After the recession in the late 2000s, consumer spending habits began to drastically change. Gone were the days of purchasing something simply because of convenience; more people are concerned about finding the best value for their money. Likewise, consumers now spend more time reading reviews, doing research, and shopping around for products than ever before.

These factors mean that the customer experience matters more than ever before. Because consumers are more likely to spend their money on a business they are emotionally invested in, companies have been forced to reevaluate how they view, manage, and improve customer experience.

The age of the consumer

While businesses used to control the market, that control now lies firmly in the hands of the consumer. Whereas there used to be a limited local selection of goods and services available, your competition is now a simple Google search away. Because of this, the customer experience is more important than ever.

Especially for businesses providing consumer goods and services, customer experience can create or cripple the expansion of the business. Online reviews remain one of the primary way consumers select service providers; unfortunately, it seems that only customers who have absolutely fantastic or unbelievably horrible experiences post online feedback. Because of this, one (or more) bad reviews can seriously negatively impact a business.

Improving the customer experience

Although businesses have begun to shift to more consumer-oriented practices, it is often difficult for company leadership to identify with customer experiences. Think of a pilot at the end of a flight; while he considers the trip a success because the flight landed safely, he has no idea the struggles or drama that occurred in the cabin. So too CEOs, CFOs, and other executives are removed from customer experiences.

One way to improve the customer experience is through engagement on social media. Social media provides businesses with unprecedented access to the customers – and their complaints. More and more, disgruntled customers are airing their complaints on social media, sharing their negative stories with their followers. In situations like this, losing one customer can suddenly turn into losing dozens – if not more. Oftentimes, a simple reply to a tweet or post can help consumers feel heard or understood, turning them from bitter and disgruntled into loyal fans.

Another way to improve customer experience is by allowing real consumers to test new software, products, or procedures. Oftentimes, the desire is to have all the kinks ironed out before new solutions are presented to the customers. Unfortunately, this can often backfire, creating situations in which real consumer experiences and input have been disregarded. Instead, green light new services or products in target areas or with selected customers; not only can their feedback help improve your new idea, but customers often appreciate the ability to be trusted to test and review new products.

In the digital age, customer experience can make or break a business. By improving customer experience, you can help ensure that, no matter what happens in the economy, your business will continue to thrive and grow.

Being involved in the community is no longer optional; more and more consumers are looking for companies that give back as well as provide quality goods and services. Because of this, being active in the community gives potential customers a reason to use your business. A 2013 study by Cone Communications found that 82% of customers take into account corporate social responsibility when deciding which businesses to patronize.

While you may think giving back to the community will hurt your bottom line, it can have a surprisingly positive impact on your business. Below are some ways your company can get involved and help in the community.

1.       Support a local sports team
Whether it’s minor league baseball, high school cross country, or a pee wee football squad, sports teams are often the glue that holds a community together. Supporting a local sports team does more than encourage young athletes and healthy exercise – it also creates opportunities for exposure for your business as frequently as every week.

2.       Create a scholarship
Creating a scholarship fund shows that your business is invested in the future of the community. Consider designating the scholarship specifically for students who want to go into your area of study, such as law, food service, or engineering. Don’t be overwhelmed at the idea that a scholarship will cost you tens of thousands each year; as little as $500 can help defray the costs of books, fees, and other expenses.

3.       Join the local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau
Local organizations such as the Better Business Bureau and Chamber of Commerce help connect you with other business owners in the area. This not only helps you stay informed about issues facing local businesses, but also creates a peer group that can be used as a sounding board for solving difficult problems or brainstorming new ideas. Likewise, membership in these organizations can help improve your business’ image. Studies have found that consumers are 44% more likely to think favorably about a business that is a member of the local Chamber of Commerce and more than 63% more likely to purchase goods and services from them.

4.       Support a local charity
One of the best ways to help the community is by supporting a local charity. In addition to benefiting the community, this also allows you to support a cause you are passionate about or that fits your business. Restaurants may choose to donate day old baked goods to a food pantry, for example, or a pet shop could partner with an animal shelter.

No matter how you choose to get involved in your community, helping others while gaining exposure for your business is a win-win for everyone involved.

While many consumer brands have begun to shift to a more digitally-focused style of marketing, many B2B companies have been making a much slower transition. Because social media relies heavily on consumer engagement, many B2B companies have felt that social media marketing tactics do not apply to their business or target audience.

As social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn have become a more ingrained part of our daily lives, more and more B2B businesses have begun using them. Companies like Cisco, IBM, and Intel have all run successful recent social media campaigns. By embracing social media, these companies are expanding their potential client base and helping to ensure future success. Below are just some of the benefits of B2B social media marketing.

1. Increased exposure
   Social media offers unprecedented exposure. Facebook has more than 1.3 billion users per month, with even less popular sites like LinkedIn still boasting an impressive 187 active monthly users. While not every contact will lead to a business deal, the exposure social media provides can help expand your network of contacts. Likewise, a greater social media presence can also help companies stay relevant in the changing digital marketplace.
   
   
2. Increase engagement
   B2B companies are finally catching on to what consumer brands have known for years – social media offers unprecedented access to customers. Media such as video tutorials and customer stories can help increase interest and build loyalty. Likewise, customer service can now occur one-on-one across a variety of platforms; because social media users tend to be vocal about their experiences – whether good or bad – this gives companies a unique opportunity for engagement.
   
   
3. Increase traffic
   Every update, post, blog, and tweet contributes to your website’s search engine ranking. This, in turn, brings more traffic to your site. Next, because the B2B sales cycle is longer, it is important to continue producing consistent, compelling content that will lead to future sales. The better quality content that is either curated or created, the more it will be shared; this further expands your business to customers that might not have been reached before.
   
   
4. Increase market insight
   Using social media can help you get to know your target audience better. Doing so can help you create content that is relevant to them, continue to increase traffic, and lead to future sales growth. Likewise, analytics can be used to evaluate user data like never before in an effort to learn more about your target audience.

Social media is a great way to stay connected with friends and family as well as stay informed on the latest headlines, news, and trends. However, it also gives us unprecedented access to the thoughts and lives of some of the most brilliant business minds of our times.

1. Sir Richard Branson
   Sir Richard Branson, mega-successful founder of the Virgin Group, runs a worldwide network of more than 400 businesses. Somehow he finds the time to regularly tweet to his more than 6 million followers. Branson provides business inspiration and advice that is inspirational.
   
   
2. Michelle Glover
   Michelle Glover is the brains behind the popular Twitter account enTREEpreneurz, which is dedicated to empowering other women to grow their own businesses “one leaf at a time.” A founder of one company and current CEO of another, Glover tweets her comments on business articles as well as provides practical startup tips and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs.
   
   
3. Tony Hsieh
   The current CEO of online shoe retailer Zappos, Tony Hsieh sold his first company to Microsoft at age 24 for a cool $265 million. Today he can be found tweeting about his principles for life and business – as well as using social media as a way to interact directly with his customers.
   
   
4. Caterina Fake
   The co-founder of a number of popular websites including Flickr and Hunch, Fake is currently working on Findery, a site which lets users search for and leave notes on almost any subject. Fake’s Twitter is full of her comments on interesting articles from across the web.
   
   
5. Tim Ferriss
   Best known for his book The 4-Hour Workweek, Ferriss encourages his followers to use their time efficiently and effectively in order to maximize productivity and potential. His teachings and philosophies make him extremely popular among CEOs and entrepreneurs who choose to run their businesses remotely.

In the modern market, digital marketing is an important part of advertising campaigns. For those new to digital marketing, however, the field can seem unnecessarily confusing due to the prevalence of unfamiliar terms and jargon.

No matter how much you currently use digital marketing, it is important to become familiar with the abbreviations and terminology being used. According to reports, businesses are projected to have enormous increases in their digital marketing budgets over the next four year, jumping from $57 billion to a whopping $103 billion by 2019.

The following are some of the most important digital marketing terms that can help you understand current marketing trends.

1. CTR: Click through rate. CTR identifies the number of people who click on a link, such as those sent out in emails or placed on webpages.
2. Domain Authority: Domain authority refers to the 1-100 scale of how authoritative search engines view your website to be, with 1 being the lowest and 100 being the highest. The higher your domain authority score, the more likely your page is to appear higher in search engine results.
3. Keyword Stuffing: Keyword stuffing is the idea that putting more keywords on your page will increase its SEO. However, the opposite is true; keyword stuffing can cause you to be penalized by many search engines.
4. Landing Page: The landing page is the page people are directed to as the entry point for the site.
5. META Description: The META description is the 1-2 lines of text that appears in search engines beneath the title tag.
6. Organic Traffic: Organic traffic is created when people find your website through a search engine. Because they are organically finding your page, there are no advertising costs involved.
7. Paid Traffic: In the broadest terms, paid traffic refers to any form of paid advertisement that leads people to your website. Paid traffic can be generated in a number of ways, including keyword and search engine ads.
8. PPC: Pay-per-click. PPC ads are often shown as top results on search engines and can also be imbedded into blogs or YouTube channels. Advertisers are only charged when an ad is clicked, meaning you’re only paying for those interested in your ad.
9. SEO: Search Engine Optimization. SEO helps a website appear higher on search engines such as Google. Rank is determined by complex algorithms that include factors such as backlinks, keywords, organization, and quality content.