Digital marketing insights.

I had a chance to speak with a group of my peers recently. Rather than talk with them about the latest search engine optimization trends or lead generation tactics, I asked them a very simple question: were they vendors to their clients, or partners?

Every time I see articles that focus on designing for new apps (like Gutenberg, Wordpress' next-gen editor), the latest design trends (like flat design), or visuals that are supposedly “outside the box” (meaning non-standardized) I have to roll my eyes just a little bit.

One of my clients once described the client discovery process we use at Kayak as being like therapy, except longer and with more crying. :) He was obviously joking, but I will freely admit that we spend more time getting to know our clients than they expect.

One of the biggest beliefs we hold at Kayak is that it’s a good idea to tell the truth, even when it hurts. We have put that idea into practice a lot the last couple of years, particularly when it comes to addressing ethical issues we see within our industry.

I usually try to focus on solid advice and real world case studies meant to be helpful to business owners, marketing executives, and even other marketers. But today I want to share what search engine optimization (SEO) failure looks like.

If you’re searching for a marketing or web firm to help you establish a new online presence, then it makes sense to work with an award-winning firm, right?

Back when I first opened up our digital marketing firm, search engine optimization (SEO) was thought of as a niche, technical topic. Now, it’s unusual for me to run into a business owner who doesn’t have some sort of search consultant they are paying a monthly retainer to.

Spring is just around the corner. (Please let it be around the corner!!) I’ve already planted some seeds for my garden. It’s exciting seeing those seeds sprout.

Marathons are long, hard, taxing and exhilarating races that require immense dedication and perseverance. Online marketing is no different. In fact, I’m even going to go one step further and say that online marketing isn’t just like a regular marathon, it’s more like one of the hardest marathons in the world. What makes it so hard? Let’s break it down.

In the old days, somewhere between covered wagons and anti-spam legislation, it felt like it was every man for himself in the fight against the online casinos, Nigerian princes asking favours, and highly suspect 'enhancement' promises.

In December 1999, I walked out of my final agency into life as an entrepreneur. Flush with $700 in my pocket, I saw nothing but possibilities. Before the door closed though, I learned my first lesson…

Most marketers would say they know a bad website when they see one. The crazy fonts, cluttered layouts, and outdated animations are dead giveaways. And yet, we continually see surveys – like this one from Nielson – that show us how lots of organizations keep frustrating online visitors.

If you don’t know a lot about the servers where your website is stored – or even which company you’ve purchased web hosting through – you certainly aren’t alone.

Back in 2013, I co-wrote a book with my friend and fellow Canadian marketer, Sam Fiorella, titled “Influence Marketing: How to Create, Manage and Measure Brand Influencers in Social Media Marketing”.

When we look at human behaviour from the outside in, we come up against a recurring problem: we don’t know what we don’t know.