Eleanor is the founder and managing editor of Designerly Magazine with a passion for sharing business leadership and branding strategies. She’s also a web design consultant with a focus on customer experience and user interface.
B2B marketing isn’t what it used to be. A few years ago, you could rely on cold calls and trade shows to generate leads. But today’s buyers expect more before purchasing — personalized content, seamless digital experiences and tangible value.
Search engines and social media have changed how businesses discover solutions, making inbound marketing, automation and data-driven strategies essential. Plus, with algorithms constantly changing, you need a flexible, omnichannel approach to stay competitive. In 2025, building trust, authority and meaningful connections will turn prospects into loyal customers.
Most traditional marketing advice centers around business-to-consumer (B2C) interactions. Brands that inadvertently apply these recommendations to business-to-business (B2B) sales may not get the engagement or return on investment they are hoping for. Although B2B and B2C strategies have several similarities, they are fundamentally different.
This fact is especially true as of late. Digitalization has recently begun influencing the fundamentals of B2B and B2C marketing methods. What worked well a few years ago may no longer be effective today. How should small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners and marketing professionals modify their strategies?
Knowing your customers’ needs will help you reach them on a deeper, more engaging level. When it comes to customer journey mapping, there are dozens of tools you can use to improve performance. Which measurements are crucial to your business success? It depends on your industry, business model and specific target audience.
Gone are the days when people interacted with sales clerks or business owners face-to-face. Today's customer journey looks more like a winding road with detours, hills and valleys.
Choosing the right location for your company headquarters is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make as a small-business owner. It can boost operational efficiency, attract top talent and position your company for long-term growth.
However, with so many factors to weigh — ranging from the surrounding community to the building itself — it’s essential to approach this decision strategically. To help you navigate this process, here are seven key considerations to keep in mind when selecting your company headquarters.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all matters. This means businesses must adequately upgrade their facilities and communications technology while prioritizing accessibility and assistive technologies. If your company employs 15 or more people, it must comply with the ADA requirements.
Complying with the ADA is a good start to improving accessibility in your workplace. However, other considerations can take things a step further and make your enterprise one that welcomes people of all abilities and backgrounds with open arms. Here are some features you should consider.
Although a product’s packaging protects what’s inside, it can also strengthen your brand, catch people’s interest and encourage repeat purchases. How can you capitalize on the package to make it an opportunity?
What happens when one or more of your employees fail to live up to your expectations? Low performance can impact the entire company, especially if top workers feel they aren’t receiving the recognition they deserve for their contributions. The process of building team members up in the hopes they’ll catch up to others is a balancing act between encouraging them while not discouraging those putting forth real effort.
B2B marketing isn’t what it used to be. A few years ago, you could rely on cold calls and trade shows to generate leads. But today’s buyers expect more before purchasing — personalized content, seamless digital experiences and tangible value.
Search engines and social media have changed how businesses discover solutions, making inbound marketing, automation and data-driven strategies essential. Plus, with algorithms constantly changing, you need a flexible, omnichannel approach to stay competitive. In 2025, building trust, authority and meaningful connections will turn prospects into loyal customers.
Many companies worldwide prioritize continuous improvement — a broad concept that every business can apply differently based on its values. How can your organization get measurable results from this principle? Understand how goals encourage ongoing learning and provide real-life examples of what it can look like when implemented correctly.
Finding reliable suppliers keeps your B2B business running smoothly. It ensures you get quality products, competitive pricing and on-time deliveries. The right partner can help you scale efficiently and build a strong reputation, but sourcing qualified leads isn’t always easy. Without a strategic approach, you risk supply chain delays or partnerships that do more harm than good. Knowing where to look, how to evaluate leads and how to convert them into long-term partners keeps your company on track.
Feedback is critical for professional development. However, constructive criticism can be a tough pill to swallow for some employees. Although your intentions are good and will enable growth, you may be met with resistance, defensiveness and dismissal. Unfortunately, when an employee pushes back against feedback, it can impact the company's success and tarnish team morale.
It’s up to you as a manager to explore why some workers demonstrate resistance to feedback. A high level of emotional intelligence (EQ) is necessary to reach them effectively and develop solutions.
Do you dream of connecting your small business with global audiences? Make it a reality with a scaling plan and determination. Consistent and practical branding should be the foundation. Then, consumers everywhere can identify you among thousands of competitors. Follow these recommendations to overcome the challenges designers, marketers and owners face during expansion.
A business credit score is similar to a personal credit score because it helps lenders and other stakeholders assess the risk involved in offering credit to a company. Investors and lenders can calculate creditworthiness using Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) facts, Experian's Intelliscore and Equifax's Payment Index score.
A combination of the reports can provide a clearer picture of whether a business will repay a loan promptly. Your score can impact the amount of credit, interest rates, and whether a loan or line of credit gets approved. Investors may shy away from companies with poor ratings, fearing they will fail and take their money without any return.
