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7 Ways to Create an Exciting Email Newsletter

7 Ways to Create an Exciting Email Newsletter

An email newsletter is more than a marketing campaign — it’s the easiest way for you to let your customers know just how much you appreciate them.

That said, not all newsletters are equal.

Some campaigns can be instrumental in nurturing and building relationships with returning customers. But, when done incorrectly, a reoccurring newsletter can be a fast way to annoy even the most loyal customers.

Here are seven must-have email newsletter tips that will help you craft a highly effective campaign.

1. Keep it Consistent

Your final schedule for your newsletter depends entirely upon your company. That said, you should strive to adapt one trait no matter who you are: consistency.

It doesn’t matter whether you plan on releasing newsletters once a week or once a month. You should always be consistent with when you send the emails out and the quality of their content.

2. Be Brief

Nobody wants to open up their inbox to a wall of text.

When putting together your newsletter, you should try to convey as much information as you can in the least amount of words possible.

There’s no need for flowery, convincing language. If your customer signed up for your newsletter, then you’ve already convinced them. Now, all you need to focus on is spreading any new information they may find interesting.

3. Information First

The primary goal of your newsletter should be to educate your customers.

The best way to do this is by playing journalist and using the old inverted pyramid trick.

Never bury your lead. Any essential information that may be of interest to your customers and clients should be at the very top of your newsletter.

4. … Sales Second

As we said before if your customer is already signed up for your newsletter, then you’ve already sold them on something. You don’t need to sell them again.

You should use your newsletter to inform your customers about new products and services. But, you shouldn’t try to push them into buying them.

5. Pictures Are Worth a Thousand Words

While words are essential when it comes to spreading information, they can only go so far — especially when it comes to marketing.

One of the best ways to build an influential email newsletter is by supplementing your text with relevant, high-quality images.

And remember, any images you use should be correctly formatted!

6. Branding is Everything

If you run a website, then odds are you already have a bit of a handle on branding.

That said, you should make sure that the branding you use on your website and any social media accounts extends to your email newsletter.

Make sure you’re using the same color palette, fonts, and graphics. And don’t forget to flaunt your logo!

7. Make it Personal

Finally, a newsletter is a bit more personal than say a social media marketing campaign. Any time you send something directly to your customers, you should take the time to make it feel like it’s intended for them, not a mass message.

Include your customer’s name and take steps to tailor the content of the newsletter to suit their interests.

If you make an effort to let your customers know you care, they’ll pick up on it and pay you back in kind.

Must-Have Newsletter Tips

Newsletters can be a powerful marketing tool — when used correctly.

By following these seven newsletter tips, you’ll be able to create an effective email newsletter your customers are sure to love.

Need some extra help in getting started? We’ve got you covered!

Contact us for more information about our services or to begin crafting the perfect email marketing campaign today.

5 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Website

If you have a website, but no one visits it, do you really have a site at all?

A website with no users cannot accomplish whatever the goal of that site may be. So, the question is, how do you attract people to your website?

Fortunately, driving online traffic to your site can be a breeze — if you know what you’re doing.

Here are five easy methods that can help you drive traffic to your website.

1. Video Killed Blog Star

Ok, so maybe that statement isn’t entirely true. But, it’s an undeniable fact that video is the new king of online content.

Which, is why one of the best ways to boost traffic to your website is by creating a YouTube channel and cranking out a couple of videos.

On top of guiding new users to your website, YouTube videos can help organically boost your search engine rankings. And, videos can even help you generate a little extra income if you play your cards right.

When done correctly, you can post videos across multiple social media platforms. So, you can exponentially increase the size of your audience, without having to generate a lot of extra content.

2. Become a Social Butterfly

While video rules the internet, pictures are still worth a thousand words — and, are much easier to produce.

Another fantastic way to drive traffic to your website is by taking advantage of the social media platforms that are available today.

Platforms like Instagram are excellent places to advertise your website and interact with users.

On top of that, all the big name social media sites allow you to post videos. So, you can double up the benefits of social media interaction and video content.

3. Going Mobile

We’re living in a mobile world. So, it’s time for you to become a mobile girl.

More people access websites via a mobile platform now than ever before. So, if you haven’t optimized your site for mobile users, then you could be missing out on a lot of web traffic.

If you already have a standard desktop site, you may not see the importance of using time and resources to create a distinctly mobile version.

But, the differences between mobile sites and desktop versions go beyond looks alone.

Mobile sites work uniquely and are even optimized differently than their desktop counterparts. So, keeping that in mind, you may want to consider bringing on an expert to help you get your mobile website squared away.

4. Advertise That!

Compared to everything else on this list, paid advertising may seem a little old fashioned. That said if something works, why change it?

Advertising your website on social media, and even on other sites, can significantly boost your online traffic. Assuming you’re willing to pay, of course.

5. Everybody Loves Listicles

If you’ve reached this part of the article then congratulations — you just read a listicle.

While video is the favorite for online content formatting, some slightly more old-school formats will never go out of style. And, the listicle, or list-based articles, is one of those formats.

Publishing consistent and high-quality content is an excellent way to boost your SEO and increase your online traffic. Listicles provide a built-in format that readers and users can’t seem to get enough of in the online world.

How to Drive Traffic to Your Website

Building and optimizing a successful website doesn’t have to be a confusing or daunting task. Now that you know how to drive traffic to your site, it’s time to get to work.

Need a little help? We’ve got you covered.

Contact us for more information about the services we provide, or to get started building your dream website today.

How to Design a Website That Reflects Your Brand Identity

Your business is more than the things you make and the products you sell. It’s the connections you make and the values you bring people together under. People don’t just see your logo when they look into your company; they also see everything your company is associated with.

That’s known as your brand identity, and it’s crucial that you take control of it. If you don’t have a branding strategy, it’s easy for your business to be associated with unsavory groups and values. Without a plan on how to take control of your brand, you may lose customers as you fade into the background of your industry.

The first step to making an effective branding strategy is to make a good website. Your website is usually one of the first impressions you can make on people. So, make sure it’s a good one by staying in line with the brand you want.

Keep reading below to learn how you can design your website to truly reflect your unique brand.

Keep Your Brand Identity Consistent

The most important step to creating a good brand is to keep it consistent. Your Facebook page should be similar to your Twitter page, as well as every other social media presence you may have. You should post about the same things, in the same attitude, with the same logo.

Your website shouldn’t be any different, either. Make sure that when someone lands on your homepage, they’ll immediately recognize your company. If the brand you show on your website is different than the brand you show anywhere else, customers will feel lied to.

They’ll leave your customers, and your branding strategy will backfire.

Use the Same Color Scheme as Everything Else

Your website should echo the same themes your other web presences show off. If your web presence is usually dark and edgy, you should design your website in a similar theme. It’s the same if your brand identity is oriented around a particular community, reflect that community’s colors on your website.

Your color palette is fundamental to your audience’s experience on your website. Make sure it’s in line with your overall themes.

Your Content Shows Who You Truly Are

To express what your company stands for, you should focus on creating content that’s in line with your values. Your content should always cover your industry in some way, just like your competition likely does. Yet, you don’t need your content to cover your industry in exactly the same way as your competition.

Instead, you can try to find an angle to your content that is both compelling and unique. If your brand is unique, then your content needs to be unique. Find a voice for your blog posts that nobody else uses, film things from unusual angles, and don’t be afraid to express yourself!

Your Brand Identity is How Your Audience Knows You

Your brand identity is fundamental to your company’s success. It’s more than just a calculated way to connect with your audience and drive traffic. Your brand includes everything you stand for and everything people associate with you.

By designing your website to be consistent with your brand identity, people will feel like they know you better. They’ll have a clearer idea of what they can expect when they do business with you and will be more confident in working with you. First, though, you need a well-designed website.

For that, we’re here. Just contact us about what you need for your company, and we’ll get to work connecting you with your audience on a deeper level.

6 Principles of Clean Website Design

Web design is becoming one of the hottest careers out there. In fact, it’s considered one of the best-paying entry-level jobs available.

But there are keys to developing a clean website design.

Wondering how to design a website like the pros? We’ve picked out the top six web design principles for expert sites. Read on for the elements that the best-designed websites share.

Why a Clean Website Design Matters

The modern consumer lives on the web, but a browser’s attention span tends to be short. In fact, less than half of all internet users spend more than 15 seconds on a page.

That means businesses can benefit from a clean website design that keeps customers on the site. Good website design can cut down frustration and keep people coming back for more.

Wondering how?

Here are the pro-approved web design basics:

1. Focus on Simplicity

It can be tempting to add lots of complex elements and features. But this can lead to distractions and a frustrated user.

Using a simple, clean website design can keep the site fresh. It usually makes it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for as well.

2. Seamless Navigation is Key

Internet users stay on websites longer when they can find what they’re looking for with ease. A key staple in web design basics is the three-click rule. This means users should be able to get to the info they need within three clicks.

It’s a good idea to boost navigation through things like clickable buttons.

3. Consistency Matters

Good websites should have a consistent theme and look throughout. This helps reinforce a brand, and it improves the user’s overall experience. That means keeping consistent fonts, font sizes, and heading layouts.

It’s a good idea to plan out things like color schemes and styles right away. From there, stick to the plan with everything from menu bars and fonts to buttons.

4. Pick Typography with a Purpose

Text can control a user’s experience. No matter how snazzy a website looks, if readers can’t read the text they’ll get frustrated.

Focus on fonts that are easy on the eyes and readable. It’s also a good idea to pay attention to things like keywords to boost SEO.

5. Center Around Communication

The best-designed websites remember why users are visiting websites. Users want information. That means it’s crucial to communicate clearly and effectively.

How?

Focus on organizing information through headlines and subheadings. Take advantage of bullet points, and try to cut down wordy sections.

6. Optimize Layout

This means paying close attention to how info sits on the page. Use things like the F Pattern. This design takes advantage of the natural way viewers scan a screen.

It’s also smart to make sure the site’s design is scalable and set up for a solid mobile experience.

More in Website Design

These six principles of a clean website design should map out the basics for a user-friendly site, but we have more professional solutions for website design.

Check out our website design page here to see how we can help businesses get the most out of a website.

Web Wisdom: Don’t DIY – 3 Reasons to Hire a Custom Web Design Company

Wondering if a custom web design company is really necessary for your needs? Consider this.

When you order a pizza, do you look at the menu and pick the specific toppings you feel like? Or do you tell the waiter to pick toppings at random?

Obviously, you’d want the pizza that’s specifically designed with your personal preferences in mind.

Now, think of your website as a pizza. What kind of pizza are you serving your audience?

Is it the one they would order? Or is it not really their type?

These questions are to illustrate a point: DIY website templates are not made-to-order. They aren’t designed with your audience in mind.

It may function okay. But if you want your audience to keep coming back, you need a website that’s built just for them, a custom website.

Find out more about why you need a custom website below.

1. Personalized User Experience

A website template is a one-size-fits-all product geared toward as wide an audience as possible. By definition, it is not personal.

And chances are, your business or organization is the very opposite. You’re pushing your unique brand in your niche to your target audience. So, by definition, a generic template design is not for you.

But a custom website is intentionally crafted from scratch just for you. The designer will take into account all the things that are important to your organization when creating the design.

They’ll find out about your niche, your competition, your target audience, your goals, etc. Then they’ll come up with a design that’s optimized for your specific needs.

That means it’s optimized for your specific target audience, too. They’ll take your main target demographic into account and come up with a design that appeals most to them. Using their up-do-date design expertise, they’ll personally model the site organization and functions around meeting your target audience’s needs.

2. Better Performance

Here’s another stupid question: is it easier to hit a target by aiming at it or by closing your eyes and shooting at random? Obviously, you’ll have a better chance if you’re aiming.

For this same reason, you have better chances of reaching your target audience when you’re specifically trying to appeal to them. Surely, in all your other advertising efforts, you strive to create personalized ads that resonate with your intended audience.

Your website is the central hub of all your digital advertising campaigns. If it’s important to personalize ad campaigns, personalizing your website for your target audience is most important of all.

As we said before, template websites don’t do anything personally because they’re specifically designed no to. And as we also said, your custom web designer will craft a site that’s personalized just for you and your audience.

That means better success reaching your audience in search engine results and a better conversion rate. Your site will be better equipped for success in all the goals you need it to accomplish.

3. Better Support

Lastly, what happens if DIY your site starts glitching? Who do you call to fix a problem with your website?

The answer’s in the question. You’ll have to Do It Yourself.

Are you equipped to handle that responsibility? Because a professional web designer certainly is.

Most web designers will show you how to make updates to your site when necessary and offer ongoing support as well, in case site problems arise in the future.

But please don’t take our word for it. Make sure you check with the designer before you hire that this is, in fact, the case.

Hire a Custom Web Design Company For Your Site

If you spend $0 to create your website, you can expect to get what you pay for.

Hire the best for your website. Invest in a custom web design company.

Now read 3 Ways to Achieve a Higher Search Engine Placement.

Award-Winning Websites: 5 Ways to Find the Best Web Design Companies

Bad web design can make or break your company. Almost 95% of people say they lose trust in a company if their web design is bad.

There are plenty of DIY options out there. If you really want to grow your business though, you need to call in the pros.

How can you find someone who will make your site look good? Most importantly, will they be able to fit your budget?

We’ve got five ways to find your perfect web design match. Check out our guide to finding the best web design companies for your business!

1. Set Your Budget

First things first: you need to determine how much you want to spend. You don’t want to blow your capital on just one aspect of your business.

Set your budget first and start looking for designers within your price range. You do get what you pay for, so be sure not to go too cheap.

Many top web design companies offer package deals that might fit your budget better. Don’t forget to ask about any other charges or fees, too.

2. Know What You Want to Get What You Need

Think about why you want to overhaul your online presence. What are your goals for your new site?

Do you want to update it with the latest design trends? Are you looking to get more people to sign up for your email list or push a certain product?

Once you know what you want, a web design company can tell you what you need to achieve it.

3. Know What You Like

Another great way to find the best web designer? Look who designed sites that you like.

Almost 40% of people will leave a site that they think is unattractive. If you like what you see, find out who created the site and reach out to them.

4. Check Out Their Portfolio

Before selecting your designer, look at what else they’ve created. Don’t settle for just screenshots — check out the sites themselves.

Are the links live? Are the sites responsive and easy to navigate?

You can even go a step further and reach out to the sites themselves. Do your homework and ask how they liked working with the company.

5. Ask About Customer Support

Let’s say you go to look at your website and suddenly, it’s offline. Now what?

Can you contact the person who’s responsible for your site directly? If not, or if they keep certain hours, do they have other back up support personnel?

Don’t wait for a crisis. Be proactive and find out what kind of customer support the agency has.

Find the Best Web Design Companies Today!

Our five tips will get you pointed in the right direction on your search for the best web design companies. This is your brand’s presence on the internet, and it can make or break your company.

Choosing the right web designer for your site is something you can’t take lightly. Go with the best — contact us today for all of your web design needs!

Get Outta Here: Top Benefits of Outsourcing Graphic Design

Great brands have great visuals.

Do your visuals accurately communicate your brand?

Consumers are bombarded with advertisements and images, so it’s important that yours are unique enough to stand out.

These visuals are created by graphic designers. They are trained to communicate a message or present a brand visually with the use of color, illustrations, fonts, and layout.

It can be tempting to tackle this yourself, but you shouldn’t. Keep reading to learn why graphic design outsourcing is the way to go.

Benefits of Graphic Design Outsourcing

There are more than a few reasons you should outsource your graphic design projects. A professional design team can help increase efficiency, eliminate risk, save money, and relieve stress.

Relieve Stress

Don’t spend hours in front of a computer screen trying to determine the perfect color palette or find a stock image that will work for a particular design.

Quit guessing. Focus on what you specialize in and leave graphic design to the professionals. After all, they are trained for this type of work. 

Assigning your project to a skilled designer allows you to concentrate on providing the core products and services you are known for.

Cost-Effective

To produce your own graphics in-house, you would have to have top-quality computers and software. The programs alone can cause hundreds, so it may take a while to see any return on investment.

Plus, hiring an in-house designer will cost thousands of dollars per year. The average salary for a graphic designer is $43k. This might not be worth it if you are only requiring someone to be on hand for a few design projects per year.

With a marketing or advertising agency, you have the ability to shop around.

Outsourced designers are typically paid per project, which means they stay focused and are able to deliver great work. 

Less Risk

Designing graphics for businesses can be tricky. Don’t make assumptions when questioning whether or not your design practices are compliant.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, you should get caught accidentally plagiarizing another artist or breaking copyright laws.

Graphic design professionals are trained to look for these things. They have spent time studying the laws, are confident in their abilities, and will look out for you.

Increase Efficiency

If you try to create your own designs without experience, you will quickly discover that it won’t go well. There is a reason graphic designers spend years training for their profession.

Luckily, there are great graphic designers looking for work and will finish it professionally and efficiently. Outsourcing graphic design is a good idea for organizations that don’t have time to devote to figuring it out on their own.

Ready to Get Started?

Graphic design outsourcing can give your company the creative edge you’ve been missing.

A professional creative design team will work with you to make sure your corporate identity stands out. You want your brand to be memorable and unique – something that is becoming harder and harder to achieve.

Impressive graphic design makes a connection between the consumer and a brand. It’s emotional. We know how to make that connection.

Contact us to see examples of our work and discuss your next project. We look forward to working with you!

Why Enfuse is the Best in the Business to Handle Your Graphic Needs

You could lose a potential customer in only 15 seconds. Without grabbing a customer’s attention it may be hard to keep them from going to your competition. 

Great graphic design and marketing will not only help you stand out, but it also gives your company an edge and a way to make an impact on the market. You’ll need to find a great graphic design agency though so keep reading to get started.

Why You Need a Graphic Design Agency

There isn’t just one thing that a design agency can do for you and your business. Don’t think that it’s just about a pretty website, it’s also about establishing a memorable image for your brand.

It Starts with a Logo

Think of some of the biggest companies in the world. What came into your head first? Was it an iconic logo?

Logos give your brand the recognition that you need to stay ahead. Graphic design agencies such as Enfuse can help you make a company logo that you’ll love. 

Your Company Message

If your design doesn’t match your offerings, potential clients may skip right over your website or business when searching. Your logo and even your company name are very important in grabbing clients.

Solid graphic design can make it clear to potential customers exactly what it is you offer. Instead of design that is flashy but unclear, a graphic design company can make you a great aesthetic that also gets your message across immediately. 

Keep Their Attention

Readability is very important, especially in digital marketing and printed products like brochures and billboard advertisements. 

If your website is clumsy, your clients may find it frustrating to look through your services and decide to hire you. Graphic design doesn’t just focus on logos and colors, it also helps you achieve the scientifically proven method to keep customers on your site and reading.

Pick the Best

There are a few steps to picking the right company to help you. You’re going to want to do your research before you dive in.

Enfuse is one of the best in the field and you can check out their work to find out why. 

You’ll also want to have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. Get your ideas organized so your graphic designers can deliver exactly what you want.

Don’t Ever Stop

Trends in graphic design are constantly evolving and changing. A great site and design now may look dated in just a year or less. The advantage of hiring a great company is that they can help your company change with the times and keep your design fresh and exciting. 

Data and SEO are services that some graphic designers offer, helping you stay ahead and know exactly what’s working and what isn’t.

Go with Graphics

Be excited because this is the start of the next journey for your company. Whether you’re starting a new business or looking to inject some new life into your existing business, a great graphic design agency can change your life. 

If you’re in the hunt for an agency, check out one of the best in the business right here. 

4 Simple Graphic Design Tips for a Flawless Design

Are you looking to design the perfect branding image or marketing media for your business?

Whether you are looking to launch a new social media campaign or create a new logo for the company, some basic graphic design tips can come in handy.

Even if you decide a professional designer is the best option, it can help to understand a few basic principles before moving forward.

These tips can also guide you as you undercover what might resonate best with your target audience, and trends that have worked in the past.

Graphic design skills may be learned over time, but a few pointers also will benefit you greatly in the beginning stages.

Read on to learn four key graphic design tips for your next big design project.

The Top Four Graphic Design Tips

Designing marketing materials doesn’t have to be a long and arduous ordeal, regardless of who is doing the work.

With the abundance of tools and knowledge available online, almost anyone can grasp the basics of design.

Check out these four tips and you will go advance from the amateur phase in no time.

1. Follow Triple C’s

The three principles of graphic design are that the media should be clean, crisp, and clear.

There is little benefit to creating something that people will struggle to read or understand. 

Clear fonts and typefaces are your friends, and while it can be tempting to have a unique design, don’t sacrifice its clarity in the process.

2. Add Contrast

Contrast is the best way to maintain an interesting design without having to overcomplicate it or violate the three C’s.

For more contrast, adjust the brightness, especially in the background rather than the foreground.

This helps bring attention to the words and helps the overall design look more clear as it stands out.

3. Use Fonts Wisely

The font you choose can impact how the viewer will feel. Typically, rounder lettering is more appealing to readers.

Hard-edges will usually come off as bolder and stronger. Therefore, the ultimate message you are sending should greatly impact the typeface you choose.

4. Don’t Underestimate White Space 

Many new designers are afraid of unused space, and they look at it as a waste. However, it is far from that.

White space ultimately directs the viewer’s attention to what really matters, rather than unnecessary design elements.

The last thing you want is for the audience to be so distracted by components of the design that they never get the target message. 

Think of white space as a positive, as it allows the design the space to breathe, and look uncluttered.

Create the Best Final Design

Overall, creating the perfect design for your purpose will, in turn, benefit your bottom line.

The message of any final product should be loud and clear, and it should be clean and uncluttered in its delivery of your message.

As well, it will reaffirm your branding through all of its elements, including the images, fonts, and white space.

While the perfect design does not have to hard to master with these graphic design tips, but it never hurts to invite an expert into a project for their advice as well.

Interested in collaborating with a designer on your next project? Contact us today to learn more about our expert graphic design services.

5 Innovative Web Design Trends of 2019 to Try Out

Want to bring your website to the next level?

Do you know about the web design trends 2019?

Web design trends are changing often and new styles come in and out of fashion all of the time. The same is true for 2019 and you can expect a lot of interesting and attractive design trends to become more popular over the course of the year.

Making use of the latest trends in web design is essential if you want to create a website that stands out and impresses visitors. Below we’ll look at the top web design trends that you’ll want to try out in 2019.

1. Selective Use of Color

One design trend that you can’t ignore in 2019 is the selective use of color.

Black and white color palettes are becoming popular for websites and can help a site to make a strong statement. Similarly, other sites are using monochromatic color palettes that feature just one color to make a bold statement as well.

While many websites are filled with color, limiting the number of colors you use on a website can help add to a sites originality and say a lot about a business or brand.

2. Retro Designs

While it has already grown in popularity over the last year or so, retro web design is expected to become even more popular in 2019. 

Designs with the perfect mix of modern stylings along with a few old school elements can create a feeling of nostalgia can work wonders for a brand.

Glitch art, pixelated designs, retro colors, and other elements that are reminiscent of past trends from the 1920s to the 1990s can be used to add a lot of interest to a website’s design.

3. Micro Interactions

Micro-interactions are small responses to an action a visitor takes on a website. These can be used in all kinds of different ways to increase visitor engagement and are becoming more useful and common than ever before.

For an e-commerce site, for example, micro interactions could tell a customer more about a product as soon as they move their mouse over its thumbnail image. Shopping cart icons, notifications, menus, and other smaller elements of a webpage can also become interactive.

Using these micro-interactions well can be very impactful for creating an engaging website that is easy and fun to use.

4. Minimalism

While minimalism has been popular throughout the years at varying levels, 2019 is sure to appreciate this style even more. 

Websites with clean designs that don’t have too much clutter look aesthetically pleasing but can also lead visitors where they need to go without distracting them. The best minimalistic designs will have more whitespace, clear typography, and simple fade-in scrolling effects.

For businesses that are trying to get conversions or sell products, minimalistic designs can be especially beneficial.

5. Improved Mobile Navigation

It’s no secret that people are accessing the web on their mobile devices more than ever before. Because of this, it’s crucial that web designers remain aware of this when working on website designs. Making websites more mobile-friendly is an essential part of a great design.

Website menus are one area where websites will likely change during 2019. Navigational menus and buttons that can easily be used using only the thumbs on a smaller mobile device will make accessing the web on the go an easier task than ever before.

Making the Most of Web Design Trends 2019

If you’re looking for a way to spice up your site and keep up with modern times then the above trends should help you to do it. Use these web design trends 2019 if you want to build an impressive brand online and make your site stand out to visitors.

Need help with your website design? Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you.