Insights

9 Lessons Learned: Leading a Digital Agency through several years of rapid growth

linkedin article

In October 2014 I accepted a role to join Dan Fallon and team at a small independent PPC Agency in Bath called SearchStar. 4 & 1/2 years later (May 2019) we sold the Agency. 4 & 1/2 years later still (October 2023) I wrote an article covering all the things I think made SearchStar a success. [Read the Article on LinkedIn].

Collage of the SearchStar team photos and the SearchStar logo from 2016

Creating a culture of Experimentation

talk at varnfest

I gave a talk at a breakfast event hosted by Varn, in their Woodland office, for a group of business owners and marketing directors. I explained the potential power of having an “experimentation culture” and how to go about creating it….. [See the presentation here].

The Business Case for becoming a B Corp

BLOG POST

We’ve all heard how B Corps are helping with positive causes like Net Zero, but we don’t here so much about the commercial benefits. In this blog post on the Bristol Creative Industries website, I’ve summarised 9 reasons I think the B Corp approach can have a positive commercial benefit….. [Read the Blog Post here].

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Google Analytics 4 is coming: What to do NOW

USEFUL INFORMATION

Google released a newer version of Analytics in 2019 (v4) and they’ve recently confirmed the deadline for the “switch off” of Universal Analytics (v3) is the Summer of 2023. You should run both versions in parallel for the time being, but for more information….. [Read this One Sider Info Sheet].

Measuring Online Impact

TALK AT COMMUNICATE 2022 (BRISTOL)

I was invited to talk at the Natural History Consortium Conference in Bristol (Nov 2022). Communicate is an annual environmental communication conference bringing together delegates from organisations focused on the natural world. I shared my advice on what to plan for with developments in Google Analytics and gave some tips on how to uncover insights from data. [View the presentation here].

Google Analytics 4 training

TECH4GOODSW: What to do about GA4

TRAINING

Supporting Tech4Good South West with another Google Analytics training session, this time on planning ahead for GA4. Explaining why it’s changing, what the benefits are and why organisations need to get it set up correctly ASAP …. [See the presentation here].

Google Analytics Certification

TRAINING MATERIAL & TESTS

In August 2022 Google released the updated version of their “Google Analytics Individual Qualification”. It now includes all changes associated with Google Analytics 4. Digesting the training material is a must for any digital marketer that uses the Google platforms. Plus, taking the certification itself is advisable, to demonstrate your understanding (and to add to your CV!)…. [View the Google Certification information here].

convert meetup

CONVERT: Conversion Optimisation Talks & Networking

MEETUP IN BRISTOL

July saw the relaunch of CONVERT, a meetup for Conversion Optimisation people in Bristol. 20 people got together to talk Experimentation, ab Testing, Analytics and more. It kicked off with a talk from Content Square …. [Read more about the meetup here].

Webinar for 100 PM Forum members

VIRTUAL TALK

Common Mistakes Professional Services websites make, including tips on what you can do to encourage more visitors to enquire. This doesn’t tell you to rebuild your website, but rather looks at it from a different perspective – how to find opportunities for significant improvement….. [View the slides on Slide Share].

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Alternatives to Third-Party Cookies

INTERVIEW

I spoke to Tina Lakhani, Head of Ad Tech at the IAB, about the solutions being developed as alternatives to Third-Party cookies. We talk Privacy, Targeting, Walled Gardens and more. [Watch full interview on YouTube].

Saving the Planet through Conversion Optimisation

DRUM ARTICLE

More and more businesses are taking sustainability seriously. The Purposeful Company recently announced that 14 of the UK’s top companies have pledged to put employees, communities and broader society higher on their boardroom agenda…. [Read more on The Drum]

wind farm
podcast-why-you-shouldnt-care-about-conversion-rate

Don’t get too hung up on Conversion Rates

PODCAST

A mistake made when improving websites is to focus too much on the Conversion Rate and not enough on what actually matters. I talk to Nick Livermore about why this is a critical distraction which should be avoided…. [Listen on Spotify or search “WithinDigital Episode 5”].

Life After Third-Party Cookies

BLOG POST

As Google drip feeds us more news and updates about “removing support for third-party cookies” in Chrome, the death of these trackers is increasingly on the lips of digital marketers everywhere…. [Read more on the Adapt Blog].

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UWE-logo

Associate Lecturer

BA & MSc Courses at University of West of England (UWE)

I’ve supported the Marketing Department at UWE with their Digital Marketing Courses since 2015. The number of courses and the level of study increases every year…. [See more course information on the UWE website].

Training and Meetups

Tech 4 Good South West

Since 2018, on behalf of Tech 4 Good South West (and organised by Annie Legge at DotProject), I’ve provided introductory Google Analytics training for Charities. Take a look at their website to see any upcoming training sessions, or to check out their latest Meetup dates… [Read more on the Tech for Good South West website].

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