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Raincastle's Web Design & Branding Blog

Posted by Paul Regensburg on Sep 29, 2014 1:05:00 PM

An Effective Web Design Strategy Starts with Your Brand

We've talked about Market Strategy, Brand Strategy and Content Strategy, so why do we need a Web Design Strategy? Because, of all of these strategies, only your Website Design Strategy is externally facing. Let's put Website Desgn Strategy into context to clarify how these strategies work in tandem.

Using a funnel metaphor, your Market Strategy is your highest level strategic decision, in which you define the markets for your products and/or services and determine whether your market approach is industry specific, solutions or applications-focused or some combination.

Once this is determined, your Brand Strategy encompasses the way you describe what you do, for what audiences with a compettive value statement, which sets you apart from your competition. You socialize this brand internally, and externally at every customer and employee touchpoint.

The power of a relevant Content Strategy — based on sound Market and Brand Strategies — is to create a program to disseminate and exchange your valuable content across all media and over time, which leads us to your Website Design Strategy.

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Tags: web design / B2B / user experience / brand messaging / design / content marketing / brand / brand positioning / design and business / Web Design Strategy
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Posted by Paul Regensburg on Sep 22, 2014 8:55:27 AM

Why Messaging is so Important for Successful B2B Marketing

Branding is Lead Generation’s best-kept secret. And what is “Messaging” if not the public face of your brand?

When clients and prospects approach us about a lead generation campaign or website, they’re seeking a way to cut through the clutter of similar sounding competitors or the perception of market monotony. Sometimes, they have a target number of leads in mind, or some idea of a marketing campaign to achieve goals, and usually a tight time frame for achieving results.

In these situations, the success or failure of marketing campaigns and websites often comes down to one thing — Messaging —finding the right concept and meaning that will authentically express the value of their brand and engage with customers to make a lead convert.

Here are some compelling reasons for you to focus on your brand messaging before launching a marketing campaign or website:

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Tags: marketing / B2B / branding / brand messaging
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Posted by Paul Regensburg on Apr 15, 2014 8:42:00 PM

Has Your Website Entered the 4th Dimension?

For much of the life of the commercial web, websites were one dimensional, essentially online brochures that over time became large and often unruly repositories of tactical content. But, in just a few short years after the recession, websites have catapulted to the 4th dimension.

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Tags: web design / copywriting / information architecture / mobile / brand messaging / design / content marketing / brand / brand positioning
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Posted by Paul Regensburg on Aug 1, 2013 4:05:00 PM

5 Reasons Why You Need a Website Content Editor

I've seen many clients, who with the best of intentions fall into the same rut year after year. There are certain universal truths about successful websites; one of them is that on website projects that include a quality content editor as part of the dedicated team, the process is smoother, stays on schedule and client satisfaction is high.

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Tags: web development / copywriting / user experience / brand messaging / content creation / writing / brand
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Posted by Paul Regensburg on Jul 1, 2013 11:03:00 PM

"Designed by Apple in California," Is it New Coke?

I've purposefully not consulted the blogosphere or Twittersphere to give myself the space to consider Apple's new brand campaign, titled "Designed by Apple in California." 

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Tags: advertising / branding / brand messaging / brand loyalty / design / B2C / rebranding / brand / differentiation / design and business
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