Why Personalization and Unique Attributes Stick With Customers   Wow, Wow, No Cow. Is the song from the Oatly Super Bowl commercial still stuck in your head? Yeah, it’s stuck in ours too.  Oatly CEO Toni Petersson is, to say the least, a brave soul to blast that singing voice out to the entire nation. … Continued

In the digital age, many believe social media to be the most effective form of marketing communication. But what if we told you that there was a form of marketing that was even more effective?  According to Smart Insights, email marketing has become one of the most effective communication channels, even outperforming social media and … Continued

  In this month’s Meet Your MAKER, we offer you a look into the day of our Digital Marketing Coordinator, Brandon. Since starting at MAKE 8 months ago, he has worked on a myriad of projects for us, ranging from email marketing funnel strategy to implementing content marketing pieces. In fact, we call him our … Continued

City Rent A Truck is a family-owned truck and van rental operation in Kansas City, Missouri. Named initially South Town Leasing, the company got its start as the leasing department of a local Ford franchise in 1964. Today, it’s a thriving nationwide business (seriously, after reading this, you’ll see their vehicles everywhere) with a passion … Continued

Building a new website for a client can get complicated long before pixels are allocated and development environments are fired up.   From answering client comments ranging from “wow that’s smart” to “what are they thinking” to finding the perfect spot for that perfect keyword, the website building process is unlike anything else. And according … Continued

OUR CTA MUST’VE WORKED IF IT GOT YOU HERE! That means we’re off to a good start when showing that we really are conversion experts.   Writing a CTA in email marketing is how marketing strategists aim to engage customers in their marketing efforts. While these are a seemingly simple part of an email marketing … Continued

We are proud to announce that MAKE Digital Group’s CEO, Evan Kirsch has been accepted into the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP), a prestigious three-year mentorship program. Founded in 1995 by former Founder and President of Helzberg Diamonds, Barnett Helzberg Jr., the competitive program is designed to strengthen businesses and members by cultivating relationships between … Continued

Digital marketing is an ever-changing industry that provides ample opportunity for change year over year. To keep up with trends and harness the power of your 2019 data, your digital marketing strategy should be updated every single year.    To make sure you’re in-the-know on everything 2020 has to offer digital marketing, here are six … Continued

You’ve heard it before. Blogs have said it before. We’re getting so tired of it that it honestly hurts to say—but content truly is king. No robust marketing strategy is complete without content marketing that elicits clicks and converts sales. The best part? Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing efforts—and generates nearly 3x … Continued

MAKE had the opportunity to design, develop, and dream up new ideas for the launch of Fun Farm’s new website. If there’s one thing we learned while working on our latest project for the Fun Farm Pumpkin Patch, it’s that hard work can and should be fun. But the truth is: 94% of customers judge … Continued

A new website is similar to revamping your work wardrobe when you accept a new position. While a new wardrobe can make you look good, feel good, boost your confidence, and improve your professionalism — it’s still up to you to deliver excellent work in your new role. This is easily comparable to how we … Continued

Every digital marketer has heard about the benefits and best practices for email marketing, and many businesses have adopted these best practices (and more) to accelerate their digital marketing initiatives. But, what about email marketing and SEO?   While email marketing and SEO may be seen as working independently from each other — you can … Continued

    First impressions are everything. When you meet someone for the first time, you can get a fairly accurate pulse on how well you may connect with that person through a simple evaluation. What sort of style do they have? How do they dress? Are they quiet and reserved or loud and boisterous? Are … Continued

The goal of your business is to fulfill customer needs by selling the products and services that you really believe in. The first part of your marketing efforts might be dedicated to grabbing consumer attention, but what do you do once you have it? Nurturing current and past customers is important for keeping your loyal … Continued

WHAT IS A/B TESTING A/B testing, also known as split testing, is a practice of comparing two different versions of a one campaign or webpage to see which has the best performance (and why). Optimizely defines A/B testing as “an experiment where two or more variants of a page are shown to users at random, … Continued

Creating an effective website design is key to driving sales and boosting engagement with your target customers. Reputable brands take time to optimize their customers’ digital experience, which can translate in having a website that people want to visit. Brands looking to be competitive have to know how to keep up. A website that is … Continued

Every business has a voice—a distinct way they communicate with their intended audience. But, not every business knows exactly how they’re being perceived by the outside world. Sometimes, what businesses think their voice is, and what customers actually hear, are two very different things.   WHAT IS BRAND VOICE? Brand voice is as much about … Continued

We are so excited to announce the addition of Kevin Awe to our team! Kevin will serve as director of client strategy for MAKE, overseeing the intersection of marketing initiatives and business planning, with a focus on tying execution to results. Kevin comes to Kansas City by way of Gainesville, Florida, where he oversaw a … Continued

Here at MAKE, we’re lucky enough to work with some of the most incredible organizations. Many of our clients have made it their mission to add a little good to the world, and REACH Healthcare is no exception. As a nonprofit, REACH’s mission is to advance equity in health care coverage, access, and quality for … Continued

  If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that digital marketing is constantly shifting to strategically adapt to consumer behavior. What does this mean for companies? To be an effective and relevant brand in your industry, digital marketing can’t take a backseat. A sound marketing strategy should be a fundamental part of your … Continued

  You know that “New Year” feeling? The one where you see the potential and possibility that could come with the arrival of another trip around the sun. Businesses feel that too (we know we do)! The end of the year can be a time to reflect on the past 12 months and determine areas … Continued

At MAKE Digital Group, we’re more than a digital marketing agency that simply works to get tasks done and deliverables out the door. We’re a team that leads with innovation and creative insight to help bridge the divide between companies and sound digital marketing strategies.     It starts with good leadership.   And – … Continued

    Snapchat is still somewhat new to the social media scene. Yet, it has grown to be one of the biggest competitors for users’ attention. It’s an app known originally for its popularity among pre-teens and teenagers as a key instrument used for taking bad selfies. Its appeal is in the fleeting existence of … Continued

  Do you own a business that needs great marketing efforts? Are you not sure which ones to implement? Some businesses have a marketing team within the company, some hire a digital marketing or advertising agencies to help them out. If we can answer one question that you might have, the answer is that every … Continued

  Data and analytics are changing the game in today’s marketing campaigns. Whether it’s the next presidential election or a witty Mother’s Day campaign. Measuring the way customers interact with your marketing campaign has never been more complex. Luckily, with evolving technology and analytics tools, marketers are closing the gap between themselves and consumers.   CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS … Continued

  While holograms and flying cars may still be a vision of a George Jetson lifestyle, ads and notifications tailored to your exact location are a very real aspect of the future that is present now. Location-based marketing is capable of changing our world forever, but what exactly falls under this category, and how does … Continued

WHAT’S NEW WITH FACEBOOK? As Facebook is ever-changing we never know what the platform might look like. Next time we log in you can see what new feature it may have. For now, what we do know is that they rolled out a new update last week; its new algorithm will exclude links to low-quality … Continued

myth /miTH/ noun : a widely held but false belief or idea. The myth is that when you add a person to a project that you will get that person’s worth of productivity.  In fact you get less than that. If you’ve ever worked on a project under a time crunch, then you may have … Continued

  Online shopping and eCommerce is a multibillion-dollar industry. It’s expected to grow by more than 20% in just this year. Sure, it all starts with a great product, but a powerful site supports its customers through every step of the way by creating a positive, effortless user experience. Here are some eCommerce website best … Continued

    Say hello to our newest MAKER, Brie! She recently joined us as the Digital Marketing Assistant. She’s a Kansas City native, fashion lover and travel enthusiast. Brie graduated from Mizzou with a degree in Journalism and minor in Textile and Apparel Management. She has previously done marketing and event planning for local Columbia … Continued

As popular as online shopping is becoming, users are continually searching for more ways to easily purchase their favorite items with just the click of a button. Imagine how efficient it would be to be discussing a product with a company representative over instant messaging, then all of a sudden be able to click-to-purchase the … Continued

The Kemper Gala The whole Delorean time machine hasn’t worked out quite yet. However,  Kansas City did its own time traveling at this year’s annual Kemper Gala. Held on October 8th at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, the Kemper Art Institution held it’s yearly fundraising bash. The 2016 Kemper Gala celebrated art, music, and … Continued

  Malls and shopping districts used to be the top tier of how a retailer could reach consumers. But now, brick and mortar stores alone just don’t cut it anymore. There are several fast-growing digital trends that are becoming the norm in the market.  Keeping up with them is a must for companies to stay … Continued

  Say hello to Corey, our new addition to the MAKE Digital Group design team since this fall. Joining us in the role of Interactive Developer, Corey comes from an experienced background working with the Natural Baby Company over 2 years doing, well, everything. Graphic design, website development, product design, print media, digital marketing – … Continued

The workforce continues to grow with the incoming generation of millennials, who are projected to be the largest generation by 2028. Businesses capitalizing on the opportunity of this demographic are already seeing positive innovations internally and externally. To seize this opportunity, a fundamental understanding of how millennials can positively affect the changing workplace is vital to attracting these game changers … Continued

Hello, sweater weather and hello to our newest MAKER. Meet Ryan, MAKE Digital Group’s Interactive Experience Designer! Ryan has only been in the Kansas City area for 9 years, but he’s a Kansas born, Midwest native –  his love for K-State sports would probably tip you off in a quick convo. Ryan gained amazing experience … Continued

Futurists have been telling us about the death of the print medium for years. The rise of Millennials and digital natives as growing market populations has led many to speculate that print channels were going to be obsolete. You remember when Newsweek went purely digital, right? (And then called take-backsies a year later) Some of … Continued

“Docker is an open platform for developing, shipping, and running applications. It is designed to deliver your applications faster.” – Raison d’etre Docker is a startup, open source project that took the development world by storm in early 2016. Companies adopted the project at an incredible rate and Hacker News’ listed it as the top … Continued

  Competition in the startup arena can be, well as Beyonce puts it,  fierce.  Everyone has an idea that’s going to change the world. Whether it’s a foolproof value proposition or a brilliant plan to get their company to become the next household name. But when your startup enters that arena, you’re another competitor among … Continued

The use of hashtags in social media isn’t a 2016 phenomenon. From #Kony2012 to #ShareaCoke, brands and users have been hashtagging their social media content since Twitter introduced it in 2007. In the same way, a well-timed hashtag can make a tweet go viral, poor use of hashtags can tank the credibility of a brand … Continued

Where malls and shopping districts used to be the top tier, brick and mortar stores just don’t cut it anymore. There are several fast-growing digital trends that are transforming shopping. These trends are becoming the norm in the market and keeping up with them is a must to stay competitive. But the demand goes both … Continued

Another day, another MAKER to welcome to the team. Say hello to David, our newest member of the MAKE Digital Group web development team! David has known a couple of us from working together on past projects but we’re happy to have him officially on Team MAKE. David has past web development experience with some … Continued

This year, international relations seem to be at fever pitch. The 2016 Olympics are, in our opinion, a welcome balm to the global community. The social media component plays into our globalized community’s interaction with each other on a daily basis. This is going to be more important than before. Even locally-based businesses like KC’s … Continued

  Sometimes it doesn’t matter how well you market or what your product does: if your website is too difficult to work with, users won’t bother. User interface (UI) design and user experience (UX) design are two areas that are critical to the success of a website or app. UX design is the process of … Continued

Receive a FREE Digital Marketing Audit From a Leading Digital Marketing Agency to Help You Build More Traffic, Better Conversions, and More Sales.   ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING? Low traffic Poor click-through rates and cost per click? High cost per conversion or no conversion? Wasted ad budget? Marketing that just doesn’t … Continued

  Have you noticed a drop in organic reach from your Facebook Page? If so, you’re not alone. Over the last several years, Facebook changed its prioritization algorithm, so organic reach on Facebook pages has been in decline. The newest Facebook algorithm change will cause the organic reach for many pages to drop to near … Continued

This June, two of our MAKERS, Andrea and Evan, attended the NYC Sales Machine Summit. This is the biggest convention that’s been held to date with the whole focus being on sales. Created by the minds behind Sales Force and Sales Hacker and with a keynote speaker roster that included the likes of Arianna Huffington … Continued

  Any speaker worth their salt can make an impact with their message, however, research shows that what really packs a punch in any presentation is visuals. Having complementary, fluent visuals that precisely sum up what you’re communicating to your audience can make a world of difference when it comes to people actually comprehending the … Continued

How Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn are Transforming the Content Game with Instant Articles   By now, every company around the world learns that a social media presence is a necessity. One of the major platforms that established itself as a social media must-have is Facebook. One of the first social media sites to be used across not … Continued

  Facebook has become the U2 of social media platforms. It’s constantly reinventing itself to stay relevant. But, at the same time, making us scratch our heads at some of the newly added updates and materials. There’s new social media platforms coming out all the time. Predictions are already being made on who the next … Continued

If you’re in the web development scene like we are at MAKE Digital, you’ve probably run into a fair share of developers. Many developers participate in what they call a “hackathon”. Now, when most people hear the word hackathon (us included), they automatically think something bad.  “Did this guy just spill his secret plan to singlehandedly break … Continued

Drink at these Hidden Gems in Kansas City The last stop on the best, hidden gems of KC tour is one of the most important. When the sun goes down, Kansas City lights up with some of the best places to grab a drink and have a good time. Whether you’re looking to catch a movie … Continued

Shop at Kansas City’s Best Hidden Gems Up next on the hidden gems in KC, we’re talking about the best places to sate your retail therapy. Just like the rest of our Hidden Gems series, we consulted some KC locals for advice (fellow MAKERs). From Midtown to Overland Park, these shop #KC at the best of local … Continued

Eat at Kansas City’s Best Hidden Gems When you find yourself hungry in Kansas City we find it helpful to ask yourself: Where can I eat in Kansas City that I’ve never been? One of the most important parts of what makes Kansas City special is the amazing and diverse food scene we have. Yes, … Continued

EXPLORE HIDDEN GEMS IN KANSAS CITY  For the month of April, we want to talk about something important: Kansas City. The coasts may think we’re Cowtown, USA, but Kansas Citians know our city is a hidden gem that shines brightly from where it’s nestled between the plains of Kansas and the winding Missouri River. MAKERs … Continued

We at MAKE love being located in the heart of Westport. Even better, we are located in a building that has such an interesting history behind it. The space that now holds MAKE Digital Group used to be an old fire station that was built during Roosevelt’s WPA (Works Progress Administration) in 1939. Firefighters used it … Continued

What is Live to Bloom?   Live to Bloom is a program that helps young women discover their unique strengths, develop their innate talents, and follow their passions with the goal to obtain a job that fits their personality and skills. They partner with fellow non-profits to provide workshops for the participants. During these workshops, professionals … Continued

Social media trends are constantly adapting to new innovations. A new year means a whole new frontier for social media and technology to grow. With the inevitable innovations, it’s important for us to stay ahead of the curve on what to expect in the future of the industry. For 2016, here are several ideas for … Continued

A new chapter in mobile development has recently come on the scene in the form of Facebook’s React Native framework, a tool used for building mobile applications. Their framework lets developers write high-quality apps that work universally across iOS and Android apps using the same core technologies as the web.   ABOUT REACT NATIVE So … Continued

Posting images to social media is one of the most important parts of successful social engagement. However, to take your brand a step further, you have to learn how to use photos in the most efficient way possible. It’s statistically proven that images evoke a stronger emotional response from people. They also form stronger connections … Continued

In today’s business world, it’s virtually impossible to be successful without the now vital tools that social media have become. These tools of communication reach both consumers and fellow businesses, which can make or break a company. There are several factors to consider if you want to maximize the impact of your social media presence. … Continued

A vital part of running any business. Here at MAKE Digital Group, we believe “process MAKES perfect!” We have discovered some of the best processes/organizational management tools and put them to test. Below are some of the most important and favorite tools we use on a daily basis.   ASANA – PROJECT MANAGEMENT Asana is … Continued

Our team of MAKERS loves First Fridays! Today, for our September First Friday, we are excited to be going to REACTOR Design Studio. Trials, Many Kinds by Jeran Avery. Check it out: REACTOR DESIGN STUDIO 1817 Grand Blvd Kansas City, MO 64108 Join REACTOR and Jeran Avery for September First Friday Show, Trials, Many Kinds. Today, … Continued

STELLAR IMAGES When looking through a website for the first time, people will generally be more drawn to an eye-catching image rather than a full page of nothing but text. For your website to be most effective, you should make sure that you have enough relevant imagery to get your idea across. It is also important that … Continued

Every Friday, the MAKE team gets together to enjoy some great Westport food and talk about the progress of the week. We love to eat, that’s no secret, and choosing just one meal to talk about was a near impossibility, but there are a few locations we keep coming back to, from Friday lunches to … Continued

Part of the MAKE crew attended the July Social Media Club KC Breakfast on Visual Resonance in Social Media. We had a great time and want to share what we learned on the importance of the visual side of social media… “Statistics tell us that posting images and videos significantly increase social engagement. But will … Continued

CHECK OUT KC’S LIVE MUSIC SCENE  With a concert for every palate and every budget occurring during the summer months around Kansas City, even the pickiest music snob can find a live music venue or artist to love this summer. Head out to Cricket Wireless or the Sprint Center for big-name acts, or just chill … Continued

As you may have heard, Google recently announced its stance on mobile-friendly websites. Starting April 21st, brands that don’t update their website may experience less site traffic than they were organically seeing before for new and returning visitors. This is because Google can’t serve up the results or website because the site doesn’t have the same credibility or relevancy. … Continued

You’ve battled the construction, heard the hype, and wondered when it will finally be here. A streetcar is coming to Kansas City, slowly but surely (of course, it feels like slowly more than anything). Located in the middle of the much talked about streetcar plan, our office is excitedly awaiting its arrival, expected in late … Continued