Recent research conducted by Hubspot revealed that close to 70 percent of marketers nationwide were redesigning their web site. How often should you design your web site? The easy answer is, “more often than you think.” I tell clients to think of their web site as an ongoing process, not a product. You should constantly look for ways to improve the site and if something isn’t working, you need to revise it.

Even if you believe your site is just fine, Internet technology changes very quickly and outdated features or design can reflect badly on your product or brand. We suggest that you reevaluate your site design every three to six months. If it’s been a year since you’ve made major changes to your site, you’re past due for an evaluation. Remember we’re not just talking about a few graphics here and there. When you update your site, you need to rethink everything, including content, navigation, design, tools, search optimization and even the site’s goals and objectives. Hip Optimization Service provides a clear picture of site traffic volume, click paths through the site, what content users are most engaged with and what areas are becoming ghost towns. With these insights, we can develop an action plan that we know will bring the desired results.

As you can see, a web site redesign is not about tweaking what you already have. It involves a similar process as the initial design, but because of the historical usage data, it provides the opportunity to gain a higher return on investment. The goal should be to align the web site design with your business and marketing strategies while integrating the latest technologies. Web sites should be constantly optimized (and then evaluated) for the search engines and social networking. All web sites, at any point in time, should be easy to navigate, be functional and contain content that engages your ideal prospects and customers.

You should also consider as you plan your site renovation project, that social media and mobile are now the fastest growing online platforms. Make sure that your site takes full advantage of these sites as well. In fact, we’re prepared to help you do that.

Hip Brand Group is excited to announce a new division: Hip Social Spaces. Hip Social is dedicated to helping clients take full advantage of the growing online spaces: web, social media, mobile, digital advertising. Visit our microsite at hipsocialspaces.com to request a free online assessment.

I had the great opportunity to visit Europe recently and booked a room at The Hotel Palm Opera in Paris. The hotel’s modern design is what attracted me, but it’s how I was treated that will keep me coming back and recommending the hotel to others. On The Hotel Palm’s web site, a line stands out that could be a tagline or brand promise: “Well-being is at the heart of the Palm Opera.” Well from the moment we stepped foot into the hotel lobby, our well-being was of upmost importance. First, they allowed us to check in at 10:30 a.m. After a night spent on a train, you cannot imagine how welcoming those words were. When we had trouble with wifi, they visited our room to make sure we were able to get connected. When looking for the perfect Paris restaurant to dine at, they were there again with helpful recommendations and even made reservations for us. When we needed a cab ride to the airport, they made all the arrangements. As a brand consultant, I appreciated the hotel’s modern and bright décor which was carried out throughout the interior spaces in a very consistent manner. Rooms were decorated in a natural and pure style, with warm wood trim, some dashes of color and pure and radiant whites. All with a focus on well-being. Have you defined your company’s brand promise?

While the world around us is changing and new communications channels are emerging, one thing hasn’t changed: nothing compares to a good old-fashioned face-to-face conversation. We begin each client relationship by asking one simple question: what will ease our client’s pain? Not enough online sales? What steps can we take to solve that problem. High customer churn? What strategy will make customers stay. Better solutions come from asking better questions.

Click here to set up a marketing consultation over a cup of coffee.

It’s about making them more meaningful, useful and engaging. It’s about improving communication and capturing hearts and minds. HipBrand is a collective team of creative talent with varied expertise and a passion for making a difference in the lives of our clients, families and partners. Like a recent fundraising project for Children’s Hospital of Alabama. Read rest of story…

As adults, we sometimes lose touch with something that is hugely important to our personal and professional growth: discovery and exploration, otherwise known as play. We know that children learn through play. In our early developmental years, we come to understand the idea of gravity by dropping our mac and cheese on the kitchen floor. When my son screams or says something designed to be provocative, then studies my facial expression and its reaction, he is mastering the concept of cause and effect. As the active toddler throws a toy across the room, she begins to understand and harness her strength. But of course she doesn’t approach it that way. Her approach is this: “Weeeeeeeee”. Read rest of story…

I’ve been an entrepreneur for the better part of 28 years, starting when I was 10, selling refurbished golf balls. I have also been an employee for much of that time. So, I have plenty of experience in both mind sets to weigh against each other, and to glean some perspective from it. I have noticed something in myself that I imagine many other people experience. In some work cultures, I thrive as an independent, self-motivated thinker. In others, I slowly become acclimated to the larger, somewhat immovable and established environment. That is to say, after a certain amount of time spent in some jobs, I become better at what I do because of the influence of the culture around me. In others, I feel less and less valuable, having unwillingly fallen victim to the unspoken rules and risks associated with taking chances and thinking outside the box. I would say it depends on the place. But one thing is clear to me. When I am working for myself, as I am now, I grow quickly and significantly. Every time.