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When it comes to building effective marketing strategies , understanding the four Ps—product, price, place and promotion—is fundamental to achieving sustainable growth and success. These four pillars form the foundation of any successful marketing strategy, guiding businesses in crafting compelling propositions that resonate with their target audiences. Mastering the four Ps not only help you to reach the right customers, but also ensures your products are readily available, priced competitively and effectively communicated. Below, we dive into each of the four Ps. Whether you’re working on a social media campaign or using a website maker to create your website, the four Ps are there to help you with every aspect of your promotional efforts. Build your online presence with Wix . The 4 Ps of the marketing mix The idea of the marketing mix was first popularized by Neil Borden, a professor of advertising at the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. In 1964, Borden published an article titled “ The Concept of the Marketing Mix ,” which discussed different advertising tactics that companies could use to target consumers. It was here that he highlighted the marketer as an artist—a mixer of all the ingredients needed to achieve the firm’s marketing objectives. Still, there was no real consensus about what should be included in the mix until 1960, when E. Jerome McCarthy, a marketing professor at Michigan State University, identified four basic ingredients known as the four Ps of marketing. Since then, the four Ps have been widely adopted by marketing professionals as the core pillars of an effective marketing penetration strategy. And while there have been a few changes and additions over the decades, the fundamental principles remain the same. What are the 4 Ps of marketing? Below we’ll define the four Ps of marketing and show you why each ingredient plays an important role in increasing sales, building a competitive advantage and building a smart strategy for promoting your business. 01. Product This one’s easy—products refer to the good or service that you offer to customers. Whether you’re launching a new product or seeking to improve an existing one, making sure that it meets the demands of consumers is a core pillar of marketing. For your product to be effective, it should either satisfy an existing consumer need or create demand so that people believe they need it. Familiarize yourself with product differentiation and what it means for your marketing efforts. In addition, you should be familiar with your product’s life cycle—meaning its introduction into the market, its growth, maturity and decline. From a marketing standpoint, this lets you adapt your messaging, KPIs , pricing and target audience according to each life cycle stage. To master the product element of the marketing mix, ask yourself the following questions: What is your product? Who is it for? How and where do customers use your product? What existing needs does your product satisfy? If it doesn’t satisfy an existing need, how will you create a new need in the market? What specific features does your product have that will directly address those needs? Are there any features you may have missed? What are the key elements of your product design and user experience? Do they work together to meet the needs of your consumers? What is your product called? How will you brand your product? How does your product differ from the competition? When you create a marketing plan for your business, the answers to these questions will help form a set of guidelines. 02. Price The price is what consumers pay for your product. As simple as that sounds, determining what to charge can be tricky. You’ll need to make a profit, but you also want consumers to feel that the price corresponds with the product’s value. Whether your product is a budget option, luxe option or somewhere in between, the price you charge greatly affects the language you use in your promotional messaging. It’s also deeply interconnected with the kinds of customers you’ll market to, as well as the country or region where you plan to sell your product. It might also impact your customer acquisition costs as well. To come up with the pricing, ask yourself the following questions: What is the perceived value of your good or service to the buyer? How will you align your marketing strategy with consumer perception of the price of your product? How does the price compare with that of your competitors? Is your audience price-sensitive? Will decreasing the price help you capture more customers, or will it decrease your profit margin? Conversely, will increasing the price gain you more profit margin, or will it result in a loss of customers? Can you use different pricing tiers (for instance, a basic versus premium package) for different customer segments depending on how you understand each customer journey? 03. Place The third P of marketing is place. This refers to the location of your marketing and distribution activities. Place can be a physical location, like a brick-and-mortar store that primarily targets local community members. But it can also refer to online locations, referring to the various platforms and marketing channels you use to promote and sell your product. Place is an important factor to consider as you market your product or services, since it helps you understand what kind of buyer persona has access to it. The bottom line is to promote and sell your product in view of the types of people who need it and can get it. If you market to an audience who ultimately decides that your product is too hard to find or inconvenient to purchase and use, you’ll likely hit a wall with your marketing efforts. Are you focusing on local marketing , or something broader? Similarly, this concept applies online when you determine the most effective channels for promotion. If your product is U.S.-only, there’s little reason to promote it on an Italian news site. If you’re selling a product for grandparents, you probably shouldn’t start by creating paid ads on TikTok. When factoring place into your marketing strategy, ask yourself the following marketing intelligence questions : Where is your target audience located (both in person or online)? Not sure? Time to build out your marketing analytics tracking and reporting plan Where do people look for your product? If they look in a store, what kind (e.g., a boutique versus a large chain)? If they look online, what platforms are they using? Use these to build better customer segments to target. What kinds of distribution channels and outlets can you use to sell your product? Where are your competitors selling? What physical locations and online channels are they using? 04. Promotion Promotion is the fourth P of the marketing mix. This all encompassing ingredient involves using the factors you identified in the previous three Ps—product, price and place—to craft your messaging and spread the word about your product via advertising and marketing campaigns. To incorporate this final pillar, ask yourself: Where can you get your message across to your target market ? Online channels like social media? PR? TV, radio or podcasts? Print advertisements? Email marketing? What sort of language, media and personas does your audience connect to most in these online and offline locations? When is the best time to promote? Is your product seasonal? Are there events or other external factors that might affect your messaging? How, when and where do your competitors promote their products? The answers to these questions—as well as the ones listed earlier—will help you to to create a strong small business marketing strategy that promises to meet consumer needs, offers value in relation to its price, reaches consumers using the right channels and uses the right messaging. Examples of the 4 Ps of marketing To help you better understand the four Ps of marketing and apply them to your business, let’s go over some real-world examples: 01. Apple Apple has a top-notch marketing strategy, especially when it comes to its popular iPhones. Certainly, a big reason why consumers love the iPhone is because Apple used the four Ps of marketing to put together the ideal product, price point, distribution channels and brand messaging. Product: The first iPhone directly addressed consumer needs at exactly the right time. Cell phones were already becoming more stylish (who can forget the appeal of the Blackberry?), and Apple took full advantage of that trend. But the iPhone wasn’t only sleek and well-designed. It also addressed the need for an improved user experience. The product eliminated the hassle of a keyboard or stylus, reduced the need for a separate music device and added other key features (on-the-go internet, a decent camera, fun apps and a user-friendly screen). Price: The iPhone became a pioneer in the mobile world, promising quality and extra value that prior mobile devices didn’t have. On top of that, it was produced by a reputable and well-loved company. As a result, customers were willing to pay a premium price compared to other brands. This pricing strategy worked well for Apple and continues to do so over the years, attracting middle and upper class consumers thanks to maintaining the brand’s high-end appeal. Place: Apple has cultivated an aura of exclusivity by authorizing specific stores to sell their products. While this might limit their reach, it helps establish the company as a designer brand. This also lowers the brand’s distribution costs so that it can invest in other areas instead. Promotion: Apple’s promotional strategy for the iPhone often takes the form of commercials and print ads. Their advertisements tend to be highly visual, emphasizing the high-quality screen and camera features while showcasing the brand’s sleek, stylish aesthetic. Their goal is to prove to their audience that their product stands out against the competition. The brand further promotes their products through Apple Keynote events, presentations given to the press two to four times a year. This is a great opportunity to supply them with quality PR while establishing Apple as a thought leader and visionary. 02. Spotify Spotify is another big brand that’s achieved success by strategically applying the four Ps. Here’s how: Product: Spotify’s main product is music streaming. Before this technology came along, people could only hear their favorite artists by purchasing CDs, buying digital albums or songs, listening to the radio or pirating music. Music streaming solved this problem, filling an important niche in the music industry by providing consumers affordability and convenience. Price: Spotify has a broad audience—everyone who listens to music—and it maintains a wide reach by offering various pricing tiers. Using a freemium model, they allow users to listen to content for free, but offer extra perks (such as ad-free listening) to those who pay for a premium subscription. They additionally upsell their product by offering bundle packages to couples and families, and incentivize young adults to go premium with student discounts. Place: Music streaming solved a huge accessibility problem. People no longer needed to go to the store to buy a CD, find music to download illegally, or listen to the radio in hopes of finding their favorite tunes. Spotify made its product available online so that it can be instantly accessed in nearly every country. Promotion: As an online platform, Spotify does most of its promotions on the web with the goal of driving traffic to their website . Because the product satisfies an important consumer need and is easy to use, fans of the platform also tend to spread word of the product to their friends. This makes social media marketing—and influencer marketing in particular—an organic promotional strategy for the brand. 5 quick tips for applying the 4 Ps in your own marketing Now that you’ve seen some examples of the four Ps in action, think about how to apply these principles to your own marketing strategy. This marketing mix can be used to improve existing marketing campaigns and products, or starting a fresh one from scratch. Here’s how: Identify the good or service you want to promote and then match each of the four Ps above as they relate to your chosen product. Review your answers to the four Ps and challenge them by providing alternatives: What would happen if you raised or dropped the price, changed the color or design, advertised on a different platform, or sold through a new channel? Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience. As the customer, does the product meet your needs? Is it priced according to your values and perceptions? Can you learn about the product or service and purchase it in places that are relevant and accessible to you? Do marketing promotions reach and resonate with you? This might mean conducting market research and user testing your product. Iterate the process and don’t hesitate to run A/B tests with your pricing, promotions and messaging along the way. Keep asking questions and tweaking your answers until you’ve created the optimal recipe. Run marketing audits of your campaigns and approaches regularly. Remember that even once you’ve created your ideal marketing mix, the journey isn’t over. Your product will most likely evolve, new marketing trends will take hold, and your customers, competitors and the environment will change over time. Because of this, it’s important to revisit your marketing mix on a quarterly, biannual or yearly basis, depending on your product’s lifecycle. The four Ps of marketing aren’t static and should be continually strengthened to adapt to the changes around you.

Understanding how to calculate your sales tax, can be stressful and complicated, especially for online businesses with a global reach. That’s because when calculating sales tax for your online store , there's rarely a one-size-fits-all-approach. Instead, you have to navigate city, county, state and country regulations to understand your tax obligations. Read Also: How to start a business In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about sales tax. You’ll learn what sales tax is and if you even need to charge sales tax. Then, we’ll share a variety of different formulas to help you figure out how to calculate sales tax for your business. What is sales tax? Sales tax is a type of consumption tax that makes up a small percentage of the total sale amount. You only need to charge sales tax when someone buys goods or services from you. Upon receiving it, you then pass it on to the government. Sales tax is governed at the state level, with forty-five states and Washington D.C. all collecting sales tax to pay for things like schools, roads, and public safety. However, each state creates its own rules and laws - within a legal framework - when it comes to administering the tax. For example, the amount of sales tax you need to charge and the types of products and services that are taxable vary from state to state. Most states also allow local areas like cities and counties to have their own sales tax, so the total sales tax amount may be made up of three or four smaller components (the state tax rate, the county tax rate, and the county district tax rate, for example). Learn more: Best business ideas to start with little money   Do you need to charge sales tax? For traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, it’s easy to determine whether you need to charge sales tax and how much. If you only sell from one location, you would need to find the sales tax rate and charge that rate to all customers. Selling online, however, adds extra layers of complexity. Whether or not you need to charge sales tax depends on a few factors: 01. Are the items you’re selling taxable? Many physical items, like furniture, electronics, and books, are taxable, but certain services (like consulting or home repairs) are not subject to sales tax. Some items are also considered “necessities” and may not be taxable in all states. For example, grocery items, clothing, supplements, and digital products (books, music, movies, etc.) may not be taxable. Again, these guidelines vary by state, so make sure to check with each state’s taxing authority to find out if the products you sell are taxable. 02. Where are your customers located and do you have a nexus there? Sales tax generally depends on the ship-to location of the item (if you’re shipping an item to a customer in California, you may be required to pay sales taxes in California) and whether you have a strong connection to the state (referred to as a “nexus”). You’ll always have sales tax nexus in your home state, however the following business activities may subject you to that state’s sale tax regulations: Having an office, warehouse, store, or other physical presence of business Having an employee, contractor, salesperson, or other person doing work for your business Storing inventory Working with affiliates or someone who advertises your product in exchange for a portion of sales Having a dropshipping relationship (like a third-party that ships to your customers) Some states also impose sales thresholds for sales tax nexus. For example, if you have more than $100,000 in sales, you may be required to pay sales tax in that state. To understand your business’ tax responsibility, start by researching nexus laws  in states where your business has a physical presence or meets economic nexus thresholds. Once you’ve listed these states, it’s a good idea to confirm your list with a certified accountant. How to calculate sales tax Once you understand your sales tax obligations, it’s time to figure out just how much sales tax you need to collect. Identify the sales tax rate for each state where you pay taxes   Calculate the total transaction amount for an item   Calculate the sales tax percentage from the total   01. Identify the sales tax rate for each state where you pay taxes First, identify the sales tax rate  for each state where you are required to pay taxes. Then, multiply that rate by the selling price. When doing this step, don’t forget to transform the percentage into a decimal, so that 8% becomes .08. (Cost of the Item) * (Sales Tax Rate) = Total Sales Tax For example, in Seattle, the sales tax rate is 10.1% . If you wanted to calculate the sales tax required on a $50 item, the formula would be: 50 [Cost of the Item]  * .101 [Sales Tax Rate]  = $5.05 [Total Sales Tax] 02. Calculate the total transaction amount for an item If you wanted to calculate the total transaction amount for an item, combining the selling price and total sales tax required, you would multiply the selling price by 1 + the sales tax rate. (Cost of the Item) * (1 + Sales Tax Rate) = Total Transaction Cost Taking the same $50 item, the formula would be: 50  [Cost of the Item] * 1.101  [1 + Sales Tax Rate] = $55.05  [Total Transaction Cost] 03. Calculate the sales tax percentage from the total What if you want to figure out how to calculate the sales tax percentage from total? This could be helpful if you have receipts for the total transaction amount, but aren’t sure what percentage of that amount should be allocated for sales tax. The formula to calculate the sales tax percentage from total is: Total Sales Tax / Cost of the Item * 100 = Sales Tax Percentage from Total If you knew you sold a $50 item, with $5.05 in sales tax, you would use this formula to figure out the sales tax percentage: 5.05  [Total Sales Tax] / 50  [Cost of the Item] * 100 = 10.1 [Sales Tax Percentage from Total] Simplifying sales tax for your online store Calculating sales tax on your own can quickly become a manual, burdensome process when starting a business . Not only do you have to keep track of all your sales tax nexus locations and ensure you’re charging the right amount, you also have to stay on top of ever-evolving tax regulations. An easier way to manage sales tax is to use an automated sales tax solution. With an automated system, tax calculation for your business is hassle-free—all you need to do is select the states where you do business and the software takes care of the rest. Wix Merchants can take advantage of an automated sales tax  integration with Avalara, which automatically calculates sales tax for each location you sell to, so your customers always get real-time rates as they shop and check out. There’s no longer a need to rely on ZIP codes or rate tables because your sales tax rates are updated and calculated based on the most current rules worldwide. This automated system can reduce the time you spend on tax-related activities by 50% or more. To connect your Wix online store to Avalara: Log in to your Wix account. From your Wix site dashboard, click Settings. Select Store Tax. Click Get Automated Tax on the top right. Click + Add Country to add the regions you sell and ship anywhere in the world. Avalara will automatically calculate the tax compliance rate for each geo you add. Here are some guides to setting up your sales tax automations if you sell in home rule states  or Canada . Don’t have your online store up and running yet? Create your eCommerce site  and start selling today. How state tax is determined State income tax is a tax levied by state governments on the income of individuals and businesses within their jurisdictions. The specific way that state income tax is determined varies from state to state, but there are some general principles that apply. Determining taxable income The first step in determining state income tax liability is to calculate taxable income. This is done by taking the taxpayer's gross income and subtracting any allowable deductions and exemptions. Gross income is defined as all income from whatever source derived, including wages, salaries, tips, interest, dividends, capital gains, and rental income. Deductions are expenses that are allowed to be subtracted from gross income to reduce taxable income. Common deductions include standard deductions, itemized deductions for mortgage interest, charitable contributions, and state and local taxes paid. Exemptions are amounts of money that are subtracted from taxable income before tax is calculated. Common exemptions are for personal exemptions and exemptions for dependents. Calculating state income tax Once taxable income has been determined, the next step is to calculate the state income tax liability. This is done by applying the state income tax rate to taxable income. State income tax rates can be flat, meaning that the same rate applies to all income levels, or they can be progressive, meaning that higher rates apply to higher income levels. State income tax credits In addition to deductions and exemptions, many states also offer tax credits to reduce state income tax liability. Tax credits are dollar-for-dollar reductions in the amount of tax owed. Common tax credits include credits for child care expenses, education expenses, and renewable energy. State income tax withholding Most states require employers to withhold state income tax from their employees' paychecks. Withholding is a pay-as-you-go system that helps to ensure that taxpayers pay their state income tax throughout the year, rather than owing a large sum of money at the end of the year. State income tax filing Taxpayers are required to file a state income tax return if their taxable income exceeds the state's filing threshold. The filing deadline for state income taxes is typically April 15, but some states have different deadlines. Here are some additional factors that can affect state income tax liability: State residency:  Taxpayers are generally required to pay state income tax to the state where they reside. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, many states allow non-residents to credit taxes paid to their home state against their state income tax liability. Income from multiple states:  If a taxpayer earns income from more than one state, they may be required to file tax returns in multiple states. This can be complex, and it's often advisable to seek professional tax advice. State tax changes:  State income tax laws are constantly changing, so it's important to stay informed about the latest changes. The best way to do this is to consult with a tax advisor. How to calculate sales tax FAQ What states don’t have sales tax? There are five states in the United States that don't have a statewide sales tax: Alaska Delaware Montana New Hampshire Oregon These states generate revenue through other means, such as income taxes, property taxes and excise taxes. What states have the highest and the lowest sales tax? Highest sales tax:  California (9.25%) Lowest sales tax:  Colorado (2.9%) What is nexus? Nexus is a legal term that refers to a connection between a state and a business. If a business has nexus with a state, it's required to collect and remit sales tax on sales made to customers in that state. There are two types of nexus: physical nexus and economic nexus. Physical nexus:  This means that the business has a physical presence in the state, such as a store or office. Economic nexus:  This means that the business has a significant economic presence in the state, even if it doesn't have a physical presence. For example, if a business makes a lot of sales to customers in a state, it may be considered to have economic nexus with that state. What is value-added tax (VAT)? Value-added tax (VAT) is a type of consumption tax that is imposed on the value added to a product or service at each stage of production and distribution. The tax is paid by the final consumer, but it's collected by businesses at each stage of the supply chain. VAT is a common type of tax in Europe and Asia, but it's not used in the United States.

Maybe you sketched it on the back of a cocktail napkin or jotted it down in the middle of the night. Maybe it's been in the back of your mind for months—or even years. What is it? It’s a brand-new product idea and you have a hunch it could be a success. Transforming that inspiration into concrete reality—much less a product on a store shelf—can seem like a pipe dream. But with perseverance and plenty of research, you can design and manufacture a quality product that will resonate with customers and help you start your business . We’ll cover all the main steps in this blog. How to manufacture a product: 6 steps to get started Get clear on the concept Protect your idea Build a good-enough prototype Find a manufacturer Plan and test logistics Start manufacturing and monitoring 01. Get clear on the concept While a burst of inspiration may have gotten you started, you’ll need a much more concrete concept before moving forward with manufacturing . To get a clearer picture of what your product is, answer these questions: What is it? You might have a single object in mind or something that’s part of a larger set. Will buyers assemble it themselves, or does it come ready-made? If multiple sizes, styles, or colorways are involved, consider how many you’d like to offer, given that each variation adds to your initial production costs. Pro tip:  Research your options for raw materials, and keep sustainability in mind: 77% of consumers want to make more sustainable choices and 49% have paid a premium for products labeled eco-friendly or socially responsible in the past 12 months, a survey from IBM  found. Who will be interested in it?   Conduct research to understand the size, makeup and location of the potential market for your product. Identify other brands that serve a similar audience and study their offerings—as well as styles, features, and pricing that seem to resonate with buyers. Consider surveying your potential audience and tap experts in the industry through professional organizations and trade shows. This additional background research will not only help cement your product concept, it can help you flesh out a business plan, plus attract investors or secure a bank loan to finance development. Where can it be sold? If the ideal marketplace for your product is through a major retailer, your strategy will be different than if you plan to sell it exclusively through an online store . In general, selling directly online is a quick way to move your goods into the market while waiting to finalize dealer and retailer partnerships. What’s your unique selling point ? Your product may not be an entirely new invention but iit may offer updated technology, features that appeal to a specific audience, or new style options. Define what makes your product different from other products that are like it. 02. Protect your idea Once you have a concrete product idea to introduce to potential investors, suppliers, and manufacturers, take proactive steps to ensure you retain ownership and creative control. At this stage, it’s a good idea to consult an attorney. Create an NDA As you begin sharing your concept and seeking manufacturing bids, a well-crafted non-disclosure agreement (NDA) helps to protect against improper use, copying, or sharing of your idea or the information you’ve collected and created in the process. An NDA also requires any designers or producers who work on your product development  to return materials they’ve created or used once their work is done, ensuring that your trade secrets stay secure. File a patent with the help of an attorney If you believe your idea is inventive, you can research existing patents and publications to determine whether your product may be patentable. With a patent, you can prevent others from making, using, or selling your invention without your consent. A patent can cover both your product and any innovations in materials or processes you use, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. A working prototype is not necessary before filing a patent application, so making early preparations to file can streamline the process and save on legal fees when the time is right. Protect your branding Consider obtaining a federal trademark registration for the name, logo, or other branding of your new product once they’ve been created. Where applicable, you may want to make a copyright registration for any associated artwork, creative designs or original music. Make sure you’re in the clear If you’re building on someone else’s technology or incorporating existing designs into your products, run a check on existing patents, trademarks, and copyrights. That way, you’ll avoid accidentally infringing on others’ work and can obtain any required licensing upfront, without needing to pay costly fines or legal fees. In addition to preventing others from copying or stealing your work, these safeguards may come in handy when selling via retailers and third-party marketplaces. The U.S. government has identified more than three dozen online marketplaces  as hotbeds for counterfeits and pirated products. In response, multiple marketplace sites have begun vetting sellers to ensure they own or have permission to use intellectual property associated with their wares. 03. Build a good-enough prototype With solid research, a concrete product idea, and legal protections in place, it’s time to make the physical product for the first time. Start with a prototype, which can be a single item or a limited-production run to test how your idea actually works in real life. Hire professionals to help You may need to enlist engineers, designers, artisans or other experts to build your product. This will enable you to obtain a reliable and realistic prototype that you can confidently show as an accurate representation of your idea. At the same time, don’t wait for perfection In fact, you may want to use the concept of a minimum viable product (MVP) to guide development. Rather than waiting until every detail is exactly right, you can create an MVP with the most essential product features and begin collecting feedback from testers to shape the final version. If speed to market is a factor—e.g., a competitor is planning to launch a similar product and you’d like to be the first to market—you may even decide to launch the MVP version to the public and add other features in an upgraded edition later (though tread carefully). Think about product packaging Use your prototype to start designing the product packaging . Bulky or oddly-shaped items might be costly to transport, and extra labels and materials may be necessary to pack component parts, so getting an early start on packaging can influence the product design itself and inform the initial price of your product. 04. Find a manufacturer Once your prototype is tested and refined, you’re ready to find manufacturers  and put your project out to bid. Finding the right partner to transform raw materials into your finished product is a complex process. Logistics, sourcing relationships, pricing, and other considerations may influence your decision, so weigh your options carefully and don’t rush this step. Start with very specific requirements Assemble detailed specifications, measurements, schematic drawings, and even swatches or samples of raw materials that you have in mind to help manufacturers understand the scope of the undertaking. It may also be worthwhile to connect manufacturers with the designers or engineers that helped you design the prototype and/or sharing testers’ feedback as you talk through the options for producing at scale. In addition, consider what quantity you need to launch, how often you think you’ll be replenishing your stock, and how quickly you’ll need items to ship. Are you planning to store inventory at a retail location or warehouse, or will you dropship items on demand? Ask about your manufacturers’ capabilities upfront and document details like production turnaround and order lead times. Evaluate the pros and cons of domestic and overseas options Overseas manufacturers are plentiful and tend to offer lower prices than manufacturers in the U.S. But the past two years have shown how an unstable global supply chain can impact even the smallest retailers, so consider whether the risk is worth the cost savings. Additionally, domestic manufacturers enable more control over the safety, quality, and provenance of raw materials—all important considerations, given consumers’ growing expectations around sustainability and sourcing transparency. Working conditions for employees are another potential flashpoint; domestic manufacturers will by and large adhere to U.S. labor laws. Meanwhile, you may need to request that overseas manufacturers follow a code of conduct you specify, but you may have no legal recourse to enforce that behavior. Obtain quotes and order samples Once you have a list of prospective manufacturers, request price quotes based on the detailed information you’ve provided. Select at least two top contenders for comparison and request that they make samples. Evaluate these samples for quality, durability, and safety. Compare your original specifications to the finished product. Did the manufacturer follow your instructions thoroughly? This stage is a good time to gauge how easy it is to work with manufacturers, as well. While you don’t want to invent reasons to complicate the process, don’t hesitate to request assistance, provide feedback, and even ask for multiple samples in different styles, sizes, or colorways. Is your manufacturer responsive to emails, text messages, or calls? How detail-oriented are they? How do they handle supplemental requests? Negotiate terms and finalize the agreement While manufacturers may ask for payment upfront for an initial shipment, expect and negotiate for more flexibility when it comes to subsequent orders, e.g., 50% payment when placing the order and 50% when products are received. Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure timeframes and other expectations are spelled out clearly, and consider having an attorney review the contract to ensure that it’s clear, legal, and enforceable. Learn more: Product sourcing 05. Plan and test logistics Once you have a manufacturer agreement in hand, finalize the logistics  of moving your goods from the factory to customers. More than four in five consumers say they won’t return to a brand after a poor delivery experience, according to a survey from FarEye , so it’s essential that you invest time during the pre-launch period to streamline the process. Get a holistic view of fulfillment Use a solution, such as Wix for eCommerce , to centralize your inventory management  across all of your sales channels, apps, and fulfillment partners. Having a source of truth (or a unified system) is the first step to avoiding costly errors due to inventory mismanagement. Get your multichannel operations in order If you store and fulfill orders through a program like fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), make sure that you’re fully aware of any product prep instructions, lead times and other factors that impact your logistics. Prepare for good problems and headaches When your product launches, you may experience a rush of orders that outpaces production. This is a good problem to have, but one that can lead to customer dissatisfaction if you don’t have a system in place to expedite backlogged orders. Your manufacturer agreement should include pricing and expectations for placing rush orders, and you may want to consider building up a reservoir of emergency stock. Once your product has a track record of typical monthly or seasonal demand, you’ll be able to predict inventory needs and can judiciously reduce the reserves. Don’t forget about reverse logistics Prepare in advance for returns with a robust reverse logistics operation and a plan for returned merchandise, whether resale or recycling. Double-check the agreement with the manufacturer to ensure that costs are shared in the event of returns due to product defects or recalls. 06. Start manufacturing and monitoring As you ramp up production at last, take a moment to celebrate. But remember that your work is just beginning. Monitor operations closely for quality control, and stay in close communication with your manufacturer as products begin rolling off the assembly line so that you can respond to any unforeseen glitches. Launch a marketing campaign to drive interest Let new and existing customers know about your product using a tool like Wix’s eCommerce marketing  features. Consider incentivizing orders with special thank-you gifts, extra loyalty points, and hashtag contests on social media. Don’t forget to give your manufacturer a heads up so that they’re not surprised by the influx of orders. Use early customer feedback to perfect product content If early buyers are flooding customer support with questions or complaints, re-examine your online product content to ensure that images and descriptions are accurate and set realistic expectations. (Need inspiration? Check out these standout product page examples .) Consider proactively addressing the most frequently-asked questions in how-to videos, FAQs, or in your product descriptions. Respond to reviews promptly and respectfully. Document recurring feedback so that updates or future iterations of your product can incorporate customers’ suggestions. How to manufacture a product FAQ What are the crucial main steps when it comes to manufacturing a product? Product design and conceptualization Material sourcing and procurement Prototyping and testing Tooling and setup Production and assembly Quality control and assurance Packaging and distribution What are the 5 P's of manufacturing? The 5 P's of manufacturing are: 1. People : Skilled workforce and management 2. Product: Design, quality, and features 3. Process: Production methods and efficiency 4. Plant : Facilities, equipment and location 5. Planning : Scheduling, inventory management and forecasting How do you manufacture a new product without having a complete factory? You can manufacture a new product without owning a complete factory by partnering with contract manufacturers or co-packers who handle production for you. These companies produce goods based on your specifications, allowing you to reduce startup costs and leverage their expertise. Shared facilities and maker spaces are also great for small-scale production or prototyping, as they offer access to professional-grade equipment without large investments. Before scaling up, focus on creating prototypes and testing to refine your product and ensure it meets quality standards. This approach helps you manage risks while building a solid foundation for manufacturing.

Get started by:  Creating an online store →  |  Getting a domain → If you're thinking about selling on Etsy, then you’re likely left with an important question: How much does it cost? While there are plenty of things to take into consideration, one thing you must evaluate with any online marketplace is the true cost of selling through that channel. In this blog, we’ll cover the various fees associated with selling on Etsy, plus tips for adding Etsy to your multichannel sales strategy. With humble beginnings in a Brooklyn apartment, Etsy is now one of the leading eCommerce  marketplaces on the web, offering sellers the potential to reach higher revenues and new audiences. Set up your eCommerce website  with Wix and start selling today. What is Etsy? Etsy is a global eCommerce marketplace with a primary focus on handmade, vintage and artisanal items. It’s a hotspot for people looking to snag—or sell—one-of-a-kind goods you wouldn’t find in most big-box stores. Established in Brooklyn, New York in 2005, Etsy has become one of the top eCommerce marketplaces , distinguishing itself from larger players like Amazon and eBay through its specialized product offerings. According to Statista, the platform had over 95 million active buyers  in 2023 and 7.5 million active sellers, with revenue topping $2.6 billion. Selling on Etsy  is one avenue you can take toward diversifying your eCommerce income. Multichannel selling is an effective way to reach new audiences beyond those only visiting your website. Learn more: Amazon alternatives Mandatory Etsy seller fees for 2024 You may have seen Etsy claim that “All it takes is 20 cents to get started.” While that’s not totally off, there are several other required fees to take into account. Type of fee Amount Listing fee $0.20 per item Transaction fee 6.5% Payment processing fee 3%+$0.25 per transaction Offsite ads (high volume sellers) 12% Currency conversion 2.5% Regulatory fees Cost varies Listing fees: $0.20 per item This is where the “20 cents” comes from. For every item you publish on Etsy.com, you must pay a flat fee of $0.20 (USD). You’ll be charged this fee whether or not your product actually sells, and your account will be charged as soon as you hit “publish” on a listing. Keep in mind that there are other quirks regarding Etsy listing fees: Auto-renewal :   If your item hasn’t sold after four months, Etsy will automatically renew your listing (read: charge you another $0.20). You can opt out of auto-renewal from your account, which means you’ll have to manually repost a listing once it has expired. Multi-quantity listings :   If a customer buys multiple units of the same product, then you’ll be charged $0.20 per unit (unless your units are sold as a single pack). For instance, say that you list a T-shirt for sale and a customer decides to buy 10 of them in different colors. You will be charged a grand total of $2 in listing fees, or $0.20 per additional unit after the first T-shirt sold, which you already paid a listing fee for. Multipacks and pre-bundled items :   When multiple products are prepackaged together and   sold as a single product, you will only be charged one listing fee per pack. Private listing :   On Etsy, you have the option to list certain items for sale just for a particular buyer to see. These types of listings will be subject to the same $0.20 listing fee. Transaction fee: 6.5% A transaction fee is what you pay whenever you make a sale on Etsy. It’s currently 6.5% of the total sales price and includes the cost of shipping, gift wrapping and product personalization. (However, on your Etsy bill, your transaction fee will appear as two different line items: transaction fees deducted from your product price and transaction fees deducted from your shipping cost.) For sellers in the U.S. and Canada, this fee is based on the pre-tax total. Payment processing fee: 3% + $0.25 per transaction The processing fee covers the costs of handling credit card or bank transactions when using Etsy Payments . Sellers in 52 eligible countries (including the U.S. and Canada) have access to this tool, which accepts PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, credit cards and debit cards. Etsy Payments charges a flat rate ($0.25 USD) and a percentage of the final sales price (3%), including tax and shipping, for sellers in the U.S. Outside of the U.S., processing fees vary by country .   Offsite Ads (for high-volume sellers): 12% Offsite Ads are ads that Etsy places on behalf of its merchants to drive more business to its marketplace. Offsite Ads appear on search and social media destinations (think selling on Instagram ), as well as other select media sites. All sellers are automatically enrolled in Offsite Ads—and if your Etsy shop has earned more than $10,000 in the last 365 days (as calculated on the first day of the month), you are required to stay enrolled. You will be charged 12% of the total sales price whenever someone purchases your product from an Offsite Ad. This advertising fee will never exceed $100 USD. You will also remain enrolled for the lifetime of your shop, even if you fall below the $10,000 threshold on a later date. The fine print :   If a customer clicks on an Offsite Ad that features one of your listings, then buys something from your shop within 30 days of that click, this will be attributed to an Offside Ad. For example, say that an Offsite Ad features a $25 lamp you sell. If someone clicks on the ad and decides to buy a $500 table you offer, you’ll be charged the 12% fee even though the ad was for your lamp. Now, let’s say that within that same 30-day period, the customer purchases your $25 lamp—that too will incur the 12% fee. In addition to this, you will still be responsible for paying shipping transaction fees or other applicable fees. Currency conversion fee: 2.5% If your company attracts international business and uses Etsy Payments, you will be charged a 2.5% currency conversion fee on your total sales price (including the cost of shipping, gift wrapping and personalization). Put another way, this fee will be applied whenever the currency on your shop’s listing is different from the currency of your Payments account. Regulatory operating fees: cost varies Merchants located in select countries outside the U.S. are subject to regulatory operating fees  in addition to the standard Etsy fees. The regulatory operating fee is a fixed percentage of your total sales price (including the cost of shipping, gift wrapping and personalization). This fee ranges from 0.32% to 1.1%. Optional Etsy fees for 2024 On top of these base costs, Etsy offers optional services that carry their own costs. Etsy Ads: cost varies Etsy offers onsite ads to boost the visibility of your items. Fees for these ads are “pay per click” (PPC), meaning that you incur charges any time a person clicks on your Etsy Ad, whether or not they proceed to buy your product. The cost per click is determined based on an auction system. You can set a daily budget, which essentially tells Etsy how much you’re willing to pay for a single click on your ad. When you’re first starting out, you’ll be allowed a maximum daily budget of $25. Etsy will recalculate this limit on a weekly basis for Etsy Payments users, and on a monthly basis for users who aren’t enrolled in Etsy Payments. Offsite Ads (for lower volume sellers): 15% If your Etsy shop has generated less than $10,000 in sales over the last 365 days (as calculated on the first day of the month), you can opt out of the Offsite Ads program. Sellers below this threshold are charged a higher fee (15%) for Offsite Ads than those who exceed the threshold (12%). Shipping labels: cost varies If you choose to leverage Etsy Shipping, you can save up to 30% on shipping costs from USPS, FedEx and Canada Post. You can also print labels directly from your Etsy account. Doing so automatically marks items as shipped and adds a tracking number to the order—both of which can help boost your seller ranking and earn you Etsy’s Star Seller badge. In-person selling fee: $0.20 If you have a physical store and use Square as your POS system , you can sync your Etsy listings with your store inventory. The benefit of this is that if someone purchases your product in stores, your listed quantity on your Etsy page will be updated automatically. There’s no extra charge beyond the usual listing fees when your Etsy listings are synced with Square. However, if you sell an item via Square that’s not  synced with your Etsy listings, you’ll be charged a separate $0.20 fee that shows up as a “Square manual” fee on your Etsy bill. Square charges additional processing fees  for each transaction, which varies by the type of sale. Etsy Plus: $10 per month Etsy Plus is an optional subscription service that offers perks, such as: 15 listing credits each subscription cycle $5 in Etsy Ad credits each subscription cycle Etsy Shop customization Ability to accept restock requests from your shop Discounts on web domains, custom shipping boxes, business cards and more An example of an Etsy bill To put all this into perspective, let’s pretend you sell snazzy dog collars. They cost you $10 to make and you sell them on Etsy for $20. Your customer pays $5 in shipping and $1 in tax, bringing their total price to $26. You have sold less than $10,000 in the last 365 days, but you choose to pay for Offsite Ads for extra exposure. Here’s what your bill shakes out to be at the end of the transaction. Etsy takes a total of $6.61 from your sale, or 25% of the total amount that your customer paid at checkout. The bottom line: Etsy should supplement—not replace—your online store Etsy, no doubt, has its perks and can bring lots of business your way. But there’s also no denying that selling on Etsy comes with a cost (albeit, so does selling on Amazon , selling on eBay , selling on Facebook Marketplace , and selling on any other marketplace). These costs present their own challenges: Smaller margins :   As the hypothetical example above shows, the costs can add up quickly, which means you may not be able to price your items competitively if you want to maintain a decent margin. Rising fees : As on any marketplace, policies and fees can change at any time. Etsy has increased its transaction fees twice since 2018. The most recent change was in April of 2022, prompting a temporary strike  among sellers. Your brand is secondary : Customers come to Etsy for Etsy. Read: they trust Etsy, which is why Etsy is a great destination for both buyers and sellers. On the flip side, customers may not pay as much attention to the individual shop that they’re purchasing from, making it harder for you to establish brand recognition and earn repeat business. Popularity means more competition : Etsy’s rapid growth has attracted more sellers than ever, which means your products may not stand out unless you invest in paid placements.   To avoid becoming over-reliant on Etsy and having to pay fees for every sale you make, leverage Etsy as a complement to your online store. You can start an online store  with a no-hassle platform like Wix eCommerce, which includes built-in tools for inventory and price management, marketing, multichannel sales  and more. Read also: Best online selling sites It’s never too early to start creating an ecosystem that belongs 100% to your brand, which is why it's so important to know how to create a website . You can control the messaging, visuals and the overall user experience, helping customers to remember your brand name and be loyal to you—not just Etsy. 3 tips for success in selling on Etsy With that said, here are some tips for striking the right balance between Etsy and your online store: 01. Curate your Etsy selection Just because you sell on Etsy doesn’t mean you have to make all of your products available at once. Consider offering a limited selection of top sellers or product lines that you believe would perform well on Etsy. Doing so can help you to better define Etsy’s role in your overall strategy, run controlled experiments and strategically optimize your Etsy listings. As a way of introducing Etsy shoppers to your brand, you can experiment with sets or sampler packs that showcase the breadth of your brand’s offering. 02. Invest in an amazing customer experience on your site When it comes to your online store, you’ll want to make sure that it’s in tip-top shape so that when an Etsy buyer (or any  buyer, for that matter) wanders to your site, they won’t be disappointed. Make sure your product pages, images and descriptions are up to snuff. Ensure that your products are easy to find. Incorporate videos, social proof and other creative content that draws your shoppers closer to your brand. 03. Optimize your listings Whether on Etsy or your branded site—every listing you publish should be carefully crafted. Take the time to tailor your product description to your target buyer, which may differ from channel to channel. Offer a variety of high-quality product photos, and don’t skimp out on product attributes. One surprisingly easy mistake to make is misclassification when listing a product to multiple channels. Every marketplace has its own way of categorizing products; double-check that you’re using the best category and subcategory for Etsy, and that you provide all the details that customers expect when browsing items here. All in all, Etsy’s unique and enthusiastic audience could be a great fit for your brand. But it goes without saying that you’ll want to monitor your costs closely and have a plan for building up your brand both on and off Etsy. Read also: How to start a business , eCommerce vs marketplaces Sell on Etsy FAQ Is it worth it to sell on Etsy? Whether or not it's worth it to sell on Etsy depends on your individual circumstances and goals. Etsy is a great platform for selling handmade, vintage and craft items, but it's not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes time and effort to build a successful Etsy shop. However, if you're willing to put in the work, you can make a good living selling on Etsy. What is the downside of Etsy? There are a few downsides to selling on Etsy. One is that the competition is fierce. There are millions of sellers on Etsy, so it can be difficult to get your products noticed. Another downside is that Etsy takes a cut of every sale you make. This can eat into your profits, especially if you are selling low-margin items. What sells best on Etsy? There are a wide variety of products that sell well on Etsy. Some of the most popular categories include jewelry, handmade crafts, vintage items and home décor. Is Etsy a good side hustle?

What are Infographics?   Information graphics – or infographics in short –  are used to visualize information rather than conveying in through text. Though different types of infographics have been around for ages (maps are a kind of infographic too), they’ve been enjoying a sweeping revival thanks to the internet in the last few years. Two things make a great infographic: 1. Great design 2. Interesting data The following 10 examples show just what infographics should be: funny, smart, revealing, witty and downright stunning. Take a look and let us know what’s your favorite one!

They say that in 7 years, you can become an expert in anything. Even so—who has 10,000 hours on their hands? Web creators and designers finding their feet in the industry need a far more streamlined way to learn the fundamentals of web design . But let’s be real—streamlining processes isn’t just for beginners. Advanced designers juggling multiple clients need to be familiar with the fundamentals, too, so they can build sites by muscle memory—and deliver client projects like clockwork. 5 web design fundamentals for successful creators 1. Understand website structure and styles 2. Use responsive design to create for different screen sizes 3. Populate and control content 4. Employ different layouting tools 5. Add interactions and effects 01. Understand website structure and styles What makes good website design ? Many things, to be frank, but a solid structure and brand is the baseline. First, structure. Without a visual hierarchy, website elements lack relationships between each other, and users may find it difficult to understand which information is most important on the page. When we say “hierarchy” we mean the HTML structure of elements on a page. Understanding these relationships empowers designers with the knowledge they need to control every aspect of the website and create the behaviors they want users to experience. Establishing a cohesive brand identity for the site is equally important. And when it comes to adding styles, an understanding of website color schemes and typography is key. As you probably know, these factors are critical to communicating a website’s brand, and ensure site content is accessible and legible. Learning how to apply them efficiently (often with the help of a design system) gives designers the ability to create brands’ online presences at scale. 02. Use responsive design create for different screen sizes The total number of mobile devices worldwide is due to reach 16.8 billion this year. With endless new models being released by the day, there’s no one standard screen size to design for. As such, modern designers need to create fluid websites that adjust in appearance and functionality, depending on the device they’re being viewed on. You can achieve this with responsive design. But what are the fundamentals of responsive web design? Breakpoints are the first concept to familiarize yourself with. A breakpoint represents a range of screen sizes. When designing for desktop, your layout should suit screens that are 1001px and larger in width. For tablet, you can work with 751px to 1000px and, for 750px and below, you’re into mobile territory. On Wix Studio , you can also create custom breakpoints for specific viewports. Using fluid measurement units, docking and positioning, you can cause website elements to shift and resize, even between breakpoints. You can learn more about r esponsive vs adaptive design in our complete guide. 3. Populate and control content Of all the web design principles and elements creators should verse themselves in, arguably the most important are those that give a website its character. That means you need to understand how to populate and control content. Content brings wireframes to life, and the possibilities are endless. However, there are a few concepts you can get comfortable with to move towards mastering content. We’ve spoken about the relevance of typography, but proper text sizing and scale lets your choice of fonts sing across screen sizes. As well as dictating how legible website text is, your ability to let text grow and shrink based on screen size is a key component of the responsive experience. Media and decorative elements, from PNGs to SVGs , are also crucial. They create the visual story of every site. Beyond the first step of designing, commissioning, or sourcing media, it’s integral that you understand how to add them to sites and how to control their appearance and behavior. Whether that’s tweaking their colors, opacity, sizing, or even animating them, getting versed in the different ways you can add interest to sites is a key skill. Website content isn’t just there for aesthetics, though. Menus and buttons are types of navigational content you should verse yourself in. These give website visitors the ability to take actions and interact with the site, making them just as fundamental for designers. 4. Employ different layouting tools A website can function without being usable. Behind most poor UIs are inadequate website layouts:. If a site lacks a clear way to navigate through its components and content, users will inevitably end up confused or, worse, frustrated. To combat that, an understanding of the website layouting tools at your disposal is the best weapon. 5. Add interactions and effects The industry’s come a long way since the most we could expect from a website was a cute raster image—thanks, Flash. Nowadays, you can find interactions in use across the web, and code-free versions are constantly growing in popularity. As well as adding intrigue to sites, interactions provide an avenue for website visitor engagement. Click and hover interactions are 2 powerful options. By applying them, and even combining them, the world of interactive elements is your oyster.

Small as it may seem, a logo plays a very important role for your brand, communicating its values and message to potential customers in just seconds. However, it's possible that as your brand grows and changes, it will shift its messaging and outgrow its initial logo. For example, Visa slightly altered its logo in January 2022, adding a new triad of colors to resemble an equal sign, representing access, equality and inclusion. Google followed suit in February, subtly eliminating shadows and opting for a flat design to achieve more accessible logo. But while multinational corporations can more easily prioritize their budget to update their logo, it’s more likely that small business owners—even when shifting their brand messaging—will use that money for operational costs, forgoing hiring a design agency to redesign its initial logo. Take Wix-users Carmelle and Kirk Sproule of Milestone , a Calgary-based construction and renovation company that works to build safety into all their projects after losing their home to a fire in 2017. While they started their company focusing on commercial projects like doctors' offices, schools and churches, they’re ready to upgrade their branding to reach new clients like restaurants within Calgary’s saturated market. Current Milestone logo “Our current logo was created without much direction or purpose,” Carmelle says. “Since we’re trying to target new clients, we want something that feels a little more updated, modern and eye-catching. It’s especially important since many of our projects come from current projects, where people can see our signage posted outside of the site, or on trucks.” We at Wix think brand-worthy logo updates shouldn’t only be accessible to those with multinational corporation-sized budgets. That’s why we created the Wix Logo Maker —an online design tool powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) that empowers brands to create and customize a professional logo. While Carmelle and Kirk are more than capable of using the logo maker on their own, we thought it would be fun to take one thing off their hands—and inspire a healthy dose of competition here at Wix. So we gave a design brief, a quick overview of the business and *total creative freedom* to 12 Wix marketers with the challenge of designing an updated logo for the construction company. These marketers ranged from product marketing and research and development, to search engine optimization and even a professional inspirer. The idea was that folks at Milestone would pick their favorite option, and the lucky Wix employee would receive bragging rights. While the Wix marketers aren’t professional logo designers, they do know a bit about branding, so we’ll also share key insights they used while creating their logos. Use them to go and make your best version of your own logo—whether it’s your first for a brand new venture, or a refresh of your own. The Brief An important aspect of logo design is to first outline your brand identity , which extends across all of your branding collateral. This includes understanding your target audience, your competitors, your brand messaging and the spaces (online and offline) where customers interact with your brand. For the purposes of our competition, we intentionally gave our team unlimited artistic license. However, as you create your own, it’s essential to also consider the type of logo and the stylistic direction you’d like to take your design. For example, do you want a logo that is modern and fresh, or classic and retro? Questions like these should be answered upfront, and you can read our comprehensive guide on how to design a logo to help you get started. Here’s what we told the Wix marketing team during the brief stage: Business: Milestone Construction and Renovations Industry: Home and commercial construction and renovations Current branding assets: Milestone works predominantly in commercial projects like doctors' offices, schools and churches but they want to expand into restaurants and other spaces. They use their logo on their website, social channels, branded merchandise, signage, letterhead, business cards and more. Here’s what the Wix marketers came up with: 01. “Formal and approachable” Inspiration behind the design: “Since Milestone founders are looking to expand their business, I was looking to balance between a formal and approachable design. This way they can showcase that they’re an established firm, yet still show they are a small local business. I chose a simple logo color palette of red and black to pay tribute to the Calgary flag .” –Shachaf Rodberg, Professional Inspirer Feedback from Milestone: “Nice and clean, not sure it feels construction-y enough to me. Red is a nice nod to the city of Calgary.” 02. “Clean and modern” Inspiration behind the design: “Given the current client base of Milestone and the prospective clients they are looking to reach, I think a clean and modern aesthetic works best. For the logo icon, I chose this one because it shows a minimalist outline of a house with the bottom part that makes it look whole. Milestone is a family business, so this also embodies their brand values, giving potential clients a sense of their service from start to finish—like a full cycle.” – Galya Nash, SEO Manager Feedback from Milestone: “This feels too residential for us, since we also cater to the commercial side. But I really like the layout of the design and the positioning on this one.” 03. “Modern with a twist” Inspiration behind the design: “I wanted to design a logo for Milestone that used elements from their current branding assets—but with an update. Looking at today’s logo trends , I decided to create a 3D inspired logo of an abstract shape. Since Milestone works in a range of projects, this shape is meant to indicate the process of construction and renovation, but in an intentionally ambiguous form. The logo color combination includes soft gray and shale, both colors of rock and stone—which represents both the brand name, and the materials they work with. The muted teal color to brings a natural element into the mix.” – Kylie Goldstein, Branding Expert and Content Marketer Feedback from Milestone: “I like the boldness. It feels relevant to construction. I would maybe use an ampersand (&) instead of the full word "and" in the middle, to focus on the bottom line. I like the colors.” 04. “Limitless possibilities” Inspiration behind the design: “To me, it seems that, as a business, Milestone embodies sturdiness—but also endless possibilities. A milestone is just one step in a long process, and I wanted the logo to convey that idea. Since the business is looking to expand into restaurants and other spaces, I picked this cardboard-box-type icon because it was abstract and portrayed the idea of being in-progress. In terms of the color palette, I picked “Fall Garden” because the neutral beige grounded the image with a homey, calming feeling, but then the teal and navy pops of color added some liveliness. I also chose to italicize “Renovations and Construction” to create contrast against the name “Milestone,” which I think has a certain strength to it.” – Liz Steelman, Editor-in-Chief, Wix.com Blog Feedback from Milestone: “I love the backstory and thought that went into it, but for me, it’s a bit confusing without the context. A little too abstract for us and our clients.” 05. “Retro chic” Inspiration behind the design: “Given Calgary’s proximity to the Rocky Mountains, I wanted to use specific logo shapes to create a mountain motif. The triangles also serve as the letter M, creating a unique icon that can be used on its own on social channels or branded merchandise. I also wanted to channel a retro logo design because old is new again—and I feel that, in a way, the construction and renovation projects Milestone has worked on are timeless. They scale things back to the original and then start fresh, so I wanted to echo a classic feel, but in a modern way.” – Amanda Weiner, Content Optimization Specialist Feedback from Milestone: “I really like it. The M concept is cool, but we’d need to tweak it a little bit to be a clearer version of an M. It might work if we opened the bottom slightly and tightened it up.” 06. “Home is where the heart is” Inspiration behind the design: “When you design and renovate a space, it has to be connected to the heart, to the end customer and the lives who will use this space as their center. I designed this logo with the idea that Milestone can use the entire combination mark logo, as well as the house with a heart icon on its own for merchandise, social and branding assets.” - Einav Danon, Product Marketing Manager for The Wix Logo Maker Feedback from Milestone: “This doesn't cater enough to our commercial clients. We also have large scale commercial projects, and I worry the heart (although I like it) might send the wrong message.” 07. “Strength and stability” Inspiration behind the design: “This logo is based on the hard, solid sans serif font to represent the stability of the company and the sort of work they do. The symbol is based on the big M from Milestone, and is a metaphor for roofs, buildings and growth. The logo color combination is based on the Wix logo maker suggestion, named Blue Steel to represent the company's stable base.” – Effy Fisher, Wix UX Designer Feedback from Milestone: “I really like this one. It feels like a good fit for all of our projects. Again, not wild about red, but I like the concept. The size and composition is tight enough and the spacing works.” 08. “Sophisticated simplicity” Inspiration behind the design: “Since this is a construction and renovations company, I want the logo to arouse a feeling that the company is reliable, responsible, professional and has a sophisticated sense of design. In order to do so, I used a simple, formal and timeless design with clean lines and a color palette consisting of only three solid colors.” – Maayan Israelovitz, FED Developer for The Wix Logo Maker Feedback from Milestone: “It’s nice, but too simple. Our logo needs to be able to draw people in.” 09. “Community roots” Inspiration behind the design: “I thought it was important to stay true to their construction roots with the wall logo. But the updated colors add a more modern twist to show the creativity of their renovations and future work. It's dynamic without being too bold. The design is vibrant and alive—which is something a creative company should embody in their logo—but not too dramatic, due to the nature of the majority of their clients. Still, it has a homely feel to it, reflecting the community buildings they renovate.” – Rebecca Tomasis, Organic Growth Expert Feedback from Milestone: “Conceptually, she nailed it. But it feels more community oriented, and I'm not sure it’s modern enough for us. I prefer something a bit tighter, and feel like it takes up too much space.” 10. “A strong foundation” Inspiration behind the design: “My goal for this logo was to keep it simple. I first answered a few core questions: Is it playful? Modern? What message does it need to convey? I considered the brand values of Milestone, and wanted to suit the needs of the business, so I intentionally limited my options to reduce the noise and design with more intention. Next, I played around with options that the AI in the construction logo maker provided me, and used different icons and fonts from other designs, choosing specific elements that I felt created a composed look altogether. For this logo, I also took logo psychology into consideration, using an icon of a house, playing with negative space and utilizing the gestalt principles . For the text, I chose a logo font that is modern, but has substance and weight to it. I wanted to choose something that is strong, with a good structure and sturdy foundation to anchor the design and carry the brand messaging.” – Ofir Tamir, Senior Brand and Marketing Designer Feedback from Milestone: “I like this one, especially the abstract nature of it. I'm not wild about the font. It has a pop of color that would work well on a variety of merchandise.” 11. “Building blocks” Inspiration behind the design: “I used the gestalt principle of closure, with an intentionally unfinished shape so that the viewer's mind tries to finish it. It’s “building” the letter M. For the color palette, I looked at Milestone’s Instagram feed and noticed a theme of blue throughout. They also tend to use many shades of light brown, so I used the blue to contrast this. For the typography, I used a slab serif font in lowercase to balance the mark and to keep it from being too heavy. I then juxtaposed this with an all caps tagline which gives some weight at the bottom and serves as the foundation of the logo design, while mirroring the value of the brand and the very work that they do.” – Judit Ruiz Ricart, Head of Content Strategy and Growth, Wix Blog Feedback from Milestone: "I like it. I would prefer everything to be all caps in order to love it." 12. “Indoor outdoor concept” Inspiration behind the design: “For this logo, I wanted to balance natural and raw elements, since Milestone works in construction and building. I used a bright pop of green to contrast the gray, to mimic the feel of an indoor and outdoor concept. Mostly, I kept it simple. I used a subtle brick motif to represent the building and growing aspects of the business. I want it to be easy to read and remember.” - Kyle Place, SEO Specialist Feedback from Milestone: "Nice composition. Shows what industry we're in clearly. Nice and clean." The takeaways: Be specific . In the initial brief, Milestone said they wanted a modern logo design, but modern is open for interpretation—as seen by the range of logo designs included above. Whether you design your own logo or work with a designer, be as specific as possible with the aesthetic you’re after. Know your audience . Be aware of your target audience and intent. In Milestone’s case, they were less interested in an abstract design, and were more interested in a literal visualization of their business/industry. Make necessary adjustments. It’s important to note that all of Milestone’s constructive feedback is completely adjustable. For example, changing the color, tightening spacing or adjusting fonts are all possible in the logo maker. You can use AI presets, or create from scratch. You can make any minor adjustments or tweaks as needed. And the winner is…. Milestone felt that this logo was the most on brand for their current and prospective clients. Since they work on both commercial and residential projects, this logo feels the most appropriate. They said they’d still like to make small adjustments to the letter "M" icon, and possibly test out a few other colors. This was also the most versatile option to use across all their branding assets, which includes everything from car wraps to baseball caps. Thank you to Milestone for sharing their feedback with us and letting us create some logo options for their business. Want to try and create your own? Remember that even if you have limited design experience, the Logo Maker can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. You can check out some of our logo design tips and logo ideas to help you get started. You can also explore our round up of the best real estate logos or famous logos for even more inspiration. If you want more specific niches, try our tech logos or podcast logos . Read more about brand redesign with Jackie Treitz , the mind behind Netflix’s Motel Makeover designer.

When you think of a hacker, it’s likely you picture a villainous mastermind sitting in a dark basement, decked out in a black hoodie and the glow of their monitor as they try to steal precious data. But what if we were to tell you the hacker isn’t always the antagonist, and in bug bounty programs, hackers are actually the heroes? Meet bug bounty programs— programs that aim to reduce breaches over time by compensating “ethical hackers,” or non-affiliated security researchers, to spot holes in a company’s security infrastructure. The benefits of bug bounty programs aren’t limited to companies ethical hackers—you can gain a lot from them, too. When you learn how to make a website for your business, picking a website provider with a bug bounty program can give you the peace of mind that your chosen platform continually enhances their security. In this article, we’ll go over what bug bounty programs are, dive into their history, plus highlight how they benefit businesses big and small. Tip: Security experts manage the security for every website built on Wix—from threat prevention to real-time detection and rapid response. Learn more about how Wix website security can support organic growth and give you the peace of mind you need to run your business. What are bug bounty programs? Bug bounty programs are a way for companies to find and fix cybersecurity bugs. Companies will offer compensation to ethical hackers who reveal vulnerabilities in their systems. Bug bounty platform HackerOne recently found that 53% of organizations have lost customers over a security breach. Bug bounty programs can prevent these breaches from happening in the first place. Bug bounty programs Wix Airtable Snapchat Sony Uber 01. Wix Wix’s Bug Bounty program is managed on the HackerOne platform and invites website security researchers to submit a vulnerability report with relevant details to bugbounty@wix.com . Various issues or vulnerabilities include XSS attacks, SQL injection vulnerabilities, an unsecured API and more. “Our bug bounty program has been running for over four years, and some researchers have been working with it since its earliest days,” says Ifat Kooperli, who leads the vulnerability management domain in the Wix Application Security team, in an interview with HackerOne . “Researchers are integral to our application security because they have a deep understanding of our platform. The findings they submit are incredibly valuable to us because they can identify exactly what causes a problem, and our team can then focus on how it should be solved.” “By examining our researchers’ findings, we learn about our weak spots—both in specific features and laterally—when we see the same issue repeatedly across the platform,” said Kooperli. “When we see the same vulnerability repeatedly, we examine the root cause and find out how it can be mitigated across the platform.” Learn more about how your web hosting platform affects your security. 02. Airtable Cloud collaboration service Airtable works with those who find a security issue in their services that they should know about. Like many other prominent bug bounty programs, they work with HackerOne to take submissions. The company has paid out more than $132,000 in bounties, with most averaging around $100. Higher rewards are offered for more severe bugs—typically ranging from $500 to $5,000. 03. Snapchat To qualify for Snapchat’s bug bounty program , the researcher has to be the first person to report the specific vulnerability. A full description and report have to be submitted, including outlined steps on how to reproduce the glitch. The minimum reward is $250. You can earn up to $35,000, but Snapchat only awards that amount for identifying bugs affecting server-side remote code execution. ​As of April 2025, Snapchat has awarded over $1 million in bug bounties through its partnership with HackerOne celebrating a decade of collaboration in identifying and resolving security vulnerabilities. 04. Sony HackerOne manages the Secure@Sony program, Sony’s bug bounty program. You can check out the ethical hackers and submitted bugs on the program’s Hall of Thanks . Those that find viable bugs receive a “Secure@Sony Finder” T-shirt in return. 05. Uber Uber also posts their bug bounty program guidelines on HackerOne. Uber rewards high-quality reports that lead to resolution with a minimum bounty of $500. The company aims to pay these rewards within 14 days of accepting the submission. The benefits of bug bounty programs for companies When you first hear about a bug bounty program, it might seem improbable: Why would large companies and organizations invite researchers to find these security flaws? However, these programs come with a slew of benefits for corporations. Reduces vulnerabilities of attack As Hack_EDU explains , bug bounty programs often identify vulnerabilities before they can be used in attacks. These programs incentivize white hat hackers to proactively find flaws that ill-intentioned forces could exploit. Also, it gives in-house developers the chance to learn from the bugs that outside researchers found. Tip: Every vulnerability found in Wix’s bug bounty program is documented in its internal systems and analyzed for severity, type, and amount to help improve the company’s security posture through data-based decisions. Identify talent Bug bounty programs provide the opportunity for companies and organizations to discover talented researchers. If an ethical hacker submits a well-documented report that leads to a major security issue being fixed, it’ll likely catch the security team’s attention. Organizations and companies can then collaborate with these researchers on similar cybersecurity projects, or even hire them to work in-house. This might not be advantageous for a serial bug hunter though, who might make more money with a day job and finding one-off bugs that they collect bounty for. Tip: Wix employs over a thousand developers, dozens of ethical hackers, plus a well-connected (and unlimited) group of Bug Bounty researchers and a triage team that look for vulnerabilities in the platform at all times. Cost saving Understandably, organizations would prefer to catch bugs before a hacker exploits them. Spending financial resources on a bounty for a bug will often be more cost effective than dealing with a cyberattack that stems from a security flaw. Additionally, companies only give out rewards if someone finds a bug. Rather than pay researchers hourly to look for potential bugs, these organizations pay when researchers discover and correctly report a critical issue. Simulate attacks, practice, prepare and pre-empt These bug hunters look for the chinks in the armor of websites’ infrastructure without actually going in for the damage. Companies simulate a cybersecurity attack, but it won’t be to a large-scale effect that would cause major problems and take massive bandwidth to fix. When hunters submit reports, organizations can reproduce the bug for practice. Furthermore, running practice cybersecurity checks with in-house engineers can only do so much–sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see bugs. Tip: Every Wix site has built-in enterprise-grade protection and 24/7 security monitoring, so users can stay focused on growing their online presence. The benefits of bug bounty programs for ethical hackers Companies and organizations can gain a lot from bug bounty programs, but ethical hackers and researchers also benefit from these programs. First, ethical hackers can treat bug bounty programs as a chance to test their skills at finding security flaws in companies’ cybersecurity infrastructure. Since companies openly invite hackers to search for these bugs, ethical hackers can legally test their abilities against large companies and even some government agencies. Additionally, some ethical hackers view these programs as a way to make some supplemental income, almost like a freelance opportunity. Recent research from Intigriti found that 66% of ethical hackers surveyed are considering bug bounty hunting as a full-time career and that 96% would like to spend more time participating in these programs. Bug hunting offers enticing flexibility: you get to be your own boss and can work almost anywhere. However, experts want potential full-time bug hunters to consider a few points before taking the plunge. Community may be a benefit for bug bounty hunters. Security researchers share information on online forums and platforms like HackerOne facilitate collaboration. “It’s also important to keep researchers engaged and aware that you value their work,” says Kooperli of Wix. “Open communication on the HackerOne platform and other channels, sending branded swag, and other gestures can help your company build a relationship with your researchers.” History of bug bounty programs Netscape introduced the first bug bounty program  in October 1995. The company offered rewards to users who helped find bugs in the Netscape Navigator 2.0 beta software. Those who discovered significant security bugs won a cash prize. Netscape also rewarded those who found less concerning bugs with Netscape merchandise and items from the Netscape General Store. Since then, many websites, software developers and large organizations have run their own bug bounty programs. For example, iMozilla Firefox introduced their own bug bounty program in 2004—a program that still runs today . And Dragos Ruiu was so frustrated with how Apple handled security, that he launched the Pwn2Own hacking contest in 2007. At first, hackers received a laptop as their reward, but the competition has grown over the years. In 2022, the contest doled out a record amount of $800,000  to hackers. In their 2021 bug bounty program recap, Github touched on the most interesting submitted bug. Researcher yvvdwf  found a vulnerability with the GitHub Enterprise Server, pertaining to GitHub Pages’ option to personalize sites with different configuration options. GitHub didn’t properly restrict the user-controlled options, so an attacker could potentially read information on the Enterprise Server. Yvvdwf helped resolve the vulnerability and increased the product’s security. Recently, HackerOne compiled a list  of the 10 most commonly discovered security vulnerabilities, and cross-site scripting (XSS) took the top spot. In an XSS attack, a hacker injects client-side scripts into a website. As a result, they can impersonate another user, steal confidential information, deface websites and much more. The future of bug bounty programs As cybersecurity basics continue to evolve, so will bug bounty programs. New tools and products for those looking to host a website will mean that there will be new vulnerabilities for bug hunters to discover. Some bug bounty programs want to incentivize researchers with non-monetary rewards for certain reports. Other programs, such as Meta’s, are launching educational opportunities for researchers . Bug bounty program FAQ Are bug bounty programs effective? Yes, bug bounty programs are effective for identifying security vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them. They leverage a global community of ethical hackers, offering diverse perspectives and quick detection. Many major tech companies use them as a cost-effective layer in their overall cybersecurity strategy. What is the largest bug bounty payout ever? The largest bug bounty payout to date was a massive $10 million  from blockchain bridge Wormhole in 2022. This reward was given for identifying a critical vulnerability that could have caused major damage to the platform. In 2023, LayerZero launched a bug bounty program offering up to $15 million  for the discovery of severe vulnerabilities. While this record-breaking amount is available, it has yet to be claimed.

While some B2B partnerships are purely transactional, the best ones come from two forward-thinking enterprises teaming up to create added value for their joint customer bases. By bringing together ecosystems, thoughtfully integrating products and creating seamless user experiences, businesses can provide a truly maximized offering to their customers. And in addition to the impact on customers, a strong partnership means increased retention, acquisition and revenue for the brand. It can even positively affect productivity and company culture—creating new pathways to success. Some Channel partners at Wix In the case of Wix’s B2B  channel partnerships, brands can provide their SMB  customers with Wix’s leading web creation platform as a fully co-branded offering. This empowers companies to steadily fuel their own business growth while satisfying multiple customer needs at once. With 75% of global trade  flowing indirectly, more and more brands are embracing the channel partnerships business model. Enterprises that offer the dynamic Wix platform are giving their SMB customers the tools they need to create a complete online presence and thrive in today’s ever-evolving digital landscape. Wix empowers 258M+ users worldwide, with 1.5M average new users per month. The platform offers AI assistance to get SMBs online fast, and provides built-in solutions for any type of business , from eCommerce businesses  to service providers and hospitality. SMBs can sell their products online, take appointments, utilize omni-channel marketing and much more. Tip: As your customers start their businesses  and expand online, a business website  can fast-track their growth. Wix’s dynamic platform In order to cater to SMBs with the right intent at the right moment, the Wix Channels  team works hand-in-hand with enterprises to custom-integrate Wix directly into their own funnels and flows. This allows the enterprise to increase website builder  sales and ultimately maximize SMB eCommerce website  and online store  creation. Leveraging cross-team expertise, Wix Channels develops a unique full funnel partnership strategy  with the business partner in order to analyze flows, create advanced integrations and marketing opportunities, and continually optimize processes with the goal of driving business growth. Any type of business servicing SMBs can develop a Wix partnership and create added value for customers. From SaaS digital solutions to design and printing services, Wix can be customized to the business offering and integrated into the funnel. Enterprises can offer Wix’s drag & drop editor directly to customers, making how to create a website quick and intuitive , or they can offer professional website design services and create custom websites for clients. Either way, offering SMBs a complete online presence from the outset serves to naturally meet their needs. Enterprise and SaaS companies serving any stage of the SMB lifecycle can provide Wix products to customers in a seamless, combined offer: Online directories Legal services Insurance, accounting and payroll Design and printing services Banks, payment providers and fintech …and many more. “As Wix continues to evolve both their business and their products, we believe we can offer our customers the best website products on the market.” Sherilyn King, Senior Vice President of Sales at Yellow Pages Canada (Pages Jaunes) For enterprises that opt to create sites for clients, the partnership can bring on a serious shift in company productivity, and even culture. Working with Wix’s leading tech platform has helped enterprises welcome a new age of digital transformation. As the enterprise advances into the world of websites and digital business solutions, they upskill staff in-house with training provided directly by Wix experts. And by leveraging core platform features like web design templates , AI tools and Wix business solutions , teams have been able to reduce fulfillment time, allowing them to service more customers. Beyond website creation, Wix offers advanced site analytics  that can provide deep insights about customers’ businesses—insights an enterprise channel can leverage. Since the SMB acquires Wix solutions via the enterprise, the enterprise gains visibility into certain parts of their customers’ online business performance. By analyzing this data, an enterprise can better understand the SMB’s needs and which solutions would be the best fit. For example, if a customer’s traffic is increasing, an enterprise may want to suggest a CRM solution from Wix or one of Wix’s trusted third-party vendors. Read more: Rethinking the power of domains and B2B partnerships Drive growth with data True partnership means dedicated, ongoing collaboration and guidance. With nearly 20 years of experience providing cutting-edge technology to small businesses, Wix pours its expertise into nurturing a successful partnership . From technical product integrations led in cooperation with top Solutions Engineers, to hands-on training with experienced Success Managers and comprehensive guidance from Marketing professionals, Wix provides support throughout the entire partnership lifecycle. When it comes to partnership, two halves don’t make a whole. Rather, two leading brands can come together to create an innovative offering with new value in the market—benefiting both the shared customer base and the business partners alike. Who knows where the right partnership can take your business. Learn how a channel partnership  with Wix can drive growth for your business and your SMB customers.

After you create a website , social media marketing is an effective way to drive new traffic to your site, connect with your audience and remind previous customers to return. But how do you capture the attention of social media users when new content floods their feeds every second? The key is to share different types of eye-catching, conversation-starting posts. The challenge then becomes coming up with new social media content ideas when you’re already on there posting every day. To help you figure out what kind of content to post, you’ll find 20 suggestions below with examples from brands big and small. Social media content ideas Share your blog posts and other great content Develop how-tos, tutorials, and tips Announce big company news Publish industry headlines Show off data with infographics Create engaging videos Take advantage of trending topics Leverage user-generated content Show your personality with memes and GIFs Post an interesting quote Conduct an interview Let your audience meet your employees Put a spotlight on your customers Give your customers a look behind the scenes Create previews of upcoming offerings Do an unboxing video for your product Run contests and giveaways Host and promote your live events Team up with another brand Share influencer content 01. Share your blog posts and other great content Creating a blog and regularly publishing new blog posts, vlogs, or podcast episodes helps give search engines more proof of your site’s authority and relevance. This, in turn, can improve how well your site ranks and how much traffic it receives. However, it’s never a good idea to strictly rely on search engines to bring you traffic. By posting your great written content on social media, you can exponentially increase your reach and get more engagement. When sharing informational blog posts that are helpful and well researched, you will provide a lot of value to your followers which is key. Tip: use a url shortener to create the best link to go viral. Or add a social share button to your blog page. Here’s an example of how we published a blog post from the Wix Blog on our Facebook page to inspire thought leadership: 02. Develop how-tos, tutorials, and tips While your blog is a great place to share tutorials and practical tips with your audience, social media gives you the chance to quickly guide them step-by-step in real-time. Platforms like YouTube or Instagram’s IGTV allow you to record lengthier how-tos, but you can easily share bite-sized tutorials on other social media platforms too. Here’s an example from Mac Cosmetics using an Instagram Reel to teach people how to keep their skin from looking dry in the winter: 03. Announce big company news Social media users don’t need to know every time you update your app’s software or hire a new admin. But the big company news that affects them? Yes, sharing that kind of information on social media is a great idea. You can follow Tesla’s lead on this one who retweeted Elon Musk’s new car model announcement. Letting fans and anyone interested know exciting changes can help with building buzz, boosting social signals , generating excitement and even boosting sales. 04. Publish industry headlines When operating a business, it’s only natural for you to stay up to date on what’s happening in your industry. This allows you to stay ahead of the curve and provide your audience with the latest and greatest offering. That said, your customers aren’t always savvy to know everything that’s going on. Sometimes they are, but they’d really benefit from a reminder and insider tips from you in order to make the most of it. Take this LinkedIn post on Zynga’s page as an example. Here, Zynga provides value to its audience with information about the rapid growth in the mobile gaming industry. 05. Show off data with infographics Using infographics is one of those social media ideas that’s a no-brainer. Infographics are a great way to spice up your blog content as they turn what would otherwise be a text-dense post into something attractive, easy to read and shareable. On social media, though, you won't want to post the whole thing. Instead, pull out a powerful bite-sized nugget like this one on Think with Google's LinkedIn page. Also, if you want to ensure your infographic or report doesn't get missed, stats or numbers certainly get people to stop and pay attention. 06. Create engaging videos Video is a very user-friendly social media marketing format. For one, auto-playing videos do a great job capturing people’s attention as they scroll. What’s more, it’s much easier for users to watch a video than to try and read a lot of text to learn about products or the company. Furthermore, funny or entertaining videos are appreciated by users and are a great way to spike your view count. Lego did an excellent job creating an enticing stop motion video on YouTube called Saving Thanksgiving. It has received over 86 million views, a massive reach of people who will see their product used creatively. 07. Take advantage of trending topics It’s not too difficult to find out what’s trending on social media, be it a person, place, meme , event or even a challenge. Most of these platforms have a dedicated section with trending topics to look at for ideas. You can also use Google Trends to get a sense of what people are talking about and create content around it. This social media marketing strategy (in which brands utilize trending topics, events or memes to connect with their audience) is called trendjacking . Chipotle Mexican Grill often leverages big holidays or events to push out new social content, like this below post for the US elections. So long as it’s in line with your social media branding and isn’t too controversial, take advantage of the trends to create relevant content. Learn more: What is Brat? 08. Leverage user-generated content User-generated content (UGC) has become a useful marketing strategy for brands and an excellent way to increase your social media presence . Here’s how it works: A customer tags your brand in one of their posts. You notice how awesome it is and how well it shows off your product and decide it’s worth sharing with your audience. Not only does this kind of content build a lot of consumer trust as they get to see your products or services used by real customers, but it also boosts loyalty in your existing customer base. Just remember to tag the creator in your post, so they are credited and can see that you’re proud to show them off on your feed or Story. Here’s an example from the Museum of Ice Cream’s Instagram feed: 09. Show your personality with memes and GIFs Whether you create custom GIFs or repurpose popular memes, adding the occasional touch of levity to your page is a good idea. In just a few seconds, you can tell your audience a lot about your brand’s personality and style. These kinds of graphics also tend to be very engaging. GIFs, for instance, are a lot like videos in that the motion encourages people to slow their scroll and see what’s going on. This custom-made GIF on the Starbucks ’ Twitter page shows how just the tiny bit of movement can bring a brand’s product to life on social media: See our guide on how to use Twitter for more platform specific ideas. 10. Post an interesting quote There are entire social media pages dedicated to inspirational quotes. Evidently, people appreciate hearing different voices that send positive messages. You can post quotes that are aligned with national holidays such as Martin Luther King Day or Women’s History Month. In the Adobe example below, you can see their WomenCreateWednesday Instagram post with a powerful quote embedded into a colorful background: Posting on Instagram? Don't forget the importance of your bio page. Hopp helps create the most stunning and fast-loading bio pages with ease. It is highly customizable, its unique search feature ensures that your followers can access your links quickly and easily like never before. 11. Conduct an interview A lot of times, interviews are done in longer formats, like articles or videos. But social media has taken another twist on interviews. There are ways to use the limited space that social media gives you to publish bite-sized interviews. LinkedIn is a good platform for interviews as its character limits aren’t as strict as platforms like Twitter. Here’s a great example from Upwork that shared a spotlight interview snippet on their LinkedIn feed. 12. Let your audience meet your employees Show the world the amazing team that stands behind your brand. It not only humanizes your business but also lets people get to know your company and who you're made of. Pinterest uses a similar format when posting an employee spotlight post on LinkedIn that says "The women of Pinterest weigh in on the kindest corners of the internet." There are other ways to get your employees involved in your social media content. For example, you could hand the mic over to them and let them do a takeover of your channel for the day. Who better than the people working for your brand to show off your facilities and your products in action, right? You could even get inspired from the example above and use your Pinterest marketing efforts to achieve it. 13. Put a spotlight on your customers We've already seen how to put the spotlight on customers by posting user-generated content to your social feeds. Using a spotlight post for a customer is another way to let them take the stage and authentically advocate for your brand. Take a look at how Airbnb has put a unique spin on this in its customer spotlight series of posts. Essentially, these posts are a highlight reel from an Airbnb customer’s trip. Not only does it show off how great their experience is, but it also gives exposure to the host’s property too. That said, customer spotlights aren't going to make sense for every brand, so don’t sweat it if you don’t have people’s photos to show off. You can create social media graphics containing customer testimonials instead. Or you can do interview-style posts that serve as case studies of their experience. 14. Give your customers a look behind the scenes While your offering is ultimately what customers pay for, that doesn’t mean they have no interest in what it took behind the scenes to make it a reality. There are a lot of things people might be interested in getting a peek at, like your workplace setup, process, or the team at work. If you feel like it’ll enrich their understanding of what it is you do and why, or just be a fun thing for them to see, feel free to share it. Here’s a unique example from Walmart’s YouTube channel that includes a lot of behind the scenes footage in their “Meet Your Grocery Picker” series. Katie, whose job it is to find high-quality products for customers’ online orders, takes us through the process of grocery picking. This video is a part-employee spotlight, part-behind the scenes and part-product promotion, showing you that combining different types of content can be really effective. 15. Create previews of upcoming offerings You can generate a lot of anticipation, support, and customer buy-in on social media by teasing what’s to come in terms of your products, services, events, locations, and more. It doesn’t take much either. Simply give your followers a preview of what they can expect and when, as Foot Locker does on Twitter when announcing a new retro Nike shoe. The tweet includes the release dates and where you can find the shoe. As your brand gets closer to the upcoming launch, you can use social media channels to gather emails from people who wish to be notified once the offering is live. This is useful for predicting how well the launch will do and also gives you another way to stay in touch with your audience with email marketing campaigns down the road. 16. Do an unboxing video for your product There’s an entire genre of social media content called unboxing videos. Basically, someone goes shopping or buys something online and then records themselves opening it up and using it once they’ve received it. While it’s beneficial to have real customers creating this video on their own, brands themselves can take advantage of this trendy type of content. Here Wayfair demonstrates how this grilled cheese maker gets setup. Why did they choose this product out of the many on Wayfair’s site? Well, this post is in honor of National Grilled Cheese Day. What a clever way to combine a product showcase with special calendar days and holidays. 17. Run contests and giveaways Your website isn’t the only place you can reward customers and incentivize them to come back for more. A common social media marketing tip is to run contests or giveaways that customers, followers, and random social media users can participate in. Like with any social media content you share, it needs to be on-brand. It also should be something people care about. For instance, Visa’s cash giveaway on Twitter lets the winner donate $25,000 to the small business of their choice. Considering Visa's financial industry, this giveaway prize is highly relevant. 18. Host and promote your live events As people spend more time online, it only makes sense for companies to host more of their events on social media. With platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, it’s easy to schedule, promote, and host live events like Q&As, webinars, and mini-conferences. And unlike real-world events that require extensive coordination of physical items, spaces, and people, these are often much easier to get up and running. If you want to see one such example of this, Origins recently ran a Facebook live event. Not only did Origin’s skin expert provide great recommendations for Mother’s Day gifts, but she also interacted with the event’s attendees in real-time too. After the live event is over, you can upload the recording as a video or IGTV so the people who missed it can still consume the useful content. 19. Team up with another brand Brands partner with other brands to enhance their offering. If you have an established partnership with a brand that’s also active on social media, it’s not a bad idea to loop them into your content strategy. Take a look at how H&M promotes its partnership with Lemlem. In the video below, the founder of the ethical clothing line talks about the company’s mission while H&M followers get to see items from the line. One reason to do this is to boost awareness of a partner’s involvement in your brand—especially if its mission is something that people gravitate to or it’s already an established household name. Another reason to partner with another brand is to broaden your reach on social media. If you look at Lemlem ’s Instagram page, you’ll see that they have 129k followers and share some of the H&m content. Even if there’s some overlap with H&M’s followers, these posts will likely bring new page visits and lead people to H&M's store. 20. Share influencer content If influencer marketing is part of your social media strategy, make sure you’re making the most out of their produced content. Sure, it’s a huge bonus to have them promoting your social media content to their large and engaged audiences. However, you’re going to have an even more fruitful and meaningful partnership if you promote their images (check our our social media images sizes guide to get started) and videos on your channels as well. Take Athleta’s partnership with Simone Biles. While Biles may be the ambassador wearing the company’s workout clothes, Athleta is on Facebook congratulating the athlete on her recent athletic achievement. If you can show that your influencer isn’t just in it for the money, and your brand isn’t just doing it for the clout, this partnership will mean a lot more to your followers and customers. There are so many ways to make influencer content work for your brand - our guide to TikTok for business is just one of these ways.

Anyone who's ever built a digital marketing agency knows there’s a lot to juggle: the time crunch of short deadlines, working with clients who ghost, trying to win back angry clients, managing a team of designers (without micro managing a team of designers). Agency life isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s also rewarding for marketers who want more control over their work. And a blueprint, like the Wix Studio -approved one below, can help you manage the logistics of launching, running and scaling your digital marketing agency. Jump ahead to the section most relevant to you. What is a digital marketing agency? If you're already looking into starting a digital agency, you probably know what it is. But here's a quick overview so you know what you're getting into. A digital marketing agency uses online strategies and platforms to promote businesses, increase brand awareness and drive measurable growth. Today's digital marketing agencies are both creative and strategic, merging data and emotion to drive results for their clients. Here’s a closer look at what digital marketing agencies do. Craft digital strategies: Digital marketing agencies begin by developing a comprehensive digital strategy tailored to a client’s business goals. This means understanding the target audience, analyzing competitors and identifying the best digital channels to use (like social media, email marketing or content marketing). Optimize websites for search: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a cornerstone of digital marketing. Agencies optimize their clients’ websites to rank higher in search results, so potential customers can find their products or services online. Check out these agency website examples for inspiration, Create engaging content:  Content is king in the digital realm. Digital marketing agencies produce high-quality, engaging content—blogs, videos, infographics and social media posts—that resonates with the target audience and drives engagement. This content not only attracts visitors but also builds trust and authority. You can even use cool fonts to engage your audience further. Social media marketing:  Social media is a powerful tool for brand building and customer engagement. Agencies handle all aspects of social media marketing, like developing a content calendar, creating posts, managing interactions and running paid social campaigns. They know how to leverage platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter to boost visibility and engagement. Email marketing: Agencies design and implement email marketing campaigns that nurture leads and convert them into loyal customers. They craft personalized emails that provide value, promote products and keep the brand top-of-mind. Analyze data: Data analysis is crucial for measuring the success of digital marketing efforts. Agencies use analytics tools to track key performance indicators (KPIs), such as website traffic, conversion rates and ROI. Then—and this next part is key—they share insights and next steps. Is a digital marketing agency a good business to start? Yes, but it's not for the faint of heart. Digital marketing agencies have serious profit potential in the growing digital economy.  But you 'l l need to stay up-to-date on the latest web trends, compete with other digital marketing agencies and manage increasingly demanding clients if you're going to succeed. Still, starting a digital marketing agency is rewarding work for creatives committed to making an impact for their clients and for those keen to start a business of their own. How to start and run a digital marketing agency in 10 steps Take time to think through your plan, and you’ll set yourself up for success (and streamlined operations) later. Address the points below through a detail-oriented lens; the more specificity you sprinkle in, the stronger your foundation will be. 01. Write a business plan Your business plan is basically your GPS as you move forward. Check out this free business plan template for your new agency, and make sure to: Define your business idea Clarify the market and competitive landscape Outline your marketing strategy State your value proposition Identify/anticipate potential risks Seek investments and strike partnerships Set benchmarks, goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) A cohesive business plan is the best way to start your agency. Make these points explicit in a singular document to articulate your vision and provide a framework with which to assess the impact of possible decisions. Above all, a business plan provides clarity and context, answering stakeholders’ most frequent questions. Remember: business plans lay the groundwork for your strategy, but you need to stay flexible should any unexpected moments arise (spoiler: they will). Write one with intentions to follow through, but pivot when necessary. 02. Determine your niche, audience and services Who do you sell to? It’s a simple question at face value, but the answer changes a lot about your business. For starters, your ideal client might have specific needs that others don’t, which can impact what services you can offer, or how much you charge for them. Begin by identifying what niche your agency fills in the market. In other words, how are you different? You can do this by identifying your USP (Unique Selling Proposition), or what you offer that no one else can replicate. To find your USP, run a SWOT analysis (sometimes called a ‘situational assessment’) to gauge how you differ from other agencies. This includes articulating your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as they relate to your competitors in order to determine what you alone bring to the table. Note: There should be a natural fit between your USP and your ideal customer. Find yours, and your agency will click with your intended audience, because it speaks to who they are (or want to be). When it comes to starting a digital marketing agency, understanding how to create a website to showcase your services and projects is important. 03. Set your sales and marketing strategy How  you reach your audience is as important as who  you reach. Start by identifying where your prospects spend most of their time. Is it LinkedIn? A niche community? Maybe they listen to a daily podcast during their commute? Or, perhaps they’re an avid blog reader and would sign up for a newsletter. Learn more about starting a blog for your agency. Enter: why you need to create a marketing plan. This includes defining your marketing channels (social media, SEO, PPC and so on), developing buyer personas, identifying the jobs-to-be-done (JBTD), articulating inbound and outbound strategies, establishing your pricing strategies and planning out your finances and budget. Of course, you’ll also want to build out that initial client pipeline, which you can kick start by asking for leads through your network. 04. Build your team If you have a successful solo practice, you might be wondering, “who should be my first hire?” It’s a question every founder wrestles with, and the answer depends on who will help you maintain your business so that you can focus on growth. That could mean hiring a salesperson to close more deals for you, or a creative to do more of the manual labor. You might also opt to hire a CMO. Fill in the gaps (your personal weak points), with a bias towards the particular space that promises the greatest immediate ROI for your agency. From there, implement systems and establish workflows and procedures to make your hires’ lives easier. Use project management tools such as Monday or Trello to centralize task management, and host regular meetings to hold more nuanced conversations and build team chemistry. Ultimately, laying the foundation for a strong agency culture starts with your leadership team. There are certainly ways to motivate creative teams, though you need to embody the vibe and culture you want your company to express. Reflect on how you want to train new employees, and build out collaborative structures (such as the pod model) early, which empower teams to stay agile in order to best service clients and close the feedback loop. Some emerging roles to consider down the road: digital experience managers (responsible for maintaining brand cohesion across a multichannel strategy), influencer marketing managers and a director of client services. Teams function best when they have clear goals 05. Lead with vision Leading an agency requires more than strategic planning and effective management, it demands a visionary approach that goes beyond the day-to-day operations of the business and taps into the essence of what the agency stands for. Leaders should push their crew to challenge the status quo, all the while protecting the larger vision the company aspires to achieve. Do this by: Setting ambitious goals and seeing them through Creating frequent opportunities for brainstorming Creating a promotional ladder for emerging leaders in your company Regularly celebrating (and amplifying) employee achievements Striking exciting partnerships that birth new capabilities at your agency Regularly speaking with clients and prospects to learn which areas of your agency’s operations need improvement 06. Get new clients Getting new clients calls for a formalized process for sourcing leads (see: is doing free work ever ok?), onboarding clients and managing the relationship, starting with a full-on contract or SLA (service-level agreement). Protect yourself down the line and ensure you get paid by putting pen to paper, all while communicating a sense of professionalism. You’ll likely also encounter several clients who, throughout the course of your relationship, begin to expect more than what was previously agreed to. It’s a real (and common) problem that persists if you don’t set boundaries, so it’s important to know how to avoid scope creep. 07. Set your growth intentions Scaling an agency means doubling down on what works. Growing an agency means trying new things entirely. To scale, put routine work on autopilot with automation and look to secure recurring revenue for your services. Growth looks like adding entirely new service offerings, identifying new customer segments, striking new partnerships and leveraging growth hacking techniques to expand client outreach. That’ll usually come after you’ve scaled up. The difference between scaling and growing is easy to visualize. You scale your operations, whereas you grow your capabilities. Ideally, you do a bit of both at your agency, but the only real way to track it is to set the intentions and the metrics. What are you scaling/growing? And how will you measure success? Are you trying to increase blog traffic through your newsletter? Do you want more followers across your social media channels? Growth doesn’t happen accidentally, so you’ll need to set your targets ahead of time. Treat them as a north star, and weigh all of your decisions against them. 08. Adjust your business plan for your new reality There comes a time when an agency outgrows their previous strategy and must evolve by adapting to a new reality. This may come during massive changes in the market, or perhaps you have more clients than you can handle, and it’s time to upsell and charge more for your services. You might be at the stage of your growth where it’s time to explore new markets, or you might be responding to times of crisis (see: 6 ways to recession-proof your agency). Whatever the root cause is, address the need for change head on. Formalize new standardized procedures to provide your teams with much needed clarity and a well-structured plan. Refer back to the how to write a business plan section above and address each change point by point. Determine where the greatest changes have occurred within the plan and what changes need to be made. Do this as proactively as possible, so you can respond to internal and external pressures instead of reacting to them. 09. Manage your money effectively The unwritten rule of growing/scaling your agency is a strong command of your finances. Cash is oxygen for a business, so make it easier to breathe by handling it well. That means managing expenses properly with a budget you determine on a quarterly basis based on your performance and available balance. Set the minimum sales volume needed to cover your costs, evaluate the profitability of your offerings and create pricing plans, identify opportunities for cost reduction and assess how feasible your business model is. As the leader, you should always have a clear view of all the costs associated with running the business (though it never hurts to hire a CFO when your agency is ready for it). Strong financial management is long-term financial planning. Over the course of running, managing and scaling an agency you’ll come to find that the age old adage rings true: it takes money to make money. 10. Don’t lose your soul as you expand Since culture is often regarded as ‘the glue that holds companies together,’ you’ll want to maintain the positive qualities of your work culture so they don’t get diluted as you scale. Empower teams to fail fast (and fail forward), stay informed about industry trends, set realistic goals and invest in personal development. At the company level, implement continuous improvement strategies such as regular feedback sessions and continuous testing (like A/B testing, user testing and heat maps). A proactive and receptive approach to experimentation will help you make the necessary course corrections to go the distance. The tools you need to start a digital marketing agency in 2025 To start a digital marketing agency, you'll need the most up-to-date tools to streamline operations and deliver effective campaigns. SEO tools: Semrush and Ahrefs are crucial for keyword research and the former is now integrated with Wix. Check out more in the video below. Social media management tools: Hootsuite or Sprout Social can help you schedule posts and manage multiple social accounts. An end-to-end web creation platform : Wix Studio  allows agencies to design exceptional sites at scale. And as a marketer, you'll be able to fast-track client projects with native marketing integrations . Project management tools: Use Asana, Trello or Monday to organize tasks and track progress. Advertising platforms:  Use Google Ads, Facebook Ads Manager and LinkedIn Ads to reach target audiences. Communication tools:  Slack, Microsoft Teams or Zoom allow for real-time communication. Learn how to save your images in PNG or compact JPEG in seconds.

One of the first steps in starting a business is determining your target market. This step alone can be the basis for what products you create, how you brand your business and ultimately who you market to. With that in mind, you’ll need to develop assets that resonate with your target market. Start by creating a business website that represents your business and uses language and visuals relatable to your audience. Consider what niche you can fit into and what separates your business from the competition. From there you can create messaging, branding and advertising designed for your target market and convert more leads into customers. Keep reading to learn more about defining your target market and gain expert tips on how to implement this targeting throughout your business strategy. What is a target market? Your target market is your product’s primary consumer. Once you know who this is, you can tailor your branding and marketing efforts toward them. A target market can be composed of a broad group, such as married men over 40 in the US, or it can be quite narrow, such as urban, health-conscious, vegetarian women in Texas. Your market will depend on the particular consumer needs your product addresses. The three key aspects of a target market include: Demographics: Age, gender, income, education or employment status. Geographics: Primary location of your market. Personality traits: What they like and dislike, as well as where they shop and their favorite brands. To pinpoint your target market, you’ll need to analyze data about your product niche, your customers and your competitors. You'll also need to understand more about the specific types of target markets in more detail. What are the types of target markets? In general there are several ways business owners can categorize target markets. For the most part target markets are divided into the following four main types: demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioral. Demographic This type of target market is defined by a number of demographic variables such as age, gender, income, education, and family size. Companies might target specific demographic groups based on their buying habits and purchasing power. Geographic Geographic target markets are defined, as the name suggests, by geographic variables such as region, state, city and population density. Psychographic Psychographic variables such as lifestyle, values, personality, and social class make up the definition of this target market. Behavioral This type of target market is defined by consumer behavior, such as the benefits sought, usage rate, and customer loyalty. It's important to note that a business may choose to target one or multiple types of target markets, depending on their specific business objectives and marketing strategies. Why are target markets important? Understanding your target market is a crucial aspect of developing a successful business. Below we explore the main reasons why understanding your target market is so important in order to ensure a profitable business. Better customer segmentation : Understanding your target market allows you to segment your customers more effectively, which in turn helps you tailor your marketing messages and products to meet their specific needs and preferences. Increased focus and efficiency: Focusing on a specific target market allows you to be more efficient with marketing resources while avoiding wasting time and money on efforts that are not likely to reach or resonate with your target audience. Improved brand reputation: Understanding your target market can help you establish and maintain a positive brand reputation by allowing you to align your brand with the values and interests of your market. Increased customer loyalty : By understanding your target market and delivering products and services that meet their needs and expectations, you will foster a loyal customer base that is more likely to recommend your brand to others. Better decision making: Understanding your target market provides valuable insights that can inform important business decisions, such as product development, pricing strategies and distribution channels for marketing efforts. Target market vs. target audience? Often used interchangeably, target market and target audience are not the same thing. Your target market is the end consumer while your target audience is to whom your company advertises. While your target market might fall into your target audience, who you advertise to may not, in the end, be the one who consumes the product. To clarify, let’s look at an example: Kids toys, for example, have a very clear target market: children. In addition, toys are often marketed toward children who identify with a specific gender category. Nevertheless, kids don’t purchase their toys, their parents do. So toy companies must focus their advertising strategies on parents (the target audience) to sell toys for their kids (the target market). For example, Generation Alpha , kids born between 2010 and 2025 with millennial parents, play with much different toys than their parents did because millennials have different consumer preferences than their Baby Boomer parents. Rather than shopping in big-box stores for brightly-colored toy packages, millennial parents are more likely to purchase clean, minimalistic, and gender-inclusive toys from Instagram ads or Amazon. Therefore, toy companies are using Millennial preferences (the target audience) to sell toys to their Generation Alpha kids (the target market). How to determine your target market Gather consumer data Know your product’s benefits Investigate your competitors Segment your audience Write a target market statement Refine your research 01. Gather consumer data The first step in defining your target market is to learn more about your customers. Even if you’ve just started an online store and don’t have many customers yet, these practices will come in handy further down the line. Start by gathering information about current and past buyers and try to identify characteristics that they have in common. This data will help you market your product to people with similar interests. If you are still in the early stages of your business and haven’t started selling your product, look at competitor markets and use that information to determine your target market. Using website analytics tools, social media and email marketing analytics platforms, here are some data points you’ll want to consider: Age: Do your customers share a common decade or generation? Are they millennials, older adults, or something in between? Location: Where in the world do most of your customers live? Consider the different cities, countries, and regions. Language: Which languages do your customers speak? Remember that your customers’ language isn’t necessarily the dominant language of their country. Spending power: Consider socioeconomic factors that may be affecting your customers. How much money are they willing or able to spend? Hobbies and career: What do your customers enjoy doing? What are their professions, and what do they do in their spare time? Stage of life: Where are your customers in life? Are they college students? New parents? Retirees? If your company is B2B rather than B2C , you’ll want to look for characteristics of companies, rather than individual consumers. These traits include: Business size: Are the businesses that buy from you small, medium, or large? Location: Where are these businesses physically located? Vertical: Which industries are most of these businesses in? Budget: How have these businesses raised money ? Consider how much they’d be willing or able to spend on products like yours. Be sure to track this information in an orderly manner so that you can keep your findings organized and easily identify trends. Analyzing these trends will allow you to identify shared characteristics within your customer base. These characteristics will inform your inbound marketing efforts and steer your strategy toward your target audience. 02. Know your product benefits The next step is to understand your consumers’ motivation behind purchasing your product, rather than a competitor. You can learn this information by speaking to your customers directly, asking for testimonials, and by doing in depth competitor research to understand the difference between your product and theirs. Get to know the benefits—and not just the features—of your product or service. The features are your product’s characteristics. For example, if your business sells suitcases, you might describe your product as being small, compact and having multiple compartments. Your product’s benefits, on the other hand, are the advantages it brings to your customers. Think about how your product makes someone’s life better or easier. The compact, multi-compartment suitcase offers the benefits of being easy to carry and pack as a carry-on. It’s vital to understanding how your product fulfills its target market’s specific needs. For the suitcase company discussed above, for instance, the target market would be people who benefit from a lightweight, carry-on suitcase—such as business travelers who take short, frequent trips. 03. Investigate your competitors Hone in on your target market even further by taking a look at which your competitors are targeting. Of course you won't have access to their customer analytics data, but you can understand their customers with a SWOT analysis . Take a deep dive into competitor websites, blogs and social channels. Consider who their target market is based on their website content, content marketing strategy, and social media branding. You’ll likely be able to infer details about their audience based on their brand language and tone. You can also check for comments on their social media pages to see which types of people are engaging with their posts. Take an especially close look at their most successful social media and blog posts. Do these pieces of content have anything in common in terms of their offering or branding? Which interests or needs do they address? Use this information to consider what kinds of qualities or advantages appeal most to consumers within your industry. 04. Segment your audience At this point, you’ve gathered some information about the characteristics and interests of your target audience. Now, it’s time to use that information to clearly define your customer types. This is going to form the basis of your target market. The best way to do this is through market segmentation. This involves dividing your customers into different groups, or segments, based on their shared qualities. You can divide your customers based on: Geography: Physical location, whether it’s your own city or a different part of the world. Note that if your customers are located around the world, you may need to create a multilingual website, as well as localized ads and marketing materials. Demographics: Characteristics such as age, gender, race or ethnicity, income level, or marital status. Psychographics: Inner qualities such as personality, lifestyle, or personal values. These are often a product of geographic and demographic factors such as location, generation, or stage of life. Behavior: Perceived qualities based on online behavior, such as buyer readiness or frequency of use. If you’re a B2B company, use similar characteristics but apply them to business. Consider firm demographics—known as firmographics—such as industry, location, customer size, business structure, and performance. To gain a deeper understanding of your segments, you can also create buyer personas. Also called user personas, buyer personas are imaginary characters with traits and behaviors similar to those of typical customers. Ultimately, these fictional characters represent your target market, helping you gain insights into the needs, desires, and lifestyles of your actual customers. 05. Write a target market statement Now that you’ve determined the defining features of your audience, it’s time to put your findings on paper. Write a target market statement that focuses on the most important audience characteristics you’ve identified in your research. Your statement should include: Demographic information about your target market, such as gender and age. Geographic location of your target market. Key interests of your target market. Then, sum it up in a single sentence. For example: “Our target market is women in their 30s and 40s who live in the United States and enjoy casual, comfortable fashion.” Doing this will keep your brand identity and marketing efforts consistent. It will also come in useful as you adapt your company’s mission statement to be as relevant as possible for your audience. 06. Refine your research Defining your target market is based on thorough research, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be perfect the first time around. Even after you identify your market, you’ll still need to continually test and experiment to get an increasingly precise picture of your customers. Staying on top of your market research can also help you keep up with the times, as consumer interests change over the years with technological developments, generational attitudes and passing trends. To narrow in on your audience, you’ll need to assess your business success and test your targeting efforts. Take a look at who is actually buying from you and which specific products or services they are purchasing. Try to understand how you can adapt future product development or modify your branding or marketing efforts to better fit your customer base. Use A/B testing with your marketing efforts to test the same ad on different audiences and see which version performs better. Alternatively, you can develop two different creatives, each with their own look and language and compare your audience’s responses. Based on the results, you might need to either adjust your business strategy or revise your target market statement. The bottom line is to build a brand that resonates strongly with your audience. Remember, the more targeted your content, the more effective your lead generation strategies—and the more customers you’ll bring to your brand. What are examples of a target market? These website examples clearly cater to their target markets. Take note of the phrases and visuals these websites use. 01. Amanda Darby Let’s take a look at how nutritionist Amanda Darby appeals to her target market. She aims to address people looking to make healthier food and dieting choices. To do this, she’s created a website that fosters a sense of joy and personal empowerment around food. The light and airy background, coupled with the cheerful images of cooking and eating, instantly makes it clear that she targets people looking for a healthy lifestyle. She also hones in on her audience even further, using phrases that directly appeal to middle-aged women. In the section of her homepage that discusses her nutrition coaching: “You will be the mom who loves food, her body, and knows life isn't perfect, but is perfectly happy living the life she has vs. waiting for the life she will have when she reaches her goal weight.” By directly addressing the concerns of her target market, Amanda helps her audience feel heard and understood. This strengthens their trust in her brand and persuades them that she is the right coach for their needs. 02. Curtinsmith Guitars From the very first image that appears across the top of this website, it’s clear that Curtinsmith Guitars is crafting something unique. By displaying photographs of their workshop and describing their guitars as “custom” and “handmade,” they directly single out a target market of those looking for unique, one-of-a-kind guitars. This target market is likely musical, appreciative of craftsmanship and not afraid to spend their money on their passions. The About Us section of the site confirms this targeting. The owner, Paul, writes, “I find it quite profound to create something which, in itself, will continue to create. It is an absolute joy crafting these instruments and it is my prayer that they continue to be a joy for those who play them and listen to them, for many generations.” In this statement, the brand makes it clear that it targets musicians who value the creative process. They also allude to the quality of their product, portraying them as long-lasting heirlooms with sentimental value. 03. Lima Cakes Sona Karapetyan uses her artistic vision to create showstopping celebratory cakes. The About section on her website says that Sona “was always experimenting with graphic art & design” and, “When Sona decided to embark on the cake art journey, she experimented with different textures, shapes and architectural elements to create a unique design language.” It also states that she never creates the same cake twice so each cake is unique to each client. Her neutral-colored web design and sophisticated copy narrow her target market down to mature individuals who appreciate art. Her website also features images of her cakes, clearly displaying her skills to her potential customers. The prices of her custom-made cakes will reflect the effort that goes into each one. These details show that she likely targets an educated, older, affluent crowd with an appreciation for modern art and design. What are market segments? Market segments are subgroups within a larger market that share specific characteristics and needs. These characteristics can include demographics, lifestyle, interests, behavior and purchasing patterns. By identifying and understanding these segments, businesses can tailor their marketing messages, products and services to better resonate with each group. This allows for more targeted and effective marketing efforts. Learn more: Image file types Digital design Color theory Target market FAQ How detailed should a target market be? The level of detail for a target market depends on your specific business and goals. However, it should be defined enough to create targeted marketing campaigns and avoid wasting resources. Consider including demographic information (age, gender, income, etc.), psychographics (lifestyle, values, interests), and behavioral factors (purchasing habits, media consumption). While details are important, avoid over-segmentation, as it can limit your reach and marketing effectiveness. What is an example of a target market? Example: A clothing company targeting "young professionals" could further define their target market as: Demographics: Ages 22-35, urban residents, college-educated, professional jobs, annual income $50,000+ Psychographics: Ambitious, career-oriented, fashion-conscious, value quality and sustainability Behaviors: Shop online frequently, read fashion magazines, active on social media What is the purpose of a target market? Defining a target market serves several key purposes: Focuses marketing efforts: It helps you identify your ideal customers and tailor your marketing messages to their specific needs and preferences. Improves resource allocation: By understanding your target market, you can allocate your marketing budget more efficiently and avoid wasting resources on ineffective campaigns. Increases marketing effectiveness: Targeted marketing campaigns resonate better with your target audience, leading to higher engagement, conversion rates and sales. Informs product development: Understanding your target market's needs and preferences helps you develop products and services that are more likely to succeed. What is the best target market? There is no single best target market. The best target market for your business depends on several factors, including your product or service, industry, competition and marketing budget. The key is to choose a target market that is large enough to be profitable, but specific enough to be reachable with your marketing efforts.