Before we review the Experts-related articles published over the last two weeks, I want to thank Walter Thompson, Anna Heim, Annie Saunders, Richard Dal Porto and Ram Iyer for sharing ideas, stories and edits that keep this feature on track and moving forward!
Software consulting
(TechCrunch+) Using data-driven techniques to beat the Great Resignation: Dr. Meisha-ann Martin, director of people analytics at Workhuman, wrote about how the pandemic has caused many workers to consider changing jobs. More than half of the respondents in one survey who hope to remain in their current position said “it’s because they like their company and/or co-workers,” she wrote.
Two suggestions: recurring weekly video calls where managers check in make remote employees feel more connected. Also, Martin recommends using “data-driven automation and analytics” to capture employee sentiment. “The best tools will also provide actionable insights that HR and managers can use to boost employee engagement.”
(TechCrunch+) Conversational UX: The missing piece in your chatbot strategy: Raghu Ravinutala, CEO and co-founder of Yellow.ai, discussed chatbots’ flaws and how companies can implement best practices that enhance customer experiences. “With every new interface, the goal is to make human-machine interactions better and result in a more intuitive experience for the user,” wrote Ravinutala.
“Conversational UX presents a greater challenge because of the nuances involved with human language. It requires careful thought, empathy for the user and significant design considerations to carefully craft elegant experiences.”
(TechCrunch+) Apple’s App Store Connect will be open on Christmas: Can developers take advantage?: Breaking with tradition, Apple’s App Store Connect is staying open to review app updates and new submissions. “On the surface, this looks like a complete win for app developers and their customers, but one expert we spoke to warned that some developers may run into unintended consequences if they don’t adapt to the recent changes,” wrote Anna Heim.
To find out how app companies can take advantage, she interviewed Wolfpack Digital CEO Georgina Lupu Florian, Jamie Shostak, founder of Appetiser, and Yasser Bashir, co-founder of software development company Arbisoft.
Consultant: Wolfpack Digital
Recommended by: Anonymous
Testimonial: “We chose to work with them because of their great communication, plus they were recommended to us. They helped us launch on time, build an attractive design and assisted us with scalability.”
Growth marketing
Jamie Viggiano, chief marketing officer at Fuel Capital, wrote a four-part series for TechCrunch+ that explains how early-stage startups should begin developing their brands:
Part 1: (TechCrunch+) Start building your brand book with a visioning workshop
Part 2: (TechCrunch+) Create target customer personas to develop successful growth strategies
Part 3: (TechCrunch+) Carve out a place for your brand with a positioning statement
Part 4: (TechCrunch+) 2 exercises that will bring your brand persona to life
(TechCrunch+) Demand Curve: How Ahrefs’ homepage educates prospects to purchase: Home pages with high conversion rates have one thing in common: they make it extremely easy for a customer to buy. “People have short attention spans, so if your homepage is confusing, they’re going to leave,” writes Demand Curve Community Manager Joey Noble in his latest TechCrunch+ post. In a detailed analysis of the homepage for SEO agency Ahrefs’, Noble explains how the site captures reader attention, reduces friction and increases desire.
(TechCrunch) Demand Curve: Avoid these 10 copywriting mistakes to get more conversions: Joyce Chou, senior content lead at Demand Curve, presented 10 common copywriting mistakes, and more importantly, how to avoid making them. Besides important basics like avoiding passive voice, Chou shows how to construct headlines and present social proof that gives customers more confidence about giving you their business.
(TechCrunch+) 10 growth marketing experts share their 2022 predictions and New Year’s resolutions: I reached out to marketers we’ve met through our Experts program and asked them to share predications for the new year and reflect on some of the trends we’ve seen. The answers and advice we received were as varied as the people we polled, but nearly all of them indicated that learning — e.g., analytics training, getting started with AI tools, etc. — was high on their to-do list.
Marketer: Brent Payne, Loud Interactive SEO
Recommended by: Brad Schnitzer, Techstars Chicago
Testimonial: “He’s the best SEO in the Midwest. He ran SEO for the Tribune and has now taken those skills to help early-stage founders achieve the same success. He’s honestly changed the trajectory of so many of the ~42 startups I have invested in at Techstars Chicago over the past four years.”
Marketer: SixSpoke
Recommended by: Anonymous
Testimonial: “We worked with them because of their portfolio of clients, prior experience and data-driven results. They helped us create differentiated positioning, driving our awareness and demand-gen metrics.”
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