Rey Skywalker. Bilbo Baggins. Harry Potter. What do these cult-classic heroes all have in common? Kick-ass origin stories. The same goes for marketers. It’s fascinating to learn how the marketing heroes of today became the pros we all know, love, and aspire to be. 

OK, so you just poured hours worth of work and creativity into publishing the most amazing landing page ever. It’s formatted nicely, you have persuasive calls to action (CTAs) throughout, and you’ve even included visuals that act as social proof (you marketing genius, you).You sit back and wait for the leads to flow in—but no one’s visiting.

Over the past year, lots of small businesses have struggled to carve out space for themselves in an increasingly competitive digital landscape. Even those that weren’t directly impacted by the pandemic are often quick to admit: It’s never been harder to attract and convert visitors online.

> > > DESIGN HAS THE POWER TO DRAW THE EYE

As a marketer, your job is to tell folks what makes your product or service the best out there. But that’s easier said than done, right?It’s one thing to understand your brand’s overall value to your customers. It’s another to craft a clear message that works in multiple contexts. 

Hashing out a customer journey map is on most marketers’ to-do lists, but it keeps getting pushed back. Maybe a high-priority project gets in your way or—ugh—who has the time? Whatever the reason, customer journey mapping often doesn’t happen, even though it should.