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You have a great idea for a new business venture. You’ve felt the bolt of inspiration, the rush of energy and you’re eager to make it work. But before you get wrapped up in those new business butterflies, you’ll need to do some careful planning to ensure you actually succeed. That’s where a business planning checklist can help. As you go from concept to company, you’ll need to answer some key questions: How much startup money will you need? Who will handle the books? How can you create a beautiful and functional website for your new brand? If you’re ready to find the answers, read on. Use this business startup checklist as your personal to-do list. Check off all of these boxes and you’ll be well on your way to kicking off a booming business. Ready to launch? Build your business website today with Wix. Your ultimate business startup checklist Flesh out your business idea Estimate your startup costs Write your business plan Find funding Choose a location Pick a business structure Select a business name Create a website Register your business with your state Get your EIN number Apply for licenses and permits Create an operational plan Get help with accounting Hire employees Obtain business insurance Spread the word 01. Flesh out your business idea The first step toward launching your company is coming up with an idea. Often, the most successful businesses are driven by a personal passion. If you're obsessed with home improvement projects, then you might start a construction or handyman business. If you spend 90% of your free time working out, then you might choose to open your own gym. Once you have your idea, you need to make sure it’s business-worthy. Find out by diving into market research. Investigate the potential market size in your niche. Research your likely competitors, and reach out to would-be customers to learn why they gravitate towards particular products or services. If you’re creating a brand-new product, develop a prototype that you can test. Then, use all of this information to determine your unique selling proposition (that is, the thing that makes your business stand out). 02. Estimate your startup costs To get your company off of the ground, you’ll need at least a little bit of startup capital. The cost to start a business will vary based on the type of company you’re opening. An online business, for example, will likely cost less than a company that requires a storefront on Main Street. When calculating your startup costs, consider your expenses for equipment, property rental (including the initial deposit), production, inventory and marketing. Add in the cost of any licenses, fees or permits you’ll need to acquire. Be sure to set aside a contingency fund for future expenses. It takes most businesses two-to-three years to turn a profit , so your savings will help you cover operational costs in the interim. 03. Write your business plan Writing a business plan is arguably the most important to-do item on your business startup checklist. It will serve as the blueprint for your company’s formation, with details about your goals, strategies and financial projections. You’ll share your business plan with investors, banks and potential partners in order to earn their trust, so it must be compelling and impactful. You can create a one-page plan that gives a quick snapshot of your business. Or, you can create a multi-page plan that dives into the details. No matter which format you choose, your business plan should include all the basics of how to start a business , including these items: Executive summary: Provide a brief overview of everything in your plan, including a summary of your business and its goals. Company description: Include your name, mission statement and goals more in detail. Products or services: Create a list of your offerings, proof of concept and pricing. Market analysis: Provide an overview of your potential market size, target audience and your competitors. Marketing and operations plan: Explain how you’ll reach your customers and grow your brand. Management and organization: Describe your company’s structure or include an organization chart. Financial projections: Outline your startup costs, sales forecasts and needed funding. Appendices: If you have anything further to add, provide materials in this section. Not sure where to begin? Use this business plan template as your guide. Your plan will be a living and breathing document, so you’ll want to review and update it regularly pre- and post-launch. 04. Find funding If you’ve followed all the steps up to this point, then you should know how much money you need to start your business. Now, it’s time to find those funds. If you already have enough money in your personal savings to get started—or if you have multiple income streams—you may not need additional startup money. No need to worry if you don’t have the cash on hand. There are plenty of ways to generate funding these days. You can explore loans and grants from organizations like the Small Business Administration , or you can secure a business loan from a local bank. Angel investors and venture capital offer two other potential funding sources, especially for startups or businesses looking to give up equity in exchange for an investment. So, too, does crowdfunding, an approach that leverages platforms like Kickstarter or Indiegogo to collect money from individuals who want to support your new business. 05. Choose a location Every business needs a place to call home. Even if you’re thinking about how to start an online business , your company will eventually need a mailing address. Choosing the right location for your business is an important step, because it impacts your taxes, revenue and legal requirements. Understand the rules in the jurisdiction where your business will reside. If you’re starting a business that needs a physical presence, look carefully at the location of potential office and retail sites. Consider: How accessible is it for you and your employees? How close is it to your product suppliers? Is there potential for a lot of foot traffic? If you plan to lease commercial space, hiring a commercial real estate agent is a wise move. But if you don’t have your heart set on a specific location yet, then check out this list of the best states to start a business . More resources for starting a business in your state How to start a business in Michigan How to start a business in Connecticut How to start a business in South Carolina How to start a business in Tennessee How to start a business in Minnesota How to start a business in New York How to start a business in Pennsylvania How to start a business in Virginia How to start a business in Indiana How to start a business in Washington state 06. Pick a business structure Your business structure will determine how much you’ll pay in taxes and your personal liability. Most business owners will choose one of four structures: Sole proprietorship : You own the business yourself, and you assume all of its legal responsibilities. You report profits and losses on your personal tax return, and you are liable for any debts or legal issues. Partnership : Two or more people share responsibility for the business. They also share in the legal and financial obligations, and they split the profits. Each partner reports profits and losses on their individual tax returns. Corporation : Your business is a legal entity separate from its owners. Corporations pay corporate income tax on profits, and individual shareholders are usually not held liable for the company’s debts and legal obligations. Limited liability corporation (LLC) : In an LLC, the business owners operate as “members'' of the company. As the name implies, LLCs offer the limited liability protection of a corporation. In this structure, members can choose whether to be taxed as a corporation or as a “pass-through entity” to the owners’ individual tax returns. 07. Select a business name At this stage of your small business startup checklist, it’s time to start brainstorming what you want your business to be called. Choose a name that best reflects your company’s mission, vision and values. The best company names are both memorable and unique. A smart approach is to come up with a list of a dozen or so potential names. Then, start doing some research. First, check the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database to make sure that your chosen name isn’t already trademarked by another company. You should also check with the Office of the Secretary of State for the state in which your business is located to see if another business has claimed your name. Finally, conduct some thorough online searches to ensure that you can use your company name across your web and social media platforms. You can do a domain name search to see if the domain name you want to use for your website is available. Need some instant inspiration? Try Wix’s free business name generator . 08. Create a website As you move closer to your launch date, you’ll turn your focus towards marketing. If you have an online business, your website will serve as the public face of your company. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, your website will be your top online marketing channel, spreading the word about your company and enticing customers to visit your physical location. Today, website building platforms make it easier than ever to create a beautiful website. When you build a website with Wix, you’ll have access to more than 800 professionally designed templates that reflect all types of businesses. Wix’s advanced customization options allow you to modify any template to your liking, with easy-to-use drag-and-drop editing capabilities along with AI-assisted tools. With Wix, you also get free and secure web hosting, a custom domain name and email name ideas that you can turn into your business email address. What’s more, your website dashboard can truly become the one-stop-shop for all your business management needs, including online payment systems , appointment booking , advertising , email marketing , search engine optimization (SEO) , hundreds of third-party app integrations and more. Need more help with marketing and design? Check out Wix’s free business tools . 09. Register your business with your state Let’s make this official. Registering your business with your state offers many benefits, including personal liability protection, legal and trademark protection, and tax benefits. Additionally, it allows you to hire employees and gives you more access to lending and funding options. If you’re establishing a business in the U.S., your location and business structure determine the steps you’ll need to take in order to register your business. 10. Get your EIN number You must also register your business with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS will provide you with an employer identification number , or EIN, which is essentially a Social Security number (SSN) for your business. An EIN allows your business to be recognized by the government when it comes to paying taxes on the state and federal levels. Furthermore, you’ll need a tax ID number to hire staff, open a business bank account and apply for any necessary business licenses or permits. There is one exception here: a sole proprietorship with no employees does not have to register with the IRS. 11. Apply for licenses and permits Identifying the type of licenses or permits you’ll need to start your business will require a little bit of legwork. That’s because the rules vary by industry, state and even municipality. Only a few businesses (such as investment advising, drug manufacturing and ground transport) require federal licenses. However, many types of companies will need state licenses, especially those that provide specific services to customers (such as accountants, real estate agents or hair stylists). If you’re starting an eCommerce business, you will also need a sales tax permit if your state collects sales tax. According to Sabrina Papini, marketing director of eCommerce and marketplaces at Avalara , failing to do this is a common compliance mistake made by business owners. "Neglecting to register for sales tax in states where your business has a tax obligation can lead to penalties, fines and audits," Papini says. "Businesses must identify their nexus, which is a connection between their operations and the taxing authority, and register accordingly." On a local level, most cities or counties require that you have a business license. This can even be true for at-home businesses. Your best bet is to check with state and local officials to make sure that you have all the official licenses and permits you need. 12. Create an operational plan There are many types of business plans , and one of the most important for startups is an operational plan. This will determine how you and your employees will conduct your day-to-day business. Your operational plan should include details on how your company will process orders, pay bills, pay taxes, maintain permits and manage internal workflows. Look for places where automation can help you get more efficient, such as task management, customer service and scheduling. Finally, start investigating the type of software you might need, including items like point-of-sale systems or customer relationship management (CRM) databases. 13. Get help with accounting Speaking of software, one of the biggest needs for almost all small businesses is some sort of automated system for financial accounting, tax management and budgeting. If you’re already a financial whiz, you may be able to handle this on your own. But for the vast majority of businesses, investing in accounting software is a serious value-add. Look for solutions that can help you manage and create balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and cash flow statements. Because businesses are required to keep financial documents on file for three years, you should seek a solution with documentation storage capabilities. If you don’t use accounting software, then be sure to work with a licensed business accountant who can help you balance the books, keep records and stay compliant. 14. Hire employees If you’re planning to build a team to help you run your company, then hiring employees is a must-do item on your business startup checklist. First, determine how many team members you’ll need and write out their roles and responsibilities. Next, establish pay rates and benefits. Depending on the size of your company and the needs of your business, you may not necessarily need full-time staff to start. Part-time employees or even freelance workers are an option you can consider. Finally, draft a job posting that covers the core responsibilities, required skills and benefits of the position. You can then advertise your open positions on career websites, local job boards, freelance platforms or social media. 15. Obtain business insurance You’ll do tons of hard work to get your company up and running. So, you’ll want to protect your investment by obtaining the right type of insurance. Some common options include: Workers’ compensation: Workers’ comp covers medical expenses and lost wages for staff members injured on the job. This is mandatory in most states if you have employees. General liability insurance: This provides coverage for third-party bodily injury, property damage and/or legal expenses resulting from an accident due to your products or services (or on your business premises). Professional liability insurance: This type of insurance covers any errors and omissions that may cause physical or financial harm to a client or customer. Business interruption insurance: This insurance plan will replace lost revenue in the event your business can’t operate due to a natural disaster or another covered loss. 16. Spread the word Once your business is up and running, you can start expanding your marketing reach. First, create social media channels and link them back to your website. Choose the social media platforms where your customers and clients are most likely to frequent. Then, invite people you know to follow your feeds and start building your audience. Your social presence will allow you to promote your brand and deliver customer service in real time. With Wix, you can connect your WhatsApp , Instagram and Facebook accounts directly to your inbox so you never miss a message. Depending on your business type, your marketing may also include online advertising, traditional advertising and public relations. Additionally, keep an eye out for regional and local events and conferences where you can connect with potential customers, clients and even investors.

Nowadays, you can’t grow a personal brand or run a business without an active social media presence. However, with so many people and brands on social media, it can be difficult to get noticed and expand your audience without sophisticated marketing strategies .  Growth doesn’t happen overnight, so it’s important to be patient and have a healthy mindset around this goal. Take it from Amber Vittoria—artist, author and Wix user—who has more than a quarter of a million followers across her social media accounts. “It took almost a decade [to grow my following on] Instagram and X—and a few years for TikTok,” Amber says.  But the value has paid off in spades. Her socials have helped to promote her paintings of gradient ribbons of color so that now, her designs have been featured on products from Adidas, Mastercard, L’Oreal Paris and H&M Home. In 2023, Amber even published her first book, These Are My Big Girl Pants: Poetry and Paintings on Womanhood .  While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to growing a social media presence, we picked Amber’s brain to get her advice on how to grow social media followers and why doing so is vital. Build a website with Wix to tap into the website builder’s array of marketing and social media tools. 11 tips on how to grow social media followers Get creative with video Partner with others Cross-promote your social media profiles Encourage user-generated content Invest in ads Stick to the schedule Be authentic Build relationships with your followers Focus on analytics Be selective about what you share Remember your “why” 01. Get creative with video TikTok has changed the game in social media marketing  when it comes to video content. Known for its bite-sized videos, TikTok has become the platform to mimic for social media giants like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X who’ve all adopted some type of short-form video. Nowadays, the appetite for video is huge: 66% of consumers report short-form video to be the most engaging type of social media content —yet video is the most underutilized format across multiple channels, according to SproutSocial .  Because producing videos can get time-consuming, Amber systematized her production to prevent it from distracting from her art. “With video being the priority on social, I film snippets of my process, edit them in the apps and post,” she says.  Fortunately, fewer consumers expect highly polished content than you might expect. Seventy-nine percent  of Millennials and Gen Zers prefer less refined, more authentic content. By embracing this lo-fi content trend , you can make the process of making videos for social media more manageable. 02. Partner with others Teaming up with other creators, influencers or brands can widen your sphere. By collaborating, you can tap into each other's follower base and offer complementary content. These types of collaborations can also boost your credibility, especially when partnering with well-known brands, helping to establish trust with followers, both existing and new. Amber is no stranger to these partnerships. Partnerships have helped her to reach niche audiences that may take an interest in her work. Her collaboration with Tilda & Moo, a baby accessory company, for instance, has introduced her art to new mothers who appreciate art in all forms—even in the form of bibs and blankets. Collaborating doesn't always mean launching a product line. It can be as simple as joining forces with a peer in your industry and sharing your joint activities through an Instagram Collab. (This particular Instagram feature lets you tag your collaborator so that one post conveniently appears in both your feed and your collaborator’s feed.) Whether you’re working on a product line or a marketing collab, Amber suggests taking a storytelling approach. “My artwork is very narrative-driven, so I like when my collaborations are as well,” she says. 03. Cross-promote your social media profiles You don’t need to reinvent the wheel on each platform—instead, develop a cross-promotion strategy to spread the wealth across your social media presence and make sure your followers on one know of your content on another.  For instance, you might post a snippet from a YouTube video on your Instagram story with a prompt directing viewers to the full video on YouTube. Alternatively, you could post behind-the-scenes pictures on X from an Instagram project, drawing your X followers to your Instagram for more content. This approach not only piques interest but also encourages followers to interact with your profiles on various platforms. If you’re looking for lower-hanging fruit, simply linking from profile to profile in the bio section of each account can help people find the content that most appeals to them. Amber places social media icons right in the header of her portfolio website  to ensure that they’re easily noticeable.  04. Encourage user-generated content (UGC) Your customers are your best advocates, so invite them to help you grow your social media audience. Amber has found that much of her website traffic comes from customers sharing her work online. To encourage user-generated content (UGC), consider these approaches: Send a postcard: For physical products, insert a postcard into your packaging that encourages customers to post a picture with your product and tag you on social media.  Create a photo spot: If your brand has a physical space, such as a store or pop-up, set up an attractive photo opportunity, like a vibrant mural. Include your social media handle to encourage tagging. Host a contest: Organize a social media contest asking participants to share a photo, video or story related to your brand with your account tagged as part of their entry. This not only engages your audience but also helps spread brand awareness through their networks. 05. Invest in ads If your social media growth isn't as fast as you'd like, consider using ads. While you don’t want to become over-reliant on ads, ads can give you a push in the right direction when you’re just getting started.  Social media platforms each offer their own distinctive advertising services. On some, like X, you can create follower campaigns that are specifically designed to drum up attention around your social profile. On others, you can choose between a variety of ad formats—like video, image and direct message—to get your content in front of more people.  It’s best to start with just one or two channels, where you can invest time into learning and experimenting with their ad services. Wix merchants can manage Instagram and Facebook ads  right from their dashboards. Wix offers automation to help you quickly create, monitor and optimize your ads around the clock.  06. Stick to the schedule According to Amber, there wasn’t a specific post that instigated a surge of new followers. “Consistently showing up is the key in my experience,” she explains. To that end, it's important to maintain a social media calendar  that fits comfortably into your daily routine. Amber limits her social media activity to one or two hours a day, ensuring it supports but doesn’t overshadow her art. “I try to keep it organic and not put too much pressure on myself,” she says. By planning and scheduling posts ahead of time, you can maintain a consistent online presence without disrupting your other tasks or responsibilities. Wix’s social media management tool allows you to schedule posts in advance. It additionally offers templates for image and video posts, as well as AI to help you write engaging captions when you’re in a creative rut.  07. Be authentic With the pressure to share online constantly, it’s easy to lose sight of your social media branding . You may find yourself posting something just for the sake of posting something. Avoid this trap. Doing this can lead to creating posts that aren't authentic to your brand.  Trendjacking  (in which a brand uses trending topics, events or memes to connect with its audience) can be a valuable way of reaching new audiences. That said, Amber says it’s important to trust your instincts when trying social media trends to remain true to your brand. When your content is authentic, it can interact with people who encounter your account and might make them more likely to follow you. “I'm not huge on following trends, but I do love experimenting with new platforms,” says Amber. “I'd say, trust your instincts. If hopping on a trend brings you joy and fulfillment, do it. If tinkering on new platforms feels too heavy of a lift, then don't. The beauty of social is that it is up to you [to decide] how you share and engage.” Learn more: What is Brat? 08. Build relationships with followers Engaging with followers isn’t just a rewarding way to stay connected with your supporters—it’s also an organic way to grow your audience. “My favorite is when folks DM me,” says Amber. “It feels more personal, and it aligns with how I behave in real life since I'm much better at chatting one-on-one versus in large group settings.” By developing relationships with followers, they’ll think of you positively and will be more likely to spread the word about your brand. They might share a screenshot of a conversation they had with you in their Stories or retweet your back-and-forth because they’re excited that you responded. Or, if they’re an active customer, they may be more likely to share about your products or services on social media after you’ve engaged with them. “Focus on those who are already following you. Give them love, and more folks will see that and follow along as well,” says Amber. “The smartest thing I've done regarding following is to not focus too much on how many people follow me but to connect with those who already take the time to look at my work and follow along with my art practice.” 09. Focus on analytics To verify that you’re creating content that engages your audience, check your social media analytics . Each platform has a native reporting feature that lets you track follower growth and see metrics like likes, comments, reach, impressions and more. Most social media platforms  require you to have a business account to access reports, so switch into this mode if you’re not using it already. Use analytics to determine when your accounts have experienced the most growth and to see which posts perform the best. Find patterns in your top-performing content, then use that to inform your content. You could also use this data to determine which posts to boost with ad money to attract new followers. 10. Be selective about what you share about yourself Oversharing can be inevitable when you’re trying to grow your social media following. Amber recommends keeping your personal and professional lives separate online to avoid burnout.  “I have slowed down on sharing everything about my life on social,” she says. “Sometimes we forget some of our relationships on social media are parasocial, and [we] approach a stranger online as if we are friends. Because of this, I try to keep my social media about my art and the parts of myself that are connected overtly to my art.” Another benefit: Keeping your content focused on a particular topic or theme will help attract the right kind of followers. It can help you stand out in front of the right people, rather than force you to try to be everything to everyone. 11. Remember your “why” Mastering how to grow social media followers comes with many benefits, but it isn’t everything. Keep your “why” in mind as you create content to stay true to your big-picture goals. Even though Amber has an impressive audience on social media, her objective isn’t to make a career out of social media influencing. Her art and writing career are her top priorities, she says.  Why should you learn how to grow social media followers? Mastering how to grow a social following is a strategic move that goes beyond personal popularity. By investing in the above strategies, you can look forward to the following benefits. Land professional opportunities Growing your online presence opens up doors to professional opportunities like paid partnerships, clients and even full-time work. For example, through a connection on X, Amber managed to land a commission from Mastercard and MLB  to design a limited-edition, animated digital ticket for the 2023 All Star Game in Seattle. Become a thought leader Having a substantial social media following positions you as an industry thought leader or expert and makes you an attractive candidate for speaking opportunities, media interviews, collaborations, industry events and more. By amplifying her social media presence , Amber made a name for herself in the art world and has been a guest on more than two dozen podcasts  and counting. Gain more customers A large social media following expands your reach, increasing your chances of meeting new customers. In a similar sense, by engaging with followers on social media, you can foster a sense of community around your brand. This can deepen your customers’ loyalty to you, or convince your online fans to become paying customers. Case in point: Amber’s social media accounts are more than just a place for her to share her work; they’re a place for her to sell it. On her Instagram, Amber has multiple calls to action for followers to purchase her work. In her link in bio , Amber links to her online store and has a CTA that encourages followers to shop her prints. Her Instagram Highlights (i.e., curated collections of Instagram Stories that she pinned to her profile) feature action-oriented titles like “Shop Book” and “Shop Prints.” Amber also advertises her art in her posts and links to her online store in her Stories. Learn more: link in bio tools Crowdsource A sizable following is like a free sounding board that you can use to gather opinions. Businesses, brands and organizations can leverage their follower bases to crowdsource feedback, helping to tailor products or services to customers’ needs. Make an impact A larger social media following allows you to amplify your message and make a broader impact. Whether you're promoting a cause, sharing valuable information or advocating for a specific issue, having a massive audience enables you to reach and influence more people. Amber uses her platform on Instagram to spread hope to others who are suffering from chronic illnesses. In a caption for a post about her piece “The Idle Shift,” she talks about her journey with migraines, allergies and anxiety and the various treatments she has tried. She hopes to reach more people who would benefit from hearing her message and feel less alone in their struggles. Diversify your revenue streams With a larger social media following, you have a higher chance of diversifying your income streams to include affiliate marketing, sponsored events, merchandise and even a new product line. Moreover, higher follower counts go hand in hand with higher earning potential. Brands are willing to pay more for partnerships when they know your content can reach a larger and more engaged audience. Stay top of mind Your activity online can help you stay atop consumers’ minds. Put simply: The more active followers you have, the more potential impact you can make. If you run a business, this ongoing visibility increases brand awareness and helps to keep your brand top of mind when followers are making purchasing decisions. Build your connections Business- and brand-building benefits aside, growing your social media following is a fantastic way to build connections and relationships online. Even though most of Amber’s freelance clients come from cold email outreach, investing time in social media is worth it for her. “I love connecting with people over my art, and social media is the best place to do that,” Amber says.

Internet marketing is an efficient and dynamic way to give your site the audience it deserves, but where do you start? There are many avenues available these days, be it Tiktok, Instagram Reels, email marketing and more. This guide to internet marketing will break down everything that internet marketing entails, and provide tips on how to use it strategically and effectively. It can also be designed to be true to the 4 p's of marketing . Let’s say you create a website  for your business—one that you’re pretty proud of. Even if your site’s design is perfect, it doesn’t mean that it will bring in website traffic automatically. Virtually every site needs to be backed by a strong marketing strategy to yield views and sales. What is internet marketing? Internet marketing (a.k.a. online marketing) is a type of marketing that refers to activities that a business completes online in order to boost brand awareness, get more leads and increase sales. Marketing on the internet can be broken up into the following categories: Organic vs. paid marketing Organic marketing refers to activities that are free to start in terms of a monetary investment. For example, you could: Write blog posts Publish videos to YouTube Post to social media Although it’s cost efficient, organic marketing is a long-term strategy that usually requires heavy time investment and consistent marketing management , both in terms of the time spent creating content and the time it takes for your business to see results. On the other hand, paid marketing refers to promotional activities that your business pays to engage in. For instance, your business could pay to: Run sponsored ads in Google search results Partner with an influencer to promote products Advertise on marketing channels such as Facebook or other social media platforms Paid marketing is usually the fastest way to get results from marketing and to achieve greater market penetration as a result, but it requires the right amount of financial backing and a strategic creation process to target the right audiences and gain a competitive advantage . If poorly managed, paid marketing can run up your tab. Keep in mind that to continue seeing results, you’ll have to keep injecting money into your paid campaigns. That’s why it’s often best to complement your short-term paid campaigns with ongoing organic marketing. Not sure which will work best for you? Run a marketing audit to have a better idea. Inbound vs. outbound marketing Inbound marketing is a marketing approach that seeks to naturally attract people to your brand by providing value through content and personalized experiences. For example, as part of your inbound marketing strategy, you may choose to create: Blogs Podcasts Educational videos Events Infographics The purpose of this sort of content is to engage people over time, and to ultimately nurture them into loyal customers. In order for inbound marketing to be effective, it has to offer real value to visitors—whether that’s offering educational resources, helpful tools, or other content that piques your audience’s interests. Outbound marketing refers to a more traditional advertising approach that actively puts your brand in front of customers and targets a large spectrum of consumers. The aim of outbound marketing is to spread the word about your brand as much as possible to generate sales. Some examples of internet outbound marketing include: Running retargeted ads on Facebook Cold calling or cold emailing potential buyers Publishing press releases Outbound marketing is often considered a more intrusive form of marketing. So, you’ll want to be careful not to turn people away by forcing your products on them, but rather reach out to carefully selected, qualified leads who’ll be the most receptive to your offer. Internet marketing vs. digital marketing Although the terms internet marketing and digital marketing are sometimes used interchangeably, they’re not exactly the same thing. Digital marketing refers to marketing that takes place over any digital channel. So, while internet marketing is strictly done online, digital marketing can involve, for instance, TV or digital billboards. Is internet marketing replacing traditional marketing? Traditional marketing tactics generally refer to those that take place outside of the internet. For instance: Print Direct mail Phone Broadcast Outdoor ads While the goals of internet and traditional marketing are the same, today’s consumers have demonstrated a willingness to move away from the old ways of engaging with brands. That’s most likely because, when it comes to this generation of consumers, they prefer the personalization that comes along with online preference controls. For instance, users can pick and choose what types of online advertisements they pay attention to or enable browser-based ad blockers to see fewer ads. We can also see this reflected in channels like radio or TV. Many people have switched to paid streaming services instead of traditional broadcast in order to avoid lengthy advertisements that appear in the middle of their programming. According to a Deloitte survey , 40% of people in the U.S. are willing to pay $12 a month for ad-free video streaming. Within the same survey, 45% said they’d pay for a music streaming subscription if ads were removed. These numbers are even higher for younger users. Does that mean internet marketing is completely replacing traditional marketing? Not yet. Many marketers are going back to good old-fashioned marketing , embracing the benefits of traditional channels to break through the digital noise. At the same time many traditional types of marketing, like referral marketing can be used both in print and online marketing approaches. The benefits of internet marketing There are many reasons why internet marketing has grown so popular over the last decade. So, let’s start with the facts. According to the Digital 2023 Global Overview Report , 5.16 billion users—about 64% of the global population—uses the internet. They’re spending a lot of time online, too. According to the report, the average user spends: 6.5 hours online every day 3.5 hours watching broadcast and streaming content 2.5 hours on social media A little over two hours reading online and print media Over 1.5 hours listening to streaming music One hour listening to podcasts With such a big window of opportunity comes big benefits, like the ones listed below. Save money Unlike traditional marketing, which tends to cost lots of money, internet marketing tends to be more cost-effective. One reason for this is because there are many free or inexpensive marketing channels to use, such as social media, email and your website. Another reason is because it’s far easier to automate an internet marketing strategy and ongoing campaigns, instead of having to constantly recreate the wheel. Reach more consumers Nearly two-thirds of the world’s population is online . Not only that, the average user is online for roughly a quarter of their day. That being said, you’ll probably have a far greater chance of connecting with larger audiences on the internet compared with traditional marketing. Since there are fewer geographic and demographic limitations when using internet marketing, you can reach a far more extensive, diverse crowd. Target and personalize experiences more easily With internet marketing tools, targeting the right audiences is easier when compared to traditional methods, and can be done on a much more granular level - mainly through the use and tracking of marketing analytics . For instance, when running email campaigns, you can put your marketing intelligence to work and: Send relevant offers to people who filled out one of your lead generation forms, use these to build customer segments Recommend related products or discounts based on customers’ previous purchases Send out abandoned cart emails to ​​remind shoppers about products they left in their shopping cart By doing more personalized targeting and marketing, you’ll likely see greater engagement and conversions from your efforts. This translates to a better return on your investment—even more so if you spent no money to run the campaigns in the first place. Enjoy other long-term benefits of internet marketing You have a very limited amount of time to make your pitch with traditional marketing and advertising methods. By contrast, internet marketing allows you to get in front of new and existing customers time and time again, and at different stages of each customer journey . It allows you to engage with consumers at various stages of the funnel, and continuously test new messaging, formats and targeting to boost your success. Given its flexibility, internet marketing lets you achieve a range of goals: Build brand awareness Get more website traffic Attract qualified leads Nurture those leads to conversion Establish a relationship with customers Provide extra value Offer better customer service 11 different types of internet marketing used today Before you begin any online marketing, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the different types that are used today. While each has its own value, effective internet marketing depends on choosing one that relates to your business, connects with your target audience, aligns with your goals and of course, is within your budget. Once you know what your options are, you’ll be able to mix and match methods that will work best for your brand. Below, we’ve broken out the most common types of internet marketing alongside examples and tips to help you make the most of each. Website creation Content marketing Social media marketing Email marketing SEO Paid advertising Sponsored marketing USG marketing AI marketing Affiliate marketing Mobile marketing 01. Website creation In many cases, the marketing you do online directs people back to your website with the hopes that they’ll become leads or customers. However, your website in and of itself is an online marketing tool. For example, on-page SEO and blogging are two types of marketing strategies that help improve brand awareness and visibility. Your website can also serve as the landing pad for more promotional types of marketing content and pages: Landing pages can be used to promote a high-ticket sales funnel—like a course, retreat or ebook. To kickstart the design of these lead generating designs, learn how to create a landing page  tailored to your business needs and use landing page builder . Online portfolios with detailed pages are ideal for creators. Having portfolio pages that show off your work, explain your creative process and highlight areas of expertise are a good way to attract leads. Ecommerce websites can include pages that promote upcoming sales or clearance events. This is particularly useful around big sales days like Black Friday when people are using search engines to find relevant sales offers. 02. Content marketing Content marketing refers to the creation of digital content. Typically, the purpose of this content is to educate, though it can also be used for entertainment. There are many types of content that can be incorporated into a business’s marketing strategy: Blogging: While it’s common to publish blog posts on owned channels , like your company's website or social media pages, guest blogging is another great way to contribute content to high-authority brands. This kind of collaboration can help you quickly build up a new brand’s reputation in the space. Videos: From 60-second explainer videos to 30-minute courses, there’s a lot that brands can do with this easy-to-digest content format. Infographics: Infographics often take a complex idea, process or set of statistics and break them down into an easy-to-follow and visualized format. Make sure to use infographic colors that fit your brand's complementary colors . Podcasts: Podcasts are a relatively lightweight type of content to produce. But bear in mind that the most successful podcasts have a unique concept, and are supported by a strong marketing plan of their own to get off the ground. 03. Social media marketing There are many ways to use social media to your advantage, including creating posts that showcase your products and services, using reels to promote upcoming sales, new products, or events—and more. Social media marketing can also be free or paid. While you can set up a professional account for free and start posting right away, many social platforms have the option of paying for professional features—like running ads, getting a verified check mark or selling goods. There are dozens of effective social media platforms available today, each with its own unique audience. Some of the most popular are: Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram Snapchat TikTok LinkedIn Pinterest Read also: The art of cringe marketing , when being cringey is a good thing 04. Email marketing Email marketing can be quite versatile. For example, it can be use it to: Stay connected with blog subscribers by delivering content that they love Provide leads with free information to help them convert Send personalized recommendations and reminders to customers Offer exclusive discounts to loyal users Reconnect with old customers and incentivize them to come back One of the greatest benefits of email marketing is the ability to target your communication to a subscribers’ known preferences. Tailor your emails to various customer segments and use tools like Wix’s email marketing features to automate your email sends, plus track performance over time. 05. SEO Search engine optimization (SEO) is a marketing strategy that involves making enhancements to your web pages to get them ranking for specific search terms. This is a complicated practice that involves a variety of methods. On-page SEO refers to optimizations done to the content on a website. For example: Centering a page around a rankable keyword Creating the right header structure and tags Adding alternative text to images Off-page SEO refers to optimizations done online that boost a website’s search ranking. For example: Creating a Google business page Contributing content to a high-quality blog and receiving a backlink in return Promoting your content on social media to increase views and engagement According to Asaf Or Shenhav ,Outreach Specialist at Wix, "Not only can a backlink bring more traffic to your blog, but it also builds bridges of authority and credibility that elevate your online presence." Technical SEO refers to optimizations done to improve the user experience on your page. This includes: Increasing loading speeds Enhancing website security Making each page responsive When done well, SEO can increase your site’s visibility online and ultimately attract high-quality traffic to your pages. 06. Paid advertising Unlike the marketing strategies above that come with no associated fee, advertising is a 100% paid effort. While it can take months to get decent traffic to a website or to build an audience organically, paid marketing can provide instant results. Ads can be run on a variety of channels—social media, search results pages, websites, video hosting platforms and streaming services, for example. Different platforms allow for different advertising formats, including: PPC advertising requires you to pay a fee for each click that your ads receive. With this option, you can run text ads that give you priority placement in certain search results. You can also pay to place text and image ads in specialized areas—like in local maps or product searches. Sponsored posts often refer to paid ads on social media, though they can also refer to paid positions on online marketplaces like Amazon. While your ads will be marked as “sponsored” or “promoted,” they’ll otherwise look like normal social posts, helping you attract lots of eyeballs on your ads. Search engine ads , which are displayed on platforms like Google Ads , are one of the best ways to get your ads on the top of search results pages. Search ads can help to ‘prime the pump’ when you’re just starting out with SEO and could use the extra push in getting visitors to your site. Website advertising involves running ads on other third-party websites. For example, you can use Google Ads to get your content into the Google Display Network , through which your ads will be shown to relevant audiences on some of the most popular websites in the world. Tip: Facebook Ads with Wix is a great way for Wix users to boost sales, generate leads and drive website traffic. Wix’s technology uses AI to smartly target and manage campaigns. Discover the latest trends in video marketing with these video marketings statistics . 07. Sponsored marketing Another way to leverage someone else’s marketing channels for your own benefit is through sponsored marketing. We can split this type of content into two categories: sponsorships and influencer partnerships. Both involve paying an organization or an individual a fee in exchange for promoting your brand or products to their audience. Sponsorships tend to be more passive promotions. For instance, if you pay to sponsor an event, your brand logo will likely appear amongst other sponsor logos. You can pay more for greater visibility though. Influencer partnerships, on the other hand, tend to be more active. For best results, you’ll want to invest time into building genuine relationships with influencers, versus simply sending them your product and expecting them to blindly promote it. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to sponsored content. Many brands choose to use the following methods: Publish sponsored content on someone else’s blog Run sponsored spots on podcasts Ask popular YouTube, Instagram and TikTok marketing channels to review products Connect with micro or macro influencers who can promote a brand or product on their social media channels Find big event marketing opportunities like online conferences that need sponsors 08. UGC marketing User-generated content (UGC) has grown in popularity in recent years, thanks, in part, to the effort that brands have made in improving the quality of their content, engaging with their followers online and providing top-notch customer service. As a result, users are creating tons of free marketing for the brands they love. UGC can come in the form of content such as: Rave reviews of a product or service in blog posts Unboxing videos posted to YouTube, TikTok and Instagram reels Social media posts where the brand is tagged and their products shown Brands can, in turn, take this content and add it to their websites as well and use it to bolster their own marketing campaigns. 09. AI marketing This type of marketing that’s fairly new, but it’s growing fast as artificial intelligence technologies advance. Brands are incorporating AI marketing into their business strategy in a variety of ways.One of the more common uses of AI involves a chatbot, which has the ability to provide timely and contextual customer support and offer personalized recommendations. AI marketing tools can also improve things on the backend of your website. For example, ChatGPT has recently received a ton of fanfare for how useful it is when it comes to doing research and writing. As another example, Wix’s AI text creator has helped website owners generate unique copy for product pages, About pages and more. In terms of performance, AI can also strengthen your website’s marketing strategy by delivering analytics, customized content and offers based on real customer data. 10. Affiliate marketing Affiliate marketing involves partnering with other businesses or individuals and offering a commission for every sale that they influence. Many times, this means that the affiliate will advertise your brand on their website or social media using an affiliate link, which brands can use to track the affiliate's performance and compensate them based on sales. Affiliate marketing is a great way to build relationships and reach new networks of potential customers. Affiliate marketing is additionally cost-effective and efficient, since you don’t need to invest your own time and money in building the right audience and setting up the campaign. Instead, you can lean on affiliates who are already established in the industry and know their target market well. 11. Mobile marketing Mobile marketing uses mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to deliver promotional messages and content directly to consumers. This kind of internet advertising includes website banner ads, push notifications and more (such as ASO marketing ). With the right strategy in place, mobile marketing helps to boost engagement and drive conversions quickly. Since most people spend an average of three hours on their mobile devices per day, mobile marketing is an effective way for reaching customers who are on the go. It’s also a great way to deliver more personalized content, allowing you to use data such as location and device preference to tailor your message. Tips for starting an internet marketing strategy of your own Because of how time-consuming marketing online can be (not to mention the cost of paid advertising), you should lay down your strategy first. Here are tips for getting started. 01. Set your internet marketing goals Determine what specific results you want to get from marketing. Use the SMART framework to help you effectively set goals that are: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound For example: “Increase our online store’s sales by 10% within six months of the start of our marketing campaign.” Your goals can be specific to each marketing platform.You might set a goal of reaching a certain open rate with your weekly newsletter, or achieving a certain level of engagement with a social media post. 02. Establish a budget When thinking about your budget, focus on both the money and time aspect of it. Start by figuring out how much money you can realistically spend on your marketing campaign. It’s okay if you don’t end up spending that much—this is just to help you set a limit. Next, consider how much time you and your team can devote to your marketing strategy. Can you accomplish your goals within that time frame? If not, take a look at your budget and see if you have room to outsource some of that work to a writer or marketer. 03. Research your online market Go to your main competitors’ websites. Make note of the content marketing strategies that they’re implementing there. Then, see if they have external marketing channels. If they have a newsletter, subscribe to it. If they have social media pages, follow them. By watching what the competition is doing—the good and the bad—you’ll get a better idea of where to start when fleshing out your own marketing strategy. It might inspire some content ideas, too. 04. Get to know your audience While you’ve likely done plenty of research on your audience, how well do you know their preferences and behaviors when it comes to marketing? Competitive research will shed some light on this. However, further user research is warranted. For instance, you might discover that a sustainable marketing strategy appeals to your target audience. If sustainability is something that fits with your brand’s mission and values, it’s worth exploring. The goal of marketing isn’t to speak at your audience. Rather, it’s to build a relationship and to gain your audience’s trust, which means creating a marketing campaign that resonates with them on a deeper level. 05. Make sure your branding is ready to go It’s a well-known fact that consumers use multiple devices, and hop between various websites and apps all day long. As such, they expect a fluid, omnichannel experience whenever they engage with a brand. This is why it's crucial to define your branding before launching any marketing campaign. Every aspect you showcase—your logo, color scheme, visuals, messaging, and tone—should be consistently used across all marketing platforms. Make sure to include different color psychology techniques in your upcoming campaign. While brand marketing isn’t officially one of the main types of internet marketing, it’s something that every brand must address before going down that road. Branding can make or break even the most well-planned-out strategy. 06. Prepare your website for incoming traffic Even if you’ve already created a website for your brand, you should revisit it before you begin marketing. Start by examining your web design. Is it modern? Does it follow the latest trends? Read through your copy. Fix any errors you find. Make sure the messaging aligns with your campaign and its value proposition. Next, test out all the interactive components, like links, buttons and forms. Make sure everything works. The last thing you want to do is promote something on your site or in your store, only for the conversion element to fail. 07. Create a marketing plan Now that you’ve done the research and prep, you can put together your marketing plan. Start by choosing the different types of internet marketing you want to use. You don’t need to try them all out at once. Content marketing is a good place to start. Do some research on the different types of content at your disposal and choose a couple of formats that you’re excited to create. Ideally, you and your team should already have some experience working with these formats as well. Social media marketing is another good one to try . Choose one or two channels to start with and come up with some strategies for posting. Think about the right formats, messages, times of day and frequency of posting. Once you research your target audience and make a framework for your marketing activities, stay closely committed to your roadmap and pivot if needed. You should closely monitor the result to make sure your strategy is helping you reach your goals. 08. Implement your SEO If your website isn’t fully optimized yet, now is the time to implement SEO best practices. It can take a while before you see results from this—typically between six and 12 months. So the sooner you can update your keyword strategy, build an internal link structure and improve the technical elements that Google cares about (which you can find at PageSpeed Insights ), the better. SEO might not seem as big of a deal as other kinds of internet marketing. However, without SEO, you’re going to have to do a ton of hands-on marketing work outside of your site in order to drive traffic to it. A well-executed SEO strategy will drive qualified traffic to your pages, and it will do so consistently over time. 09. Kick off your internet marketing campaign With a beautifully designed and well-optimized site ready for whomever comes its way, you can officially kick things off. Refer to the plan you put together, along with your marketing goals, and get to work on implementing it. Consider creating a schedule for pre- and post-launch tasks. Your schedule should tell you exactly when to do certain things—e.g. write a post, share something on TikTok, send out your newsletter, etc.—and take a lot of the guesswork out of getting the ball rolling. 10. Use online marketing tools to automate and optimize your results There are lots of online tools that will help you monitor, analyze and automate your marketing efforts. Look for tools that help with the following: Blog management (like Wix) Branding (like the Logo Maker ) Website templates Social media management Email marketing Website analytics (like GA4 or Wix Analytics ) Search analytics and research (like Moz ) AI marketing tools to improve content (like Grammarly ) Marketing takes a lot of work, but the payoff is huge if you do it right. By taking advantage of the kinds of tools above, you can reduce how much work you have to do while also maximizing your results. 11. Monitor your results The only way to know if your marketing efforts are working is to measure your progress against your goals as well as your progress over time. Each of the platforms you use for internet marketing will provide you with insights on what you’ve done. Make sure to reference them along with powerful website analytics tools like the ones provided in your Wix dashboard. It’s beneficial to review your marketing data regularly as it will clue you into what’s working and what isn’t. There’s no sense in devoting extra time to marketing content or channels that aren’t right for your brand. Put that time and energy into something that your audience will respond positively to. How effective is internet marketing? Internet marketing can be highly effective due to its ability to reach a global audience, target specific demographics and measure results in real-time. Social media advertising on platforms like Facebook and Instagram allows businesses to target users based on their interests, age and location — leading to more personalized and effective campaigns. Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) enable businesses to increase visibility on search engines like Google, driving organic and paid traffic to websites. Email marketing campaigns can nurture leads and maintain customer engagement with tailored content. While, influencer marketing relies on the power and influence of social media personalities to promote products — increasing brand awareness and credibility. For instance, a small business selling eco-friendly products might use targeted ads on Instagram and partner with eco-conscious influencers, resulting in increased brand visibility, website traffic and sales.

Get started by: Creating a website →  | Getting a domain → As a business owner in the age of online marketing, you're no stranger to the challenges of making the most out of the limited real estate in your social media bio section. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram impose restrictions on the number of links you can share, leaving you with the task of optimizing that small space to promote or sell your content effectively. Back in 2016, Linktree stepped onto the stage and ushered in a paradigm shift in the way social media bios could be leveraged to disseminate information, products and services. What started as a simple way of gathering multiple links in a single location has grown into a robust industry with several key players. Nowadays, no matter what type of creator you are, you can find a link in bio solution that aligns perfectly with your objectives and helps you make the most of your limited bio space. Many of these tools even integrate with your website builder , so you can connect your landing pages, online store or portfolio directly from a single link. So buckle up as we explore nine unique Linktree alternatives that might be just what you’re looking for. Want more marketing tools at your fingertips? Sign up for Wix and test drive our tools for free. 9 Linktree alternatives Hopp by Wix Linkin.bio by Later Koji Beacons Lnk.bio Milkshake Stan Shorby DotMe 01. Hopp by Wix Hopp by Wix stands out as a powerful Linktree alternative for content creators in all industries—from bloggers to business owners to influencers. With Hopp’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can easily create a fully customizable mini-website to perfectly match your website design , logo , invoices and any other branded assets you have. Beyond its impressive design potential, Hopp stands out for its robust search engine capabilities. In other words, each link you include in your link in bio page is searchable to visitors, enabling people to quickly find the content they're looking for—including products, services, coupon codes and more. Hopp also enables followers to make direct payments on your page, further streamlining the user journey and helping you land more sales. Moreover, Hopp's comprehensive analytics provide insights into link clicks, page views and other metrics, allowing you to refine your marketing strategies based on real-time data. Related reading: What is Hopp? Best link in bio tools 02. Linkin.bio by Later Later is an integrated social media management platform that offers a link in bio feature. Their Linkin.bio tool offers an interactive landing page that mirrors your Instagram feed. This creates a familiar user experience, as users jump from app to app. When users click on a specific post on your Linkin.bio page, they're immediately directed to the intended landing page. Linkin.bio also simplifies the eCommerce experience by allowing your customers to shop directly from your posts. While customization options might be limited, the tool's compatibility with Instagram's design (which makes it particularly good for your Instagram marketing strategy) and its integration with other social media management features make it a convenient choice for existing Later users. 03. Koji Koji's bio link tool is one of several mini apps designed to enhance your social media presence. It offers you the ability to add custom branding and interactivity without requiring advanced coding skills. Koji’s drag-and-drop editor is intuitive. However, its templates don’t allow for the same level of customization as some other link in bio alternatives. As far as analytics go, Koji’s link in bio tool is fully equipped to track clicks and engagement, providing insights into the performance of your bio links. This alternative is ideal for those seeking an engaging way to amplify their link in bio strategy without getting overwhelmed. It’s also a good choice if you plan on using any of Koji’s other mini apps. 04. Beacons If conversions and sales are your primary focus, Beacons could be a great option to consider. This tool stands out for its customizable bio pages with call-to-action buttons, and its integration with popular eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, Mailchimp and Patreon. Beacons also gives you insights into how your mini websites are performing through integrated analytics. One of the more unique features of Beacons: its "requests block" feature, which makes it easy to give personalized shoutouts and have one-on-one calls with your followers. It's important to note that while Beacons comes with a lot of advanced features like link in bio, media kits, email marketing and an online store, it's one of the pricier options with some subscriptions ranging up to $40 per month. 05. Lnk.bio With integration across various social platforms, Lnk.bio does a great job at simplifying cross-platform engagement. You can create clickable links for platforms like TikTok, YouTube, X and Facebook, ensuring seamless navigation for followers across different channels. Lnk.bio additionally offers analytics tools that provide insights into link performance. This feature allows you to monitor the effectiveness of your links by tracking click-through rates, views and overall engagement. Another unique capability is the option to schedule links to appear or disappear at specific times. This functionality is particularly valuable for time-sensitive promotions or events and spares you from the hassle of updating your link in bio page manually. While Lnk.bio offers several advantages, it's important to note that certain features, such as analytics, are currently limited to higher-tier plans, which could impact users seeking more in-depth insights into their link performance. 06. Milkshake Milkshake is a versatile website like Linktree that’s specifically tailored to the needs of Instagram users. Their product, aptly referred to as an "Insta website," allows for simple setup directly from your mobile device. While this means that it is uber-optimized for your smartphone, the inability to create or edit your bio page from a laptop or desktop might be a deterrent for some. Milkshake uses interactive cards for each piece of content, allowing users to swipe across the screen to explore various links in a visually appealing manner reminiscent of the Instagram format. Additionally, Milkshake provides you with visitor analytics and an integrated email feature. 07. Stan Stan ventures beyond the conventional link page concept, transforming your bio into a full-fledged storefront experience. Geared towards eCommerce businesses, it lets you sell products, accept meetings and book course enrollments directly from your page. This makes it an intriguing choice if you're a business aiming to simplify customer interaction and make money on Instagram (and your other online channels). While Stan is well-suited for eCommerce businesses, it could potentially feel a bit limiting for content creators with broader marketing strategies and more diverse needs. That said, Stan recently added the ability to promote courses, digital products and appointments within your link in bio page, enabling one-tap checkout across all fronts. 08. Shorby Shorby integrates three distinct tools into a single platform, creating a versatile and well-rounded Linktree alternative. This multifaceted approach includes a landing page creator for social media marketing , a link shortener and lead generation software. More notably, Shorby can deliver targeted ads to people based on how they interact with your bio page. This feature can significantly amplify conversion rates and revenue. Among Shorby's other standout attributes, its automatic updating capability is a crowd-pleaser. By seamlessly incorporating the latest blog posts and updates from an RSS feed, Shorby eliminates the need for you to constantly update your Instagram landing page by hand. This ensures that your audience sees the freshest and most relevant content. One of the priciest options on the list, Shorby offers plans ranging from $9 per month up to $99 per month, depending on the features you opt into. 09. DotMe DotMe redefines the link-in-bio experience with a sleek, customizable platform that’s perfect for creators, businesses and influencers. With its intuitive design, you can create a landing page that effortlessly aligns with your brand, incorporating elements like your logo, colors and overall aesthetic. Featuring interactive widgets and unlimited links for free, DotMe helps you showcase everything from social links to events and products in one visually engaging hub. What sets DotMe apart is its powerful analytics, giving you real-time insights into link clicks, page views and audience behaviour—helping you refine your strategy effortlessly. Looking ahead, DotMe is set to launch a media kit feature, enabling users to present their stats and portfolios professionally to attract collaborators and brands. What to look for in Linktree alternatives Here's what you should look for in a Linktree alternative: Customization options: Your brand identity is unique, so your link landing page should reflect that. Look for alternatives that offer customization options such as choosing colors, fonts and layouts that align with your brand's aesthetics. The ability to add your logo or background images can further enhance brand recognition and professionalism. Customizable search engine: Enhance user experience and navigation by choosing alternatives that offer a customizable search engine feature. This allows visitors to quickly find specific links or content within your link landing page, improving accessibility and engagement. Analytics and insights: Understanding how your audience interacts with your links is crucial for optimizing your marketing efforts. Seek alternatives that provide comprehensive analytics and insights, such as click-through rates, geographical data and device breakdowns. These insights can help you identify which links are performing well and which may need adjustments. Integration capabilities: To streamline your workflow, choose a Linktree alternative that integrates seamlessly with the platforms you use most. Whether you're active on Instagram, TikTok or other social media channels, look for alternatives that offer easy integration and compatibility. Linktree alternatives FAQ Is there a better alternative to Linktree? The short answer: it depends on what your goals are. The paid and free Linktree alternatives mentioned in this article cater to a wide range of preferences, objectives and strategies. Depending on your specific needs, you can find a tool that has more of the customization options, integrations and/or conversion-focused features that you’re looking for. How is Koji different than Linktree? Koji stands out as a solid Linktree alternative due to its ability to go beyond simple link aggregation. With Koji, you can personalize or make your bio links more interactive for your followers. While Linktree primarily serves as a link aggregator, Koji offers dynamic mini apps, allowing for a more immersive experience overall. How is Hopp different Linktree? Hopp distinguishes itself through its robust search engine, seamless eCommerce integration and unrestricted link capabilities. The user-centric experience, coupled with advanced analytics, positions Hopp as a compelling alternative for content creators and businesses seeking to optimize their bio links. Its customization capabilities make it a great option for those who want top functionality coupled with intentional, branded design. Hopp, which is mentioned in this article, is a subsidiary of Wix.

Ever wonder why some brands seem to hit your inbox every single day? Well, believe it or not, email marketing  is still one of the most lucrative and affordable types of marketing  you can use, especially if you run a retail, eCommerce and consumer goods business. These industries see an average return on investment (ROI) of $45 per dollar spent  on email marketing.  But let’s face it—creating those captivating emails is no small feat. "The majority of our users do not have the time or the experience necessary to create well-performing campaigns,” explains Antanas Strimaitis, the product manager for Wix’s email marketing product . “Those that do spend a significant amount of time creating the content." Enter Wix’s new AI email generator. According to our users, this tool is boosting their productivity and making them feel more confident in their marketing strategy . Curious to learn more? Let’s dive in. Create a website with Wix to start using the email generator today. What is the Wix AI email generator? Wix’s email generator is an OpenAI-powered tool that revolutionizes how you create emails. It crafts a full-fledged email based on your business type, preferred tone of voice and campaign objectives. It’s available to all Wix users with a premium subscription. This tool can help you emulate some of the best email marketing examples  by generating attractive email layouts suited for both desktop and mobile screens. Whether you’re creating a newsletter, a promotional offer or a business update, Wix optimizes your layout for impact and clarity.  Acting as your personal copywriter, the generator fills in the layout with compelling copy that's tailored to your instructions. This content goes beyond filler text. “Most of the users we have spoken to have told us they have used 70-85% of the generated email or that only small touches were needed,” says Antanas. Furthermore, the tool selects the most relevant images from Wix's extensive free media library, ensuring your email is both engaging and visually coherent. While you can keep adjusting your prompt until the generator gets as close to your vision as possible, you have free reign to customize it yourself in the editor.  How do I use the AI email generator? 01. Choose to generate an AI email To get started, simply navigate to the “Email Marketing” section in the Wix backend and choose the first option (“Generate AI email”) in the list of templates to get a unique email design. Alternatively, you can always start with one of the beautiful templates our designers have created and hit the “AI Emails” button in the left-hand panel of the email editor.  02. Select your intent What’s your goal for this email campaign? Perhaps it’s to promote a sale or offer a discount. Alternatively, you might be looking to welcome new subscribers or send a business update.  The first step in using Wix’s email generator is to select the “main intent” of your email. Your response will shape the email’s structure and tone. 02. Add your business information Enter your business name and describe the type of business you run. The more specific you are, the more personalized your email content will be. For instance, instead of saying you run a nonprofit, you might say it’s a nonprofit that provides legal support to low-income families. The AI will use this information to generate copy and select images that are relevant to your business.  03. Describe your email campaign This space is where you’ll dive into the specifics. You’ll have 700 characters of space (roughly the length of this article’s introduction) to discuss your objectives and what sort of information you want to include. Use this opportunity to provide as many relevant details as you can think of for AI to bring your campaign to life.  For instance, you could say, “We're launching a Memorial Day special with exclusive discounts on interior photoshoots, specifically tailored for residential real estate agents. Our goal is to reconnect with our existing clients and showcase our exceptional services.” This level of detail gives the AI the insights it needs to create an email that speaks directly to your objectives and your audience. List even the nitty-gritty details that you want it to include such as specific discount rates, booking deadlines and the dates of the sale. 04. Choose a tone of voice With Wix's AI email generator, you have the power to select from eight distinct tones of voice, ranging from enthusiastic and casual to professional and informative. This choice is pivotal in shaping how your message is perceived by your audience. Are you aiming for a light, friendly vibe to engage your community, or do you need a more formal tone that reflects professional expertise?  The tone you choose should mirror your brand's personality and the nature of the message you're conveying. Check out your existing content to get a sense of how you traditionally communicate with your audience. You’ll want to keep that tone of voice as consistent as possible throughout all your communications. 05. Generate email Once you hit “Generate Email,” the AI will get to work building your email. Within just a few seconds, you’ll receive a newly minted email, complete with a unique layout, fresh copy, engaging headers, clear descriptions and strategically positioned CTA buttons. The layout will also include a footer with social media icons and a direct link to your website. You’ll see that every part of the email, from top to bottom, is designed to engage and connect with your audience.    “The structure is so much better than what I was coming up with on my own. My last couple of emails have looked much more professional.” - Wix user Benjamin Gibbons, who founded Sponsor Jawn . 06. Adjust your prompt The generator may not hit the bullseye on the first try. Like working with a marketing agency, using the email generator is a collaborative process. You can adjust your original prompt, get more specific about your campaign goals or choose to make the email shorter or longer.  07. Tweak the layout and color scheme You aren’t just limited to content customization; you can modify the structural elements, as well. Feel free to add or remove sections, or change their arrangement to better suit your message. You can even write your own HTML code if the customization options aren’t enough.  You may also want to alter the color scheme or background to better match your brand’s aesthetic. If you’ve established a site theme with specific fonts and colors or created a brand theme in the logo maker , you can choose that theme within the email editor to apply those preferences to the email. This level of customization makes your emails visually coherent and distinctively yours. 08. Add new media The email generator's pre-selected images serve as an excellent starting point, especially for those without their own visuals. For those who do, this feature offers valuable guidance on image placement in the email layout, allowing for a blend of AI assistance and individual creativity. If you use Wix’s online store builder , you’re in luck—you can directly integrate product information into your email. This feature not only saves time but also increases accuracy, as product names, descriptions, prices, links and visuals are auto-populated. Just go to the left-hand panel, hit the “Product” button and choose the items you want to feature. From there, you can decide to hide certain information (such as the price or description), change the CTA microcopy and change the layout of the product spread. For those who don’t have visuals and the generator’s selection doesn’t quite fit your preferences, you’ve got Wix’s extensive media library at your disposal. It has a wide array of free images, graphics and videos (hot tip: video can improve  email click rates by 65% ), including selections from Unsplash. For those seeking premium options, discounted media from Shutterstock is also available. 09. Edit the copy to match your brand Your brand's unique voice and message are what set you apart. While the Wix AI email generator provides a strong starting point, personalizing the copy helps it resonate with your brand identity.  To make things even simpler, the AI text writer is built into the email editor, so you can write prompts for specific sections of content. For example, if you want to go into detail in one of the sections, you can simply tell the text writer what you want it to say and it’ll provide you with three options to choose from. “[The email generator is] really helpful because I'm a really bad speller and I'm really bad with grammar. I found it worked quite well. I always send [my emails] to my sister to proof. She said, you've got a new best friend—the AI.” - KaliKare  owner Callie B.  10. Save the email as a template If the final version of your email hits all the right notes and you envision using a similar format in the future, hit the “Save as template” button. Trust us, Future You will be grateful. By saving the email as a template, you can streamline your email marketing campaign and easily maintain a uniform look. All you’ll have to do is select new photos and use the AI text writer to fill out the copy. When you’re ready to create your next email, you’ll find your saved templates in the Email Marketing templates gallery. 11. Add recipients Rather than blasting your entire  email list , sending your email to a specific group of customers can help you maximize your email ROI and prevent people from unsubscribing. With Wix’s segments feature, you can categorize your contacts according to criteria like purchase behavior, website activity or subscription date. That way, you’re not screaming into the void but speaking directly to those who are most likely to be interested.  12. Schedule the email campaign Although the best time to send an email  varies, it’s generally a good rule to avoid sending one on weekends or in the middle of the night. The scheduling function allows you to plan your campaigns in advance, ensuring that they’ll hit your audience’s inbox at just the right time. Just create your email, set the desired date and time for it to be sent and Wix will handle the rest. 13. Set up automation Like segments, Wix designed the email automation  feature to give your business a boost while giving you a break. This highly customizable tool lets you create automated workflows for various situations, such as sending a thank-you email following a purchase or a reminder for abandoned cart items.  To automate your AI-generated email, simply choose a trigger event (like a sale or new sign-up), then define the corresponding action (such as dispatching a specific email). Doing so can help you keep in touch with your customers without lifting a finger. 14. Assess your campaign’s performance After sending out your generated email, check out Wix’s email analytics  to gauge its impact. You can monitor key metrics like site visits, order numbers and revenue that come from your email marketing campaign. This data makes it very easy to track the direct business impact coming from your email marketing channel and to evaluate its success. It's a vital step in understanding your audience's response, helping you decide whether to replicate the campaign, tweak certain elements or try a different approach next time.  Ready to launch your AI-powered campaign? Get started with the Wix AI website builder .

In the digital era, online advertising is taking on an increasingly important role. One of the most significant forms of online marketing is banner ads. These are the graphic advertisements that lead to landing pages that you might notice displayed on all sorts of websites. The question then becomes do you click or continue scrolling? A great web banner will entice a reader to click by advertising a promotion, using a great image, being informative, or all three. Before creating banner ads, you’ll need to ensure that you have a stellar website or landing page for viewers to reach after clicking the ad. To create a website , we recommend utilizing the professional tools that Wix has to offer. Once you’ve done that you can draw inspiration from your website for the design of your banner ads. This guide will take you through the best banner ad design practices and help you build a marketing strategy and create ads that demand clicks. We also include some great advertisement examples for inspiration. What are banner ads? A banner ad is an online display ad that directs traffic to a specific landing page. They appear in prominent locations on websites and can be static or dynamic. Typically banner ads can be found across the top or down the side of a web page although they occasionally appear in the middle of texts as well. Banner ads are usually used as a business promotion tool. They can build brand awareness, highlight sales or promotions, generate signups and generally bring more traffic to your website. Importantly, banner ads enable website owners to directly measure results by understanding how many people clicked on a given banner and whether the ads led to an uptick in business. Another aspect that makes banner ads appealing is how they work. Most web banners are delivered as programmatic advertising, which means ads are served to users who are most likely to be interested in the content of the ad. Algorithms match user preferences and browsing history to get the right ads in front of the right people. This is why that pair of shoes you looked at online a few times keeps sneaking onto sites where you read the news or look for recipes. This type of targeting helps increase the return on investment, or ROI , of your ad budget. By presenting your ads to already interested or likely interested parties, you are more likely to get promising results. Banner ads can function in a couple of ways depending on the service you are using to advertise. You might have a deal with a specific website, in which case you’ll likely pay a set price for your ads being on their site for a given period of time. More commonly, advertisers use platforms such as Google Display Network which enables advertisers to have their web banners displayed across many websites. These types of platforms often run on a pay per click (or PPC) basis, meaning you pay based on the clicks your ads receive. Types of banner ads Banner ads can be static or dynamic with exact specifications determined by the ad delivery system provider. Static web ads are designed as a single image that is most commonly uploaded as a JPG, GIF, or PNG to the ad network. For each different ad size that will display in a campaign, a separate piece of creative is necessary. Dynamic ads, on the other hand, adjust to responsive designs. Rather than uploading a static image or graphic, you submit a logo, images or video and text that are algorithmically combined to fit banner ad sizes as they are served. These are often referred to as responsive ads and are the default ad type on the Google Display Network. Banner ads sizes To maximize the impact and ensure that banner ads appear properly, it is important to consider size specifications before you get into the actual ad design. Different size ads will show in various locations of websites and mobile apps and not all sizes will show at equal prominence or frequency. Here are some of the main web banner sizes that are typically included in banner ad campaigns: Leaderboard : Position at the top of a page; common sizes include 728x90, 970x90 (large), 970x250 (billboard), 1920x600 (poster) Skyscraper : Vertical ads placed in the sidebar position; common sizes include 300x600, 160x600 Rectangle : The most popular ad format because it can appear almost anywhere on a web page; common sizes include 300x250 (medium rectangle), 336x280 (large), 180x150 (small) Square : May appear in the sidebar or spread throughout content; common sizes include 250x250, 200x200 (small) Mobile : Many mobile ad sizes are scaled down versions with the same aspect ratio of desktop browser specifications but because of the small size separate creative is often recommended; common sizes include 300x50, 300x100 (large mobile), 300x200 (mobile full page), 250x250 Popular ad display networks such as Google, YouTube, and Facebook use common sizing and are considered some of the best sites for online advertising . If you place ads with a specific website rather than an ad network, they may have varying specifications. Always ask for ad specs before starting a banner ad design or use a tool like an image resizer to help you. Banner ad design tips In order to ensure that your web banner ideas are competitive and enticing, we have compiled some banner ad design tips to guide you through your creation process. The key to a great banner ad design is ensuring that it stands out from surrounding content and that the design is easy to read at a glance. Generally speaking, banners should be light and have a high visual impact. They should also have a small amount of text and a direct call to action . Here are some more specific guidelines to consider when creating a banner. Start with a high-quality visual The basis for a great banner ad is the visual it is designed around. This could be an image, video, or background effect. Whichever you choose, it is vital that the visual element is high-quality with a high-resolution. A high-quality visual is: An identifiable image that’s in sharp focus Easy to understand at a glance Isn’t offensive Adheres to ethical advertising standards Directs focus to product or what ads is about Unique to your company or brand Not stretched or sized improperly; 1.91:1 (1200x628 px) or 1:1 (600x600 px) aspect ratios are most common Design with brand in mind The goal of any banner ad is to bring attention to your product, business, or brand. Ensure that your brand is represented in the creative material by designing with brand standards in mind. Consider using your logo, colors and brand voice in ads. A secondary, icon style, or wordmark version of your logo might work best for smaller ad sizes. Use standard sizes and placements Standard ad sizes exist for a reason. Unless you are placing banner ads on a specific website with unique specifications, create ads using the most common standard sizes first and then expand from there. The three most popular sizes are medium rectangle, leaderboard and mobile. Include a prominent CTA While banner ad impressions can be an important metric, nothing is more valuable than a click. A prominent call to action is one of the most surefire ways to help people see the ad and then interact with it. You can design the call to action as a button which opens the door for engagement. An effective CTA button will likely be large, stand out in color and include microcopy that instructs users on what to do next. Some good CTA examples include “learn more,” “shop now,” “sign up,” “free trial,” or “get discount” inform users on what will happen after they click the button. Use simple, easy-to-read fonts Banner ads can flicker on and off a screen in an instant. It’s therefore crucial that you use fonts that are clear and quickly legible to ensure that your message is delivered in a split-second. Sans serif fonts such as Open Sans, Lato, or Roboto are a good place to start. Opt for a medium or bold weight and avoid thin or condensed fonts that increase reading time. It is also advisable to avoid fonts smaller than 12 points. You can also consider designing a font hierarchy with two font options – one for the headline and one for all other text – to enhance readability. A best practice is to stick to one font and create hierarchy with size, a bold weight, or all caps for headlines. Keep text to a minimum Banner ads aren’t designed to handle a lot of content with an ideal ad containing less than 10 words. This means you should aim to write direct and succinct copy to help readers digest your ad instantaneously. Typically ad text should follow the rules below: Ad headlines should be less than 30 characters Ad body copy should be less than 90 characters Mobile ad copy should be less than 35 characters Use keywords Ad copy should use some of the same keywords as your website text. Similar phrasing, value propositions and taglines can help create a strong brand connection. Put ads in a box When designing an ad, put the content of the ad inside of a box or frame. A frame can make the ad easier to see directing the eyes to the right place. It also keeps design elements together in an orderly fashion. Many brands include a .5 to 1 point black or gray border on ads to establish this separation. Another option for boxing includes using a colorful background for ad content. This can create an innate boxed design without having to include a defined border or frame. Animate it Moving images are attention grabbing and easy to implement. Turn your ad image into a GIF with a subtle bit of motion to draw attention. Animations could include product images that slide to another view, a person smiling or waving, or a simple text movement or color change. You should also aim to create natural animations and avoid flashing or blinking ad designs. Flashy designs tend to look like spam and can be rejected by some ad networks. Use appropriate file formats A banner ad must be capable of loading quickly to ensure that users don’t miss it when they scroll. Use appropriate file formats sized to specification and saved in the most lightweight manner possible so that your ads are built to render at lightning speeds. Banner ad deliverables may include: JPG PNG GIF SVG HTML5 You should also consider compressing PNG or JPG files before submitting. Design a campaign Design banner ads in multiple sizes that can work together across the web as one campaign. While each ad may look a little different due to varying aspect ratios, using similar imagery and language can create a more lasting connection with users as they see ads in different places, increasing the chances of a click. Some websites will also allow you to run multiple ads on the same page at the same time for more of a blanket impression, so it is key that the ads are consistent. Consider size and scale While it is possible to adjust a leaderboard ad to the corresponding mobile size, it’s probably not the most ideal. Instead, design each ad while thinking about the viewing size, placement, and readability on each given platform. Images, video, and HTML effects have the most impact at the largest sizes. Many mobile ads however, do not include images because they are so small that they can become difficult to understand. Text and color are better visual tools when it comes to the smallest display sizes. Test multiple ads Create multiple design options for campaigns that allow you to test which designs are most effective. Look for commonalities that you can use in future campaigns and ask yourself the following questions: Do certain colors generate more clicks? What sizes are most popular for your campaigns? What CTA microcopy generates engagement? Do ads with images or videos prove more effective? Did animation increase click-through rates? Running a design test can help long-term ad campaigns perform better and give you the tools you need to develop higher-performing banner ads for your business or brand. To truly solidify your ad efforts and complement your banner ads, you might also consider learning about other types of advertising outlets and paths. You can learn the specifics of how to launch a Facebook ad campaign, how to advertise on YouTube and how to advertise on Google to start mastering the online marketing world. 9 examples of great banner ads The best banner ads stand out because they do something different. It can be due to the design, placement, message, or even timing. We’ve compiled a list of great banner ad examples to showcase some of the best practices in web banner design. 01. #MAKESMALLBIG This holiday market ad by Goldman Sachs uses a hashtag in the ad copy. This not only helps the ad stand out from others, but can also help connect campaigns across the web and help your ad gain traction. 02. Sperry This vertical banner ad excels in its simplicity. It provides an easy to understand visual, direct language that appeals to anyone needing boots, and a link to shop. 03. Comcast Business Some advertisers opt to take advantage of their banner space with great copy. With a simple background, this horizontal ad benefits from a text-only design with a CTA and logo. 04. Spanx Spanx chose to amplify a special promotion in this banner ad. They chose a fun text and a high value proposition which can drive clicks. Note the color connection between the headline and “shop now” button. 05. AdEspresso This banner utilizes a button that sells the benefit of a click which can encourage users to take more immediate action. 06. Investopedia Express Podcast This banner promoting a podcast provides understandable text hierarchy and a clear image as well as a descriptive CTA. 07. Allbirds When it comes to banner ads for products, the design should focus on the item with a simple background that doesn’t get in the way. This Allbirds banner does just that as it opts for the most basic colors and prioritizes the product over the text. 08. M&Ms This M&M ad uses a staged image which can create a more natural campaign. It also uses a light background to help the product pop. 09. Hulu With an all-text display, this Hulu ad stands out because of the contrasting colors, a strong value proposition and witty text. Looking to explore more types of advertising? Check out this guide to native advertising.

Our individual experiences vary. So much so, that it’s time to call out the notion of “normal” or “average” as the misconception it really is. After all, you might be reading this blog post in a quiet office space, comfortably positioned in front of a computer screen. But a different reader could be skimming this same piece on mobile while waiting for the airport luggage claim, exhausted after a long flight. These two reading experiences are staggeringly different, and each comes with its own needs - affecting everything from letter size to contrast and more. It gets even more diverse: a visually impaired individual is perhaps enlarging the screen for readability. And a blind person could be listening to this text as it’s read by a screen reader. The list of possible human experiences goes on. The ways in which we perceive and interact with technology are as unique as our identities, drawing on our immediate circumstances as well as our backgrounds, knowledge, and abilities. When we create products and interfaces with just one ideal user in mind (a hypothetical being who usually resembles its creators to a surprising extent), we miss out on the wide range of real life people who come in contact with our designs. That’s where web accessibility and inclusive design come into play. 7 principles of inclusive design Provide content in multiple ways Design with various situations in mind Maintain consistency and design conventions Create a simple and intuitive design Collaborate to overcome personal biases Allow tolerance for user error Test and measure What is inclusive design? Inclusive design is a methodology, intended to optimize the products we create for the full spectrum of human needs and abilities. In designing for inclusivity, designers and engineers look to provide a variety of options in which to experience the product, rather than a single, one-size-fits-all route. Inclusive design builds on the principles of UX design and accessibility - it strives to make all users feel welcome and included. By offering multiple solutions for interacting with the product, inclusive design widens the scope of people who can use it, in a way that suits their individual needs. When speaking of inclusive design, it’s important to remember that it is a process and not an end goal. An interface that caters to the needs of the entire population in every conceivable scenario is never within reach. But expanding our perception of what it means to design for web and mobile, and who it is that we’re designing for, is nevertheless a worthwhile effort, leading to continuous growth and improvement. As an Inclusive by Design company, we at Wix are committed to making the web a place for everyone, regardless of circumstance and ability. On top of complying with the WCAG 2.0 guidelines and giving our users the tools to make their website accessible , we make it a priority to deliver the best experience for all of our users worldwide. Below are the seven inclusive design principles explained, followed by a few lessons we’ve learned here at Wix: 01. Provide content in multiple ways Ensure that each of the elements on your interface can be experienced in more than one way, and that all such methods are equivalent in the value they provide. A plethora of comparable options can increase the chances of meeting the unique needs and abilities of each of your users, without compromising the quality of the content. Since making inclusivity and accessibility a company focus at Wix, we’ve begun noticing how being more deliberate in the accessible alternatives we provide can actually improve the design itself. For example, when the alt-text descriptions we wrote for images didn’t add much value to the context of the page, it helped us see that the image itself didn’t provide as much value as we intended. This resulted in a change of the page’s design, and a different choice of image, which further strengthened the page’s message and improved overall usability. In practice: Adding alt-text descriptions for images, video captions, audio descriptions, transcripts, and properly labeling field names on online forms. Actress and disability inclusion advocate Eileen Grubba’s Wix website includes detailed alt-text descriptions. 02. Design with various situations in mind Users will be browsing your product in a variety of different contexts, and your interface should accommodate that range of circumstances. For example, a first-time user could be looking for an introductory break-down of your services. An established user, however, might know exactly what they’ve come in to do, quickly performing the task while multitasking on another errand simultaneously. In practice: Popup lightboxes that segment users by behavior, such as a one-time popup for first-time visitors, or an exit popup for those just about to leave the site. Another example is dark mode, meant for a better viewing experience in low-light environments. Dark and light modes are two displays of the same interface, each catering to various user needs. 03. Maintain consistency and design conventions Users need to know what to expect when browsing your product. Aim to give them a sense of what each of their actions will result in on screen. This can be achieved by crafting a coherent interface that employs well-established design conventions. Utilize these familiar patterns to reinforce your message ands improve user experience . In practice: One well-known design convention is grayed out buttons to signify an action that’s not currently available. Use conventions such as these in your favor, and avoid confusing scenarios like a grayed out button that you’d actually like users to click. Other examples include the colors green and red that mean “yes” and “no” (respectively), and the website navigation convention of a logo leading back to the homepage. 04. Create a simple and intuitive design We do confess an unwavering love of parallax scrolling, interactive hover effects and other web design trends. But at the same time, these fads can lead to aesthetic decisions that distract from the UX design , making it less intuitive. The design of your interface should guide users to perform the task at hand. Similarly, any design features you use (from hover effects to animations) should come together in reinforcing your content, as opposed to overshadowing it for the sake of aesthetics. Inclusive design shouldn’t contradict good design. On the contrary, it can help refine it. The principles of inclusive design can keep us on track in terms of the message we want our products to deliver. In practice: There are many aspects within a website or app that can help make the design simple and intuitive. For example, website menus that are easy to access, hover effects and visual indicators to signal that an element is clickable, and collapsed elements to arrange large amounts of content in an organized manner. Employing visual hierarchy can also help prioritize the content on each page. Learn more about how to create a website with a website builder. A grayed out button is a familiar design convention, signifying an unavailable action. 05. Collaborate to overcome personal biases We all have personal biases that lead us to design for users who are most like us. To overcome these biases, it’s best to go beyond our own sense of empathy, however well-intentioned, and work closely with individuals who differ in background, as well as in physical, cognitive, and learning abilities. This sort of collaboration leads to unique insights about the product and its pain points. At Wix, we try to make sure that our teams include designers, developers, engineers and QA specialists of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. In practice: Ensure that a wide spectrum of people partake in the process, from the initial user research, to the design itself and the product’s testing stages (more on tests later). 06. Allow tolerance for user error As part of relinquishing the concept of the perfect user, it’s beneficial to remember that all users make mistakes, too. Factoring this oh-so-human truth into the design from the get-go can lead to a pleasanter, less frustrating browsing experience. Leaving room for user error means offering the chance for users to change their minds and correct their mistakes. This way, users can enjoy the benefit of knowing that their actions are never irreversible. On top of being inclusive, this approach to design also ties into the concept of calm tech , by fostering a more humane and positive relationship to the digital world. In practice: The option to undo and redo, warning messages that show up before performing a permanent action, and success or error messages that provide a clear and informative indication of status. Friendly 404 page design can also ease the tension in moments of error. A warning message before deleting a page on the Wix Editor allows users the chance to change their minds. 7. Test and measure Like any other part of the design process, the inclusivity of our products should also be checked and tested. Integrate inclusivity as one of the parameters to look into at all stages of the product development, from the UX prototyping , to the user interviews and usability testing. In practice: Make sure to check your interface for accessibility compliance, and ask yourself whether it meets all of the above mentioned criteria. Most importantly, test the product with the help of people whose needs and abilities are different from your own, and ask for feedback as to how those needs can be best met.

Making a website that looks great and functions well is important for any industry, but that’s only half the battle—the upkeep is just as crucial. Your website maintenance ensures that your business, blog or online presence continues to evolve and succeed over time. This also establishes that anyone who interacts with your site will always have the best user experience. While there are a number of tasks to consider when maintaining your website, organizing each one by week, month, quarter and year can help you build a foolproof plan, leaving nothing unchecked and unnoticed. To help you get started, we’ve put together this complete guide on website maintenance, why it’s important to your long term website management goals . New to websites? Learn how to make a website to get started. Build your site and maintain it. Get started with Wix . What is website maintenance? Website maintenance is the practice of monitoring your website’s overall health and performance. Keeping a website up-to-date is crucial to ensuring it's working at full capacity, engaging and retaining site visitors. There are a number of tasks required to properly check and maintain a website, including updating security software and plugins, adding fresh content, increasing new and returning traffic, and meeting the satisfaction of your site users. While some of these points are more time-sensitive than others, each one will be addressed extensively further in the post. Read also: How to make a Wix website Why is website maintenance important? Website maintenance can impact your business’s first impressions, SEO strategy, security and sales. Whether you’re a business owner or creating a blog , you’ll want to make sure that when people and search engines land on your site, they will immediately see the benefits of your site’s offerings—or risk losing them. This means that your ability to rein in and retain online interest lies primarily in your website maintenance. Having said that, if you go too long without regular website maintenance, your site could suffer in the process. Your website will begin to run slow, stop converting leads, potentially house malware and get hacked, thereby causing problems for those who click on it. It could even stop working altogether. The benefits of website maintenance Let’s dive deeper into the benefits of website maintenance: 01. First impressions Just as the saying goes, “You only have one chance to make a first impression,” businesses online can make or break a deal depending on the initial look and feel of their website. If yours looks old or isn’t working as it should, you may potentially lose out on capturing new leads within the first few seconds that matter. Research shows that first impressions are 94% design related. Using attractive and up-to-date web design can help you convey the right message to new site visitors. It reassures them that they've found what they’re looking for and reinforces your site’s relevancy, credibility, trustworthiness and uniqueness. Tools like a website heatmap can also help you analyze user behavior and optimize key areas of your site for better engagement. As a result, searchers will find it in their interest to stay on your web page. 02. Business reputation Along the same line as first impressions, your business reputation is extremely important in gaining customers’ trust. Some ways to uphold your online standing include having working links, adding a 404 page for broken ones, updating plugins, freshening up content and abiding to a recommended page load time of under two seconds are just ways to uphold your reputation online. You’ve got to make sure your website delivers on your company promise of quality, reliability and professionalism. Learn more: 404 page examples 03. SEO strategy Paying attention to website maintenance is essential for your site’s SEO strategy. Consider this an opportunity to establish a routine process of monitoring and improving your website’s SEO, ranging from updating content to fixing broken site links. These bits of information are what a Googlebot looks out for when it crawls your website. In this initial stage of analysis, Google is determining the value of your website, potentially affecting your ability to rank first page or not down the line. Ranking positively on search engines can help drive traffic to your website, bringing customers to your business. That said, ranking poorly will make it harder for people to find you online. 04. Sales Sales are the lifeline of any online store . More people purchasing from your eCommerce site translates to a healthy and functioning business. To ensure keeping sales figures high, you’ll want to keep certain technical glitches at bay which could deter your customer’s shopping experience. Some common eCommerce site problems include bugs in product ordering, check out and payment processes, or failed discounts and free shipping due to an error. Furthermore, people shopping online rely on quality images and the ability to zoom in on a product that they otherwise would have tested at a store. It’s especially important that you offer professional images, videos or other visual support to cover any gaps that come with not being able to physically try on clothes or shoes. Along with seeing images, customers also want to get as much information as possible about their potential purchase, so you’ll want to invest time in writing product descriptions that can attest to your business reputation. 05. Security A website maintenance plan helps protect your business from virtual threats. Regularly updating your security software and renewing your SSL certification provider help safeguard your site’s files. These are made up of sensitive information, such as passwords and customers’ private data—credit card numbers and banking details. Developers who release these website updates are doing so to patch vulnerabilities they might have found. When you maintain your site’s security , it becomes harder for hackers to compromise your business and easier for customers to entrust their monetary assets to you. Common website maintenance tasks Now that you've made your website and you know what to look out for when monitoring website maintenance for your business, you’ll need to create a list of tasks to work into your schedule. Here are some examples of common website maintenance tasks: Security updates: Security updates should be applied as soon as they become available to ensure that the website remains protected against known vulnerabilities. Backups: There are two kinds of people: those who create backups and those who have never lost all their data. Regular backups are essential for protecting against data loss and should be performed regularly. The frequency of backups will depend on the frequency of content updates on the website. For example, if the website is updated on a daily basis, then daily backups are recommended. Website performance tracking and optimization: Website performance should be monitored regularly to ensure the website is loading quickly and functioning properly. It may involve monitoring page load times and website uptime and introducing changes to the website to improve performance. Content moderation: It's vital to keep the content on the website fresh and engaging for visitors. Web owners should add new pages, update existing pages, and add new blog posts or articles through their blog maker . The frequency of content updates will depend on the nature of the website and its intended purpose. Types of website maintenance Website maintenance is essential for ensuring the proper functioning, security and relevance of a website. Various types of website maintenance activities are crucial for keeping a site up-to-date and user-friendly. Here are different types of website maintenance: Content updates: Regularly update and refresh website content to keep information accurate, relevant and engaging. This includes updating product/service descriptions, blog posts, news sections and other textual or multimedia content. Security updates: Implement security updates, patches and fixes to protect the website from potential vulnerabilities and security threats. Regularly updating software, plugins and the content management system (CMS) is crucial for maintaining a secure website. Backup and recovery: Perform regular backups of website data and files. This ensures that in case of data loss or a security breach, the website can be restored to a previous state. Regular testing of backup restoration procedures is also important. Bug fixes: Identify and address any bugs or errors that may arise in the website's functionality. This includes fixing broken links, resolving display issues and addressing any other technical glitches that may affect user experience. Performance optimization: Optimize website performance by monitoring loading times and page speed. This can involve compressing images, minimizing code and implementing other strategies to enhance the overall speed and responsiveness of the site. Mobile responsiveness: Ensure that the website is mobile-friendly and provides a seamless user experience across various devices and screen sizes. Regularly test and optimize the site for responsiveness to cater to mobile users. SEO maintenance: Implement search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to maintain or improve the website's search engine rankings. This involves updating meta tags, optimizing content for relevant keywords and staying informed about SEO best practices. Software updates: Keep all website-related software up-to-date, including the CMS, plugins, themes and any third-party tools. This helps ensure compatibility, security and access to the latest features. User experience (UX) enhancements: Continuously evaluate and improve the website's user experience. This may involve redesigning elements, improving navigation and incorporating user feedback to enhance overall usability. Monitoring and analytics: Regularly monitor website analytics to gather insights into user behavior, traffic sources and other relevant metrics. Use this data to make informed decisions about content, design and functionality improvements. Legal compliance: Ensure that the website complies with legal requirements, such as privacy policies, terms of service and accessibility standards. Regularly review and update these elements to align with current regulations. Social media integration: Integrate and update social media elements on the website. This includes social sharing buttons, feeds and any other features that connect the website to relevant social media platforms. By incorporating these types of website maintenance into a regular schedule, businesses and website owners can ensure that their online presence remains secure and aligned with user expectations and industry standards. How often is website maintenance required? The frequency of website maintenance required depends on various factors, such as your site's complexity and purpose. However, it's considered a good practice to regularly perform website maintenance tasks to ensure that the website functions properly. Weekly website maintenance tasks With Google Analytics you gain access to information about how people are reaching your website and using it. You can do weekly website maintenance checks by logging in to your Google Analytics account to track traffic, thereby understanding your site’s performance and identifying areas of improvement. Traffic-driven data, such as number of site visitors and bounce rate, can lead to making better decisions for your business. Additionally, this analytics tool lets you know where the traffic comes from, by geographical location, keywords and intent, and interest. Monthly website maintenance tasks Check that all your online platforms are secured, plugins are updated, and your website content is backed up. This will help you avoid losing any valuable information and fortify your site against cyberattacks. You should also test your website speed with Google’s free PageSpeed Insights tool that offers detail about your site working on different browsers and devices. After analyzing your website, it will then generate suggestions for making your webpage faster. Quarterly website maintenance tasks Review your website content based on defined goals and metrics, such as SEO (organic traffic and backlinks), user behavior (page views and bounce rate), engagement (likes, mentions and shares) and sales (conversation rates and ROI). Some questions to ask yourself during this stage are, “Are all my meta titles and descriptions as SEO effective as possible?” “Is this blog post getting relevant traffic?” and “What can be updated in my content, topic-wise and linking-wise?” These are linked to performance. Then, proceed by tweaking your content, testing out calls-to-action across your pages and seeing whether your site’s content, both visual and textual, displays correctly on all types of browsers and devices. Annual website maintenance tasks It’s that time of the year to go over renewal dates for your domain name , hosting service and any additional tools you use for website maintenance, like paid Analytics and keyword research tools. Your site’s header, footer and legal policy might also require special attention by this point. Make sure all your information is up-to-date, and that main menu categories reflect what’s most relevant to your business. Look out for old logos and company images that may not serve your best interest anymore. After a period of time, a website redesign could benefit your site greatly. Learn how to tell when it's time to redesign your website . Learn more about how to get a free domain name . Should I hire a professional or maintain a website on my own? Whether you should hire a professional or maintain a website on your own depends on several factors, including your technical skills (maintaining a website requires technical skills such as knowledge of HTML, CSS, and web hosting), the complexity of your website, your available time and your budget. If you have technical skills and experience with website development, you may be able to maintain your website on your own. However, if you are not familiar with website development or don't have much time to devote to maintaining your website, hiring a professional may be a better option. Let’s discuss some pros and cons of hiring a professional vs doing it all yourself. Hiring a professional Pros Time-saving: Hiring a professional to maintain your website can save you time so you can focus on other aspects of your business. Technical expertise: Seasoned professionals have a wealth of technical knowledge, allowing them to solve complex tech issues with your website quickly and efficiently. Cons Cost: Hiring a professional can be expensive, especially for small businesses or individuals on a tight budget. (Here are website maintenance costs to keep in mind.) Communication: You need to clearly communicate the tasks to a professional. Communication with web professionals can sometimes be challenging, especially if they are working remotely. Dependency: You may become too dependent on someone else. You won't be able to introduce changes to what web design is yourself and will need to wait for help. Maintaining the website on your own Pros Cost-effective: Doing site maintenance yourself can save you money, and it's especially valuable if you have limited resources. Control: You have complete control over your website and can make changes whenever you want. Gain new skills: Maintaining a website can be a great learning experience, allowing you to develop new skills that you can use in other areas of your business. Cons Time-consuming: Maintaining a website requires time and effort. You will need to find time for it in your busy schedule. Technical challenges: When technical issues arise, it may be challenging to troubleshoot them if you do not have a technical background. Limited expertise: You may not have the same level of expertise as a professional, and the result of your work might not look like work done by a seasoned specialist. Learn more: Website migration

Icons, not to be confused with emoticons, are an exciting part of every website designer ’s work. It’s pretty incredible how much power these little visuals, or vector art, have in determining the look and feel of an entire website. Website icons don’t only contribute to the style, they also help the user to quickly browse through a page and get a better idea of the options, categories and services that the site has to offer. With this ability to optimize both the site’s web design and utility, no wonder that icons are such an important tool for web designers. But rarely do icons get the appreciation that they deserve. In fact, if they’re doing their job right, most people who view them won’t even notice them since they blend in so seamlessly with the page. That’s why we decided to collect and display a list of websites that do inspiring work with icons. The talents who designed these sites did a wonderful job integrating icons into their work in a creative, functional and aesthetic way, and we commend them for it! Learn more: What is web design? Brown Owl Creative >> Noobshibe >> Saharnitsa >> Washu Washu Design >> Ipeak >> Jessica Bloor >> Mobolt >> Oil City Rollers >> Rule Network >> Whether you're looking to add icons to your site or find the perfect favicon for your brand, start by taking a look at these 20 best free icon packs . Learn more about how to make a website with our extensive guide.

Good customer communication is the secret to your business’ success. But sending out individual welcome emails and follow-ups to each user is impossible to maintain once your company scales. Using email automation, you can create and send customized emails based on site visitors' behaviors. After you create a website and connect your email to your Wix website , your analytics and communication settings can be set to fit the exact customer cadence you’re looking for. From re-engagement emails and shopping cart abandonment messages to order confirmations, email automation can improve sales, drive customer engagement and increase repeat buyers. Here’s what we’ll cover in this article: What is email automation? The structure of an automation Key benefits of email automation Email automation use cases and examples Tips and tricks for successful email automation Getting started What is email automation? Email automation is a powerful tool that streamlines your work process to reach customers systematically. The software sends customizable messages (or other types of content, newsletter examples as one) triggered by specific actions or events that occur on your site. Ultimately, when visitors follow particular behaviors, you can send a ready response to improve their experience with your brand. The goal? Email automation helps move your visitors down the marketing funnel efficiently. The structure of an automation An automation can be broken down into two parts: The trigger: the event which starts off, or "triggers" the automation. The action: the response which occurs after the automation is triggered. Another important factor of automation is timing. Since the action occurs automatically, the timing needs to be set in advance. The action can take place before or immediately after the trigger or after a predefined number of hours or days. For example, you can trigger an automated email for Pricing Plans before a plan expires. Key benefits of email automation Perfect timing: Automating much of your communication allows you to send the right messages at the right time. You might not be at your computer right when that high-potential customer fills a form or completes a course, but your email automation tool has you covered and knows exactly what to do and when. More sales, traffic and customer retention: Without a doubt, email automation increases sales. More specifically, a cart abandonment email can give a sales uplift of 6.6% and a conversion rate of 10.19%. Drip campaigns built for customer retention can increase company revenue by 13% . Moreover, email automation is an ideal way to drive traffic by 2.7 times. The power of personalization: Not only are you adding a lot of value by being helpful and specific to the user’s action, but you’re letting the reader see the message is meant for them. Engagement with personalized emails is much greater than generic email marketing as they deliver six times higher transactional rates . Saved resources: When automated technology does that manual work for you, you have more time to focus on other parts of growing your business. Instead of sorting through thousands of emails, an automation tool like those provided by Wix becomes your personal assistant (see email AI tool ). Email automation use cases and examples While there are various types of email automation, we’ve included the most strategic and recommended ones for driving customer engagement. Welcome email Cart abandonment Customer feedback Order confirmation and shipping information Back in stock Follow-up after attending a class or event Sending a coupon via email “Haven't seen you in a while” re-engagement email 01. Welcome email Sending a welcome email when a visitor signs up to your email list is a fantastic way to start a customer relationship. Greeting a newbie with a personalized note or instructions on getting started can be quite helpful. Our logo maker welcome email strategically outlines what the logo maker can do, together with a friendly “Get started” call-to-action to lead the user to the next step. It’s important this email is fun and friendly, as it might be the first formal interaction a user has with your business. 02. Cart abandonment One of the best email automation methods is prompting emails to those who put items in their shopping cart but left without checking out. Whether they still needed time to think over the purchase or did not have their credit card information nearby, you can remind users to come back and complete the purchase. Some users offer a small discount to customers that abandoned their cart to create an incentive to return. To show you how it’s done, let’s look at how Food 52 used the appropriate tone of voice to persuade their users to buy without coming off as spammy, “Your cart called. It’s hoping you’ll come back and see it. The goodies you love are there waiting for you, but they won’t be forever.” Image source: reallygoodemails.com 03. Customer feedback Asking customers for feedback or product reviews is an effective way to build credibility with new potential consumers. We recommend you send an email automation after a purchase or service was completed, asking the customer to rate the experience or write a testimonial. This can help you understand what areas of your business can improve and assist you in attracting new business—a win-win. You might even want to add an incentive for users to fill a feedback survey like Signature Hardware did in the example below. The reward can be anything from a gift card, future discount or contest entry. Image source: reallygoodemails.com ​​04. Order confirmation and shipping information After making that exciting purchase, consumers love nothing more than knowing it successfully went through and is on its way. Keep customers informed and up-to-date by using email automation to send a customer a transactional email including their order number. In the message. include your contact info somewhere in case questions arise during the shipping or return process. Check out how the card company, Postable , sends an engaging order confirmation email. Not only is the vector art charming, but they included full details regarding shipping arrival times, which we’re sure customers appreciate. Image source: reallygoodemails.com 05. Back in stock As a business owner, you already know there's nothing better than an item being in popular demand. Unfortunately, when that same item goes out of stock, there is a missed revenue opportunity. In such cases, use a “Back in stock” email automation, letting customers know as soon as it’s available again. Of course, you don’t want to appear spammy or desperate with your notification. P & Co serves as a strong example of what a back-in-stock automation message looks like. The company cleverly writes, “Waiting on this?... Your item you had your eyes on.” The text in the email is playful, down-to-earth, and makes the brand sound human, a great goal to achieve through automation. For even more email marketing examples , check out our guide. Image source: reallygoodemails.com 06. Follow-up after attending a class or event You’ve worked hard and long on an event, course, or class and it was a huge success. What’s next? Continue to ride the wave and send attendees an automated email with follow-up information that will keep them engaged with your company further. The options of what to include are entirely up to you. Maybe a further course recommendation or class they’d be interested in, or a recap of the event with links to articles or relevant products on your site. Let’s take a glance at how the software company, Salesforce , used its event follow-up email to add all kinds of value. They included a report, E-book and a link to the keynote speaker recordings to further educate the event attendees. Image source: reallygoodemails.com 07. Sending a coupon via email You can incentivize your audience to use a coupon on your website from time to time. You can include a "valid-through" limited-time offer if you want to create urgency. Many companies do this for seasonal events as part of their holiday marketing efforts. To demonstrate, Public Desire makes their first order quite a desire . Offering 20% off a first order code helps the interested buyer take the leap. They used a visible black "Shop now" CTA button to create seamless navigation from the email to their website. Image source: reallygoodemails.com 08. “Haven't seen you in a while” re-engagement email Life can get busy, and we might not get around to re-booking our next appointment for that regular service we enjoyed so much. Remind your past customers to come back for a newly booked appointment by sending them an email automation and re-engaging them. Sometimes a tiny nudge can help your audience remember why they loved your services so much. To show you how it’s done, let’s look at how Myles Apparel used humor to re-engage with its subscribers. “Ghosting us?... It’s not the first time we’ve been ghosted this hot girl summer, but we’re shooting our shot one last time to keep in touch with you.” Their creative content applies popular culture references and language that makes this email quite entertaining but also gets its point across. Image source: reallygoodemails.com Tips and tricks for successful email automation Just like with any of the top marketing strategies out there, for automation to make an impact, it needs to be optimized. Follow these universal email marketing tips and avoid these email mistakes to ensure your process reaps the results you’re looking for. Send the right volume of emails—one to two bulk emails a week is ideal. Don't overdo it, as the email automation will be less effective or can become invasive to the user. This will also reduce your rates of hard bounces . Write powerful email subject lines. Keep text to 25-30 characters to not get cut off on mobile. Also, try to personalize them, as emails with personalized subject lines are 22% more likely to be opened . Follow the CAN-SPAM and CASl best practices to adhere to regulations and avoid landing in the spam inbox. According to Beckage legal technology, you shouldn’t use false or misleading header information in the “From” and “To” lines. They suggest you avoid deceptive subject lines, identify the message as an ad, tell recipients where you are located. Include compelling CTAs. Use action words written in the first person to prompt the strongest response. See our call-to-action examples and newsletter examples for further guidance and inspiration on where and how to place these buttons. Allow opt-outs with an unsubscribe button. Use common email marketing KPIs to measure and track performance. Some KPIs include the number of emails sent, bounced, arrived in spam and opened. Getting started Before you delve in, take a look at the various email marketing tools available. With Wix, you can customize your own automation to fit your exact business needs and best of all, it’s already integrated with your website. To create your automation, select an app (i.e bookings, forms, store,) and set the trigger. Then choose which action should occur and when. Here are the steps to set up email automation: Go to your Automations Dashboard . Click + New Automation at the top right. Choose the trigger, action and timing. Edit the template to add your unique text and design. When ready, click Activate. For more information on launching your automation campaigns, watch this video tutorial . Thank you, Really Good Emails , for providing some of the images in this article.

More than 4 billion people use email globally. That's about half the world's population which explains why we're all bombarded with email every day—it’s a key way we communicate with each other. This is also why email remains an effective channel to reach customers and prospects, including younger consumers. A 2022 Statista survey revealed that 79% of Millennial respondents in the U.S. and 57% of Gen Z respondents like when brands contact them by email. With that in mind, email marketing is arguably one of the first marketing strategies you should use to promote your business. Before you start your own campaign, check out the 29 email marketing examples in this post for some inspiration and insights into what will make it a success. Create a website with Wix to take advantage of our free email marketing tool . Why should I try email marketing? Email marketing is a highly effective digital marketing strategy that involves sending promotional content to interested consumers via email. Implementing email marketing can serve multiple valuable purposes for your business, either via small business marketing or something more large-scale: Branding : Provide information-packed emails that support and elevate your brand. You could tell a customer story, explain how you manufacture your products or elaborate on your business's origin or purpose. Engagement : Encourage engagement by welcoming new subscribers, requesting feedback, celebrating milestones or announcing events. Traffic generation : Drive traffic to your website through incentives, announcements and invitations. Sales : Drive sales through special-offer notifications, loyalty-point updates, abandoned-cart reminders and other promotional communications. Conversion : Solicit signups to a course, platform or event with free-trial offers, renewal reminders and bundling opportunities. "My best email marketing tip is to integrate your emails into your entire work process. For instance, my emails contain sections that leverage my 15+ years of experience as an SEO consultant. Another section links out to another complimentary web property serving SEO job listings. I also push to connect with as many of my subscribers on social media to further build a relationship. This allows all facets of my business to be integrated into this email and my marketing efforts." - Nick LeRoy, Author of the SEO for lunch newsletter The most common email marketing KPIs are open rate, click-to-open rate (CTOR), clickthrough rate (CTR) and unsubscribe rate. Make sure you establish KPIs for any email campaign before launching it so you can assess its performance. Does Wix have email marketing?  We explain what features you get with Wix's email marketing and how to build your own campaign. 29 email marketing examples Wix Yam Beaten Path Co. Bonsie Chappelle & Co. Cherry & Mint Grove Collaboration Jetblue New Balance Aritzia Skims National Geographic Rent the Runway Fandango Remi Bloomscape Hoka Arc Study Hall Extra Focus Ahrefs Sweetgreen SUAVS Everlane Deliveroo The Cornell Lab Spectrum Mobile Otter.ai Florence + The Machine 01. Wix Type of email marketing: Roundups Why it works: Roundups are newsletters that contain a list of resources, tips or other content that's useful to your subscribers. You can turn anything into a listicle and even pull information from your own website (e.g., “our top 10 posts about ethically sourced ingredients”) or from external sources (e.g., “5 resources for financing your small business”). This email from the Wix Blog teases three new articles, aiming to make it extra convenient for our subscribers to keep up with the latest headlines. Subscribe to the Wix Blog newsletter to get emails like these to your inbox. 02. Yam Type of email marketing: Welcome Why it works: Welcome emails are automatically deployed when someone signs up for your service, subscribes to your email marketing, creates an account on your website or makes a first-time purchase. They present an opportunity to introduce your brand to customers, upsell or cross-sell and initiate the process of building a long-lasting relationship with new shoppers. In this example, jewelry brand Yam shares that it’s a Black-owned, sustainable brand. Yam further incentivizes new subscribers to try out its jewelry with a 10% first-timer’s discount. 03. Beaten Path Co. Type of email marketing: Discount Why it works: Promotions are hard for customers to resist, which is why it’s common for businesses to offer a discount in exchange for their email address. You can tie a discount email to things like seasonal events, business-specific occasions and customer purchases. Outdoor clothing company Beaten Path Co. uses a promotional email to drum up interest on the same day that Amazon kicked off Prime Day (July 11), when consumers are already jumping online to snag the best deals. 04. Bonsie Type of email marketing: Thank you Why it works: Saying thanks is not only polite; it can also be an effective marketing tool. Thank-you emails can help you connect or reconnect with customers. Moreover, you can use thank-you emails to invite potential customers to engage more with your business, as babywear brand Bonsie does in its email. Bonsie generously offers 12% off on all future orders (knowing time is of the essence, given its products are reserved for newborns and new moms), and uses friendly copy to reinforce its bond with its shoppers. 05. Chappelle & Co. Type of email marketing: News announcement Why it works: Use news announcements sparingly and send them when there is something truly newsworthy to share about your company. They should have an enticing email subject line about a compelling bit of news. For example, the subject line for this email from Chappelle & Co. was “August workshops now live.” You can enhance their appeal with eye-catching images (as Chappelle & Co. did with the colorful graphic), infographics or video clips. These differ from product news updates and newsletters in that they highlight something about the company as a whole rather than focusing on a specific product or service. 06. Cherry & Mint Type of email marketing: Call-to-action email (CTA) Why it works: CTA emails motivate the reader to do something, so you should utilize them when you have a specific goal in mind. You could encourage them to book a free demo, download a coupon or check out your blog. This CTA email from Cherry & Mint encourages subscribers to “shop now” with colorful CTA buttons and high-quality product images. Keep your emails succinct and focused on the CTA. They work best after the customer has received two or three messages from you and you've already begun to establish trust. 07. Grove Collaboration Type of email marketing: Replenishment reminders Why it works: Send replenishment reminders to existing customers who may be running low on an item or subscription. These should be straightforward reminders without too many bells and whistles. The idea is to keep your brand top-of-mind for customers and make it easy for them to restock or renew their subscriptions. This email from Grove Collaboration not only suggests that the recipient places another order of three-ply toilet paper, but it also recommends that they check out a few other tree-free paper products. 08. Jetblue Type of email marketing: Company update Why it works: A company update can include things like product information, interesting news and planned events. They're also great for announcing new hires, informing recipients about relevant business changes (e.g., “we've moved”) and keeping subscribers informed about policies and capabilities (e.g., "now offering pet sitting services"). In this example, JetBlue boldly announces that its popular rewards program is getting a makeover to include “more choice, more perks, more value and more of our award-winning service.” 09. New Balance Type of email marketing: Product spotlight Why it works: As shown in this clean, minimalist email by New Balance, product spotlight emails focus on a single product. They can include detailed descriptions, origin stories, customer testimonials and reviews. They're not transactional, at least not entirely. They allow you to showcase one product that you’re particularly proud of, or give customers a better sense of your unique offerings. 10. Aritzia Type of email marketing: Branding Why it works: Branding newsletters are great for sharing your stories and ideas with customers. They play a crucial role in clarifying and defining your brand by focusing on topics in which you possess expertise and firsthand knowledge. In this email marketing example, Aritzia sets itself apart by discussing the work they do to uphold its commitment to sustainability. They used cut-out art to catch the reader’s attention and framed the message in The 5 Love Languages to make their message stand out. 11. Skims Type of email marketing: Launch emails Why it works: Launch emails are great for creating buzz around a new product line or service, as Skims does with this email introducing its new Skims Glam line. As shown in this example, these emails offer an opportunity to gauge interest and solicit pre-orders, allowing you to better plan and prepare for a successful launch. You can also use launch emails to reconnect with past customers, reminding them of your business and introducing them to exciting new offerings. 12. National Geographic Type of email marketing: Free trials Why it works: For subscription-based businesses or recurring business models like cleaning services or dog walkers, free-trial emails can entice prospects to give your offerings a try. They allow new customers to test your product or service before making a purchase or committing to a long-term subscription. National Geographic, for instance, invites new readers to enjoy one month of Nat Geo magazines for free and uses its email to showcase three trending stories. Additionally, free-trial emails can allow existing customers to sample new offerings without any obligation. 13. Rent the Runway Type of email marketing: Exclusive-offer emails Why it works: Sometimes a customer just wants to feel special. An exclusive-offer email reinforces this message by letting them know they’re getting something unique. Take this email, for example: Rent the Runway offers 30% off its rentals in honor of the recipient’s birthday. Keep in mind that these offers don't have to be all that exclusive; you can customize them based on customer segments. While the offer itself may be broad, tailoring the email content to the target segment adds a personalized touch. Say that you’re having a store-wide sale—you might change the header image according to each segment’s buying history to create an “exclusive” feel. 14. Fandango Type of email marketing: Order confirmation Why it works: Ah, the tried-and-true order confirmation email. These are automatically sent to customers after they’ve completed an order on your app or website. Their primary purpose is to confirm that you received their order. As such, they contain key information like order number, items purchased, payment method used and order amount. This detailed information reassures the customer about the accuracy of their purchase and provides an easy reference for future inquiries or issues. As in the example above, order confirmation emails can apply to everything from product orders to movie ticket purchases. Order confirmation emails like Fandango’s play a crucial role in enhancing customer satisfaction and building trust in your brand. 15. Remi Type of email marketing: Shipping notifications Why it works: Automated shipping notifications let customers know when their purchase is dispatched and provide them with tracking information. You can get away with sending a single update, but many eCommerce businesses, like Remi, send multiple emails to give customers ongoing insight into the progress of the order, from purchase to delivery. This reassures the customer that their order is on its way and helps them anticipate the exact date of arrival so they can plan to be available for pickup, if necessary. By providing regular updates, you enhance the customer experience, instill confidence in your shipping process and foster customer loyalty. 16. Bloomscape Type of email marketing: Delivery confirmation Why it works: Delivery confirmation emails are sent once the customer's order is delivered. They let customers know their package is waiting on their porch, in their mailbox or at a pickup location. Some retailers like Amazon even include a photo of the package as proof of delivery. In addition to the delivery status, you can include follow-up information like a link to a customer service page or your business phone number for those who need further assistance. Or, in Bloomscape’s case, you can provide extra instructions on how to care for the product—keeping in mind that order-related emails have some of the highest open rates . 17. Hoka Type of email marketing: Abandoned cart email Why it works: No one likes to feel abandoned. Luckily, online store owners have an easy way to recoup their losses—send an abandoned cart email like this one by Hoka. These emails, also known as cart recovery emails, are sent automatically when a customer leaves a website without completing a purchase. The purpose of these emails is to remind customers about the items left in their cart and make it easy for them to pick up where they left off. With an average conversion rate of 2.4% , they can be a good way to recover lost sales. 18. Arc Type of email marketing: Feedback requests Why it works: Customer feedback is invaluable for any business. It's a way to get unfiltered insights into what resonates with customers and what needs improvement. Use these emails to ask customers about their experience with your business, invite them to review what they purchased or find out what they'd like to see more (or less) of when it comes to doing business with you. Arc appeals to customers for their first impressions by sending this feedback request a week after purchase. The company notes that the survey will only take 30 seconds in case recipients are in a hurry. 19. Study Hall Type of email marketing: Re-engagement Why it works: Sometimes you have to work a little bit harder to win back inactive customers. A re-engagement email can rekindle an old flame by incentivizing past customers to return. Highlight something new and exciting about your business to capture their interest and curiosity. You can feature something you're proud of like a recent award, a new location opening or a heartwarming customer success story. Study Hall, for one, uses its re-engagement email to remind old subscribers of new content available on its site and to invite them to rejoin with a limited-time discount. 20. Extra Focus Type of email marketing: Referral request Why it works: Word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful thing, even in an era when online shopping dominates. Referral requests tap into this power by asking existing or past customers to recommend your business to a friend. These requests often include an incentive for the customer, such as discounts and free gifts. In Jesse J. Anderson’s referral request email, he uses eye-catching CTA buttons to direct the reader and offers benefits to incentivize them to share the Extra Focus newsletter with others. 21. Ahrefs Type of email marketing: Explainers Why it works: Explainer emails focus on one aspect of your business. SEO software company Ahrefs, for instance, uses an explainer email to provide tips on creating content that’s prime to rank well on Google. Readers don’t have to click off the email for the advice, though they have the option to if they want to explore more. These emails serve as a valuable tool to introduce your brand and showcase your expertise. By providing useful information that offers real value, explainer emails help build brand loyalty and strengthen customer relationships. Through these emails, you establish yourself as a knowledgeable authority in your field, fostering trust and credibility among your audience. 22. Sweetgreen Type of email marketing: Product news Why it works: Use product news emails to announce new products, updates to existing products or special promotions. Whether you offer tangible products or service-based solutions, product news emails are an effective means of keeping your audience informed. The key to crafting impactful product news emails is ensuring you have noteworthy news to share. Sweetgreen finds reason to send the above email, given that its new merch is created in partnership with a local farm that could use extra support. 23. SUAVS Type of email marketing: Post-purchase check-in Why it works: Sending a post-purchase email a week or two after a customer receives an order achieves a few things. Firstly, it's a great way to show you care after they’ve made a purchase. Secondly, it presents an opportunity to ask for a product review, a referral or a piece of feedback. Thirdly, you can offer advice about the product purchased or remind them about your rewards program to encourage more purchases. A successful post-purchase email should primarily focus on the customer, providing useful information that enhances their experience. It should also incentivize them to return to your website for their next shopping journey. 24. Everlane Type of email marketing: Customer testimonials Why it works: You can either send customer testimonials as standalone emails or as complementary elements in other email types to incentivize purchases. Testimonials serve as powerful branding tools, instilling credibility that goes beyond what promotional emails can achieve. By sharing authentic customer experiences, testimonials connect your brand to real emotions, tangible benefits, core values and successful outcomes. To make testimonial-based emails impactful, use Everlane’s approach and include one or more customer stories in their own words. You can also provide links to user-generated content that celebrates your brand like social media posts or YouTube reviews. Before sharing any of these sorts of testimonials, make sure to obtain permission first to ensure you’re not invading a customer’s privacy. 25. Deliveroo Type of email marketing: Introduction Why it works: An introduction email should be one of the first a lead receives after submitting a form or completing an action on your website. These emails differ from welcome emails as they tend to contain more information about a business. The email should have a personal touch and express gratitude for the interaction. Keep the introduction straightforward and brand-centric, and make sure to include guidance for getting started on your website. This is your chance to make an impactful first impression, so keep it simple and (above all else) relevant. For example, this email from Deliveroo outlines the primary benefits of the recipient’s new account, sharing links so they can learn more. 26. The Cornell Lab Type of email marketing: Education messaging Why it works: About two or three days after sending out an introduction email, consider sending out an educational message (a.k.a., a “humble brag”) that highlights your brand's expertise. This email should focus on highlighting your brand's expertise and providing valuable information related to the prospect's interest. You can achieve this by sharing a summary and link to a relevant blog post, recommending a whitepaper, or showcasing a compelling case study. This educational email from The Cornell Lab, for example, not only demonstrates the knowledge of its staff but also repurposes content from its site, making the most of its resources. 27. Spectrum Mobile Type of email marketing: Cold emails Why it works: Cold emails are unsolicited and sent to prospects who may not know much (or anything) about a business. To maximize their effectiveness, make them personal and include a relevant, hard-to-refuse offer that’s aimed at piquing the recipient's interest. For example, this cold email from Spectrum Mobile offers two lines for the price of one. Cold emails have the potential to generate revenue by expanding your customer base and attracting new business opportunities to your sales pipeline. When crafting these emails, focus on delivering value to the recipient and clearly communicate how your product or service can address their pain points or needs. Remember that successful cold emailing requires respecting the recipient's preferences and privacy. Follow best practices, such as ensuring compliance with relevant anti-spam laws and providing a clear way for recipients to opt-out if they choose not to receive further communications. 28. Otter.ai Type of email marketing: Free offer Why it works: A free offer at the right time can supercharge website traffic and conversions. For example, offering free, two-day shipping through December can help you capitalize on the holiday shopping frenzy. Free offers are also effective for lead generation. You could offer a free trial of your product or service, a free email course to teach people about your services or an eBook that speaks to the needs and challenges of your target demographic. In this email, Otter.ai offers five months free on Otter Business to celebrate World AI Day. Tying the offer to a timely event makes the offer seem like a rare opportunity in order to urge the recipient to claim it. 29. Florence + The Machine Type of email marketing: Contest/giveaway announcement Why it works: Contests and giveaways are excellent email marketing tools for generating leads, growing your internal email list and increasing brand awareness. These emails should include details about the contest and the prize your subscribers stand to win. This email from Florence + The Machine emphasizes the prize of a free, signed vinyl and provides clear directions for entering the contest. How to create an email marketing campaign Creating an effective email marketing campaign involves careful planning, compelling content and strategic execution. Follow these steps to craft a successful campaign: Define your goals: Determine the specific objectives of your campaign, such as generating leads, promoting a product or nurturing customer relationships. Identify your target audience: Clearly define your target audience, considering their demographics, interests and preferences. Segment your list for personalized messaging. Craft compelling content: Develop engaging email content that aligns with your audience's interests and your campaign goals. Use storytelling, visuals and clear calls-to-action. Choose an email marketing platform: Select a reliable email marketing platform to manage your campaigns and subscriber lists. Design attractive email templates: Create visually appealing email templates that reflect your brand identity and enhance the user experience. Ensure mobile responsiveness. Personalize your messages: Personalize email content based on recipient data, such as name, location or purchase history, for a more relevant experience. Optimize subject lines: Craft compelling subject lines that grab attention, pique curiosity and accurately represent the email's content. Schedule and send emails: Schedule your emails to be sent at optimal times based on audience behavior and time zones. Consider A/B testing for subject lines and content. Track and analyze results: Monitor key metrics like open rates, click-through rates and conversions to evaluate campaign performance and make adjustments. Refine and improve: Continuously refine your email marketing strategy based on data, feedback and industry trends. Experiment with different approaches and content formats. Pro tip: Check out these insightful email marketing statistics to help inform your campaigns. Email marketing campaigns FAQ How to plan an email marketing campaign? To plan an email marketing campaign, define goals, target audience and messaging. Segment your email list based on customer profiles. Craft compelling subject lines and content for your emails that will hook your target readers. Determine the sending frequency and schedule of your campaign. Integrate tracking tools for analytics to evaluate the success of your email marketing campaigns. Test emails before sending. Comply with regulations like GDPR depending on your location. Monitor results and refine strategies for future campaigns. How to evaluate the success of an email marketing campaign? Evaluate an email marketing campaign by analyzing key email marketing metrics: open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates and unsubscribe rates. You can assess engagement with A/B testing . Calculate revenue generated and return on investment from that. Always consider your audience segmentation and targeting effectiveness. Monitor email deliverability and spam complaints. Optimize ongoing and new based on insights gained, ensuring continual improvement for future campaigns.

Get started by: Creating a blog →  | Getting a domain → Growing a blog can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it requires the right strategies to stand out. Whether you’re just starting your blogging journey and looking for guidance on  how to start a blog  or  how to make a website , or simply looking to expand your reach on an existing blog, this guide will offer practical and effective steps to boost your blog's growth. As a Wix blogging expert, I'll share industry insights and proven techniques to help you build a successful blog from the ground up. Let’s dive in and transform your blog into a thriving online presence.  Start your own blog for free . How to grow a blog that attracts visitors  With millions of blogs competing for attention, the real challenge lies in growing your blog effectively. If you’re new to the blogging world, check out  blogging for beginners  for essential tips.  Get to know your readers Create high-quality content Grow your blog traffic with SEO  Accelerate your blog growth with social media  Network with other bloggers Use email marketing Monetize your blog  Engage with your community  Stay updated and adapt Be consistent and patient  01. Get to know your readers The foundation of a successful blog is a deep understanding of your audience. Engage with your readers through surveys, comments and social media interactions. By learning about their interests and preferences, you can create content that truly connects and fosters greater engagement and loyalty. Keep an eye on which posts generate the most engagement, whether through shares, likes or comments. This data offers valuable insights into what interests your readers. For inspiration, check out blog examples  that excel at engaging and connecting with their audiences. Pro tip:   Use tools like  Google Trends  to gather data on popular search topics. This insight helps tailor your content to current audience interests. New to blogging?  Create detailed profiles to understand their needs and preferences. This approach will help you attract a dedicated and engaged readership from the beginning. 02. Create high-quality content Content is king in the blogging world. To grow your blog quickly, focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that offers value to your readers. Learn how to write a blog that makes an impact. Mix formats—text, videos, images and infographics—to keep your audience engaged. Staying consistent is the key to achieving blog success and plays a big role in building an online community  around your brand. The best way to manage your content and streamline your website management  is by creating a content calendar and sticking to a regular posting schedule. Decide what works best for you, whether it’s posting once a week or twice a month, consistency helps build anticipation and keeps your audience coming back for more. Pro tip: When planning your next blog post, think about if it solves a problem, entertains or educates your readers and think about how long should a blog post be  to effectively deliver your message. For help with creating better content, explore the  best blogging tools  available. 03. Grow your blog traffic with SEO  Search engine optimization (SEO) drives organic website traffic  to your blog. Conduct keyword research to find terms your audience searches for and incorporate them into your content, titles and meta descriptions. Optimize your images with alt text and use internal and external links to  improve your blog’s SEO .  Keyword research: Use research tools like  Google Keyword Planner ,  Semrush  or  Ahrefs  to uncover valuable keywords. For example, if you have a travel blog, target keywords like "best travel destinations" or "budget travel tips" to attract new readers. If you’re starting a blog from scratch, on-page SEO is a must. Make sure your blog’s structure is search engine friendly by using header tags (H1, H2, H3), creating a sitemap and ensuring your site loads quickly. A well-optimized blog will rank higher in search results, helping to attract more visitors to your site. For instance, a food blog that’s just starting out should use clear, descriptive headers like "H1: Delicious Vegan Recipes" and "H2: Easy Vegan Breakfast Ideas" to help search engines understand and rank your content.  SEO benefits:   Regularly updating your blog with fresh web content  helps improve your search engine rankings. Better SEO means more visibility and a higher chance of attracting organic traffic. According to a study by Orbit Media Studios , bloggers who pay more attention to keywords more often, are more likely to report success.  04. Accelerate blog growth with social media  Social media is a powerful tool for promoting your content. Share blog posts on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Engage with your audience by responding to comments and participating in group discussions.  Use hashtags strategically to increase your posts’ visibility. Run targeted social media campaigns to boost your blog traffic and take advantage of paid advertising options like Facebook Ads and Instagram Promotions to reach potential readers who are interested in your niche. Make sure you track your campaign performance and adjust your strategy to maximize your return on investment (ROI). Pro tip: Sharing your blog posts on social media can significantly increase your site’s traffic. To maximize your reach, promote your blog on Facebook to engage a larger audience who will interact with your content, share it and contribute to its growth. Find out how  using Pinterest for blogging  can also multiply your blog traffic. 05. Network with other bloggers According to  Ahrefs , engaging with industry peers boosts your blog’s credibility and grows a supportive community, opening the door to creative ventures that drive blog growth for everyone involved. In fact, blog posts with multiple authors are considered more credible by 63% of people. Building relationships with fellow bloggers can open up new opportunities for collaboration and exposure. Start by engaging with bloggers in your niche by leaving thoughtful comments on their posts, sharing their content and connecting on social media. Participate in link exchanges and join blogging communities to grow these mutually beneficial partnerships.  Connecting with other bloggers can help you gain exposure to new audiences, enhance your credibility and attract more readers. For example, co-hosting a webinar or an Instagram Live/TikTok Live session with another blogger can introduce your blog to their followers. Guest posting is also an excellent way to grow your blog. Research influential bloggers in your niche and reach out to them with well-crafted pitches offering to write valuable content with your unique perspective for their blogs. Make sure your guest posts are informative, engaging and relevant to their audience. Include links back to your blog either in your author bio or within the content itself to drive traffic and improve your SEO.  Ready to master guest posts? Read this  complete guide to guest blogging . 06. Use email marketing  Email marketing  keeps your audience engaged and drives traffic back to your blog. Start by building an email list with compelling lead magnets to encourage sign-ups. Examples of effective lead magnets include free ebooks, checklists or templates that provide value to your visitors and can be easily accessed via a well-optimized URL . Once you have subscribers, follow up by sending regular newsletters and segmenting your email list to send targeted emails that cater to specific interests and needs. Personalize your emails to make your subscribers feel seen, which is proven to increase their likelihood of re-engaging with your content.  Make sure your web address  is included in your email signatures and promotional materials to drive traffic back to your blog. Implementing these strategies can turn casual visitors into dedicated readers who consistently return to your blog. This approach accelerates your blog’s growth and also helps you build a loyal and engaged readership from the start. Use your email list to reward loyal readers with bonus content that adds extra value, such as downloadable resources, exclusive articles or members-only content. Pro tip:   Regularly sending high-quality emails can establish you as an authority in your niche. As your blog grows, so will your reputation, leading to more opportunities and increased trust from your audience. 07. Monetize your blog  Monetizing your blog  can motivate you to grow it further. Explore the different monetization streams like affiliate marketing, sponsored posts and selling digital products or services. Think about which methods align best with your audience’s interests and flow best with your content strategy. If your blog is still in its early stages, affiliate marketing can be a great way to start earning revenue quickly. By promoting products or services related to your niche, you can earn commissions for each sale made through your referral links.  Pro tip: Be transparent with your audience about your affiliate relationships to build trust. Clearly disclose when you’re using affiliate links or endorsements, as this honesty will help to build your credibility and strengthen your relationship with your readers. Did you know? Monetized blogs can generate passive income, offering financial stability. Learn more about how to monetize a website  to maximize your blog’s earning potential. 08. Engage with your community  A strong community around your blog accelerates growth. Encourage your readers to interact through comments, forums and social media, and make sure to respond and join the conversation.  Hosting webinars, live chats or virtual meetups are great outlets to engage with your readers and create a sense of belonging. These events can help increase your blog traffic by attracting new readers and strengthening your connections with existing ones. Promote these events through your blog, social media and email newsletters to maximize participation.  Pro tip:   By sharing your knowledge and insights, you educate and inspire your readers. Your content can directly contribute to their personal growth while positioning you as a thought leader in your field. Check out these essential tips to  format your blog . 09. Stay updated and adapt As the blogging landscape keeps changing it’s important to stay up to date with the latest trends, tools and techniques. Subscribe to industry newsletters, follow influential bloggers and participate in their community to help keep you informed about the latest changes which will help you adapt your strategies and remain competitive.  By being flexible and willing to update your strategies as needed, you’ll grow your blog and stay ahead of the competition. Experiment with new content formats, marketing techniques and SEO practices. Continually testing and analyzing your strategies is crucial for ongoing growth. Use analytics to understand what’s working and what’s not. Most importantly, be willing to experiment with new approaches. Pro tip: Test different headlines, images and calls-to-action and regularly review and adjust your content strategy based on data. 10. Be consistent and patient  Growing a blog takes time and effort. Keep producing high-quality content, engaging with your audience and refining your strategies. Be patient and persistent, and over time, you’ll see the results of your hard work. Blog posts have a long lifespan. Evergreen content can continue to attract traffic and provide value to readers for years, contributing to sustained growth and relevance in your field.  Did you know? A successful blog can become a strong personal or business brand. By learning how to start a personal blog , you can create a unique identity and establish a distinct voice in your niche, which can attract more readers and opportunities.  Pro tip: Familiarize yourself with the  most common blogging mistakes and learn how to avoid them. Steering clear of these pitfalls will help you position yourself as an expert in your field.  Download your free blog template . Back to basics: how to grow your blog (+ checklist)  When thinking about the best ways to grow your blog, returning to the basics can set you up for success. Growing your blog takes time and strategy, but following these steps can set you on the right path.  Here’s a straightforward checklist to help you expand your blog’s reach and influence:  Define your niche and target audience Develop a content calendar and stick to it  Conduct keyword research and implement SEO best practices Promote your blog across social media platforms Monitor blog performance with analytics tools  Build and maintain an email list for newsletters Explore monetization strategies   Helpful tips for growing your blog  Managing and running a successful blog requires great effort, patience and time. Through my years of experience as a blogging professional, I’ve discovered that consistency, networking and discipline are the key factors that set successful blogs apart from the rest.  Here are some important tips that can help you grow your blog:  Perform keyword research and publish content consistently  Promote your blog through social media  Network with bloggers in your niche Focus on readability and clear writing Pro tip: Choose the right blog name ideas  and blog niche ideas to attract the right audience and establish your unique brand identity. Blogging is a long-term endeavor. With determination and a strong desire to succeed, you can achieve your blogging goals and build a successful blog over time.  For a more detailed approach, check out this  blogging checklist .   How do I measure the growth of my blog? Measuring blog success involves tracking various metrics to understand your progress and effectiveness. Performance indicators include website traffic, engagement rates like comments and shares, conversion rates such as email sign-ups or product purchases and search engine rankings. Tools like Google Analytics or Wix Analytics  are helpful for monitoring these metrics and assessing your blog’s performance over time. By regularly reviewing these indicators, you can gain insights into your blog’s growth and make data-driven decisions to drive its success.  How to grow a blog from scratch  As you continue to explore strategies to increase blog traffic, you might be wondering if blogging is still worth it . Blogging is and will remain a valuable tool for sharing your blog ideas , building your brand and connecting with your audience.  To make sure your blog looks its best for when visitors come to your site, use the best blog post templates  available. These blog templates will help to improve the design and functionality of your blog, making it more appealing to the reader. Understanding what is web design  is essential, as it will guide you in choosing and customizing templates that improve aesthetics and usability. Choosing the right blogging platform can greatly improve your blog’s success. For insights into the most suitable options for your blog, explore  the best blogging platforms . How to grow your blog FAQ How do you grow your blog? Growing your blog involves several key strategies. Building a strong website infrastructure  and focusing on website development will support your blog’s growth and guarantee a smooth user experience. Use SEO techniques to improve your blog’s visibility on search engines. Promote your blog posts through social media and email marketing. Engage with your readers through comments and feedback. Consistent posting and collaboration with other bloggers can also help increase your blog’s reach. How do you make money blogging? There are different ways to  make money from your blog . These usually include affiliate marketing, where you earn commissions by promoting other companies’ products or services, and display marketing, where you earn revenue from ads placed on your site. Sponsored posts and partnerships with brands can also generate income. Additionally, you can sell your own products or services, such as e-books, courses, how-to guides and merchandise. How long does it take to make money blogging? The time it takes to start making money from blogging widely varies. It can take several months to over a year, depending on factors like your niche, audience size and monetization methods. This is the reason consistency is key in the blogging industry. Content creation, audience engagement and effective marketing strategies can help accelerate the process.  How to get 100,000 views on a blog? Reaching 100,000 views involves a combination of strategies. Focus on producing high-quality, shareable content that meets your audience’s needs. Optimize your blog for SEO to attract organic traffic and promote your content through social media and email newsletters. Building backlinks from reputable sites and collaborating with influencers can also drive traffic to your blog. Learn more about promoting your blog to attract more readers . How to grow a blogging website? Growing a blogging website involves enhancing both content and technical aspects. Regularly update your site with fresh content and check that it’s optimized for search engines. Improve user experience with a clean, easy-to-navigate blog design  and fast loading times, supported by a reliable web server . Use social media and other marketing strategies to drive traffic to your site.  What are the best platforms for blogging? Choosing the right blogging platform depends on your needs and technical skills. Here’s a streamlined approach to help you select the best one: Define your goals:  Clarify what you want to achieve, whether it’s a personal blog, blogging for business or online portfolio. Consider your technical skills and budget. Review ease of use and features: Assess the platform’s user-friendliness, content management tools and features like template customization, plugin support and analytics. Evaluate scalability and flexibility: Choose a platform that can grow with your blog, handle increased traffic and integrate with third-party tools. Compare pricing and support: Look at pricing structures and available support, including tutorials, FAQs and customer service. Test platforms with trails: Use free trials or demos to experience different platforms and determine their usability and suitability before making a final decision. How can I improve my blog's SEO? To enhance your blog’s SEO, start by conducting keyword research to find relevant terms your audience is searching for. Optimize your blog posts with these keywords in titles, headers and throughout the content, including your website title  and each web page . Use meta descriptions and alt text for images and ensure your blog has a clean, user-friendly interface with fast loading times. Building backlinks and creating quality, shareable content also contribute to better SEO. Try using Wix SEO  to maximize your blog growth efforts.  How can I effectively promote my blog? Effective promotion involves using multiple channels. Share your blog posts on social media platforms and engage with your audience there. Utilize email marketing to reach your subscribers with updates and new content. Participate in relevant online communities and forums and consider guest blogging or collaborations with other bloggers to expand your reach. How important is visual content for my blog? Visual content is essential for engaging readers and enhancing your blog’s appeal. High-quality images, infographics and videos can make your posts more attractive and easier to understand. They also help break up the text and keep readers engaged. Incorporating visual elements can improve user experience and encourage social sharing. Try this image resizer tool to make the most out of your visuals.  How can I build an email list for my blog? Building an email list involves offering value to your readers in exchange for their contact information. Create lead magnets like e-books, exclusive content or discounts to encourage sign-ups. Use email marketing tools to manage your list and send regular updates. Promote your email list on your blog and through social media to attract more subscribers. Find out how to get more subscribers to your mailing list.