Day 2025

Think this could be good for your brand?

If you love what you see here and want help levelling up your social media strategy, let's chat!

Are people switching to AI search from Google?

leanne@digity.co.uk (Leanne Gresswell) — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 13:16:28 GMT

AI vs Traditional Search in 2025

As a Digital Marketing Agency, we get asked a lot of questions about AI. One really great question a client asked recently got us thinking… Are people favouring AI search over traditional search engines like Google, and should they switch their focus to optimise for AI search instead? Here’s what we concluded:

First of all, let’s look at how AI search results work

AI search results use artificial intelligence to understand the context and intent behind a user’s query or “prompt”. This intelligence enables AI tools to deliver more relevant results, by quickly analysing information across multiple sources and generating unique summaries. Think about if you were writing a blog or article on a certain topic - you would do your research first, looking at various sources and gathering insights and information. You would then use what you’ve found to write something in your own words. That’s essentially what AI is doing for you.

How does this differ from traditional search engines like Google?

But are people actually clicking links in AI search results?

Absolutely. In fact, we've already written a blog answering this exact question which you can read here . But to summarise, recent reports suggest that users of tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are not only engaging with AI-generated summaries but also clicking on the links these tools provide. For some brands such as Viv (a period care brand) this shift in search behaviour has directly resulted in increased traffic and sales.

So, is it time to start prioritising AI search over traditional search engines?

The short answer? No. While more and more people are utilising AI tools for search, Google still owns almost 90% of the search market, so shifting focus completely wouldn’t be the right move. There’s also still a lot of apprehension around AI and the accuracy of the results it turns out, so there’s likely a long way to go before it takes over from the traditional search engine. According to recent research, the two are currently working best in tandem, rather than against each other, so it’s not about prioritising one over the other, it’s making sure you’re optimised for both.

Got it. So how do we optimise for both AI and traditional search?

I'm sold. So how do we create great content to start appearing in search results?

That’s where we come in. At Digity, we can help you understand what questions your target audience are asking, and answer them with high quality, human generated content that ticks the boxes for both traditional and AI search engines. This includes your website content, blogs/articles, and even social media - it’s all about growing your online presence in an authentic way, so you’re there to be seen when someone hits search.

Want to find out more about how we can help you stand out online with great content? Get in touch with our marketing team.

Helping Support Berkshire Careers

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 13:41:04 GMT

As part of my work with the Berkshire Careers Hub, I recently spoke to careers leads from schools across the region. Read on to find out more...

In 2023 I was approached by the Berkshire Careers Hub who were looking to engage people from the business community to offer external support to schools and boost the impact of their careers programme. Having been fortunate enough to receive some good careers guidance back in the day, I decided it was a good way to give a little bit back and accepted the opportunity and was paired with Ranelagh school in Bracknell. Quite quickly I met Miss Bond who heads-up the careers effort in the school and with on-going support from the hub, I was able to start playing a small role in the mix. One of the first challenges I was asked to support was how to get more local companies involved with the careers fair at the school. They had some great organisations who had committed such as the RAF, Navy, Fire Brigade, O2, Virgin, Vodafone, apprenticeship providers and others. Equally, as a result of some parents taking an interest there were companies such as AWE and McLaren also due to attend. This was absolutely fantastic already I thought - what a room for other business owners to be in and around!

With that in-mind I took a look at what was going out to invite other companies to come along. Whilst it was a strong and compelling letter, as someone who is more of a visual learner, I wondered if we could create it into more of a brochure. This would help give the whole event a bit more gravitas (which is definitely deserves given the efforts of Miss Bond) and showing off the badges of honour of those organisations who had already said yes would surely stand out a mile. So the initial letter was then shortened and referred to the accompanying brochure which was fairly simple but showed clearly what would be expected, how to get involved and most importantly...why!

Fast forward a few weeks and some proactive outreach, we'd added a number of other local companies who sold IT support services, medical devices, cyber security, Digital Marketing ( can I count us or is that cheating?? ) and more. I'd also added some input in terms of the communication with parents in the sense of giving them one thing to focus on at a time and hammering home the message and that led to a few more organisations including Microsoft also being in attendance.

So, back to this event at Green Park in Reading, we were invited along to share that experience. There were a number of brilliant people speaking on the day and offering their advice in the same way and I know it was invaluable for all the careers leads in attendance. After the talk we shared the template we've used and hopefully that helps a number of other schools too so the hard work goes even further.

If you're reading this, I'd urge you to get involved - it's such a good initiative and trust me, the schools really need any extra support they can get. Feel free to get in touch with me and I'll introduce you to find out more.

Digity Shortlisted For Two Awards!

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 11:49:04 GMT

There were over 1,500 entries for the Thames Valley Awards 2025. Thank you to those who nominated Digity, we're delighted to have made the shortlists for two awards!

We're very grateful and humbled to have been nominated for the Thames Valley Awards 2025 and it was amazing to hear we've been shortlisted in two of the categories including ' Male Entrepreneur of the Year ' for Chris and ' Employer of the year '. The Thames Valley Business & Community Awards is the region’s largest and most prestigious business awards programme. It celebrates the best of achievement across all industries, championing sustainability, diversity, equality, and those transcending expectations and limitations throughout the year.

Hosted by Great British Expos and in its 8th year, these awards celebrate the outstanding and innovative achievements of businesses, charities, entrepreneurs and community figures across the region.

We're always working hard to look after our clients, embrace innovation and create a positive working environment so this recognition is fantastic. Here's to a great night!

See How Your Website Performs On Google Vs 3 Competitors - For FREE

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 13:05:44 GMT

Let's explore the benefits of analysing the SEO traffic of your competitors - and how to do it...

Getting your SEO strategy right to improve your rankings and traffic that you attract from Google/Bing etc. is an ongoing process. Where a lot of companies get it wrong is jumping in to investing in optimisation without understanding it properly. They feel that, a bit like an insurance policy, they have to spend money on it or their website might vanish. Unfortunately, there are lots of 'SEO' agencies out there who are happy to take money for pretty much nothing and sell on that fear factor. The good news? There's a better way...

At Digity we're here to help clients stand out and compete so we can't do that if we're spending their budgets and our time, in areas that are never going to work. Here are two situations where SEO is a complete waste of budget;

Intense competition - there might be a lot of demand every day in Google but it's full of big companies who have been investing in SEO for years - are you really going to convince anyone that you deserve to be no.1?
Lack of demand - you might think that the words you choose to focus on are good but does anyone else? The amount of companies we've seen who are paying for their websites to be 'optimised' for terms which simply don't have any searches (and therefore value) is incredible.

"SEO is a waste of time, right?" Wrong.

Whilst the above considerations can help you establish if SEO is worth the time and money to invest in it, there's no doubt that earning rankings which brings traffic in every day from the big search engines is of value. You simply need to analyse the opportunity value or find a reputable firm (cough: "us") that could do this for you. We have some incredible tools which now do the hard work of identifying a wide variety of keywords and phrases to potentially target and help us understand if they're popular or not.

Equally, (and this is the bit that clients lose their minds over when we show them the reports) we can analyse the traffic of your website without having any access and do exactly the same thing for your competitors. From there we can show you how your respective levels of traffic have changed over the past two years and we can even drill into the keywords which are delivering them traffic.

Ever wanted to get one over on that annoying competitor? Keep scrolling...

If we could literally compare your website to 3 competitors - who would you choose?

Imagine filling in a form today and tomorrow receiving a report which (similar to the above illustrative graphic) plotted the monthly estimated traffic levels of your website vs 3 other competitors. Would that be the best thing since sliced bread? No...it would be far better!

For a limited time only, we're giving business owners the chance to get one of these reports for FREE for their business. Yes, that's right - fill in the form below and we will show you;

Your organic website traffic (i.e. the 'free' traffic you don't pay for with ads) vs your competitors
How many different keywords are bringing traffic into your website
How many other websites link to yours/theirs
How much traffic they are paying for each month via ads

We could talk all day about this but trust us, this is (probably) the most exciting PDF you'll open this year when it arrives... even if you already pay someone else for SEO, get this report. If that is the case, put that in the message section so we know as we can review the work being carried out and an independent view on whether it's likely to bear fruit for you anytime soon...

Why is SEO important? How should it benefit my business?

The thing with SEO is that it doesn't have a great reputation in the small business community because of how poorly it's been carried out in a vast amount of cases. We typically see an amateur approach or in some cases, quite strong performance but for a website your great grandad would have said looked a bit dated. The key for success is a combination of strong ranking positions for relevant keywords which bring people back to really engaging and credible landing pages. If you don't approach it like that, you won't win...it's that simple.

Fill in the form above and see what we come up with. We can quickly give you a view of the potential on offer and we won't waste your time. When we take on a new client, we're in for the long-haul so if we can't see obvious ways to make you money, we won't waste your time.

On that note, if you'd like to have a more general discussion about how we can help your business on the marketing front, feel free to get in touch. Either scroll down where you can book an intro. call via our ultra clever booking widget or click this button to get in touch:

Are People Clicking Links in ChatGPT Searches? Brands Say Yes

susan@digity.co.uk (Susan Richards) — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Are People Clicking Links in ChatGPT Searches? Brands Say Yes.

As artificial intelligence continues to shape the digital landscape, brands are discovering new ways to connect with consumers. Recent reports suggest that users of tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are not only engaging with AI-generated summaries but also clicking on the links these tools provide. For some brands, this shift in search behaviour has resulted in increased traffic and sales.

This trend signals a significant opportunity for marketers to leverage AI-driven search platforms to drive product discovery and online engagement. Here’s a closer look at what’s happening and what brands can learn.

Brands are Seeing Results

Last year, period care brand Viv saw an unexpected 400% increase in website traffic, which marketing director Kelly Donohue attributed to AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

The surge coincided with the publication of a study in Environment International highlighting harmful metals in popular tampon brands . Viv’s detailed blog posts about product safety started appearing in AI-driven search results as users sought safer options.

Viv didn’t just gain traffic—it gained customers. Sales derived from AI-driven referrals increased by an astonishing 436% , with the company selling six months’ worth of tampon inventory in just three weeks.

Donohue attributes this success to the brand’s focus on educational and transparent content. She explained:

“These AI tools are specifically scraping through content but looking for more than just keywords. They’re looking for a cohesive response that includes context, sources, and background.”

Viv’s strategy of publishing in-depth, data-driven blog posts not only increased visibility but also built consumer trust—resulting in meaningful conversions.

Other Brands Reporting Similar Trends

Viv isn’t alone in benefitting from AI search referrals. Adaptive apparel brand Joe & Bella also reported increased website traffic and sales during the holiday season, attributed to ChatGPT recommendations.

The brand’s CEO, Jimmy Zollo, speculated that its ongoing investment in SEO and blog content played a major role. By consistently using targeted keywords like “adaptive clothing” in search ads and blog posts, Joe & Bella positioned itself for AI-driven discovery.

“It was pretty cool and unexpected, but we need to better understand how to optimise for these searches going forward,” Zollo noted.

Why This Matters for Marketers

These developments highlight the growing importance of AI tools like ChatGPT in shaping consumer search behaviour. Dan Buckstaff, chief product officer at Spins, compares this moment to the early days of SEO:

“Similar to 15 years ago when we were questioning how SEO worked, we’re now questioning how brands can benefit from AI environments.”

Spins’ 2025 Industry Trends Report suggests that younger audiences, particularly Gen Z, are increasingly using platforms like TikTok and AI assistants to discover products. While advertising on AI platforms is still evolving, brands with robust, well-organised content are already reaping the rewards.

How to Optimise for AI-Driven Searches

For brands aiming to harness traffic from AI tools, creating high-quality, educational content is key. Here are some strategies:

Looking Ahead

The rise of AI-powered search platforms represents both a challenge and an opportunity for brands. As younger audiences increasingly rely on these tools for product discovery, brands must adapt their content strategies to stay visible.

For Viv, this meant prioritising blogs that addressed safety concerns and answering the questions consumers were already asking. For Joe & Bella, it meant maintaining a focus on SEO and accessibility.

Ultimately, the brands that embrace this shift and deliver valuable, context-rich content will stand out in the evolving digital landscape.

Need help with your SEO strategy? Get in touch:

Is Email Marketing Dead? Absolutely Not And Here's Why...

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 16:13:11 GMT

I've always considered email to be a key component of a successful digital marketing mix and it's arguably getting better than ever...when it's done well.

One of the most consistent views when I talk to business owners about the value of email marketing, is along these lines: " email doesn't work. I get loads of emails and don't open them, people won't want to hear from us and could unsubscribe."

Whilst these are potentially valid observations, I counter them as follows;

I get lots of emails I don't open - but I always take in who it's from and think about it - even if it's just for a split second. That's marketing - sometimes you just need to be reminded about something and all of a sudden you're interested again.
If you don't ask, you don't get. Send the email.
If people don't want to receive your emails, let them unsubscribe, that's fine. I unsubscribe from emails all the time - it doesn't mean I won't ever buy from that business, it just means their content isn't a priority in my inbox anymore. Equally, what's the point in having a massive list if most of the people don't want to hear from you. Focus on those that do.
The world is busier and noisier than ever - you have to get in front of people on a regular basis in multiple ways/channels. If you're posting messages out on LinkedIn/Instagram etc, take a bit more time to get some of them out to your audience via email.
If you're not emailing your contacts and your competitors are...what do you think will happen?
Find a way to make your emails valuable and relevant and the rest will follow.

Another common objection to my (incredible) recommendations is that " our list is too small, it's not worth it. " Well, how many people would you need to say yes to justify sending it out? The answer usually isn't many at all so don't fret. In most cases, the companies I'm working with day-in, day-out, aren't trying to topple Amazon and a few positive responses can result in a LOT of future business. Assess the opportunity and go from there.

A Few Quick Tips

You need to have a strategy for email which works for your business over the long-term. First, if you're having doubts about whether to do it, don't rush into it. You're probably in one of those glorious situations where you can afford to wait to make money... can you sense the sarcasm? But all jokes aside, how about singing up to some competitors newsletters if you can or even some big brands for inspiration. Look at what they do and how, then think what you could replicate for your audience.

More specifically, you need to think differently depending if you're marketing to businesses (b2b) or consumers (b2c). Here are some quick examples:

B2B Businesses - it's not about the hard sell BUT it does require a hook! So use email campaigns to build interest and desire in your products/services but give people a reason to do something there and then. Make them interesting and keep them regular. You've heard of right time, right place...well that's hard with email because you never know when the right time is for your prospective customer, so instead make it right place (their email inbox) all the time (or at least, pretty often). Keep front of mind.

With services like Hubspot, Mailchimp, Drip etc. you can get so many reports and alerts to help you work out where to spend the time to progress the sales conversation. Make the most of it but activity should lead to impact if it's well planned and executed. Also don't think too linear about it - not every person should get the exact same email at the exact same time. The more you personalise the approach and the content, the higher your chance of success.
B2C Businesses - if you're in e-commerce, keep pushing our offers and incentives to get those credit cards out of wallets and paying for your goods! If you're in a more traditional sales cycle, use your content and offers strategy to get people to make appointments, request further interest, watch a demo etc. - anything that gives you a sign they are really interested. Then put a keep-in-touch strategy in place to keep them warm and move them along the sales funnel.

Give Choices Where Possible

It doesn't have to be all in or all out - some people like getting emails daily, others prefer weekly/monthly summaries. Equally, some like emails in the evening, others first thing in the morning. We're not all the same and there are systems which will take care of this for you if you let them. The data led approach is proving some very interesting impact results so where possible, give choice. On that note, really think through the potential for unsubscribes and what are they unsubscribing from? Everything or just a particular type of communication.

Final Bonus Secret: The Best Day To Send An Email!

Don't tell anyone but after years of running email campaigns for a wide range of clients, we can say with confidence that we know when the best day to send an email is... but given how valuable this information is, we need to ensure you work for it and commit to not telling anyone else...so, here we go...

The best day...

...to send an email....

...is...

the day you want to make money.

You're welcome.

We manage email marketing campaigns for a wide range of companies. If you would like to find out more, get in touch .

5 Key Marketing Tips For Business Owners In 2025

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 09:31:36 GMT

Here are five key tips for small business owners heading into 2025 to level up your marketing efforts:

As 2025 approaches, it’s the perfect time for small business owners to review the past twelve months and plan/review/fine-tune, their marketing strategies. Every year at Digity we talk about the pace of change and it's relentless in our industry so looking forward and embracing the continual evolution, will help you compete day-to-day. Here are five essential tips to set your business up for success:

1. Prioritise Local SEO

Local SEO is a game-changer for small businesses looking to stand out in their area. When potential customers search online for services or products you offer, you want to be one of the first names they see. Here’s how to optimise your local presence:

Update and verify your Google Business Profile .
Use location-specific keywords on your website’s key pages and in the metadata.
Encourage happy customers to leave positive reviews online.
Make sure your business’s name, address, and phone number are consistent across all platforms.

Local SEO is one of the quickest ways to increase visibility and attract nearby customers who are ready to buy.

2. Embrace AI Tools for Efficiency

Artificial intelligence has moved from being a buzzword to a practical tool that can save small businesses time and money. AI-powered solutions can:

Help you craft emails and blog posts with tools like ChatGPT.
Automate tasks such as scheduling social media posts. Mailchimp (for email campaigns) can help choose the best time to send your email campaign as one example.
Generate data-driven insights to improve campaign performance.

While these tools can be powerful, remember to maintain a personal touch in your messaging. AI should enhance your efforts, not replace the human connection that makes your business unique.

3. Build a Strong Email Marketing Strategy

Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective ways to nurture customer relationships and drive sales. To make your email campaigns stand out in 2025:

Share valuable content, not just sales offers—think tips, updates, or exclusive sneak peeks.
Segment your audience to deliver more personalised messages.
Use catchy subject lines and clear calls to action to boost engagement.

By focusing on providing value to your subscribers, you’ll keep them engaged and loyal to your brand.

4. Focus on Video Content

Video continues to dominate online engagement. Whether it’s short clips for Instagram and TikTok or longer tutorials on YouTube, video content is an effective way to connect with your audience. And the best part? You don’t need a huge budget to get started.

Showcase your products or services in action.
Share behind-the-scenes moments from your business.
Create quick, helpful tips related to your industry.

Authenticity often trumps production quality, so don’t be afraid to start small and experiment with different styles and formats.

5. Plan Your Marketing Budget with ROI in Mind

Marketing is an investment, and the key to success is spending wisely. Identify the strategies that deliver measurable results and focus your efforts there. For example:

Monitor metrics like website traffic, leads, and conversions.
Plan for seasonal fluctuations - decide in advance whether to increase/decrease advertising budgets and activity in certain channels to maximise opportunities and overall return for the year, not just the month.
Test campaigns on a small scale before committing a larger budget.
Adjust your plans based on data, not just intuition.

If you’re unsure how to maximise your budget, working with experts like the Digity team can help. We can create a phased plan tailored to your business goals, ensuring your marketing spend delivers real value.

Ready to Make 2025 A Great Year?

By focusing on these five areas, you’ll be well-positioned to attract more customers, strengthen your brand, and grow your business in the year ahead. If you’re looking for expert guidance to bring your marketing strategy to life, get in touch with Digity for a free consultation—let’s make your vision a reality.

We're Hiring - Digital Marketing Assistant

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 21:35:42 GMT

Join our team and develop your career...

We're currently recruiting for a Digital Marketing Assistant to join our team and support our work for a growing list of clients. If you're looking to put your skills to good use and the prospect of creating and distributing content for companies within a wide array of industries is appealing, find out more and apply today:

Christmas Opening Hours

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 11:02:47 GMT

It's getting close...here's what you need to know.

The Christmas break is always a great one as we aim to finish another year on a high. It's been incredibly busy and has been the first one in our new office in Winnersh Triangle which was a fantastic move for the business. As good as it is here, we do plan to have a bit of downtime to recharge the batteries and come back fully refreshed for 2025! With that in-mind, our opening hours over the festive period are:

Tue 24th Dec: 9am - 1pm
Wed 25th Dec: Closed
Thur 26th Dec: Closed
Fri 27th Dec: 9am - 1pm
Mon 30th Dec: 9am - 1pm
Tue 31st Dec: Closed
Wed 1st Jan: Closed
Thur 2nd Jan: Open again from 9am

New customers , the best option is to fill-in our contact form and someone will be in touch ASAP.

Existing customers, if you have any urgent queries, please email support@digity.co.uk as this email account will be monitored throughout.

Merry Christmas!

5 Essential Strategies to Boost Your Business’s EEAT and Reap the SEO Rewards

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 13:46:25 GMT

Google's EEAT framework — Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness — is a crucial component for improving search engine rankings and gaining user trust. We've compiled five ways every business can embrace EEAT and indeed the SEO benefits of doing so:

1/ Develop High-Quality, Expert Content

It's key to produce content which is written by knowledgeable professionals or experts in your industry. Ensure the content is accurate, well-researched, and offers real value to your audience as whilst we're trying to impress Google to gain rankings, there's no point attracting visitors if they don't convert. With this in mind, regularly update the content to maintain its relevance and accuracy.

Benefits

High-quality content improves search engine rankings and builds your brand's reputation as a reliable source of information. It attracts more organic traffic and keeps visitors engaged.

2/ Showcase Author Credentials

Include author bios with relevant qualifications, credentials, and experience for each piece of content. Link to their professional profiles, such as LinkedIn, to provide further credibility.

Benefits
Highlighting author credentials enhances your content's credibility, making users and search engines view your site as a trusted authority in your field. It can also improve user trust and engagement.

3/ Earn and Display Trust Signals

Obtain and showcase certifications, awards, and recognitions relevant to your industry. Display client testimonials, case studies, and reviews prominently on your website. Implement strong security measures like HTTPS to protect user data.

Benefits

Trust signals reassure visitors about the quality and safety of your products or services, which can lead to higher conversion rates and customer loyalty. They also positively impact your search engine rankings.

4/ Maintain a Strong Online Presence

Actively manage your business’s presence across various online platforms, including social media, industry forums, and reputable directories. Engage with your audience, respond to feedback, and participate in industry discussions.

Benefits

A robust online presence enhances your authority and visibility, attracting more visitors to your site. It also helps in building a community around your brand, fostering loyalty and repeat business.

5/ Ensure Transparency and Accountability

Be transparent about your business practices, including pricing, return policies, and data usage. Provide clear contact information and customer support channels. Address any issues or complaints promptly and professionally.

Benefits

Transparency builds trust with your audience, encouraging them to choose your business over competitors. It also aligns with Google's emphasis on trustworthiness, potentially improving your search engine rankings and overall reputation.

By implementing these strategies, businesses can align with Google's EEAT guidelines, leading to improved search visibility, higher user trust, and greater customer engagement. This not only enhances SEO performance but also fosters long-term business success.

Want to improve your rankings on Google?

Get in touch to find out how our team can help improve your performance on Google/Bing.

Email Marketing - 6 Tips for Successful Outreach

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 17:16:10 GMT

Email marketing is a powerful tool when executed effectively. Here are six tips to help you succeed in your email marketing efforts:

1. Segment Your Audience

Divide your email list into smaller, more targeted segments based on factors like industry, job title, company size, or past interactions. This allows you to send more relevant content to each group, increasing the chances of engagement.

2. Personalise Your Content

Customise your emails with the recipient's name and other relevant information where possible such as their company name and industry to be more relevant. Tailor your message to address their specific needs and pain points. Generic, one-size-fits-all emails are often ignored.

3. Create Compelling Subject Lines

The subject line is the first thing your recipients see. Make it compelling and relevant to entice them to open the email. Keep it concise and avoid using spammy or all-caps phrases. Remember, if you're using professional email marketing software, you will be able to see who has opened your emails and who might be interested in what you have to say/show.

4. Provide Value

It's important to offer valuable content in your emails. Share informative blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, or industry insights. The more valuable your content, the more likely your recipients will find it worthwhile to engage with your emails. It's not just about one email being opened, it's about multiple interactions to build value.

5. Present Clear Call-to-Actions

Before designing an email campaign, identify the action(s) you want the recipient to take, whether it's clicking to read more information, watch a video, scheduling a demo, downloading a resource, or contacting your sales team via reply. Make your buttons and contact information stand out and use persuasive language.

6. Learn From The Data

It's important to continuously test and optimise your email campaigns based on the analytics. Experiment with different subject lines, email copy, CTA buttons, and send times to see what works best for your audience. Many leading platforms will now help recommend the best times to send so you have to try and learn.

Remember that achieving email marketing success is an ongoing process. Build and nurture relationships with your audience, measure your results, and adapt your strategy as needed to continually improve your outreach efforts. Compliance with email marketing regulations, such as GDPR is also essential to avoid legal issues and maintain a positive reputation in the B2B community.

We run email marketing campaigns for a growing number of companies as a key part of their marketing activity so if you'd like to find out more, feel free to get in touch and we can see how we could help you.

Add A Live Feed of Google Reviews To Your Website

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 18:41:28 GMT

Do you have positive reviews on Google? Would it be good for future customers to see them? If you've answered yes to both questions, we recommend adding a live feed of Google Reviews to your website like the one below. Often there is a widget or plugin which can be put in place on your website and customised to suit the style accordingly. You should be able to set it to feed in reviews which are of a certain star rating i.e. 4* or 5* and it helps prevent people who like what they see, going away from your website to see what you're like to deal with as a business.

We've recently put these in place for a number of clients and they are working well to build trust and intrigue, helping to generate more interest. If you'd like to find out more, get in touch .

Marketing Tips to Boost Bathroom Sales

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 20:40:21 GMT

Key Marketing Tips To Attract More Bathroom Customers With Bigger Budgets

If you're reading this article we're guessing you want to achieve at least one of these;

Improve your marketing (perhaps consistency and impact) to help drive sales by attracting more bathroom enquiries
Increase your average project value by attracting clients with bigger plans and budgets
Sense check whether your team is doing everything it should be to maintain a stable pipeline and grow

Based on over 10 years hands-on experience working with businesses throughout the property sector, we've collated this blog to help.

If you'd like to see what our team can do for you, get in touch , we'd love to have the opportunity.

Check The Actual Visibility You're Achieving

Many companies come to us because they feel their website isn't working but what we sometimes find is there's simply a lack of relevant traffic reaching it. Before you spend a lot of money on content or new web designs that may still never get noticed, make sure you are actually being seen in the first place. Review;

Search engines; does your website appear for relevant searches, high up on the first page? If not, you need to invest in SEO and also consider ads ? Also check if your Google Business profile is appearing in the maps section?
Social media; how are you follower counts, can you tell if they are local or spread across the globe? Look at running social ads which can be targeted by town and remarketing campaigns to people who have looked at your content.
Adverts; depending on your target audience there might be a case for ads in magazines/newspapers/Parish publications and even leaflets. Potentially events too.
Other; think about directories, purchasing planning permission data, email campaigns and how to get referrals from existing customers and your network.

Make The Right Impact

It's not our place to tell you where to pitch your service but if you want to attract customers with larger budgets for their bathroom desires, you need to make sure your work looks as impressive as possible. Think about how to showcase your design capabilities and invest in professional photography and video (or find an agency like Digity who can take of it). Equally, think about how your website looks/feels and what it says - if it's been longer than 2 years since you last redesigned it, we should talk as things have changed - a lot!

Next, think about all the content you could be adding to it on a regular basis to inspire all the visitors such as; projects, case studies, blogs full of detail and insights. You likely spend your day talking to clients about intricate details and creative solutions so make sure your website / social media / email campaigns etc. are brimming with enthusiasm and expertise.

Build Trust and Give Choice

When people arrive on your website, they need to be impressed and reassured that you're worth investing time in first and foremost. The fees will come once you have so make sure you showcase the work you want to attract (size, style, materials, applicants location etc. of projects). To help bring down the barriers and increase lead generation, specifically think about;

Your company branding and design - does it really suit the values of your target customers?
Depth of content - is it actually going to draw someone in or just rushed, bland copy with out of date images?
Are you showing off your best work in the best way?
Are there key brands people may know of and be excited to see (potentially useful for people searching Google too)
What are your reviews like? Do you have many? How recent are they? What picture are they painting if people look?
How relevant are your team in your business? If the answer is 'very' then showcase them in your marketing.
Include case studies, testimonials etc.
If you've had any success with awards, highlight them.
We've mentioned it a few times but use your blog to demonstrate your passion and expertise...

Give Lots Of Options For Potential Next Steps - Without Overwhelming

When the marketing aspects above are working well, you need to plan out 'what next'. The people you attract could be ready to dive in and discuss their plans with you, or they may be at a very early stage of consideration. Examples of what we call ' calls to action ' and are worth considering here include;

Download a brochure
Request a design consultation
Map and written directions to your premises if you invite clients there (mention free parking if available)
Request a call back form
Live chat installed
Create a photobook for download
Show your phone no., email address and actual address so it's easy to find when they are ready to get in touch

See How We Can Help Your Business

We know there's a lot to consider above and it never stops. Welcome to our world of digital marketing but the good news is that it's very rewarding once you build good momentum. If you'd like to see what we can do for your business, fill in the form below. We're offering a complimentary marketing review and consultation right now so get in touch by scrolling down and completing the form...

New Website For Totus Digital (Fire Engineering & Risk Management)

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 22:10:18 GMT

New Website For This Innovative Organisation

Digity were delighted to be commissioned to redesign the website for Totus Digital who wanted a website which was fresh, on-point and presented their redefined core offering.

The team at Totus Digital delivers innovative fire engineering solutions to their clients across the UK, helping them to achieve excellent building and fire safety standards, ensuring our built environment is safe now and in the future. The business was founded in response to the immediate need to overhaul the culture of the fire safety sector. We will continue to lead the industry, encouraging greater accountability, responsibility and competency.

View the website: www.totus.digital

How Our Marketing Consultation Can Transform Your Growth

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 12:27:27 GMT

As a business owner, you may feel unsure about where to begin when it comes to marketing. With so many options and platforms available, it can be overwhelming to figure out which strategies will bring in the best results. That’s where our free marketing consultation can make all the difference.

Current Performance

Our no-obligation consultation offers a personalised evaluation of your current marketing efforts. Whether you’re already running campaigns or are just getting started, our experts will assess your strengths and weaknesses, providing valuable insights into how you can optimise your approach. We’ll discuss key aspects like your target audience, current brand visibility, and the effectiveness of your digital presence.

Marketing Opportunities

The consultation is more than just a review of what you’re currently doing—it’s an opportunity to explore new strategies that you may not have considered, for example;

Are you leveraging the latest trends, like personalised marketing or AI-driven tools?
Are you getting the most out of your ad spend?
How are you establishing credibility and building interest with people who discover you?
Is your website ranking well on search engines?
How do you compare to your competitors?

We’ll help you identify areas where you can improve and introduce fresh ideas to help you stand out from the competition.

Setting Out To Succeed

Marketing success isn’t about spending the most—it’s about making the most of every pound spent. Our team will help you understand the best ways to allocate your budget to maximise your return on investment.

With our expert advice, you’ll walk away with clear steps to enhance your marketing and drive real business growth in 2024. Take the first step by scheduling your free consultation today !

How to Find Companies Like Yours Which Are Performing Well on Social Media

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 12:27:31 GMT

In the fast-paced world of social media, where trends, algorithms and best-practice are ever-changing, staying ahead of the competition is important, but can be challenging. It requires not just being active but being able to identify and learn from companies similar to yours, especially those who are thriving on social media. These insights can be used to enhance your own social media content strategy. But how exactly do you find these companies?

1. Identify Your Niche and Competitors

Before you can find companies that are performing well, you need to clearly define your niche. What industry are you in? Who are your direct competitors? This will give you a foundation for identifying which companies are already tapping into your target audience and therefore who to monitor.

2. Social Media Analytics Tools

Social media scheduling sites allow you to monitor the performance of other companies. These platforms offer features that let you track mentions, hashtags, engagement rates, and more. At Digity, we’ve got many of these useful tools at our fingertips, so get in touch if you’d like to find out more about the insights they offer.

3. Search Relevant Hashtags and keywords

Searching industry-specific hashtags and keywords across social platforms is a simple and effective way to find top performing posts and accounts in your industry. Regularly search to find what is trending, as the social media world is constantly evolving, what could be popular last week is now old news.

4. Study Content Strategies

Look at the content strategies of companies that are doing well. What type of content are they posting? Are they using videos, infographics, blogs, or interactive content? The kind of content that resonates with your audience could offer clues about what might work for you.

5. Monitor Trends and Adapt

Social media is constantly evolving, and companies that stay ahead of trends tend to perform well. Tools like Google Trends or the trending sections of social media platforms can help you stay updated on what’s hot.

6. Review Current/Recent Ads

Utilise the Facebook ads library to review your competitor ads and those taking place in your space.

Finding companies like yours that are excelling on social media is a powerful way to enhance your own social media strategy. The goal is to learn and adapt from your industry competitors, creating a social strategy that’s uniquely suited to your brand.

We offer competitor analysis as well as content creation, strategy and scheduling, taking the stress of perfecting your social media presence away. If you’re struggling to stay ahead in the ever-changing world of social media and are falling behind your competitors, book in for a FREE consultation to get started with uplifting your social media strategy:

Why Planning for Christmas Early is Vital

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 16:06:07 GMT

As September rolls in, the festive season may still seem quite far away but for businesses in the modern world, this is the perfect time to start planning for Christmas. No matter whether you’re preparing a full-scale festive marketing campaign or just looking to finish the year on a high, these months between September and December are critical to success.

Here’s why we believe that getting a head start on your end of year / Christmas marketing is not just important, but essential for any business aiming to finish the year strongly;

1. Increased Competition During the Festive Period

The holiday season brings a surge of online traffic, which can be great if you're supplying the goods/services that people seek or it can be hugely distracting for people you are trying to reach and impress. We know that b rands from all sectors will be flooding the market with festive deals, promotions, and content. Without a solid plan in place, it’s easy for your business to get lost in the noise.

By starting early, you have the advantage of mapping out your campaigns in a strategic way that can still stand out amidst the competition. Early planning allows for thorough audience research, competitor analysis, and, most importantly, the creation of unique, high-quality content. Being proactive, rather than reactive, ensures your message can still cut through the clutter.

2. Budgets Need to Be Allocated Early

Digital marketing during the Christmas period is notoriously more expensive. With increased competition for ad space and keywords, cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) can skyrocket. If you wait until the last minute to plan your campaigns, you may find that your marketing budget doesn’t stretch as far as you’d like.

Allocating your marketing budget early allows you to secure prime advertising spots and plan for seasonal cost fluctuations. Additionally, you’ll have more time to test and optimise your campaigns, ensuring you get the most bang for your buck when the holiday rush begins.

3. Consumers Start Shopping Early

One of the most compelling reasons to start Christmas planning in September is the behaviour of consumers. Shoppers are beginning their searches earlier each year, with many starting as soon as October. According to various studies, a significant portion of Christmas shopping is already done by the time December arrives.

If you want to capture the attention of these early-bird shoppers, you need to have your campaigns ready to go by autumn. Whether it’s launching your Christmas products early or teasing holiday promotions, engaging consumers before the holiday season officially begins can help you capture a larger share of the market.

4. Build Anticipation for Your Brand

One of the most effective digital marketing strategies is to build anticipation for your Christmas offers and promotions. Whether it’s through a festive email marketing series, social media teasers, or countdowns, starting early gives you the opportunity to create a buzz around your brand before the holiday season even begins.

By planning ahead, you can devise a schedule for your content, ads, and promotional rollouts. This helps build momentum and ensures that your audience is engaged and ready to convert when the time comes.

5. Optimise Your Website for Holiday Traffic

Depending on what you sell, your website may well see a spike in traffic during the festive season, so it’s crucial to ensure it’s ready to handle the increased load and deliver a seamless user experience. Starting your Christmas planning early allows you to conduct website audits, optimise your site for speed, improve mobile responsiveness, and if you are in ecommerce, ensure your checkout process is smooth and intuitive.

Additionally, you can take the time to update your site’s SEO to reflect seasonal keywords, ensuring you rank higher in search results when consumers are hunting for Christmas gifts, deals, and promotions.

6. Data-Driven Decisions and Testing

The longer lead time you give yourself, the more data-driven your decisions can be. With more time to plan, you can A/B test your ad copy, landing pages, and even email campaigns. This testing period allows you to optimise your messaging and creative, which leads to better results when the campaigns go live.

Starting your Christmas marketing early also allows you to analyse past performance data. By looking at what worked—and what didn’t—in previous holiday seasons, you can fine-tune your strategy to maximise results.

7. Flexibility for Adjustments

If there’s one thing digital marketers know, it’s that campaigns often need adjustments mid-flight. Whether it’s responding to consumer behaviour, market trends, or competitor activity, having a well-thought-out plan allows for flexibility. Starting early means you have time to monitor and tweak your campaigns as needed without the stress of looming deadlines.

In Conclusion: Don't Wait For Father Christmas To Bring You Success, Get Organised And Go Get It.

Christmas can be a time of great opportunity for businesses, but only if you’re prepared. By starting your digital marketing planning early—whether you're running specific festive campaigns or simply aiming to end the year with increased activity—you can secure a competitive edge, maximise your budget, and set your business up for a successful end to the year.

So, don’t wait until December to think about Christmas! Use the time now to plan and prepare to make the most of the holiday season. Your business—and your bottom line—will thank you for it.

If you'd like some expert input, get in touch to find out more:

How To Generate More Leads For Your Architects Practice

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 20:23:53 GMT

Key Marketing Tips To Attract More Of The Projects You Want

If you're reading this article we're guessing you want to achieve at least one of these;

Improve your marketing (perhaps consistency and impact) to help drive sales by attracting more project enquiries
Increase your average purchase price by attracting clients with bigger plans and budgets
Sense check whether your team is doing everything it should be to maintain a stable pipeline and grow

Based on over 10 years hands-on experience working with businesses throughout the property sector, we've collated this blog to help.

If you'd like to see what our team can do for you, get in touch , we'd love to have the opportunity.

Check The Actual Visibility You're Achieving

Search engines; does your website appear for relevant searches, high up on the first page? If not, you need to invest in SEO and also consider ads ? Also check if your Google Business profile is appearing in the maps section?
Social media; how are you follower counts, can you tell if they are local or spread across the globe? Look at running social ads which can be targeted by town and remarketing campaigns to people who have looked at your content.
Adverts; depending on your target audience there might be a case for ads in magazines/newspapers/Parish publications and even leaflets. Potentially events too.
Other; think about directories, purchasing planning permission data, email campaigns and how to get referrals from existing customers and your network.

Make The Right Impact

It's not our place to tell you where to pitch your service but if you want to attract customers with larger budgets for their projects and your architectural fees, you need to make sure your work looks as impressive as possible. Think about how to showcase your design capabilities and invest in professional photography and video (or find an agency like Digity who can take of it). Equally, think about how your website looks/feels and what it says - if it's been longer than 2 years since you last redesigned it, we should talk as things have changed - a lot!

Build Trust and Give Choice

Your company branding and design - does it really suit the values of your target customers?
Depth of content - is it actually going to draw someone in or just rushed, bland copy with out of date images?
Are you showing off your best work in the best way?
What are your reviews like? Do you have many? How recent are they? What picture are they painting if people look?
How relevant are your team in your business? If the answer is 'very' then showcase them in your marketing.
Include case studies, testimonials etc.
If you've had any success with awards, highlight them.
We've mentioned it a few times but use your blog to demonstrate your passion and expertise...

Give Lots Of Options For Potential Next Steps - Without Overwhelming

When the marketing aspects above are working well, you need to plan out 'what next'. The people you attract could be ready to dive in and discuss their grand plans with you, or they may be at a very early stage of consideration. Examples of what we call ' calls to action ' and are worth considering here include;

Download a brochure
Request a design consultation
Map and written directions to your premises if you invite clients there (mention free parking if available)
Request a call back form
Live chat installed
Create a photobook for download
Show your phone no., email address and actual address so it's easy to find when they are ready to get in touch

See How We Can Help Your Business

Instagram Vertical Grids: What You Need to Know

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 16:01:47 GMT

Your carefully curated Instagram grid could be changing! Instagram launches beta tests for new vertical grids

Instagram is testing a new look for their well-known profile grids by introducing vertical grids, moving away from their iconic square profiles. The change from the classic 1:1 ratio grid to the more vertical 4:5 aspect ratio is being gradually rolled out across business and user profiles to test the new look. This means it’s time to adapt your Instagram strategy and content creation to ensure your feed remains visually appealing and captures your audience.

The transition from the classic grid to the new 4:5 format has the potential to boost account performance and reach, but can also have a negative impact if accounts are non-reactive and fail to adapt to the new Instagram grid format.

Don’t panic, all of your 1:1 aspect ratio content that is already on your grid and any future posts will still show on your profile, they will just be zoomed in slightly to fit the new vertical grid. Not the be all and end all for most Instagram users, but if you want to keep your grid looking fresh and well planned, make sure to make the switch to 4:5 posts going forward to keep your layout looking sleek. If you’re a big Reel poster, the vertical grid can make it easier for you to display your content as it more closely fits the Reel ratio. Plus, the new format will also broaden your horizons with Cover Photos and what you can showcase on your grid, making your profile more eye-catching for your audience.

Considering most content is now vertical, short form videos or static 4:5 ratio images and graphics, this could be a very popular move for Instagram, making it easier for users to format their content for their grids. If you’re looking for an Instagram refresh or need help with social media management and content creation, contact us today to get started on your social media marketing journey and stay one step ahead of the curve.

Boost Your Kitchen Lead Generation With Our Marketing Tips

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 16:48:10 GMT

Key Marketing Tips To Boost Your Sales Pipeline and Profitability

If you're reading this article we're guessing you want to achieve at least one of these;

Improve your marketing (perhaps consistency and impact) to help drive sales
Increase your average purchase price by attracting clients with bigger budgets
Sense check whether your business is doing everything it should be

Based on over 10 years hands-on experience working with showroom centric businesses, we've collated this blog to help. If you'd like to see what our team can do for you, get in touch , we'd love to have the opportunity.

Check The Actual Visibility You're Achieving

Search engines; does your website appear for relevant searches, high up on the first page? If not, you need to invest in SEO and also consider ads ? Also check if your Google Business profile is appearing in the maps section?
Social media; how are you follower counts, can you tell if they are local or spread across the globe? Look at running social ads which can be targeted by town and remarketing campaigns to people who have looked at your content.
Adverts; depending on your target audience there might be a case for ads in magazines/newspapers/Parish publications and even leaflets. Potentially events too.
Other; think about directories, purchasing planning permission data, email campaigns and how to get referrals from existing customers and your network.

Make The Right Impact

It's not our job to tell you where to pitch your products but if you want to attract customers with larger kitchen budgets, you need to make sure your work looks as impressive as possible. Invest in professional photography and video or find an agency like Digity who can take of it. Equally, think about how your website looks/feels and what it says - if it's been longer than 2 years since you last redesigned it, we should talk as things have changed - a lot!

Next, think about all the content you could be adding to it on a regular basis to inspire all the visitors such as; projects, case studies, blogs full of detail and insights. You likely spend your day talking to clients about intricate details and creative solutions. How much of that stays in the showroom vs making it on to your website / social media / email campaigns / articles?

Build Trust and Give Choice

When people arrive on your website, they need to be impressed and reassured that you're worth investing time in first and foremost. The money will come thereafter so make sure you showcase the work you want to attract (size, style, materials, applicants location etc. of projects). To help bring down the barriers and increase lead generation, specifically think about;

Your company branding and design - does it really suit the values of your target customers?
Depth of content - is it actually going to draw someone in or just rushed, bland copy with out of date images?
Are you showing off your best work in the best way?
What are your reviews like? Do you have many? How recent are they? What picture are they painting if people look?
How relevant are your team in your business? If the answer is 'very' then showcase them in your marketing.
Include case studies, testimonials etc.
Show logos of the brands you supply or work with. I may never have heard of your brand but if I recognise NEFF, Quooker etc. I might be intrigued.
If you've had any success with awards, highlight that.
We've mentioned it a few times but use your blog to demonstrate your passion and expertise.

Give Lots Of Options For Potential Next Steps - Without Overwhelming

When the marketing aspects above are working well, you need to plan out 'what next'. The people you attract could be ready to go on a new kitchen project but equally something may have just caught their eye for the future. Examples of what we call ' calls to action ' and are worth considering here include;

Download a brochure
Request a design consultation
Map and written directions to the showroom (mention free parking if available with clear opening hours)
Request a call back
Live chat installed
Create a photobook for download
Show your phone no., email address and actual address so it's easy to find when they are ready to get in touch

See How We Can Help Your Business

Transforming Showroom Footfall: Leveraging Social Media for Maximum Impact

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 14:01:33 GMT

In today’s digital age, the power of using social media within your marketing plan cannot be overstated. For businesses with physical showrooms — be it for kitchens, bathrooms, blinds, or cars— an effective social media strategy can significantly boost foot traffic and enhance customer engagement.

We've discussed this topic at length internally and here are a few key was your business can harness the potential of social media to make your business stand out and get ahead of your competitors:

1. Showcase Stunning Visual Content

High-Quality Photos:
Invest in professional photography to capture the beauty of your products. High-resolution images of kitchen setups, bathroom designs, blinds, or cars can captivate potential customers.
Video Tours:
Create virtual tours of your showroom. Highlight key features, unique designs, and special offers to entice viewers to visit in person.
Before-and-After Posts:
Show transformations and installations to demonstrate the real-world impact of your products.

2. Engage with Your Audience

Interactive Posts:
Use polls, quizzes, and questions to engage your followers. For example, ask, "Which kitchen style do you prefer: Modern or Rustic?" This not only increases engagement but also provides insights into customer preferences.
Respond Promptly:
Reply to comments and messages quickly. Personalised interactions make followers feel valued and more likely to visit your showroom.
User-Generated Content (UGC):
Encourage customers to share photos of your products in their homes. Repost these images (with their permission), showing real-life applications of your products.

3. Leverage Influencers and Testimonials

Collaborate with Influencers:
Partner with local influencers who have a significant following. They can visit your showroom, create content, and share their experiences with their audience.
Customer Testimonials:
Share video testimonials from satisfied customers. Authentic reviews build trust and credibility, encouraging new visitors to check out your offerings.

4. Run Social Media Contests and Promotions

Exclusive Offers:
Promote special deals or discounts available only to your social media followers. Use codes or printable vouchers that can be redeemed in-store.
Contests and Giveaways:
Host contests where participants need to visit your showroom to enter. For instance, a photo contest where they take a picture at your showroom and post it with a specific hashtag.

5. Utilise Paid Advertising

Targeted Ads:
Use Facebook and Instagram ads to target specific demographics based on location, interests, and behaviours. Tailor your ads to highlight new arrivals, special promotions, or unique features of your showroom.
Retargeting Campaigns:
Implement retargeting ads to reach people who have previously interacted with your social media profiles or website, reminding them to visit your showroom.

6. Share Customer Stories

Spotlight Series:
Feature stories of customers who have benefited from your products. Use a mix of photos, videos, and written content to share their journeys and satisfaction.
Live Demonstrations:
Host live streams where you demonstrate product usage, showcase new arrivals, or conduct Q&A sessions. Live interactions can create excitement and urgency.

7. Collaborate with Local Businesses

Cross-Promotions:
Partner with local businesses for mutual promotion. For example, a kitchen showroom might collaborate with a local interior designer, creating a joint social media campaign that drives traffic to both businesses.
Community Events:
Sponsor or participate in local events and share your involvement on social media. Highlighting your community engagement can attract local customers to your showroom.

8. Track and Analyse Performance

Analytics Tools:
Use social media analytics tools to track engagement, reach, and conversion rates. Understand which posts are driving traffic to your showroom and refine your strategy accordingly.
Customer Feedback:
Collect feedback from visitors on how they found your showroom. This can provide valuable insights into which social media strategies are most effective.

By implementing these strategies, you can significantly increase the visibility of your showroom and drive more visitors through your doors. Social media is a powerful tool that, when used effectively, can transform your business and enhance customer engagement. Embrace the digital world and watch your showroom thrive!

If you'd like to talk to us about how to improve your results, feel free to get in touch. We're also offering a complimentary digital marketing consultation session where we can find out more about your business and give you advice on the areas to prioritise and budget for.

Digity Relaunch Motion Mortgages Website

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:57:29 GMT

Replatform, enhanced features and on-going creation of rich content for this leading mortgage broker in Berkshire.

We're delighted to announce the relaunch of the Motion Mortgages website for a leading mortgage broker. We were originally approached to look at how we could enhance the website to trigger more responses from visitors as well as get more people to the website in the first place. Following a keyword audit for the market and a technical audit of the previous website, we had a clear route forward. Namely we created a strategy which would see a host of new sections be added to the website to provide more depth for visitors and a more relevant approach for Google to assess.

As we constantly say to clients now, the key mindset when growing a website is the constant feeding and development of it in terms of rich content. By taking this approach on an on-going basis you can have a significant impact.

To find out more, visit: www.motion-mortgages.co.uk

Chris Goes Bananas For Cancer Research

Mon, 27 May 2024 22:05:12 GMT

Chris took part in the 2024 Binfield 10k, bringing a fruity approach to his running attire, much to the delight of the spectators.

May is always a fit and healthy month for Chris as he dusts off his trainers for his 'last ever ' Binfield 10k race. Over the past 5 years he has put his dignity aside and donned a fancy dress costume to help out a number of great charities. This year he decided to bring some colour and life to his local village by dressing up as a big banana. When quizzed as to the sentiment and meaning behind the outfit choice, the response was profound... "I just fancied it".

Naturally doing an event like this in an outfit like that is always going to get plenty of attention and that's exactly what Chris planned on. Early on he asked himself..." what's better than a banana running round a village? ". The answer it seems was " two bananas...being chased by a monkey!! " And that as they say, was that! Chris was joined on the day by Andy Moorcroft who is a Senior Client Relationship Manager at Shoosmiths and Natasha Farr who works for the Police in the Hampshire Constabulary. The banana suit was kindly donated by someone Chris used to work with and who kindly drove it over just to ensure that Chris suffered benefited from this kind gesture. Sukhi, we all owe you big time for bringing this vision to life... ��

At the event it started a little overcast in the build-up but the sun burst through just in time for the warm up and was there to ensure the yellow of the banana could be seen for miles around. 65 mins after the starter pistol fired, Chris crossed the finish line, which in fairness, considering the conditions and the attire, was a good result. You can choose whether to believe him or not, but he also claimed to have stopped off for breakfast, otherwise in his own words..." I would have won it easily. "

The trio raised over £1,800 together plus gift aid which is the key result Chris was focused on and he had this to say at the end:

"This is always such a great event and when you arrive at the field in fancy dress, you immediately alienate 99.8% of the other runners - I mean no one wants to be beaten in any sort of race by me, let alone looking like this!! All jokes aside though, everyone was very encouraging, one runner even asked for a selfie as she overtook me so I guess I'm some kind of influencer now? The support you get in this race is phenomenal all the way round - from the kids soaking you with water pistols to the adults soaking you with cups of water, it's great fun and so well organised. The fundraising went really well too with an incredible number of generous people who were happy to support our efforts. So, I'd just like to say a massive thank you to everyone for the support in any and every capacity and if you're thinking about doing an event to raise some funds for a good cause... [insert the Nike slogan here]."

Here's the link to my sponsorship page for Cancer Research:

Simply Spines Brand Creation Ahead Of BBC Feature

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 08:53:29 GMT

Digity create new brand for leading spine surgeon Mr Christopher Dare ahead of appearance within the BBC's 'Surgeons At The Edge of Life' show tonight.

Over the past couple of months we have been working on an exciting new project which involved creating a new brand identity for Simply Spines . This business has been created by leading Spine Surgeon Christopher Dare who operates here in the UK.

Mr Dare will be featuring in the BBC Series ' Surgeons At The Edge of Life ' along with Mr Steve McGillion with a patient whose conditions are so challenging that they need to operate for over 20 hours across two days to try and give him a better quality of life.

In terms of the new brand identity which will feature on the new website (coming soon) to help patients understand more about the surgical procedures available and help prepare them for their journey ahead.

Having spent time to understand other organisations and surgeons in this space, we needed to create a unique marque for the brand which was distinctive and immediately identifiable. Here is a summary of what Gemma Parker, Digity's Head of Design, considered during the creative process:

Design

The use of abstract shapes to represent a spine in the logo not only provides a modern and unique visual identity but also symbolises flexibility, strength, and resilience, encapsulating the essence of the brand's commitment to health

and vitality.

Colour

The combination of dark blue and gold strikes a harmonious balance. The dark blue instils a sense of professionalism and trust, while the gold accents add sophistication and warmth. Together, they create a visually appealing palette

that communicates a blend of reliability, excellence, and compassionate care within healthcare environments.

Font

A modern sans serif font infuses a sleek and contemporary touch.

Next Steps In the Process

We're now busy working on completing the new website which will go live in May and play a key role in helping Mr Dare support even more patients in the future along with all the team at Simply Spines.

Want To See What Digity Can Do For You?

Whether you know what you need or are looking for advice on the right steps to take, book a complimentary call with us today to discuss your requirements and options available:

April Fools Marketing 2024

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 15:49:20 GMT

April Fools Day is a great opportunity for companies to bring their brands to life and have fun with their marketing. From giant cheese wheels to Haggis-flavoured ice cream, we’ve selected our favourite April Fools pranks from UK companies this 2024.

Iceland x Cathedral City Cheesecake

Cathedral City collaborated with Iceland for this year’s April Fools by releasing their mouthwatering “Cheese Cake”. They managed to fool the public by releasing this masterpiece on March 26th with endless cheese lovers chasing the release date, disappointed to discover on April 1st it was just another prank. However, they have come back to say “This was of course a bit of fun for April Fools Day, but due to the overwhelming response, we might need to get on to developing a real thing…” So all hope is not lost for the Cheese connoisseurs out there.

We cannot wait to see what creative marketers across the UK come up with for next year's April fools to top 2024! The Digity team may have some ideas up our sleeves so don’t be fooled… What were your favourites from this year?

We’ve Moved!

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 09:00:00 GMT

We’re excited to announce that we’ve moved to our brand new offices in Winnersh Triangle!

After 7 years in Wokingham Town Centre, it was time for a change and we’ve found the perfect environment to work, host and thrive in 2024 and beyond. Directly opposite to Winnersh Triangle Train Station and just off Junction 10 of the M4, it is the perfect link for all business, allowing easy travel to discuss your current and future marketing plans.

With private meeting rooms, collaborative spaces, breakout pods and a fantastic coffee house, we cannot wait to welcome all of our existing and new clients to our new home.

Whether you’d like to discuss your website or marketing activity or are simply passing by and want to say ‘hi’ with a coffee, get in touch!

Celebrating the Women of Digity this International Women's Day!

leanne@digity.co.uk (Leanne Gresswell) — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 17:04:50 GMT

Meet the Women of Digity

It's International Women's Day and here at Digity, we’re made up of over 50% girl power! So, we’re taking the day to celebrate all of the hard working women who help make us a success. From left to right, let's meet them:

Leanne: Our adventure-loving Account Manager who joined Digity last September, straight off the back of a motorcycle trip around Ireland. Leanne thrives on building relationships with clients, getting her head around data, and flat whites.

Gemma: Gemma is our Senior Designer and has led on many website design, branding and other projects for our clients. Gemma is also a mum to two girls and has a side business called Wax Botanix Co, selling beautifully scented wax melts, diffusers and candles.

Isla: Digity’s dynamic designer. We love the fact that Isla is self-taught in the world of design, and the tenacity that shows. When she's not weaving her creative magic at Digity, you can find her hanging out with or riding her beloved horse, Wynny.

Alice: Our Marketing Executive and social media pro, who doubles up as (pun intended) a tennis coach. Alice has an excellent eye for what engages people online and, lucky for us, she's also an expert baker with a specialism in cookies. No, you can't have her, she's ours!

Google Consent Mode V2: Keep Your Campaigns Performing

leanne@digity.co.uk (Leanne Gresswell) — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:39:17 GMT

Google requires all advertisers to implement Google Consent Mode V2 in March. Not doing so could have a direct impact on campaign performance. Here's everything you need to know:

Since GDPR was introduced in 2018, user consent and data privacy has been under a digital spotlight. Six years on, and now it’s the turn of The European Digital Markets Act (DMA), the enforcement of which means companies like Google and Meta need to have a strong handle on compliance, as they become ultimately responsible for collecting user consent. Enter Google Consent Mode V2...

Google Consent Mode V2 is Google’s response to growing concerns around user privacy and data protection. As regulations like GDPR and CCPA continue to shape the digital landscape, companies are under increasing pressure to prioritise user consent and provide transparency in their data practices. The first version of Consent Mode laid the foundation for respecting user preferences, but V2 takes it a step further, offering improved functionality and flexibility. It does so by:

Enhancing user privacy controls, allowing users to specificity the types of data they are comfortable sharing and ultimately, putting the power back in the users hands.
Employing advanced machine learning algorithms to optimise ad delivery based on the aforementioned consent preferences, meaning that the ads that users see become more relevant and personalised.
Integrating seamlessly with Google Analytics, so that marketers can gain valuable insights and better understand user behaviour, without compromising on privacy.

Google Consent Mode V2 has been designed to work seamlessly across other Google products, too, making it easier for digital marketers to navigate and implement.

So, what action needs to be taken?

The first step is to implement Consent Mode V2 on your website, which is something your digital marketing team or agency can help with. You can choose from Basic Consent Mode or Advanced Consent Mode, but Advanced is encouraged, as it means you will still be able to collect useful data even if a user rejects cookies, it will just be anonymous. Whichever Consent Mode V2 you opt for, Digity can help you get set up and make sure you’re still able to collect valuable data whilst remaining compliant.

Beyond this, there are other actions you can take to make sure your privacy policies and practices align with the changes. Such as:

Reviewing your current privacy policies and revising them (if necessary) to align with the new capabilities of Consent Mode V2.
Take advantage of Consent Mode V2’s enhanced user privacy controls, by implementing a granular consent mechanism that allows users to customise their preferences.
Educate your colleagues about the changes, to ensure compliance across your organisation.

Who do these changes apply to?

In short, anyone who has a live website and wants to collect data about its users; the digital landscape is changing and people online are becoming more attuned to where and with whom their data is being shared, and understandably want to take back some of that control. Google’s response with Consent Mode V2 means you’re able to achieve this, without compromising on valuable data and insights, so there’s really no reason not to make the shift, particularly as not doing so could have a significant impact on the performance of your Google ads.

Google’s algorithms need high quality data to target potential customers. Without this, you won’t be able to implement retargeting on other digital platforms, and you won’t be able to track conversions, meaning those valuable insights that are important to your business growth will be compromised. So, it’s in the best interest of both users and businesses to make sure you have Google Consent Mode V2 implemented as soon as possible.

If you’re an existing client, we are already working on these updates behind the scenes and will be keeping you updated. If you’re new to Digity and would like to talk to us about how we can help you implement Google Consent Mode V2, get in touch.

New Website Created for H Foster

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 00:19:53 GMT

Leading UK Supplier to Cosmetic, Skincare and Chemical Industries Chooses Digity.

Last summer we were introduced to the team at H Foster where we had the opportunity to thoroughly review their digital presence with a view to helping them continue to push their growth in 2024. This included an audit of their current website to review the SEO opportunities as well as the user journeys for the different target audience profiles identified.

There were many opportunities identified during the process which led to us completely redesigning and developing the website which is now live. The key highlights of this project included;

Creation of a new 'Applications' area to help buyers from larger organisations quickly identify the relevant products to suit their business
Enhancement of the SEO meta data throughout the website to capitalise on more organic traffic over the longer-term
Re-design of the news section with a view to feeding that more regularly
Significant improvement of the mobile appearance to capitalise on more clicks coming through from LinkedIn activity
Integration with the CRM system for reduced admin time and increased accuracy and automation

We are looking forward to playing our part in driving forward their new website and continuing to evolve it over time.

View www.hfoster.co.uk (opens new window) to see the website.

If you'd like to find out how Digity can help improve your own digital presence, get in touch today.

In Search of More Leads: Key Stats and KPIs to Prioritise

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 19:24:29 GMT

Have you ever heard the quote " Without data, you're just another person with an opinion "?

It was coined by Data Scientist W. Edwards Denning and it's fantastic. One of the incredible opportunities that digital marketing provides is access to vast amounts of data - but what should you monitor and aim to improve if you want more leads? Here's our essential guide based on 10+ years running campaigns for clients...

Lead Generation:

Number of Leads: Track the number of new leads generated through digital marketing efforts.
Conversion Rate: Measure the percentage of leads that convert into customers or take desired actions.

Website Traffic:

Website Visitors: Monitor the total number of visitors to your website.
Traffic Sources: Analyse where your website traffic is coming from (organic search, paid search, social media, referrals, etc.).
Engagement: Monitor how long people spend on your website and how much they interact (or not) with the content.

Content Engagement:

Pageviews: Track the number of pages viewed on your website.
Time on Page: Measure how much time visitors spend on your content.
Content Downloads: If you offer downloadable resources, monitor how many are downloaded.

Email Marketing:

Open Rate: Measure the percentage of recipients who open your marketing emails.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): Track how many people click on links in your emails.
Conversion Rate: Monitor the percentage of email recipients who take a desired action (e.g., fill out a form).

Social Media:

Follower Growth: Track the increase in your social media followers.
Engagement: Measure likes, comments, shares, and other interactions on your social media posts.
Social & Referral Traffic: Analyse the traffic driven to your website from social media platforms.

SEO Performance:

Organic Search Traffic: Monitor the number of visitors coming from organic search results.
Keyword Rankings: Track the ranking of the keywords you are focused on increasing in search engines.
Backlinks: Monitor the number and quality of backlinks to your website.

Paid Advertising:

Click-Through Rate (CTR): Measure the percentage of people who click on your ads.
Conversion Rate: Track the percentage of ad clicks that result in conversions.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Calculate the revenue generated per pound spent on ads.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC):

Calculate the cost of acquiring a new customer through digital marketing efforts.

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV):

Determine the long-term value of a customer to your business. Do you expect your new customer to buy once every 10 years or every 10 days?

Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) and Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs):

Define and track these two types of leads to measure the effectiveness of your marketing and sales funnel.

Customer Retention:

Monitor the percentage of existing customers who continue to do business with your company.

Customer Satisfaction:

Use surveys or feedback to gauge customer satisfaction with your products or services.

Marketing ROI:

Calculate the return on investment for your digital marketing efforts.

My advice to you would be to review the above list and see what you have access to right now and look at what you don't and find out why not? It's likely information that exists, it just might not be at your finger tips so you can probably change that fairly quickly - or challenge your agency / team to get the data together and present back to you.

The ultimate aim is to make informed decisions and that's one of our goals with every client as ultimately, that has a huge impact on the success of each and every campaign. I hope this guide is useful, if you'd like to find out more about our marketing analytics service or any other areas (our service covers all core areas of digital marketing), feel free to get in touch .

New Website for Award Winning Wedding Venue

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 00:29:35 GMT

Rockbeare Manor is a stunning wedding venue in Devon which chose Digity for a complete website redesign.

We started working with Rockbeare Manor over a year ago to revitalise the social media advertising for them and two other venues within the same group. Over that time we achieved very strong results and played our part in helping to build awareness for brides and grooms to be all over the UK. During this time as we developed more campaigns and were able to utilise their stunning photography and video content, it was clear that their website was falling behind where the venue had risen to. We therefore discussed how we could improve both the visual impact of the website whilst completely transforming how the team managed the content behind the scenes.

The key objectives of this project were;

Improve the visual impact of the website
Integrate video content within key areas
Deliver a content management system (CMS) which is user friendly for the team behind the venue to update
Migrate all the existing content and blogs
Maintain (as a minimum) the existing search engine rankings they had achieved

We're delighted to say that the website has now been live for 3 months and ticks all of the above boxes. The team are so pleased with the new website they have commissioned us to work on their other venues which we are really looking forward to starting next.

Whether you're in the market for a stunning wedding venue (or away day location?) or simply want to check out our work, take a look at www.rockbearemanor.co.uk .

If you'd like to find out how Digity can help improve your own digital presence, get in touch today.

Assessing Demand for the Keywords You're Targeting

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 16:54:40 GMT

Welcome back to our SEO series geared toward business owners who want to get the most out of their online presence. In this blog, we will focus on how to assess the demand for the keywords you're targeting. Understanding the demand can help you gauge the potential for attracting more traffic and customers. Let's get started, here is what you need to know:

Understand Search Volume

Search volume refers to the number of times a keyword or keyword phrase is searched over a given period. Google's Keyword Planner and other SEO tools can provide you with this data. High search volume usually indicates high demand. However, this doesn't always mean the keyword is right for your business. Consider factors like relevance and competition.

Look at Trends

Keywords are not static; their popularity can fluctuate based on various factors like seasonality, news, and more. Tools like Google Trends can show you how interest in a keyword changes over time. This can help you target high-demand keywords when they are most relevant to your audience.

Analyse Competition

Knowing the search volume isn’t enough. You need to see who else is ranking for your targeted keywords. Analysing the competition can give you insights into how hard it will be to rank for a particular keyword. It will also reveal strategies that successful competitors are using, which you can adapt for your business.

Find out how we can help you analyse your competition.

Commercial Intent

While high search volumes for keywords are often appealing, it's crucial to consider the commercial intent behind these searches. Commercial intent refers to the likelihood that a search query will lead to a transaction or conversion. In simpler terms, it helps you understand if someone searching for a particular keyword is just browsing for information or is ready to make a purchase.

Types of Commercial Intent:

Informational Intent: Users are seeking information but aren't necessarily ready to buy. For example, someone searching "how to fix a leaky faucet" is likely looking for a guide, not a plumber service immediately.

Navigational Intent: Here, users are searching for a specific website or page. If someone types in "Digity blog," they want to find the blog section of Digity's website.

Transactional Intent: This is the golden keyword category for businesses. Users are ready to make a purchase or perform an action. Keywords like "buy winter boots online" or "best digital marketing services near me" usually signify high commercial intent.

Focusing on keywords with high commercial intent can significantly impact your ROI. Without it, you risk spending resources to rank for a keyword that brings in thousands of visitors, only to find out that none of them are interested in making a purchase. Your bounce rate will skyrocket, and conversions will be minimal, making your SEO efforts futile in terms of business growth.

Take Advantage of Digity’s Expertise

Still wondering how to get started? Digity offers a free audit and recommendations report to new potential clients. We help you assess the demand for your targeted keywords and provide you with a strategic roadmap. Get in touch with us today!

Let's Elevate Your SEO Success!

At Digity, we believe in collaborative efforts to craft the ideal SEO strategy tailored for your business. Our digital marketing experts are keen to explore your needs and the opportunities awaiting you.

Book a complimentary call with us today!

Why Identifying High-Search Volume Keywords Is Essential for Your Business's SEO Success

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 10:20:08 GMT

Today, we're going to delve into a critical aspect of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) that all business owners should know about: the power of focusing on keywords that receive a lot of searches. Whether you aim to get more visitors to your website, want to increase your online presence, or simply want to make sense of how search engines work, you've come to the right place. Let’s break it down!

What Do We Mean By "High-Search Volume Keywords"?

Before we dive into why this is important, let's clarify what we're talking about. When we say "high-search volume keywords," we mean phrases that people frequently type into search engines within a certain period. This is an important factor for SEO experts, as it can tell you how much potential traffic a specific keyword could generate for your website. In simple terms, the more often a keyword is searched, the more visitors you could potentially get.

Boost Organic Website Visits

The main objective of SEO is to bring in more organic (unpaid) traffic to your website. By aiming to rank for keywords that many people are searching for, you're essentially putting out a welcome mat for a larger pool of potential customers. Did you know that the first five organic search results on Google get nearly 68% of all clicks? So, being visible for high-search keywords can significantly bump up your website visits.

Maximise Your Return on Investment (ROI)

SEO takes time and effort, so you want to make sure it's worth it. By targeting keywords that many people are searching for, you're more likely to see your efforts pay off. More traffic usually means more potential customers, especially if your website content is relevant and valuable to the visitor.

Beat the Competition

In today's digital marketplace, competition is fierce. If your competitors are showing up for popular search terms and you're not, you're missing out on potential business. By ranking for these high-search keywords, you not only grab back some of that audience but also position your brand as an authority in your field.

Leveraging Professional Expertise

Now, as you understand the gravity of ranking in keywords volume, you might wonder, "Where do I start?" or "How can I effectively harness this potential?" At Digity , we've got you covered! We recently introduced a free audit and recommendations report for potential new clients. This comprehensive assessment allows us to delve deep into the current state of your website. Not only do we focus on the keyword terms you aim to rank for, but we also identify other noteworthy terms to consider. Furthermore, we take it up a notch by analysing a couple of your competitors. Our insights can provide you with a clear roadmap and competitive edge in your digital journey.

Let's Elevate Your SEO Success!

Book a complimentary call with us today!

5 Top Tips for Effective Web Design

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:41:08 GMT

Designing the right website for your business can be a challenge. Not only do you have to create the right aesthetic, but it’s also vital to factor in site speed, different devices, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and User Experience (UX).

Fitting all of these together to create a great website can be a complex process, but it doesn’t have to be a challenge if you understand each piece of the puzzle. Here are the top 5 things everyone should do when creating a website for a business:

1. Balance the Colour Scheme

As there are so many different shades and tones to choose from, it can be easy to get carried away with colour. Although bright and bold colour schemes are favourable to a lot of designers, it’s important not to put too many together when creating a website.

This can overwhelm the site and become quite imposing, so it’s recommended that you stick to a simple palette - typically using your brand’s colours - upon neutral background hues. This allows for key features, like call-to-action buttons and menu items, to pop more and really grab the attention of your site’s visitors.

At Digity, we have experienced designers who understand the importance of colour schemes and regularly create pleasing palettes for our clients.

2. Incorporate SEO

Although it isn’t very exciting, SEO is a vital part of all website design. After all, what’s the point in designing a great website if it doesn’t have a fighting chance of being seen?

When designing a website, some elements of SEO that web designers should include are:

How to use header tags appropriately, like <h1>, <h2>, <h3> etc
How to optimise images to speed up loading times and decrease the bounce rate - this is the percentage of visitors who only view one page on your website and leave without taking any actions
How the part of a link that identifies a certain page (for example, a slug) can affect organic search rankings

Of course, there are other complex elements of SEO that web designers should understand - but that would be another article in itself. Our Design Team have the knowledge and expertise to incorporate SEO into your site effectively, allowing you to trust that the job will be done well. Find out more about this here .

3. Be Thoughtful with Your Images

The website you design needs to showcase the absolute best of your business, so it’s only right to make sure you choose them carefully.

Not only do they need to be of a high quality - nothing fuzzy or out-of-focus - but they should also be relevant to the content on the page. If you’re designing the ‘Meet the Team’ page, then having a beautiful image of your product or service probably won’t be the right thing to use.

The last thing to note about thoughtful imagery is that you should pay attention to the type of file you’re using, as this can impact the loading speed of your website pages. Understanding the difference between a JPG and a PNG will do wonders for your website’s design.

4. Use Responsive Design

Visitors will come to your website on a variety of devices with different screen sizes, so it’s imperative that you cater to each one when designing your website. Every user deserves a great experience, so you need to make sure you optimise your site to have a responsive design.

Whilst it can be exciting to incorporate exciting elements like animations and gradients into your design, it’s far more important to spend time developing the UX and UI (User Interface) of your site to ensure that visitors have a good experience.

Our designers are well-versed in creating functional websites that work well for all visitors, always taking the time to test and improve the user’s journey and experience. Speak to our team about your requirements now.

5. Understand the Principles of Web Design

Although design as a whole is subjective, there are fundamental principles that well-designed websites have in common.

By taking the time to understand the fundamentals of great composition, typography, colour theory, UX and UI; you’ll be able to scale up your website’s design to blow your competitors out of the water.

Alternatively, you could enlist the help of seasoned web designers who are already experts! At Digity, our Design and Content teams work together to create well-thought-out websites that deliver results to our clients.

Let's Maximise Your Social Media Strategy!

At Digity, we believe in collaboration to create the perfect social media plan for your business. Our digital marketing experts are ready to discuss your needs and opportunities.

Book a complimentary call with us now!

Goodbye Twitter, Hello X

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:32:41 GMT

There's Another Brand New Social Network in Town... No Wait... It Looks Familiar But They're Replaced The Bird With a Delete Key.

So it seems that the media world hasn't given Elon Musk enough attention again in the past week or two so he's decided to make a bit more noise and take the attention away from Twitter by renaming it X. It's a fascinating development and one which has been planned for sometime apparently, to align the network with the parent company.

Whether you're a fan of Elon or Twitter, you can't deny this was a great move to get everyone talking about his social network again and not Meta's. I actually like the boldness of it, I did make a joke on LinkedIn about it being ironic he's renamed the social media lots of people are deleting with the icon of the delete app button but fair play. Overall it has given it a fresh feel to it and we'll see if it helps people move on from the recent sagas - personally I can't see it being enough but if hype is anything to go by, he's won that battle this week.

See what you think and let me know.

Chris

Threads - Here's What You Need to Know

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 12:18:23 GMT

Threads - What's All The Hype About?

If you have been living a disconnected life over the past few weeks, you may not have heard about the new social media network from Meta (the guys behind Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp etc) called Threads .

It's a new app which has been created to directly target twitter and indeed has a very similar and familiar feeling interface. Having joined it straight away I can predict two things;

It will appeal to the masses who are leaving the twitterverse due to all the nonsense which is going on based on how Elon Musk is feeling on a daily basis.
I can't see myself using it for business or please.

Re point 1, time will tell and let's be honest, it's not like Meta is particularly high in public opinion as far as I see it - more of a necessary evil, trying to make money out of (and pay for) people's online communications. It is indeed a bit of a liberty that anyone try and monetise a free to all set of tools

As for point 2, I really enjoyed being on twitter around 10 years ago when I was building my business. I wouldn't say it's ever been a particularly valuable area for Digity or our clients but it was a good online networking and education ground for me. With that in mind, I therefore don't really see what Threads is going to offer which will change my mind on that - or even convince me to give it any time to give it a try. As with the whole meta set-up, there could be some interesting advertising opportunities that come from it but right now for where our company is focused and indeed, many of our clients, I just don't see the fit.

Should your business be on Threads?

Guess what my answer is here..."it depends". Sorry to sit on the fence but let me put it this way, my advice re social media networks never differs - if your target audience are active there, you should be there. If not, put your time into places they are, whether that's focusing on getting rankings in Google for words being searched or serving content/ads to your audience.

For most companies, it's a "watch this space" brief for the time being. In my opinion, unless you are absolutely smashing it on the other networks, leave this for now and focus on getting the fundamentals right in your digital strategy before getting too distracted with this.

Is there anything we should do right now on Threads?

Once piece of advice I'd offer is to consider signing up with accounts to try and protect the usernames / handles which mirror your other social media networks just for consistency. It's not the end of the world and right now there is still talk about how these will be displayed and made available but if you have the time and inclination, that's probably worth considering.

I hope that's helpful / reassuring for the time being. Whilst some brands will make it work and ride the initial wave of enthusiasm, I'll be interested to see who is still talking about this in a month's time and who indeed has switched across from Twitter.

Chris

Meta's Twitter Alternative: Unlocking New Avenues for Business Growth

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 10:22:01 GMT

In the ever-changing world of social media, Meta (formerly Facebook) is shaking things up with its bold move: launching a Twitter alternative. With a vision to redefine the way we connect, Meta's latest endeavour has the potential to revolutionise the social media landscape. So let’s explore how Meta's Twitter alternative could be the game-changer we've been waiting for.

Recreating the Microblogging Experience

Fast Company's article sheds light on Meta's vision to revolutionise the microblogging experience through its Twitter alternative. With Twitter facing challenges such as declining popularity and ongoing issues related to content moderation and user engagement, since the control of Elon Musk, Meta saw an opportunity to introduce a platform that offers a fresh perspective. By leveraging their technological expertise and user insights, Meta aims to create an engaging, user-friendly, and content-rich microblogging platform that could redefine how we connect and share information.

Diversification Beyond Facebook

Meta's pursuit of a Twitter alternative is part of its broader strategy to diversify beyond its flagship platform, Facebook. By entering the microblogging market, Meta is expanding its portfolio and positioning itself as a multi-faceted social media company. This strategic move highlights Meta's commitment to staying at the forefront of evolving trends and meeting the changing demands of users.

Addressing Challenges and User Needs

The challenges faced by Twitter, such as content moderation and user harassment, have created a demand for a safer and more inclusive microblogging experience. Meta's Twitter alternative has the potential to address these challenges by incorporating innovative features and robust content moderation strategies. By focusing on user needs and creating a positive and engaging environment, Meta aims to attract users who are seeking an alternative that provides a more enjoyable and secure microblogging experience.

Unlocking the Power of Immersive Technologies

Meta's integration of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies into its Twitter alternative brings exciting possibilities for immersive advertising experiences. Imagine being able to showcase products or services in virtual environments or allowing customers to virtually experience your offerings. With Meta's innovative approach, businesses can create captivating and interactive advertising campaigns that leave a lasting impression on users, driving engagement and conversion rates.

Monetisation Opportunities

As Meta's Twitter alternative gains traction and attracts a substantial user base, monetisation opportunities arise. Advertising, sponsored content, and premium features are potential revenue streams that Meta can explore. This not only benefits Meta but also provides opportunities for content creators and businesses to reach their target audiences in innovative ways. The ability to monetise the platform strengthens Meta's position as a leading player in the social media industry.

Meta's Twitter alternative presents an array of benefits for businesses seeking to leverage social media to enhance their online presence and drive growth. As the launch of Meta's Twitter alternative draws nearer, businesses should be prepared to explore and capitalise on the unique opportunities this game-changing platform presents.

Let's Maximise Your Social Media Strategy!

At Digity, we believe in collaboration to create the perfect social media plan for your business. Our digital marketing experts are ready to discuss your needs and opportunities.

Book a complimentary call with us now!

New Website To Showcase Surelay UK's Incredible Work

Mon, 15 May 2023 07:00:03 GMT

New website projects are always exciting, as they give businesses the opportunity to showcase themselves online and put their best foot forward. But how exactly does the process work?

When we were approached by Surelay UK Ltd, a leading surfacing company based in Wokingham, we were asked to create a brand new site which would elevate their online presence. Here’s how we did it:

Carefully Planned Web Design

The client’s old site worked well and did display their excellent work, however there were areas that didn’t quite do them justice. This provided an excellent opportunity for our Design Team, as they were able to be creative and experiment with how best to enhance Surelay UK’s digital presence.

One of the first ways in which this was done was by assessing the colour scheme, as the colours on the old site were slightly dated. As the nature of Surelay UK’s work is very visual and they deliver it to such a high standard, it was vital that the design elements of the site reflected their premium service.

This is why the colour scheme was narrowed down to just white and yellow, as reflected in their logo, for a clean and minimal combination which wouldn’t make the site look busy. Combined with the use of high-quality images and attractive icons to represent their services, the new site effectively reflects the high standing of Surelay UK as a business.

It was also important to their team that potential customers trusted the quality of their service, so we decided to add some logos of their previous clients. These include the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Royal Collection Trust, so not including these logos would have felt like a missed opportunity!

Website Optimisation and UX (User Experience)

Another crucial step in designing this new website was optimising it for all devices, so this is exactly what we did. By taking the time to do so for each device individually, we were able to ensure that anyone visiting Surelay UK’s website would have a great experience no matter where they were or what device they were using.

We then tested all of the different formats and elements to make sure that the UX was as great as it could be, assessing everything from ease of use and navigation to load speed. All of this came together with the design to make sure that the new website would not only look great, but work well for visitors.

Clear Website Copy

As trusted and reliable tradesmen, the team at Surelay UK are always honest with their customers and get straight to the point - so it was important that the website was no different.

The team themselves are friendly and approachable, so this was also something that we worked hard to convey within the copy whilst reiterating their knowledge and experience. By really taking the time in our meetings with Surelay UK to get to know their values, approach and business goals, we were able to find a tone and writing style which would work well on their website.

Want to See What We Can Do For Your Business?

At Digity, we have been designing, building and maintaining high-quality websites which increase our clients’ awareness and sales for over a decade. Get in touch with our team now to see how we can help you.

The Top 5 Benefits of Posting LinkedIn Articles

Sat, 15 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Last year, HubSpot found that only 3 million (out of the vast 740 million users) on LinkedIn create and share original content on a regular basis, despite it being the most beneficial platform for B2B networking and marketing.

And this hasn’t gone unnoticed by the platform, which often boosts the content of those who take advantage of its features. However, many seem to be unaware of one of the most powerful: LinkedIn Articles.

This feature has been available to users since September 2021, allowing them to publish long-form content of up to 100,000 characters. So, why should more businesses be taking advantage of this?

1. Increase your Awareness

Not only do LinkedIn Articles appear in searches on the platform itself, but they also–more importantly–show up on organic searches on Google.

You may decide to publish the same piece of content on your website’s blog and on LinkedIn, however it’s likely that ‘LinkedIn’ appearing in the URL of the LinkedIn Article will allow it to rank higher on Google SERPs .

2. Become a Thought Leader

Longer form content allows for more analysis, insight and detail into the topic of your choosing, which you can then showcase directly to your network by posting a LinkedIn Article.

By taking the time to create high-quality and thoughtful content which would be suitable for your audience, you’ll be sure to frame your business in a position of authority–more so than in a regular 700-character LinkedIn post.

3. Increase Dwell Time

Similar to the way in which Instagram views swipes on carousel posts , the LinkedIn algorithm largely favours dwell time as a form of engagement.

Of course, longer posts will take longer to read which will increase your dwell time and reflect well on your company page’s overall engagement.

4. Reach A Wider Audience

This ties in with our second point as the best, and most thought-provoking, content is what earns the most engagement and shares. In turn, this will allow your articles to gain more reach from new users who haven’t come across your business before.

The nature of long-form articles is what makes room for this, so be sure to post LinkedIn Articles of a high quality to ensure that they get the attention they deserve.

5. Repurpose Old Content

You may have great content already on your website that is still relevant or evergreen , so why not republish it on LinkedIn?

This will boost it on Google searches (as previously mentioned) and allow your content to get seen by a newer, more active audience on social media.

Fundamentally, LinkedIn Articles are a great vessel for publishing long-form content which will positively impact your online presence in many different ways. The only downside is that it will take some time to strategise how to use LinkedIn Articles effectively.

At Digity, we have over a decade of experience in all facets of digital marketing, so our team can take the time to create the right strategy and content for your business. Get in touch today to find out how we can help your business succeed: Contact Us

Let's talk

At Digity, we have a collaborative approach to help create the right social media strategy for your business. Book a complimentary call with one of our digital marketing experts who can discuss your needs and opportunities further:

Buying Your Blue Tick: Is Social Media Verification Still an Achievement?

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 07:54:20 GMT

After the announcement that Twitter Blue and Meta Verified will launch later in the year, the once coveted Verification symbol on social media will soon be available to those willing to pay a monthly subscription.

This also comes with other enhanced features such as direct account support and increased visibility, making it easier than ever for businesses and users to have their content reach a wider audience.

Naturally, this has led to the same question being asked by business owners everywhere: “Now that it’s a service that can be paid for, should I invest in it for my business?” Well, that all depends on how you choose to look at it. Here are some things to consider before deciding if you should become social media verified when subscriptions are introduced:

A Blue Tick is Still a Blue Tick

Although social media verification is becoming available to purchase, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t a worthwhile investment. After all, that little blue symbol next to a handle immediately adds a layer of legitimacy and prestige to the account in question.

This immediately builds trust with those online, thus helping you to lay the right foundation to gain credibility and customers. So, in that sense, it is definitely still worth the investment.

There Will (Likely) be Many More Blue Ticks Than Before

Although it’s impossible to predict a definite outcome, the nature of social media and influencer marketing leads us to believe that many will be whipping out their cards to pay for a subscription - which will cause one of two reactions.

On the one hand, the surge in verified accounts across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram may cause the credibility we previously discussed to diminish slightly, as blue ticks become more common. After all, if anyone willing to pay can have one, why should they be trusted?

Alternatively, it’s possible that the increase in blue tick accessibility will cause social media users to view them in the opposite light: if a verification only needs to be paid for, surely every business will have them. If a business account is found without one, the legitimacy of the brand or business could be called into question when surrounded by a sea of verified competitor accounts.

It’s a Worthwhile Business Investment

Ultimately, the subscription appears to offer a host of new features which would be largely beneficial to businesses on social media. Not only will business accounts gain enhanced support and visibility, but the entire user experience is said to be improved for those who pay for a subscription.

In this way, paying for your business to have a social media verification is much like any other investment - it’ll reap the long-term benefits of an elevated status on social media, which will aid in your marketing efforts across different platforms.

All of this teaches us that, despite a blue tick becoming easier to obtain, it definitely will still be worth having.

Let's talk

At Digity , we use a holistic approach to measure and improve your social media marketing strategy. Book your complimentary call find out more.

3 Reasons why Social Media Isn’t Working for Your Business

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 08:00:00 GMT

In the age of memes, hashtags and iconic clap-backs on Twitter, social media has become a huge part of everyone’s lives. This has led to a natural rise in social media marketing, as accessing and communicating with consumers has never been easier, regardless of where they are in the world.

The vast majority of reputable businesses now have an active social media presence and a stable marketing strategy across different platforms, so why do some do well and others don’t? If you’re currently within the latter, it’s likely that there are some elements you’ll need to address:

1. You’re Neglecting Other Parts of your Marketing

The addictive and exciting nature of social media can mean that it grabs and consumes our attention - which is great if you’re a business trying to target customers. However, it’s important not to fall victim to this yourself when planning your marketing strategy.

Social media is a wonderful, and essential, tool in your digital marketing kit, but it’s no good if it acts alone. If your website isn’t easy to use or you’re not working on SEO , your social media marketing will only take you so far.

This is why we cover every base for you, from web design and keyword research to blog content and - you guessed it - social media. By having all of these work together as part of a bigger picture, your marketing will be more likely to yield genuine results.

2. You're Not Engaging with Your Followers

It’s all well and good to post regularly and to have a lot of relevant content go out each week, but if your social media marketing ends there, it’s likely that you won’t get a lot of traction from it.

Your social media is a huge part of the way in which your company’s personality is communicated, so you need to be active in engaging your audience. By liking & responding to comments or creating opinion polls, you can show your audience that you care about what they want to say. There’s very little point in starting a conversation on social media if you have no intention of seeing it through.

Of course, you’re likely to be busy running your business. Fortunately, our team is well-versed in active social media engagement. Whether it’s engaging with other content from your account or communicating with followers, we can take care of it all so you don’t have to.

3. It’s All About You

First and foremost, social media marketing should promote your brand. After all, that is the whole point. However, social media is a place to build an online community and talk to others - so it should be used as such.

If your content is purely a collage of your work, services and achievements, it has the potential to appear as if your company cares very little about anything else. Instead, try occasionally posting about a piece of industry news or asking your followers for their opinions.

By doing so, you’ll do more to create a personable and well-intentioned social media persona for your company, showing your followers & customers that you care about their opinions.

Fundamentally, social media marketing is as much about balance as any other part of your marketing strategy. No one technique or method will help you promote your business, and you need to spend time fine-tuning the details of your social media marketing.

This is how we can help, as our team has years of experience in developing successful social media strategies and campaigns. But first, we offer a complimentary call to help us understand your specific requirements. Get in touch with us to discuss your social media marketing today.

Let's talk

At Digity, we use a holistic approach to curate and deliver successful social media marketing . Get in touch to find out more.

Digity can Audit Your Competitors & Help you get Ahead

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 10:28:18 GMT

There’s more competition online than ever before, with new businesses cropping up every day in every industry. So, how do you get the upper hand? Fortunately, our Competitor Analysis Service is here to help.

By auditing your digital marketing performance and that of your competitors, we can find out exactly where you’re succeeding and identify where you could improve. This involves us undertaking a deep dive into several key areas.

SEO - How You Rank In Search Engines

One of the best ways to get more conversions and sales is to get more traffic to your website, which is something your competitors will also be trying to do. However, there are a lot of moving parts that go into this which you’re most likely too busy to monitor. This is why we’ll do the work for you, comparing each part of your SEO with that of your competitors including:

Traffic estimates based on current rankings (no. of keyword variations and positions)
Keyword research (looking at words you want to rank for on Google, words your competitors use to attract traffic and any that we identify for you to target)
Linking strategies (identifying which links to focus on, helping to build the reputability of your site)
Page-by-page analysis (ensuring you’re giving Google the right signals and establishing a credible relationship)

By breaking all of this down for you, we can help you understand where you’re doing well, and what might need to be addressed.

Website Usability - How You Convert Visitors into Customers

There’s very little point getting people to your website if the experience isn’t good when they arrive. After all, a website which is difficult to navigate or not aesthetically pleasing has the potential to drive users straight back to Google to find one of your competitors.

This is why we’ll assess and compare your website with theirs in order to identify the negatives and positives of each. From the initial design through to the user’s journey, we’ll help you to see how your website can be made stronger, and where it’s already performing well.

Social Media - Where Should you Focus and What Should you Expect

Last, but by no means least, comes social media . If your website is the digital home of your business, your social media presence is the smiling face that gets out into the community and invites people to visit.

It’s important to assess as your competitors could very well be outperforming you on social media in certain areas. By taking a closer look at their presence and yours, we can find out what you’re doing that’s working and what we might need to work together to re-strategise. From posting schedules and engagement to social ads, we’ll cover every base to help you move forward. We can often see the ads your competitors are running too.

So, that’s our breakdown of Digity’s Competitor Analysis Service, which has proven a hugely successful tool for our clients in order to improve their digital presence.

How Do I Request A Competitor Analysis?

The fee for this service is calculated based on the number of other companies you want us to assess and the size of their digital footprints. We, therefore, offer a complimentary consultation call to run through your goals and competitors. This then helps us give you a full, fair quote and assign the work to our team.

Click here to book your initial call now:

At Digity, we use a collaborative approach to measure and improve your digital marketing strategy. Get in touch to find out more.

5 Tips for Content Optimisation for Every Social Media Platform

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 16:11:36 GMT

As much as all the social media platforms differ, there are some common tricks of the trade that never go wrong when creating killer marketing content.

You may have a great strategy and be putting out frequent marketing posts, but how do you know if they’re actually working? As much as something may be interesting to you, it may not appeal to your audience in the same way. But how do you combat this?

Like most concepts, there’s an art to creating successful social media campaigns that yield genuine results. By considering everything from tone and messaging to the form your content takes, you’ll be able to dig deep into your marketing personas and reach the right audiences.

Here are our Top 5 tips to do this:

1. Evoke Humour & Emotion

Whether you’re sharing a funny meme or a more personal story to pull at people’s heartstrings, using your content to stir up an emotional response will humanise your brand. This is more important to consumers than ever, as connecting to brands based on their culture and standing on social issues is becoming a high priority.

Whether you choose to make these connections by discussing important social issues or by sharing a silly meme or GIF, your content will be sure to gain more engagement by making people react.

2. Create Short Videos

The rise of TikTok has taught us quite a lot about marketing, namely: that short-form videos are more likely to be consumed during a scan, and that they don’t require professional creators or big budgets to create and publish.

Most social media platforms have now created some form of short-form video interactions, which you can find out more about here .

This has led to a lot of successful engagement, helpful metrics and another great way for brands to connect with their followers. To support this blog post we produced this video to drive more interest:

3. Invite Followers In

Big brands and companies can often come across to followers as stiff and corporate; leading to the alienation of potential customers and leads. By posting content that’s relatable, you’ll humanise your brand and show followers the people behind the corporate screen.

Some examples of these could be:

‘Day in the life’ videos
Memes or funny photos from the office
A tour of your workplace
Live demos of your products or services

4. User-Generated Content (UGC) Is Key

UGC includes photos, videos, screenshots and memes created by other users on social media . But, how is this useful to you and your brand?

It catches the attention of the original creator or their followers, and it works well to engage them. It also draws on the popularity of something that has already been made and well-received, cutting back on your efforts by providing you with content that’s proven to be successful–without copying anybody. By being respectful and sharing the content appropriately, crediting the original creator, you’ll be sure to engage them or their followers successfully.

5. Create Interactive Social Content

The more engagement your content receives in the forms of likes, comments and shares, the more it’ll be favoured by the algorithm and pushed out to wider audiences. This makes the most effective way of ensuring your content reaches people is by starting a conversation and by inviting followers to join in, which you can do so by posting:

Polls and quizzes
Giveaways or promotions focusing on likes or shares
Q&As
Photo captioning contests

Whether you’re a new brand just beginning to establish your social media presence, or you’re looking to freshen up your approach and grow your following, these five tips are tried and tested to help you create great content for your brand’s image.

All you have to do now is try them for your business...

Let's talk

5 Ways A Good CRM System Boosts Sales

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 01:00:00 GMT

At Digity we spend a lot of our time focusing on helping clients to stand out in their market and generate more awareness. From there we look at ways we can influence those browsers and turn them into buyers, either directly online (e-commerce) or through lead generation. Often the most crucial component to increasing revenue and profit, and regularly the weak link for many businesses, is having a good CRM system in place. CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management and systems such as Zoho, Pipedrive, Salesforce etc. which you may have heard of, are designed to help companies build better relationships with their customers.

The basic premise of a CRM system is to centrally record key data about your customers (past, present or prospective) which is then available to others within the team and used to provide a higher level of customer service. For example it could contain basic contact information, purchasing activity, live opportunities to sell them something new and more. It can also be used for support and many now integrate with email accounts so you can have a central, live view of all emails exchanged between any of your team and that particular person.

One of the best factors about having an efficient CRM system is the visibility of how much you have in your pipeline (or not in some cases). Sometimes we go through past or existing customer lists with clients and simply ask the question "what else could we sell these guys?". It's such a simple exercise but is so powerful, the idea them being to log all those bright ideas in the system as future opportunities to develop with that customer.

As you can tell, I'm very enthusiastic and positive about the value a good CRM system has for any business, so have outlined 5 key points below to talk through why you should too:

The Value of a Good CRM

INCREASE FOCUS
It helps focus your sales pipeline to progress opportunities, through having them sat in-front of you at all times
REMINDERS
You can set reminders for when to follow-up with prospects and avoid missing good opportunities in future (i.e. if someone shows interest and says call me back in 3 months you can make sure you don't forget!)
AUTOMATION IMPROVES RESULTS
You can use automation to look more professional and maintain consistency (via email templates, automatic replies etc.)
REPORTING INSIGHTS
Reporting tools can pull all your data together and help you forecast more reliably, also highlighting your bid to win ratio (and that of anyone within the team) overall and by source
MINIMISE THE DIPS
It gives you opportunities to focus on during any 'quiet' spells in the business - we have clients selling to people who made enquiries years ago which didn't go anywhere - they just weren't quite ready!

I think I could easily write another 5 but for now I'll leave it there. If you'd like some input and advice in regards to how you can manage and convert leads more effectively, keep in touch with existing customers and key contacts regularly and win more business than ever... get in touch .

Visiting Glenside to Capture Exciting New Content

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 09:00:00 GMT

We recently paid a visit to our Commercial Interiors client, where we had the opportunity to take photos and videos of their stunning new showroom as well as get involved in an exciting new filming project.

When it comes to digital marketing, there’s never a dull day. No two clients are the same, which means that our work days are always packed with a variety of tasks to tackle. From content creation to SEO and scheduling, there's always something new.

However, when we were recently invited by Glenside to capture content from their brand-new showroom and to be involved in some video shoots, we were definitely excited to step away from our desks and get stuck in! Here’s what we got up to.

Capturing Content

This is an exciting part of any digital marketer’s job at the best of times, but we were thrilled to go to Glenside’s brand-new showroom and get free-reign to grab photos and videos of the showroom floor.

They have a very large office floor to showcase all of their different designs. This was exciting, and required careful planning to make the most of our time on site and produce valuable creative assets to utilise going forward. Fortunately, the team over at Glenside were patent enough to give us all the time we needed.

This meant that we essentially got to spend an afternoon photographing and filming lots of gorgeous design elements–from flooring and carpets to hybrid spaces and soundproof pods. Not to mention a variety of different beautiful office templates that Glenside offers to their clients, depending on their budget and the space they have available.

Planning Ideas

Following the success of this trip, Glenside followed up with a new request which involved researching and storyboard planning for additional video content for their website. We have a lasting relationship with their brand and so they wanted our thoughts on how to best capture their essence.

In order to find the right angle and approach, We thought it would be best to do some competitor research to see how similar brands were presenting themselves.

We then looked at certain elements that we felt would work for Glenside and put them together into an order of what we thought would be appropriate for different pages, as well as some additional ideas of our own. This proved to be a rewarding process, as Glenside loved our ideas and invited us to come and take a hands-on approach to the shoot itself.

The company video is now complete and the team at Glenside are very happy with the final result.

Digity works collaboratively with clients to capture high-quality content in keeping with brand image to work perfectly with a strong social media strategy. If you'd like to see what our team can do for your business, get in touch to find out more

Digity’s Ultimate Guide to Evergreen Content for SEO

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 15:41:16 GMT

Ever wondered how to constantly stay relevant? Well, the answer lies in evergreen content. Here’s how you can harness it to maximise your marketing strategy and in particular, SEO .

What is Evergreen Content?

Taking its name from seasonally-unaffected trees, evergreen content is search-optimised content that always remains relevant over time. This can vary from the form of the content to its subject matter, as there are certain topics and templates that people will always search for online–but more on that later.

Why is Evergreen Content Important?

If your business lies in an ever-popular niche, you perhaps have never considered the advantageous position this puts you in–or maybe you have, but you’ve not been able to put a name to it.

Consider the ways in which content can move in cycles: certain news articles and trends experience spikes in search traffic, but these often fizzle out as quickly as they appear. By producing content which will always hold a high level of relevance, you’ll continue to stay in demand as the seasons change. Not only that, but you’ll continue to boost your SEO and drive more traffic to your website!

It’s for these reasons that evergreen content can be helpful to any marketing strategy, as every business can benefit from producing content which stays relevant long after its publication; growing search traffic and brand credibility with it.

How To Create Evergreen Content

Producing evergreen content can be a lengthy process, but is proven to yield results time and time again. If you’re looking to reap the rewards, then let’s revisit the road we began to travel down earlier by discussing how evergreen content can be achieved in two ways:

1/ By Topic

As previously discussed, the topics you choose mustn’t be time-sensitive and should hold consistent search traffic potential. This is best achieved by doing your keyword research to really find what will work best for your brand and will maintain relevance.

You can do this by brainstorming certain topics that you’d like to target in your written content, and see how they perform by entering them into Semrush . This will give you a look into how competitive these are, as well as a list of related keywords which you can use to see if there are other evergreen topics you can target in your content.

It’s then worth taking the successful results you gained from this process and checking whether or not they have had a positive trend over time–a free and useful tool for this is Google Trends . If they’ve shown to perform well over the years, keep them. And if not, get rid; helping you create a refined list of evergreen topics for your content.

2/ By Form

The other surefire way of making sure your content never goes out of style is by using templates that people always search for. This is something that isn’t as commonly considered, but is an equally effective method of helping your content stand the test of time. Here are some examples of evergreen forms that your content can take:

‘How to’ Guides - Consider the countless times you’ve wondered ‘how to’ do something, prompting you to search it online–it’s a lot, right? Well, there’s no need to be embarrassed. Almost all of us are exactly the same in this way, meaning that creating content in this form will help it rank higher and gain a lot of traffic over long periods of time.
Extended Lists - Audiences are always looking for ideas, inspiration and to find out what options exist out there for them. However, the internet is so flooded with information that content which simply lists different items won’t hold your reader’s attention for very long. So, by adding helpful details about the items in your list and including real-life examples to provide context, you fill in those blanks for your reader and do the work for them. Most people seek convenience above all else, so creating an extended list packed with detail is the right way to keep traffic flowing.
Ultimate Guides - Guilty as charged! If you can move past any initial feelings of betrayal, let me explain why I’ve done this. Ultimate guides are detailed and contain lots of sub-topics, giving your reader an in-depth explanation of a concept and providing them with all of the answers they need. People will always look to credible sources of information, so making sure that you cover every base and include useful and relevant tools will keep your content evergreen.

So, you’ve now been armed with how to find the best topics alongside some relevant templates to create great evergreen content. I’m sure you know what’s coming…

Should I Combine the Two?

The short answer? Absolutely! By placing a topic which will always hold a captive audience into a reliable template that’s easy to read, your content will outlive the competition. And your brand will reign supreme.

If you’re curious about how else to boost your marketing strategy, get in touch with us to find out about all the tools we have to help your brand succeed. Equally, if you'd like to find out more about our SEO service, we offer a complimentary audit and consultancy session to show you what we can do to boost your results.

Key Signs You Need a Digital Marketing Agency

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 08:33:38 GMT

It’s more important than ever to be growing the online presence for your business. Here are five common scenarios that point to the need for a digital marketing agency like Digity:

1. You Don’t Have a Defined Marketing Strategy

If you’re unsure of where to start with your marketing strategy or what to include, coming up with an effective plan can be incredibly difficult. There are a variety of elements required such as establishing specific goals for what you want to achieve and then identifying the key channels to employ in order to achieve success.

For example we would assess the role of your company website, social media accounts, email, advertising platforms and more. Alternatively, you may have great ideas with regard to these areas but may not know how to implement them effectively.

Fortunately for you, agencies like us have the right people with the key skills you need. With the knowledge and experience to provide you with a strong strategy and help you understand the latest trends, you’ll be placing your marketing strategy in the right hands to help your business succeed.

2. Your Business Doesn’t Have the Resources

Navigating and implementing a digital marketing strategy requires some expensive tools, as well as a skilled marketing team in order to use them well. This leads to paying more salaries within your business as well as the added stress of managing more people.

This doesn’t have to be the case though. Contrary to popular belief, investing in a digital marketing agency is actually much more cost-effective than paying for marketing tools and hiring an entire in-house team. Not only that, but we can actually keep up with your business as it grows, unlike an in-house team who would have to grow simultaneously in order to keep up.

Furthermore, Digity works with clients in order to tailor packages to suit their needs, and amend them as these change over time.

3.Your Competitors are Killing it Online

If you do a quick check on your competitors and notice that they’re well-established and excelling online, it will be apparent that they’ve either got a strong marketing team or that they’ve invested in a digital marketing agency.

The best way to compete with this is to be more effective (arguably more focused), so why not work with a digital marketing agency in order to enhance your USPs and really build a strategy which helps you stand out?

An added service that Digity offers to our clients is an in-depth competitor analysis, through which we can investigate your progress and see how to strengthen your position in the current market. In doing this, we’ve helped clients to increase their rankings and boost traffic to their websites, putting them above their competition.

4. Your Sales and/or Profits are Declining

Every business experiences ebbs and flows when it comes to sales, and unfortunately the low periods can last a while despite your team’s best efforts. If your website is outdated or your strategy isn’t appropriately targeting quality leads, this can negatively affect your business sales.

This is exactly what digital marketing agencies are for. By working with your sales team in order to update your website, boost brand awareness and implement a great marketing strategy, your sales will be sure to improve.

5. You’re Preoccupied with Other Aspects of Your Business

At the end of the day, you have a business to run. This more than likely means that your other business focuses are prioritised ahead of your marketing.

Hiring a digital marketing agency can reduce your stress and help reduce your workload, as we can take control of your marketing efforts and allow you to focus on running your business.

If any of these signs resonate with your business as it currently stands, then finding a reputable digital marketing agency to meet your needs may be the best thing for you. Luckily, Digity is here to help. Get in touch today.

Digity have a wealth of expertise in digital marketing , from elevating your social media presence to helping you keep up with current trends. Get in touch to find out more now.

Strengths and Weaknesses of chatGPT

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 13:30:03 GMT

What's all the hype about? Find out from the Service itself as well as my own experience so far...

If you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you may have never heard of chatGPT . If like many though, you've heard lots of excited/slightly scared discussions about how it's going to help students complete essays in under a minute and write meaningful social media content in seconds, this article will be useful for you. FYI the photo above is one I found by searching 'AI' on a stock image library, the rest of what you're about to read was actually generated by chatGPT - you don't get a dog and bark yourself...

-------------------

Me:

Write me an article on the strengths and weaknesses of chatgpt

ChatGPT:

ChatGPT is a state-of-the-art language model developed by OpenAI that uses deep learning techniques to generate human-like text. It is trained on a massive amount of data and is capable of understanding and generating a wide range of language, making it a powerful tool for a variety of natural language processing tasks such as text generation, machine translation, and conversation simulations.

One of the main strengths of ChatGPT is its ability to generate highly coherent and fluent text. It can complete sentences, paragraphs, and even entire articles with a high degree of coherence, making it a valuable tool for tasks such as text summarization and content creation. Additionally, ChatGPT can understand and respond to context in a way that mimics human-like conversation, making it an excellent tool for chatbot and virtual assistant applications.

Another strength of ChatGPT is its ability to generate text in a wide range of styles and formats. It can generate text in the style of news articles, poetry, stories, and much more. This makes it a versatile tool for a wide range of natural language processing tasks.

Despite its many strengths, ChatGPT does have its limitations. One of the main weaknesses of the model is its lack of understanding of common-sense knowledge and world facts. It may generate nonsensical or incorrect information if it has not seen similar examples of information during its training. Additionally, while ChatGPT can generate text that is highly coherent and fluent, it may still contain errors and inconsistencies, especially when it is tasked with generating text on a topic it has not been trained on.

Another weakness of ChatGPT is that it can generate text that is biased towards the data it was trained on. This can result in text that contains stereotypes, offensive language, and other forms of bias. As the model is trained on data from the internet, it might reflect the bias present in the data.

In conclusion, ChatGPT is a powerful and versatile language model that can be used for a wide range of natural language processing tasks. However, it does have its limitations, such as a lack of understanding of common-sense knowledge and world facts, as well as the potential to generate text that is biased or contains errors. Despite these limitations, ChatGPT is a valuable tool for many applications and continues to be improved upon by OpenAI.

-------------------

There's no doubt about it in my mind that this is already a fascinating and very powerful tool which will play a key role in the future development of AI tools and how we use them in business. Microsoft have already made a multi-billion dollar investment into it and we're seeing more and more AI tools show up so it's a massive space which is evolving at pace.

Two More Strengths

I'm sure there are many but two key ones I want to highlight are:

1/ Price - It's currently free, you just need to sign-up but they want mass adoption for a number of reasons, not least to speed up the learning curve and improve the accuracy.

2/ Speed - It's incredibly quick. The above was generated in just a few seconds and I have examples of other articles I've trialled it on for my own research where it's generated a lot of depth in a very quick timeframe (less than a minute). I actually quite like the way it generates the text too as I find myself reading as it types to take in the information which in many cases, is what I really want - fast access to relevant knowledge.

Two More Weaknesses

Whilst I didn't have too much extra to add, having played with it for a couple of months now, two additional weaknesses are;

1/ Availability - It's clearly getting hit hard at the moment and is increasingly unavailable as sensible times of the day, albeit readily available in the evenings when my brain is full of questions to ask.

2/ Validity - The final point to highlight is that at the time of writing this, the database behind it goes up to 2021 so if you're asking questions requiring an up-to-date view/research, it will struggle. The clever thing though is that it is very honest and will tell you if it thinks what it may present could be dated/invalid.

Have a look if you haven't already and think about how you could embrace AI in your own business:

https://chat.openai.com/

5 Ways We Can Improve Your Social Media Presence

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 08:00:03 GMT

You know how to run your business, but do you know how to develop a social media presence which has a genuine value? Here are five things we do at Digity to ensure our clients get the most out of this key area:

1. Develop a Strategy

The beauty (and the curse) of social media is that it’s constantly evolving, so it can require a lot of time and energy to come up with an effective strategy to stay ahead of your competitors.

Of course, this is less than ideal when you have a business to run and lots of other duties to balance–which is where we come in. As an established agency with years of experience, we can take that stress away by strategising for you.

By trusting us with your social media strategy, you’ll be leaving it in the hands of a strong team who knows what works–meaning you can run your business with reduced stress.

2. Create Relatable & Relevant Content

Due to the wide and varied use of social media, it can be hard to know how to create strong content without feeling like you’re screaming into the void. Unless you really take the time to research what it is your customers are engaging with, it’s likely your content may not have as much reach as you’d like.

This is why we take the time to stay on top of social media tools and trends, as well as SEO , to understand what it is exactly that your target audience is searching for online and what they enjoy looking at.

We can then use this to create formulated content which will boost engagement and enhance your social media presence–all without you having to slow down or divert your attention from your other responsibilities.

3. Stay Active & Engage with the Audience

This is perhaps one of the most important points we’ll go over. After all, strong content and a good strategy are only as effective as the relationships you form from having these.

You’ll be noticing a common theme by now - maintaining a social media presence takes time. And whilst we understand that the most important relationship you’ll have with your customers will come from the business that you do, your social media engagement will lay a strong foundation and show your audience that you care.

This is what you can trust us to handle, as we take the time to nurture these relationships and help create high-quality leads online.

4. Post on a Regular Schedule

Part of the formula for a strong social media presence is regular posting, as it’s your way of showing up on your audience’s feeds. If you don’t keep showing your face, you won’t build up an effective brand persona online.

This is why Digity use great tools and platforms to schedule posts ahead of time in order to keep your posts consistent. These are hugely beneficial as they allow us to plan your content in advance and stay ahead of the game, allowing room for new campaigns and ideas in the future.

The best part of this is that, by allowing Digity to take care of this for you, you won’t have to invest in these tools yourself–saving valuable money and time.

5. Minimise the Blatant Promotion & Use Platforms as a Communication Tool

This final point is one that sadly gets lost these days. Social media is a fantastic thing for businesses, as it allows brands to build up an online persona and reach more potential customers. But we can’t forget how it allows us to do these things.

First and foremost, social media is a communication tool. It’s for bringing people together online–which is a wonderful thing. One that most people value more than being sold to all the time.

Because we have this understanding at Digity, we know how to use social media in a way that relates to people and makes them feel valued. We do this by taking the time to work with you to understand your company’s values, which we can then use to really communicate with your audience in the best ways possible.

This isn’t to disregard promotional content at all, as it really is essential to your online business. But Digity can help you find a good balance to improve your online communications.

Digity have a wealth of expertise in social media marketing , from elevating your social media presence to helping you keep up with current trends. Get in touch to find out more now.

Rank Higher on Google with Digity’s Competitor Analysis Service

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 08:00:05 GMT

With the rise of new businesses competing on Google showing no signs of slowing down, the market is more competitive than ever. Thankfully, Digity are able to give you an edge, as we offer an in-depth Competitor Analysis report to keep you at the top of your game.

When it comes to measuring how well you’re performing against others in the market, Digity investigate every aspect of your digital marketing strategy. Here’s a breakdown of how we’ll do it:

SEO Analysis

If you’re looking to get more traffic, you’ll need to see how well you’re doing–and the largest playing field in the game of digital marketing is arguably Google. This can also make it quite difficult to navigate, which is why we do all the key work for you.

To really get into the detail, we break down the SEO analysis into four sections, putting you against your competitors for each:

Traffic estimates based on current rankings (no. of keyword variations and positions)
Keyword research (looking at words you want to rank for, words your competitors use to attract traffic and any we identify you should target)
Linking strategies (identifying which links to focus on attracting to aid your cause)
Page by Page Analysis (ensuring you’re giving Google the right signals and establishing a credible relationship)

This provides you with all the relevant SEO information, from the areas in which you’re standing tall to the ones in which we might need to work together to re-strategise.

Website Usability

This is the natural next step after assessing the SEO potential, as once we are clear about how to generate more traffic, we need to review the user journeys and our confidence in your website ’s ability. Equally, it’s really valuable to review your competitors in exactly the same way, so that’s what we do.

The best way to approach this is by scrutinising each site closely to find all the negatives and positives–so that’s exactly what we do. We map all the strengths and weaknesses for each site to compare; helping make yours stronger and as relevant as it can be.

Social Media Analysis

This is the third and final step of the process, but by no means the least important–we all understand that a strong social media presence is perhaps the easiest way to build brand awareness online. This is why we take another close look at how you’re doing on social media alongside others in your industry.

We’ll analyse each company’s social media presence–from the platforms used and their followers on each to their engagement and how regularly they post. We can even see the ads they are running on Facebook/Instagram if relevant and include that within our findings.

By putting up a magnifying glass to each, we were not only able to see how well-established you are on social media against your competitors, but also measure the engagement of your customer base. This will once again allow you to see your strengths and weaknesses in this area, giving you a clearer picture of how to proceed.

So, there you have how we can provide an excellent competitor analysis service for your company–arming you with all the information and tools you need to stay hot on your competition and continue to stay on top online.

To find out more, get in touch with us today and we can talk you through the options and relevant fees. We offer a complimentary first consultation call to run through this and discuss the next steps.

3 Reasons Why Social Messaging is the Future of Customer Service

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 14:58:48 GMT

With the vast majority of communication occurring online, it’s no surprise that customer service is following suit.

We all live very busy lives nowadays–places to go, people to see, and jobs to get done. It can occasionally get quite intense. This means that our time is considered more valuable than ever so, more often than not, most customers would rather not sit on hold for half an hour with a customer service representative.

Enter: social messaging. It’s quick, convenient and, unlike a cancelled phone call, guarantees a response. It’s been a long time coming and could be the primary source of customer service communication quite soon. Here are three reasons why this may be, and how your brand can prepare:

1. Supporting Social Commerce

It’s no secret that a lot of commerce is now moving to social media –you only need to search your favourite brand’s Instagram page to find that they’ve made it possible for you to shop there. This is also prevalent on Facebook Messenger, making customer service accessible at the touch of a button. For this reason, it’s more important than ever that brands have a solid strategy in place and the tools to provide excellent customer service via messaging

2. Providing One-To-One Customer Support

We’ve all been there: being put on hold and reconnected from one department to another, whilst becoming increasingly frustrated as our issue that prompted the call goes unresolved.

Social messaging cuts all that out; providing a quick and direct solution to any order inquiries, product questions, billing issues and more. Moreover, it’s a great way to humanise your brand and build personal connections, enhancing customer satisfaction.

3. Redirecting Public Questions and Complaints

As undesirable as it may be, it’s always going to happen. How many times have you seen a Tweet or a @mention of a customer airing their grievances to a brand publicly? Often, customer service interactions are best dealt with privately where they’re more likely to divulge all of the necessary information. This makes social messaging the ideal solution, as it gives customers the appropriate setting in order to resolve whatever issue they may have.

Ultimately, social messaging is now part of the mainstream. It’s become an ideal tool for fast connections and resolutions, so if your brand hasn’t already moved to social messaging for customer service, it’s something that might be worth considering for the future.

Digity have the tools and expertise to help your brand build an established social media presence and combine it with a strong strategy. Find out more by visiting our website now.

See Us At The Thames Valley Expo, Reading

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 16:43:47 GMT

Visit us at stand 77 to see how we can help improve the impact of your online marketing activities.

Building on the success of the event at Ascot Racecourse earlier this year, we're delighted to return to the Thames Valley Expo. and this time it's at Green Park, Reading. We've posted a link to the official event website below where you can register for a free ticket to gain access to the event and attend a wide range of expert talks.

This time round, we're offering visitors the chance to book 121 appointments with our team to find out more about your business and evaluate the opportunities to boost your impact. Given how busy it's likely to get, this just ensures you can have a meaningful discussion on the day and then potentially leave us to assess the situation further and follow-up accordingly. Simply click the button below to book your session:

New Brand and Website for Matt Browning Electrical Contractors

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:36:10 GMT

Recently we were approached to create a new brand and website for Matt Browning Electrical Contractors, and we’re delighted to see it all go live.

As a trusted electrical contractor with a number of high-profile clients including the NHS, Ella’s Kitchen and many others, the team at Matt Browning Ltd trusted wanted a logo and website that better represented their growing reputation and give them a more defined identity. They approached us to handle the whole process from start to finish.

Brand Development

The first stage of the project consisted of brand development. We carried out a series of workshops with the client to find out more about their business, competitors, goals, personality, and vision for where they wanted to be. This allowed us to develop a number of new concepts, from which we took on their feedback and carried out further refinement and then selected the one they believed reflected them the best.

In addition to the logo, we evolved the branding elements including fonts, colour palette and icons that would be used across the website, working in partnership with the client to design a website that matched their goals.

Sitemap Development

We reviewed the current website, researched competitors and looked at Google Analytics to inform the development of the new website sitemap. A big development with the new website was that it would include a page for every industry Matt Browning worked within, to help improve SEO and expertise within key areas.

Matt Browning also wanted to make their case studies more prevalent, so we made these prominent around the website and available within the navigation, to showcase an established portfolio of their work. This is an area they will continue to add to as time goes by and the focus of this project is evolution as their business continues to go from strength to strength.

Website Copy and SEO

For the website copy , we discussed the finer details of topics with Matt Browning which gave us a full picture of their services to communicate these on the new website. One key aspect we considered was how technological innovation leads to new opportunities for their business. For example, they are currently heavily involved with electric vehicle charging point installations both for businesses and high-net-worth individuals.

We conducted SEO research to discover keywords that we would target throughout the copy, headings and meta descriptions and more to improve SERP rankings. We also optimised all off-page SEO, to ensure the new website would rank as highly as possible.

The Result

We are proud to have created and launched a professional, refreshed website ( www.mattbrowningelectrical.co.uk ), that portrayed Matt Browning as a much more modern and established electrical contractor, with revamped branding and a new logo that could be used across both online and offline marketing. It’s already bringing in leads for the business and we look forward to rolling out more campaigns.

The website is often just the start of clients’ journeys with us. Our digital marketing service is designed to help clients excel online and grow offline.

Get in touch to find out what we can do for you.

There’s Nowhere to Hide: Three Ways in Which the Metaverse Will Change Marketing Forever

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 14:09:00 GMT

With the Metaverse fast approaching, we need to prepare for every industry to change in some way or another. With the marketing beast being ever-evolving, here’s three ways in which it’ll adapt to its new virtual reality:

1. Audiences Won't View, They'll Experience

By creating an augmented reality for users to step into, the Metaverse has upped marketing from a thing audiences see to a concept that they’ll experience. This means that the very core of digital marketing will change:

What now takes the form of flat images, videos and documents will soon evolve into immersive experiences thanks to the Metaverse. This will mean that marketing will change at its core to become much more personal, interactive and natural for users to experience. Whether they find themselves in a virtual or augmented world, users will definitely experience a big shift in the ways in which they engage with marketing.

2. Virtual Spokespeople (VSPs)

These may have seemed completely out of reach just a few years ago, but promotional content is due to evolve into AI-driven avatars that will engage users in promotional conversations. Acting on behalf of paying sponsors, VSPs will operate in two very powerful ways:

By passive observation: this might consist of users passing VSPs engaging in conversation about a certain product or service. An example of this could be two simulated best friends being placed near a targeted consumer in a virtual or augmented shop. The consumer may assume that these are fellow users such as themselves and not realise that they were injected into the environment as a form of advertising.
By direct engagement: this is self-explanatory, as it will likely consist of users being directly approached by VSPs who will engage them in conversation regarding a specific product or service. It’ll be the direct marketing of the metaverse.

No matter how these VSPs are placed, it’s important to consider how these will impact the ways in which users will interact within the Metaverse, as it may lead to certain levels of mistrust or misunderstanding. This brings us to our final way in which the Metaverse will change the marketing industry:

3. Predatory & Unsafe Practices will Evolve

If you consider the ways in which a lot of dangerous communities operate online, it’s worth preparing for the ways in which they may seek to target individuals when the Metaverse emerges.

A rather extreme example of this could be by creating streets full of posters containing political propaganda or extremist messaging for one user to walk down, whilst others on that same augmented street are seeing posters promoting alternative parties or ideas. This amplifies the dangers of altered experiences for the sake of promotions, as in this case, it could drive people from their current thoughts and ideas to create social divides.

For this reason, it’s important that regulations are put in place in order to protect consumers in the metaverse from predatory uses of product placement. A simple but effective measure to put in place could be to make sure that all VPPs (Virtual Product Placements) are easy to visually differentiate from the physical products we find in the real world.

Measures such as this would not only protect consumers from being misled by promotionally altered experiences, but they’d also benefit the marketing industry as a whole. Without regulations such as these in place, the trust that individuals place in marketing could completely disintegrate as they question whether anything they encounter in the Metaverse is authentic.

These are just three of the many ways in which the marketing industry will be altered with the emergence of the Metaverse, as it’s sure to have a knock-on effect in lots of other ways. After all, it’ll be the biggest shift since the emergence of the internet; leading every industry to adapt in some way or another. But that doesn’t have to be a scary thought, provided that user safety is at the forefront.

When it comes to digital marketing , this is just one of the key insights that Digity hold as a reputable and experienced agency. To find out how we can help you with your digital marketing needs, get in touch now.

Digity Launch New Website for The SMART Group

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 09:13:29 GMT

The SMART Group manufacture and supply a leading range of products to the clinical aesthetics industry and have been a client of ours for over two years. They wanted a website which showcased their product offering, personalised the journey based on target audience and boosted their commercial opportunities via lead generation and e-commerce sales.

As with all projects here at Digity, we started by evaluating all the commercial opportunities available for the client which would come from re-designing and re-developing their website. This was an on-going process over a number of months which enabled us to create a technical spec. in addition to a refreshed style guide and positioning piece.

The opportunities identified included;

Creating greater awareness of the entire product range by showcasing all devices in-depth
Increasing lead generation by providing more information and showcasing relevant video footage and device information
Enhancing the appeal of each product by tailoring design elements/creative and written content to suit the intended target audience. With devices costing from a few thousand pounds through to £60k+, the target audience for each device varied significantly so the information needed to resonate
Increased sales conversion by enabling prospective clients to see how much revenue they could generate with each device (via customised product revenue calculators)
Ability to transact faster by taking device deposits through the online shop
Ability to attract repeat custom by selling relevant product accessories/consumables through the online shop

This led to a journey which saw the evolution of the SMART Group's main branding in addition to the product branding within it and a fantastically in-depth website has been created:

In terms of what stood out on this project:

Trust from the client to enable us to evolve their previous colour palette/branded assets , to suit their desired target audience.
Creation of a new and clearly defined site map which makes it easy for browsers to find their way around the website via a number of different options across all key devices.
The challenge when working with a lot of technical data is that you can become too detailed and lack visual impact. It's therefore vitally important that you strike a balance and lead people into finding out more rather than trying to present it all immediately (and driving them away). Throughout our design process we evolved the designs and created a really well balanced set of product information pages which are already inspiring visitors and helping to turn browsers into buyers.
From a technical perspective, we were working with a number of custom animations which included custom java script modules, as well as integrating a CRM system and e-commerce store so the stability and reliability of the website's core functions were absolutely paramount. Equally we were integrating a third party ecommerce platform via API.
Ultimately the client was investing in this project to boost lead generation and having worked with us for over two years prior on their digital marketing, we knew how and where to position the relevant calls to action and inspire valuable contact.

Overall, this project has already proved to be a success from the leads generated in the first month of it going live. We will be working closely with this client to keep pushing their digital marketing forward and continually evolving this website to match their business objectives.

If you would like to find out more about how our team can help you make the most of your website design and the digital marketing activity around it, get in touch:

Welcome Isla - Our New Designer

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 07:36:24 GMT

We’re delighted to welcome Isla as Digity’s new Designer!

A dedicated equestrian with a love of design, Isla formerly worked as an Information Governance Administrator for the NHS for four years. Whilst forming good relationships with her colleagues, Isla realised that her heart wasn’t really in the work itself and so chose to begin a different career.

Feeling inspired by equestrian champion Charlotte Dujardin, Isla decided to pursue her own passion for art and illustration by training to become a graphic designer. Having regularly practised and completed digital illustrations, she felt there was no time like the present to develop her skills and become a designer full-time.

This led Isla to complete several online courses as well as an Extended Diploma in Art & Design, all balanced alongside her former role and horse riding three times a week! Excitingly, this gave Isla the courage to apply for new opportunities, making us lucky enough to find and welcome her as our new Designer.

Isla has only been with us for a few weeks, but has already settled in as a wonderful addition to the team, getting stuck in–creating graphics for several of our clients, website editing, meeting with clients and much more. She even attended an important final meeting recently; ironing out the details with a client before the launch of their new website this month! It’s been quite an intense start in the middle of a busy month, but Isla has really hit the ground running.

What is your power song?

Raver by KAVERN

Who is your dream client and why?

Longines because I have a passion for horses and the equestrian sport.

What is one word to describe you?

Open-minded.

What is your takeaway of choice?

Sushi.

What are three things still left on your bucket list?

Visiting Bali, owning my own horse and living abroad.

If you could have any one superpower, which would you choose? and why?

Teleportation - because I'd love to visit destinations without needing the time to travel.

What is your favourite GIF?

Want to find out how our team can help your business achieve its digital marketing goals? Get in touch now.

Welcome Nina - Our New Content Executive

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 08:31:08 GMT

This month we welcome Nina to the Digity Team as our new Content Executive!

A bookworm with a flair for writing, Nina graduated with a 1st class degree in Musical Theatre in 2020. Realising that due to the pandemic there were few opportunities for her to pursue a career on stage, she decided instead to follow a different path, using her creativity to bring words and stories to life. Inspired by her dad who works in marketing, Nina took the initiative to pursue her passion by undertaking a copywriting course after she graduated.

During the course, she studied everything from blog writing to email marketing and SEO - giving her a broad range of knowledge and skills for entering the world of marketing. She finished the course with a distinction, and says that doing the course ‘was the best decision I’ve ever made.’

Fast forward a couple of months and we were lucky enough to welcome Nina to the team in the role of Content Executive. Nina’s first two months have flown by as she gets up-to-speed with our clients, processes and how we achieve success. She’s settled right in, worked hard and produced lots of great content as well as scheduling hundreds of social posts, updating content across multiple websites and more. She’s done a lot in a short space of time, taking it all in her stride and we look forward to seeing her continue to grow within the team.

What is your power song?

High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco

Who is your dream client and why?

Carb Club because they're my favourite small business and I'm obsessed with their pasta bowls.

What is one word to describe you?

Short.

What is your takeaway of choice?

Are you joking? Chinese, obviously!

What are three things still left on your bucket list?

Travelling Asia, Travelling South-America & Travelling Europe (again, I graduated during the pandemic.)

If you could have any one superpower, which would you choose? and why?

Talking to animals - I like them better than people.

What is your favourite GIF?

Want to discover what bright ideas and transformations we can bring to your online presence? Get in touch now.

“Duet This With Your Reaction”: How Older Social Media Platforms are Adapting to the New TikTok Landscape

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 15:01:46 GMT

With TikTok causing an extreme surge in short-form video content in recent years, other social media platforms are adding options to match TikTok’s ‘duet’ feature.

Due to Tiktok’s extreme growth brought about by the pandemic in 2020, short-form videos have become one of the most popular forms of content on social media. This has led to several changes, one of the most prominent being Instagram introducing (and favouring) their own match to the TikTok video; the reel. However, it seems that this was only the beginning.

Anyone familiar with TIkTok will be aware of the option to ‘duet’ existing videos. This essentially splits the screen and allows a person to film their own content alongside the video, usually in the form of a reaction. This has proven to be extremely popular, as users are able to interact with other creators by creating–not just in the form of likes and comments.

This hasn’t gone unnoticed by the teams over at Snapchat and Instagram, who have been working to rival this feature with their own versions. Now these are up and running, they’ve been rolled out to users.

For anyone unfamiliar with the updates, let’s take a closer look:

Instagram

Any avid users of the app will be familiar with its own match to the TikTok video, the reel. These have been dominating the platform and are often favoured by the algorithm over photographs (much to the dismay of some users).

However, since the rollout of this feature and observing the popularity of Tiktok Duets, Instagram began work on their own “Remix this Reel” feature. This has now been made accessible to all users when they tap the options section on the corner of a reel.

Snapchat

Due to the fundamental nature of snapchat, it’s had to adapt much less than Instagram in order to survive the new TikTok age. However, they’ve still introduced their own “Remix Snap” response tool in order to allow their users to interact with video messages.

Due to being listed as a form of response in the app, it bears more similarity to TikTok Duets than Instagram’s answer to the feature.

But what does it mean?

From what we can see, this is most likely just the beginning of a change in the landscape of social media since the arrival of TikTok. Short-form video content has become incredibly mainstream, so it’s worth considering the other ways in which other social media platforms are going to have to change with the times.

This isn’t to say that everyone in social media marketing should be on TikTok–it just might be worth getting to know some of its original features. After all, they will most likely start to emerge onto other platforms in the future.

Digity have a wealth of expertise in social media marketing , from elevating your social media presence to helping you keep up with current trends. Get in touch to find out more now.

Is P2P Marketing the New Influencer Marketing?

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 14:26:59 GMT

Taking a closer look at how it can benefit your business.

P2P (peer-to-peer) marketing is far from new. Long before the rise of social media and influencer marketing culture, consumers have always trusted the recommendations of the people that they know. Be it from friends, family members or colleagues–the power of word-of-mouth has always been valued.

This doesn’t devalue the effectiveness of influencer marketing at all. In fact, it can be a brilliant opportunity to get more reach for your brand and increase sales–if you have the budget for them. Celebrities and macro-influencers in the UK are known to charge upwards of £10,000 for a single post on Instagram, whilst micro-influencers with around 100K followers charge around £350.

With this in mind, small and medium-sized businesses often search for more accessible marketing methods . Plus, influencer marketing won’t gain as many impressions from those who have more trust in recommendations from people they know. So, P2P marketing may often be a lucrative answer.

What is P2P Marketing?

Peer-to-peer marketing (commonly referred to as P2P), is when consumers make recommendations about products or services to their peers. By using personal recommendations and reviews, P2P marketing is an effective tool for reaching new audiences.

What do P2P and Influencer Marketing do differently?

On the surface, it’s easy to assume that influencer marketing may be the better option for gaining more reach for your brand than P2P marketing. And, to an extent, this is definitely true.

Due to large social media followings, influencer marketing casts a wider net in terms of brand awareness. It’s also extremely quick; displaying an endorsement or a recommendation to thousands of people at the press of a button.

However, P2P marketing achieves a different goal: by tapping into an existing customer base to recommend products or services, it has the potential for much faster conversions.

Essentially, influencer marketing is great for building brand awareness and getting your message out there. However, P2P leverages the power of human relationships, encouraging consumers to take action.

What makes P2P Marketing so effective?

As previously mentioned, word-of-mouth marketing has been effective long before social media. People have always been willing to share their thoughts on products or services–be it positive or negative–making P2P marketing fundamentally useful.

Not only that, but 93% of consumers trust their friends and family above any other source of recommendation–be it from blogs, review sites or social media platforms. In combination with being considerably more budget-friendly, it’s understandable why so many businesses turn to P2P marketing over that of influencers.

How do you start Peer-to-Peer marketing?

The hope is the same for every product or service: that it will be so incredible that customers can’t help but recommend it to other people. Unfortunately, no matter how wonderful your offering, a recommendation isn’t always guaranteed.

Here are 3 methods to organically prompt P2P:

1. Always ask for reviews and recommendations

You know what they say: ‘you don’t ask, you don’t get’. And this very often applies to this scenario: after a transaction, many customers are happy to go along with their lives and won’t think to consider leaving a review or recommending your brand. So, simply leaving a reminder to do so is always a good idea.

2. Carry out NPS surveys to gauge your customers’ satisfaction

In order to increase P2P marketing, understanding how your customers feel about what you’re selling is crucial. This can be easily measured by asking Net Promoter Score questions such as:

“On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend?”

By finding out your score, you then have the opportunity to bump it up. Is anything preventing your customers from recommending your product or brand to their peers? If so, this can be found out and addressed.

3. Incentivise referrals and recommendations

Offering your customers discounts or freebies is a great way to secure a referral, as everybody wins. Interestingly, the mistrust some people have towards influencers due to the fact that they get paid isn’t applied to a recommendation from a peer. They still trust that person’s opinion due to their existing relationship, so a discount or freebie won’t deter them from buying.

On the contrary, there’s actually an added layer of trust here. After all, a customer is unlikely to give a false recommendation to secure a discount for a brand that they don’t actually like, or that wasn’t right for them. Therefore, peers receiving these recommendations may actually be swayed even more to invest in your product or service.

So, is P2P marketing a good strategy?

In short–yes it is. There are many reasons why P2P marketing is on the rise in the same way that influencer marketing once was. And there are lots of great ways to start using it to your brand’s advantage, if you feel that it’s right for you. Whether you choose to invest in P2P marketing or not, just remember that it’ll only work as well as part of a killer overall strategy .

At Digity , we have all the tools required in order to deliver exceptional digital marketing services to a wide variety of clients. Find out more by visiting our website now.

Riding The Instagram Carousel

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 08:00:29 GMT

How to tell an effective story without going round and round.

When it comes to marketing on social media effectively, you’ll never go wrong with storytelling. It’s engaging, relatable and appeals to the human side of all of us. But the question remains: how should our stories be told?

Is it best to post a photo, or a reel? Or multiple photos? Should the caption tell the story? The options can be overwhelming. But this where any marketer would do well to remember an ever-growing favourite on Instagram: carousel posting.

What is a carousel?

Instagram carousels allow the user to put up to 10 photos or videos into the same post. While it’s impossible to know whether the algorithm favours carousels specifically, there are a few factors which really set them apart from other forms of content:

Carousels reach more users than individual photos or videos, meaning they earn more comments and shares
If a carousel isn’t very highly engaged, it’ll be pushed back onto feeds with the second image at the forefront
A swipe on a carousel is registered as engagement. And the more engagement on a post, the more it gets pushed by Instagram.

How do I post a carousel?

So, now we’ve covered why a carousel is such an effective storyteller. Next comes the nitty-gritty. Here’s our step-by-step guide to creating a killer carousel for Instagram.

Like all effective marketing tools, there has to be a method to your madness. So, we’ve broken down the slides to abide by the AIDA principle:

Slide One: Attention - a really strong caption and an eye-catching image will help draw your audience in, encouraging them to make that first swipe
Slide Two: Interest - here is the perfect time to introduce your product or service using an interesting hook
Slides Three-Nine: Desire - this is the time to tell your story. Use short, bold sentences in combination with engaging images to really build up the desire for your product or service. Don’t be afraid to really sell the narrative.
Slide Ten: Action - end with a strong and sharable call to action to really help drive the story home

This is our tried and true formula for telling stories via carousels, and we’ve found that it never misses. Ten slides can feel like a lot but also a little, so by using each one for a specific purpose, we really feel like we’ve cracked the code. And now you can do it too.

So… Is carousel storytelling right for my brand?

With a wealth of effective storytelling techniques out there, it can be tough to decide where to invest your time and resources. But, when broken down, we find that Instagram carousels are effective for one simple reason:

They offer stories in a truly accessible form. And a story which can be reached is one that can be shared and loved. So, why not take the opportunity to tell your story and to connect?

Digity offer a range of services and expertise in Digital Marketing . Visit our website today to make an enquiry.

To Be Or Not To Be: Advertising During a Recession

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 09:00:00 GMT

With expenses rising and financial security becoming tenuous, is it smart to continue marketing your brand?

It goes without saying that the current climate is creating a lot of financial uncertainty. And, therefore, a lot of business owners are wondering how to best direct their spending to tackle times of hardship.

A common reflex for businesses seems to be to cut their marketing budgets. On the surface, this is an understandable reaction. After all, it feels safe to assume that consumers won’t have a lot to spend on your products or services. However, the past has taught us that soldiering on with your marketing strategy is the best thing you can do to reap the benefits.

Why Continue Marketing?

It can feel like a big risk to continue to invest in your marketing strategy in times of uncertainty, however there are many reasons as to why it may just save your brand:

Competitive Edge

By remaining present while your competitors drop back, you’ll find yourself at an opportune time to be able to reposition your brand, or even introduce new products. Take advantage of the lack of background noise to really get your message out there.

Staying Relevant

By keeping your marketing strong, you can continue to grow and change as marketing always does. Take Netflix as an example: they kept marketing a new medium for home cinema through the Great Recession in 2008–and they changed home viewing forever. Be a Netflix, and not a Blockbuster.

Cheaper Advertising

One of the few upsides to a recession is that the cost of advertising actually drops. Studies into this have shown that direct mail–usually considered to be more costly–increases during recessions, enabling greater short-term growth.

These are just a few reasons to maintain a strong marketing strategy during this kind of time. But, we’re aware that this may sound easier said than done. Don’t panic, we’ve got a carefully-considered action plan to help you through.

How do I Keep Marketing?

In such unpredictable times, it may feel tempting to change your marketing strategy quite

drastically. However, history has shown that readjusting the focus is all that’s needed to remain successful:

Target your ads more carefully

Times like this are perfect for taking a step back and analysing your consumers. Are you reaching your target demographic? Or, are you finding success with an unexpected audience? Whoever it may be, really hone in on them with your advertising. This brings us to the next step:

Focus on maintaining brand loyalty

It’s more important than ever to keep customers coming back at a time like this, so don’t neglect them for the sake of drumming up new business. A great way to maintain those relationships could be through loyalty programs or email marketing.

Adapt your messaging to the climate

By offering short-term price incentives or special promotions to accommodate those who don’t have a lot to spend, you can still boost sales and grow your business during a financially-trying time. By reading the room and showing your customers that you care, you’ll never go wrong.

Sell the benefits of your brand

It’s always worth reminding potential customers of your brand’s value: what sets you apart? How can you help them? Why must they act now? As we mentioned earlier, it’s never a bad idea to take advantage of your quieter competitors during a recession.

These methods are based on what we’ve seen work in the past–proving that those who bravely continue with their marketing strategy don’t just survive recessions. They go on to thrive.

BNI’s founder Dr. Ivan Minser lives to tell us such tales–when asked how he kept his business growing during times like these, he famously replied, “I refuse to participate in the recession!”

Digity have provided outstanding digital marketing services for over a decade. To see how we can assist you, visit our website today.

The Digity Best Practice Guide to Creating High-Quality, Converting Emails

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 08:00:07 GMT

Email is one of the only channels that gives you a direct line to leads and customers individually.

99% of customers check their email every day, while 80% of business professionals believe email marketing increases customer retention ( Hubspot ). If your goal is to improve sales and grow your brand’s reputation, email marketing is an invaluable tool.

That being said, email marketing is often a missed opportunity, neglected by businesses due to lack of training/knowledge, or simply because they do not realise its impact potential. We work with clients across all different industries , in both B2B and B2C, to get them in front of new audiences, re-engage with old prospects, and inspire their current customers, prospects and suppliers.

But how do we create high-quality converting emails time and time again? Below are 15 steps we take in every email marketing campaign to create impactful email campaigns:

1. Know Your Audience

Knowing your audience is the first step to take when creating your email lists. If you don’t know who you’re addressing, it is unlikely your emails will capture the attention of your recipient. Research your target audience and find out their mindset, interests, preferences, perspectives and more. Find out as much as you can about your buyer so that your messages come across as relevant and targeted.

2. Get the Right Email Builder/Templates

Before you begin creating your emails, it’s important to select the right email marketing tool. Luckily, you don’t need any coding skills to create emails these days, and there are various options to choose from. Our favourite tools are Mailchimp and Zoho , which allow you to easily drag and drop your content to build your email, putting together a design in minutes. With scheduling tools, list segmentation, reporting and more, these platforms not only make building and sending emails a lot easier, but also ensure we can develop our emails to improve CTR, opens and conversions.

3. Clean, Responsive Email Layouts

Generally speaking, sticking to a single-column layout with content divided into stacks is the most effective way to layout an email. This is because it ensures it looks the same on both mobile and desktop. We like to create templates for each of our clients, which helps to create a consistent look throughout their communications. This is also beneficial for content writing, as we know roughly how much content is required for each email. Layouts should always enhance the messaging, rather than compress it.

4. The Inverted Pyramid

A fundamental design principle that every marketer should know not only for emails but for landing pages and CTAs in general, is the inverted pyramid. This refers to when content stacks continuously decrease in width, essentially pointing towards a CTA or element you want to highlight. This guides the reader’s eye to the important element and makes content more ‘scannable’. This often consists of a key heading, followed by smaller text to expand on the heading, and finally a compelling CTA.

5. Include One Clear and Concise CTA per Email

While we’re on the topic of CTAs, it is important to always use a clear and concise CTA. Some best practices we like to follow to optimise conversions are:

Width – Place your CTAs in a full-width div with centre-aligned text to make them unmissable as users scroll down.
Copy – Make your CTA copy actionable and compelling.
Contrast – Use plenty of contrast so your text and CTA button stand out.
Size – Make sure your text and buttons are large enough to read and your buttons large enough to tap on mobile.
Secondary CTA – Have a secondary CTA further down your email for users who don’t convert with your first one.

6. Include Imagery that Immerses Users in Customer Experience

The best visuals are those that immerse users in the experience of using your products or services. It’s not your product people are buying into, it’s the idea of what it’s like to use it and the lifestyle they associate with it. This may be a little more challenging for some products than others (e.g software), but the same principle still applies. Make sure the imagery clearly communicates the benefits of your product or service and the lifestyle of users.

7. Be Relevant and Concise

Keep your emails relevant, short and concise. Using catchy ways to communicate your products or solutions will get your message access much faster and make it a lot more memorable to your reader than a lengthy email.

8. Get Personal (But Not Too Personal)

Did you know that email personalisation can increase transaction rates by 600% ? This can include using people's names to address them, sending them rewards for being loyal customers, or even sending them reports to show how they can get more from your software or products that are on sale that matches their preferences. However, beware not to get too personal - using names in subject lines can come across as spammy!

9. Segment Your List

As mentioned, an email campaign should connect with users on an individual level. Part of the way this can be achieved is through segmenting your list and sending relevant messages to recipients based on their data and previous actions. This allows highly focused messages to be created, targeting users at each stage of the sales funnel to guide them towards the next conversion.

10. Create Attractive Subject Lines

Email subject lines act as bait - if they are enticing enough, they will draw the reader in, however, if they aren’t, it is likely the email will sit unopened in the inbox. You should always try to create attractive subject lines that are concise (61-70 characters) and narrow down your key selling point. Following this, create some preview text that will be shown in inboxes and notifications, again clarifying the key message you want to get across.

11. Offer Free Value

Offering free value via your emails can be one of the most effective ways to attract your audience. This can come in many forms but is mostly given through offering useful information without asking for anything in return. Your emails should provide educational, inspirational, motivational, and informative content free of charge.

12. Leverage the Basics of Psychology

Psychology is extremely important in email marketing, and there are many ways it can be used to increase open rates and CTR, such as:

Colour psychology
Subconscious understanding
FOMO (fear of missing out)
Pictures and videos that spark intense emotions

13. Exclusive Offers and Incentives

If your customer has already signalled an interest in your company by signing up to your mailing list, then providing them with exclusive offers and incentives is the next step to further engage them and eventually convert them. A few tactics we like to use are:

Scarcity: Make it clear there’s a limited supply of something and people are going to fear they’ll miss out by not converting now.
Urgency: Putting a deadline on special deals will encourage people to convert now or risk missing out.
Freebies: 2-for-1s and other incentives to make people feel like they’re getting a great deal.
Money-back guarantees: Show people they’ve got nothing to lose.
Free trials: Give customers a free taste and show them what you can really do.
Exclusivity: Create VIP memberships or special incentives for higher price tags.

14. Deliverability

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how pretty your email design is, if it doesn’t reach your customer's inbox, it will never achieve its goal. Fake email addresses, spam filters and unsubscribers can all get in the way of your emails reaching their intended recipient. While you can’t guarantee 100% deliverability rates, choosing a reputable marketing software, designing a clear campaign, ensuring your subscribers have opted-in to receive your emails and using A/B or multivariate testing to learn how changes with your content affects delivery and engagement, can all help to reduce spam delivery.

15. Test, Optimise, Scale

And finally - test, test, test your emails! A/B testing is essential to discover what is most successful for your customers. Try different subject lines, layouts, imagery, copy and even CTAs to determine which results in the most conversions. This will also help you determine if there are any issues with your camping, and allow you to fix them. If the results are positive, the campaign can be scaled.

With these 15 tips for creating high-quality converting emails, you should be ready to design and deliver emails that generate higher open rates and inspire more users to take action.

If you want to know more about how we can help you to create effective email marketing campaigns, visit our website or get in touch .

The website is often just the start of clients’ journeys with us. Our marketing visions go way beyond the basics to help your business excel online and grow offline.

New Website Launch for an AEC Software Start-Up

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 08:00:03 GMT

Having already worked to develop our client’s brand personality, values and tone of voice, across their channels, we wanted to increase reach, engagement and followers - that could eventually be turned into customers.

The software ( DocuPing ) was still in the development stages at the time, scheduled to launch in April 2022. DocuPing already had the brand assets, but they needed a reliable agency that could develop their online presence and bring their vision and brand to life.

Website Branding

We created the entire look and feel of their new website based on the brand assets supplied. We designed specific service icons and incorporated videos into the site to communicate to users how to use the software.

CRM Integrated Forms

We developed contact forms that integrated directly with DocuPing’s CRM system, curating customer data to allow for easy tracking of leads and user activity.

Tone of Voice Development

We worked with DocuPing to develop their tone of voice, creating Tone of Voice Guidelines that could be used across all communication channels, not only now, but in the future, as the company develops. From this, we wrote all website copy , creating a consistent tone across the site to capture DocuPing’s values. We conducted SEO research to optimise both on and off-page SEO throughout the site.

Blogs and Press Release

Being a brand new software, it was important for DocuPing to communicate that this product was developed by industry professionals, and clearly demonstrate the purpose of the software and its uniqueness. To do this, we wrote three thought leadership blogs , which involved coming up with interview questions, interviewing industry professionals, and writing up the blogs to go on the website. We also wrote the press release to be sent to publishers to announce the product launch.

The website is often just the start of clients’ journeys with us. Our marketing visions go way beyond the basics to help your business excel online and grow offline.

ECommerce Website for Garden Furniture Retailer

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 08:30:00 GMT

Garden furniture seller, Garden Trends, needed a new eCommerce website to display their wide range of stock from leading garden furniture brands for customers across the UK.

Having already worked in partnership with their sub-brand, Gordon Stone , to create a successful lead generation website, they approached us to design the new website for Garden Trends .

Garden Trends already had a Shopify website, however, it was old and heavily reliant on developer input for basic updates, making it difficult to keep up with the competition and improve their overall impact online. With thousands of products available in their eCommerce store, they needed a site that was easy to update with new stock, more user-friendly and could support sales, particularly with the rise of online shopping.

An Enhanced User Experience

We redesigned the website in the new version of Shopify, giving it a new look and feel that reflected the brand. We designed a mega menu to house the many products for sale in an easy, logical way. In the product pages, we added filter bars to allow for an easier shopping experience. We also optimised the website for mobile and included a number of essential marketing elements to help increase conversion and future opportunity with all customers to inspire them to buy again.

A Fully Customised Website

The new eCommerce site was fully customised and is now easy for the Garden Trends team to update with new stock, promotions and content in general. Built in the latest version of Shopify, the new website allowed for all new features to be implemented, giving Garden Trends full control over their new website.

The website is often just the start of clients’ journeys with us. Our marketing visions go way beyond the basics to help your business excel online and grow offline.

Photobook Design for Leading Bespoke Kitchen Designer

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 09:14:38 GMT

Anthony Mullan Furniture, designers of bespoke kitchens, bedrooms and studies made in Berkshire, wanted a photobook that could be taken to shows and exhibitions, as well as displayed in their showroom, to display their stylish range of luxury rooms to customers.

They already had a photobook made some years ago, however, the projects were outdated, so they wanted a new book that showcased their updated portfolio.

The new photobook illustrated the different styles of projects AMF design - from contemporary to shaker and traditional . We liaised with the designers at AMF to get their input on which projects they wanted to be featured and then spoke to them about the design process and decisions. We let the images speak for themselves, whilst adding copy in places to explain specific design features that were used and why.

We wanted to make the photobook an interactive experience for customers, so we incorporated video into the book. QR codes were included that could be scanned using the reader’s phone, which would then open a video to support the content in the book.

The new photobooks have already been taken to various shows around the country, including the Ideal Home Show and Grand Designs Live - and will be attending a lot more over the summer - giving customers anywhere the opportunity to experience AMF’s bespoke designs.

We are a digital marketing agency based in Wokingham, that can help you build your presence both online and offline. If you need help establishing a successful marketing strategy , developing your brand or growing your sales, we can help.

Keeping it Reel: Leveraging Instagram Reels for Luxury Brands

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 10:19:49 GMT

As a luxury kitchen and bathroom brand (based in Wokingham), we wanted to showcase the bespoke spaces using Instagram reels. While some of exact’s competitors had a larger following, they were not leveraging Instagram reels.

Instagram Reels are one of the most effective tools for showcasing a brand’s products, as well as reaching a much wider audience than regular posts. Due to their short video format, Instagram Reels are a good way to connect with target audiences on a more personal level, giving them a peek behind the curtains of what happens in real life for a brand.

With trends such as luxury house walkthroughs, and before and after videos proving immensely popular, we felt we could jump on the trend and get ahead of competitors by showcasing exact’s unique, ‘wow’ factor spaces to increase reach, engagement and customers.

By including regular reels in our posts, in Q1 of 2022, we have achieved:

+3,970% more accounts reached
+1,347% Accounts engaged
+51.6% total followers

Rather than focusing on a hard sell, it was important to us that the reels captured the attention of potential customers and positioned the brand as the luxury go-to brand in the area for kitchens and bathrooms. By filming finished projects in customers’ homes, showroom designs and materials, as well as focusing on specific design details and appliances, we were able to showcase the luxury brand and what differentiates their products and services from competitors.

We are excited to see our progress over the next few months as we continue to create video content for clients.

To see some of the reels we have created, take a look at exact’s Instagram .

To find ou t how we can work with you to develop your social media strategy and create unique and inspiring content, visit our website .

We're Hiring: Digital Marketing Exec Wokingham

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 10 May 2022 08:24:09 GMT

We've got a new opportunity to join our busy team in Wokingham...

2022 has got off to a busy start and we're recruiting for a Digital Marketing Executive to join our energetic and ambitious team at our office in Wokingham, Berkshire. If you love the idea of making businesses stand out and compete online, you'll love Digity. Click below to read more and apply via Indeed:

New Website Design for Leading Mitsubishi Forklift Dealer

Sun, 08 May 2022 23:15:17 GMT

Welfaux Materials Handling, the leading Mitsubishi forklift truck dealer in Wokingham had an extremely dated website that did not reflect the growth and development of the company. They needed a brand new site that was more user friendly and showcased their wide range of stock, to make it easier for customers to browse their products and services.

Improving User Experience

We analysed the existing website, looking at analytics to help us determine what pages were relevant, and which were not. The new site we developed was more focused, providing an improved user experience. We removed any irrelevant pages and redesigned the site architecture to support a more logical user journey.

Complete Flexibility

One of the main issues Welfaux were having with their old site was that it was hard to update, making it difficult to add new stock and leaving them unable to make the most of assets from Mitsubishi, Combilift, and other main suppliers. In a competitive industry, where the stock was changing almost weekly, they needed to be able to update their website to keep customers up to date. The new site allowed them to do that, giving Welfaux complete flexibility over pages, elements and design.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Covering a wide geographical area, it was important to Welfaux that relevant users would be brought to the new site. We conducted a full SEO audit, optimising both on and off-page SEO on their new website to improve SERP rankings. To target specific locations, we created location pages, which has helped to improve website traffic from the specific areas.

Continuing Our Journey With Welfaux

Just because Welfaux’s site has launched, does not mean our journey with them ends there. Welfaux has now become one of our marketing retainer clients, meaning that on a monthly basis, we create:

Monthly marketing review
Consistent monitoring of stats, allowing us to make monthly improvements to the website
Blogs (Focused on evergreen content, SEO topics and industry news)
Social media (Idea generation, creation and scheduling. We also recently introduced Reels to Welfaux’s Instagram page!)
Monthly email newsletter

The website is often just the start of clients’ journeys with us. Our marketing visions go way beyond the basics to help your business excel online and grow offline.

"We'd been working with Digity for the past few years and over that time, our approach to online had changed vastly but our website wasn't keeping up. We therefore decided to embark on a complete redesign and also to replatform which Digity took control of and we now have a more modern website which gives us great flexibility to keep it up-to-date going forward. More importantly, it's bringing in more interest to the key revenue generating areas of the business and maximising the impact we make through social media, email, google etc. The process was smooth and they made sure we had enough time to make the best possible impact and it's already producing results." Chris Welsher

Explore the Site

Death of the Third Party Cookie: What Does This Mean for the Future of Digital Advertising?

Tue, 03 May 2022 07:30:03 GMT

Back in January 2020, Google announced it would remove third-party cookies from Chrome. For now, Google says it will support third-party cookies until 2024, but after that, Digital Advertisers will need to find new ways to attribute conversions, frequency cap ad placements and retarget site visitors.

In this blog, we will cover the emerging solutions, and how to prepare for the death of the third-party cookie.

What is a Third-Party Cookie?

Third-party cookies are small pieces of data stored on an internet user’s browser. These cookies contain third-party data, such as user identification. Combined with tracking scripts, third-party cookies can be used for retargeting advertising techniques, understanding site performance and tracking against events/goals which are unique for every business. Although Chrome isn’t the first browser to phase out the third-party cookie, it’s the biggest, with 4.3 billion users worldwide in 2021, and 92.24% share of the market ( Semrush ). It follows sites such as Facebook, which have already reduced targeting options, making it harder to directly target individuals.

What’s Next in the No Cookie Future?

Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC)

While Google will no longer invest in tech that tracks people at an individual level, it will still be investing in alternatives. Google has already rolled out its Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), from which they have already seen successful advertising results. FLoC puts individuals into large groups based on their interests, allowing advertisers to target the groups, rather than the individual.

Chrome intends to make FLoC-based cohorts available for public testing through origin trials with its next release this month and expects to begin testing FLoC-based cohorts with advertisers in Google Ads in Q2.

Privacy Sandbox

Another product Google has been developing is their ‘Privacy Sandbox’, a secure environment for personalisation that also protects user privacy. ‘Some ideas include new approaches to ensure that ads continue to be relevant for users, but user data shared with websites and advertisers would be minimised by anonymously aggregating user information, and keeping much more user information on-device only.’ (Justin Schuh, Director of Chrome Engineering, in the Google blog post .) This means users will still be able to leverage and target Google Ads , powered by Privacy Sandbox tools, alongside first-party cookies.

Data Management Platform Tools

Alongside Google’s development of FLoC and Privacy Sandbox, data management platforms are looking at alternative tools that help advertisers track data in a way that makes the most out of the continuing first-party cookie, which involves lumping user visitor profiles into segments. While these options might be different from third-party cookie solutions or require some new strategising, they would still allow users to target and learn about relevant audiences, without being too intrusive.

With users becoming increasingly cautious about their online data and privacy, some argue that the reappraisal of cookies is long overdue. As cookies are phased out, a new, better solution is likely to be born and over the next year we will find out what the real future of Chrome without the third-party cookie holds for advertisers.

If you would like advice or guidance on continuing to collect data and target visitors without third party cookies, and what you should be doing to prepare, get in touch today.

What Does LinkedIn’s Acquisition of Oribi Mean for PPC Advertising?

Mon, 02 May 2022 16:16:59 GMT

While LinkedIn has long excelled in being the leading social network for professionals to connect and find work, it has often fallen behind other platforms such as Facebook and Google, in terms of audience size, reach and tracking of certain ad types. However, as a very specific platform with over 740 million users, it is a very effective B2B advertising platform - and with its recent acquisition of marketing analytics tool, Oribi, LinkedIn advertising is set to grow.

What is Oribi?

Oribi is a marketing analytics tool that summarises data in a user-friendly dashboard, relaying data on clicks and on-site experiences. Oribi is a competitor of Google Analytics, which is said to ‘[solve] the problems that Google Analytics users struggle with every single day’ ( Foundation ). According to Oribi, Google Analytics is for “analysts”, while Oribi aims to make even more complex data and event tracking understandable for everyone.

What Does the Acquisition Mean for Advertisers?

While LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager has been becoming more and more robust over the years, the acquisition of Oribi could potentially accelerate this. Oribi’s analytics tool allows for simplified event tracking and response by highlighting the key insights that you need to take action on to capitalise on performance trends. It isn’t clear how these tools will operate in LinkedIn yet, but LinkedIn explain:

“Understanding which channels and messages have the greatest impact on the decision to take a desired step, such as a buyer requesting a product demo or a job seeker applying to a job posting, is critical to the effectiveness of any marketing campaign. Through the integration of Oribi’s technology into our marketing solutions platform, our customers will benefit from enhanced campaign attribution to optimise the ROI of their advertising strategies.” ( Social Media Today )

Using PPC LinkedIn Advertising to Accelerate Your Business

With more than 57 million global businesses building their brands on Pages and more than 24,000 virtual events being created each week, LinkedIn has never been more important in connecting organisations and professional communities while creating value for businesses.

We have successfully run LinkedIn advertising campaigns for a variety of clients, both in the UK and internationally, all to great success. With this update, it is likely that website conversions will be measured more easily, and audiences built more effectively.

See what we can do for your business: visit our website or book a call.

New Website Launch for Glenside Commercial Interiors

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 23:14:16 GMT

Glenside Commercial Interiors are a leading commercial fit out company in Reading. As an existing client who we already worked with on growing their social media presence, developing email campaigns, as well as planning and creating content for both their website and social channels, they turned to us looking for advice and guidance on a new website, having seen good results from their marketing retainer with us.

Although Glenside’s website wasn’t very old, the business had seen substantial growth in the past couple of years to become one of the leading fit out companies in Berkshire. With lots of hidden pages, confusing navigation and little room for imagery, the website had become dated and unreflective of the brand and projects. They felt it was time for a new website that would support and reflect their business development.

Sitemap Development

We reviewed analytics of the current website pages to analyse how the existing site was performing, allowing us to gain an understanding of which pages were key. From this, we built an improved sitemap, which included some new pages, such as Hybrid Working, which were not featured on the current website but had become a popular offering since the pandemic.

Branding

For the new website, we emphasised the Glenside branding, which was not strong on the previous site. We evolved their existing logo and used it along with brand colours throughout the site. The branding is now very strong and consistent across all online, and offline spaces, even in the Glenside showroom, creating a cohesive and recognisable brand

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Glenside’s previous site was not ranking particularly well in the SERP, and the terms the site was ranking for were bringing in irrelevant traffic. We conducted a full SEO audit and optimised the new site’s on-page and off-page SEO to target relevant customers in both the local area and across the region. This included carrying out keyword research and using keywords in the copy, meta descriptions, image alt. text, menu titles and more. To continue to support this, we write monthly blogs, case studies of projects, and other material, such as brochures.

"Having worked with Digity for some time to build-up our digital marketing, the next challenge was to completely revamp our website and create an online home that showcased our work and business in a modern and fresh way. We are in a very visual market and it’s important to us to display our projects so that any visitors to the site can clearly see what we are capable of delivering. We have also invested significantly in our physical showroom and wanted our new website to reflect the image we have created here and to inspire people to visit. Ahead of the design stage Digity helped us identify our key commercial goals and also analysed the SEO performance of the current website, identifying a number of areas of opportunity. The design process was certainly collaborative, which as a team of designers we really valued, leaving Digity to add their creativity and ensure all our objectives were hit. The feedback has been hugely positive both from our team and many of our key contacts and we're looking forward to continuing to evolve the site over time as we're sure it's a very good investment and will continue to move forward with our business." Ryan White

Discover the Website

Whether you want to refresh your website or start from scratch with a completely new concept, our team is here to help take your website to a new level.

Visit our portfolio or get in touch to find out how we can design your website to allow you to stand out from competition.

How Digity Helps Drive Showroom Footfall and Appointments

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 15:53:49 GMT

Key Tips for An Effective Showroom Marketing Strategy

Showroom businesses can drive footfall through various marketing techniques so knowing which ones to focus on is absolutely vital. Understanding how many people visit your showroom every month through counting systems or bookings allows you to understand the impact of your online and offline activity.

Our blog below describes a range of ways in which you can increase footfall to your local showroom;

Creating an organic reach strategy through SEO
Focus your Google Ads strategy to drive leads
Utilise your Google Business profile
Offer online appointment booking services
Gaining awareness through organic and paid social media strategies
Encourage customer reviews
Offer incentives
Combine with offline advertising

1. Create an organic reach strategy through SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

Before tackling your content, it is pivotal to understand the types of keywords you wish to embed throughout your website, meta-descriptions and alt tags. We recommend creating a list of keywords and understanding the search volumes of these terms and their ranking difficulty. The best keywords to use are both local and topical terms.

Once developed, you should regularly optimise your website landing pages - utilising the keywords within your titles, body and call to action. However, simply updating your landing pages is not enough. By building a content calendar to develop evergreen and short term blog content, you can expand your website. Alongside aiding your SEO, it's a great way of proving you are an expert in your field.

Building case studies is another way of adding localised keywords within your copy. By including the names of the places you have serviced, you can grow more relevance for searches like "kitchen showrooms in [town]" or "kitchen companies in [town]".

See more on our SEO service .

2. Focus your Google Ads strategy to generate leads

Organic SEO is great but don't put all of your eggs in one basket. Developing your Google Ads strategy allows active searchers to find you. It also enables you to position your business and services above other competitors that may have a higher organic ranking.

See more on our Pay-per-click / Google Ads service .

3. Be found via your up-to-date Google Business profile

If you are a local business and wish to increase your reach on Google, it is ideal to have a Google My Business profile. By doing so, your customers can find your showroom via Search and Google maps. Updating your business hours, services, and photos/videos allows you to inform and generate awareness - increasing visits to your website and premises.

4. Offer a hassle-free online appointment booking service

By developing quick and hassle-free booking options, you can increase visits to your showroom. Embedding online booking services such as Calendly or SimplyBookMe has increased appointments for Digity clients by 50%.

Our insights have proven that this is an ideal option for busy individuals that do not have the time to contact you during business hours due to other obligations. Giving users the choice to call, email or book their appointments provides customers more flexibility.

Not only does it help your customers, but it can help your business too. Booking systems allow you to create bespoke forms for customers to fill as they schedule the appointment, helping you to understand their requirements before contacting them.

Find out more about our inspired web design service .

5. Use social media to your advantage

There are two sides to social - organic and paid - and I am sure you are thinking, what kind of content will work for me and my business?

There is no magic formula for social media marketing success. You can only understand which content works for your business through testing, reviewing your analytics and creating more.

See more on our social media service .

6. Encourage customer reviews

By encouraging customer reviews, your company can understand overall customer satisfaction. Feedback helps you to develop and provide the service your customers desire. But that is not all - online reviews can influence the decisions of new customers. Remember that we are all human, and humans make mistakes. From experience, businesses with 4.5/5 stars are more likely to receive leads vs those with 5/5 stars. It's more realistic as people have become wise to robot reviews.

7. Offer incentives

Encouraging customer contact through incentives is a great way to increase your lead generation and conversion strategy. Incentives can be anything from discounts to gifts and buy now and pay later options. With the current climate, users have become savvy about online saving opportunities. Choose an incentive that works best for your business.

See more on our marketing consultancy service .

8. Combine with offline advertising

There are a variety of offline marketing techniques such as magazine spreads, local news papers, direct mailing and even local roundabout signs, all of which can play a part in your brand awareness strategy. Depending on your business, attending shows and exhibitions can also be a great way to increase brand awareness and gain leads. We regularly help clients who attend the Ideal Home Show, Grand Designs Live, Build it Live, and more, to ensure they optimise their offline marketing opportunities, just as much as their online ones!

Want to see how Digity can help?

We work with a number of showroom centric businesses to drive footfall and appointments. If you'd like to find out how we can make an impact for you, feel free to get in-touch:

See Us At The Great British Expo, Ascot

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 10:57:12 GMT

Digity are exhibiting at the Great British Expo, Ascot Racecourse: Tue 24th May 2022

Digity are delighted to be exhibiting at this event, joining around 60 other exhibitors and welcoming an anticipated 1000 delegates to The Royal Pavilion, Ascot Racecourse.

After a 24 month gap, the Thames Valley Business Expo run by The Great British Expos is back on May 24th. Attendance is completely free with attendees just needing to pre-register their attendance. I caught up with their founder Alec Jones-Hall, recently who said “ The Thames Valley Business Expo is always one of our most popular events during the year, with this year set to be the most anticipated yet. Whilst our virtual exhibitions have provided a unique opportunity during the toughest periods of the pandemic, building face-to-face relationships is still an important part of business, and exhibitions provide an ideal opportunity to do this. The return of this year’s business expo will help local businesses spotlight their brand and gain new leads and connections. Along with the exciting programme of seminars and entrepreneurial keynote speakers on offer, exhibiting and attending the Business Expo will provide businesses with a platform to continue recovering and thriving. ”

What to expect?

Listen to some of the UK’s biggest entrepreneurial keynote speakers.
Learn new skills at the interactive workshops.
Money (how to raise finance and funding /grants for your business).
Network 1-2-1 with SMEs from across the region.
Meet Exhibitors and get offers worth £10,000!

To pre-register visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/thames-valley-expo-ascot-ascot-racecourse-tickets-243039627067

The Chronological Instagram Feed Is Back: But Is It Really Putting Users Wants First?

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 14:46:02 GMT

Six years after switching from a chronological feed to an algorithm, Instagram has introduced the option for users to control what is shown in their feed.

Six years after switching from a chronological feed to an algorithm, Instagram has introduced the option for users to control what is shown in their feed. The two new modes (‘following’ and ‘favourites’) will give users ‘more choice and control over what [they] see’, according to the company, providing three feed viewing options.

What Are The New Instagram Feeds?

The ‘Following’ feed sees the chronological feed become once more available to users, while ‘Favourites’ allows users to star up to 50 accounts whose posts will then be shown higher up in the main feed. Users can view these posts in a separate ‘Favourites’ feed, which shows the most recent posts first.

Why Have the New Feeds Been Introduced?

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, first hinted at the reintroduction of the chronological feed in a Senate hearing in December 2021, in response to being asked if he believed users should be able to use the app without ‘being manipulated by algorithms. He said the company were working on a feature that would give users more choice.

While the ‘Following’ and ‘Favourites’ feeds might seem like a positive step towards more user control, Instagram is unlikely to let users escape the algorithm so easily. Neither of the new feed options can be set as default and Adam Mosseri explained, ‘Over time, we’re going to add more recommendations to your feed based on your interests’, suggesting that in the future, even in the ‘Following’ and ‘Favourites’ feeds, users are likely to be fed content from people they aren’t following.

Putting users first, or just a way to meet legal requirements?

Ultimately, platforms would rather give users algorithmically ranked feeds, where they can show us posts that are more engaging, therefore keeping users scrolling for longer. This means platforms can show users more ads, which translates to more money.

Lawmakers and regulators have been increasingly concerned about Big Tech’s use of algorithms to filter the content users see, and laws are coming into force globally in an attempt to force platforms away from the over-reliance on algorithms. It is likely that Instagram's decision for the new feeds is merely an attempt to get ahead of coming legal requirements that could force it to make changes, rather than a decision to please its users.

We manage the social media presence for a wide range of companies in the UK and abroad. If you would like to find out more about how we can create content and optimise your social channels to increase sales and grow brand awareness, get in touch .

Preparing for Google Analytics 4: What you Need to do now

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 16:16:18 GMT

Next year will mark the end of the existing Universal Analytics, as recently announced by Google. Universal Analytics properties will stop processing new hits on July 1, 2023, and Universal Analytics 360 properties will stop processing hits on October 1, 2023, giving marketers a tight deadline to migrate to Google Analytics 4.

What Does the Announcement Mean for Your Data?

After the cut off date, Universal Analytics will become read-only. This means that although you will still be able to access data, export it and make configuration changes, there will be no further data collection.

Universal Analytics was built for a generation of online measurement that was anchored in the desktop web, independent sessions and more easily observable data from cookies. GA4 differs from its predecessor in that it operates across platforms, doesn’t rely on cookies and uses an event-based data model for measurement. It also does not store IP addresses, which can help brands stay on the right side of privacy regulations. Charles Farina, Head of Innovation at Adswerve, a Google Marketing, Analytics and Cloud partner, explains that Google’s decision is based on a “response to changing consumer data privacy preferences and evolving marketing strategies that no longer rely on third-party cookies.” (Econsultancy).

What do you need to do now?

Start using GA4 alongside Universal Analytics
Maximise 1st Party Data, but make the most of cookies while you can
Think strategically about what you need to measure
Consider training needs and unfamiliarity with the new system, for both clients and staff

1. Start Using Google Analytics 4 Alongside Universal Analytics

If you aren’t already using GA4, now is the time to start using it, but don’t abandon Universal Analytics straight away. Getting GA4 up and running promptly will allow you to gather as much historical data as possible for when Universal Analytics is sunsetted, while continuing to use Universal Analytics allows you to carry on viewing reports that are not currently available in GA4, such as organic landing page reports.

2. Maximise 1st Party Data, but Make the Most of Cookies While You Can

For the best third-party cookie data, utilise Universal Analytics while you can, as GA4 will not allow you to collect this data. It is worth thinking about how you will maximise 1st party data in a cookieless world, from CRM integrations to website micro-conversions such as news letter signups and content downloads to collect 1st party data.

3. Think Strategically About What You Need to Measure

The move to GA4 is an ideal opportunity to remove tracking that is providing little or no value, making the data you gain more targeted and valuable.

4. Consider Training Needs and Unfamiliarity With the New System, for Both Clients and Staff

GA4 lo oks, feels and behaves very differently from Universal Analytics, and uses different metrics. Not only is there likely to be a significant training and skills gap for those moving to the new platform, but a lot of potential scope for confusion when comparing metrics that work in slightly different ways between the old and new versions.

Getting Support With Google Analytics 4

Even though Universal Analytics is being sunsetted next year, we recommend our clients start to use GA4 as soon as possible to begin gathering historical data and year-on-year reports. If you need assistance in setting up GA4 to meet your needs, please get in touch and we will be happy to provide support and assistance.

Why you need a customised 404 page for your website

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 09:00:03 GMT

Ever found a really interesting looking link only to find that the page no longer exists? Frustrating, right? Google agrees!

404 errors are what happens when someone tries to access content that does not exist. Perhaps they mistyped the URL, or maybe the page has been deleted or renamed. Either way, the website returns an error page and the error code given is 404.

With no customisation by the web developers, the user will simply be given a standard 404 page and that will likely be the end of their journey on that website. Not a big deal perhaps but not a great user experience.

Creating customised 404 pages can improve the user experience, help keep people on your site by giving them access to other content, and can even allow you to identify potential new or missing content for your site if you look at what those visitors were trying to find.

For more advice on what to include on a custom 404 page, see Google’s advice: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/crawling/custom-404-pages

6 Key Marketing Trends to Watch Out for in 2022

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 14:54:10 GMT

No one can say with certainty where the next year will take us, but we do have some predictions up our sleeves about where marketing trends will head over the next year. From increased personalisation to influencer marketing and augmented reality, here are our predictions of where the digital marketing landscape is heading in the next year.

1. Personalisation

Personalising your customers’ experience can help your business stand out in an overcrowded digital space. Based on customer preferences, businesses can show other relevant products, services or offers through their website or email campaigns. A study by SmarterHQ found that 72% of consumers only engage with personalised messaging showing the growing importance of personalising messaging and advertising.

Targeted ad campaigns on social media are allowing businesses to be increasingly particular with their targeting, segmenting their audience into persona, location, behaviour and more to deliver high-tailored ads. If done correctly, this type of personalised marketing can prove highly beneficial for both the business and the consumer.

It is worth noting, however, that consumers are becoming wary of platforms collecting too much information about them and updates such as Apple’s iOS 14.5 have given users the option to opt-out of apps tracking them across the web. This has had a significant impact on Facebook ads in particular, so it is worth taking this into account as to which platforms you want to advertise on and how targeted you want your ad delivery to be.

2. Chat Bots

Linking to the trend of personalisation, chatbots are already revolutionising the way customer service is delivered and this is only expected to rise. Seeking to ‘humanise’ customer experience, chatbots can be in the form of a website chatbot, or a DM or live chat via social media. Chatbots have been named as the fastest-growing brand communication channel ( Drift ), providing instant 24/7 response to customer queries, bookings and enquiries.

In 2022, it is predicted that chatbots will be used to handle payment processes and multilingual chatbots will become more widespread to improve localisation efforts and broaden companies’ reach.

3. Influencer Marketing

The power of influencers is clear for most B2C businesses. The way customers browse, shop and buy has changed fundamentally over the past couple of years and the influencer industry has only continued to grow.

TikTok has been game changing when it comes to influencer marketing, with tools like Creator Marketplace, where brands can find creators that align with their products and interests, and Tik Tok Shopping, which allows brands to engage more meaningfully with customers through the app.

Influencer marketing is not going anywhere, however, the type of influencer brands focus on may change. Historically, brands have centred on the biggest and most popular influencers, however, data suggests that micro-influencers with under 100K followers may be more effective in the future.

4. User-Generated Content

93% of marketers agree that consumers place more trust in user-generated content than content created by the company itself ( State of UGC 2021 Report ). User-generated content - from product reviews to peer recommendations and social media posts - is going to become even more on-trend in 2022.

User-generated content is authentic and shows potential customers that your audience loves your brand, encouraging them to hop on the bandwagon too.

In 2022, it will be critical that brands:

Find high-quality user-generated content as it’s created
Solicit high-quality UGC in a way that increases engagement and creates a valuable experience for the customer
Showcase user-generated content on social media (and on their other marketing channels)

5. Video Content

It’s likely that you already know how important videos are to overall digital marketing efforts. By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times higher than in 2017 ( Cisco ). Video marketing generates 48% more overall engagement than text or image-based content - highlighting its value to brands.

Posting videos that encourage audience interaction, as well as live videos are becoming increasingly popular for brands to engage their audience and even to simulate the in-person shopping experience.

6. Augmented and Virtual Reality

People have become more receptive to technology thanks to the pandemic. The adoption of next-generation technology has been on fast-forward and in just the past two years:

Facebook has introduced augmented reality ads
Snapchat released its Local Lenses feature
Instagram enabled its AR-based “try on” feature

2022 will see more businesses adopting VR and AR tools for experimental marketing, but to use it effectively, they’ll have to go beyond the quirky, ‘just because’ aspects of AR and find ways to use it to truly enhance the customers’ experience with the brand.

Not only is it important to have a solid marketing plan short-term, but also heading into the long-term. Looking at trends for the coming year and planning your approach accordingly will help to create a solid strategy that will increase game-changing engagement, brand reputation and subsequent sales.

If you are looking to transform your digital marketing strategy in 2022, get in touch:

Join Our Marketing Masterclass, 1pm 16 Feb Wokingham

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 11:57:28 GMT

Take your marketing to a new level, join us:

We are excited to team up with ActionCOACH to deliver our next Marketing Masterclass which will share the secrets to creating a fool proof marketing strategy. ActionCOACH are specialist business and marketing coaches who have a track record of helping countless businesses achieve their goals.

Examine your current marketing plan and gain the tools, knowledge and structure to create an effective strategy for your organisation that increases ROI, helps you to acquire new customers and ensures that you stand out amongst competitors.

In the session you will learn how to:

Understand if you have an effective marketing plan
Calculate a marketing budget to profitably acquire new customers
Implement an effective marketing strategy across your team
Track the impact of your campaigns/activities and return on investment (ROI)
Make informed decisions to grow sales and/or profit on-going

When? Wednesday 16th February, 1pm-4pm with networking after

Where? St. Annes Manor, Wokingham

Sign up today for only £149+VAT (which includes a FREE Marketing Consultation and recommendations report worth £550+vat RRP)

Exclusive Early Bird 20% discount

Use code: Digity20 when you checkout .

The Move to Meta: Facebook’s Rebrand and What this means for Facebook Advertising

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 14:39:55 GMT

Last month, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s Chief Executive, announced a rebrand to ‘Meta’. The rebrand has two major goals: To create a metaverse and to target a younger audience - But what does this mean and how is it likely to affect users and advertising?

What is a Metaverse?

The idea of the metaverse is not new. The concept originates from Snow Crash , a dystopian novel from the 1990s in which people flee the crumbling real world to be fully immersed in a virtual one. While the metaverse in Snow Crash is ultimately a con, Zuckerberg is trying to reclaim the metaverse as a utopian idea that will unlock an entirely new economy of virtual goods and services.

“Facebook plans to spend at least $10 billion this year on Facebook Reality Labs, its metaverse division tasked with creating AR and VR hardware, software, and content.” - The Verge

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s Chief Executive and founder of Meta said he hoped the “Metaverse” would create a new ecosystem to connect and create and would represent the “next chapter of social connection.” He intends to bring together the digital world and the real-world closer through virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), believing that in the next decade, people be immersed in a 3D version of the internet. Zuckerberg estimates it will take 10-15 years before the metaverse becomes reality. See the tweet .

What Does This Mean for Facebook Advertising?

Higher Cost

Although virtual reality may sound exciting, it also is likely to come at a high cost.

Facebook is currently free and although ads do cost money, with dedication companies can build up a large organic following on Facebook pages and groups. Audiences can follow and interact with your business for free, making it a valuable and cost-effective business tool.

In contrast, a virtual reality platform would require equipment before users can even use the platform. Virtual reality headsets cost around £300 and more, for a good quality one. Although this price will hopefully drop in the coming years, it is unlikely that everyone will want to buy a headset to use the platform. For small businesses and start-ups, the idea of spending money on virtual reality equipment when there are plenty of free social media platforms is likely to seem unnecessary.

The Facebook Audience May Change

Of course, Facebook is likely to attract new users who are interested in virtual reality, however, it is likely to alienate a lot of users too. If your business targets a demographic that isn’t interested in VR, you might have to migrate to a different platform too.

Meta or No Meta, Facebook Advertising Has Already Got Worse

Even if Facebook didn’t rebrand to Meta, Facebook advertising has already gone dramatically downhill following Apple iOS privacy updates earlier this year. Apple’s iSO 14.5 turned off IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) by default meaning that users had to manually allow each app to track activity. This gives consumers more control over the data they share with advertisers and publishers.

For Facebook ads, this has been very bad news, affecting targeting, reporting and optimisation of ads. With the vast amount of users opting out of tracking, audiences for retargeting and lookalike audiences are now a lot smaller. Apple’s introduction of a Private Click Measurement (that creates a three-day delay in attribution data) from iOS 14.5 users, has caused advertisers to see fewer reported conversions with the Facebook Ads Manager, skewing their data.

Roughly only 17% of people worldwide are opting into tracking - Flurry

Apple’s update is likely to have caused numerous issues for businesses that rely on Facebook ads to sustain their business. Metaverse or not, Facebook still has millions of users and it isn’t going away anytime soon. Our advice is to ensure you advertise on multiple platforms to ensure that, no matter how Facebook changes, you can maintain a successful marketing strategy without being overly dependent on any one platform.

Meet Matt - Our New Account Manager

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 13:24:42 GMT

Welcome our new Account Manager, Matt! Affable, organised and proactive, Matt is in charge of managing relationships with Digity’s clients. He has already built strong connections with our clients to understand their needs and Matt works closely with the rest of the Digity team in order to effectively deliver creative solutions.

Matt has the magic gift of being able to start a conversation with just about anyone - so he fits right into the Digity family already!

Matt has a background in Marketing, with a 2.1 degree in Advertising Management and Digital Media Communications. After graduating from university, he went on to work for a Global Radio Station, giving him exposure of working with key household brands such as McDonald’s, O2, and Warner Bros, just to name a few! He has also worked as a Marketing Coordinator for Toys R Us and an Entertainment Technology Distributor so has a wealth of knowledge and experience to bring to the Digity team.

Who Is Your Dream Client and Why?
WWF, as the work they do is so important and it would be great to be part of it.

If You Could Have Any Superpower, Which Would You Choose and Why?
Control over Time and Space (Like Hiro Nakamura in Heroes) so I could see everything I ever wanted without missing it.

What is your favourite GIF?

Want to discover what bright ideas and transformations we can bring to your online presence? Get in touch now.

Case Study: British Gift Box

We launched successful competitions, email campaigns and social media campaigns to successfully drive sales during Black Friday. We kept our messaging clear across all platforms, highlighting the savings customers could make. During our time working with BGB, their revenue has increased by 92% and conversion from cart to sale has increased by 82%.

Case Study: The SMART Group

Ads should not only present deals and savings on your products, but they should educate ideal customers about your offerings, showing them how your product or service can help them and why they might need it in their daily lives. Due to social media’s popularity and track record for ROI, we predict that consumers will continue to use social media to find out about products and sales on Black Friday.

We worked with our client, SMART Group, a supplier of industry-leading technology for health, beauty and aesthetic Sectors, to push Black Friday offers to customers via their social channels. For their Instagram, we created posts not only to showcase offers but also to explain the benefits of their products. By including videos on their Instagram feed, we created more engaging and visually interesting posts to fit the platform, whereby, customers could see the products in action. This successfully drove sales through their website.

Case Study: British Gift Box

Case Study: The SMART Group

Case Study: SMART Group

Why an Online Black Friday Campaign can be Vital for Driving Sales

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 11:15:02 GMT

A craze developed in America that can be dated back to the 1960s, Black Friday gained its popularity nationwide to signify when shops started to make a profit in the post-thanksgiving period selling discounted merchandise.

Today, Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, not only in the US but in the UK too, as shops cut their prices on a range of products on the last Friday of November in order to boost profits and officially kick off the festive season.

Is an Online Black November the New Black Friday?

Last year, Black Friday saw a surge in online shopping, with figures from Nationwide showing total spending by its debit cardholders increased by 21% on Black Friday 2020, compared with the same day a week before. It is becoming increasingly common for retailers to run their sales across an extended period, rather than just the traditional 24 hours, sometimes starting their campaigns earlier in November, and extending discounts right the way through to Cyber Monday. This trend is likely to continue in 2021, particularly as online sales were so strong last year, so how do you ensure you are prepared?

The Importance of Online Campaigns

Case Study: British Gift Box

British Gift Box sell bespoke gift boxes for all kinds of special occasions. A focus of our work with them involved increasing site visits and conversions during key holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. However, coming just before Christmas, Black Friday posed the ideal opportunity to push sales directly before the Christmas period. We launched successful competitions, email campaigns and social media campaigns to successfully drive sales during Black Friday. We kept our messaging clear across all platforms, highlighting the savings customers could make. During our time working with BGB, their revenue has increased by 92% and conversion from cart to sale has increased by 82%.

Case Study: The SMART Group

We worked with our client, The SMART Group , a supplier of industry-leading technology for health, beauty and aesthetic Sectors, to push Black Friday offers to customers via their social channels. For their Instagram, we created posts not only to showcase offers but also to explain the benefits of their products. By including videos on their Instagram feed, we created more engaging and visually interesting posts to fit the platform, whereby, customers could see the products in action. This successfully drove sales through their website.

To find out how we can help you drive sales through Black Friday Campaigns, get in touch today .

Case Study: British Gift Box

Case Study: The SMART Group

Case Study: British Gift Box

Case Study: The SMART Group

Case Study: SMART Group

What Is It Like to Work as a Marketing Intern at Digity? Hannah, Shares Her Experience

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 08:56:53 GMT

After having recently completed a 13-month marketing placement at the BMW Group, I realised the importance of gaining real-life work experience as a student. Therefore, in place of a dissertation, I opted to take a part-time work placement module as part of my Marketing Degree at the University of Winchester.

After contacting the Managing Director of Digity, Chris Lunn, I was fortunate enough to secure a summer internship at the company.

My Role and Responsibilities

Working as an intern often has the connotation of doing the 'boring jobs' and 'dirty work', such as making coffees, filing paperwork and answering phone calls. I am pleased to say in my experience, this was definitely not the case. From the outset I was treated as a full and valued member of the team, receiving all the necessary training to allow me to hit the ground running and begin delivering work for clients almost straight away.

I was given full responsibility in a variety of key areas of marketing and my day to day responsibilities included:

Monitoring relevant social trends, emerging opportunities and online news to generate proactive content
Managing client social media channels including scheduling and writing content
Driving brand awareness and engagement in the digital space to create lead generation
Blog copywriting
Utilising Canva to assist with elements of design
Assisting with the development of new websites using CMS systems
Increasing traffic and footfall in showroom business’ using Google My Business to create posts and update descriptions and contact times

Digity’s wide range of clients allowed me to gain experience working with a breadth of different industries. I believe the experience has not only benefited me but the whole team at Digity, as I have been able to deliver a fresh perspective on day-to-day operations, as well as provide creative input on projects. As a result, I have developed a wealth of new skills and knowledge that should allow me to thrive when I return to University and help me to stand out in the saturated and competitive graduate job market.

My Future at Digity

Case Study: British Gift Box

Case Study: The SMART Group

Case Study: British Gift Box

Case Study: The SMART Group

Case Study: SMART Group

Meet Word Wizard Alex - Our New Online Content Executive

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 21:44:54 GMT

Our most recent starter at Digity, Alex, is our new online content executive, responsible for ensuring all copy for clients reads well and functions successfully to increase their leads and organic traffic.

This includes website copy, email campaigns, blogs, social media posts - pretty much anything that needs writing or proofreading, Alex can work her magic on!

Before Digity, Alex studied English Literature at the University of Birmingham, with a year abroad studying at UNSW in Sydney. During this time she surfed, got to meet quite a few kangaroos and koalas (but not too many spiders thankfully), and read a fair few books. Once back in Birmingham, she continued surfing, and was part of the university surf club - They didn’t actually surf in Birmingham, because it’s (unsurprisingly) not known for its beaches and surf, but they travelled to Wales, Devon and Cornwall. She said that she probably spent more time falling off the board rather than standing on it, but we all secretly think she was probably better than she gives herself credit for.

After graduating, Alex worked at David Lloyd for a while which inspired her to take her love for fitness further and study for her Personal Training Qualification. However, after doing this for a while she decided she wanted a job that used the skills she had developed from her degree, which led her to get a job as a Website Content Manager. She joined Digity because she wants to broaden her skills and work with a wider range of clients.

We’ve already quickly learnt that Alex doesn’t like sitting still for too long and outside of work she goes to CrossFit and is an avid rower! It wasn’t too much of a surprise to find out that her dream client to work with would be Gymshark because ‘they revolutionised the gym wear industry and made it more mainstream for women to be strong and lift weights which is really cool! They also have a big social media presence with campaigns such as #Gymshark66 and have lots of influencer partnerships, so it would be fun to come up with ideas for their socials.’

What is your favourite biscuit?

Party rings or Oreos

What was your favourite TV show growing up?

Hannah Montanna and then Gossip Girl

At which store would you like to max out your credit card?

Asos

Want to see what magic Alex can work on your content? Get in touch to find out more.

Hannah: Digity Intern with a head full of dreams and the drive to succeed

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 21:44:47 GMT

Hannah (A.K.A Han) is our Digity intern, and is close to becoming a master of all trades in the Digity office!

She is experiencing a variety of different jobs and tasks Digity, including, but not limited to, social media content creation, posting and scheduling, photoshop editing, blog writing - Hannah might not have been here for long, but in the time has, she’s picked up a lot and in record speed! Hannah proves that contrary to popular belief, Interns do a lot more than just making us all tea and coffee (although on occasion we are lucky enough to get one of her speciality brews).

Who is your dream client and why?

Nike, as they combine two of my favourite things, fashion and fitness

What is your favourite biscuit?

Millionaire's Shortbread

What is your favourite GIF?

To learn more about what we do at Digity and to find out what we can do for your business, get in touch today.

Meet Charlie: An Animal Lover, Travel Dreamer and Our New Designer

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 21:44:42 GMT

We are pleased to welcome Charlie to our design team here at Digity!

Prior to Digity, Charlie (A.K.A Char) has developed a successful career in digital marketing with experience on both the analytical and creative sides. In her previous role, she focused more on the design side of marketing, and it was during this time that she realised her true passion. She now uses her design skills at Digity to create beautiful websites, eye-catching social media graphics and to transform anything that needs to look 'on brand' and pretty!

Charlie impressed us from the first moment she walked through the door and brings huge amounts of enthusiasm and professionalism to the business. Charlie let us into her secret to her motivation and drive, explaining that she ‘tries to think of where she wants to be in 10 years time and be inspired by the idea of her career progressing!’. She is excited about learning new skills at Digity, and seeing where it takes her career!

Charlie has an interest in travelling and animals. Top of her bucket list is to travel Australia, see the Northern Lights, and finally, to see baby sea turtles hatch and run into the ocean. Some of Charlie’s travel dreams seemed a little more farfetched, for example, she wishes to travel back in time to see the Egyptians and Dinosaurs. Although with her creativity and imagination we wouldn’t put it past Charlie to actually create a way to do this - we’re just hoping that she lets the rest of the Digity team come with her when she does eventually invent it!

What is your power song?

Titanium by David Guetta

What is one word to describe you?

Loyal

What is your favourite biscuit?

Gotta be a custard cream

Just to stay on-brand with her interests, it is no surprise that Charlie’s favourite meme is also an animal meme, and is sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face - Similar to how we feel when Charlie is in the office.

If you want to discover what creative flair Charlie can bring to your online presence, don't hesitate to get in touch.

NEW Instagram Update Set to Let Users Add Links to Their Stories

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 08:16:06 GMT

Previously, only users with 10k followers could add swipe-up links to their stories. Are those days gone?

Source: The Verge, Instagram

Have you ever wished you could directly send your audience to an article or specific page on your website from Instagram, instead of sending them on a wild goose-chase with “Link in bio”?

Currently, Instagram prefers for its users to stay within the platform, so it has only given a limited number of users with 10,000 followers or a verified badge the ability to add swipe-up links in their stories.

The new feature update will allow all users to share a link via a sticker in an Instagram story if it passes the current trial. This phase of testing will see how the chosen selection uses the new sticker link feature, noticing if it is misused to share spam or negative content.

When can we expect to see the link sticker added to Instagram stories?

There has been no official date released for when this feature will potentially pass testing and go live. We understand it won’t be added immediately, however we hope to see it appear in the next half of the year!

Although we might see this handy new sticker on stories, there is currently no plan to introduce links to feed posts and other areas of the app, Instagram's Head of Product, Vishal Shah, revealed in an interview with The Verge .

At Digity, we feel this would be game-changing for businesses on social media. To see if you have been selected to trial the Instagram story link sticker, go to your app store and check if you have the latest version of Instagram installed on your mobile device. We would love to know your thoughts on this potential new feature!

If you want to talk about creating a strong social media strategy for your business, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Photoshopping eyebrows, eating pizza and travelling to space: Welcome to the world of Joe

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 21:44:40 GMT

Joe is one of the newest editions to the Digity Team.

Coming from a background of freelance design, being creative and developing innovative designs comes naturally to Joe. It might surprise you to know that Joe is actually an entirely self-taught designer, a talent developed initially through crafting his own sticker and T-shirt designs and selling them through online merchandise stores as well as working for a number of people in the gaming world and various other clients along the way too.

Joe’s role at Digity entails (in Joe’s own words): ‘Taking briefs, deciphering all the words and then channelling them into lovely graphics that everyone enjoys. Please enjoy them.’ We certainly have enjoyed them so far - from savvy social media graphics to exciting new webpage designs, Joe certainly knows how to make any of our client’s visions come to life right in front of our eyes. A skill that we find equally impressive is Joe’s ability to super-impose eyebrows onto his face in Photoshop (he apparently lost them during a chemical accident in an alleyway in Hell's Kitchen, New York - some team members question the reliability of this story, but it seems the most plausible one so far).

When we asked Joe what the one thing that makes him most excited about joining Digity is, his reply wasn’t about the opportunity to develop his design skills, or even about the opportunity to see the beautiful faces of the Digity team every day. No, in fact, the thing Joe is most excited about is Pizza Thursday - a long-running tradition at Digity that occurs once a month when Chris takes us all out for pizza! We later discovered that pizza is Joe’s favourite food and takeaway of choice, which does explain his excitement somewhat.

Joe has some pretty big dreams he wants to achieve:

Go skydiving (however he’s afraid of heights so is currently trying to work out a way to overcome this)
Visit space (However he realises it might be another 20 years before he can afford a Virgin Galactic ticket and in the meantime, he’s still figuring out the heights issue)
Creating/doing something that will cement his legacy for years beyond his death (This one is also still a work in progress, but he’s hoping it won’t be that he is the first space tourist to plummet to his death).

We’re excited to see Joe achieve hopefully one of these over the course of his time at Digity - Charity skydive next year anyone..?

What is one word to describe you?

Tall

What was your favourite TV show when growing up?

The Simpson's because it actually lasted longer than my whole childhood (and it's still going strong-ish)!

If you could have any animal as a pet, what animal would you choose?

An Orangutan. They are precious and must be protected along with pandas.

Want to see what creative ideas Joe can come up with for your business? Get in touch to find out more.

Is Your Brand Protected From Competitors? If Not, Watch This Video For Free Tips & Advice Regarding Trade Marks

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 15:11:57 GMT

Clare Mann, a UK Chartered Trade Mark Attorney from one of Europe’s largest firms of trade mark and patent attorneys, recently talked with us about how to protect your business' brand.

Your business’ brand can be one of its most important assets, especially when it comes to your online presence and marketing. That’s why you need to make sure it’s protected. Our Managing Director, Chris Lunn, recently spoke to Dehns Partner and UK Chartered Trade Mark Attorney, Clare Mann, about how you can ensure your brand is safe from imitators.

What you’ll learn:

What is a trade mark and why are they important?
What makes a strong trade mark?
Why seek registered protection for trade marks?
Timescales and costs
Common misconceptions

If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch with Clare directly by emailing cmann@dehns.com .

The Secret Power of Tone of Voice in Improving Brand Loyalty, Reputation & Sales

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 09:56:53 GMT

It’s something your business identifies in sales training but perhaps overlooks in your marketing: tone of voice. Here’s how to use it to boost your brand loyalty, reputation and sales.

Imagine seeing a social post from your local beauty salon. The one drowning in tasteful decor and exuding a spa-like, feminine charm that makes you trust it can work wonders on you. You might expect their social media presence to mirror that charm; yet they post “Salon open today. All treatments available. Bookings only, no cash. Now doing eyebrow threading.” Suddenly, that trust dissipates somewhat. Suddenly, you start to think of this beauty salon as perhaps one that doesn’t really care about their customers; that they’re perhaps just about efficiency and will get you in and out of the door as quickly as possible. I no longer feel that I’m going to have a lovely, zen-like treatment, but more like I will be wincing in pain as a beautician takes aggressively to my eyebrows to get my treatment over and done with.

Now, if they had written: “Good morning everyone! If you’re looking for a dose of relaxation and luxury today, our full team of professional beauty therapists are on hand to deliver a wide range of blissful treatments - including our brand-new service, eyebrow threading! We advise you to book ahead to ensure that we can give you as much one-on-one attention as possible, and we would really appreciate card payments where possible!” I would be much more likely to make an appointment. This business now seems like they care for their customers and they offer quality treatments, and that makes me like them.

That is what we’re talking about today - something that was probably a recurring lecture from your parents (particularly in your teenage years): Watch your tone of voice.

What is tone of voice and why does it matter?

The importance of tone of voice cannot be overstated, but unfortunately not all businesses give it the time, attention and focus it deserves. It’s all well and good having fantastic messaging and wonderful products to sell, but that can all fall flat if you don’t communicate them in the right way.

If you think of messaging as what you want to say, tone of voice is how you choose to say it. It can transform a snooze-worthy sentence into something exciting, eye-catching, emotive, and even memorable. Mastering tone of voice can genuinely revolutionise a brand.

Take Oatly , for example. The Swedish oat drink brand has been around for a long while, but it’s only in recent years that it has really made a name for itself globally. Why the change? Well, among other things, they radically adapted their tone of voice. Dripping in sarcasm and wit, their new brand identity is one that pokes fun at themselves, their CEO, the industry, stereotypical sales jargon, and even the EU.

Why is being funny, quirky and unconventional so effective? It’s memorable, it’s likeable, and it encourages an emotive response. That is the key with tone of voice; you want your customers to read your copy and be triggered (emotively, of course) - which, if it’s all gone well, encourages them to like you, remember you, stay loyal to you, and ultimately recommend you.

Now, being funny isn’t the only way to do this. It totally depends on your audience and your industry whether you should play around with humour; often it may be safer to avoid, because there is nothing more uncomfortable than a joke that falls flat.

But the key lesson to learn is the importance of generating that emotive response.

Emotion is often thought of as one of three key considerations when building successful online interactions. Failing to build emotion-inspiring moments into your website , for example, can negatively impact your user experience, conversion rate and customer retention. Failing to build them through your social media presence can reduce your following, discourage engagement and stifle clicks. Tone creates emotional responses in your reader, and that’s a great thing.

How do I decide on the right tone of voice for my business?

First of all, there is no one-size-fits-all solution here. We’ve seen a number of examples of businesses ‘breaking the mould’ of their industry’s conventional patter to enormous success - think Aldi, for example. Tone of voice, like with many aspects of marketing, is something to develop and nurture as you go; it’s a hard thing to explicitly measure the success of, but you may get a sense from keeping an eye on competitors that your tone of voice is a little off. Ultimately, working with a copywriter can help. Copywriters, especially those from agencies, or freelancers, will almost definitely have worked with a business in your industry in the past, meaning they will have an insight into the best tone of voice for you.

When developing your tone of voice, you might want to consider these three objectives:

What value or values do your customers desire? Is it entertainment? Is it reliability? Is it professionalism? You need to enact these values in your copy.
Even if your business is in a highly regulated and professional industry such as finance, your copy doesn’t have to be boring. You should always aim to engage your visitors by making your copy enjoyable and easy to read - don’t make it hard work.
Then the emotive response. To really cement that brand loyalty, you need to stimulate positive feelings that then become associated with your brand.

These three objectives can help you ensure that your messaging and your tone of voice are working together to paint your brand, services, products and business in the best light possible, making you a competitor to reckon with. Better reputation, better loyalty, better sales.

If you are interested in working with a copywriter to refine your brand’s tone of voice, get in touch with us today.

Check Out CH Video’s New Modern & Intelligent CMS Website from Digity

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 09:23:06 GMT

With an old website limiting how CH Video could market and sell their fantastic video production services, they came to Digity for a smarter, faster, and easily updatable website.

CH Video is a talented and creative group of video producers, directors, editors and motion graphics designers. For over 16 years, they have been working with international brands and businesses to produce everything from short-form internal videos to large-scale campaigns for social and TV.

Intelligent CMS website to replace slow old Wordpress site

CH Video came to Digity looking for a new website. Their current site was 4 years old and showing it; it was slow and clunky and hadn’t evolved along with their corporate identity. It was an absolute headache to update and their videos - the main service they provide - weren’t displaying well on mobile. With mobile continuing to grow in popularity as the primary way users access websites, this was a real problem for securing incoming business.

So we recommended they allow us to recreate the site in Duda, with a very intuitive CMS behind it. Duda is a website builder which allows even users with no previous website experience to easily update their site - making it a perfect choice for businesses who like to make frequent changes to their site content.

Refreshed corporate identity and scalable modern website

CH Video were interested in refreshing their corporate identity to ensure it followed new guidelines. We ensured this shone through on their new website, which we designed to be scalable on all devices and, most importantly, easy to update. The CH Video team can now add blogs, update their video content, and make regular updates whenever they require.

Our design team delivered a comprehensive training session to the whole CH Video team prior to launch, supported with training videos and documentation. It was important to us that they would feel comfortable managing their site post-launch.

The site was fully optimised for SEO. We also helped to restructure the original site’s user journey and its content to make their messaging and services even clearer.

Overall, the project took around 10 weeks to complete, with a sensationally striking result. The movement hits you straight away when you land on the homepage, selling the quality of their videos to users immediately. The colour scheme is fresh and contemporary and the structure is clear and easily navigable - exactly what CH Video were looking for.

Happy client, happy Digity!

The whole CH Video team was extremely pleased with the final result. They have jumped right into using and publicising their new website, which we love to see!

"Digity’s patient, professional approach and responsive nature made the whole process a dream. We’re delighted with the end result and we really enjoyed working with the brilliant team!"

- Gary Wales, Creative Lead & Client Director.

Digity Shortlisted for 2 Thames Valley Business Awards

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 07 May 2021 13:13:29 GMT

We're proud to be shortlisted for 2 awards from 2,500+ entries across the Thames Valley.

It was fantastic to be part of the Thames Valley Awards for Business & Community last week. To have been nominated and then shortlisted for the SME of the Year and Employer of the Year awards was the icing on the cake.

Given the year we've all just been through, it was actually really inspiring to look back with a sense of achievement and to see how far we've come. Certainly from my point of view as MD of Digity, it was a completely new area for me to navigate through. I've worked through two prior recessions but I've not managed a business in these circumstances and I learned a lot (and fast!). Thanks to everyone around us who supported us and to all our amazing clients for showing such resolve and commitment to do everything they could to compete.

I know many businesses are looking back at 2020 and assessing the true impact. For us, I'm looking at the benefits. We've got more resolve, we've learnt where our strengths are, and addressed some weaknesses. Equally, from a vision point of view, we have a much clearer view of where we want to be and who we want to be working with - ultimately business owners who share our passion for achieving long-term success in the right way.

So thank you to all of the judges and organisers, we appreciate how much time and effort it takes to go through all the nominations, and also to those who nominated us; it's much appreciated.

Here's to 2021 and lots more achievements to come!

Facebook vs. Apple - Who Cares? We Do!

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 13:49:51 GMT

The privacy feud might be viewed as an arrogant stand-off between two big brands - but if you hate wasting money on ads, you should follow it closely.

This is a hard blog to write because it's kind of like watching your parents fighting. You find yourself listening to one side and totally agreeing with what they're saying and then you hear the counter-argument and you're easily swayed. Deep down you hope they both just get over it and we can all move on and be happy, but this isn't that occasion - and if you're into online advertising, it's a really bad situation.

Background

Online advertising platforms work best the more they know about us as people - what we like, where we are, what we've seen etc. It's how Google has evolved it's own Ads platform over the years and it's a massive part of what makes the Facebook Ad platform so valuable. What Apple are going to do with the roll-out of their new iOS 14 operating system is to prompt their users to give apps permission to track their activity across other apps and the web.

Why Does It Matter?

The key reason as an advertiser is that it will naturally lead to there being less meaningful data available to target ads against. For those who have spent fortunes running ads and building audiences, they will very quickly see those assets reduce considerably. As a user, it depends how much you value ads to discover new services and products as, if you opt-out, you're going to see far less relevant content if the platform can't see anything about you.

Here's Mark Zuckerberg's take on it:

"Apple may say that they're doing this to help people, but the moves clearly track their competitive interests."

What Do We Do?

In situations like this you need to play to the new rules and make the most of what still exists. There will still be powerful ways to engage your audience and not everyone owns an iPhone, but this isn't going away and privacy continues to be a hot topic.

It's always important to have a diverse approach to digital marketing and, just as companies have experienced in the past with Google algorithm changes, we're never far away from new and innovative ways to reach new audiences.

If you want to talk about creating a diverse and robust digital strategy, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Google Page Experience Update for May 2021

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 13:32:02 GMT

Are you ready for the latest algorithm factor: Page Experience?

A month without a new Google update to think about is like a month without sunshine here at Digity towers! We've known about this new one for a little while now and have been assessing the likely impact of it for ourselves and our clients.

Here is a snapshot of the fundamentals relating to the impending update which is planned for May:

Don't believe the hype if you've heard that Google has a new algorithm which is going to turn your rankings upside down - it's more of an update or extension to what has been carefully crafted over recent years BUT it is important.
It's believed it will take into account more metrics from Google's Web Vitals which focus on your website's loading speed, interactivity and visual stability.
If you own or run a website you need to understand these signals and be assessing them to ensure they help rather than hinder you.
Key steps to take focus on continual optimisation for mobiles, improving page speeds, and including alt text for images everywhere possible.
As before, it's vital to focus on safety, security (e.g. HTTPS in your domain) and following best practice.

If you are concerned by the latest news OR you would simply like us to assess your current website for any key changes we would recommend to help grow your traffic and sales, get in touch. We offer a FREE SEO audit service to give you some invaluable insights about your current website.

7 Tips for Fundraising Initiatives - Maximise The Moment

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:09:13 GMT

Looking like an absolute Wally is optional...but encouraged ��

Today I was very proud to be asked to speak to some local students about how to maximise their fundraising efforts as part of a project they are involved with. There were two sessions with groups from Windsor College and Strode's College, who have all embarked on exciting journeys to show support to other causes.

My top 7 tips are;

Think BIG (always!)
Work to a plan (even if it's just you - and if it is, look out for my bonus tip near the end)
Share the goal and why it's important
Enjoy it and take others on your journey
Compete against the noise
Work as a team
Go the extra mile (not literally but if you're doing a run, why not ��)

I recorded the run through which is 12 mins long and can be viewed below with some practical examples of what you can do and how you should think from the start. I hope it's helpful and good luck with your efforts.

Digity to Sponsor Start-Up of The Year Award

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:20:53 GMT

2020 was a challenging year but it was also a year of immense opportunity! We're delighted to celebrate those who seized the moment.

I'm really pleased to hear that the Thames Valley Awards are back again this year. We managed to enjoy a great evening last year before the pandemic really took a grip and what a time it's been since then. For all of the trials and tribulations that it's brought, for those with a strong mindset it's opened new doors and given opportunity like never before.

It's therefore with great pride that we can confirm we are sponsoring the Start-Up of the Year award which will be announced in April.

If you would like to nominate any businesses you know, please head to the official website where you can find out more information: www.thamesvalleyawards.co.uk .

Happy New Year - 3 Words of Advice

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 21:54:05 GMT

As we leave 2020 behind, I'm looking ahead with great optimism...

This week we returned to work and on Monday I was full of optimism. After what felt like a very lengthy 2020, the gift that kept on giving, the Christmas break was superb. For everything that was disappointing and different about it this year, it was nice to have some time out and come back feeling genuinely refreshed. One thing was for sure in my mind; "nothing could be as bad as last year!". I had to think it didn't I for that evening Boris Johnson announced we were going back into lockdown again. Hey-ho, we've been there, done that, got the t-shirt now.

So as I sit here writing this on a Friday morning, I decided to reflect on the first full week of 2021. We've actually never had a first week of January like it! For everything that Mon evening gave me, by the end of the week we'd had more discussions about new projects and marketing programmes than ever before. It seems to me that last year toughened and woke a lot of people up which is great to see.

Going back to the subject of this blog post and those 3 magic words I'm sure you're dying to see revealed, they were going to be "Go For It." Given a lot of people didn't seem to need them, I've updated them to "Make it happen". We need to show the same resolve and determination to succeed that we need this country to show to fight against the pandemic. Do the right things, support each other, think about others and don't let anything get you down. Hold on to that sort of thinking and I've every faith that you're going to make 2021 a great year.

Over to you, if you want any help to boost your online presence, we're always here to help so get in touch anytime.

Digity Create New Website for the Military Wives Choirs

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 11:18:31 GMT

We're thrilled to have produced a new website for the Military Wives Choirs, helping with their mission to 'Sing, Share & Support' and accompanying the launch of their new movie this year.

The Military Wives Choirs charity has been gracing many of our social media platforms, TV screens and, of course, movie screens recently thanks to their new Lionsgate movie production, directed by Peter Cattaneo. The charity is an ever-growing organisation empowering women across the UK and internationally, with now some 2,000 members and 75 choirs. To accommodate their ongoing expansion and to help them to deliver their services to even more women, Digity was selected to create them a brand-new website.

Their old website was rather outdated, having been created quite quickly and some time ago. This meant that it was incredibly hard to update, and therefore the information, messaging and imagery present on the site was not all necessarily accurate. Additionally, keeping their community up-to-date with recent news was notably difficult, due to their blog section being troublesome to update.

They came to Digity looking for a fresh new website , which would look more minimalistic than their old content-heavy website, but still be extremely informative and easy to use for all visitors. Their choirs consist of members of all ages, so it was vitally important to them that no one should find their new site complicated to navigate. They also wanted to emphasise that they are a group of highly-talented choirs available for booking, by making it much easier for both local and national events to initiate the booking process.

This website project was an extremely exciting project for the team at Digity, and one that we were determined to do justice - the passion of the Choirs Support Team at Military Wives Choirs was infectious and heartwarming. The great relationship we established was key, as the regular communication between both parties kept the project on schedule and contributed to a successful collaboration.

After a new site map was agreed, we began by condensing and restructuring their content to maintain their strong messaging but in a more digestible and visually-appealing format. We then began the page designs, led by our designer, Alix Davis.

She said of the design process, “We wanted to make the most of full-width design and try to steer away from standard layouts to make the site more interesting and modern. We used the curves to continue the feminine feeling of their branding throughout the site.”

As for navigation and ease-of-use, Alix noted, “We wanted to make the journey as easy and possible for people to find their way where they needed to go on the site. It caters for a lot of different audiences, and so we worked hard to get this site to appeal to all groups. “

The site carries over the old site’s colour scheme and the MWC branding of purple and white, but different shades are utilised to create a more modern effect, and add depth and visual appeal. Our designers created a number of graphics and icons to help tell a more visual story of the Military Wives Choirs messaging, such as the ‘Our Story’ section, which details the history and growth of the choirs.

Alix explained, “The ‘Our Story’ section, which was previously a text-heavy pdf, is now a timeline to show the evolution of the choirs. Visual features such as these are common throughout the site; we wanted to use images frequently as the real appeal of MWC is the choirs themselves, and so all the images are shots of real MWC members in performance, recording or rehearsal. This gives a wonderful personal touch to the site, showing women from all these different backgrounds and enabling a potential member to see themselves being part of the MWC family.”

The Military Wives Choirs is not only a charity, but a creator of award-winning and chart-topping music. It was one of their wishes that this would be more clearly emphasised and presented, so we developed a new ‘Music’ section for them, creating an area to showcase their discography as well as videos and performances. They have some truly fantastic content, so we ensured that it would be easy for people to access it and share in the power of their music.

The whole team is thrilled with the result, and we are delighted that the Military Wives Choirs team are too. Melanie Nightingale, Director of the Choirs Support Team, noted the “enthusiasm and professionalism” of the Digity team in delivering “a website to be proud of”.

She thanked the team for their work, remarking,

“You have delivered a project that speaks to all our many and varied audiences whilst keeping to the original brief and remaining on time and on budget. This is a remarkable achievement at any time, but to deliver in these very challenging times, is a testament to your clarity of vision and excellent project planning and delivery processes. Thank you again.”

Take a look at the new Military Wives Choirs website here , where you can also find ways to donate to or fundraise for their charity.

If you are interested in our digital marketing and website services, book a free initial consultation to allow us to pinpoint the specific areas you could be exploring to help your business thrive.

Merry Christmas from Digity

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 22:34:12 GMT

On behalf of all the team we wish you a VERY Merry Christmas!

Well, 2020 is coming to an end and, on behalf of everyone at Digity, I just wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas and here's to a happy new year ahead.

Our office officially closes from midday on Christmas Eve and will open again on Monday 4th January. If you have any enquiries in the meantime, we recommend emailing info@digity.co.uk , which is being monitored throughout.

Have a great break, recharge and come back ready to hit hard - 2021 is going to be an absolute belter!!!

Chris

Motion Graphics on Websites - Captivating or Distracting?

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 13:36:20 GMT

The benefits of movement on websites are well-known; increase engagement, direct user attention, break up copy. However, it can hinder your rankings if not done correctly. Below, we establish the benefits and drawbacks of introducing motion graphics to your website.

Considering that your website will be judged in about ten seconds, it’s important to engage people quickly. Motion graphics are a great way to do that, allowing you to draw attention, educate and amuse. You can use motion to make a loading screen more entertaining, or to highlight a service or product you offer. Movement could include loading animations, simple logo animations, icon gifs, videos, animated rollovers, icon movements or entrance animations.

When properly used, motion graphics can be significantly effective at directing a user's attention and increasing engagement. When improperly used, they can slow loading times, distract from key messaging and annoy visitors. So, to ensure you get it right, here are the benefits and drawbacks of using motion graphics on your website.

The Benefits

Creates an interactive experience for the user and catches their attention compared to a static page of text and imagery.
It’s proven there is more engagement from users when motion appears throughout a site.
Can direct attention to CTAs and guide the user throughout your site
Users spend longer on pages with movement. According to Wistia, people spend 2.6x longer on webpages that have videos than those that don’t.
You can break up copy with motion graphics, which will allow you to still say everything you want to, but keep people engaged.
SVG & CSS animations are small in file size but can fit any screen size.

The Drawbacks

Site speed - the most important consideration. If the size of the animation slows down your site, then you should reconsider. A user will lose interest within the first few seconds if your site loads slowly.
SEO/Google - Site speed also has an impact with Google and your SEO rankings.
Too much animation can be distracting and will put the user off. It needs to be balanced throughout your site. Less is more! It has to have a clear purpose.
It was once thought to be old fashioned - though, in a more subtle and refined form, it is once again becoming a real trend.

Things to Consider

You need to research into your user personas to establish if movement is necessary for them.
Also, does the subject matter lend itself to the use of movement? For example: An energetic customer-facing brand could show videos/animations of their offerings/products, but some B2B companies may find it distracting.

If you are looking to add movement to your website , or are looking for a completely new website that incorporates motion graphics, we’re here to help. Our dedicated graphic and web designers can create bespoke graphics for your website that will drive traffic, increase engagement and direct the user’s attention to where you need it. Just book a free, no-obligation consultation call to discuss your requirements.

5 Things That You Didn’t Know You Could Do With Google Analytics

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 10:00:11 GMT

Did you think Google Analytics was just about reporting the number of page views on your website? Then we are about to blow your mind!

Recently, I have had a few calls with clients where I have helped them to make the most out of the data they have available. During these calls, I realised that many people have no idea about the depth of data they have at their fingertips!

Google Analytics contains a LOT of data. More than most people can reasonably make sense of. To make it simple for you, here are just five key things it can do which are easy to digest and make use of, without having to trawl through pages or reports:

1. Custom Alerts

These are not real time - they generally take about 24 hours to come through. However, once set up, you don’t have to think about them again until you receive the alert. The trick is getting them set at the right level so you are not inundated. A particularly useful scenario is for identifying problems; you can be alerted when something is NOT working as it should. Then, you don’t have to think about it again unless it happens, but you have the security of knowing that it won’t slip past unnoticed.

Alerts can be set on a variety of triggers. Here are some examples that I like to use them for, and the actions I would take as a result of receiving the alert:

404 / Page Not Found: A trigger on a view of your 404 page. This prompts further investigation within Google Analytics to discover what the visitor was trying to find. Sometimes it is a typo or nothing to worry about, but sometimes it will identify a broken link that needs fixing, a redirect that can be put in place, or the need for new content to fill a gap that people are looking for.

Suspicious activity: A trigger on more than a certain number of pages or longer than expected session duration. This can sometimes indicate an unidentified bot or suspicious activity on the site. If it is frequent and using up bandwidth it may require action, but often it is simply a matter of being aware and potentially excluding it from reporting if it skews figures from which you are making decisions. Otherwise, it may be a highly valuable potential client who you may want to reach out to!

Bounce rate: A trigger above (or below) a certain tolerance. This can identify potential site issues but also campaign issues - if a campaign is resulting in a very high bounce rate then it may need tailoring or refining, and the sooner you can act the more money you will save!

2. Custom Segments

Defined very easily within the GA interface, there are almost endless opportunities here. Here are just a few examples of how they can be used:

Eliminate the noise to find out how people really use your site - looking only at those who see more than ‘x’ pages / spend more than ‘x’ time.
Identify ‘hot prospects’; users who take a certain action. You can then see what else they do on the site, which will help to help identify more of them, earlier.
Geographic focus - We have several clients who like to focus on the UK only, or perhaps just analyse audiences on a regional level if some markets are more mature than others.
Identify fallout - Users who perform action 1 but NOT action 2, for example: ‘Add to Cart’ but not ‘Purchase’.
Remove customers - For example, those logging into a member area or viewing customer-only content you may not want considered as prospects.
Remove test traffic

3. Schedule Reports

Do you spend time creating reports, or trying to remember where you found certain information last time? Or, perhaps more commonly, completely forgetting to look at your stats for months at a time because you are too busy?

Get the relevant things you need (a manageable, digestible amount) into your inbox on a regular basis. Consistency and frequency, to meet your needs!

4. Integrate with Google Sheets, Data Studio etc.

Do you often need to get data from GA but it’s never in the right format, or it needs combining with other information? Don’t spend time looking for and copying data - not only is that a time drain but there is a huge potential for human error!

With a FREE plugin, you can set up and run Google Analytics directly into Google Sheets, and manipulate it however you want. Then, when you need to update next time, you just hit ‘Run Report’. Google Data Studio is also a great option for this, depending on what you want to do with the data.

5. Custom Event Tracking

There are so many options here that it could definitely be a topic of its own. However, to give you just a few ideas, you can implement:

Scroll tracking - Do users scroll far enough down a page to see certain content?
External link tracking - Perhaps a key event for you is downloading a PDF, or linking out to a third-party retailer or donation site. This won’t be covered by GA by default - but it can be!
Do you have multiple links to the same content and want to know which one works best? Track them individually and compare!

All this can be a bit overwhelming, but it is worth knowing what is available! If you are not sure where to start or want to know how to implement any of the above, then just book a call with us and ask.

TikTok - The App That Took Over 2020!

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 10:00:02 GMT

Quick, quirky videos, complex dance routines and silly challenges; TikTok has captured the attention of over 800 million of us since its release in 2017. So, what made this app such a great success, and why is it becoming an increasingly popular platform for businesses?

From dance routines to monthly trending challenges, TikTok has certainly captured the attention of the world. The media app can be used to create short but interesting videos, leaving you flicking for hours. The well-loved app was first released in 2017 after originally launching as Douyin in September 2016. It wasn’t an immediate success, taking its time to capture the attention of the global public and become a media sensation, growing from 500 million users in 2018 to 800 million active users by 2020.

As the world was flipped upside down in March and new lockdown measures were set in place in many countries, people all over the world needed to find a new way to entertain themselves. As the months went by, TikTok started to be shown across many news channels - inviting more users and catching the eye of the celebrities that soon started getting involved.

But what makes the app so worth the download?

It’s super easy to pick up and learn. Thanks to the useful music and video creation software built into the app, it is easy to pick up whether you are a young creative or an older creative. A lot of TikTok’s videos are made of ‘How-To’ clips which provide insights into how to use TikTok better - so once you’re up and running, you’ll be learning in no time.

TikTok has built a community that enjoys engaging in content. Whether this be creatives using the ‘Duet’ feature to react to other video creators, trending dance challenges or even using the live feature to connect further with your following.

Users create extremely compelling content - take M&S, for example. If you haven’t seen the recent TikTok phenomenon of ‘Percy Pig HQ’, you’re certainly missing out.

How to use TikTok effectively

If you’re looking to use TikTok to captivate your audience, then you’ll need to make sure you use the right hashtags! Many small and big businesses use TikTok to show brand experience and ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ content. For example, SMEs love showing their brand packaging and often wrap their TikTok orders to show other users what their customers are loving and ordering - which definitely helps to convert a few more orders.

What’s so great about showcasing your brand on a platform like TikTok? Well, it’s super quick, fun and easy to make content. With a length of 15-30 seconds the only option for videos on TikTok, you have to keep it short and sweet. The content is definitely high energy. Showcasing your brand on TikTok allows you to build your own community, and even respond creatively to comments and FAQs through more video content.

Not only that - TikTok is the hub for some of the most niche and peculiar videos, so don’t be afraid to get yourself out there. You’ll be surprised what captivates the TikTok audience. The best part of TikTok as a creative is learning how other creatives use the platform, create artwork, adverts, key rings and much more. Why not download it today and see what keeps you scrolling for hours?

3 Top Ways to Help Your Business Survive Lockdown

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:02:26 GMT

Having a great online presence is more important than ever this year. With many businesses having to close their physical premises, being seen online has emerged as a truly key way to survive lockdowns. However, the online marketplace can be a large and confusing place, so here are three top tips for boosting your online presence for maximum impact.

2020 has sadly been an extremely tough year for many businesses. If your business has been one of the fortunate ones to survive so far, you are certainly doing something right. But, with the country having just exited a second nationwide lockdown and entered into a localised tiered lockdown, building a robust and engaging online presence is more important than ever. Websites , social media , online advertising techniques, email campaigns ; there are a lot of routes you can take, and which areas you decide to focus the most on will depend on your business and your goals. However, as a general rule, the following three tips are key things to consider to help your business survive periods of lockdown:

1. Create or enhance your website

For those of you in retail - if you don’t already have a website , you can create your very own online store effectively and quickly using any of the variety of eCommerce platforms available. We’ve seen Christmas markets moving online and restaurants selling key ingredients for customers to make their food at home, all through newly-created eCommerce functionalities; even outside of retail, an eCommerce site can be extremely beneficial.

Alternatively, if you already have a website, you may need to give it a refresh in order to communicate with your customers more effectively. Regularly refreshing the content of your website helps you to improve your Google ranking and can reduce your bounce rate, while refreshing the visuals is great for improving user interaction and ensuring your site continues to reflect your brand.

2. Contact all your existing customers.

Shout about your progress! Let your customers know via email about your new website, its features and how they can benefit from it. Give them an update on any offers or promotions. Provide an overview of your year, focusing on any highlights. Everyone likes to read news about positive growth and change - now, more so than ever - so don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet! If you have an email database, you could really benefit from sending regular informative updates to your customers.

3. Develop your social media to attract new customers and communicate to existing customers

People are using social media now more than ever, with the estimated 3.08 billion people now on social media set to grow to up to 3.43 billion by 2023*, so don’t underestimate its power. You need to engage with your customers and potential customers by posting regularly about any new developments and offers and creating a content strategy which is engaging, visual and helps you to represent your brand effectively to your consumers. There are a vast number of ways to engage with customers both organically and through paid ads on social media, with different platforms and techniques being more impactful for your business depending on your sector and target audience. Discover the best options for your business in our dedicated blog here.

These may seem overwhelming and it may be hard to visualise how you can implement them to maximum impact for your business. That’s fine - that’s what we’re here for. Get in touch with the team at Digity to find out how we can help you and your business thrive in the digital marketplace.

*Statistica.com, “Number of global social network users 2010-2023”, https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/

Digity Believes! We've Donated a Website to a Local Cause to Bring Some Festive Cheer

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 21:55:18 GMT

Can't go to see Father Christmas? No problem ... he's coming to you!

Every now and then we get inspired to help a local cause, and Binfield Believes is one of those causes. It's something our MD's wife, Vicky, has helped to co-create, so we were delighted to show our support by creating a little website to help people join in safely. All of this came about after it was clear there were going to be lots of disappointed children who weren't going to be able to see the big guy - so instead, they decided to bring him to the village to take a special tour round and wave hello.

The effort that everyone has put in has been incredible and they are selling special bells to raise money for the local primary school.

See and find out more here: www.binfieldbelieves.com .

Social Media and Business Authenticity

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 11:07:38 GMT

Social media is huge - and it is only growing bigger. However, almost everyone can think of a time when it has made us want to hurl our phones at the wall and delete every app in a fit of frustration. So, as businesses risk being left behind and losing authenticity in this modern age if they don’t engage with consumers on social media, how do they ensure they contribute positively to the online community?

It is EVERYWHERE – you can’t get away from it. We know what the next-door neighbour of our old hairdresser we met once at a BBQ was having for dinner last night. We know that Cousin Wendy, twice removed, likes to have two viennese whirls with her afternoon coffee. Social media usually is a series of gloating pictures and vague words to incite emotion or interest. We all have had Facebook or Instagram rants when we see something that annoys us and makes us want to throw our phones across the room. Perhaps you don’t personally use social media at all, but you may be considering it for your business. Used in the right way - to educate, promote and inspire - it can be an incredibly valuable and positive tool, not to mention a great way to get more online exposure. Many businesses rely on social media to be seen and to get their brand recognised and, especially in this unsettled economic climate, there is an intense pressure to reach target markets for our slice of the shrinking pie.

How to Achieve Authenticity

So, what do people want to see? (Top tip - no one wants to see #blessed). How can you promote your business authentically without selling your social media soul to the devil? It doesn’t matter if you run a million-dollar legal firm or own a small retail unit – people want to see the business’ values, beliefs and personality. What do you believe in? When you employ someone to work for your business, what values are important to you? Show you are reliable as a business, that your customers can depend on you, that you will do what you say you are going to do! Look at your mission statement; your social media should reflect all the things you set out to do when you envisioned your business right at the start. It should show your customers your future aspirations.

Obviously social media is a fantastic place for businesses to advertise, promote campaigns and offers, and announce product releases, but in between all that - and running through everything you post - should be an agreed-upon and predefined brand voice. Take some time – listen to your employees and tap into your self-awareness and determine what that might be. If you need some help, just book a consultation with us . We can help you to establish a social media presence and maintain it, so your business represents itself authentically and positively online.

Examples of some great authentic social media posts from businesses

Oatly - Swedish Oat-drink company, Oatly, have garnered a huge following from their dry, sarcastic and frankly weird social media posts and product packaging. If you can pull it off, humour can be extremely impactful!

Burger King - Twitter has become the home of witty B2B interactions in full view of consumers. Huge fast food chains like Burger King and McDonalds are often battling it out with each other, but they also know how to use social media to reflect their understanding of the current climate. By supporting other competitors, and taking a break from their usually humorous interactions, they can reinforce themselves as a business who cares.

These are just a couple of examples of how big brands are engaging with their customers on social media. If you are interested in developing and enhancing your business' social media presence, just book a consultation call with us to discuss how we can help.

Alix & Liz Exercise Their Generosity By Completing Immense Physical Challenges for Charity

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 12:24:40 GMT

Sporting events and fundraisers were cancelled this year due to Covid, but two members of our team decided the show must go on. They undertook their own incredible self-organised physical challenges to raise money for important UK charities who missed out on vital funding this year.

Some of our team have been exercising some generosity recently (literally!) by taking part in colossal physical challenges to raise money for charity. Unfortunately, a lot of sporting events and fundraisers, like marathons and half marathons, have been cancelled this year, resulting in a huge loss of donations for many charities. So, two plucky individuals from our team decided that they would put themselves through hell for charity anyway, by undertaking their own fundraising challenges!

Liz’s Epic Journey

One of those individuals, our team member Liz, is super healthy, super fit and super into triathlons, so her taking on an immense physical challenge for charity wasn’t all that surprising. However, when we found out just what she was doing, we were all shocked. Liz had decided to run the Virtual London Marathon to raise money for Oxfordshire Mind after all the loss of funds charities have had to bear this year. She hadn’t planned to do it, and was aiming on completing it with just 3 weeks training. Yes, you read that right.

This incredible feat was unfortunately put on hold when she received an injury, but she didn’t want to let her sponsors down. So, instead, she got up at the crack of dawn and completed a 220km cycle, cycling for an unbelievable 8 hours and 51 minutes. Powered by flapjacks, she rode from sunrise to sunset across Aylesbury, Oxford, Reading and the surrounding areas. We are in awe of her for completing this incredible ride for charity, and want to stress that her Just Giving page is still open, so you can help her meet her target for Oxfordshire Mind. Congratulations, Liz!

Alix’s Self-Motivated Half Marathon

The other member of our team to get sweaty for charity is Alix. She had registered for the Reading Half-Marathon this year to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association with her Sonning Ladies hockey team. Sadly, the husband and father to two of her team members had passed away from the disease earlier in the year, so Alix aimed to raise funds for the charity which had provided her teammate and family with such amazing support during that time.

A self-declared run-hater, Alix underwent training every week for months to prepare for the half marathon. The event was due to take place in April, but it was unfortunately cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. Undeterred, Alix continued training throughout the year, even battling through Covid herself. In November, after a second cancellation, she decided she would complete the half marathon by herself before the end of the year.

On the 14th November, she ran 13.1 miles, aiming to finish her half marathon in under 2 hours. She smashed it, finishing in an outstanding 1 hour 55 minutes. Despite putting herself through one half marathon already, she still plans on earning more sponsorships and completing the official Reading half marathon next year when the event is hopefully reinstated. We are extremely proud of Alix for completing her half marathon and her continuing commitment to raising money for a great cause. If you can spare a donation to support Alix, please visit her Just Giving page here.

Want to Improve Your Marketing Impact? Ask Your Team These 3 Questions

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 10:00:02 GMT

The answers could change your marketing strategy forever.

Content is a vital part of marketing but creating new, interesting angles and ideas can be challenging at the best of times. Whether we’re creating new websites , blogs , social media posts, email campaigns or anything else, we need depth and we need something that people can hook on to if we’re truly going to make it stand out.

Having spent 20 years in marketing, I’ve got a simple exercise I often use with clients to help us to generate captivating and relevant content and it’s a real game changer. It involves asking three simple but impactful questions to your team. We would typically create a survey for you to distribute but, depending on the size of your team, you could also ask them in a group meeting as a brainstorm or via email.

I guarantee you’ll be blown away by the answers if you take the time to aggregate them and they may help to improve your customer experience going forward, as well as improving the focus of your marketing.

The exercise:

Ask everyone (and I mean everyone: shareholders; Directors; Managers; those who answer the phones, fix things, build things, clean things) these three questions:

Give me 10 reasons people buy from us?
Give me 3 reasons people don’t buy from us?
If money was no object, what could we do to grow more sales?

Make sure you put a time limit on it, though show understanding of the pressurised situation you’re placing them in. The fundamental driver for success from this exercise is honesty , so your team has to know that you will value any answer and won’t judge any negatively. Depending on your business, you could make the process anonymous, but you may find that an open and direct approach helps to open your eyes to a few more things and simultaneously demonstrate that you trust and value your team.

When you have collated your team’s answers, have a look at them together and assess if any prominent and/or recurring obstacles have been highlighted. Where does your team identify potential opportunities for growth? What is stopping you from getting there? Can you do something about it? No one knows your business like the people who make it what it is, so these answers could tell you a lot about how to shape your marketing and website content and overall strategy going forward. Often voices get lost in the daily operations of a business, so taking the time to listen could just be one of the most important and valuable things you could do for both your business and your team spirit.

Why do I like this exercise?

When I reflect on my career to-date, I’ve certainly learnt a lot more from asking teams why customers don’t buy rather than why they do. Advertising plans and budgets will get you in front of audiences but a lack of detail and desire-generating content will often hold them back from buying: “It’s too expensive for me”, “They probably don’t cover my location”, “It’s not worth it”, “It won’t arrive in time” etc. Most people talk themselves out of things unless there’s enough detail for their barriers to come down and their desire to build up. Once you achieve that with your marketing and website strategy , nothing will hold them back.

I’d love to hear more about how this goes, so message me and let me know. Equally, if you’re not sure where to start and want to find out more about how we can help take your business to new heights, get in touch.

What is Google Tag Manager and Why Should You Be Using It?

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 14:50:05 GMT

Have you ever wanted to put code onto your site but not known how? Or had to ask your developer and then wait for the next site release? With Google Tag Manager, that can be a problem of the past. Here are our top six benefits of implementing Google Tag Manager.

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is an easy way of implementing a variety of tags on your website, without having to edit code. It is a ‘container’ that you only have to implement on your website once, as after that everything is done through an easy-to-use interface - with no coding!

The Top 6 Benefits of Implementing Google Tag Manager

Everything in One Place: It keeps everything in one place. This allows you to keep track of all the different tags you are using, remove redundant tags, and ensure there is no duplication.

Add New Tags Quickly: New tags can be added without needing time from your developer, or waiting for the next release of your website if other updates are in progress.

Testing: It is easy to test and troubleshoot in ‘Preview’ mode before publishing. Testing before implementation is always good practice, and often trial and error is needed before getting something exactly right. Preview mode is invaluable for this. It will also allow you to identify Google Analytics (GA) variables such as Element ID, Click ID and more.

Pause Tags: You can pause redundant tags without deleting so it is easy to bring them back later.

Predefined Integrations: It has predefined integrations with many different types of tags: Google Analytics, LinkedIn Insights, Crazy Egg etc. (see all here ). It also enables the validation of other products, such as Google Search Console. Need something not in the list? You can still add custom tags, such as Facebook Pixel, more easily than doing so directly on your website.

Access Control: It provides good access control. GTM enables you to give marketing teams access to implement tags without giving them access to the website backend.

An example of something we commonly do through GTM at Digity is setting up and adjusting Google Analytics Events . Tag manager allows us to activate built-in variables and set up GA events which cannot be done through Google Analytics directly. This can then be used for GA goals if desired.

One example of this is a scroll variable. If new content is added to a website and we want to know if users reach a particular key point within a page, then the scroll variable can be activated and customised to record when users reach that point.

Another example is external link clicks. Google Analytics only records users' behaviour within your website, yet sometimes key actions actually prompt users to click and follow a link elsewhere: a PDF download, a link to a third-party retailer, a link to a donation site etc. These links can all be tracked with GTM!

There are many exciting uses of Google Tag Manager and a lot of things that can be done more quickly when it is properly utilised. However, none of this can be done if it is not already set up in your site. This can be done by your developer, but if you need someone to set it up quickly for you, then just book a call with us today.

It’s Not Too Early! Why Your Christmas Campaign Needs to Start Now

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 15:29:23 GMT

While there are those among us who eagerly await the end of Halloween so that we can officially celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season on November 1st, there are also those of us who refuse to even think about Yuletide cheer until well into December. Whatever your personal view, your marketing for Christmas should be well underway by the time ‘All I Want For Christmas’ starts to dominate all available music channels.

Christmas is a heavily saturated time for marketing and with the recent announcement of a month-long lockdown in England, the online space is going to be busier than ever as businesses rush to revamp their virtual space. Due to this, there is more pressure than usual to get your Christmas campaigns started now, so you can stand out amongst the noise. Below, we explore a few key marketing ideas that you could consider including as part of your Christmas campaign, as well as some tips on how to ramp up the festivities in a way that’s right for your business.

Making Your Logo Merry

One fun way of bringing some festive cheer to your website and social media profiles is by sprinkling a bit of Christmas magic onto your logo ! This may not be right for everyone, but if you’d like to show the fun side of your brand as well as reinforcing your seasonal campaign across your online channels, then this is an enjoyable and lighthearted way to do so. At Digity, we are no strangers to a temporary logo makeover. See below the Halloween makeover we gave our logo this year!

O ffers and Giveaways

Special offers are not just for the January Sales! By launching a Christmas offer or giveaway , you can drive engagement and interest towards any areas you would like to promote during the last couple of months of 2020, as well as potentially driving more data capture and lead generation. You can reinforce this with a dedicated social media campaign accompanied by impactful email campaigns and a temporary website landing page . This is one of the most effective ways to join in with the festive spirit, as it gives potential new customers a reason to visit your website and get in touch.

Ideas include:

20% off [specific product/service]!
Claim your exclusive Christmas voucher! Only [number] available!
Santa’s come early! We’re getting in the festive spirit with an incredible Christmas giveaway - enter now for your chance to win [specific product/service]

E mail Campaigns

These can include any of the Christmas offers you choose to run for the festive season, but the end of the year is also a great chance to give your client base an overview of your yearly activity and highlights. This has been a year of ups and downs for everybody, but a visual and engaging email newsletter is still a great way to connect with existing, lapsed or potential clients. This could be a ‘Year in Pictures’ email, showcasing any new projects or products that have come onto the scene or simply wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe New Year. If your monthly newsletters or regular campaigns have fallen off a bit this year, Christmas is a great chance to get these up and running again

C hristmassy Social Media Posts

This is where a few choice snowflakes here and there can make a world of difference and ensure your social feed is in-keeping with the season. Having a few bespoke social templates to refer to during this time - whether they are at Mariah Carey levels of Christmas spirit or a bit closer to what the Grinch would be comfortable with - can spice up your regular posts and give your pages some Christmas magic. It’s quick and easy, but impactful. Consumers love it when businesses show some personality! Get in touch with us at Digity to see the templates we could create for your business.

Sharing Team Festivities

While this year’s Christmas dos are naturally going to look quite different, your team may have some festive activities planned for this period nonetheless. Sharing any of these on social media , via your email campaigns or on a blog is a great way to showcase your team and your personalities to your client base. Fun festive activities could include a Christmas Bake Off, virtual Christmas party, long-distance office Secret Santa or snapshots of the team putting up their Christmas decorations. Sharing images of occasions like these highlights the hard-working team behind the scenes, and showcases the spirit of Christmas.

Overall, your online presence can be a great place to share some positivity right now, and get people excited for a new kind of Christmas. Putting forward a personable, comforting and fun vibe during the festive season can make your business stand out to new or existing customers.

Get in touch with Digity today to get your Christmas campaign off the ground and in place as soon as possible!

Lockdown Projects: New Website and Logo Refresh for Car Source

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 08:19:31 GMT

We recently completed a fantastic new website and logo refresh for car sourcing company, Car Source. The project was delivered completely remotely within a super-fast timescale, providing the client with the ability to take control of his new business during lockdown.

Car Source is a Swansea-based car sourcing company, recently established by longtime car sales professional, Adrian Davies. He came to Digity looking for a new website, built completely from scratch; new design, new domain, new copy and a new booking form, as well as a logo refresh. The project from kick-off to completion was delivered remotely with most project contact taking place over video calls, meaning Adrian could discuss plans with us from his home in Wales.

We delivered:

New Duda Website
Copy
Logo Refresh
New Booking Form & Finance Application form
SEO
Dedicated Project Manager

We built a Duda site for Car Source as it enabled a fast turnaround whilst providing fantastic functionality and also allows the client to easily update content himself going forward. The design process began by refreshing his logo, which had a bright red and blue colour scheme. The client was looking for a more muted and sophisticated colour palette, so our designer introduced shades of grey and teal blue to the logo. This was then used as the colour scheme for the whole site, which aimed to break away from usually bright and harsh colour palettes of car sales websites to become something much more premium.

The site had to be credible and engaging, so both the copy and the design were geared towards being simple, clear and professional, without being overly formal. All copy was SEO-optimised and placed strategically on the website to ensure users could access the information they needed to as quickly and easily as possible. As the client was offering a service designed to make his clients’ lives easier, it was important to us that the website process would be similarly simple and straightforward for them. So the site was kept uncluttered, with minimal pages and an easy-to-use application form to begin the car sourcing process. As the first point of contact between a new customer and our client, this form was designed to work seamlessly and include all necessary information.

Now both the client and his customers can have everything they need in one place, so our client can run his business with ease and his clients can enjoy a fantastic user experience designed to increase sales conversions. Check out the website her e .

Like what you see? Book a call with us at Digity to discuss how we can design and build a website to make your business life easier and contribute to your growth.

Behavioural Targeting: The Top Advertising Technique That Makes It Seem Like Your Phone is Listening to You

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 10:01:48 GMT

We’ve all been there - it seems you’ve scarcely thought of something and then an advertisement for something similar appears on your Facebook feed or as a cookie on a website you’re browsing. As exciting (or scary!) as your phone gaining a semblance of sentience may be, the real reason for this is an extremely effective marketing technique: behavioural targeting.

A popular technique with marketers to improve campaign effectiveness and website performance, behavioural targeting is used within targeted ads to target a specific audience based on their web activity, online behaviour and browsing patterns.

The idea behind this is simple: if you want to maximise the effectiveness of your paid ads, you need to make sure they are seen by the right people. Whilst using demographics and psychographics such as location, age and interests can be handy, if you really want to be seen by the most qualified leads for your ad, you need to know what they actually engage with online. That is why behavioural targeting can produce much more successful results.

So, how does behavioural targeting work in practice?

Behavioural targeting will use criteria such as browsing history, search history, visited websites and past purchases to ensure those engaging with similar content to yours are the ones who see your ad. For example, if I searched for an SEO course online, I may see an ad on Facebook or Google results soon after for a Content Strategy course or more SEO courses. In this way, behavioural targeted ads maximise the chance of engagement and campaign success by showing ads to consumers who find the content relevant; immediately relevant.

How do I do it?

Firstly, have a comprehensive content strategy. Without a cohesive and informed content strategy, you could waste valuable money from your ad budget on targeting the wrong people, or linking them to out-of-date, irrelevant or weak content.

Next comes running the ad. Usually, to run these ads you can use many of the most common ad hosts that you may already be using; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google. These all offer targeted advertising options, so you can use demographics and psychographics like age, interests, likes and location to structure audience segments.

The software will then get to work, selecting browsers to show your content based on your established preferences. Essentially, it will ensure the right people are shown your advertisement.

In conclusion…

Behavioural targeting is a no-fuss and stunningly sensible way to augment your ad strategy and maximise your ROI. It can improve retargeting, consumer experience and sales, and revolutionise your future ads by allowing you to tweak content based on analytics and audience browsing behaviour.

If it all seems a bit complicated, that’s OK - we can do all the hard work for you!

At Digity, we have comprehensive experience creating impactful advertising campaigns. Get in touch with us today by booking a call and we will ensure your ad budget is invested where it should be.

Chris Lunn Features On kbbreview Podcast, Discussing Digital Marketing for Kitchen & Bathroom Retailers

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 11:06:51 GMT

Our MD, Chris Lunn, joined kbbreview podcast host, Andrew Davies, to discuss how Kitchen & Bathroom retailers have been utilising digital marketing during COVID-19, and what the next steps are for those who have only begun building their online presence over the past few months.

The kbbreview podcast from Taylist Media was started to examine how retailers and suppliers in the independent kitchen and bathroom retail market are coping with the situation posed by coronavirus. It aims to “[...] share best practice, new ideas and practical ways to get business flowing.”

Our MD, Chris Lunn, featured on Episode 28 of the podcast, released today. He discussed all things digital marketing with host Andrew Davies; websites, social media, and other marketing tools, all specifically related towards Kitchen and Bathroom retailers.

Some Kitchen and Bathroom retailers have only begun developing their online presence and implementing a digital marketing strategy during the coronavirus pandemic, as lockdown forced them to shut showrooms and reach out to their client base online instead. Chris will detail how retailers in this position should decide their next steps going forward to continue their digital marketing journey.

To listen to the podcast, click play below.

Alternatively, click the button below to listen to the podcast and discover other episodes on the kbbreview podcast website .

If you are interested in making long-term improvements to your website or digital marketing strategy, book a call to discuss the possibilities, or view our marketing plans for a sense of what we could offer you.

📣 HTTP V.S. HTTPS 🔒

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 13:30:08 GMT

Read Time | 5 Minutes

Can adding one letter to your URL really improve your website? �� We take a look at how a URL works, the difference between HTTP and HTTPS and how using the right protocol in your URL can improve security, boost conversion rates as well as speeding up your website pages loading time .

What a difference one letter can make. Each site across the internet has its own unique Uniform Resource Locator (URL), usually starting with www. and ending with .com or .co.uk. ��️ The URL gives your web browser the information on where to discover and how to retrieve a specific resource such as your business website home page or contact page.

There are 3 Parts to a URL ⤵️

�� The Prefixes/Protocol i.e. HTTPS://

�� The Host/Domain name i.e. www.Digity.co.uk

�� The Path i.e. /ContactUs

�� Today let’s look at the ‘Protocol’. This is the part of the URL that accesses resources online. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) essentially creates a pathway of communication between the server and the web user.

So, why should you add an ‘S’ to the end? �� When a customer is browsing your website using an HTTP web page then data is passed on in cleartext; meaning it can be read ��. For businesses, especially e-commerce, you want your customers’ sensitive information to be securely protected. Therefore, it is important to update your HTTP protocol by adding an ‘S’ (Secure) to create HTTPS instead. Here’s why:

HTTPS uses an encrypted code known as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to secure the data that is being transmitted, to make it harder for hackers to figure out ��. Ensuring your website domain name has HTTPS tells your customers that your site is secure, trustworthy and gives your business credibility ✅.

An additional bonus to HTTPS is that it loads pages much faster than HTTP. It already knows that the data is secure so it does not need to filter the website information. After all, it’s 2020 - no one has time for slow loading pages! ⏰

To get an HTTPS on your website you will require an SSL certificate. Let us know in the comments if you would like us to do a post on obtaining an SSL certificate. �� Here at Digity, we ensure all our websites are designed and built to a high professional standard, so do not hesitate to get in touch if you are looking to take your website to the next level.

How to Utilise an Online Booking System to Increase Conversions

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 09:05:29 GMT

We love using online booking systems with our clients to improve user experience on their websites. With a number of features to ensure seamless scheduling and easy communication, an online booking system could make life easier both for your team and your customers.

Now more than ever, it is vital for businesses to be available and easily accessible for customer communication. With face-to-face meetings less popular or impossible, many businesses have seen a large increase in video and phone meetings with their customers. At Digity, we work with a number of clients in the Architecture, Construction and Furnishing industries, who have had to adapt from their usual face-to-face design consultations to virtual substitutes. This is a great alternative and could well succeed the pandemic - but it must be executed well.

If customers try to make contact with businesses and find them slow to respond, unorganised or unavailable, sales are lost and reputations are damaged. Trying to organise your schedule and that of your team to accommodate a plethora of virtual meetings and phone calls is an incredibly tricky and time-consuming manual task to undertake, and leaves you exposed to error.

Introduce an online booking system

That is why we recommend introducing an online booking system. This will allow you to have a handy interactive calendar on your contact page which your customers can use to book appointments, meetings, consultations, phone calls, video calls - whatever you wish. The system can connect with up to six of your calendars on a variety of different applications, allowing you to seamlessly integrate it with your calendar and/or your team’s. These calendars can be totally customisable, so you can select either one or numerous members of the team to include on the system, allowing customers to book a meeting with who they wish. Alternatively, the system can delegate the bookings for you amongst the team, based on availability, priority, or equity.

Additionally, they can facilitate a number of different meeting types - from one-to-one, to collective (one customer with numerous team members), to group (numerous customers with one team member). This enables you to use the system to host webinars, training and other less conventional events alongside your usual meetings and appointments.

They have a number of other useful features; automatic email/text reminders and confirmations, buffers to add extra time before and/or after events, daily limits to cap the number of meetings, minimum scheduling notices to avoid last minute meetings, intelligent time-zone detection, and customisable branding so it fits seamlessly into your site.

Help your team work more efficiently

These booking systems also come with valuable features for simplifying the experience of your team. You can eliminate expense reports from each team member with a centralised billing feature which allows for one easy payment to cover all users’ subscriptions, whilst metrics and reporting allows you to track invitee engagement and campaign scheduling activity. You can also introduce team pages which display a single view of event types, permitting invitees to schedule with the relevant person, topic or event.

All of these features ensure that your scheduling and communication with your customers run flawlessly, increasing your conversion rates and improving your chances of new prospects coming on board - whilst making your life a lot easier!

We are happy to talk through how you can utilise an online booking system to improve your user experience and simplify your processes - just click here to get in touch.

Which Social Media Platform is Right for Your Brand?

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 15:56:43 GMT

Social media marketing can be one of the most effective ways to produce both organic and paid traffic - if used correctly. With an estimated 3.08 billion people now on social media and set to grow to up to 3.43 billion by 2023*, here are a few tips on how to find your target audience online.

The global reach of social media cannot be underestimated. Social media is now used worldwide, with a penetration rate of 49%* suggesting that even less developed countries are now beginning to engage on a greater scale with social media.

With such a staggering reach, it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to recognise the value of social media marketing . Regardless of your particular industry, it is almost guaranteed that your target audience will be active on social media and it can be one of the cheapest forms of marketing, therefore offering a fantastic ROI.

The issue is how to locate them with such an eye-watering number of users on each platform. Additionally, which platforms are most suited to marketing your particular service or products? Furthermore, what do you want to achieve? Is it brand awareness, lead generation, website traffic or conversions?

All these factors influence which platform you should focus your marketing efforts on. That is not to say that it wouldn’t be worth being on all the platforms you can - absolutely it is important to be as visible as possible online. However, you may find that certain platforms suit your business and your aims more closely - so here are our tips what a few of the largest social media platforms can offer you:

1. Facebook

With approximately 2.5 billion daily active users*, Facebook is the world’s most popular social media platform. With such a wide user base, it is possible for almost any business to locate their target audience, especially using Facebook’s ‘Facebook for Business’ tools. Additionally, with their specialised business pages allowing you to track metrics and providing analytics, it is quite a well-designed platform for keeping track of the success of your marketing campaigns.

Whilst the lack of hashtagging may make organic traffic a bit harder to generate, Facebook Ads are a great tool for creating paid traffic. You can either create specific ads or boost your page’s Facebook posts, targeting your audience by selecting desired characteristics from categories such as age, gender, interests, employment, purchasing behaviours, relationship status and so on. The amount of available data available on each consumer on Facebook means targeted advertising is extremely simple to achieve.

When creating new ads, the automatic placement feature in the Ads Manager allows the delivery system to make the most of your budget by placing your ad in specific locations on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Audience Network based off of the objective you select when creating your campaign. With both written or video ads placed in community groups, on the main feed, on the side feed or in Messenger, there are plenty of opportunities to be seen on Facebook - as long as you are willing to do a little boosting. Advertise your website, your product, your service, a special promotion, a campaign, your Facebook page itself - whatever you wish.

What does all this mean? That Facebook can be a very cost-effective way of growing your following quickly, especially as you can easily be seen by the people you want to be seen by. Messenger allows you to capitalise on those leads by setting up automatic replies to anyone who sends your page a message, or even automatically beginning a conversation with anyone who views your page. However, if you are not able to put some budget towards Facebook, other platforms are more likely to generate organic traffic and leads.

2. Twitter

Twitter claim to be the number one social media platform for discovery and suggest people spend 26% more time viewing ads on their platform than any other social media platform**. They are certainly a good option for organic traffic thanks to the popularity of hashtagging, which allows consumers to discover tweets containing specific hashtagged keywords. This can be utilised in both the content you produce, allowing your target audience to find you, and through paid Twitter for Business targeting tools that allow you to target ads at audiences based on their conversations, keywords, interests and followers. Similarly, you can also run paid Ad campaigns based on your objectives that optimize towards a marketing goal - awareness, conversions or specific actions.

Twitter does have a limited character count of 280 characters and an image size of 4MB per image, so the content you produce must be more concise than other platforms. However, it is great for videos and short GIFs, meaning if you are in an industry which offers a very visual product or service, it could be a great platform to utilise.

Additionally, it is a good platform for customer engagement - many big brands in recent years have taken to running campaigns and competitions on Twitter because the retweet function makes sharing posts a more popular user action than other social platforms. This provides the opportunity to have your post shared globally and therefore reach a wider audience. It is a platform that thrives off of informality - brands such as KFC, Domino’s, big UK supermarkets and McDonald’s have all gained attention from humorous interactions with customers. This kind of consistent customer interaction requires a larger marketing budget and benefits from a bigger following, so smaller companies are best focusing on the paid ads, targeting and hashtag engagement.

3. Instagram

Instagram claims to have over a billion active accounts every month, and notes that 90% of accounts follow a business***. Business accounts on Instagram are becoming increasingly popular, with new features being introduced that now allow companies to market and advertise in a variety of ways using paid ads, videos, images and content on their own page, and Instagram stories, as well as the new ‘Shop’ feature where e-commerce companies can make sales through Instagram itself rather than just linking to their website.

As standard, an Instagram business account is free to set-up, and provides you with real-time metrics on your posts and stories, insights into your followers and user interactions, and a platform for providing business info such as address, contact details and business hours. You can hashtag keywords to allow users to find you in the ‘Explore’ section of the app, or you can pay to have your post appear there; Instagram offers a number of paid advertising options. You can place ads so they appear on the stories section, with click-throughs to your page, a special offer, or your website. Alternatively - or additionally - you can place ads on the main feed, with the option for photo, video or carousel ads. Instagram also has a feature called Collection, where you can showcase a range of products and services. Similarly to Facebook (Instagram is owned by Facebook), you can promote or boost certain posts, and all advertising can be targeted based off of your specific criteria - location, demographics, behaviours, lookalikes, interests, or custom audiences.

Instagram is certainly a powerful business platform now, but you have to be willing to put the effort into your aesthetic. Graphics, videos, boomerangs, GIFs, animations, professional photography - all of these thrive on Instagram, and quality is key. As a business, you have to be willing to put thought into the appearance of your page as a whole, which means you have to decide your content strategy ahead of time. The effort is worth it, however - Instagram is a fantastic place to reach new customers and audiences, as long as you use it correctly. Already established companies such as Vogue have managed to sell out their September issue simply by using Instagram stories, so it evidently is a great place for your business to be.

3. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great B2B option for digital marketing and brand awareness. A social platform for professionals, LinkedIn offers companies the chance to engage with and target businesses or individuals within their target audience. You can track and participate in content trending with your target audience, drive specific actions with a customisable call-to-action button and track and monitor activity with visual metrics. You can create a business page and produce content, videos, messages, articles, training and more, published either organically or with the help of their advertising features. These allow you to sponsor posts or messages to target specific professionals, advertise directly into your target audience’s inbox, create video ads to drive leads, produce text ads with PPC (pay-per-click) or CPM (cost-per-impression) options, create personalised dynamic ads to draw in your audience or prospects and more.

It facilitates a direct approach as you can communicate and build relationships with the professionals you are interested in working with, both locally and remotely. This is great as a free option to draw in prospects - but you have to be willing to put the time in to engage with them and build your page (both your personal and your company’s) so that they get a good impression from you. Their ad capabilities are a useful way to be seen directly by the businesses or individuals you want to be seen by - but if you are more of a B2C company, this may not be the best place to invest your ads budget.

If you would like to find out more about social media marketing, get in touch with us today for a free consultation - we’ll let you know how you can improve your ROI, leads and brand awareness by focusing your budget in the right places!

*Statistica.com, “Number of global social network users 2010-2023”, https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/

**Twitter for Business, https://business.twitter.com/en/b.html.

***Instagram for Business, https://business.instagram.com/.

How We Can Work With You Regardless of Your Location

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 15:32:16 GMT

Remote working has shown many businesses that they don’t need to be in close proximity to work together. Our digital marketing and web design team work with companies all over the UK - and here is how.

The COVID-19 pandemic has incited a huge widespread shift in working practices in the UK as businesses moved to remote working, with their teams now spread across the country. This shift looks set to leave a lasting impression on how companies conduct business from now on, with flexible working practices likely to remain in some shape or form.

Why? It has shown those who may have been sceptical previously that traditional forms of communication and collaboration can be conducted just as easily - and, in some cases, more efficiently - through technology. This opens up opportunities for businesses across the country to start to collaborate and partner with those who may not be in close proximity to them.

Travel times and expenses and similar previously popular concerns over long-distance partnerships can now be discarded in favour of adopting video meetings, shared project management systems, collaborative work software and other tech. As a Berkshire-based website design and digital marketing agency, we have always worked with companies both locally and further afield in the UK. Now, we are looking forward to the opportunity to offer our services to an even wider audience.

How we provide our services across the UK

One of the key concerns for businesses surrounding long-distance partnerships is communication. How, from a distance, can you ensure you can access the team and communicate effectively and efficiently?

At Digity, we establish a meeting calendar with our clients either on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, dependent on their requirements, so that communication is planned and opportunities for discussion clear. During lockdown, we have been meeting with clients more frequently over Zoom calls to guide them through this unprecedented time. Every month we will discuss the plan of action for the following month, to maximise your impact where you want us to.

We also use a cloud-based project management system which we give clients access to, so they can monitor, track and comment on all the work we are completing for them. This way, it is incredibly clear what stage we are at with the work, the order of completion, the percentage completed, and who in the team the task is currently assigned to.

Additionally, we create a monthly marketing calendar for each client, into which we put all of their requirements for that month and the specific blogs, social media posts, email campaigns, Google Ads, webinars and other services we will be providing for them or collaborating with them on. Each item is placed on the day it will be going out, so the monthly plan is explicit. This can be shared amongst their team members and ensures that their team and ours are on the same page at all times. We work with you to determine what your level of activity should be to have the maximum impact, and then we deliver each month.

Our work for our clients right now has been more important than ever, with the online space being the primary domain for advertising, sales and communication with customers. We are continuing to offer all our usual services to new and existing clients: website design and development - including SEO, E-Commerce, CMS, Mobile/Tablet Optimization & more, and our marketing services - including Social Media, Blogging, Email Campaigns, Google Ads, Analytics, Advertising, CRM and Website Updates.

How our team is working remotely

So, that is how we can work with you remotely. How, during this current time, are we as a team working remotely? Digity took quickly to remote working, as our work is almost completely online and therefore all of our systems were already cloud-based, collaborative and accessible by everyone.

We communicate through weekly whole-team Zoom meetings, as well as more specific project meetings and client meetings. We utilise Slack to keep track of communication concerning each project, and our project management system, Avaza, ensures schedules, timesheets and project status are easily available.

This has been an exciting time for digital marketing and website development, and we have been exploring features for our clients that previously weren’t considered necessary by many. Zoom call widgets, Calendy video call booking systems, COVID-19 business-as-usual pop-ups, webinars and related booking systems; all have been incredibly successful during this time, and are encouraging our clients to pay even more attention to how they present themselves, market themselves, and are accessible online.

Find out more about how we can work with you, regardless of your location, and how we can revolutionise your online presence and growth by booking a free initial consultation call with us here.

Stop Surviving, and Start Thriving: My Fundamentals for Business Success

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 15 May 2020 08:17:21 GMT

Don't let fear impact your future - you've come too far!
In this blog, our MD, Chris Lunn, examines the steps your business should be taking to achieve greatness - crisis or no crisis.

The past couple of months have been the most challenging period of my career, both as a business owner and a marketer working hard to support many great clients with their own businesses. I know what it means to be under considerable and sustained pressure whether that's from previous bosses or the market conditions. Having worked for both big and small companies during the last three recessions, I'm no stranger to the current situation and my career has given me a lot of invaluable business experience (and a lot less hair!).

This business experience is what I wish to divulge in this blog. Too many times, I see business owners fall into the same traps - particularly when faced with times of adversity, but also in their day-to-day operations. So, by examining an often-repeated scenario, I will be exploring how to stop just surviving, and start thriving; with my Tips for Business Success.

A crucial scenario to consider

The reason for writing this blog today is to talk you through a scenario I've seen first-hand. I've focused on repeating it wherever I've worked and, over the past 9 years, I've been striving to instil it with both our team and our clients. In times of economic crisis, a survival instinct seems to kick in for business owners, where they want to protect what they have (i.e. their 'perceived' cash position) and they treat marketing as a cost like any other. It's like falling in a river with your life savings, and rather than letting go and swimming hard against the tide, you hold tight and wait to go over the fall - just in case you actually survive. Here's a more eloquent quote along the same theme:

“A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.”

- Henry Ford

This is what usually happens:

The initial hit

Let's say, for easy maths, your market is worth £10m and you have a 10% share, worth £1m (yes, I did that without a calculator!). Suddenly, your market takes a pretty big hit and shrinks by 30% (now down to £7m) and if you retain your foothold (which by the way, you're still going to have to fight for, because everyone else just took the same hit as you) then your share is the equivalent of £700k. That sounds pretty bleak, but the reality is there are a lot of companies who have experienced far greater drops right now so if this resonates with you, count yourself lucky at 30%.

The dust off

The next phase is where companies either boom or bust following the initial hit. It's the period you dust yourself off, take stock of the impact and work on your game plan for what's next. If we go back to my earlier point, many companies will instinctively take themselves off the radar to 'save money' by cutting marketing and advertising. They're in the same market conditions as everyone else, they've taken a big hit, and now they've reduced their costs to try to survive. However, what they've really done is reduce their chance of future sales . Those two words in bold are so vital to bear in mind, because there lies the real opportunity in all of this. You should never be thinking in just days and weeks - you should always be working in months and years.

How you act now will shape your future.

Refresh, reset and go for long-term success

If you're smart, your focus will have shifted from just trying to increase immediate sales to thinking further ahead and assessing the longer-term impact of what's happened. Focus on the opportunities that are now being presented to you. You should be looking to engage more customers earlier in the sales cycle than ever before, so you can can take control and block out your competition. You'll see businesses around you who are slashing their prices to get sales in the door, but unprofitable sales are never good a good strategy - don't let the sight of money fool you for long.

My advice to people who start a business is always consistent; If you're not going to make good money, get a job and have more time to do what you enjoy. If you're going to run a business, make it count and if you go for it in times like these, you should at the very least see your market share (albeit of the smaller market) start to grow again. If you're competing hard for customers and engaging them earlier in the process/cycle, you'll definitely move ahead of your competition.

Those who remain obsessed with today will be the ones feeling more pain tomorrow. They'll be the ones still looking at red numbers in spreadsheets in the next quarter, and the one after that. They'll have to keep making more cut-backs, either taking a huge amount of time to recover (if they ever do), or relying on some heavy re-investment strategies to turn it around.

If you accept that there are no opportunities to sell more, guess what will happen? If you don't accept it, you will make things happen. If you are genuinely top of every Google search, in front of people on social media, emailing your contacts, following-up on old customers and prospects, running webinars, writing e-books, collaborating with other partners, looking for new products to inspire your audience with, refreshing your website, running campaigns, writing blogs, posting on LinkedIn personally as well as through your company, making videos and spending vast sums on advertising and it's still not working...then change your team/agency. If you're not doing all of those things (and more) then you're holding yourself back so don't blame COVID-19, look in the mirror.

Reaping the rewards

In the meantime, if you've got on the front foot and are now competing hard in every location your target audience could be, you will have seen your market share grow. Let's say you have a strong few months, and grew your market share to 12.5% (from 10% previosly). It could still be regarded as 12.5% of a reduced market (the £7m now vs. £10m previously) giving you £875k, which is still short of the £1m mark you once had. However, the interesting part happens when the market starts to recover and grow - especially if it returns to where it was before. Then, you have control of £1.25m revenue within this £10m segment; perhaps significantly more, depending on what happens to those around you and how far you get ahead and dominate your space.

So, if you're sat there worried, get out a piece of paper and write down what you're going to do to go to compete now . What could you invest, and where should you invest, to make the most of this opportunity? It's not all about money, because you can waste good money on bad ideas. This is where you need strong advice and direction to push forward with a robust plan.

What's the point of saying all of this?

Well, recently I recorded a video discussing 5 Key Marketing Tips to help during this pandemic. It was more practical in a marketing sense but it needed some context in terms of business. So now, I have produced my 5 Fundamentals for Business Success . They've been written in a tough economic climate, but I believe they are just as valuable during the good times as they are in the bad. That's the point - you don't turn it on or off, you hold firm and you keep competing and not accepting failure.

My 5 Key Tips for Business Success

1. Identify your target audience

2. Establish your relevance

Then...

3. Be seen again and again

4. Stand out every time

5. Convert browsers in to buyers.

To take it a step further and achieve exceptional sales, you need to...

6. Be exceptional in points 1-5.

The above 5 points are so simple but so powerful. There are a whole host of detailed points and areas to cover around each one, but keep this as your road map and you will quickly stop trying to merely survive, and start focusing on what to do to thrive.

If you'd like to discuss how we can help you do just that, book in an initial consultation call with me, today. Our team is helping clients day-in, day-out to start thriving, and we'd love the opportunity to evaluate your current position and where we feel we can help.

In the meantime, here are some ways we help clients to achieve points 3-5 in particular:

Do you really have an active digital marketing plan?

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 12 May 2020 22:24:53 GMT

There are so many ways to get in front of and inspire your target audience, to rely on just one or two isn't naive, it's dangerous.

When it comes to the world of digital marketing there is so much you can focus on that we could create a whole website on the subject and one day we just might. In the meantime, we've created this handy graphic which highlights to us on a daily basis all the key areas we could and should be assessing as we look to grow our market share. We adopt the same philosophy and way of thinking for ourselves that we do for clients and now the chaos of COVID-19 is calming down, we're going to be banging the digital drum even harder than ever.

Take a look below and right-click to save the image to refer to. Use it often, we hope it helps and if you decide you need help to raise your game and grow faster, get in-touch. We'd love to show you what we can do for your business and play our part in your future success.

Get in touch to speak to us or book in a complimentary consultation call with one of our digital marketing consultants.

How Operation Lime Is Helping Businesses Navigate the Covid-19 Pandemic

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 15:33:46 GMT

The free business portal established by our MD, Chris Lunn, brings together experts from a range of fields to provide guidance and expertise based on their ongoing experiences in their specific knowledge areas.

When Coronavirus reached the UK, bringing worrying new realities of struggling businesses and a huge shift in consumer patterns, our MD, Chris Lunn, had the idea of starting a portal of experts to provide specific Covid-19-related guidance. Being a global pandemic, it was clear that no one would be left untouched by this crisis, and as such it was vital for professionals from all industries to come together and endure it - and even find ways to thrive.

Operation Lime was created, and experts recruited from the finance, business planning, HR, accountancy, IT, PR, and social media marketing business areas. They have all voluntarily contributed the lessons they have learnt so far, as well as updates on industry-specific Covid-19 guidelines and policies, like Furlough Leave, changes to SSP, IT security, financial guidelines, and how to prevent ‘Zoom-Bombing’ - you’ll have to read the blog to find out what that is!

We have had a wide range of posts so far, with heartwarming stories of small businesses finding ways to thrive whilst giving back to the community, insightful webinars from leading experts on topics such as mental health, communication and business strategy, and guides on handling marketing, leadership, and finances during the pandemic.

Content is constantly being uploaded, and more and more experts have been contributing as time has passed, which has been truly uplifting to see. Collaboration and unity are certainly essential tools to help mitigate the consequences of this crisis, which is why it is so wonderful to see experts from such different backgrounds supporting each other and recommending each other’s services. Partnerships and friendships made now are sure to outlive this pandemic and continue to benefit businesses in the future, so we encourage all to consider how they could assist others and how others could assist them throughout this difficult time.

We are always happy to welcome new experts on board, so if you have any tips or lessons you have learnt during the current pandemic, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Visit Operation Lime and start improving your leadership, marketing, strategy, security and communication during the current crisis. Just click here.

Watch Now: 5 Key Marketing Tips for Success During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 15:20:16 GMT

Our MD, Chris Lunn, has created a concise visual summary of five things you should be thinking about with your current marketing strategy.

Marketing, especially digital marketing, is more important than ever right now. Visibility is all online now, meaning businesses need to be looking carefully at their marketing strategy and analysing whether it is serving them as well as it could. With his wealth of experience, Chris has created a helpful video detailing five things you should definitely be considering. Watch it below:

For more information or to book a free personalised consultation with Chris to discuss your marketing strategy, please click here.

Say Hello to Our Striking New Brochure!

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 13:12:30 GMT

The cubes, the colours, the copy; what’s not to like?

As you may have noticed, we completed a fabulous new re-brand at the start of this year, with a new website and fresh, colourful branding. Well, we are very pleased with how it turned out. Therefore, we are seizing any opportunity we can to show it off. Cue, our new brochure!

Our designers have taken our vibrant brand colours and engaging new copy (not to mention our funky cube design!) and translated them into physical marketing assets. We have business cards (but we’re not showing you those yet!), we have stationary, we have signs, and now we have a brochure to distribute.

It covers our design capabilities, our marketing services, testimonials from our clients, and contact information so we can help revolutionise your online presence. Find it available for download below.

We are offering free marketing audits ; a consultation analysing your online marketing strategy and impact, and how we can help to improve it. No obligation, no fee.

My 10 Tips for Marketing Success in This Tricky Time - Starting NOW!

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 15:39:42 GMT

I 'm going to completely avoid any comment on the health issues, that's not my skill-set or role but it's clearly a worrying time. More concerning for us all as business leaders, it's a time with immediate, short and long-term impact for each of our businesses so at Digity we've been working on Operation Lime which is an assessment of what we can do to help each client to a) minimise the economic impact b) find new opportunities c) strengthen your business long-term.

So for what it's worth and as someone who started a business at the end of the last recession to help businesses build back up, I've got some experience in this area and views on what we all need to do.

1. Keep positive

I can't reinforce this enough. If you let your head drop it will have a domino effect. If you get too worried and act too quickly it can come across as desperation and weakness. Whatever is going on outside your control, this is one thing you have to control. Leave the honest, direct discussions for your accountant/finance team and business advisers/fellow directors - your staff, suppliers and customers will not respond well to speculation right now.

Those who are confident and talking about the future well beyond the next few months will be the ones that standout. If you sell things that take months to deliver and require input from the client, the current circumstances could help you to at least get through everything you have on right now. Once this situation has passed, the decision time will likely be faster and therefore if you've got an active pipeline you will recover faster than those trying to start from scratch. Savvy people with money know when to buy and they will be out there, the question is whether you are.

2. Use the time well

If you find yourself with unexpected time, use it to plan and do things today that will help tomorrow. Websites , ideas for campaigns , assessing the competition, looking for new products/services, thinking about your business plan in general etc. Don't let this impact your long term prospects.

3. The one stat I can predict

I don't know how your sales are going to look in the next month or your cash position BUT I do know that more people than ever are going to be online. I also predict they are going to get VERY VERY bored and as bad as this situation is for many, there will still be a lot of people who are still in work, relatively secure and potentially naive about the extent of the situation. In the consumer market they will be looking around for what to buy to alleviate that boredom or at the very least, feeling like they've got more time than ever before to consider their next purchase. We therefore expect a lot of people to enter the research stage for new products/services and therefore you have got to be there to be seen.

4. Be there to be seen

If you've been in a sales mindset for a while, I don't want you to lose focus on that but I do want you to focus on how you are attracting and then nurturing sales which might take longer than usual now to close. You therefore need to be there to be seen a) when people are looking for you so think about your advertising budget for Google b) inspiring relevant people so think about advertising budget for social media - as there's going to be plenty of people on Facebook and LinkedIn over the coming weeks that's for sure and c) targeting the people you want to talk to. You probably have a phone/email account/address book/CRM with details of lots of people you could and should talk to. The world hasn't stopped turning, pick up the phone and make the calls which are either directly pursuing business or building relationships which can generate referrals.

5. Open your doors wider than ever

By this I mean look at ways to extend your opening hours/days and how you communicate with people. If your sales scenario involves meeting people, push the phone and even video call scenario. Get it on the website, push it out via email, blogs, social posts and any other way possible. If you're not using video calling check out www.zoom.us - it's a good system, we use it a fair bit and it's free for calls up to 40 mins. Worth a look.

6. Think about your supply chain & what you're marketing focuses on

This goes beyond marketing but it's something you have to think about hard because you need to focus on marketing the products/services you can deliver. If you're importing for example, you need to factor in the fact that you could be looking at extended lead times for many items - so what can you focus on now that you can definitely fulfil (and that may change in the coming weeks/months so have a plan).

7. Don't get tired of banging your own drum

There are so many social media posts out at the moment which, going back to point 1, smack of desperation. I get why but there's so much noise, don't become part of it. Think hard about what makes your business, team and offering special and make sure people remember that. Going back to point 2, people are looking for inspiration and distraction. I'm not going to be inspired by any posts I see that have the words Coronavirus or COVID-19 in them directly but if I see a company reminding me they manufacture/build right here in the UK and that supply won't be affected then that might make me sit up and pay attention. Equally if I see that I can video call someone to find out more and progress the discussion, I'm going to be open to that given I'm no longer seeing people day-to-day. Think about your audience, think about your customers and why they love you and get focused on sharing that spirit with the world.

8. Look for new opportunities

There's lots of talk about all the 'disruption' and I understand why but it's a negative, scary word. Focus on the word 'change' instead and get your mind in gear to adapt. What are your customers going to be buying or valuing right now - how can you help them and what else in the world are people going to be buying from you in the short term. Get creative, be relevant and look sharp.

9. Act Fast

I wrote this point in respect of your business rather than your marketing. Although the situation is pressing, it's worth taking a breath before rushing in to new marketing initiatives but you certainly should now more than ever before. What I really mean here with point 8 is in regards to your business; your finances, your team etc. I'm sure your finance people are advising you about what to look at in terms of reducing overheads and managing staff but get good people around you and if you need to make tough decisions, make them ASAP to move forward. For some businesses, asking teams to take holiday during this period makes sense as if there's a lack of immediate work, let them use this period to take a break and be available when things pick up again and you need them most. I thought that was a good tip and there will be others which I'll share separately via another format later in the week.

10. Look after yourselves

Not marketing related at all but a simple message to say it's important to keep talking to those around you and if we can help at Digity, get in touch. There's a much bigger picture to consider here and although I can't give you an end date for any of this, it's going to test us all and make us stronger so let's embrace the challenge in front of us and get to work.

I wish you, your families and team the best of health and get your game plans ready.

And if you're wondering why we've called it Operation Lime, it's because if you've ever drank a Corona beer, you'll know Lime is a popular way to make it better!

To see how we can help you compete for days, weeks and years to come, book a FREE consultation call today.

COVID-19 Update: The Changes We're Making and Our Advice For Businesses

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT

There is no denying that the recent COVID-19 outbreak has shaken the world. At times such as these where we must act without precedence, it is important to ensure everything we do is based on the best advice and guidelines available - whether it be surrounding health and safety, or how to keep your business running as usual.

Health and safety we will leave to the professionals, but we can say that the digital marketplace is going to become even more prevalent in the coming weeks. With isolation and social distancing measures coming into effect, it is more important than ever that you take care of your online presence as your physical presence is perhaps put on hold. Now is not the time to do nothing - now is the time to grow your online marketing as much as possible, so you can be as visible as ever.

We are here to help. We know that the coming weeks will be difficult for many businesses, and many may feel they don’t have the resources to put into marketing right now. We can help you to find a solution which suits you - just remember that marketing could be your biggest asset at this time.

As for us at Digity, we have closely monitored all of the latest recommendations and decided to cease face-to-face contact in all aspects of our business. The safety and well-being of both our team and our clients is of utmost importance to us, so we have determined that the path of caution is most suitable.

However, it is otherwise business as usual!

We will be conducting video or phone calls in place of meetings or consultations, because it is incredibly important to us that our communication with our clients is regular and thorough at this time. We want our clients to feel supported, so feel free to contact us with any queries you have at this time.

Things will need to change, for all of us. Business as usual is not quite business as usual, because many consumer habits will be shifting in the coming weeks. Many already have. This needn’t be a negative, however. Now is the time to look at your business and take it from strength to strength, make it into a faster, leaner, stronger version of itself. We are here to help.

We wish you the best of health and encourage you to contact us with any questions or enquiries you might have. We have a wide range of contact options (remember, visiting our office is temporarily on the substitute bench right now!) so please take a look on our contact page to see which option suits you.

Zoho Release New CRM Deal View & We Love It!

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 23:02:30 GMT

If you're looking at the same system day-in, day-out, it's great when it gets an upgrade!

Zoho CRM is an incredible tool to really make a big difference to any sales and marketing team. Not only does it enable you to track your leads and concentrate on pushing them through your sales cycle, it helps validate your marketing investment with some superb dashboard report. We use it with a growing number of clients and one of the key pages (the 'Deal' page) has had a nice refresh in terms of design and layout. It's always been a great page to look at due to the fact it's associated with some potential revenue coming in to the business and now it's cleaner and simpler to use. We love it and we're sure you will too...if you're not using a CRM system at the heart of your business every day, you're missing out. Let us know if we can help inspire you and show you the true impact at the centre of a well drilled digital marketing plan. Book a free consultation call with one of our experts today.

World Health Organisation - No Reason to Cancel or Postpone Events Yet

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 09:10:28 GMT

The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests there is no reason currently to cancel or postpone events due to Coronavirus. With appropriate planning and preparation, mass gatherings such as events can continue as normal.

We have a lot of clients who attend events both for research purposes or to showcase their products and services, on which the recent outbreak of COVID-19, or Coronavirus, is having a big impact. Indeed, we also have events planned ourselves, so we've been keeping a close eye on developments. I wanted to share the latest advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which suggests that there is no reason to cancel or postpone events currently. In a comprehensive 9-page document, the WHO provides a number of recommendations and guidelines for event planners to enable them to safely host their events with appropriate consideration of COVID-19.

The document includes taking measures such as ensuring there is liaison with local and national public health authorities, considering coronavirus screenings, and undertaking specific and thorough risk assessments to ensure all considerations have been taken into account.

It also stresses the importance of taking into account the specific features of the event, such as the likely age of attendees and the duration of the event.

Ultimately, the message is clear: with a little extra planning and specific COVID-19 considerations, there is no reason for events to be cancelled or postponed (at the time of publishing this blog; 04/03/2020). Coronavirus is more likely to be transmitted in public areas such as the workplace, schools or the home, so attendees needn’t fear that they are at an increased risk at UK events.

Read the WHO guidelines here.

New Year, New Strategy: Meet Our Head of Client Success

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 09:12:38 GMT

Our Digital Marketing Consultant, Liz Fraser, receives an exciting new job title to mark Digity’s continued growth.

Liz has been with Digity for 3 years now, working closely with a number of different clients over that time. Through an analysis of a wide variety of data and statistics, she focuses on improving the effectiveness of their campaigns, websites, and social media. With a degree in Maths and Statistics from Cambridge, she has in the past undertaken high-profile strategic projects across a variety of world brands: Pepsico, Vodafone, Nissan & Disneyland Paris, as well as consultancy work in both glamorous Paris and - even better, we think - Wokingham.

As part of Digity’s vision for the future, Liz has agreed to take on a new role which will focus even more closely on ensuring that we deliver success for our clients, and which reflects our bright outlook for the future. We have grown greatly as a company in recent years, both with our clientele and with our team, which provides the exciting opportunity to reassess our processes to maximise the strengths of our fantastic, comprehensively-skilled team . Liz has an unrivalled logical mind and eye for analytics and insights, so as part of our continued commitment to our clients, she will now be our ‘Head of Client Success’ to ensure that every step of our service is monitored.

With one dedicated individual taking ownership of the success of our clients, we can augment the effectiveness of everything we output - marketing campaigns, emails, web pages, CTA buttons, SEO, and much more . With so much data available these days in the online space, we can track traffic, clicks, visitors; where they are from, where they visited first, where they went next, and more. With such information, we can constantly assess our services to ensure that they are working as effectively as possible to deliver the results our clients desire. Ultimately, we want absolutely everything we are doing to be helping our client to reach their goals - and Liz’s role is to be that internal voice to challenge us a team to always hit our goals in order to do just that: to make the client think big , feel great , and stand out .

Now, Liz has the time to invest solely in our clients. Whether it is introducing more automated/integrated software and tools with her talent for staying on beat with technological trends, or processing the data from our over 100 clients to tells us where they are, what is working, where we can get them, and how we get them there, Liz is perfectly suited for this new role.

The more specific we can be, the more specific the goals we can help our clients achieve - which is why we are so thrilled to have Liz operating in this position.

Get in touch with Liz if you want to find out more about how she could help your business: calendly.com/liz-digity .

New Website and Logo Refresh for TML Finance and Advisory

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 16:08:19 GMT

To help them bring in the new year, we recently completed a new website and logo refresh for finance and advisory firm, TML (Theodore Management Ltd).

TML are a finance and advisory firm, offering a comprehensive list of business finance advisory services. The sheer scale of their operation demanded large quantities of explanatory copy on their website, meaning it was rather crowded and difficult to navigate.

They approached Digity looking to streamline both their look and their website , to better convey the high-quality service they offer. Our designers altered their logo to make it less boxy and more sleek and modern. Our team also got to work on their website , introducing images and icons to both break up and compliment the copy, whilst simultaneously making the site’s pages more modern and attractive to appeal to new clients.

The copy itself was updated to ensure it reflected their current services more accurately, and adapted into a more user-friendly structure which ensured that visitors would quickly and easily find the information they were looking for.

The whole site was restructured into new categories, also serving to enhance the user experience and better utilise SEO .

Our team worked extremely hard to make sure the project was completed before Christmas, so TML could enter the new year with a fresh new look and a website built for the future.

We are very pleased with the end result, but we are even more pleased that TML are so thrilled with our work, commenting “As a brand, we feel our new website will appeal to our current customers by providing them with access to a range of information on funding services and will definitely help attract new prospects. We look forward to starting the new year with a refreshed look.”

Visit TML’s new site on www.tml.uk.net.

Digity Re-Brands and Launches New Website!

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 16:42:39 GMT

“ New decade, new Digity " : each and every member of the team at Digity has come together to create a fresh new brand and website for the new decade.

Digity was originally set up in 2011, and since then we have grown tremendously; developing our team, premises, service offering and, most importantly, our list of incredible clients!

In recent years we have invested in expanding the design side of the business; notably website design and development, which now keeps us very busy. We have augmented our marketing output, our business development and the functionality of our office to keep up with increasing demand by introducing new, highly-skilled team members.

With our daily running, we have moved to a larger premises in Wokingham which has provided a unique environment to welcome our clients, in addition to reflecting our confidence in the future and our determination to continue our growth.

Therefore, it felt right to refresh our identity to match our bright outlook - by creating a fresh new brand, more flexible in its application both online and offline. The previous brand had a symbolic simplicity to it, but that also came with restrictions in design application due to the confines of the rigid square red box. It was the perfect time for a change.

The skill and creativity of our team has increased exponentially each year. Their inquisitive minds are - literally - discovering new techniques and tricks every day, so our MD, Chris, decided to let their innovation run free with Digity’s new look.

Alix Davis, one of our talented designers, commented “We found that the red and black colour scheme of the old logo was too restrictive. We wanted to represent all sides of Digity”. So, as a team, we set down our brand guidelines and values, which we take into everything we do here at Digity. We wanted to make sure our brand truly reflected these values, but the scope of work we produce is too broad to be represented by merely one or two colours - we needed something that was flexible, like us, and could move and grow alongside us whilst showcasing all sides of our business.

Therefore, each brand value was assigned a colour to be utilised throughout our branding and website - Committed Pink, for example. The beauty of this is that when these colours are used together, they don’t just make an attractive design: they make Digity.

All of our values, all represented.

The logo was designed to be bold but simple, with our designers taking a trendy San Serif font but making it their own. They took the interesting letter form of the ‘g’ in our name and altered the type to make it original to Digity. On-trend, but unique - like the work we produce for our clients.

The website was designed to be fresh, colourful, and representative of us as a company. We wanted it to not just look great, but be fantastic to use, so we introduced fun and creative animations and movement throughout the pages to generate interest and enhance the user experience. Elements such as this fed into the wider goal of truly showing the skill of our designers - we wanted this website to be the pinnacle of our work; to stretch our boundaries and throw the normal playbook out the window. Our Head of Design, Gemma Parker, summarised the project well, explaining “We wanted the website to be engaging and to encourage people to see our value alongside them, working hard as a committed part of their team.”

Bright colours, fun animation, absorbing copy: what’s not to love?

The whole team is energised by the relaunch and our MD, Chris Lunn, remarked “2020 is the start of a new decade, and the start of a new look and feel at Digity. I'm excited about the future as we look to support even more successful businesses with their growth aspirations and have some fun by embracing our own creativity along the way.”

So, please explore our new website and feel free to let us know what you think - we hope you love the new Digity as much as we do!

Digity Sponsor Bracknell Rugby Club U14s Tour

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 10:36:03 GMT

We are excited to announce that we will be sponsoring the Bracknell Rugby Club U14 Tour

Digity are proud to support Bracknell Rugby Club by sponsoring the under 14s tour later in 2020. Chris has a close personal connection to the rugby club and this team and the opportunity to see our new brand on a sports shirt was just too good to pass up.

Speaking about this, MD Chris Lunn said "Bracknell Rugby Club is an incredible club and has a great set-up with so many people giving up time to help youngsters in the community both in and around the sport itself. It's nice to show a little bit of support for the under 14s and great to see our new brand in pride of place. Good luck to all the players on their tour and indeed all the coaches."

To find out more about the club visit: https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/bracknell/

Digity Nominated for 2 Awards at the Thames Valley Awards

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 14:21:00 GMT

We are very excited to announce that we have been shortlisted for two awards for our work - SME of the Year and Networker of the Year!

The Thames Valley Awards is hosted by The Great British Expos’ Ltd, a company founded in 2012 with the aim of developing regional business expos across the country, soon becoming the best and largest provider of such in the UK.

In celebration of their 7th Birthday, 2020 sees the return of The Thames Valley Business and Community Awards for its 3rd year. These awards recognise businesses, charities, and individuals that have made an outstanding contribution in the region.

Over 498 businesses or individuals based within the Thames Valley have been nominated, so we are extremely proud of being shortlisted!

Alec Jones-Hall, Director of Thames Valley Business and Community Awards said:

“We are proud and excited to be celebrating outstanding achievement across the region and rewarding those who are making a huge impact throughout the Thames Valley. It is also a time for the business community to come together, not only to celebrate the accomplishments of those shortlisted and the deserving winners of each category, but also to mark the fact that we all continue to play a vital role in the success of our region and that its future achievements will be built on the foundations we lay today.”

We have been nominated for the SME of the Year Award, an award which celebrates businesses demonstrating their ability to grow, measuring them against criteria such as their plans for the future and testimonials from those who have encountered their work. Last year the winner was Robert Bion and Co Ltd, an independent, UK-based metal and plastic perforating company.

Our esteemed founder and Managing Director, Chris Lunn (watch him blush), has been nominated for Networker of the Year. This award looks for “that exceptional individual that is constantly networking and connecting people across the region”, measuring them against criteria such as their local impact and their past achievements. Last year’s winner was Carla Delaney, a business editor, media adviser, business coach, consumer journalist and presenter.

We would like to thank anyone who nominated us and wish luck to our fellow nominees.

We look forward to the event!

Fresh New Brand and Website for Gordon Stone Outdoor Kitchens

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 13:23:06 GMT

Digity have built a stylish website, brand and printed materials for luxury outdoor kitchen company, Gordon Stone.

Bespoke outdoor kitchen designers, manufacturers & installers, Gordon Stone , approached Digity looking for a new website to increase their leads and grow their business.

Gordon Stone run a showroom at the Ladds Garden Centre in Hare Hatch , but were lacking an online presence to attract clients to visit.

Digity gladly took the project on and analysed their current brand. We saw the potential for a whole new brand which truly reflected the luxury of Gordon Stone’s service. Our talented designers worked with Gordon Stone to make a simple but modern logo to be distributed on various assets such as business cards, banners and letterheads.

We also crafted a new website from scratch. Our designers made a smart, glossy website with sliding images to showcase Gordon Stone’s high-quality offerings, including a case studies section to demonstrate their craftsmanship at work. We wrote completely new content utilising SEO to ensure visitors could find all the information they needed with ease, and to help the site generate organic traffic and increase leads.

After mobile and tablet optimisation, testing, and bug-fixing was completed, the site was published - and it looks great!

Take a look at www.gordon-stone.co.uk - and check out Gordon Stone’s kitchens at their showroom!

Say hello to Caitlin, our newest team member

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 09:57:17 GMT

Introducing our newest team member to join Digity

We are very excited to be starting the new year off by expanding our team further and welcoming Caitlin to our office.

Caitlin Davis begins 2020 by joining Digity as our Content Executive after completing her English degree at the University of Exeter. Caitlin has a superb knowledge of the English language and is sharp-eyed when it comes to using the correct punctuation and grammar. Her role will be to ensure all website, blog and email campaign copy is delivered to a high standard, using various SEO techniques to increase organic traffic and generate leads for our clients.

Welcome Caitlin - we are pleased to have you as part of our growing team.

Merry Christmas from Digity

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 10:23:00 GMT

It's been another very busy year at Digity as we moved in to our new office (which staged our recent Christmas party either side of a trip to the new gin bar in Wokingham). We also welcomed some new members in to the team who have settled in very well already.

As we look ahead to 2020 we've got more exciting developments to come as we will be relaunching our own brand and new website so watch this space...

In the meantime, we hope you have a fantastic Christmas and here's to a big and successful year ahead for all of us!

Bethany joins the growing Digity marketing team!

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 09:29:00 GMT

Introducing our newest team member to join Digity.

It has been an exciting year where we have introduced lots of new faces to our team. Bethany is the latest member to have recently joined and has got stuck in straight away here at Digity.

Bethany Hewitt recently has accompanied Digity as a Account Executive following a two year apprenticeship and an e-commerce project in the construction industry. Bethany brings her communication skills to build client relationships and cultivate existing relations - ensuring daily account activity such as planning and coordination runs smoothly within the team.

Welcome Bethany to the team - It's great to have you here!

The Secrets to Successful Lead Generation - Do you know your cost per lead?

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 13:52:00 GMT

On Friday 15th of November, we partnered up with Rob Pickering from ActionCOACH to share our experience and knowledge to a room full of business owners, talking about why having a lead generation strategy for your business is so important and secondly, how to implement it successfully - as not all leads are necessarily the leads you want. So you may be wondering… What is lead generation and why do you need it?

Lead generation is the process of creating initial customer interest in the products or services your business offers. Whether this be through calls, emails, demo requests, brochure downloads or other types of enquiry via your website.

At the beginning of the event, attendees were asked what questions they currently have around digital marketing and the information they would like to gain from Digity and Rob Pickett. This activity confirmed our attendees were definitely there for all the right reasons.

Our attendees gained knowledge on how to:

Analyse their current business situation
Discover who their customers are VS who they would like their customers to be
Define and communicate their business benefits
Successfully build trust with their customers
Understand their customer’s fears and concerns and use these to their advantage
ind their best new customers
Ensure quality and quantity of new leads
Use the sales funnel to create an effective marketing journey
Plan their 12 month business strategy

We were thrilled that 100% of attendees scored 9 or 10 out of 10 for both presenters and the event overall (in fact 79% of the attendees rated the event as 10/10 for all aspects!).

If you missed this event but would be interested in attending a future event or webinar on this subject then register your interest here and we will get in touch with dates/times.

Our events and webinars are great for gaining knowledge within the digital marketing sector and here at Digity we would love to share our secrets. Sign up today and we’ll be in touch with a date to help you elevate and grow!

Digity go Networking with the Royals

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 21:38:00 GMT

Last week we were proud to be the first featured sponsor of Network Royals which took place at the Madejski Stadium in Reading. As founder members of the event series, we've seen it grow and develop in to a key part of the monthly business community calendar in Berkshire and we jumped at the chance to raise our profile to the 50+ other delegates in the room.

If you've never been before you should arrange to come along as a guest to see what takes place. It's always on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and runs from 12-2:30pm. There's a guest speaker at each event (this month is was Ash Taylor who imparted some very interesting life/business lessons), a good lunch and great networking opportunities.

We'll be at the next event in December, albeit leaving the banner stands in the office for next time but we'd highly recommend coming along.

Congratulations to James Hakesley of Cube Video for winning our champagne draw at the end - cheers!

Digity MD Chris Lunn live on MarlowFM

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 12:19:00 GMT

Digity MD was interviewed live on the radio this week, discussing his experiences with business networking and establishing Digity. He was interviewed by Carla Delaney, who is an award winning networker herself!

He talks about how he originally set up the networking site and why. When he originally set-up Digity he attended a lunch organised by the Chamber of Commerce and whilst there received invitations to several other events. Realising just how much there was going on across Berkshire, he went ahead and set up a website to help people find out about all these events.

Networking in Berkshire has since attracted over 2000 members to join and they keep the website alive with details of events they are running/attending and help ensure others are able to find them.

In his interview Chris chats to Carla about networking “Dos and Don’ts”, how it’s not all about a hard sell but about building relationships and partnerships. But of course he also takes this opportunity to talk about Digity and what we do (he’d never miss that opportunity!).

They discuss how the world of digital marketing is constantly evolving and how the role of a company website has evolved over the years. Specifically Chris talks about how to make sure your website makes it easy to navigate and take action from - everything from phone numbers being prominent through to more in-depth online appointment booking systems, live chat etc. Get people interested and make it easy to get the conversation started is the theme of the day.

If you want to see any of these contact methods in action, then take a look around the Digity website and use them to find out how we can help your business.

The full interview is available here.

Watch the Christmas 2019 TV Ads Here - With My Reviews

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 16:46:00 GMT

I didn't expect to get tagged on a Christmas advert on the 7th Nov in Facebook...to be honest, I never saw myself getting tagged in that sort of post, well EVER? But that's where my good friend Lee really stands out...always innovating! Anyway, he was clearly very amused and impressed with the Argos effort this year and after watching it, I can see why. Fair play Argos and thank you Lee. With that in-mind I thought I'd bring the ads of all the big brands in to a blog and let you feast your festive eyes on these little delights...

So here we go...A-Z with my special snowflake rating for each one! If you disagree please email me at noreply@digity.co.uk, thanks.

Aldi

Verdict: ❆❆❆
Relatively funny but I don't need Robbie Williams back in my head again! 3 snowflakes.

Amazon

Verdict: ❆❆❆
It's a 'nice' effort but is that enough? The Amazon drivers I see can barely look me in the eye as they chuck the parcels my way, let alone burst in to song but hey, it's Christmas so maybe they'll lighten up. 3 snowflakes.

Argos

Verdict: ❆❆❆❆❆
I love it, it inspired me to write a whole blog post on Christmas TV ads and that's saying something! Well played Argos, I thought your days were numbered but after this, well...I may even stick a drum set on my list! 5 snowflakes.

Asda

Verdict: ❆❆❆❆I actually really like this and I didn't expect to. It's a solid Christmas advert in my mind and nice bit of story telling without being overly gimmicky or 'look at our products, look at our products'. 4 snowflakes.

Barbour

Verdict: ❆
I like what they've done but being a disgruntled Barbour customer, I've got to challenge a) the fact the big guy would swap in to a green Barbour jacket (he is however going back to his roots given he originally wore green prior to Coca-Cola tapping him up) and b) any sort of reference it could last 125 years. That aside it's an ok advert...but, well... I can't put that aside. 1 snowflake.

Boots

Verdict: ❆❆
I'm not sure what the brief was but it was probably " make us relevant to everyone and show them so they know " - and therefore is a fantastic job at appealing to, well, no one (that I can relate to at least). Sticking the word Vegan in and hoping for the best isn't the way to go in my mind, it's very bland, just like their stores. 2 snowflakes.

Ikea

Verdict: ❆❆❆
I'm not sure if I like this but it's definitely an ad to drive sales rather than build the brand and get a message out to a specific target audience. It won't get me running there for last minute presents on the 24th Dec but it has it's place. 3 snowflakes.

Iceland

Verdict: ❆❆❆❆
Fair play for signing up a pretty special cast (yes I've got small children so this captured my attention) and for Iceland to do that, fair play. It's not exactly special itself as an ad but they are less about the art and more about the sausage rolls so fair play. 4 snowflakes.

John Lewis

Verdict: ❆❆❆❆
They kept us waiting but in my humble opinion it was worth it. I like the fact this is just a story with a feel good factor, they haven't sold out, they've stood out and got people talking. Timing is everything as long as the impact is strong and they've nailed it by the look of my social feeds this morning. Now Christmas can begin. 4 snowflakes.

Lidl

Verdict: ❆❆❆
"More for everyone this Christmas" is the line and it left me wanting a bit more but then I remembered it's an advert! Fairly engaging, relatively watchable but this will be more about the air time they buy than anything with this sort of creative. 3 snowflakes.

M&S

Verdict: ❆❆❆❆
M&S are trying to engage a younger audience...can you tell ;) Pretty energised advert for Christmas time and for M&S it's feeling very fresh! Good job. 4 snowflakes.

M&S Food

Verdict: ❆❆❆❆
Before I pressed play I said to myself "the only thing I care about here is whether it makes me hungry." Well it definitely did, not sure on the casting of the main couple and dialogue but very good effort. 4 snowflakes.

TK Maxx

Verdict: ❆❆❆❆
This advert is a bit bonkers but what I'd regard as a solid Christmas ad and decent message to inspire. Well played. 4 snowflakes.

Visa

Verdict: ❆❆
I like the idea, I like the footage, I love the song it's based on, I don't like the ad. Go figure? Something about randoms murdering a song you genuinely like in the name of making interest payments on stuff people can't afford, just didn't click for me. It won't bother me though if it comes on BUT it won't make me feel good about Visa so it's failed. 2 snowflakes.

Walkers Crisps

Verdict: ❆❆❆❆
Well done Walkers for this effort - you went big, you've done well with everything from a relevant star and tune through to a comedy ending. Fair play, a well shot and very crisp effort. 4 snowflakes.

So that concludes this review of the 2019 Christmas TV adverts. If you got this far down the page to read this, I salute you. It was hard enough writing it let alone reading it ;)

Merry Christmas everyone.

Welcoming James, Catherine and Emma to the Team!

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 16:30:00 GMT

Introducing the newest team members to join Digity.

We’re very excited to be able to welcome three new faces to the team. Say hello to Emma, James & Catherine who have all recently joined and have their feet well and truly under the table at Digity.

James Bennett recently joined as Business Development Manager to bring a pro-active focus to our growth and implement the key strategies to take us forward. James' knowledge of strategic planning and market positioning will enable him to support Chris and our clients in making the right decisions to drive success.

Catherine Montague brings vast experience as Executive Assistant and has joined to support our MD Chris Lunn. Catherine has already got to work performing essential tasks to help make sure Chris is kept in check and that we run like the well-oiled machine we are, so we couldn’t be more excited to have her on board!

Meanwhile, Emma Gardner steps up to the plate as our new Social Media Executive. Social media is an ever-growing part of what we offer our clients and having someone take over a dedicated role is a huge help to the team, taking over some of the work from our copywriters while providing her own insight and talent to the work we produce.

Welcome to the team guys - we’re glad to have you!

Digity to Sponsor Network Royals Event - Join Us

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 20:38:00 GMT

Visit this superb venue for great networking with other local business owners

Digity have been proud members of Network Royals since is started in spring of 2019. In a relaxed and open networking environment, you will meet businesses from a variety of sectors and sizes, attendees of director and decision maker level, from across Berkshire and afar. Enjoy tea/coffee and a buffet lunch, and football fan or not (it doesn’t matter!), you will network to the backdrop of the prestigious Madejski Stadium!

This month we're proud to be the official event sponsor so if you'd like to meet us and discuss your requirements, come along!

Format

12.00pm – Arrival/open networking

12.50pm – Welcome/introduction

1.00pm – Buffet lunch served

1.15pm – Guest speaker: Ash Taylor

1.35pm – Introduction to new members and Reading FC personnel

1.45pm – Open networking

2.30pm – Close

Guest Speaker – Ash Taylor

Ash is an award-winning serial business owner, golfer, football lover, and “the best dad in the world” according to sixteen-year-old Josie.

As a former Professional Tennis Coach with 33,000 hours of coaching experience, Ash uses the lessons learned through his sporting career to transform the businesses he works with and the lives of the owners who run them. Like others, Ash has had his setbacks and is as candid about his failures as well as his successes. It’s the skills he learned as an athlete that have seen him through the challenges in his life and business.

His speaking career started in front of primary school assemblies and has progressed to international stages, sharing the stage with the likes of Dr Joanna Martin, Nigel Botterill and Steve Wosniak. Ash is now a regular judge for London based Express Speakers Club and winner of the 2017 corporate speaking challenge.

Event ticket includes:

– Buffet lunch

– Complimentary tea and coffee

– Free on-site parking

– Delegate list sent prior to the event

– An afternoon of networking!

Who will be there?

With over 75 delegates of senior and decision maker level expected from a variety of business sectors, all attendees will receive a pre-event information email the day prior to the event, which will include a delegate list, allowing you to research who will be there and let us know in advance who you want to meet.

Can I book as a non-member?

Yes! We realise networking is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach, so come along to see if the format, type of businesses and attendees suits your business and networking strategy!

How do I get there?

Free parking is available on site at the Madejski Stadium, with directions how to get there by car or public transport here.

Cost:

Network Royals Business Club Members: 1 x Free Place

Additional Member Places: £20+VAT

Non-Members: £25+VAT

Book online now

Secrets of Successful Lead Generation Workshop: Fri 15 Nov, Reading

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 12:24:00 GMT

Are you struggling to generate a steady stream of leads into your business? Are you even tracking how or where your leads are coming from?

We've been invited by ActionCOACH to take part in a seminar to help you answer these exact questions, and show you the essential steps you need to take in your business to build a successful lead generation strategy.

At this seminar you’ll learn how to:

• Identify where your leads are coming from
• Work out how much your current lead generation strategy is costing your business
• Identify the best lead generation strategy for you
• Track and measure the ROI of campaigns

The event takes place on Friday 15th November at the Hilton Hotel, Drake Way, Reading, RG2 0GQ.

You can find out more and book your place online by clicking here:
https://bookwhen.com/actioncoach/e/ev-sa01-20191115093000

Digity Sponsor Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 18:06:00 GMT

We are proud to announce that we will be sponsoring the Female Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Thames Valley Awards for business and community event!

Great British Expos is running the 2019 Thames Valley Business and Community Awards for its third year; to focus on businesses, charities and individuals who have had an exceptional impact in the region. This year's awards ceremony will take place at The Hilton, Reading on Thursday 30th January 2020.

“Any business or individual based within the Thames Valley can either nominate or be nominated”

- Thames Valley Business and Community Awards

The Female Entrepreneur of the Year recognises individuals that have had huge contribution towards their business or organisation within the local area, throughout this year.

Judges will be looking for outstanding, skilled and ambitious businesswomen, who have demonstrated their vision and leadership whether that is in their own business or an organisation that they work within. They will be keen to find out the nominees' financial performance if they have launched an independent business and their future plans.

It’s great to see so many female entrepreneurs getting recognition for their hard work in our region and highlighting their business success.

To nominate someone you know or a company for one of the Thames Valley Business and Community Awards go to:
http://www.thamesvalleyawards.co.uk/award-categories/

Alix’s Volunteering Day at Me2 Club

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Here at Digity we enable our team members to take a day annually where they can volunteer for a charity of choice and offer their very impressive skill set to help them in any way they can.

On Friday our very talented graphic designer Alix visited the Me2 Club charity in Wokingham, to provide her technical design abilities. Alix used Adobe Indesign to create a series of graphics for their annual reports. She also shared her knowledge with the team on using Microsoft Office and gave some useful tips, as well as contributing her own personal time to add extra graphic design assistance.

Alix found the day really rewarding and looks forward to working with the charity again in future.

“Thank you Digity for giving Alix a volunteering day to help us with our graphic design. It's great to see local companies supporting a local charity”

- Me2 Club, Via Twitter

Me2 Club is a local charity supporting children and young people with a wide range of disabilities and additional needs, by tackling social isolation, exclusion and loneliness. They run ‘Inclusive for all’ fun activities from sports to drama with the aim to help build key life and social skills. Me2 Club will be expanding their services to more local areas, starting off with Reading.

Our team here at Digity are looking forward to more future volunteering opportunities within our local community. Remember to go check out the Me2 Club! https://me2club.org.uk/

Marketing Ideas and Tips to get your Home and Property Focused Business Booming!

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Running a business within the property sector is often a stressful, time-consuming and pretty hectic occupation. This makes marketing often a 'nice to do' rather than a 'must do' each week for some companies and that's typically what holds them back. We know at Digity that having a strong, consistent marketing strategy makes all the difference between a good year or a bad one.

Here are a few examples to build up some inspiration:
Make sure your website is inspiring & kept up-to-date If your website doesn’t show off your business in all its glory, then how will your customers understand the quality of your work?Ensure all your services are represented on your website, and that visually it is easy to navigate and understand. These are just the basics - your website should be optimised for mobile, ensuring it looks top-notch on all platforms. Search engine optimisation is also essential to rank effectively on Google, so if you are not sure where you rank now, you should start thinking about it!
Here are two websites we have created recently to get you thinking - especially about how you showcase your portfolio of work to help attract more customers more regularly:

Develop a Strong Social Media Presence Work out the best place to be seen on social media based on your target demographic and then set your stall out to build visibility. Whatever sector you work within, social media offers you a fantastic opportunity to show off your finest work. For creative businesses who effectively make/transform something special such as architects, builders, kitchen / bathroom companies, landscapers and interior designers, Instagram is the perfect platform to show before and after photos, exciting new project developments and ongoing exciting progress.
Once you are popping up on potential customers’ feeds, you will be top of their mind when they (or one of their friends) need to use services that you offer. Additionally there are some very powerful advertising opportunities which can be highly targeted to suit your audience.
Check out Anthony Mullan furnitures Instagram account to see how you could benefit from social media: https://www.instagram.com/anthonymullanfurniture

Email StrategyEmail is often overlooked but a strong email strategy keeps you top of mind for interested potential customers. We have seen fantastic results from monthly email newsletters, especially when they feature a new product or service. For example, many of our clients will use email campaigns to highlight when they have offers on, are hosting events or just want to highlight a range of new products/services available. These campaigns lead to direct sales - which is why our clients keep running them.
Email campaigns are perfect for businesses in the property industry as photography of home interiors and products can look very impressive. Inspiring imagery is a great way to make an email unique and eye-catching, encouraging customers to have a look at your website and your recently featured products or sales.

Show Off Your Showroom
If you are a business that relies on a fantastic showroom giving potential customers the opportunity to experience, touch and observe some amazing products, marketing the quality of your showroom is essential. Whether you are exhibiting carpets, kitchens, bathrooms or something else, you need an online marketing strategy that will let customers know what you have on offer.
You can use all the above platforms to advertise the range of products you have available. For instance, if you have a snazzy new free-standing bath up in the showroom, tell people about it on social media! Use email campaigns to market your new range of quirky and unique kitchen tiles, and ensure your website is filled to the brim (and regularly updated!) with quality imagery of your space. Think about advertising a ‘product of the week’ from your showroom, or a monthly theme, such as ‘The modern kitchen island’ or ‘Crazy kids’ carpets’.

We have a fantastic team who have years of experience specialising in creating marketing content that really makes a difference to your sales, your development and your business success! Don’t hesitate to get in touch on 01189 100 012 to arrange your free consultation on what we could do for you.

Digity Launch the Inspire Design Home Show in Wokingham

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 12:00:00 GMT

We're very pleased to announce Inspire Design, Wokingham's brand new home show featuring experts from all over the home building industry.

Our Director, Chris Lunn, spotted an opportunity to bring together many of the best minds in the home improvement world situated around Wokingham, giving them a fresh new chance to interact directly with potential customers. Many of Wokingham's best are exhibiting at this inaugural show, with expertise ranging from home automation to bespoke kitchen design and more. The full list of experts is:

Tony Mullan - Anthony Mullan furniture (local bespoke kitchens, bedrooms and studies)

Pete Taylor - Design Work Studios (modern design and build services)

Rob Harris - Vanilla Sky (home automation and innovative technology solutions)

Steve Dymond - Options Bath & Tile Studio (luxury bathrooms and bathroom decor)

Kevin George - Garden Logistics (diverse outdoor and garden maintenance services)

This incredibly diverse range of experts covers all aspects of home improvement and we couldn't be more thrilled to see them all come together for the first time to meet with potential clients and answer any queries they might have. If you're on the cusp of a renovation idea, or just need that little inspirational push towards that new extension, Inspire Design is the place to be.

When it came to the creation of the show and the concept behind it, our designer Alix Davis created a fantastic, modern logo that perfectly encapsulates the striking, design-focused ethos of the show, while our content writer Tom Powter managed to come up with a name that everyone liked. It was a team effort overall and we couldn't be happier with the end result.

So, if you're thinking that 2019 is the year you decide to make a real change with your home, then visit Inspire Design at the Wokingham Town Hall on Saturday 12th October to discuss ideas, inspiration and transformation with some of the industry's best, most forward-thinking entrepreneurs. For more information on Inspire Design Home Show, Wokingham, visit the Inspire Design Home Show website .

ICS Global - The Smart New Website Design Already Impressing Clients

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 13:06:00 GMT

ICS Global needed a professional, established feel to their online presence, representing the complex international logistics and supply chain consultancy services that they have over 15 years' experience in offering.

The first part of this project involved creating a new logo and branding for ICS Global. The concept of the original logo was maintained, with the rounded shape signifying worldwide services. However, the new logo is more recognisable and bright, with an established and professional feel, whilst the surrounding arrows indicate the nature of the import and export trade.

As a website that needed to host a large amount of in-depth content, the tone was an essential part of the project to get right. Reading paragraphs of what could be considered 'dry' and complex content can be overwhelming if not written in a succinct, accessible tone, so we decided to emphasise a personal feel to the site. With ICS Global a consultancy and management service run by solely Ian Simmonds and his network, we have written the site from his perspective, with sections such as How I Work and My Background .

"It was great working with Digity. They offered a fantastic collaborative approach - I felt listened to but also challenged when needed. The website has already proved itself as a superb selling tool for obtaining new clients." - Ian Simmonds

The most eye-catching aspect of this site is the movement that features on each page. From the large stunning video header to the interactive buttons and hover areas, the ICS Global website epitomises the motion and movement that is integral to the import and export trade. This represents the fast-paced buzz of the trade industry.

To go alongside the innovative new website, we created new business cards for ICS Global, utilising spotUV, a clear, shiny coating which creates a luxury feel and a striking design feature.

Describing the whole project as "A seamless collaborative effort", our client was extremely pleased with the outcome of the website, which he feels legitimises the company in its own right, creating a more established platform for clients to get in touch. If you think that a new website, or improved online presence and marketing strategy could be of interest to your business, please don't hesitate to get in touch on 01189 100 012 or drop us a message at info@digity.co.uk .

Newly Finished Website for Bespoke Home Builder

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 12:23:00 GMT

Charles Thomas offer a building and refurbishment service, working with clients to create the home that they have always dreamed of. They needed a new website to get across the supreme quality of their work, their fantastic customer relationships and their flexible and accommodating team.

Visit the Charles Thomas site

The Brand

Charles Thomas wanted to keep the general look of their previous logo, as they already had a large customer base who recognised the branding. However, they were looking to smarten it up to create a more high end, quality feel, ensuring it would work with a new improved website aesthetic.

The new logo uses a sans serif font, creating a concise, clear and sophisticated appearance, with the text now placed at one side of the icon. The colours tones have been softened as well as the font, to appear friendly and approachable. We also created two versions - one for placement on dark backgrounds, and one for light backgrounds.

The Website

Using a new colour scheme that perfectly compliments the logo, the website has been designed with a massive emphasis on imagery. Their fantastic photos of impressive home transformations and renovations speak for themselves. The use of drone footage video on the home page, guiding you through the transition from a project's construction to completion, looks fantastic, and really gives an insight into the huge projects Charles Thomas work on.

Another unique factor of the Charles Thomas website is their personalised graphics, detailing the range of loft conversions that they offer. With so many different and complex types of loft conversion, it was hard to convey exactly what they look like without a unique graphic for each, so that's what we did! The Loft Conversions page is therefore a lot more accessible and understandable for people with minimal construction knowledge looking to transform their home.

Case studies were essential for the new website, demonstrating their range of skills and the amazing repertoire they have with their clients. Our team interviewed each client, getting to know the project and their experience, and noting down testimonial quotes. These came together in a fantastic way, really emphasising the amazing service Charles Thomas provide.

Print

New business cards were designed and printed on sturdy, triplex 600 USM card for a truly premium feel. The memorable and eye-catching design is ideal for giving to potential customers, and represents their brand perfectly. We have also created a letterhead, which smartens up any invoices or notes for clients.

Working with Charles Thomas was a great experience, their impressive projects and fantastic client reputation giving us scope to create a site that has impact, stunning imagery, a high quality feel, interesting content and a unique design. The site is optimised for tablet and mobile, ensuring that whatever platform potential customers are using, Charles Thomas will work seamlessly. Google ranking and SEO practices have been taken into account, and tracking is in place so not only does the site look great, but we will be able to understand their audience and ensure the site is performing as intended.

Visit the Charles Thomas site

This was a fantastic project to work on, and we are always keen to get involved in new and exciting projects to help your business thrive! Get in touch on 01189 100 012 or drop us a message at info@digity.co.uk to discuss how our team can transform your online presence.

Introducing Our Shiny New Digity Office!

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

As you may already know Digity has recently moved into a much bigger and more versatile office space to accommodate our growing team and enable us to host a greater variety of client meetings and workshops. Our new 3-floor office has now been transformed into a modern hub of colour, originality, inspiration and creativity. With a custom designed 'Hello' welcoming our clients into the building and stunning new signage to motivate fantastic work, we couldn't be happier with our new home!

The ground floor is truly unique, dedicated to giving the team a space to get imaginative, whether that is brainstorming for an exciting new brand, discussing innovative marketing strategies or creating the next big thing since sliced bread. Large communal tables, inspirational wall graphics and a wall of greenery surrounding a presentation screen ensure those creative juices are flowing for both the Digity team and any visiting clients!

Adjoining the creative area, we have a formal meeting room, which is ideal for smaller meetings and presentations. The traditional Tudor beams add character and originality, and the new comfy seats have definitely gone down well!

The second floor hosts 6 desks in one large team room, and 3 more desks in the smaller side room. With creative design posters scattering the walls and an open, collaborative area to share ideas and opinions makes this the perfect space to get productive and motivated as one big digital marketing entity.

And last but not least, the third floor, which consists of a new kitchen area and what the team have nicknamed 'The Space Bar'. A chilled out area to have informal internal chats and meetings, but most importantly a space to get away from the glaring screens and ringing phones for a peaceful lunch and time to rejuvenate!

We can't wait to welcome more clients to our fantastic new office! A new lease of energy and creativity has already become apparent since the revamp, so let's use it to innovate unique and effective digital marketing strategies for your business. Get in touch on 01189 100 012 or book a free consultation now to chat through your marketing options and how they could transform your business!

Come say hello!

How Are Brands Embracing Gay Pride?

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

London Pride is approaching, and Brighton Pride is coming up soon after that, so start thinking about how your business could support the LGBT community this Pride month, and see your business reap the benefits too! Looking around the streets of London, rainbows are everywhere, from banners and flags to buses and balloons, so many small businesses showing their support for this massive event.Celebrating Gay Pride as a business is not a new concept, but it is something that is becoming more and more popular, as businesses become more comfortable being part of the celebrations and realise the benefits that can come alongside it.

Small independent businesses that have a local following, such as cafes and pubs, know that making their support obvious with flags and banners will draw people into their business in the run-up to and during Pride. Many have come up with offers or Pride related specials, such as rainbow cocktails, colourful cakes and even glitter shots! Show your support and create a buzz around your business by looking ahead and letting people know early on of any specials, offers or events you may be organising.

It’s not just independent businesses who have really embraced pride, larger brands are also joining the celebrations. Sainsbury’s have made an effort with banners and flags, whilst Co-op have invested in large #PrideInCoop stickers. Creating a hashtag is a great idea to encourage people to take photos at your business and promote on social media platforms; this will build awareness of your brand and your support for Pride.

How could your services be useful towards supporters of Pride? In the past couple of weeks, local businesses have been marketing how they can help others prepare for Pride. For example, a local printer has highlighted their custom printed T-shirt services - this is sure to be useful for not only individuals, but companies with employees appearing in the parade.

Corporate sponsorship and partnership with Pride is known to be a fantastic investment, offering brands and corporate partners excellent opportunities to support the LGBT community, reaching and targeting affluent, engaged consumers across multiple platforms. Partners include Gatwick Airport, Smirnoff, American Express and Sussex Police. It will be exciting and interesting to see these organisations taking part in the parade, as the diversity of floats makes for a fantastic scene. Spotify, Coca Cola, Disney and YouTube paraded at London Pride this year and made a huge impact with massive floats and incredible employee support (not mentioning the Disney fancy dress!), so we are expecting some big brands, as well as small independent businesses and organisations, to be getting great visibility at this exciting Brighton event.

Event marketing makes a significant difference to businesses who use innovation and creativity to stand out and make an impact with all the right people. Increase visibility and brand awareness in your local community by getting involved with a variety of events, from festivals and parades to business exhibitions and networking events. Get in touch with our expert team on 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at info@digity.co.uk to discuss how we can benefit your business at an upcoming event.

Re-brand and Website Refresh for Property Excellence

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 16 May 2019 12:39:00 GMT

Property Excellence were one of our first clients and recently discussed how their business has evolved over the years. Originally the company focused on renovations and in recent years they have expanded to full property development and general build projects. As a result, owner Simon Lee decided it was time to re-position the company and commissioned us to come up with a full re-brand and create a new website to showcase their latest projects and create a memorable, sophisticated brand. The result from this re-brand is stunning, stylised perfectly for the upmarket clientele they are involved with.

Old Logo:

The old logo was simple and efficient, giving their brand an approachable and informal feel. However, as the company has developed, so has their desired client, making this logo no longer representative of their business.

New Logo:

The new logo conveys a more sophisticated and refined feel, the intricate icon representing the kind of homes they are looking to expand and renovate. The gold and navy colour scheme is more subtle than the brighter tones of the previous branding, for a more polished and professional appearance. The serif font adds class, and is carried throughout the website and other marketing materials.

The predominant aim of the site refresh was to convey an overall theme of luxurious and high-end homes, showcasing the incredible quality of the renovations , building works and property services that they offer. With a whole portfolio of fantastic images from recent photoshoots newly available, we put a huge emphasis on creating massive sliders of stunning homes and landscapes across the site. Testimonials are featured regularly on each page, giving the reader an idea of how pleased prior customers have been with Property Excellence 's work.

As well as the website, we have rebranded the P roperty Excellence uniform (as seen below), created new gold embossed business cards and transformed their print advertising materials. Keeping everything consistent throughout a business' marketing is essential, and it is fantastic to see how Property Excellence 's aesthetic has come together so successfully.

We are always keen to get involved in new and exciting projects to help your business thrive! Get in touch on 01189 100 012 or drop us a message at info@digity.co.uk to discuss how our team can transform your online presence.

New Brand & Website for Award-Winning Interior Designer

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 14 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We are excited to announce that the stunning new site for Nicola Scannell is now up and running! Designing and project managing high-end homes, Nicola Scannell needed a website that showcased their impressive portfolio and represented the quality of their service. They also wanted to emphasise their expertise in sourcing bespoke upmarket properties for investment and overseas buyers, which was not featured at all on their previous website.

“It’s been fantastic working with the team at Digity to get our new website up and running. Hugely professional people who are very patient with non techy types like me. I am super happy with the end result."

- Nicola Scannell

From the old branding to the newly redesigned logo:

Nicola Scannell were aiming to appeal to clients looking for luxury and elegance. The logo redesign took this into account, evoking a stylish and smooth feel with a unique monogram paired with a delicate serif font. This classic font embodies sophistication whilst the monogram's script font expresses a sense of design flair. The logo was designed to be versatile in a range of locations; you can see the full logo above, however the monogram symbol still looks effective as a separate entity. With their services having expanded comprehensively, the Design from Nicola Scannell Design was dropped, signalling they are no longer limited to the design side, but now offer extensive property location and project management services. Clients now buy into the brand that is Nicola Scannell, simple and succinct.

With a huge selection of stunning photos depicting their range of luxurious and impressive projects, the new website was designed with a clean, open feel in mind, easy to navigate and utilising white space for a high-end magazine aesthetic. The same dusky purples were used from their previous colour scheme to keep a hint of continuity, however the site now comes across as airy and delicate, in contrast to the previously cramped and overcrowded website feel.

Each award-winning home renovation, extension and design project by Nicola Scannell is now beautifully presented on the portfolio page , with details and testimonials from the client giving Nicola Scannell the edge over competitors. Their awards and press features are easily accessible on the about page , and reviews are scattered around the site to ensure anyone having a browse recognises the incredible work Nicola Scannell have accomplished. The site works seamlessly on all platforms, including laptop, tablet and mobile, and is of course optimised to rank on Google.

Visit the Nicola Scannell site

This was a fantastic project to work on, and we are always keen to get involved in new and exciting projects to help your business thrive! Get in touch on 01189 100 012 or drop us a message at info@digity.co.uk to discuss how our team can transform your online presence.

Digity Joins The Network Royals Club

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 09 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We are delighted that Digity have decided to become founder members of the Network Royals Club, which is a new initiative bringing business owners together at the Madjeski Stadium on a monthly basis. It will give us a chance to create additional relationships in our local area and help keep up-to-date with various developments across the world of commerce via the array of speakers that will be presenting going forward. The membership model is very well structured and builds on the success of the 'Network My Club' concept, which essentially facilitates business networking at key stadia across the UK.

If you'd like to find out more about it, visit the website:

https://www.networkmyclub.co.uk/networkroyals/

Chris is Running the Binfield 10k for Parkinson's

Tue, 07 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

On Sunday 19th May, Chris will once again drag himself round a 6 mile route through his home town of Binfield to raise valuable funds for charity, and this year he has chosen to support Parkinson's. If you know Chris you probably realise that this is a pretty big challenge - even if you ignore his constant moans and groans about his knees, ankles, back and anything else he can think of at the time. So far his training has been 'decent', and when we asked about his expectations, assuming he'd be happy just to get round before the moon comes out, we were impressed with the response "yeap, I'm still aiming to win it". Whether there's a raffle happening the same day that we don't know about and he mis-understood the question, we're not sure - but either way, we're all wishing him well and look forward to hearing all about it on Monday, if he finishes by then.

If you'd like to show your support for this magnificent charity (don't let this being about Chris put you off) then please follow this link. Thanks very much for the support if you do!
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chris-lunn4

We'll add an update next week with how he got on, and if you're friends with him on Facebook, you can track his progress via his mini video diary series.

How to Post to Instagram from Your Desktop

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 15:17:00 GMT

Instagram is a fantastic platform and growing in relevance for businesses all the time - especially consumer focused companies and certainly those in the property space. They have certainly worked hard to get their users working the way they want them to and try to avoid any potentially 'spammy' or lazy marketing practice to keep it's value and relevance with users high. It's therefore understandable that they don't want people posting from desktop devices as that just feels too pre-meditated for their liking. It's nice therefore that we've discovered a great little hack that changes the appearance of your internet browser to feel like a mobile and fools Instagram in to unlocking the key button you need to add a post. The days of editing images and sending them to your phone to post are therefore long behind you from this moment onwards...

Click here [external link] to find out more from Sharon Profis and Jason Cipriani over at CNET.com. Thanks guys!

Digity Expands To New Premises

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 17:17:00 GMT

Just a quick update to confirm that we have now moved office and for those who like adventure and travel, feel free to come and see us a whopping 3 doors away from where we were previously. After much debate about the pros and cons of relocating to London, New York or even Sydney we heard there was a new Gin bar opening up in the lovely market town that is Wokingham and opted to stay here. Thankfully a fantastic space became available over 3 floors, right in the town centre so we've snapped it up and are now getting settled in our new home.

We will add a further update soon once all the work is complete. The new address is

Digity
The Overhangs, 55 Peach Street
Wokingham, RG40 1XP

We look forward to welcoming you to our new offices soon.

Know your Mobile Audience

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Who are your mobile audience? How are they finding your website? And what about your bounce rate? Find out with Google Analytics.

How much of your current audience is on mobile? It’s all very well knowing that mobile usage is increasing, or that 52% traffic worldwide last year was on mobile ( Statistica ), but what about you, your company, your location? Do you know how people access your site currently?If you are using Google Analytics it is easy to find out!

Go to “Audience” and select the report on “mobile”
Select a broad time period, to eliminate the completely normal fluctuations that most sites experience, for example the last year.

How do they use my site? Do mobile visitors behave differently to desktop visitors? The first thing to check is whether they actually stay on your site, or just leave. If the site is not easy to navigate or doesn’t display well, visitors will generally not stick around.The same report will allow you to check your bounce rate (% sessions lasting for only one page view), pages per session, session duration, and goal conversion amongst other metrics.

All these will give you a view of how engaged your visitors are on each type of device and will help you identify if there is a potential issue.
If you find a big difference for mobile, what do you do next? A good first check is whether it is across all types of device or only one. It may be that there is a quick fix on one specific issue.The Mobile > Devices report will give you the same data as above but by mobile device.You may find for example that your bounce rate on mobile is high, but only on the iPhone and other devices are fine. You can then identify any differences in user experience through testing.Equally you may see that it is high across all devices but that the majority of your mobile audience is on Samsung Galaxy S7. This would allow you to tailor your solutions to focus on the user experience on this device.The Technology > Browser & OS report is also useful for similar reasons, to identify usage and differences by browser or operating system.
4. Is a high bounce rate always bad? How do I know? No, not always. Particularly on mobile the audience may be looking for specific information such as contact details. Make sure this is easy to find but also track it as a goal. You will then ensure you can identify those who only see one page but who get in touch with you. If bounce rate is high but conversion rate is also high then you are probably giving your audience what they need.If you would like to know more about what you can find out from your analytics, or how to interpret or improve the results you have found, then get in touch or book a FREE consultation with Digity to discuss your options.

Is your Website Mobile Friendly, Optimised or Responsive, and Why it Matters

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Having a mobile friendly site just isn’t enough anymore! In 2018, 52.2% of all worldwide online traffic was generated through mobile phones ( Statistica ), meaning you really need to be on top of the latest mobile technicalities. Mobile is taking over, so make sure your business is catering for this huge percentage of audience ready to digest your mobile content.Do you know how much of your own audience are on mobile? Is mobile driving up your bounce rate? Learn how to check for yourself. Laptops, desktops, tablets, mobiles and an array of ‘inbetweens’ mean your site could be shown on any size and shape imaginable. Mobile friendly websites, mobile optimised websites and responsive websites all cope in different ways to different screen shapes, so we’ve outlined the main differences below.

Mobile FriendlyA mobile friendly design is the minimum that the Google algorithm considers acceptable. Anything less will be chucked nearer the bottom of the Google rankings pile, making your site harder to find for potential customers (and remember, 90% of people don’t go past page 1 of Google search results).
How to develop effective search engine rankings
Most mobile friendly sites are often simply a slimmed down version of the desktop version. They are functional on a handheld phone, with CTAs that can be triggered by phone (phone numbers/email addresses/maps) however may not work perfect on any size screen such as tablets.

Mobile OptimisedMobile optimised websites are far more advanced. They have been designed specifically for a smaller screen, so the layout can be completely different to the desktop version, and can be optimised specifically to make the mobile journey easier to navigate.Mobile optimised websites usually have a single column layout, formatted (and often less) text for maximum readability and include more clickable buttons, replacing the need to type. Image sizes are smaller to ensure the loading time is quicker, decreasing bounce rates.
Are bounce rates affecting your Google rankings?
Mobile optimised sites aim to make the journey as efficient and engaging as possible, targeting people who are seeking a quick answer. However, they have been manually designed to work on a mobile screen, whereas responsive design does this automatically for any screen type the site is displayed on.
Responsive Design Responsive websites - the creme de la creme of websites. Responsive websites do exactly as you would expect. They automatically respond to any device, regardless of size or shape. The reforming and restructuring of the site is very flexible and exhibits great usability on all devices to guarantee your site looks great wherever it is displayed.
How to optimise your website to increase lead conversion

Mobile responsive design allows you to be more imaginative and intelligent with your website aesthetic and structure, and gives your customers more freedom to use the host of interface options that are only available through mobile. Responsive design is the preferred choice of Google, and rewards businesses who have optimised their websites with higher search engine result page (SERP) rankings.At Digity we create websites that are completely responsive, and consider carefully the changes we make on each platform to ensure the site is adapted and targeted flawlessly for encouraging customer relationships and conversions on any device. Give us a call on 01189 100 012, or book a free consultation online to discuss how we could transform your website to ensure it’s ranking higher on Google and displaying perfectly on every device, contributing to business success and development.

New Website For Innovative Architectural Design Practice

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 10:14:00 GMT

Another website finished! We have been working hard with Design Work Studios to create their stunning new site , now live and optimised on PC, tablet and mobile. Working closely with Design Work Studio founders, Dan and Pete, our team have embodied the quality, drive and passion that their architectural studio thrives on.Featuring beautiful imagery from past architectural projects as large background sliders, the homepage immediately gives the impression of high-end design projects and exceptional aesthetics. The sleek, darkened images contrast perfectly with the orange details popping out for that dash of colour, adding to the sophistication of the site.The extensive portfolio page has a real wow factor, the interactive panels drawing your eye to appreciate the impressive and imaginative design and build projects that Design Work Studios have completed. With so many personalities in the team, they wanted a creative and unique ‘about’ page , which even features a short interview with each staff member, questions including their favourite building, what they would bring to a treasure island and which Disney character they would be! Letting customers get to know the team they will be working with for a period of time, especially in and around their own home, is essential to make your customers feel comfortable in the relationship. Getting in touch should be as simple and efficient as possible, so we created a new calendar booking system for potential clients looking to have a chat to discuss their project. This has been working fantastically for Design Work Studio as so far, and you can get in touch with Digity in the same way.All our sites are responsive on all online devices, use Google Tag Manager to track conversions and are completely search engine optimised. This ensures our sites not only look fantastic, but attract (and track) the ideal customers to keep your business developing successfully. Don’t hesitate to get in touch for a friendly chat about how our (amazing) team can work with you to create a website that fulfils all your specific business requirements, has real wow factor and drives traffic and conversions to keep your business thriving.

The Decline of Organic Social Media Reach and how to Adapt your Content

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We reported back at the start of last year that Facebook was planning on changing the way its news feed worked. The plan was that as a user, you would see less posts from businesses and promotion and more posts from your friends and family - posts that would be immediately more interesting to the user and designed to bring people together. However it seems that this change has become a symptom of an even larger, sweeping change in the digital marketing industry - organic reach on social media posts is in decline.Organic reach simply means the amount of people that see your post without you paying to boost the post - so the people that see it ‘naturally’, when it’s shared between friends and family and its reach grows. However, as less and less people are seeing these posts, it’s natural to see a decline - but don’t panic. The digital marketing industry is changing, as it often does, and businesses can adapt to the change to ensure their posts don’t get left behind.
Crafting Tailored Content

What really matters here is content and the quality of it - not necessarily the quantity. People want content that engages them and engagement is key. It’s important to share content relevant to your audience - give them something they will want to interact with. This also acts as a learning process for your business to get to know your audience better. If you use the insights you gain - for instance, what your audience engages best with and on what platform - you can begin to craft content that your audience will love and keep them coming back for more.
It’s also important to remain open to helping other businesses - marketing isn’t necessarily a solo venture, and many other businesses within your industry will also be trying to find their footing. After all, ‘social media is about being social’ . Sharing relevant content that isn’t your own helps you establish links within the industry and also helps you be noticed by a wider audience. Providing real value in the posts that you share helps to turn you into an industry expert and leader within your community.
Move Away from Organic to Paid

At Digity, we’ve talked before about the benefits of putting money behind your social media posts - and that’s because it works. You can use boosted social media ads to really widen your reach and engage with an even larger audience.Using paid advertising on Facebook for instance allows you to directly control the audience you target using a criteria. The ability to be able to inject your message into the precise community you’re targeting can be an invaluable tool for expanding your message and being heard by the people who will find your content most valuable. You’re able to create an advertising programme that not only reaches the people you want it to, but can also be viewed on mobile anytime and anywhere by potential customers and clients on the go.This tip works in tandem with an interesting point brought up by Hootsuite . Social media has allowed people from all over the world to congregate and discuss the things they love, even down to the most minute detail. Using paid advertisements allows you to get your name in front of those people, no matter how few, that are most likely to secure you conversions.
Use the Tools You’re Given

Social media platforms change all the time. We’ve reached a stage where, at least for now, the landscape of social media seems to have found something of a constant. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are absolutely the platforms of choice for millions of people and it looks like it’ll stay that way for the time being. However the platforms themselves are evolving almost constantly.Facebook has recently begun incorporating stories into the service, an idea borrowed from Instagram, that allows you to post an image with text that stays for a short amount of time before disappearing (something which seems like it was borrowed in turn from the now mostly gone SnapChat). These stories are only growing in popularity and offer businesses a fantastic way to communicate with their audience in an efficient and fast manner. Not only that, but they also allow you to bypass the news feed entirely.Live video and streaming are also exploding in popularity and relevance. Facebook Live is an invaluable tool used by a lot of businesses to talk directly to customers, while YouTube is bigger than ever before. For a generation of children, YouTube is TV.
Organic reach may be dying, but that’s a result of social media channels attempting to connect on a more personal level with the people that use them. They’re afraid that business pages and company pages are too impersonal - so change that perspective. Utilise stories and paid advertising to inject into the communities that matter to you. To see how we can help bring your social media up to speed, get in touch with our experienced team on 01189 100 012.

Digity Revitalises Anthony Mullan furniture’s Website with Sleek New Look

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

We are proud to have recently completed a full website re-design for Anthony Mullan furniture which went live earlier this year.The slick, revitalised design of the website helps showcase the company’s stunning range of kitchens, whether you’re after a contemporary look or a more traditional feel. The new design also features a number of enhancements which have specifically been introduced to improve the experience on mobiles and tablets.It was also important to have the new design ready and in place to support them at upcoming events such as the Homebuilding & Renovating Show, Grand Designs Live, the Ideal Home Show and BuildIt Live.
One of the key aspects of the website is the lead capture forms, which integrate directly with Anthony Mullan furniture’s CRM system, helping the designers to develop new sales opportunities. Additionally the website also features a Live Chat function meaning visitors to their website can interact instantly with designers to ask questions and book a complimentary consultation.If you're interested in our web design service to boost your business online, contact us on 01189 100 012 or email info@digity.co.uk .

5 Quick & Simple Digital Marketing Ideas for Valentine's Day

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you need to start thinking about how your business will utilise this holiday in your digital marketing strategy (without just making everything heart-shaped).There have already been some exceptional campaigns launched for 2019’s Valentine’s Day. With these in mind, here are some quick and simple ways to make the most of the hype surrounding the day of love.

1/ Theme your landing pages Even if you are short on time, a themed landing page dedicated to Valentine’s Day is really effective in grouping together your Valentine’s deals, products or events. Last minute gifts for Valentine’s Day are more common than any other holiday, so make sure your offers are still prominent right up-to (and during if you can) the day itself.Whether you are offering spa treatments, promoting meals at your restaurant or selling gifts, broadcast on your website as much as possible what you have to offer during the run up to this big day.
2/ Engage your customers using social media Everybody has stories about Valentine’s Day, so why not ask them to share them to get some interaction building? People love to talk about themselves so get them talking through a dedicated hashtag. Equally, not everybody wants to celebrate. More humorous hashtags such as #disasterdates, #worstgifts or #Vdayembarassments often get a much better response! The responses you get are perfect for creating content for blogs or email newsletters.

3/ Email marketing and analysis Your email marketing should be light-hearted and fun whilst promoting your offers to the right people. If your database is big enough, separate the recipients to produce bespoke targeting. Analyse the response you get to see which landing pages people are more prone to and maximise on these offers as Valentine’s Day gets closer.
4/ SEO is essential You should always be thinking about seasonal SEO , whether it is Christmas, Easter or Father’s Day. Gift-givers rely on search engines for the perfect gifts and ideas. However, less than 6% of users go to the 2nd page of search results. Make sure you are on the 1st!
5/ Promote through AdWords for immediate traffic Google AdWords can be used to gain short term success for your Valentine’s Day marketing campaigns. This can then be the foundation to your social media and email campaigns, which should all look and feel connected to your landing pages. Consistency is key to creating the brand image around your promotions, so discuss the design and tone around your Valentine’s marketing campaign right from the beginning.Digity can help your business grow its digital footprint utilising all of the above strategies. From redesigning your website to getting noticed on social media, our team will ensure your digital presence attracts prospects, delivers sales and ultimately increases business success. A marketing campaign for Valentine’s day is very important, but a digital marketing strategy all year round is essential.
Get in touch on 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at wokingham@digity.co.uk to discuss how we can help you business increase success online.

Marketing To Win In 2019

Fri, 04 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

2019 has landed and as always, I'm certainly looking to continue developing both myself, our team and the company in general. As I look back at last year, I'm proud of what we achieved and we certainly developed our business substantially. I'm excited about this year and with that in mind, here are some tips that I feel every business should embrace to really win in 2019:

Plan to succeed
It may sound obvious but companies who are successful in their marketing endeavours have a strong marketing plan to guide them. They will have certainly identified their target market(s) and go after them strongly with a budget which is carefully managed and justified. That's not to say everything in the plan will work but that brings me to my next point...
Test and measure
This is vital especially given the rate things change around us on a daily basis. What worked last year / month / week, may not work the same this time ( for better or worse). So track the impact of campaigns and your marketing in general to ensure the returns are there. Also ensure you're in possession of all the facts. If you track lead sources via Google Analytics for example, you'll have a good handle on what's working but do you cross reference with Assisted Conversions? This metric helps identify the role certain sources played in the build-up to generating a lead/sale. For example I may visit your website via Google Ad today and come back tomorrow after Googling your brand name and clicking your organic listing or just typing the address in direct. In that instance, organic or direct would get the glory but if it hadn't been for Google Ad it may never have come in at all.
Identify what you should be selling
When I say 'should be' I want you to think about that for a minute as I appreciate it sounds blindingly obvious, but it's amazing how many companies overlook the simplicity and power of doing just that. Whatever you sell, you've likely got different variables within the product range to sell small ones, medium ones and big ones, as well as cheaper ones and expensive ones. You get the idea - ultimately there will be those which make good money and those you should probably avoid selling given the hassle they bring with them.

My question is really simple - which of your products earns the most profit? It's interesting how many people truly know the answer to that and what we often find is that there's not much difference in terms of work to sell something at the bottom of the range to the top of the range. In some examples, there's actually less work involved to make a lot more money. I therefore believe you need a good handle on what you're selling and what you're making. Before you embark on a marketing quest to boost sales, make sure you're likely to make good profit from the efforts as it builds momentum. I believe a reason a lot of companies fail is that they've got their pricing wrong and a key part of that is they've overlooked what they need to invest in marketing and factored that into the price point. We all need to be 'sold' a product/service/idea but if you've got no money to get noticed or tell a good story then how can you really compete? If you can't present yourself in a really smart way and be seen/found in the places your dream clients are going to be then what can you expect to come your way? Selling on price to people you probably don't want to sell to and then guess what happens...

So keep it simple and from your marketing point of view, focus hard on a very limited number of items which will genuinely make good money and hammer that every day. If you're constantly changing the message and focus of what you sell you'll make it impossible for people to help you; whether that's your own staff, your existing customers, introducers in the market, channel partners etc.
Listen to the experts
I've always believed in the team ethic within any organisation which stems from playing sport earlier in my life and I now view my business as a true team. With the team in mind we have people we employee directly and others we bring in to add additional skills / input / experience and that typically saves us time and money, improving our end result. So get the right people around you and listen to what they are telling you and saying in your sector. Then look at what you can do within your marketing plan to take advantage of different situations/moments.
Focus on your customer service (and monitor your reputation online)
A bad experience goes a long way and with more and more review websites popping up (both about products/services but also about what it's like to work for you and deal with you in general as well now!) you need to ensure your reputation is good. You're going to need a lot more marketing credits if your reputation is bad vs good to channel the appropriate resource to keep a positive view out there.
Advertise on social media
The power available at your fingertips is incredible and as more and more companies switch on to the advertising opportunities, the costs are typically going in one direction. Get involved asap, find the network that works, take point 2 above into account and go for it.
Use a great lead management system
If you're in the service sector then leads are key to growth and as important is your ability to nurture and turn them in to clients. Last year we moved from Zoho CRM to pipedrive and it's been a hugely positive move indeed. The leads from our own website and other sources are logged automatically within here now and you can automate a certain amount of tasks/responses to make life easier. The biggest and best feature for me is the fact it goes out of its way to alert you if you haven't set a next action for an open opportunity (for example; call to follow-up, send a proposal, book a meeting etc.). It's a relatively small element which has an absolutely massive impact. Time kills deals so the quicker you can progress the sale, the stronger your chances are likely to be for a successful outcome.
Stay humble
I say this in the sense of your brand as some companies get carried away in periods of success and that can lead to a downward trend as strong as the boom time you've just experienced. In sales they carry the ABC adage (Always Be Closing) and in marketing I believe in ABC as well (Always Be Communicating). As people we are all open to so many different forms of communication each and every day that you need to make a lot of noise to get noticed so keep your marketing efforts competitive at all times. Complacency kills and whether you're running a local toy store or Toys R Us, the rules stay the same aren't they.

So I wish you all a very successful 2019 and naturally if you'd like help to put a strong online marketing plan in place, let us know. We'll happily invest some time to find out more about your business and look at what we would recommend to get you moving up a level.

Contact me to find out how Digity can help boost your business
t: 01189 100 012 / e: chris@digity.co.uk

Merry Christmas! It's Been A Busy Year...

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 12:19:00 GMT

We just wanted to say we hope you have a great Christmas and wish you a prosperous 2019! It's been a great year so thank you for all of your support, and we look forward to seeing a lot more projects and growth next year.

We had a bit of fun at the office recently with our annual fusion of home baked goodies & questionable fashion choices. The end of the year is always a good chance to reflect and think about the year ahead and what we want to achieve next. We certainly see 2019 as being the biggest yet so cheers to that!

This year, we:

> Designed 23 Websites
From mortgage brokers to hog roasters, software developers to Parish councils we've covered it all this year. With plenty more already in the pipeline for Q1 next year, we can't wait to see what's next...

> Launched 11 New Brands
This year we've designed & launched some fantastic brands (including 5 re-brands). We've got a project on at the moment which is quite close to home so watch this space...

> Hundreds of Blog Posts
With 47 blog posts written for Digity, and hundreds published if you include all those written for clients, it was interesting to see how many we've added to a diverse range of websites this year...

> Launched Thames Valley Marketing Forum
It was great to be a founder of the Thames Valley Marketing Forum, talking 'digital'. We're now planning some exclusive Digity events for next year (more to follow)...

> Raised over £1,400
This year our team took part in a number of sporty challenges including the London to Brighton Bike Ride, raising valuable funds for the Ollie Young Foundation...

> Graduated!
After 2 and a half years of hard work studying alongside working at Digity, Ellie McDaniel has finished the last unit of her CAM Diploma and has been awarded a Distinction in Digital Marketing!

So apart from that, there wasn't a lot going on really. Just a few thousand social media posts written and sent out for clients and a few million visits generated....oh and GDParghhhhhh.

Let's wrap it up by saying have a great break and here's to lots more planning and growth from January onward.

Chris Lunn, MD

A Different Take - Why Iceland’s 2018 Christmas Advert was Banned from TV and What it Means for their Marketing

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 12:06:00 GMT

Christmas is the season for marketing. Brands all across the world ramp up their marketing efforts during the festive period, attempting to make themselves synonymous with the warm, fuzzy feelings of the holiday. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the TV adverts released by big brand names like Sainsbury’s and ASDA, which, as mentioned in another blog of ours , are an exercise in playing up emotion in the customer. This is usually done to drive people into stores by establishing a connection with them.This year however, one big name store decided to move away from the usual Christmas advert featuring happy families and stories that make you feel good - instead, Iceland has opted for something completely different. Their Christmas advert this year featured beautiful animation and a story between a little girl and a small orangutan - so far, typical Christmas TV advert. In a strange twist however, this advert has been banned by Clearcast, the company responsible for approving or rejecting adverts for broadcast. The reason? It was deemed to be promoting a political message.

Back in April, Iceland became the first major UK supermarket to pledge to remove all traces of palm oil from its products by the end of 2018 . This was done in a bid to halt the destruction of rainforests in south-east Asia. The demand for the oil is growing exponentially as it can be found in food, cosmetics, biodiesel and more. However, in an attempt to promote their stance through their Christmas TV advert, a film created by Greenpeace, Iceland have found themselves faced with a ban - and potentially both good and bad repercussions of their marketing move.Christmas TV adverts come under more scrutiny than ever before these days, with people ranking their favourites online, generally based on how much of an emotional reaction they elicited. Iceland’s advert will perhaps be talked about more now that it’s been banned than it would have previously - certainly the company has a headline now that others don’t. It’s also not going to prevent people from watching the pulled advert - although it’s gone from TV screens, it can be found easily online (it’s even in this blog!)

Whether or not the advert should have been pulled from the air is something that’s being hotly debated across the country , but what is assured is that it’s perhaps gaining more traction now than it ever would have before.In the age of digital marketing, it’s becoming harder to silence potentially controversial adverts - in fact, Iceland’s newest advert may even reach a wider audience on the internet than it would have on TV. It’s certainly interesting how, a few years ago, a banned advert would’ve simply disappeared quietly. Now, thanks to the internet and video-sharing being popular like never before, Iceland’s marketing found its audience, just not in the place it expected.

How Brands Use Emotion To Win at Christmas

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 14:28:00 GMT

Everyone loves Christmas. The annual holiday brings with it a number of guarantees - mince pies and decorations arriving on shop shelves far too early, the Coca-Cola truck that ‘signals’ the start of the festive season (an impressive feat of marketing itself) and more recently, the Christmas TV adverts of the big chain retailers. It’s become something of a tradition to watch and compare the different adverts, to see which pulls at the heartstrings the most successfully and which fall flatter than Granddad into the sofa after a few too many Christmas drinks.Christmas adverts tend to share a collection of similarities. They often try to tell a narrative, rather than explicitly advertise a single product. They focus on certain values - families and the idea that Christmas brings people together. None of this really has much to do with visiting your local Aldi or Lidl, but the adverts themselves are incredibly popular and drive Christmas shoppers through doors. That’s because they all have one other thing in common - emotion, or more accurately, the ability to use emotion effectively.Pathos is an incredibly strong tool in marketing - it’s bluntly defined as something that evokes pity or sadness, but that can also be more broadly construed as just ‘emotion’. These big brands compete every year to create the advert that evokes the most emotion within the audience, to create a connection with that brand where there maybe wasn’t one before, and get people through the door. It’s no secret that emotion drives people’s brand decisions rather than information. Brands themselves rely on emotion - after all, consumers can often buy unbranded products that are very similar, if not the same, to their branded counterparts at cheaper prices - yet they don’t. A brand creates an emotional connection with the consumer, and as Psychology Today says, ‘A brand is nothing more than the mental representation of a product in the consumer’s mind.’

It’s because of this that this type of Christmas advert exists. What better time to try and evoke an emotional connection than Christmas? While the adverts themselves can often be emotional to the point of being overly-sentimental, they achieve their goals. There’s a feeling of one-upmanship among the brands when the festive season rolls around to see whose advert can elicit the most emotional response from audiences. It’s incredibly clever marketing and although marketing has historically always used emotions to win customers, rarely has it been employed with such a heavy hand as these recent Christmas years.It’s also a slightly risky marketing move. These Christmas adverts now come under such intense scrutiny that a ‘bad’ advert will be what that brand is known for that particular year. The risk is even greater when you consider companies like John Lewis pour as much as £7m into these adverts. Interestingly, while ad spend hit a record high of £6bn last year for the Christmas period, retailers are reportedly scaling back their spend in 2018. Despite that, you can still expect to see all of your favourites on screen at some point this season.Look out for our upcoming blog on how we rate the 2018 Christmas adverts… which is your favourite so far?If you’re in need of any marketing advice or help with competing in the online space, get in touch with our team on 01189 100 012.

Digity Design & Develop New Website for Rapport3

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 10:26:00 GMT

The Digity Team have recently been working on an exciting new site for Cubic Interactive, who develop, configure and supply a renowned project management software, Rapport3, specifically for the architecture, engineering and construction industry.As a Digity client, Cubic Interactive work with our team regularly, discussing marketing strategy, blog and press release content, case studies, social media and email campaigns. With their site not having been updated for a couple of years, it was decided that a website refresh and re-write would better represent their business and the message they want to get across to potential customers.Whereas their old website focused on selling individual software modules, their new site sells their software as one large software product, which includes all the features, updates and plugins available. Transforming how Cubic Interactive packaged and marketed their services has made a huge difference to the type of enquiries they have been receiving; they now get a lot more interest from larger companies looking to invest in extensive project management software, rather than smaller companies with minimal budget.At Digity we understand how the message you get across online is pivotal to attracting the right customers to make your business successful. Receiving enquiries from a few ideal customers will be a lot more lucrative to your business (and less time and resource consuming) than getting interest from a huge number of irrelevant sources. Our team are experienced in combining web design, content messaging, SEO, adwords, social media and email creation to form the perfect marketing strategy targeted to the customers or clients that your business thrives on.If you are interested in creating a more targeted marketing campaign or are considering a website refresh, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team on 01189 100 012 or drop us a message at info@digity.co.uk.

Bounce Rates Affect Your Google Rankings - Here Are 5 Ways To Improve Yours

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 15:45:00 GMT

Three Minute Read

Google rankings can be fickle things - the search engine giant requires a fair bit from your website to keep you on, or as close to, the front page as possible. One thing that may be affecting your website’s Google ranking is your bounce rate. Specifically, your bounce rate is how fast people leave your website. Google places a high priority on solving visitor queries - if someone types a query into the search engine, Google will attempt to produce results that it feels will best serve that query. If a visitor arrives on your website and doesn’t quickly find what they’re looking for, they’ll potentially just leave without visiting another page and this is precisely what Google doesn’t want.There are a number of ways to try to reduce your bounce rate and therefore increase the appeal and ‘stickiness’ of your website, meaning more people are staying on your site for longer periods of time, indicating they’ve found what they’re looking for. At the simplest level, it’s important to ensure your website’s customer journey is strong and easy to navigate. Useability is key here - you should attempt to tailor your website to the specific queries you’re attempting to resolve.We’ve written this blog to help outline some of the core places where you can try to improve your website’s bounce rate. Of course, it’s important to remember that there are no concrete ways to reduce bounce rates - people may still leave your website. However, these points should certainly help to reduce it.
1/ Smart Formatting Your website needs to be legible. In that sense, you should try your best to avoid walls of text. Good punctuation can help to make your writing more accessible, as well as not posting huge, endless paragraphs. Correctly using headers and subheadings can make your work more approachable, while using appropriate images in the correct place can really help to break up your text and add flow to your site.
2/ Eliminate Long Load Times Your bounce rate issues could be stemming from more than just your website’s content. Long load times can turn someone away from your website almost immediately - in fact, if a visitor loads up your website and finds themselves stuck on a screen, they’re incredibly likely (and reasonably so) to find their information elsewhere. In fact, 47% of customers expect a webpage to load within 2 seconds or less.

3/ Include a Singular Call to ActionIt’s important that your website’s visitor journey is as clear, simple and effective as can be. That’s why you need to have a singular call to action on your website, making it obvious for your visitor where they need to go. You need to think about the content you’re making and what action you want the visitor to take - it’s that control over the visitor journey that keeps the site easily navigable and makes people stick around. Although CTAs are good to have, as they help with conversions, the more you have on a single page, the more likely someone is to leave without knowing what they were meant to do - or even what you’re offering.
4/ Optimise for Other Platforms Optimising your website for other platforms is incredibly important for a number of reasons. People spend an enormous amount of time using a variety of different digital devices, from desktops to smartphones and everything in between. It’s key then that your website is optimised to be readable on every platform. If a website looks stunning on a desktop, but horrible and virtually illegible on a mobile device, then whoever fired it up on their phone isn’t likely to stick around. These days, when optimisation is so clearly an important aspect, having a poorly optimised website simply makes you look either lazy or uninformed.
5/ Make Navigation King This has been the undercurrent of this whole blog, the running theme throughout - navigation matters. Everything you do comes back to your site’s navigation and how important it is to get it right. Good navigation means people can find the answers to their queries and that’s what Google wants from you. Navigation will keep a visitor on your website until they’ve completed their action - exactly what you want.
If you need any help with reducing or understanding bounce rates on your website, get in touch with our experienced team on 01189 100 012.

How to Utilise Paid Social Media Adverts to Reach the Best Audience

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 15:24:00 GMT

Three Minute Read

Making your social media count can be difficult these days. At the start of the year, Facebook announced they were changing their news feed system to favour personal posts over posts created by businesses, in an attempt to make the feed more ‘meaningful’ for users. The idea that businesses are struggling on Facebook is reinforced by evidence - for instance, BuzzSumo reported last year that engagements with Facebook posts created by brands and publishers has fallen by over 20% since January 2017.It’s not all doom and gloom however for business engagement on social media. Paid advertising is being utilised more than ever by businesses as it allows a company to engage with a very particular audience - an audience crafted explicitly for that business, based on criteria they have cultivated. Paid advertising works, and ever-increasing ad spend shows that it’s worth the effort, but just paying for adverts and spreading them out in front of anyone isn’t going to get you the results you’re looking for. The criteria is what’s important, and this blog will give you an idea of how best to utilise paid advertising to prevent you from wasting your money, while gaining some real leads.It’s important to know what you want to get out of your paid advertising before you wade into it. Sproutsocial states that the 5 most common goals of paid social ads are to increase traffic, increase visibility, increase engagement, increase lead generation and increase sales. Your goal is incredibly important, as it will act as the basis for everything you try to do on social media, including creating your target audience. It’s not enough for your audience to just see your adverts, they need to engage with them. Engagements lead to conversions - a paid social media ad could be what transforms a regular visitor into a returning customer.

Now, organic reach in general is down across the board when it comes to social media advertising - organic reach being the audience a post would ‘naturally’ have. But that’s where paid adverts come in - and where your investment begins as well. If you pay for an advert to appear on social media, and it’s spotted by someone who is interested and they click it, that increases that post’s organic reach as well. The more the organic reach increases, the more likely that customer’s friends and family are to see it and so, thanks to that paid advert, the organic reach spreads naturally anyway. Think of the paid advert being something of a kickstart to the advert’s reach!There are a couple of important factors to keep an eye on in regards to paid advertising. Your cost per click (CPC) is how much of your budget you use each time someone clicks the link of your ad or post. CPC should be as low as possible ideally in order to get the highest return on investment you can. Meanwhile, your click through rate (CTR) tells you how many people clicked on your ad, which is an important statistic for any business looking to drive traffic.Make sure to choose the social media channel that’s best for you. Facebook has taken steps lately to shut businesses out of customers’ news feeds in an attempt to make feeds more personable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reach people. Facebook’s user base is still huge in 2018, but the landscape is actively changing. Young people are moving more and more to image-heavy social media channels like Instagram. This summary from the Pew Research Center takes a look at the state of social media reach in the US in 2018:

Paid social media advertising is a fantastic way to get your message in front of customers and potential customers that will find it interesting. As an investment, it can be a great way to expand the organic reach of your posts - it’s just important to be sure of your goal and what you want to get out of your advertising. If you need any help with a paid social media advertising plan, or want to learn more about how social media can help your business, get in touch with our experienced team on 01189 100 012.

Five Tips on How Best to Maximise your Black Friday Promotions

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 15:25:00 GMT

There’s only five weeks to go until the biggest retail period of the entire year - Black Friday. With so many shoppers preparing to descend upon the retail space, both in person and digitally, it’s crucial for businesses to make sure that their Black Friday marketing can stand out among the sea of competition. Maximising your promotions during this period can give your business a serious boost - for reference, this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday are expected to bring in a colossal £4.47bn of online spending alone. With that in mind and five weeks to go, we’ve compiled a list of five ways you can maximise your Black Friday promotions to get the most impact possible.
Ensuring your Website is Secure With so much shopping on Black Friday done online, it’s imperative that your store is obviously cyber secure in order to compete. Cyber-attacks account for a massive 36% of crime against all retailers, and just last Black Friday alone, more than 50 million attacks took place worldwide . Some attacks can be incredibly malicious, such as data breaches which put your customers at risk, whereas others, such as DDoS attacks are designed to make your website inaccessible, thereby losing your business. Making sure your website is completely secure, including having encryption for sensitive data, helps put your customers at ease when using your website, encouraging repeat conversions.
Plan in Advance with Excellent Emails Emails play a crucial role in successful Black Friday trading. 25% of online transactions were reported through email marketing , so get those messages out there! As Black Friday shoppers move to the digital space, it’s up to you to ensure your email campaigns are compelling. Luckily, when it comes to email campaigns, time is on your side. You’re able to create and schedule emails way ahead of time, as well as create a campaign that can run throughout the busy period, meaning you no longer have to worry about your messaging.

Prepare your Social Media Email campaigns are part of a two-pronged attack however. Online is dominated by social media and it’s the perfect place for seasonal messaging. Update your social media pages to showcase your Black Friday offers front and centre - you can spread your messaging across numerous platforms and channels. Make sure however that your social media promotions remain in line with your brand. Like emails, social media can be scheduled, so you can have a constant stream of content.
Get Creative with Rewards and Strategies Shoppers love brand loyalty. It may not seem like much sometimes, but netting a small amount of points by purchasing something from a store can really add up in customers’ eyes. Black Friday presents a great opportunity to reward loyal customers with promotions and offers that they might not otherwise have gotten. Get creative and have fun with the ideas - if it’s clear you’re enjoying the promotions, so will your customers.
Target your Advertising Targeted advertising is the cornerstone of online shopping. You’re able to reach a small, but passionate consumer base tailored to what you’re offering. Dedicate a piece of your advertising budget to tailoring adverts on social media. Take your email list for instance and create targeted ads through Facebook. Ads can also be placed on Google, if your budget can stretch to it. Targeted ads can dramatically improve your response rate as you’re appealing directly to the people that want to listen.
Black Friday provides a fantastic opportunity for retailers to make the most of their online presence and turn it into real sales. By adhering to these five tips, you can make the most out of your promotions and compete this Black Friday. If you need further help with your online presence, get in touch with our experienced team on 01189 100 012 and we can make those promotions count for more.

Video: The Emerging Key Component of Successful Marketing Strategies

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 10:39:00 GMT

Video is continuing to grow in importance as a vital component of every strong digital marketing strategy. In the age of easy to digest content and shorter than ever attention spans, videos are crucial when trying to catch the eye - no longer do people want to be met with a wall of text when entering a website or clicking on an article. Instead, engaging, succinct videos are the perfect way to connect with your audience.Videos are easy to create, share and consume. Social media platforms like Facebook will auto-play videos on feeds as you scroll. If you use the internet in any meaningful capacity, there’s a real likelihood that video content will be being fed to you almost constantly in some shape or form. Videos can achieve an awful lot in a short space - five second adverts litter YouTube, conveying a bite-size message in perhaps the fastest, most efficient means yet.That’s not to say you can post any old video and become a marketing superstar. Consumers will still trend towards certain types of video. Higher quality videos that are well shot with above average levels of production will garner more interest than those shot in a dimly lit room on an old phone barely capable of HD. Much in the same way as an article littered with mistakes or typos can turn someone away quickly, a video must also be professional. Not only that, but as with written content, you need to take your audience into account when creating your videos.The use of video in marketing is consistently on the rise and is only growing faster. According to Hubspot, 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool up from 63% last year. Video helps to drive awareness, as videos are incredibly shareable. Social media channels thrive on video sharing after all and it’s a fantastic means of getting a message out there. When it comes to assessing the usefulness of video as a marketing tool, it’s also imperative we look towards the future. Hubspot’s data revealed that while only 38% of marketers share video content on LinkedIn, a massive three quarters of them reported it to be successful and 55% of them said they would either continue sharing video content on the platform, or begin altogether in 2018.Video is only going to grow in importance in the digital space. Long form articles are still a steadfast staple of marketing, but with people wanting to digest content faster and across more channels than ever before, video has cemented itself as perhaps the new most crucial element of digital marketing.If you’re in need of any help with your digital marketing, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team on 01189 100 012.

Digity Reveals Brand New Website for Pillpax

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 15:13:00 GMT

Digity is proud to launch the brand new website for Pillpax , which helps turn medicine taking from a chore to a convenience.When designing Pillpax’s new website , it was clear it needed to be evocative of the health industry; the business is centred on making it more convenient for people to take their medication by sorting their pills into handy pouches before delivering them straight to their door. As Pillpax were aiming to provide an all-in-one service to clients, the website had to reflect that dedication to helping people who need it.In that sense then, the Pillpax website has everything you might need directly on the homepage. The process behind Pillpax is detailed on the homepage along with a helpful video. In a basic sense, the whole business is summed up in an easy-to-understand way - you can then go deeper into the website for more specific information, such as how different individuals can make the most of the service.

When it comes to aesthetics, Pillpax were looking for a modernised website that helped get their business message across. When you arrive on the homepage, the high-quality image of the pills across the header immediately lets you know what industry the business is a part of - as well as adding some colour to the site, which otherwise adheres to a more clinical white and light blue colour scheme. Overall, the website does an excellent job of showcasing what Pillpax does and how their business works, ensuring that first-time visitors to the website can navigate it easily.If you’re interested in updating your website, or want to build a new website for your business entirely, contact us on 01189 100 012 to get in touch with our team.

A New E-commerce Section for studioAV's Website

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 09:43:00 GMT

studioAV have recently announced their new online shop, allowing them to now sell their array of high-end hifi products, including amplifiers, turntables, cables and other accessories, through their website.In the past studioAV have advertised their products online, encouraging possible customers to get in touch to find out more, or to visit their showroom to see and hear the products in person. Although their showroom is still a huge part of their business where people can experience the very best of hifi and smarthome technology, their customers can now easily and quickly purchase hifi products with a few clicks, and have a parcel at their door in no time.Our team have focused on accessibility and intuitiveness within the design, creating a bar along the side to filter products and an easy-to-use navigation system from selection to payment. Each product has a detailed description and specifications available, with great imagery to entice customers to press add to basket .No matter the amount of products you sell, customers like to purchase products at the easiest convenience, so an E-commerce part of your website can have huge benefits. Check out the studioAV shop here , and get in touch with our team on 01189 100 012 to discuss creating an E-commerce site or section for your business.

Digity Team Cycle 54 Miles for Charity!

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 13:44:00 GMT

On Sunday, five of the team from Digity left their computers behind and hopped on their bikes to ride 54 miles from London to Brighton, raising money for the Ollie Young Foundation.

Founded in memory of Ollie Young, a little 5 year old boy who lost his life to an incurable brain tumour, this fantastic charity aims to find a cure or prevention for brain tumours using targeted research at Portsmouth's Cellular & Molecular Neuro-Oncology Research Group. As a local charity based in Wokingham that worked for such an amazing cause, supporting The Ollie Young Foundation as Digity’s Charity of the Year was a fantastic choice.

MD of Digity, Chris Lunn said, "We've always supported worthy causes and anyone who knows about the Ollie Young Foundation will share our passion for helping them. I'm delighted with the five team members who got together, took the initiative and made this happen, as it's a fantastic achievement in terms of both the distance and raising more than
£1,400 in sponsorship. I'm sure this will be very well utilised by the charity".

How Using Social Media Competitions in Marketing Can Make You a Winner

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 12:49:00 GMT

Five Minute Read

Getting users to engage with your content is one of the toughest things to break through when it comes to marketing. You need to offer them a hook juicy enough that they take hold - doing so could lead to converting them from a visitor to a recurring customer. But you’re struggling - your social media posts aren’t garnering the engagement you want and you feel like you’re churning out the same content over and over in an effort to catch some eyes. That’s where competitions come in. Social media has helped make hosting nationwide (and in some cases, worldwide) competitions an absolute breeze. But not only that, competitions are also the perfect way of reaching potential customers you would otherwise never have. Social media is all about connecting after all, so hosting a competition is a great way to be heard. Competitions are also incredibly interactive - they can be made to require more than just a simple button press for instance, requiring people to actively engage with your content. Case Study: Garden Logistics

Garden Logistics offer landscaping services to both commercial and domestic customers. They recently began to increase their output on their social media channels in an attempt to reach a wider audience and increase the traffic to their main website and we designed a competition to widen their reach even further.The set up for the competition was simple and intuitive - social media posts (financially boosted to target a specific audience) directed potential entrants back to the main website, where they filled in a form stating what they would do if they won the competition prize - £100 worth of free flowers for their garden. Immediately this achieved two things - it directed traffic towards the Garden Logistics website, and encouraged interactivity from the visitors. When someone fills in the form, that becomes a conversion for your website.The form served a secondary purpose as well. The competition rules stated that if you informed a friend of the competition and they wrote your name down as a referrer on their form, you would both be eligible to win if one of you did. It was a smart way of creating social media buzz - sharing things is immensely popular over social media and if people knew there was a benefit to them sharing it, they did. It was an excellent example of giving people a hook with a clear enough benefit to get them to engage.As a result, the competition attracted a large number of entries, established a new emailing list of opted in recipients and drive direct leads both at the entry stage and via follow-up emails . It was a huge success.Using a competition is a fantastic way to get your brand name out across social media channels. Having people share your competition across the different channels works as advertising in itself. One of the added benefits of using a competition like this is that, along with the repeat customers to your website, it’s a fantastic method of drawing in completely new faces.A competition needs to cover a number of bases, much like the aforementioned case study - it needs to engage the contestant, while not being too challenging. It must remain fun, while offering something your audience is likely to want. In the case of Garden Logistics, everyone who follows them would probably want £100 worth of free flowers (and the added bonus of having them professionally fitted) and then those people are likely to have friends that want it and so on. Knowing your audience is, as ever, important.It’s also important however to invest in your competition. Promotion is perhaps more key than ever before, and so paid advertising across social media channels can be of great help to your campaign.If you have a competition campaign in mind that you need help running or promoting, get in touch with us on 01189 100 012 or email at hello@digity.co.uk .

Digity Draws Up New Website for AFPS Wills and Estate Planning Specialists

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 16:01:00 GMT

Digity is proud to have launched the brand new website for AFPS , a family-owned wills and estate planning company that epitomises the level of personal service that family run companies are known for.AFPS wanted a sleek new website to give them a modern look. While the website needed to look professional, there was a clear desire to get the message across that AFPS is in fact a family-run business built on personal experience. The investment illustrated their desire to expand and they haven’t lost sight of what makes them special - their bond as a family and their drive to help other families in incredibly tough situations.In order to make the process as streamlined as possible for visitors, it was important to outline the services AFPS offers in a clear and easy to understand manner. The website also has a number of different FAQs to help make sure that any question a family might have is answerable on the site. Alongside that, to appear more personable and approachable, there is a dedicated bios section on the website that goes into considerable detail regarding the Werrett family.

The website also makes mention of Countrywide Tax & Trust Corporation, highlighting their importance to AFPS and the work they do for the company. We’re pleased with how AFPS’ brand new, modern website has come together. We believe it presents the brand in a striking, professional way, while still embodying the core values and principles that the Werrett family founded AFPS on.If you need a website creating or need some updates making to an existing one, get in touch on 01189 100 012 or email hello@digity.co.uk .

7 Reasons Your Website Has a High Bounce Rate

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 16:03:00 GMT

Three Minute Read

Have you ever visited a website and then quickly realised it hasn’t got what you want, so you leave again without visiting another page? That’s a bounce, and having that happen too often to your website can affect its Google ranking. We’ve compiled a helpful list of reasons why people might be ‘bouncing’ from your website and damaging its Google ranking. Make sure to identify where your website might be going wrong…
1. Images Don’t Load Images play a huge part in user engagement when it comes to a website, and images that take a long time to load or are simply broken will turn people away very quickly. In fact, studies have shown that websites with images get 94% more total views than those that don’t! Images need to be compressed correctly before being uploaded, or else you might ruin the user experience.
2. Slow Loading Pages Load speeds don’t just mean images. If someone clicks onto your website and is met with a page that loads slowly, they’ll click away and find one that’s faster. Competition for Google’s rankings is high and the visitor knows that they’ll be able to find a faster website in a matter of seconds if yours is under-performing. In fact, 2 seconds is considered the average load speed and anything over 6 is likely to cause someone to immediately click away.
3. No Follow-up Content Even if your initial page is fantastic and the visitor finds exactly what they’re looking for, if there’s nothing else to spark their interest, they’ll leave regardless. Including links to additional and interesting content helps to prove your website has more to say and, indeed, lots to say that’s valid.
4. External Links Opening in the Same Tab This one is easily overlooked and has nothing to do with your content. A well-placed link can help a visitor find additional information about the subject they’re searching for. However, a lot of the time, when uploading content to your website, you’ll have to tick a box to have that link open in a different tab. The problem with it opening in the same tab is that it takes them away from your website to a new one and the chances of them returning are slim. Opening new content in a new tab keeps your website open, making returning far more convenient and also not recording a bounce on your analytics. Win-win!
5. Misleading Headlines Metadata is very important to search engines - it helps the search engine by displaying a title and meta description of the page’s content, allowing the search engine to adequately place it. Ensure that your content matches your headline, rather than using a snappy headline to try and bait a few clicks, or you’ll see people bouncing off your page when they discover it wasn’t what they were after.
6. Using CTAs Effectively Call-to-actions are a vital part of any visitor’s journey through your website. As an interactive part of your website, they help to engage your visitors. Using CTAs effectively can dramatically assist in the navigation of your website, allowing you to control the path the visitor takes. You can direct them back to your own content and guide them further into your website.
7. Bad Content This one is simple and hopefully the most obvious. Bad content can turn people away from your website immediately - spelling errors, grammatical mistakes and more can all make your website appear amateurish or sloppily put together. A simple spell-checker can really go a long way when it comes to making your website presentable.
Bounce rates can be critical in Google deciding where you should rank in the search engine. For more information on how bounce rates can affect your website placement, make sure to read Digity’s official blog. If you have a website that needs optimising or you’re concerned about your bounce rate, get in touch on 01189 100 012 or email on hello@digity.co.uk .

Digity Serves up Mouth-Watering New Website for The Artisan Hog Roast Company

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We’re very proud to have launched the delicious new website for The Artisan Hog Roast Company, who needed a website that showcased the company’s dedication to their craft and the high-quality catering they provide.When Digity was approached by The Artisan Hog Roast Company, their website was dated with a muted colour scheme that didn’t quite sell their stunning catering. Our designers helped to revitalise the brand and transform the website using the tantalising photography provided. They mixed it with high-quality imagery of fresh ingredients to help reinforce the notion of quality. The new website also has a real focus on colour - the home page for instance has a deep, dark background which helps the vivid colours of the individual ingredients pop.

The website has been designed in such a way that everything has a professional, high-quality feel to it. The Artisan Hog Roast Company, as the name implies, is a catering service dedicated to providing a more upmarket dining experience, and the website has been designed to reflect that. Everything you need to know, from the menu to the events catered for, is available on the home page. From there, the website is easy to navigate.The website’s contact form is designed to deliver every bit of necessary information to ensure that your catering experience is exactly as you’d like it. The website also features an extensive set of FAQs to give customers everything they need.If you are in need of a brand new website, or just want an existing one updated to a more modern feel, get in touch with us now on 01189 100 012 to chat with our friendly team of designers.

5 Areas Every Business Owner Should Focus On To Improve Your Impact Online

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 14:23:00 GMT

We're currently involved in various planning meetings looking at the last quarter of the year, finalising campaigns for Halloween, Black Friday, Christmas and more. Then we're on to 2019 and with that in-mind it's a good time to remind ourselves to always think longer-term about our online marketing.

A key question on every successful business owner's mind is always "what can I do better next year to realise even more success?" and with this in-mind (having been asked it recently), here are my top 5 tips in regards to online marketing:

TIP 1: MAKE SURE YOU'RE FRESHER THAN EVER

In 2019 there is going to be more choice than ever; where we shop, where we search, where we watch, where we read. Are your dream clients searching Google or Facebook? Are they looking at photos on Pinterest or Instagram? Are they checking email or Snapchat? Whatever the questions, you need to know the answers and look to make the right impression and stand out. This is likely to be a mix of investing in your content development and also your advertising plan. If you want to target business owners for example, then LinkedIn feels right - but did you realise you can do some clever targeting through Facebook ads to reach the same people and get in front of them when they're possibly more receptive to what you have to say?

So invest in design and content to make sure you stand out and look relevant. It's a big turn-off to go to a website that looks like it hasn't been updated for a while, so get into good habits ASAP.

TIP 2: TREAT CONTENT AS AN ASSET

People often quiz me on the importance of investing in content as they see it as a really short-term investment i.e. we write a blog post and it sits on the website until a new one goes above it. They don't reference it continually on social media and they don't email their audience to let them know it's there. So they've invested in the creation, but not the awareness, so it's asking a lot for that investment to pay off. I can tell you now that we get a lot of visits every month via the many blog posts we've written over the years - so the payback is much longer-term than many realise.

Additionally Google likes companies who produce relevant and well structured new content for their website so it can also positively impact your SEO. Other advantages are that a) it helps other people refer you on i.e. they might forward an article focusing on 5 tips to make 2019 a great year (for example!) b) it can save human time if you invest in improving your online customer support area for example, c) it shows you care about what you do, d) it demonstrates good ethical values that you're happy to share information for free and e) it makes your company feel bigger than those who don't.

So think about the current asset value of all your content - if your website and social media accounts disappeared would you miss them? If the answer is not really then you seriously need to invest in building this up because it should be the oxygen for your business.

TIP 3: SHARE THE LOVE!

Gaining traction online takes time, effort and energy. Most of all it takes support, so you've got to think about how you can do this - as a brand but equally as individuals. What can you do to help others (suppliers, clients, charities, your team etc.) which would likely trigger some return loyalty and support? There's a reason many people like, share and comment on other people's posts in LinkedIn - it's because they want to get noticed and they want to appear on the radar of other people for positive reasons. Equally there's a lot to be said for companies supporting causes or charities - because it helps but also it's a way to get noticed for the right reasons.

So if you're stuck for ideas on what you could do to be more supportive, ask your team. I bet they've got lots of ideas of what you could do and who you could help which I have no doubt will return good value for you down the line.

TIP 4: IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT NEW CUSTOMERS

Whilst getting new customers on board is great, many companies we consult with neglect the opportunity to communicate to their existing customers on a regular basis. Having an up-to-date CRM system, running regular email campaigns and having a 'keep-in-touch' strategy for your business are three really easy areas to focus on. In terms of objectives, keep these two close at all times; i) be focused on increasing your annual client value i.e. the amount they spend and ii) bring forward the date of next purchase. If you can achieve one of these, your revenue is highly likely to increase across the year and as long as your pricing is right then your profit should too. On that note and going back to point 1, if you want to increase your appeal, price point and profitability to existing customers, then look to refresh their value in what you sell them.

TIP 5: COLLECT DATE & MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS

You can track and record so much online these days and there are some incredibly powerful tools. On a basic level though it's really key to monitor what's happening across your website, email campaigns and social media so you can work out what you could or should do more of. The more you understand about the good and the bad, the faster you can improve.

I hope this helps give you some ideas of what you need to be thinking about today to help add strength for the future. January will be here in the blink of an eye so don't wait for it to arrive and drag you along...create a plan that you can't wait to implement and make next year a huge one for the business.

As always, if we can help just get in touch and we can arrange an initial review to look at all of this with you.

Digity Unwraps Brand New British Gift Box Website

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 09:34:00 GMT

Digity is proud to reveal the stunning new website for British Gift Box , a company that strives to help you give your loved ones a taste of home, when they’re away from home.When it came to designing British Gift Box’s new website, we felt it was necessary to utilise imagery evocative of Britain - Big Ben, the London Eye, Stonehenge and the Angel of the North for instance. The imagery, designed to appear like a silhouetted skyline, scrolls across the screen as a visual representation of Britain itself. It’s a fantastic addition to the website that helps animate it and bring it to life. Meanwhile, the deep purple colour scheme is in line with the company’s logo and creates a theme that runs through the entire website.As the gift giving service involves sending products overseas, we made sure to include a helpful flow diagram to ensure that new customers wouldn’t be confused and would instead be able to use the service quickly and without worry. The website’s homepage also showcases the best-selling products and some of the other products available for purchase. Everything you need is right there when you open the website.The website also features a fully-functioning subscription service feature, allowing you to choose how often you want to send or receive gift boxes. The British Gift Box website was designed with e-commerce features, meaning you can make secure payments through the site. Know someone abroad? To celebrate their launch, British Gift Box is having a competition to win a free box to send to someone. Enter here for a chance to win.
Are you in need of a brand new website, or want some updates making to an existing site? Get in touch on 01189 100 012 to speak to a member of our experienced design team now.

Digity Kicks moDel’s Website into Gear with a Stylish New Design

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 16:08:00 GMT

Digity is very pleased to be able to reveal the striking new website for moDel, which offers the perfect solution to managing vehicle movement documentation. The website is clear, concise and gives the viewer everything they need.moDel, which belongs to parent multinational corporation Ebbon-Dacs, is a cutting-edge piece of technology designed to completely remove the burden of backend office paperwork. Thanks to this, our designers felt the website should embody this fact with a modern design of sharp colour and efficiency. There is a sense of velocity to the website as well - being part of the vehicle industry, the website is decorated with images that depict speed and movement to help bring together a coherent theme.

One aspect of the website’s design that truly stands out is the entire website’s red colour scheme. Along with being vivid to look at, the website follows in the footsteps of parent company Ebbon-dacs, who choose a specific block colour for each of their products, including Leaselink and the Ebbon Connect Platform, so moDel slots in nicely among them.The website goes into great detail about moDel’s app and stresses the amount of convenience moDel brings to the industry. It makes it easy for potential customers to understand exactly how it works, with detailed breakdowns of how to use the service and a FAQs section. There’s also a case studies section, which helps to showcase moDel’s usefulness and growing popularity within the industry. At Digity, we felt it was of paramount importance to get the message across of the benefits of moDel and how it helps the industry move away from paperwork.If you would like a brand new website, or simply need some updates made to an existing one, get in touch with us on 01189 100 012 to speak to a member of our experienced team.

Review; Google’s In-Market Audiences for Search

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Earlier this summer, AdWords (henceforth to be known as Google Ads ) released the latest new tool for honing Search campaigns. In-Market Audiences joins the list of methods PPC managers can use to segment search campaign traffic for more precise analysis, targeting and optimisation.Along with device-category, demographic groupings, location and other variables, it is now possible to isolate audiences based on a topic they are currently researching (as assessed by their recent browser history). Categories include ‘Finance’, ‘Vacations’. ‘Automotive’ etc, and a host of sub-categories within each, for greater precision.This targeting method has long been available for campaigns run on the content network, but is a welcome new addition for those managing search campaigns.Our first findings are that distinct patterns emerge quite quickly from In-Market Audiences - not always in the directions you might expect (for example, users in the ‘travel’ category performing particularly well for a kitchens campaign?) - but provided these patterns are backed by enough data, they are exactly the type of information that can help give campaigns a crucial boost.A final word of warning. We were recently discussing with a client the dangers of ‘compound bid adjustments’, where you can end up boosting the bid for a keyword by an extra 10% based on gender, say; another 15% based on day of the week, and another 25% for being in a top location, and so on. Before you know it, you can find yourself spending a lot more quickly than you planned!With another set of bid adjustments in the toolkit, this danger ticks up by a notch. So while this is a great new feature to be aware of, use with caution!If you're interested in learning more about how AdWords can help you and your business, get in touch on 01189 100 012 or email us at hello@digity.co.uk.

Trust Investigations Website Now Live!

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Our team are happy to announce that Trust Investigations, a Berkshire-based private investigation service, now have an engaging, fully-optimised official website. With the business dealing with very confidential matters, the site had to come across as secure, professional and reliable.The Digity Team worked hard to create a site that would make people feel comfortable getting in touch with Trust Investigations, no matter how stressful, confidential or intimate the situation. Sensitivity and empathy are highlighted throughout the navigation, giving potential customers the confidence to see how Trust Investigations could help.With a dark colour scheme and orange highlights, the site looks established and interesting, the imagery emphasising their UK based team and the diversity of their cases and clients. Unlike their previous site, there is now more detail on the types of cases they deal with from stock theft to infidelity. The variety of cases, both private and commercial, that are now featured give potential clients the reassurance that Trust Investigations are experienced and established enough to deal with even the most complex cases.At Digity we have worked with multiple clients who deal with sensitive topics, from charities to very unique and niche services. Please get in touch with our team on 01189 100 012 or drop us a message at hello@digity.co.uk to discuss how our team could help with your specific business requirements.

SEO Tips - How Bounce Rates Affect Rankings

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Two Minute Read

Keeping visitor engagement high should be of paramount importance to anyone with a website. People engaging with what your website has to offer means there’s a greater chance of converting them from a visitor to a potentially recurring paying customer. That’s not all engagement can do for you though - although Google hasn’t confirmed it, there’s sufficient evidence to suggest that having greater engagement stops you from plummeting down the rankings.This is all due to the ‘bounce rate’ of your website. The bounce rate is defined by seohermit as ‘when a searcher uses Google to find your site via specific keyword searches and, upon clicking your Google listing for said keywords, immediately (or within a specific time frame that isn’t defined by Google) clicks the “back” button on his/her browser, thus taking the searcher back to the Google listings.’ Quite simply, it’s how long someone spends on your website after having searched for it - or something similar.So why does this matter to Google? Surely if a website is bringing in traffic in the first place, then it’s good, right? Well, no - there’s more to it than that.These days, more than ever, Google is focusing on assisting with, or resolving, visitors’ queries. It’s not enough to just have a high keyword density anymore - Google has gone beyond that. Now, when you type something into Google, the search engine will try and direct you to what it believes to be the best solution to your query. That’s where ‘bouncing’ comes in. If a website is at the top of Google thanks to its keyword and SEO usage, then that’s great - but if Google sees that the vast majority of people are leaving the website almost as soon as they click on it, then the natural response is for Google to believe that website didn’t have what they wanted and send it back down the rankings to be replaced with a more suitable one.

This study performed by Wordstream reinforces the notion that high bounce rates correlate to a lower position on the Google rankings. So the takeaway from all this is simple - lower your bounce rate to improve your ranking!

If your website has a high bounce rate or you need someone to help you optimise it for SEO, contact us on 01189 100 012 or email hello@digity.co.uk .
References
Seohermit - https://www.seohermit.com/articles/what-bounce-rate-means-for-your-seo-strategy/ Wordstream - https://moz.com/blog/do-website-engagement-rates-impact-organic-rankings

How to Optimise Your Website to Increase Lead Conversion

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Traffic is important. It’s the lifeblood of a thriving website, and it’s crucial that you’re able to drive people to your website. But, in the words of Shopify’s Kevin Donnelly , ‘your store needs to be designed with your customers in mind’. This means that getting the traffic is only half of the battle - once someone has arrived at your website, how do you go about turning that person into a paying customer? Certainly, boosting traffic can increase sales, but it’s important not to lose sight of the traffic you already have. How can you maximise its potential, and how can you make sure the conversion sticks?You have to consider the journey your customer is taking when they visit your website. In order to improve conversion rates, you need to do whatever you can to improve that journey - to shorten it, make it easier to navigate and simply more enjoyable. It’s also crucial to note that conversion isn’t easy - there’s no quick fix that will immediately turn things around. This blog is designed to help you understand conversion and how best to optimise your website to get the most out of it. Let’s start with what a conversion actually is.Everyone is chasing that one big conversion - where a casual visitor finally flips the switch and makes a purchase on your website. But did you know there are conversions happening all over the website, all the time? Having a visitor click through on your homepage to a product is in fact a conversion. These smaller conversions act as a step towards the ultimate one and form the visitor’s journey through your website. One of the best ways of optimising your website for conversions is to make the visitor journey as smooth as possible. Liz Fraser, Digity’s own Digital Marketing Consultant, says, ‘Think about the customer journey and at any given stage give them what they need to make the next step towards their purchase decision’.This involves clearing up a number of factors: A Clear Message: Your website’s message needs to convey explicitly what you offer, immediately. If your website is vague about what your business does and offers, then it’s quickly going to turn people away before they even make the first conversion. Poor Usability: If your website is optimised poorly for mobile, you’ll likely turn people away when they’re still on the homepage. Mobile might seem less important in the grand scheme of things, but it is possible for mobile traffic to outperform desktop traffic - with the correct optimisation. Not only that, but mobile traffic shouldn’t be written off if it isn’t providing conversions - after all, for many, the ease of access of mobile acts as an entry point to your website. It’s highly possible that after visiting via mobile, a potential customer will then visit your desktop and convert there instead. Make sure then that you don’t simply write off mobile traffic as useless - you could be jeopardising future desktop conversions.Another way of optimising your website for conversions is to improve the way you utilise call-to-actions. Your entire website needs to be optimised around it. At its core, you must offer something interesting to the visitor. Not only that, you need to draw them in once hooked with a compelling call-to-action - something simple like ‘contact us’ or ‘get in touch’ can be enhanced greatly by offering the customer a reason to do so, for example, ‘contact us to learn about our services’.At the centre of a successful conversion is value proposition - your visitor will assess what value there is in completing an action on your website and that goes for almost any action. Should you have a bland and basic call-to-action on your contact forms, then the visitor may see very little value as it doesn’t appeal to them. However, if you understand your audience, if you tailor your call-to-actions to those who you think will be visiting, then your conversion rates are likely to increase. ‘Optimizing means finding a balance between conversion quantity and value, between value to you as a business and value to the customer,’ says Liz. Striking that balance is key to converting visitors into customers.Optimising your website for conversion should be of paramount importance to any business. Converted visitors are repeat customers, and according to a Marketing Metrics study, your probability of selling to an existing customer is a massive 60 to 70 percent as opposed to between 5 and 20 percent for a brand new customer. That helps to reinforce just how important it is to ensure these conversions go through to completion.
If you need any more advice or help optimising your website, we can help on 01189 100 012 or email hello@digity.co.uk .

Chris shares latest insights at Thames Valley Marketing Forum

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 07:59:00 GMT

After a fantastic reception from the first Thames Valley Marketing Forum in March, the second forum was organised to take place at Green Park, Reading on 20th June. Founded by Digity Director, Chris Lunn, along with Neil Ginger and Harriet Subramanian, the innovative forum provides the chance for entrepreneurs, business leaders and marketing professionals to introduce themselves and discuss a variety of marketing and business opportunities.

Along with two other keynote speakers, Chris inspired everyone with his marketing insights and advice, focussing on energising social media strategy, hosting online competitions and building brand credibility. A Q&A session after these presentations also gave the opportunity for delegates to get bespoke advice on their individual business and marketing positions from the experts.It was fantastic to see business professionals, marketers and entrepreneurs from a huge range of local businesses engaging, exchanging ideas and looking for ways to mutually benefit each other’s businesses.

We look forward to the next Thames Valley Marketing Forum which is planned for September, and expected to be even more successful. Watch this space and make sure to follow us on social media to get all the updates on upcoming events. If you would like advice on how to build your social media strategy to best benefit your business, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team on 01189 100 012 or drop us a message at hello@digity.co.uk.

How to Grow Your Mailing List After (And in Compliance With) GDPR

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 14:55:00 GMT

GDPR. You’re probably bored out of your mind with hearing those four dreaded letters. Now that the preparation before the 25th May deadline is over, you can breathe a sigh of relief, however the work isn’t over! Whatever approach you took to prepare, you need to keep building your mailing list in compliance with GDPR, particularly if your mailing list has decreased in the process.Here are a couple of ideas to ensure your mailing list is always steadily growing with relevant and interested recipients: Online Newsletter Sign-Up Form The people browsing your website are obviously intrigued by your product or service, making them the perfect email recipient. Ensure you have newsletter sign-up forms on your website, either in the footer or dispersed throughout the popular pages.

Events & NetworkingYes, the old-fashioned way! Tell people about your newsletter and why they should become part of the mailing list. If someone has a question about your sector then mention that your newsletter covers a lot of industry news, insights and advice.
Add a Sign-Up Button to Your Email Signature And don’t just add it to your email signature, but all the company employees’! This is a great way for your current customers, clients or personal contacts to have a chance to sign-up.
Use Social Media Social media is the ideal way to guide current followers to different platforms of your business. Posting your website address, blog posts and events there is just the beginning. To increase your mailing list, post out the link to sign-up, and highlight all the content your followers are missing out on!
Create Great Content If you’re writing great content in your emails, not only is it an incentive for people to sign-up but it will ensure people maintain engagement and involvement with your company. From industry insights and news, to company updates, events and advice, make the content as varied and interesting as possible, with a couple of exclusive offers squeezed in.

Target Your ContentMost mass email platforms will offer the service to segment your followers based on the data you hold. This can be into geographical location, age, type of customer and company, as well as bespoke sectors you can create. This means you can target customers with content relevant to them. Give recipients the choice to tick boxes on which content they would like to receive, for instance events, offers or advice. This gives potential customers the power to choose what interests them, meaning they are less likely to unsubscribe through being bombarded with content they want to avoid. Offer Free Downloads/Whitepapers Everybody loves free stuff! Create a downloads section on your website which offers useful documents on your sector. The customer gives their details so that they can be emailed the documents, however with new GDPR rules this does not mean you can add them to your newsletter mailing list. However, within the section, make sure you highlight your newsletter and give the downloads customer the option (through a tick box) to opt in to your newsletter.Remember that a double opt-in service is best practice. This means that customers who sign up to your form will receive an email to the address they just submitted with a link to click in order to double confirm that it is their email address. This prevents people inputting other email addresses instead of their own.We hope this has inspired you to make a couple of changes to your email marketing technique, but if you have any questions or need any help, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our expert team on 01189 100 012 or drop us a message at info@digity.co.uk .
Be sure to sign up to our newsletter !

New Website for Grover Accident Repair Centre

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 12:47:00 GMT

Digity is pleased to have been able to launch the brand new website for Grover Accident Repair Centre (ARC) .The website looks professional, adopting the new brand colour palette throughout, including the custom icons designed specifically for the site. The website features a clean look that clearly lays out the specific services offered by Grover ARC. On the ‘About Us’ section, there’s also a unique set of statistics that helps to make the company appear more personable.The website also has a form embedded in it that allows a potential customer to request a quote, uploading photos where required and providing vehicle information. We’re proud of how Grover ARC’s website has come together, enabling them to provide professional services to future clients.If you have a website that needs updating, or if you’re looking to get a new website altogether, contact us on 01189 100 012.

Team Digity is Cycling London to Brighton to Raise Money for Charity

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 08:36:00 GMT

Digity is incredibly proud to reveal that several members of our team are all cycling from London to Brighton this summer to help raise money for the Ollie Young Foundation - our chosen Charity of the Year.Ellie, Alix, Catherine, Kate and Liz are all taking part. They’re passionate about the charity, which is fighting to find a cure or prevention for paediatric brain tumours. The Ollie Young Foundation was created in memory of a local boy who tragically lost his fight against a brain tumour one day before his sixth birthday. Despite everyone’s best attempts, there was no treatment available for Ollie and unfortunately, no hope. The Digity team is undertaking this challenge to support the charity, in the hopes that they will be able to make advances in increasing patient life expectancy and, ultimately, save lives.The team is currently hard at work preparing for their mammoth challenge. The bike ride is 54 miles long and will be taking place in September. If you would like to help support their cause and sponsor the team, please visit their fundraising page . Make sure to keep checking back on the team’s page to stay up to date with their training and preparation - the ride isn’t far away now!

How to use Metadata Effectively to Help your Brand Stand Out Online

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 14:41:00 GMT

Metadata is one of the most important parts of your website - it provides search engines and visitors with detailed information about the individual pages on your site. While it provides necessary information to someone visiting your website, metadata plays a more crucial role behind the scenes - it also helps search engines establish where in the results your website appears. That means metadata is almost directly responsible for how easy it is for people to find your content - which, according to Key Content , is a fact often overlooked.It goes without saying then that using metadata correctly can be the key to increasing traffic flow to your website. There are two important factors to metadata - title tags and description tags and both are essentially what they say on the tin. The title tags dictate the title of your webpage and provide visitors and search engines with an immediate knowledge of what your page is about. The title, which appears in the top left-hand corner of the browser and also within the tab itself, should be concise and explain exactly what your page is, with the most relevant keywords near the front.Meanwhile, description tags are similar to title tags in that they provide visitors and search engines with information on your webpage. This time however, the description tags form the ‘meta description’, which is what Google will use as a summary of your webpage on the search engine. The text beneath every link on a Google search page - that’s the meta description for that particular page. A visitor is able to determine how relevant a page is to their interests by seeing just how often a term they searched shows up in the description - Google even helpfully emboldens the terms. It’s also important to note that your meta descriptions show up as the page summary if a link is shared through social media - so the likes of Facebook and Twitter for instance. As noted by Claire Atwell for New Media Campaigns , this means meta descriptions are critical in improving your click-through-rate.It’s clear to see then just how metadata can really help your brand flourish online. Well thought out title and description tags can be the difference between a low search engine ranking and reaching the top of Google. Keywords are also just as important, but it’s crucial to include them in a way that feels organic, rather than simply stuff your meta description with them. It’s important then, when creating your metadata, to remember to be succinct. Title and description tags only allow you a very small window to impress - it’s best to make the most of it.If you need any assistance with metadata for your own website, contact us on 01189 100 012 or drop our experienced team a message on hello@digity.co.uk .

Digity Unveils New Brand & Website for The Party Place in Reading

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 28 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Digity is proud to reveal the new brand & website for The Party Place , which like the venue itself, is full of colour and vibrant energy!The company’s sense of fun is on display from the moment you visit the website, with large, bold images featuring the branding and items synonymous with parties, such as hats and confetti. From there, the website takes on a unique design made up of big panels of bright colours juxtaposed with high quality images, which almost makes you feel like you’re reading off a menu. Everything was designed to give off the impression of being at a party.The website’s navigation is straight and to the point, but it’s also been designed in such a way so the home page gives you all the information you require. Minimalist icons were also created to add additional personality to the website, rather than using simple buttons. The navigation also includes options for corporate hire and events, to increase the website’s potential range. The Party Place is a very visual business and we made sure to incorporate that into the website, which features an impressive image gallery.If you need a new website building from the ground up, or just want some changes made to an existing website, get in touch today on 01189 100 012.

Digity to present at Thames Valley Marketing Forum this June

Wed, 16 May 2018 22:08:00 GMT

The next Thames Valley Marketing Forum has been confirmed to take place on Wednesday 20th June from 1:30pm to 5:30pm. The theme of this forum is social media and we've been invited to lead a discussion on how to layer your social media activity for success. Our talk will discuss how to make a relevant link between your social media channels, your website, your email marketing lists and much more.

Additionally there will also be talks relating to how to use video to get more ROI from social media in general and Flourish PR will be discussing how to develop content strategies which are designed to attract investment.

There will also be a Q&A session with the panel so we look forward to seeing you there.

Tickets can be purchased online at:
www.tvmarketingforum.co.uk

Watch a brief overview from the previous forum here:

Cubic Interactive video testimonial for Digity

Mon, 14 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Cubic Interactive are a software development house and we've had a working relationship with them for the past 4 years. Since the relationship first began, Cubic Interactive have embraced change to focus on continual improvement with their lead generation strategy and we've been delighted to play our part along the way.

From creating website copy and blog content, to developing their AdWords campaign and social media strategy, Cubic Interactive's marketing has been evolving in a range of directions, giving them more exposure and reputation within the industry.

In this video you can hear what Daniel LoGiudice, Director of Cubic Interactive, has to say about switching their marketing from an internal set-up to outsourcing to Digity:

Get in touch on 01189 100 012 or drop our friendly team a message at hello@digity.co.uk for more information on how we could improve your marketing strategy.

Kate Walks Wokingham to Support the Ollie Young Foundation

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 04 May 2018 08:31:00 GMT

The Wokingham Walk is just around the corner and on the 13th May, I’ll be taking part! This is the third year the event has taken place, in which people come together and complete a sponsored walk for a chosen charity. This year, all profits from the event will go to the Ollie Young Foundation - who happen to be Digity’s Charity of the Year!The Ollie Young Foundation is an amazing local charity doing incredible work in the field of paediatric brain tumour research and support. They are more than worthwhile of the support and it’s fantastic to see the money being raised by this event going to such a necessary cause. To find out more about the charity or make a donation, visit: http://www.ollieyoungfoundation.org/ The event is a scenic trip beginning and ending in Howard Palmer Gardens in the centre of Wokingham. If you take part, you can choose to complete either a 5, 10 or 15 mile route, meaning there’s a way for everyone to take part. The walk takes you on a scenic tour around Wokingham, Crowthorne, Eversley and Finchampstead.
I will be walking the 15 mile route and have wholeheartedly enjoyed the training walks in the run up to the event, gruelling pub lunches included!If you want to find out more about the event or sign up, visit: https://www.wokinghamwalk.co.uk/

New Website Launch for Brands Unlimited

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 12:30:00 GMT

Digity has launched the new website for Brands Unlimited , helping the company to modernise while still retaining their core values.Brands Unlimited help companies to grow their sales, so they needed a website that would help them do just that, while giving potential clients the confidence necessary to get in touch. The website our team built for them is bright and colourful, featuring some great graphics that help emphasise Brands Unlimited’s attitude to their job - they have a diverse range of specialists who can help in a number of commercial categories.The website lays out in very clear terms just who Brands Unlimited are and what they do. It was crucial to let potential clients know just about everything about the brand as quickly and clearly as possible - clients need to be captivated on the front page. As such, a selection of projects the company has worked on are also featured on the front page.If you have a website you’d like updating, or if you want a totally new website altogether, get in touch with us on 01189 100 012.

Chris Talks Digital at the Thames Valley Marketing Forum

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 07:59:00 GMT

Not too long ago, we were incredibly excited to announce the founding of the Thames Valley Marketing Forum . Along with Ginger Video and Flourish PR, we wanted to create a place for marketing minds to come together and help share knowledge, as well as spark inspiration among one another. Now, we’re very proud to say that not only did the first forum take place - it was a resounding success.Meeting at the Madjeski Stadium in Reading, marketeers came from far and wide to listen and engage with the talks on offer. Our very own Chris Lunn shared information on how to get ahead in the digital marketing space, while Neil Ginger of Ginger Video emphasised the importance of video in today’s marketing. Last but not least, Harriet Subramanian of Flourish PR gave sound advice on getting your business out and recognised by the national media.There was a real sense of interest and a desire to share tips and knowledge between each other, which was the prevailing reason behind the forum’s conception. We’d like to thank everyone who joined us at the first Thames Valley Marketing Forum and hope to see you all and more at the next meet.The second Thames Valley Marketing Forum will take place in June and more details will follow soon.

Digity Launches Brand New Flourish PR Website

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Sat, 07 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Digity is excited to have launched the new website for Flourish PR this week. We were approached by Flourish to update their existing website and make it more appealing, more modern and more user-friendly.To accomplish this, new content was added to all of the pages. Flourish’s many services, ranging from press release creation to helping businesses deal with crisis communication, have been listed on each page, making navigation much simpler and more streamlined. Not only that, but the look of the website was changed completely. Now, large images are used on the front page to draw attention to the services on offer. The photography for the website was undertaken by Photos by Pennie. A colour scheme of purple and white was used to emphasise Flourish’s brand and the scheme runs throughout the website, making it feel highly consistent. Flourish PR needed a website that looked more professional and modern than the one they had before - we’re proud to have delivered their vision and the new website is fresh, clean and exciting.If you’re in need of a new website, or simply need some updates to an old one, get in touch on 01189 100 012.

9 Key Tips to Ensure Your Website is GDPR Compliant

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 09:26:00 GMT

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect from the 25th May 2018 and it's going to impact various aspects of your business. This blog is focused on how to ensure your website complies with the new regulations as there are likely going to be adjustments to be made and terms to update.

Over the past 6 months I've been speaking with a number of consultants and solicitors, looking at various areas of our own business. As part of this, I've written down 9 specific areas I feel every business needs to address on their website. A key point to note here is that compliance isn’t the responsibility of your website provider (although like us, hopefully they are advising on what should be done and able to ensure it is). The point is that if your company gets investigated, there's no point looking over your shoulder, it's down to the leaders of every business to ensure compliance.

My View On GDPR
There are lots of worried faces when GDPR gets mentioned and like any acts which require compliance, I understand why. The fines are significant so this isn’t something which should be ignored. If you read up on it the fines can be €20m or 4% of your turnover, whichever is greater. If that doesn’t make you sit up and take notice, nothing will - and that’s the idea.

So firstly, this is very very important to read up on and I recommend going through the GDPR section of the ICO website as it’s very thorough and relatively straightforward to read through. They have a checklist you can download and a guide of steps to take right now across your business (as this impacts HR, legal and finance in addition to marketing).

Overall, I feel the whole move forward with data protection is positive as blatant disregard for personal privacy makes it harder for everyone who does work in an ethical way to make an impact. If I think about how little I use my personal email account now due to the deluge of irrelevant emails in there, it’s a shame. What this revised policy will do is make every company invest some time to work out how to make an impact in the right way. The reason for this is that you’re going to have to be able to prove how someone got on your email list now - because should they complain about you emailing them, you need to know. Offering an unsubscribe link isn’t enough and neither is giving them the chance to opt-out. You have to prove they opted-in! So this is big and where you need your website, your team and your marketing to be on top form.

Is your website compliant with the requirements of EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that will be enforced on the 25th May 2018?
Here are 9 changes that you need to make now so that your website will stay on the right side of the law, and keep your customers happy.

9 Key Areas of Your Website to Review for GDPR

Disclaimer
It’s important to point out that these tips are based on the research we have conducted and are advisory. This list is not exhaustive and we refer to the ICO website for full details. To ensure full compliance, we recommend you seek professional advice from a GDPR compliance consultant and/or your solicitor.

1/ Identify what information you are collecting, where & why
Information may include details via contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, details of e-commerce transactions and associated information. It’s likely you are utilising cookies to gather web stats (such as Google Analytics for example) and possibly collecting IP addresses so anything that could be deemed as ‘personal identifiable information’ is vital. You need to ensure you know what you are collecting, how it’s being stored and who has access to this information. The key point is that you need to show what that person has opted-in for so that if you have a complaint you can justify how and why that person is receiving communications from you. So opt-in consent is absolutely key.

Equally important is how you can delete it if someone contacts you under the ‘right to be forgotten’ as you need to be able to prove you can ‘forget’ someone entirely with no trace of their details if they request it. If you write down exactly what you are collecting, where you are collecting it and why you need it, you will have the basis of a process document to refer to.

2/ Ensure your website terms of use and privacy policy are up-to-date
Make sure your terms and privacy policy have been reviewed and are compliant with GDPR.

3/ Install a SSL Certificate
SSL stands for Single Socket Layer and it’s a file which binds a cryptographic key to an organisation's details. When you see the padlock icon to the left of a website address it indicates it has a SSL certificate and Google also values this highly. So there are additional marketing benefits which come from taking this extra security measure. SSL certificates typically cost £20-£35 to get per year - speak to your developer to find out more, it’s relatively quick to install (additional fees may be required but it shouldn’t take anyone long to do). Having a SSL certificate on your website gives your customers peace of mind and increases your favour with Google.

4/ Review all of your website forms
This area focuses on your contact forms, including brochure and whitepaper download requests and quote forms. It’s a huge area to focus on as you can no longer include pre-ticked boxes with regards to consent or options to ‘opt-out’. Everything needs to be focused on enabling individuals to opt-in and provide consent to hear from you going forward. If you plan on marketing to people through different channels, you should provide an option to be contacted via email, post, SMS or calls as individual options so that you can prove specific consent. Additionally should people wish to take themselves off of one (or more) forms of contact, it means you don’t lose them altogether. So this should prove to be an invaluable exercise and also help you learn more about the personal preferences of your audience.

If you intend to pass details to a 3rd party, this should also be an additional opt-in for each specific 3rd party. If you are asking for permission to pass details onto a third party – again, you need another tick box. If you are collecting data through one website on behalf of several third-parties, then you need to clearly give an opt-in option for each party. Offering them something like a whitepaper if they sign up to something is a great way of getting more user sign-ups, but you still need to provide an opt in tick box, otherwise consent has still not been given freely.

5/ Ensure it’s easy for people to unsubscribe or be forgotten entirely
Every individual has the right to withdraw their consent for you to market to them or even communicate to them - no matter what their history is with your company. Our recommendation is to include a link to ‘Update Communication Preferences’ with a form which allows any individual to request updates to their details. This might include updating/changing their preferences or complete removal. Ideally this would be linked to a system which manages this directly but as a minimum it can be a request form to be completed by one of your team. Just ensure that when people submit their requests it states on the page the process and time-scales involved so you can manage the expectations of the individual.

The last point is more about emails than your website but ensure all marketing related emails include unsubscribe links. We would also recommend including a link to update communication preferences in your email signature for direct emails so you are still making it easy for anyone to update their preferences and save you time in the process.

6/ Be clear on cookies, re-marketing & IP tracking
All cookies in use (typically Google Analytics for example which gathers website statistics and other tools like Facebook pixel) need to be outlined in your privacy policy. You should be clear on the information being collected and what it will be used for. Users can opt-out of cookie tracking in their browser’s privacy settings so it’s worth referencing this advice as good practice.

Remarketing enables you to target visitors with your advertising when they visit other websites (that’s how you sometimes see things you’ve looked at elsewhere pop-up on other websites). If you’re running this type of activity you need to identify it in your privacy policy.

If you are in the B2B market (typically) you may be tracking IP addresses that visit your website to identify the companies within which visitors to your website are based. This is different to the anonymous data found in Google Analytics as it will identify a company and could be linked to an individual which therefore moves it into the realm of being personal identifiable information. This is therefore subject to GDPR and it needs to be covered.

7/ Social media advertising
Certain social networks now allow you to upload lists of existing customers which are then reviewed for common ground to enable you to target advertising towards other people who share similar characteristics. This data is treated anonymously (you should certainly find out exactly how it would be used before going down this route) but naturally if you are providing email addresses of others you need to ensure you have their consent (via a tick-box and explanation) plus an option to opt-out in the future (which in our recommendation would be handled on the communication preferences form).

8/ Taking payments
If you are an e-commerce business, you will likely be using PayPal, SagePay, Stripe or another payment gateway for your financial transactions. Prior to this you may collect data before passing those details onto the payment gateway to make the process streamlined so you definitely need to have a SSL certificate in place to ensure this information is encrypted. If your website, ordering system and accounting system are also storing that information you need to be clear about this in your privacy policy. You should also look at web processes which remove personal information from non critical systems after a reasonable period, for instance, from 30 to 90 days. Currently there isn’t a specific number of days so the key is to keep it as short as possible and ensure you can justify the number should you be investigated.

9/ Document how you will deal with issues and data breaches
Naturally we hope this is a document you won’t need to refer to but in reality you need to have a robust process to follow for even basic updates to communication preferences to ensure compliance. This needs to be shared throughout the business to all relevant personnel.

Should you have a breach of data you are duty bound to report certain types of breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office website (ICO), and in some cases, to individuals direct.

NOTE: You only have to notify the ICO of a breach where it is likely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals – if, for example, it could result in discrimination, damage to reputation, financial loss, loss of confidentiality or any other significant disadvantage.

Final summary
The GDPR states that your privacy information must be ‘concise, transparent, intelligible and easily accessible; written in clear and plain language – particularly if addressed to a child; and free of charge.’

Take time to go through these points and consult with experts to ensure compliance throughout your whole business. Advise and best practice seems to be evolving all the time so we will do our best to share relevant updates where we can. We are however not GDPR consultants or solicitors - so once again, I recommend you seek professional advice.

I hope you have found this guide useful. For Digity clients with websites under our control we are offering a GDPR website audit and update package for a set fee should you opt for us to make specific updates.

Please contact us directly for details.

Great night at Maidenhead Chamber Gala Dinner

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 01:10:00 GMT

Saturday night saw the Maidenhead Chamber of Commerce host their 2018 gala dinner at the Chartered Institute of Marketing and we were delighted to sponsor the drinks reception to mark the occasion. I was lucky enough to get to meet the youngest ever winner of Master Chef, Craig Johnston who is a local lad and at just 22 years of age, clearly has a bright future ahead of him.

On our table were some esteemed colleagues from our BNI Thames Maidenhead Chapter and their partners so thanks to all of them for making it a real night to remember. I don't recall the dance floor ever being so active so well done guys, here's to more of the same in 2019!

The current president is Olu Odeniyi and it's set to be his final gala dinner (his 4th in the current role) in this capacity. Olu has done a fantastic job since taking over, bringing a lot of energy and gusto to the role, hosting some fantastic events and attracting a lot of interest in all the activities taking place. Well done on a great achievement during your time in that role Olu and thanks for the support you've shown us at Digity, it's been great to be part of the journey with various Google events and other campaigns along the way.

Digity partner with Thames Valley Marketing Forum

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Digity is very proud to be able to announce that we are a founding partner of the brand new Thames Valley Marketing Forum .Alongside Flourish PR and Ginger Video, we believed there was a clear lack in opportunities to network face-to-face. The idea behind the forum is a simple one - this series of events was designed to help inspire and inform fellow marketers across the region. By doing so, we hope to encourage the exchanging of ideas and the establishing of valued connections within other organisations.We already have details for the first forum - it will be held at Madjeski Stadium on 22nd March and will run from 1:30pm to 5:30pm, with an optional bar afterwards for those wanting to partake in additional networking. Visit the website for full details, including how to book tickets.Our MD and Co-Founder of the forum, Chris Lunn said “this is a fantastic initiative to bring together a great mix of marketers from across the region to share knowledge, insights and ideas. I’m really happy that after months of discussions and planning we’ve been able to launch now and the feedback so far has been incredible. Here’s to an exciting few years ahead as we build momentum, engaging lots of interesting people along the way.”The forum was founded to bring key discussion topics to the table and to help inspire the greatest marketing minds across the Thames Valley. Join us in the forum and share your expertise.If you’d like any further information, you can get in touch with us on 01189 100 012.

5 Popular GDPR Myths You Need To Be Aware Of

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 13:22:00 GMT

It should be common knowledge by now that the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is coming into force this year. As businesses begin to feel the pressure of the upcoming compliance deadline, there has been a huge influx of information regarding the subject appear online. With GDPR fast approaching, it’s important to be sure that you know the facts before the May 25th deadline arrives. In this blog, we’ve taken some of the more popular myths that have been cropping up and debunked them.
Brexit Means We Won’t Be Affected
As GDPR is an EU regulation, there is talk that the United Kingdom will no longer be affected once we leave the EU. This isn’t true - in fact, the information office commissioner (ICO) has said that GDPR will remain exactly as it is once we leave the EU, almost exactly a year after GDPR comes into force. In fact, GDPR isn’t even solely an EU regulation - American companies that offer goods and services to the EU will also come under scrutiny.
Enormous Fines For Non-Compliance Are Going To Be The Norm
When talking about the penalties for non-compliance, a lot of focus is on the fines - and they are large. In fact you could be fined 4% of your turnover, or up to £17 million for not complying with GDPR. Despite this, these fines are going to be rare and likely only handed out to companies actively flouting the law. Instead, warnings, reprimands and corrective orders are more likely to be used, hitting the company’s reputation rather than their finances.
Personal Data Already Collected Will Not Be Subject To GDPR
There is a belief among businesses that data collected prior to GDPR coming into effect won’t be subjected to the regulation. This isn’t the case - even if you collected the data before GDPR comes into force, it will still fall under it when it eventually happens in May. Personal data in this instance also includes IP addresses and cookie tracking.
Everyone Will Need To Appoint a Data Protection Officer
With GDPR on the horizon, businesses are thinking about making changes among their personnel. One such change is the appointment of a data protection officer - however, for a lot of businesses, they won’t need to have a data protection officer at all. Under GDPR, you’ll have to appoint one if you’re a public authority, if you carry out large scale systematic monitoring of individuals or if you carry out large scale processing of special data (or data relating to criminal convictions). Apart from that, it’s unlikely you’ll need one.
GDPR Will Be a Revolution in Data Management
There’s a lot of talk surrounding the impending arrival of GDPR and how it will revolutionise the way businesses handle data. The fact is however that the regulation is being designed as an evolution, not a revolution, as the information office commissioner has been keen to point out. GDPR will keep the same principles as before and simply build on them, rather than completely rewrite them. Those businesses that already follow the correct procedures will likely just have to review and update them somewhat, rather than change them altogether.
GDPR is coming. Are you a business owner that needs help in figuring out how it will affect you? Get in touch on 01189 100 012 and we can help.

New Website for Binfield Primary School’s 30th Anniversary Celebrations

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Sun, 18 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The brand new website for Binfield Primary School’s 30th anniversary celebration event has gone live.Binfield Primary School opened its grand doors on 15th March 1988 and therefore will be celebrating this year. Digity had the pleasure of designing a single-page website with the details of the event on full display. The website looks sufficiently elegant, with a regal black and gold colour scheme to highlight the evening of sophisticated celebration, including a casino room.The website has all of the information needed on it for guests of the party and it uses striking images of the stunning venue to capture interest. Digity is also proud to be one of the sponsors of the event, of which there are three and they are all prominently displayed. We believe the website excels as it neatly collates all of the necessary information into a stylish package.If you need a website updating, or you’re looking to get a completely new one for your business, get in touch on 01189 100 012.

Bringing Garden Logistics to Life With a New Website

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:52:00 GMT

Digity is proud to be able to launch the new website for Garden Logistics , bringing an experienced and affordable gardening service to your doorstep.
The website does a great job of highlighting the strengths of Garden Logistics - whether you’re in need of improvements to a commercial space, or want to spruce up a domestic landscape, Garden Logistics’ website is clean, fresh and easy to navigate. The website uses a colour scheme of green to convey a natural feeling and helps the website appear far bolder than its previous iteration did.
The website manages to successfully mix both the commercial and domestic sides of Garden Logistics, helping to reinforce the idea that the company will be able to work to your requirements - big business or house garden. Despite the name, gardens are just the tip of the iceberg and the website showcases that through easily navigable categories. View the full website here.
The Garden Logistics website has been brought to life. If you have a website you want updating, or if you’re looking for a brand new website, contact 01189 100 012.

Digity re-design Colucci Prosecco website

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 16:39:00 GMT

We are excited to launch the new website for Colucci Prosecco, bringing a refreshing new look to the brand.The website is accentuated with a regal purple trim, which helps to make it appear more dignified and professional. Alongside the smart, clean design of the website, there are numerous photographs taken from rural Italian countryside, adding a touch of authenticity to the website. A variety of e-commerce features were added to the website to ensure customers had the ability to purchase whatever they required. There is also a comprehensive FAQ section which details how prosecco is made and how best to keep it, amongst other ideas and advice.We’re proud of how Colucci Prosecco’s website demonstrates their passion for the drink. The website not only has numerous gift options, but it also features fun and interesting posts about how best to incorporate the prosecco into other recipes. Visit the full website here .If you have a website that you want updating, or if you’re looking to get a brand new website launched, get in touch today on 01189 100 012.

See what's changed with Facebook's News Feed

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 11:00:00 GMT

Over the last few years, social media has blossomed as a major source of traffic to online businesses. Facebook, Twitter and the like drive people to websites through consumer engagement with these different channels. However, it seems like Facebook is attempting to change their relationship with both business owners and consumers in regards to advertisements.
In a post today, the company explained that they are going to start changing what people see on their news feed to make it more ‘meaningful’. What this means at a base level is that people will begin to see more posts from people they know and less from news organisations and businesses they follow, potentially diminishing Facebook’s usefulness as an advertising stream. The idea behind it is to allow people to see more posts they actually care about, and attempt to improve users’ wellbeing in the face of increasing criticism of the effect of social media platforms on users’ mental health.
For business owners however, it presents an interesting change. Facebook is likely attempting to prevent what it calls ‘context collapse’, wherein people are posting less and less about themselves online. Advertisers are able to specifically target individual users based on their personal information, so without these information, Facebook will lose out. Businesses too, however, will likely find that Facebook is no longer a truly reliable source of traffic.
As Facebook moves towards a more social friendly approach towards posts, businesses will lose out - especially smaller ones that can’t afford massive advertising budgets. There’s a good chance that for many, these smaller businesses will be drowned out and simply disappear beneath the new, ‘meaningful’ posts.
As a small business owner then, what can you do to mitigate the damage of these changes? The first two answers are the most obvious - and potentially the most drastic. Either begin to move further afield in terms of your social media output and focus more on the likes of Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, or pay out more in terms of Facebook advertising. There’s a possibility that’s an ulterior motive for Facebook anyway - whether you need to go that far will of course be up to you.
If you’re a small business that’s likely to get swept up in these changes, then this is absolutely something to start preparing for. Get in touch with us now to learn more and see how we can help: 01189 100 012 or contact us here.

Refreshed website for global brand naming agency

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 11:27:00 GMT

Here at Digity, we’re proud to be able to launch the new website for the global naming company, Appella.Appella are the specialist naming agency who have developed huge brand names such as Oyster card, so their new website showcases their work and helps people who are new to ‘naming’ understand far more about it. We used large, bright images featuring the recognisable iconography and ensured that Appella’s impressive portfolio was at the top of their website. It immediately catches the eye, and draws you to their work.In fact, Appella’s front page was almost entirely dedicated to their previous work - as a naming company, they have the benefit of brand recognition. Big names on their website immediately lend them legitimacy, hence why the website moves down through their client list and into testimonials.Another aspect of the website we focused on was building Appella a fully comprehensive portfolio, with in-depth information on each of their clients, including the creative processes behind their chosen names. The website is informative, and any prospective clients can see everything they need. Visit the full website here: Appella, Expert Naming Agency .If you have a website you’d like updating, or are in need of a brand new website, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. e: info@digity.co.uk t: 01189 100 012

Get the message across with customer video testimonials

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 09:30:00 GMT

A testimonial is a powerful tool to help promote your business and the work that you offer. It’s a seal of approval from a veritable source, showcasing that someone was pleased enough with your services that they would recommend you to others. Taking that one step further then is a video testimonial, where a satisfied client can openly praise the work you’ve done for them.

The power of a video in today’s connected world cannot be understated. Compared to a regular testimonial, perhaps relegated to a specific page on your website, a video can be found through social media and shared to millions of people with ease. Potential consumers are also far more likely to engage with a video testimonial as it comes across as personable and genuine - actually being able to hear the emotion in someone’s voice is a great thing, as audiences respond to positive emotions in kind.
Using a video testimonial has additional benefits also. They can help to emphasise the human side of your brand by having someone talk truthfully and emotionally about it, rather than displaying some disembodied quotes on your website. As well as that, by utilising video testimonials, you can segment them as part of your video marketing content and help to build brand recognition.

To give you an example, here’s one of our video testimonials from a valued client and this was gathered independently via the video our production partner. We were delighted and very grateful to our client taking the time to be part of the process and it’s been used to really good effect since. See what you think:

A video testimonial adds a lot to your brand - emotion, humanity and additional credibility.
If you’d like to take advantage of video as part of your online marketing plan and would like to see what we can do around it to gain more visibility, get in touch. We’d love to show you more and how we can drive more people to see your testimonials on a daily basis:e: info@digity.co.uk t: 01189 100 012

Digity design fantastic website for the world’s largest networking organisation

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 09:09:00 GMT

Our Digity team have been working hard on an exciting new website for Thames Maidenhead BNI , a networking group designed for the development and exchange of genuine business referrals and ideas to help businesses grow.Digity’s Managing Director, Chris Lunn, has been a fully participating member of BNI since March and feels very passionate about how the organisation is growing. With weekly meetings welcoming new members regularly and business referrals translating into successful business deals and collaborations, BNI needed a slick new website to represent its successful development.

The new website appears brighter, more dynamic and professional, with brand new imagery of the group photographed by BNI member Pennie Withers . With a new member directory page, FAQ section and blog, the site is more engaging, comprehensively representing what BNI do, their focus areas and their successful events.Now mobile responsive and regularly updated, the site looks fantastic and will encourage new members to show their face and contribute their ideas. We look forward to seeing how the website will help BNI develop into an even better networking organisation.

We are passionate about helping SMEs grow into successful businesses through digital marketing and design, so get in touch with our team on 01189 100 012 or contact us here .

Digity design new American Grocery Store website

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 13:35:00 GMT

We’re proud to launch the new website for the American Grocery Store , dedicated to bringing you the most delicious items from across the USA.
There’s a sense of colourful whimsy to the website, as though you’ve just stepped into a sweet shop. The shared vision with the founders was to create a website which jumps off the screen, so block colours were used to help differentiate the individual product categories and draw the eye. The vibrant colours pop on the page, helping to make the website both approachable and exciting. A full range of e-commerce features have been developed to enable customers to create accounts for regular orders of their favourite American grocery items and candy via the aptly named Candyholix section.
The Growler family have been masters of the grocery business for over a century, ever since they opened their first store just outside of Chicago. Now, they want to bring their heritage overseas. We feel the new website encapsulates the vision for a quirky online grocery store completely, with bright image sliders helping to imitate perusing through a shop. Treat yourself and visit the New Arrivals page to check out what’s in store.
Visit the full website here. If you have a website that you want updating, or if you need a website launched to get your services out into the world, get in touch today.

Digity Nominated for Two Thames Valley Awards

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 14:59:00 GMT

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve been nominated for not one, but two awards at the upcoming Thames Valley Business and Community Awards taking place at the MacDonald Berystede Hotel in Ascot this year - SME of the Year and Male Entrepreneur of the Year.
SME, or small and medium-sized enterprise, of the Year is an award that looks to recognise an organisation that has demonstrated its ability to grow, or its potential to do so. The organisation will also have a clear understanding of the market it operates in, and its future within that market. We’re proud to have been nominated for an award that helps to reinforce Digity’s forward-thinking momentum.
Meanwhile, Male Entrepreneur of the Year looks at those individuals who had the ambition and drive to turn their ideas into a successful business. The judges will be looking at those who demonstrate exceptional vision and leadership.
Alongside these two award nominations, we’re also very proud to announce that Digity is sponsoring an award at the event - the prestigious Lifetime of Achievement Award, which recognises an individual that has made an outstanding contribution to his or her field.

New Website Launch for Power of One Fitness

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 10:01:00 GMT

The team were approached by Power of One Fitness to modernise their website and create a new, eye-catching site that will attract customers and drive sales. The end product has large visuals and a strong, succinct message across its homepage to engage consumers. This captivates the visitors to the site and keeps their intrigue, leading them to finding out more about the business and thus staying on the site for longer. The inclusion of bright and crisp photos to the website expresses the vibrant and friendly nature of the business and of course the owner, David Williams. This in partnership with the vibrant colour scheme enables Power of One to showcase its energetic and spirited approach to health and fitness.

Power of One Fitness can help individuals of all ages and fitness levels reach their fitness goals and improve their health. So if you’d like to have before and after photos as amazing as Power of One’s website then you should get in contact with the business.Are you looking to upgrade your website and embrace the importance of a great digital site? Our team loves to create original, engaging, and sales-focused websites to increase brand awareness and results. Get in touch on 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at info@digity.co.uk to discuss how a new and innovative website could benefit your business.

Christmas 2017: The Best Of The Adverts

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 09:38:00 GMT

As Digity's resident Christmas enthusiast, I've been planning for the big day almost as long as some the top brands have been brainstorming their 2017 Christmas adverts (since February for John Lewis, and April for me, in case you were wondering). However this year I was really disappointed with the big names' Christmas adverts - so many just missed the mark for me. That aside, there have still been a few truly great ones. From heartfelt emotion to catchy tunes, here is a run-down of the best festive adverts of 2017.

4 - Heathrow

This year the bears are back with the story of how they met on a plane back in 1967. Complete with air hostess uniforms to match the eras, the advert shows the times they have been reunited with each other and their family at Heathrow Airport at Christmas. Although not everyone will be visiting an airport in the festive season, coming home for Christmas with family is a universal feeling which Heathrow have translated beautifully into a heart-warming, tear-jerking festive advert.

3 - Boots

Food and family aside, giving thoughtful gifts is my favourite part of the festive season. Whether they bring back old memories or give the opportunity to create new ones there is nothing better than watching someone's face as they unwrap a present you've put a lot of effort into. This year the Boots advert encapsulates this perfectly, while also including hints to gifts you could buy in store. This advert gave me that Christmas feeling whilst making me want to check out their gifting section, and if that's not the mark of a great festive advert I don't know what is.

2 - Sainsbury's

The Sainsbury's advert may be missing its usual narrative, but the annoyingly catchy festive tune more than makes up for it. Celebrating the festive season and the different traditions that make it special for everyone, this advert really captures that Christmassy feeling. With an appearance from The Royle Family's Ricky Tomlinson and Kermit the Frog, Sainsbury's have managed to capture what makes Christmas great in a really original way.

1 - McDonald's

Surprisingly this has to be possibly my favourite advert this season. The advert follows a young girl and her father as they do their Christmas shopping while she is holding onto a McDonalds carrot stick for Santa's reindeer. When they arrive home and her brother reminds her there are more than one reindeer, the pair drive back to the drive-through. It's the perfect mix of heartfelt and humorous, and the relationship between the little girl and her father is sure to warm anyone's heart.

Do you agree with our festive favourites?

7 Ways to Boost Your Sales Pipeline before Christmas

Thu, 23 Nov 2017 00:39:00 GMT

Christmas is coming, the sales are going flat, it's time to put some money in your CRM hat. OK, I realise I'm not getting nominated for poet of the year for that one, but from meeting quite a few business owners at events recently who have said "Well sales always go flat at this time of year" , it is definitely a very current and significant problem to be explored. Now I'm not saying sales won't dip, and obviously December is a short month, but from what I've been hearing from some people, it's like the world has stopped spinning and we might as well hibernate until January.

From my perspective that's not a view I'd accept (call me stubborn) and as someone trying to push our company forward every year, it's certainly not a phrase that would come out of my mouth, because the minute we accept failure (even for a small period), guess what happens? I was challenged on this view at a recent talk when someone said "You can't be naive about the fact it does go quiet though". I replied, "In sales, when you go quiet, it goes quiet...simple. Even if the period is 'quiet', I would still want to be the busiest person in the market - and there will be someone who is and it can be you if you're good at what you do". I'm sure we'll start talking again soon...

In all seriousness though, it reminds me of the last recession. One of the reasons I started Digity was to help give business owners confidence to spend and buy orders again. It's rearing its head again with Brexit and all the Brexcuses coming out. Yes, there are sometimes powerful factors outside your control that will have a big impact on your sales, but cutting back on your activity, repeating the same old things and cutting budget are three factors that you do have control of, and will have a huge negative impact on your sales. Hopefully you get the point - we can all make excuses but if you're not trying something different then don't look past the mirror when the numbers are spiralling.

So with Christmas spirit in-mind, let's be positive! Here are some ideas to flip your situation around and finish on a real high. These things aren't always obvious but trust me, they are all really easy.

TOP TIP: All the latest smart phones we've tested still make phone calls! Who knew...try it.
Ironic huh...the digital marketing guy telling you to get off emails, social media and apps and make a call. Maybe there's something to it?

So this is all well and good and I can tell you're thinking "OK Einstein so what do we do about it?". Well my friends, get comfy and I'll give you my advice - if you implement at least some of it, I think you'll be surprised at the outcome - and hopefully next year, you'll be on the offensive rather than surfing the net for Black Friday deals.

1/ Let the world know you're busy - but you love it.
If you look like you've stopped or you disappear off the radar, you know what will happen. Someone said to me years ago " If you want something done, ask a busy person" and that always stuck with me. At Digity there's never a dull moment but that's the idea; we want to grow, we want to be productive and we want more work, so if people ask me if I'm busy then it's easy to answer "Yes it's great and that was the plan" . That's not a line from a training manual - it's just the way I feel because it's the type of thing I like to hear.

When I ask and people say, "No, it's a bit quiet" I can't help thinking, "Why?" and see it as a negative (or a chance for us to help) or they say, "Yeah it's crazy, I can't cope" in which case I'd also look to see if I can help in anyway but the immediate reaction is "OK no referrals for you then" . It's a balancing act but think through what you're saying, showing and putting out to get back.

2/ Deals might not get signed at this time of year but they can get made.
We're in a very busy period (it's great by the way and we want more so don't hold back!) but if we weren't busy on-boarding new clients now in time for the new year, I'd probably put on another few stone taking people out to lunch or going out on more socials to try and build relationships and momentum with plans. If your diary is looking quiet for appointments then switch to a more social schedule. Look at potential referral partners if you're in the services sector (which is who this is aimed at by the way - if you're in the consumer sector and you're quiet, please pick up the phone to me asap!) such as bank managers, accountants, marketing agency owners etc.

3/ Look through your pipeline and think about what you can offer them or help with to get something going.
NEWSFLASH! Until your prospect gives you a definitive no, do not close that opportunity off. So many people waste huge sums of money generating leads only to give up after a few calls and a couple of killer emails . If this sounds familiar, get a CRM system in place asap - Zoho CRM is one we recommend as it's got a good mix of power, customisable elements and is easy to scale with users. Once you get a good plan moving forward via a decent CRM, your quiet times won't be as quiet and you'll always have a pool of prospects to dip back in to.

4/ Give prospects/customers a 'sneak preview' of something new.
This could be a new package, a new product, a way of utilising your core product/service etc. It's not for me to tell you what the new item is - just find one because it might catch some attention at the moment when it would get ignored at other times.

5/ Ask for feedback.
"But what if I don't like what I hear Chris?" I hear you cry... my advice: keep it in perspective. Let's say you've been chasing me all year to sell me a new software that would be perfect for an amazing agency like ours, but for whatever reason I'm not buying - yet. If we're still taking your calls and not replying to your emails saying unsubscribe then it's surely worth avoiding another wasted year before you actually find out what's holding me back. It could be budget, it might be I don't have time to think about it let alone implement it, I might be using a competitor (but possibly not that happy, hence keeping you on the radar) etc. There are lots of reasons but until you find out what they are, you can't help me any further. So ask.

If the next email I get from you says " Hi Chris, I appreciate your time so far this year and it feels like there's interest in what we've got to offer but as yet we haven't been able to take that forward. I know when we spoke you mentioned cost was one factor but I was just sat here wondering if there was anything else? If it's purely price, let me know your bottom-line and let me see what we can do - no promises but if I know where you're at, I'll do my best to see how we can help as we'd love to have you as a client. Alternatively, if there is anything that either myself or our team (including support) can help with or you'd like to speak to any of our existing clients, just let me know."

Now this approach doesn't guarantee a sale and you might not be able to do anything with the answer you receive, but at least you know what you're working with. In a lot of cases, it can show you that they're just not the right client for you at this time, so you agree to keep them updated going forward and you both move on. But at least you make a decision which stops you wasting time thinking about the what-ifs and optimistically opening your email every day waiting for that order to drop.

6/ Say thank you.
The end of the year is a good time for reflection and one positive thing you can do is call up someone you have a good relationship with or would like a better one with and thank them for what they've done for you this year. Again, I'll personalise it - if someone calls me and says "Hi Chris, we just had an end of year review meeting and I really wanted to say thanks for XYZ, it helped a lot this year. We've got so many exciting things planned for next year and my diary is looking crazy right now which is great - so much for winding down for Christmas!" . If I get a call like that I'm only thinking one thing - this sounds interesting, dare I say exciting and whatever I did for that person, it inspires me to do more. Equally if I think there's already a high demand for whatever is being discussed then it drives a bit more urgency in my thought process - either of myself or for introducing others in to the mix and making more referrals.

7/ Set activity targets.
Above are a few ideas of things you could do which cost virtually nothing and can be highly effective. My final key tip is to set an activity target because you want to gain momentum ASAP in order to get some meetings/feedback/appointments to follow-up on before Christmas Eve. So get a list of things you want to do and then set a number of calls you're going to make, emails you're going to send etc to actually make some ground.

Then get cracking... good luck, I hope you're flat out until Christmas, end the year on a high and are pumped up and ready to hit the ground running in January.

Would you like any help?
We help clients make an impact, keep things fresh and push for more success so if you'd like to know what we can do for you, get in touch and we can arrange a free digital marketing consultation for your business: t: 01189 100 012

New Season New Look: Alamo Blinds Re-design

Mon, 20 Nov 2017 15:38:00 GMT

Alamo Blinds , a local showroom of blinds, shutters, curtains and outdoor living, came to us a couple of years ago for a new brand and website for their business after they left the franchise they were in. At the time, we supplied them with a distinctive look and cohesive website which served all of their needs. Now we have been working together to update both the brand and website to give it a more contemporary and established look to go with their successful business.

The Logo

The previous Alamo Blinds logo (pictured below left) was a flowing typeface with a sans serif slogan font. It was friendly, approachable and tidy, but the client felt that he wanted it to be updated to something that can be more clearly read on their vans when they are driving around. The new logo (below right) uses a typeface with more distinct shapes to the letters, making it easier to decipher from further distances. We have kept a friendly and approachable aspect to it in the slogan font, which overall means you keep the same feeling from the old logo, but with added readability and modernity.

The Website

As a blinds showroom with one of the biggest range of stock in the area, there is a lot to cover in one website with Alamo. The old website was struggling to adapt and grow as Alamo's business and stock was, and so it was time to move to a different design which would better reflect this up-to-date business and cater for their growing needs.

We wanted to focus on showcasing the great blinds, shutters and curtains that Alamo stocks. This was done through a heavy use of imagery throughout the site, both of the showroom and of products in homes. This lifts the site up, and lets the user truly imagine what kind of blinds would look good in their own home or business.

Due to the amount of styles of blinds that Alamo stock, we created some icons that are able to quickly differentiate between them for use on the main 'Blinds' page and the corresponding styles. These can then be used across their physical showroom as indicators of the style to assist people if they are not sure the name of the style they are after.

Overall, the site has a much fresher feel, due to the different typeface used, increase in high quality imagery and revising the layout. You can even have a tour through Alamo's Wokingham showroom, due to a Google 360º Video on their home page. Things like this, and the use of video on other parts of the website, make it a more interactive site than before and make use of features such as parallax scrolling, scrolling background images and a shrinking header.

We often work with existing clients to make sure their presence online is always as up-to-date as it can be - whether this is a re-design like Alamo Blinds or a quick refresh of content. If your brand could use some help to bring it inline with your current business goals, get in touch with Digity .

Stunning New Website for Home by Rachel, London

Wed, 01 Nov 2017 09:30:00 GMT

What better way to sell gorgeous products than on a beautiful, sleek and modern website? Home by Rachel provides beautiful home interiors, stunning jewellery and a bespoke range of hand-poured luxury candles. Rachel came to us with a bland but functional website that didn't entice people off the home page, so in our redesign we ensured that the site looked bright, welcoming and interesting.With large, good quality images and sliders the site began to look a lot more attractive, and the new clearer layout made the site easier to navigate. The intimacy of the brand is represented through the personal feel of the website, whilst the stunning imagery indicates the thought that has gone into each quality product.

Our team really enjoyed redesigning such a stylish e-commerce website, as well as supporting Home by Rachel with their new launch offers and social media graphics. The overall effect of this rebrand has been sensational and will make a huge impact on gift sales, particularly on this busy run up until Christmas!

Get in touch today to see how we could redesign your website to give you business that extra boost going into 2018. Give us a call on 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at info@digity.co.uk .

Why Your Online Business needs an SSL Certificate

Tue, 31 Oct 2017 10:05:00 GMT

At the end of October a new version of Google Chrome was released that clearly labels any website without an SSL Certificate as ‘non-secure’. This will be shown in the browser bar clearly to the online user.This will effect a huge range of websites, particularly e-commerce sites or any that contain input fields, like password requests and contact forms. Studies indicate up to 84% of online shoppers will abandon their purchase once seeing that a site is not secure ( Source ). Having an SSL certificate gives your website the green padlock, reassuring customers that they are in a safe location to purchase goods and enter their details.Not only do your customers prefer secure sites, but Google does too. With Google favouring secure sites, your search engine rankings are more likely improve and your conversion rates more likely to increase. It’s simple!Get in touch with our expert team today on 01189 100 012 for more information on how to ensure your website is living up to its potential online.

Why You Should Invest in Professional Photography

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 16:26:00 GMT

In a world where everyone is a 'Professional iPhone Photographer' and point-and-shoots are as affordable as ever, it's important that your business stands head and shoulders above the rest by using professional photography. Anything other than that for your business won't say much for your product or brand and it's unlikely to hit the right spot with your intended target audience.

So now you know you need professional photography, but how can you justify the cost? Good quality photographs can be used for a multitude of different promotional activities, from social media to company vehicles to print marketing - the list is endless! Make the most of the photos you've had taken by using them across a variety of channels - elevating your brand and giving more people the opportunity to see your work.

Website & Social Media

It might seem like a obvious one, but your website and social media profiles are your business' shop front and you need to dress them accordingly. We see so many businesses who have great photography on their website, but their social media is filled with badly lit phone shots. Or fantastic and engaging social media imagery, and a website showcasing out dated, dull photography. Reduce your cost per image use by publishing them across all relevant channels and updating your website regularly. Remember, it's not just products and case studies that need strong photography; all the images on a website build value in a prospect's mind and they should all reflect the quality of your service.

Company Vehicles

Use company cars and vans as your mobile billboard and showcase your new photography to the masses. Whether you are commuting or driving to a customer, branded vehicles can help to get your business name in front on thousands of potential customers. Although ensuring these vehicles have all the necessary details to find your company again is important, clever use of photography can help to catch the eye of other road users and passers-by.

Printed & Promotional Items

Whether you are sending them to existing contacts, handing them to new leads, or displaying them in your showroom / office / retail space, print items should always show the best side of your business. Professional photographs make all print items look slicker, and are the perfect addition to leaflets, brochures, and even business cards.

Advertising

This goes without saying, but if you are paying for advertising, either online or print, professional photography is a must. They attract more attention on average than text only adverts, and professional photography helps to make that attention positive. Building brand image can be a tough task, but making sure the photography on all your promotional activities is high quality, exciting and interesting will help portray your business as successful and established.

We have tried, tested and reliable photographers at Digity who can bring your brand to life with stunning imagery. Get in touch on 01189 100 012 or email info@digity.co.uk for more information.

Presenting on LinkedIn to Delegates in London

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 16:22:00 GMT

On 2nd November Digity's Managing Director Chris Lunn will be running a session on LinkedIn at the annual Cubic Interactive User Group Conference. Held from 2pm – 5pm at The Building Centre, London, the User Group will be packed with professionals from the architectural and engineering sectors. We are delighted to have been asked to speak for Cubic Interactive's delegates on the benefits of LinkedIn and how to make the most of this platform and can't wait for the event.

We are delighted to have been asked to speak to Cubic Interactive's delegates on the benefits of LinkedIn and how to make the most of this platform. Get in touch with our team on 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at info@digity.co.uk to enquire about our marketing consultancy packages or to discuss your upcoming events

New Websites for the Highnett Group Launched

Mon, 16 Oct 2017 10:56:00 GMT

Over recent months we've been working with Highnett Group to re-brand their 3 divisions and re-build their websites. All 3 new logos are now being rolled out and the newly mobile optimised websites featured content and information which accurately represents their core service offering.

Highnett Controls are specialists in the design and manufacture of control panels and Industrial Electrical Maintenance and were established in 1978. Macklin Controls covers a wide range of products, design and build from supplying basic switchgear through to the design and build of process control panels & equipment to LV switchboards for both commercial and industrial application.

Solatest is the G59 testing solutions arm of the group and sits within Macklin.

If you are looking to bring a uniform look and feel to your group whilst increasing the reach and appeal, get in touch today to find out how we can help.

New Porto Tourism Focused Website Launches

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 10:53:00 GMT

We are extremely delighted to announce the launch of EatWalkPorto ’s website. Within the travel and tourism industry, it is essential to secure the faith of your customers and encourage them to trust your business. This element of client confidence has special resonance due to the unfamiliar nature of being away from home. Therefore, with EatWalkPorto, it was essential that the website was an excellent and professional site. This in turn enabled the company to showcase its brilliant services with a high class personality. This in turn, gives the firm added legitimacy.

The company was formed from owner Caroline’s intense passion for the city of Porto during her 5 month long trip with her gorgeous dog Brock. She fell in love with the magical city and decided to come back to start a new life for her and Brock. Caroline endeavours to share her love and enthusiasm for her favourite place through specialist tours, allowing customers to experience Porto with the intrigue and excitement of a tourist, coupled with the inside knowledge of an experienced local.

Caroline needed a site that encompassed the spirit of Porto and thus the clean, crisp, white backdrop twinned with the carefully chosen font provides the perfect mediterranean style. Furthermore, the large photos of the city’s astounding beauty showcase the captivating nature of Porto’s landscape. The blue colour scheme was also used in order to encapsulate Porto’s coastal charm. We hope you agree that this has provided an excellent aesthetic and given great personality to the website.

Visit the full website here. If you have a website that needs updating, or if your company needs their first site to launch its services, do not hesitate to get in touch.

The Brand New Master Of Horror Website Goes Live!

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

With perhaps the most unique project we have ever embarked upon, we are absolutely delighted to announce the launch of the brand new website for Master of Horror.

Master of Horror is a place for users to download the terrifying tales that a writer and lawyer, who we shall call "B" to honour his wish to remain anonymous, heard from an elderly gentleman during a long train journey. He recited instances of a dark shadowy figure being sighted shortly before horrific events occurred, all over the world and in different centuries. Although this was first dismissed, further research begun to strengthen the old man’s claims, with witnesses reciting seeing this mysterious hooded figure before these terrible incidents. This led to this creature being dubbed "The Master of Horror" and B began to write his findings down in a series of stories.

The website allows individuals to recite these tales which are all intended to be read aloud and performed to an audience. He also provides a helpful guide on how to enhance the experience .

With our brief, the client wanted a clean look and feel to his site. We of course, worked hard to fit this specification. The brand new website has enabled the user to seamlessly glide through the website and find their desired story quickly and easily. The organisation of the content and the structure of the site provides a tidy and smart appearance, whilst the visuals encapsulate the chilling and creepy nature of the client’s business.

With this being their first site, we have turned Master of Horror into a fully immersive user experience with a strong brand and personality.
We have thoroughly enjoyed this project and are delighted with the final product. We would love to hear your thoughts on the new site and also how your experiences of being The Master of Horror went!
Looking for a new website ? Our team loves to create original, engaging, and sales-focused websites to increase brand awareness and results. Get in touch on 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at info@digity.co.uk to discuss how a new and innovative website could benefit your business.

We're Recruiting - Digital Marketing Assistant

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

As our expansion continues we're looking to recruit a Digital Marketing Assistant to the team to help support the team. This will be a fast-paced role providing exposure to key service areas for the business, gaining exposure to numerous markets.

Based at our Wokingham office, it's designed to provide experience within content marketing, design, analytics and website development so if you're interested in a career in digital marketing, this is definitely the role for you.

If you would like to find out more, click here to visit our vacancies section.

Finalists for 'Innovation' & 'Fastest Growing' Awards

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Last Friday we were delighted to attend the first ever Maidenhead & Windsor Business Awards and it was a fantastic evening. Having been nominated for two categories (Innovation & Fast Growing Business) we were really proud to find out we were finalists in both categories. That's a positive way of saying we didn't quite win but when you're up against the likes of Adobe, we'll take that.

Having just recently established an additional presence for Digity within the MyWorkSpot building in the town centre it was great to enjoy the evening with their founders along with some other local business owners. Overall it was a great night and we look forward to more occasions like this as we continue our development.

7 Ways To Generate Leads & Sales Online - Join Our 60 min Lunch & Learn

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 11:35:00 GMT

Are you looking generate leads and sales from your website? Does your website have the potential for a better digital presence? Would you like to generate more traffic from search engines but don’t know where to start?

So you’ve set up a website for your business because you know you need one, but is it there as a ‘box ticked’ or is actually generating leads and sales for you? Or maybe you have or are working for an established business and while your digital presence seems to be ticking along nicely, maybe you are looking for a bit of a caffeine boost for your online activity?Digity are holding an exciting FREE session at MyWorkSpot Coworking in Maidenhead on 22nd September 1pm - 2pm to help you address how to generate more traffic from search engines, boost your personal profile (and leads) via LinkedIn, update your website to perform stronger and some other key tips to boost sales & profit.Digity’s Founder and Managing Director, Chris Lunn will be running this event, so it really is a session that you don’t want to miss out on. Having built a successful career in marketing working with brands such as Ford, Jaguar, McCain and Cussons, he designed Digity to deliver a dynamic and effective solution for companies looking to compete and grow online and make the most from their budget.This FREE session is designed to help MyWorkSpot members and business owners who want to drive more leads and sales from their websites.Join the Facebook event here .– If you are a MyWorkSpot resident and NearDesk card holder, then just tap in as usual.
– If you own or work for a Maidenhead-based business then you will be very welcome. Please just RSVP at info@myworkspotuk.com .See you there!

Digity Shortlisted for Two Business Awards

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

I'm delighted to announce that Digity has been shortlisted for two awards in the Maidenhead and Windsor Business Awards . This is a brand new initiative, led by the Chamber of Commerce to give companies the opportunity to showcase their business and the awards evening is set to be a great night.

Digity has been entered in the Innovation Award sponsored by EcoAlly and Fast Growing Business Award, sponsored by Donald Reid Group.

We're certainly looking forward to the evening and are proud to have been shortlisted for both categories, it's great recognition for all the hard work that has gone in to the company recently.

GDPR Checklist - 18 Questions To See If You Need Help

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 16:39:00 GMT

The time to act is now!

GDPR is coming next May and it's been eye-opening for me to see just how much there is to consider to ensure you're fully compliant.

I've heard lots of comments about the fact that companies 'should be already doing all of this' and whilst I agree, the simple truth is, I can't think of many that actually are in full. There's also quite a lot naivety about Brexit and the impact but the fact is, this is 100% happening.

We're getting close to appointing our official partner to help support clients so if you answer 'no' to one or more of the below questions, get in touch and we'll let you know how we can help.

Do you have a data protection policy?
Does your team get regular data protection training?
Is data protection covered in your company handbook?
Regarding data storage, do you have an up-to-date document which outlines where the data is stored?
Are all files (Excel/Word etc) which have contact data within them encrypted and protected?
Are your personnel contracts compliant with GDPR?
Do you have a documented process for handling subject access requests?
Do you know exactly where your data is stored via 3rd party systems or applications i.e. MailChimp, Accounting System, CRM system etc?
Regarding the systems you may be using which hold contact details, do you know if they are GDPR compliant?
Do you have a clear audit trail for how people joined your mailing list?
Do you have a clear unsubscribe mechanism on your marketing email communications?
Do you have a documented process for how to handle a data protection breach?
Is your office secured effectively to avoid anyone entering and stealing devices with data on them?
Are your mobile phone and tablets secured effectively?
Can you deactivate your mobile/tablet devices remotely to avoid data breaches?
Do you have a data retention policy detailing how you will store data on an individual, how long for and what you'll do when you no longer need those details?
Do you have a privacy statement and terms of use on your website?
Do you have an up-to-date cookie policy on your website detailing what information you will be storing and for what purpose?

This list is the tip of the iceberg but if you've answered 'no' or 'not sure' to any of the questions above, we'd recommend getting in-touch to find out more about how we can help. We have different specialist consultants to ensure you can soon answer 'yes' to all of the above questions & more which will come your way. As the deadline closes in, demand will rise for these services so don't wait until the new year, get in-touch today.

Contact us to find out more about GDPR.

How To: Google Analytics for Beginners

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 09:23:00 GMT

Google Analytics tracks users and views to provide key insights into acquisition and behaviour flow, making it a very powerful tool for website owners. If you have installed Google Analytics into your website but haven't looked at the data, or do not understand what the data is telling you, this post is for you.

Firstly we'll cover the key terms you'll need to understand and some of the key information you can extract from the Analytics tool.

Definitions:

Sessions: A session is the period of time in which a user is actively engaged in your website. The same user can have multiple sessions, which is why this figure is usually higher than users.

Users: Unique users who have visited your site one or more times during the selected date range. In general these are specific unique people who have viewed your website, although people using multiple devices (e.g desktop and phone) will show as two users.

Page views: Total number of pages views. Every page viewed per session is included in this figure, including pages viewed multiple times by the same user.

Bounce Rate: The percentage of single page sessions in which the page was not interacted with. This effectively means someone has entered your website and left quicker than Google Analytics could register a time. If this is a particularly high percentage you should look into what might be causing this, e.g slow page loading speed, unresponsive websites being opened on mobile or spam traffic. You can test the speed and responsiveness of you website here ( https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/ and https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly )

Key Metrics

Website Visitors

Tracking your website visitors is vital for monitoring the success of certain marketing campaigns. By changing the date range at the top of the Audience Overview page (under Audience in the left hand navigation menu) you can review a snapshot of the users and sessions on your website during a set period of time. Within the date setting you can also set the dashboard to compare data from the previous year or period to help to give you an overview of your website's performance. Look for peaks and troughs and compare these to your marketing activity at the time.

As well as tracking visitors (users and sessions) there are a few other useful metrics which can be found on this page. They include:

Pages per session
Average session duration
Bounce rate

Ultimately there is no perfect amount of pages per session, or specific bounce rate to aim for as all of these metrics will vary greatly by industry and website size. However, they can be used to get an idea of how your site is viewed and monitor how changes in your website impact your visitors. For example if the bounce rate for your Adwords campaign landing page is too high it will inflate your cost per useful click. If you implement design changes these metrics are also very useful to keep an eye on.

Acquisition Channels

Knowing where you traffic is coming from is arguably more important than the actual figures as it gives a good indication of the success of your marketing activities. Google Analytics breaks these channels down into a handful of main categories: Organic Search (traffic from search engines), Paid Search (traffic from PPC activities such as Adwords), Direct, Social, Referral (visitors have found your site through a link on another website which isn't a search engine. There may also be a few other categories, or a few less, depending on your marketing activities.

As you add more focus and financial support to some marketing, such as SEO or social media adverts, you can review the Acquisition Overview and Acquisition Channels pages on Google Analytics to review how they have impacted your website traffic. By clicking into each channel you can find out more information, such as which social media platform visitors have come from on specific days, or which external website links have referred the most traffic. It will even break down the visitor metrics in the section above by these channels to help you analyse their performance by more than just visitor numbers.

Site Content

All of these metrics have covered the website as a whole, but it's also useful to break these down by page, especially if your business provides multiple services or product categories. The Behaviour Overview page covers this briefly, or visit Behaviour Site Content for a more detailed view. By analysing the data on these pages, you can see which pages attract the most visitors, and hold their attention for the longest.

I hope you've found this beginner's guide to Google Analytics useful, although do bear in mind this only scratches the surface of this tool's capabilities.

If your website is not performing as well as you would like, get in touch with our experts to discuss our marketing packages which will help to boost the visibility of your website, drive sales or increase footfall to your showroom. Get in touch today, t: 01189100012 e: info@digity.co.uk

Car Dealerships - Stop Stalling, Start Selling

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 14:51:00 GMT

5 Key Ways to Improve Car Dealership Sales

Having worked for one of the leading automotive groups in the UK for 5 years, I realise I've got a greater natural focus on the commercial aspects of car dealerships than the general public. What's prompted me to write this post is pure frustration - from those around me and my own experiences recently.

Firstly, a lot of what I'm going to focus on now will go against the grain of 'modern thinking' in the automotive sector as I understand where the major retail brands have been focusing their efforts over the past twenty years and why. I know the emphasis is placed on improving credibility to generate profits but for me, the latter part isn't feeding through enough - and it's not helping the customer experience regardless of the bottom-line.

Here is where I feel it's gone wrong and what could be done to actually improve the experience for potential customers without crossing the line:

1. It's Good To Care

I think it's fair to say that most people entering a dealership these days are slightly nervous about the prospect of driving out in completely the opposite car to the one they wanted. The 'hard-sell' of years gone by has been a notorious feature of the forecourt but from what I've experienced recently, those days are gone. In fact they are so far gone that the modern day equivalent is you having to work quite hard just to get anyone in the dealership to give you some attention. I've had numerous friends moaning recently on this very topic - and it seems worse the higher in prestige you go, although not exclusive to any particular make or location. It's an epidemic and certainly in my experience it would have been jumped on quickly.

Given the cost to get people on to the forecourt, why is this the case? If people arrive they are there for a reason - the internet has pre-qualified most of them so anyone who's there is very close to being ready to make a decision - and it's not whether or not they buy a car, it's simply which one.

The fact is, you can definitely feel out of place when you walk in - and if I feel like that, it's fair to say that most people are going to feel even worse than me because I've grown up in them over 5 years. It's simply unacceptable to feel like you're interrupting someone's day rather than being there to bring some joy to it by parting with quite a lot of money. Staff are so often busy on their computer screens (doing what I don't know - probably planning campaigns to get more sales in vs opening their eyes to the wallets walking through the door). The feeling it gives though is one of neglect, not support - and that's not good for getting the buying vibe moving in the right direction.

So lesson one is to simply be awake and courteous . Welcome new 'guests' to your workplace and warm them up towards becoming great customers.

2. The Service Department is Next To The Sales Department for a Reason!

My car was recently recalled for an airbag issue which was fairly routine as a process. I actually thought it was a blatant opportunity to get me back in and get me interested in an upgrade and I was keen to see how this was going to play out. I was actually gutted when I was left to sit on a pretty uncomfortable chair, drinking pretty average coffee and watching apparent 'sales execs' sit at their desks. On the point above, I know nobody wants to feel intimidated but equally I've committed to sitting in the dealership for 1-2 hours so it's not going to offend me to be invited to test drive one of latest models? How long would that take and what would be the impact? The downside is that they might have to spend a bit more time writing up the paperwork on the new car I buy! What's the first rule of sales we're all taught at business 101 school? "Ask for the sale". I'm not getting any questions here and as above, it seems no one else is either.

Lesson two - turn the sales journey in to an experience to get more people on it.

3. The TV is Talking But What's It Saying?

Having TV's in reception areas is very common but watching trashy daytime TV is quite frankly neglectful in my view. Given the amount of video
content from manufacturers for every new model release, surely they could entertain me for my few hour stay with various reviews and feature videos on the latest models. If at first I don't want a test drive (re above point) the TV can keep trying to inspire me and getting my interest levels up. What are the key reasons I'd turn down a test drive? "I can't afford a new car", "I don't have time", "I'm not inspired"...how could a TV help - show me how affordable it would be to upgrade, let me know how quick it is to have a test drive and show me all the amazing new features to get me to want to at least sit in one!

In a waiting area, I'm the sort of person who sits on his laptop getting on with things but I would still notice and want to say a screen telling me about the new features available. My mind would wander around the room as I look at the latest models and I don't think it would take much for me to get in one and then we're on the way on our sales journey aren't we.... I know some people would rather watch the usual rubbish on TV but there's often enough room to have two tv screens - the silent salesperson for your company on one of them and one for entertaining the rest on the other.

Lesson three - use new media to add inspiration and intrigue.

4. Plants Don't Sell

Sat in front of me is a pot plant on a coffee table and in the name of research I've been watching it for 7 minutes and it's done literally nothing to sell me the latest model yet. In fact as I look around this waiting area there's not a single brochure in sight. Luckily I have my laptop but currently the choice is to stare lovingly in the eyes of the old boy opposite me, read a pretty well worn Daily Mail (never going to appeal even if it were crisp) or watch the horrendous daytime TV. Even if I was intrigued about the latest models sat 15 years in front of me, I can't even access any information without disturbing someone. Being polite, I don't like doing that so I'll sit here and carry on working and before someone makes a point about not printing brochures for environmental factors, there must be modern ways of displaying tablets to get me engaged (but securely so I don't wander off with it).

Lesson four - plant your marketing materials , don't literally rely on a plant.

5. Ask

My overall summary is that dealerships aren't asking enough questions. This is very much 'the world according to Chris Lunn' based on my recent experiences and conversations but I can't see how what I've experienced is so different to the rest of the country...I know it's not.

Lesson five - ask direct questions politely that can improve the visit to your dealership and drive the sale forward. It's always a numbers game and focused activity is king. Stop stalling, start selling.

I'm not saying that this is going to revolutionise dealership sales overnight but over time it's going to help fill pipelines. The other key is that you're going to control and accelerate the time to next purchase if you get it right and cut your competitors out of the mix before they've even had a chance to engage.

We'd Like To Help Improve Your Sales

Taking some of the above points in to account myself, I'd like to offer our Marketing Consultancy service to your dealership (or any showroom centred business) to help you grow sales. From what I've seen there are missed opportunities due to pre-conceived ideas or misguided directives.

Get in touch today, ask for me direct: Chris Lunn, t: 01189 100 012 e: info@digity.co.uk .

Photos By Pennie Website Launch

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Photography and images are so instrumental when it comes to making a website look professional and stand out from the crowd. This is precisely why it was such a great project working on Photos By Pennie .

Pennie is a photographer based in Berkshire and she specialises in school photography, event photography, headshots and more. Her work allows businesses to present what they do in a professional way. These images can then be used across a wide range of marketing materials such as brochures, social media, and websites.

Pennie needed a website that would looks as professional as her images and would give the photography a platform to look their best. Her previous site didn't allow the pictures to be the focal point which made it look quite dated.

We gave Pennie's images the platform they need to shine. The clean, minimal design means that the website looks modern at the same time. The use of icons throughout the site gives an extra layer of understanding to the user, as well as adding extra visual interest. The icons are all in a thin line design to keep with the overall minimalist style of the site. The use of multiple galleries throughout means that her images are never far from being the focus. Her portfolio of images is also separated into different types of photography to make it easier to find the specific type you are looking for.

Visit the full site here. If you have a current website that needs updating and modernising, do not hesitate to get in touch.

Website & Brand Launch for Inspire MediLaw

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 21:56:00 GMT

The team behind Inspire MediLaw recently approached us to help create a brand for this new business as well as design a website to showcase their event and conference information. The website enables people to book direct and the booking function will evolve to include online payments in the second phase of the website.

The programme of events is already looking very impressive with more set to be announced in the coming months. Visit the website to see more and if you have similar requirements you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch.

4 Simple Ways to Boost Your Business Social Media

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 07:48:00 GMT

We know you are super busy running a successful business, and that there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. You may not have the time, inclination or confidence to post regularly onto your business social media platforms, and therefore have employed someone to ensure that your business accounts are always active. Whether this be a young, techy nephew or an experienced agency, it is not a bad idea to enlist somebody's help in sharing interesting and relevant content onto your business pages.Although you have shifted the time and responsibility onto a third party, there are still a lot of quick activities you can personally do online to support your company's social media presence. You will be surprised at how huge a difference it can make to your following and potential customer base if you spend just a couple of minutes completing these simple actions on social media. Get your team of employees on board as well to see an even bigger improvement.
Have a quick read now, and share this blog with your employees for the biggest impact:
Create Your Page Have you got Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn? Now is the time to make an account! It is very intuitive, but if you are really struggling, there are lots of step-by-step guides online to help (see below). If you would rather just make one account for now, we recommend creating a Facebook account as priority. Once you have made your account (and got your bearings!), be sure to like and follow your company page.

How to set up your Facebook account

How to set up your Twitter account

How to set up your LinkedIn account

Share your business Facebook page on your personal account. Use your personal account to invite your friends to like the business page. See below:

Like & Share Business Posts Whenever you log onto social media, make an effort to like and share your business content. All employees with social media can easily follow and like every post. On Twitter, retweet business posts so that your personal followers see. Through doing this, you will see a rise in likes and follows as more people connected to you and your employees' network start taking an interest in your business. Commenting on posts and in particular tagging friends who might be interested will even further increase you reach.
Share Content from your Website Each new blog on your website you should share on your preferred social platform. This will direct followers to the website which creates more conversions. Whether it's an advice blog or an article on your news section, make sure you highlight how interesting it is! For example: I didn't really know how to use LinkedIn before I read this, and now I feel like an expert! /5-quick-tips-for-linkedin-success Be proud of the work your company does and let people know about it!

The benefits of a strong social media presence are huge, and there are always more things to do to help boost your social impact further . We’d love to help, so get in touch on 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at wokingham@digity.co.uk to have a chat with our expert team. Alternatively look up our social media packages for an idea of what we can offer your business.

Digity Join Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

We're proud to announce that we have joined the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce and will be playing an active role supporting their future events and initiatives.

We're particularly keen to meet other business owners and will be looking at opportunities to share our knowledge with fellow members in different formats going forward.

If you're already a member, we look forward to seeing you at an event in the near future.

5 Quick Tips for LinkedIn Success

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 17:34:00 GMT

I often get asked about LinkedIn and I'm amazed at how many business owners still aren't using it actively. In terms of my own use, I go in a couple of times a day via the mobile app and a few times a week via my laptop - and even then I feel I should do a lot more! So with this in mind, here's my summary to help you get more out of it and once you're doing this well, you'll definitely feel a remarkable difference.

Before We Begin: Set Yourself Goals

As with anything which is going to consume time or money (often both), it's vital to have an objective in mind for using LinkedIn - do you want to build your profile to get head-hunted, be asked to speak at events, attract new customers etc. Whatever your goals are, bear them in mind every day and focus your efforts towards achieving that goal.

There are now 500 million+ users on LinkedIn now so it's also a great place to hangout online and learn! You can pick-up lots of hints, tips and insights and more importantly, learn more about your contacts. More and more people are switching on to LinkedIn as a communication channel so there's more content being shared - which can help you develop understanding and relationships.

So with all this in mind, here are 5 easy to absorb tips to help make a difference...

5 Quick Tips

#1 - Use the App!
The app has developed well over recent years and is an easy way to keep up-to-date with your contacts as well as adding new ones. For so many reasons, get the app and go in to it daily!

#2 - You Need to Show Off
Ok before you get too carried away, there are boundaries about what this actually means, but I'll let you decide on those! The main point of this tip is to simply tell the world what you're doing more often. If you're not excited about what you're doing then why should anyone else care? You need to be proud of what you do and post with intent - what do you want people to feel about what you've posted and what should they do next? Here's a photo of myself, my wife and the Prime Minister at a recent Chamber of Commerce dinner and this very simple post generated 50 likes and thousands of views which then led to a marked increase in connection requests. It was a nice moment that a few years ago I'd have kept to myself but I decided to share it and it lead to great things and lots of conversations with people I met following this.

#3 - Support Others
The more you support others, the more support you'll receive in return. If you've ever had anyone 'Like' one of your posts you'll recognise the feeling it generates inside - it's good isn't it - that someone else likes what you've put out to the world! Be that person making others feel good about themselves and there's a high chance they'll reciprocate. If you actually go a step further and comment and engage then wow - who knows you might even get in to some sort of discussion and actually start building some rapport!! What's even better, someone else might see your comment and become interested in you...almost like your powers of invisibility are slowly wearing off.

Here's a simple post I put on LinkedIn a few weeks back. In the first 4 hours it had around 120 views and then I asked a few relevant contacts to 'like' the post - literally one click for them and that was it...as you can see here, 20 people then did which lead to 3,215 views! It's amazing what happens when other people like your post and it goes out to their network.

#4 - Connect, Connect, Connect
Imagine going in and seeing loads of connection requests and rejecting them all. It's like walking in to a event with your head down pushing people out of the way - what a waste of time and opportunity and yet I hear this so often "I don't bother with that LinkedIn rubbish it's just loads of people I don't know trying to connect with me!". WOW, how amazing is your business that you have enough contacts. Don't get me wrong, I know what it's like, I get connection requests all the time from people who blatantly just want to sell to me but I genuinely keep an open mind with each one. You soon get rid of those only interested in themselves.

Equally it's vital you add contacts you meet along the way as they can then see your future updates and learn just how amazing you are! You can connect with me here .

#5 - Be Professional
This is pretty broad as a tip but what I really mean is have a professional head-shot that stands out. I've opted for one we took on a recent shoot at our office with our logo in the background as I want to re-enforce the brand at every opportunity. Others prefer a white background or one that's more relaxed. Choose one you want thousands of people to see every week and one that people will recognise going forward - you need to stand out. Next, make sure what your adding to the public domain builds credibility - personally I don't care for people's holiday photos on LinkedIn, save that for facebook and being generally negative is unlikely to appeal to my character either. I look for people with positive energy who are out there making things happen and proud of the job they're doing.

Be that person and you'll attract more than just Likes going forward!

I hope you found this useful, we'll be publishing more content on using LinkedIn very soon and are going to be running some events around the topic. Get in touch if you'd like to find out more.

In the meantime, stop wasting time reading this and get posting on LinkedIn!

Q&A with our MD in Berkshire & Buckinghamshire Life

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 17:31:00 GMT

This month's edition of Berkshire & Buckinghamshire Life Magazine has a new feature focused on Men in Business. It's a title we are often placing ads for clients within rather than featuring in ourselves but it looks like a great addition to the publication. They contacted Chris as a result of our six year association with them and wanted to run a Q&A covering a lighter mix of topics for business owners to give their readers some more insights and background.

If you'd like to find out more about Digity and how we help clients to make the most of their own advertising and marketing initiatives, feel free to get in touch. We offer a complimentary review session to look at the opportunities to boost your business so contact us to arrange one and see what we can do.

35 Mile Bikeathon for Local Mental Health Charity

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

On the 25th June I will be participating in the 35 mile Wokingham Bikethon in support of local mental health charity Sport in Mind . It will be a huge personal challenge to complete the route, and I am excited to be supporting such a worthwhile cause.

Sport in Mind uses exercise and physical activity to help aid the recovery of people experiencing mental health problems across Berkshire. Through activities such as football, yoga, and running, the charity encourages individuals to move their lives forward in a positive direction and boosts self-esteem.

The 35 mile route starts in Wokingham, passing through Waltham St Lawrence and Hurst before looping back to the town centre and heading out towards Arborfield, Swallowfield and Eversley. Finishing on an almighty climb through Gardeners Green, it's certainly a tough route, but it's a challenge I am determined to tackle.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated, and will be passed directly to the charity through Virgin Money Giving. £5 can provide one person with a month of support and physical activity, and every penny will really make a difference to the charity and people living with mental illness through out Berkshire.

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EllieMcDaniel

4 Ways to Embrace Father's Day in Your Business

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Regardless of your industry or business, Father’s Day is a great opportunity to grow your client or customer base, stimulate sales and boost your profits. With Father’s Day fast approaching (Jun 18th), you need to start taking advantage of this great gift-giving holiday with effective and innovative marketing techniques!Through creating a great Father’s Day campaign that consistently goes across all of your online marketing platforms, you can be sure to boost exposure and drive conversions for your brand. Here are our tips to make the most of it.

1/ Promote relevant products/ servicesFocus on products or services that can be marketed as Father’s Day presents, and create discounts and offers targeting either a younger audience buying their fathers gifts or more expensive offers targeting spouses. Think about the whole spectrum of father ‘attributes’, from sporty dads, techy dads and adventure dads to pampered dads, hungry dads and embarrassing dad-dancing dads.
2/ Optimise seasonal landing pages Your website should be your business shop window, so you should be showing off the hot products or services of the season right at the front! Create a new landing page for the duration of the holiday that reminds customers of the upcoming holiday and highlights your Father’s Day discounts. It is essential nowadays that your website is optimised for mobile and tablet, particularly for gift-giving holidays, as many of your customers will be browsing for last-minute presents on the go.

3/ Make a difference with email Blasting out an email to your mailing list about your amazing Father’s Day offers will have a huge effect on your sales. Highlight certain products and even offer a ‘personal’ discount code to encourage customers to click through to your site and purchase services or products. Personalised emails have a 5.7% increased open-rate compared to non-personalised emails, so make the recipient feel special to create a real customer-business relationship. 4/ Get slick on social media With promotions all ready to go, you need to make sure that people see them through as many online platforms as possible, and this includes your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages. Create graphics that advertise your Father’s Day promotions and encourage people to like and share this content. If you have discount codes, promote these on social media through eye-catching graphics and make sure to link through to your seasonal landing page to create even more conversions.Even with only a couple of days to go, it’s not too late. Think about how many last minute gifts you’ve bought - these are the people you’ll be targeting! There are so many upcoming holidays and annual events that you can utilise and take advantage of in your marketing strategy, so don’t miss out on these business opportunities - let us help!
If you feel your business could benefit from being more organised and making the most of key events and seasonal opportunities, get in touch: 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at info@digity.co.uk . Our managed marketing packages are ideal for saving you time and focusing efforts in the right areas at the right times.

Top 8 Tips to Maximise Your Fundraising Online

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 22:28:00 GMT

Over the years we've supported lots of different causes as a company and I'm a big believer in experiencing new things and helping where I can. With this in mind I recently took part in a charity abseil for Emerge Poverty Free and the fundraising went well. I know a few others who are doing similar things at the moment so I've put together a quick guide to help everyone who is about to embark on a fundraising mission.

So here are my 8 top tips which are all really quick and easy to implement - I hope they come in handy:

Set-up your online donation page ASAP - we hear the Virgin Money Giving set-up is very good
Tell everyone you know what you're doing via email - create a sincere email to let them know what you're doing, when and most importantly why! Give them a link to your donation page. I included some people I hadn't spoken to for a while and others who I flat-out thought would never sponsor me - but I figured if you don't ask, you don't get. I was amazed by what happened!
Depending what you're doing there's likely to be some training involved so keep people updated via social media (all your accounts) as to progress - with every post make sure there's a link to your donation page
With every donation you receive, thank that person publicly on your social media account and if you're friends with them, tag them in (this will encourage even more support and interest from them but equally it's a subtle reminder to the other onlookers). Definitely post a link back to your page too every time - I can't stress how important adding links continually is on social media along with great images - either of you or related to the quest!
Add a banner to your email signature - you no doubt send a lot of emails so make use of it with a link back
Ask certain people to sponsor you early - you need momentum for a campaign so the sooner someone starts the ball rolling the better
On the day (or through the days if it's a longer challenge) get various photos and you could even do a Facebook live stream to showcase the event itself - guess what I'm going to say here? Yes, add a link to your sponsorship page!
In the days after, thank everyone for their support again and remind them why it was so important to you - with a link to your page. Equally, tag the charity (and use any hashtags) in to all your posts throughout as you'll get extra likes and shares when you do.

Overall you get the idea - hammer home the awareness of what you're doing and you'll wear down those who are either a bit resistant or just lazy. I set a goal of £250 for my abseil and I hit that after step 2 (inside 24 hours). As a result of continually following the other steps I ended up generating £848 including gift aid which I was blown away by.

It didn't take a lot of time or effort, 10 minutes a day in the fortnight before (google image searching and writing some posts) was plenty.

Good luck and if it helps, feel free to copy and share this advice as you see fit. It's the difference between a little and a lot and we all know every extra pound raised really does help.

The best bit... and this was an added bonus, but people really cared about what I did. One client even signed up to do it with me with only 2 days to go which was awesome and the whole thing resulted in conversations with people I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Logo Colours - Why Are They Important?

Tue, 30 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

When it comes to designing logos, arguably one of the most important aspects is the colour choice. This will change how a consumer feels about any particular brand, and they will subconsciously categorise it based on the colour. To make sure your brand’s logo stands out from the crowd, it's key to use appropriate colours which differ from the competition.

Colour has a very integral link to emotion and we instinctively link certain colours with feelings. For example, in western culture, blue tends to be associated with calmness, professionalism and integrity. This makes it a highly popular choice, especially for more corporate brands who want to exude a feeling of calm authority without being intimidating. Green is seen to promote growth, freshness, nature and health. Green and blue are often used together in the health industry. Many logos for dentists, physiotherapists, health services and also science and environmental companies will use one or a combination of these colours.

You may notice that many fast food restaurants use the colour combination of red and yellow. This is not an accident - research has found that the colour red makes you feel hungrier than other colours, hence the use in restaurants, while the yellow stands out and is even claimed to quicken metabolisms. It is deeper thinking into colour like this that can extend a logo from being purely visual to having a deeper connection with consumers and making it stand out from the crowd.

Another aspect to be considered when choosing brand colours is the varying cultural significance. A colour association in western culture may be completely different in the east. If a brand is going to be international and hope to grow to a global scale, this is something that should be considered so it doesn’t cause any negative associations. For example, although black can be seen to be more of a negative colour in many cultures, in the middle east it symbolises rebirth. Where red is more about warmth and anger in many western cultures, in China it is a lucky colour.

With all of these considerations, it is also important to consider the market competition. Yes, blue will exude professionalism and neutrality, but also what will make your blue stand out from everyone else's? This is where choosing another colour to make the combination stand out comes in, or choosing a different colour which still represents your brand values. Domino’s is a good example of this - in a fast food world of red and yellow, they have gone for red and blue, making their brand stand out visually from the rest.

So, when designing a brand, it is important that colour is not an afterthought - it will dictate how people react to your brand, how they subconsciously categorise it and, ultimately, the success of it. When done properly, a brand can be forever associated with a particular colour (think Cadbury purple) and can take a logo design from good to great. This way, even if some elements of a brand evolve, it can still be recognised by its signature colours.

For a team who know how to take your brand to the next level through attention to detail and passion for design, contact Digity.

Digity Abseil for Charity

Wed, 24 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Congratulations to two of the Digity team, Chris and Catherine for completing their freefall abseil down the Arcelormittal Orbit tower! As you can see, it was an exciting event for everybody involved, hanging in the air over 250 feet above London!

Together, including GiftAid, Chris and Catherine raised over £1,000 for an amazing charity, Emerge Poverty Free and our Digity team couldn't be more proud. Thanks to all our fantastic clients and friends who supported them with generous sponsorship, we really appreciate it.

Are you planning to take part in an upcoming fundraising event? Check out our blog on maximising your fundraising online .

Digity are Jumping Off the Tallest Sculpture in the UK for Charity

Fri, 05 May 2017 10:54:00 GMT

We are excited to have two of the Digity team, Chris Lunn and Catherine I'Anson-Dove, freefall abseiling down the tallest sculpture in the UK, in support of charity Emerge Poverty Free ! On the 19th May they will be at the Olympic Village ready to abseil down the crazy sculpture that is the ArcelorMittal Orbit, looking out over 262 feet above London.

Digity have worked with Emerge Poverty Free in the past, marketing and promoting charity fundraising events such as the Virgin London Marathon, but thought this abseil would be a great way to help the charity's cause on a more personal level. Emerge Poverty Free work to sustainably help communities in east Africa, ensuring they have the tools, knowledge and resources to improve their lifestyle.

Through Virgin Money Giving, you can sponsor us easily and donations will be quickly processed and passed directly to the charity. Any contributions would be AMAZING and greatly appreciated by us and the communities in east Africa that will so benefit from your sponsorship!

Here are the links to Sponsor our Digity team:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/chrisdigity
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Catherine-Dove

6 Apps to Improve Your Social Media Presence

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Social media platforms are continuously adding new features where your brand can benefit. As an example, you can check out our latest social media tip blog on How to Successfully Use Instagram Stories for Your Business .While the features can bring in more views, likes, and followers, it’s often difficult to juggle it all. So, this month, we’re covering 3rd party apps to improve your social media presence. Some of the below may be entirely new or you may already use them. Check out our list to unearth their full potential!

Twitter Analytics

What it does : Technically, this app is by Twitter so a little less 3rd party. However, it does what Twitter alone cannot. The dashboard provides a summary of your number of Tweets, impressions, profile visits, mentions, and followers. You can see the trend of these metrics over time.
When to use it : Make Twitter Analytics a part of your monthly marketing plan. In addition, you can bring up your metrics on a weekly basis to keep your marketing initiatives on track. It also has some helpful tips on how to get the most interaction with your Tweets.
Limitations : This dashboard gives you all the data you need to improve your Twitter presence. However, you’ll need to rely on your market knowledge and business intelligence to produce compelling content.

Hootsuite

What it does : It’s a dashboard to manage, organise, and schedule social media posts. It links with all of your social media accounts so you can cross-promote with a single click – no cut and paste required.
When to use it : In advance! Hootsuite allows you to schedule posts way into the future. You can use it to anticipate holidays, align with your promotions, and even save you from forgetting important events. It’s a real workhorse.
Limitations : Hootsuite doesn’t work well with Instagram. You have to complete an extra layer of approval to post. While this isn’t world-ending, it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the efficiency of the platform.

Bitly

What it does : This is a URL shortener as well as a link manager platform. Bitly takes your full links and truncates them down to minimal characters.
When to use it : Bitly is imperative for a variety of social media platforms. While Twitter no longer adds links in its character count, convoluted URLs make any post look very clunky. In addition, you can sign up for an account and gain insight and analytics for your clicks.
Limitations : None – it does everything you need! You can even have customised business links!

Smarthash

What it does : Smarthash collates and organises your hashtags for use on social media. It connects to your Instagram account to complete split testing to rate the efficacy of your hashtags.
How to use it : Released early April 2017, this app has a lot of potential. If used diligently, your brand can really get to know which hashtags are valuable to use for your market. You can also use it to create your ideal format for your hashtag organisation (such as adding symbols).
Limitations : It does take quite a bit of manual input. However, once you get started, everything stays organised and in place.

TweetDeck

What it is : Another native Twitter app, this one lets you manage multiple accounts, search across the app, and customise your Twitter use. It’s like Twitter on highly organised steroids.
When to use it : TweetDeck puts your feed, notifications, messages, and activity all on a single screen. With just a glance, you can get a full overview of your account.
Limitations : While informative, TweetDeck puts everything in front of you at once. You’ll need to know your way around the Twittersphere and what you’re looking for to make it useful.

Best 9

What it does : This app scans through your Instagram account for the year and compiles your top 9 posts. It takes into account all levels of engagement including likes and comments. Best 9 then produces a 9-image grid perfectly sized for sharing on Instagram.
How to use it : Many people use this app to share their popular content. As a brand, you can use it to reflect on all of your engagement and relive the memories with your audience. In addition, it gives you valuable insight into what type of image gets your brand the most attention.
Limitations : Best 9 is a fun app to use and share, although it doesn’t go any further than simply showing you results. Don’t rely on it for measuring your reach to your target community.

Of course, the use of too many 3rd party apps might leave your head spinning and no time to come up with actual content. However, these apps can transform the way you share, Tweet, like, and interact. Knowing when and how to use them is the key to making it all work.
Do you have any 3rd party apps or platforms to add to our list?

New Website Launch for Lulu Lush

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 10:55:00 GMT

We are proud to announce the launch of our new website for Lulu Lush , and we hope you like it as much as we do!

Lulu Lush is a remodelled ice cream van dishing up cocktails everywhere from intimate parties to festival-scale events as well as offering a party planning service. The brief was simple; create a website that captures the essence of Lulu - a fun loving party girl with a 40's pin-up influence. It was important for us to maintain the strong brand-focused visuals throughout the website and ensure ease of use for visitors.

We are delighted with the website, and would love to hear your thoughts.

Looking for a new website ? Our team loves to create original, engaging, and sales-focused websites to increase brand awareness and results. Get in touch on 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at info@digity.co.uk to discuss how a new and innovative website could benefit your business.

How to Make the Most of the New LinkedIn Update and its New Features

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 14:58:00 GMT

Over the last month you may have noticed the cleaner look to the LinkedIn interface and the new features that have appeared within this new makeover. However, this isn’t just a small change - the upgrade has created a faster, smoother, easier-to-navigate site with a layout very similar to that of Facebook. So, what are the main changes and enhanced features you really need to know about?Here are a couple of the best bits about the new upgrade to ensure you and your business are making the most of LinkedIn:1/ The LinkedIn messenger features have leaned more towards the Facebook Messenger in appearance. But, the best part for us is the suggested responses feature to InMail (available on premium). This means you can very quickly get back to people with an automated response letting them know if you are interested or not. This response can be edited to make the message more personalised.

2/ The new interface now puts high quality content and the feed front and centre. A brand’s most popular and exciting content will appear first, helping create experiences where members engage more deeply and are more likely to return.3/ LinkedIn now works a lot better with its mobile application. Although the LinkedIn app has always had a similar look to the upgrade, it made the PC version look old and out of date. Now that they both align perfectly with each other's formats and features, it is so much easier to use on the go and switch between platforms when necessary.

4/ Generally, LinkedIn is now more intuitive to use whether you have been a member from its inception or are just thinking of joining now. It is easier to see how many followers each account has even if you are scrolling through your news feed. Additionally, the name of the creator of an article will automatically be joined by their number of followers, making it easier to find content that is popular and legitimate. Everyday actions are also easier to find: if you want to share a profile, remove a connection, block or report someone, unfollow someone, or request a recommendation, it's all up on the top right-hand side - you just have to click on the three little dots.Although the upgrade has significantly changed the look and feel of LinkedIn, and enhanced some specific features, there is no need for businesses to change their approach. If you are regularly updating your account with interesting content, media and events, whilst building up a database of followers and connections, LinkedIn will continue to have a great impact on your business. Uploading interesting and relevant content with links to your site will build your presence online, therefore improving your search engine ranking.The benefits of a broad online presence, whether that be LinkedIn, Facebook, a great website or a well circulated blog, are huge in creating a successful marketing campaign for your business. Is your online presence top notch? Get in touch with our experts on 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at info@digity.co.uk for bespoke information and advice.

The West London Business Show was a Real Success!

Tue, 28 Mar 2017 12:20:00 GMT

On Thursday 23rd March, the Digity team travelled to Heathrow with cars full of stand equipment, brochures, televisions, and tables ready to wow the visitors at the West London Business Show. As marketing partners with the show, our signage, brochures and media designs surrounded the hall including huge signs showing the schedule for the day. Our banners and leaflets were unmissable. With the schedule often changing only a couple of days before the show, our designers were flexible, quick and innovative in adapting to alterations in a short time span. The brochures, signage and other advertising media were sent off to the printers and you can see below how great they looked in time for the show!

Digity’s stand was in prime position to attract the attention of visitors as they stepped through the doors. Our large black banner certainly stood out from the crowd! Our brand new Digity brochures were in good supply looking sleek and eye-catching - check out the photos:

The speakers at the show were a massive highlight from business experts and sector leaders to Olympians and popstars. Paralympic wheelchair tennis player Jordanne Whiley inspired us all with her amazing motivation and JB Gill explained how he’d transformed from a major popstar to an enthusiastic farmer. Some of our team were very excited to meet JB Gill in person - you can see the excitement on their faces!

The exhibition day was a lot of fun for everybody from meeting some amazing and diverse businesses to the balloon sculptures ( see video! ). We are experienced in event marketing, ready to create brochures, signage, digital promotions, event websites and more!Have you got an event coming up in 2017? Let us help you make it a success - give us a call on 01189 100 012 or drop us an email at info@digity.co.uk to discuss what we can do.

See Digity at Barclays 'Fired up for Growth' event

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 13:09:00 GMT

Barclays have developed a series of events entitled ' Fired up for Growth ' and Digity are delighted to have been included as their digital partner for the Berkshire series. If your business has the potential to grow, this event will help you find out how to unleash your potential.

This Clinic will give you the impetus, pose the questions, and share great ideas, to help your business grow. You’ll get practical tips and incisive information.

Market conditions and how to use them
What you may need to consider to put your growth aspirations into action
Strategies and solutions to the common issues experienced
Tips to help you finance the growth strategy that could work for your company
Insight and inspiration from real business stories

The event takes place:

Wed: 29th March 2017
Burnham Park Hall, Burnham, SL1 7HR
08:00am-10:00am

You can book online here .

How to Successfully Use Instagram Stories for Business

chris@digity.co.uk (Chris Lunn) — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 12:54:00 GMT

Last month, we covered the best ways to get more followers for your brand's Instagram account .This month, our social media tip series goes a step further to explore How to Successfully Use Instagram Stories.

What It Is Instagram Stories is a feature of the Instagram app. It allows you to share live content with your followers in real-time as well as bite-sized content for quick flows of information. Your viewers can also comment on live videos and you can answer their questions. This adds an entirely new dimension for your followers to interact with your brand.There are three methods for sharing:

Record live videos which play in real-time and disappear forever after it ends
Take photos and videos within the app to add to your Story which all have a lifetime of just 24 hours
Upload pre-recorded content which also automatically deletes after 24 hours

When to Use It Instagram Stories give you two great marketing options. The first is that you can treat it like a showcase for your offering. With uploads lasting up to ten seconds, you can share images and videos to show all sides of your products or services.In addition, you can use Instagram Stories to add a human element to your feed. By uploading behind-the-scenes content, your followers can connect with the people behind the brand. You can also share content about the making of your product to give your customers a greater understanding.Whatever you choose to share, it’s a great way to market your offering.

How to Use It On the main page of the Instagram app, you simply click on the camera icon in the upper left corner. Then, at the bottom, you can view various upload options. The first is Live which, with a tap, begins a live video for your followers. You can use both the rear- and front-facing cameras for this. The Normal tab allows you to capture photos and videos and even add drawings, text, and doodles to the content. Finally, swiping left, you can also access Instagram’s Boomerang video style and Hands-Free video recording.

Get Creative There is a hidden gem to Instagram Stories: swiping up in the Stories view allows you to upload pre-recorded content. This includes promo videos and even professional images (if you have permission from the photographer).But, Instagram Stories is all about keeping things fresh – and that means only using up to date content. So, the photos and videos in this section must have been uploaded to your smartphone in the past 24 hours. While this is a bit tedious, pre-recorded content is worth it. You can display professional content for all of your products and services to go alongside your behind-the-scenes and amateur uploads. This will instantly elevate your brand.

Why It’s Great Unlike the rest of Instagram posts, you can add clickable content to your Stories. As a business, you know that this is vital. Your viewers can easily catch up on your uploads and simply swipe up to be redirected to your website or target page. During your Story, an arrow along with “See More” encourages users to swipe up. If you hadn’t noticed, your regular photo and video posts on Instagram don’t allow for any links, only hashtags .

Do you already use Instagram Stories for your business?

Digity Web Design & Marketing Blog

Why Consistency Will Be the Make-or-Break Factor for Your 2026 Content Strategy

1. Platforms now reward consistency, not bursts

2. Familiarity builds trust - and trust drives action

3. Consistency keeps you front-of-mind until the timing is right

4. The modern buyer journey demands repeated exposure

5. Consistency creates internal clarity

6. It amplifies everything else you do

Ready to build a brand that shows up with confidence?

We think you'll also like...

Behind the Scenes of a Content Day: What We Film and Why

Day One: Expert-Led Video Content That Adds Real Value

Day Two: Natural Photography That Feels Human, Not Staged

Why This Mix of Content Matters

Our Approach to Content Days

We think you'll also like...

Case Study: Building a Fully Bespoke Website and Digital Strategy for Grover Accident Repair Centre

The Challenge

Our Approach

Deliverables

Transforming the Website

Elevating Brand Awareness

Bringing the Brand to Life on Social Media

Results

Most marketing budgets aren’t actually budgets

How to Get My Website Included in ChatGPT

AI Doesn’t Crawl the Web - But It Does Reward Credibility

Clear, Human-Friendly Writing Makes a Big Difference

Structure Helps AI Know What You Do Best

Authority Is the Real Deciding Factor

Fresh Content Wins Over Outdated Information

Website Experience Matters More Than You Think

Original Content Is Your Biggest Advantage

So… Can You Actually “Get” Your Website Into ChatGPT?

Want help building content that AI - and people trust?

We think you'll also like...

Get Your Business Ready for 2026 - 5 Key Digital Areas to Review

1. Website Messaging and Core Pages

2. Social Media Profiles and Branding

3. Email and Database Utilisation

4. Marketing Materials People Actually See

5. Your First 90 Days of 2026

The Goal? A Clean, Cohesive, Confident Digital Presence for 2026

We think you'll also like...

How AI Search Expands — Not Replaces — SEO

Coexistence, not collision

GEO + SEO: Two sides of the same coin

How to shift our thinking to ‘hybrid search’

Real-world thinking: how search might look today

A new era of search

We think you'll also like...

How Setting up LinkedIn Notifications Can Boost Post Performance

How to set up LinkedIn notifications for your business page

What else can I do to improve my LinkedIn post performance?

Social Media Secrets: How Links, Hashtags & AI Really Impact Your Reach

Social Media Secrets: How Links, Hashtags & AI Really Impact Your Reach

Links: Helpful or Harmful?

Hashtags: Still Worth It (When Used Right)

AI: Finding the Balance Between Efficiency and Authenticity

�� Spot the AI giveaways:

The Algorithm Loves Authenticity

The Takeaway

November Content Calendar: National Days to Celebrate this Month

Key November Dates to Keep in Mind

Why Utilise Awareness Days on Your Social Media?

What Does AI Think of Your Business? (And Why You Should Care)

A Quick Trip Back to 2011

The Buyer Journey Has Changed — Again

The Good News: You Can Influence the Verdict

Try This AI Prompt to See What It Thinks of You

Turn AI’s Perception Into Your Advantage

Open A Google Ads Account With Us And Get FREE Ad Credit

How a simple website refresh turned the tap back on

Why you shouldn't leave your website static

From what to why: A simple website and copy refresh

The outcome: new leads and a happy client

You may also like...

October Content Calendar: National Days to Celebrate this Month

Key October Dates to Keep in Mind

Why Utilise Awareness Days on Your Social Media?