Insights from our Most Read, Most Inspiring and Most Engaging Articles of the Year

We’ve poured our hearts and minds into generating valuable content this year!

From in-depth ebooks and engaging videos to thought-provoking podcasts and our brand-new, knowledge-packed newsletter, we’ve gone all-out to deliver value in every format imaginable.

But with such a wealth of information at your fingertips, where do you even start? We get it – your time is precious, and we wouldn’t want you to get lost in the content vortex. So, we’ve compiled a curated guide to the best of the best– the top ten articles that resonated most with our amazing readers.

This isn’t just another “greatest hits” list, though.

We’ve carefully selected content from two distinct categories: sparkling new additions to our online encyclopedia of knowledge and hidden gems from our newsletters that sparked the most engagement and conversation.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro diving deeper into your favorite topics or a curious newcomer exploring our vast library for the first time, this list is your golden ticket to insights, inspiration, and actionable guidance.

So, buckle up, grab your coffee, and get ready to embark on a curated journey through the very best of what we’ve created this year.

Most Insightful: Articles that Offered the Most Valuable Knowledge to Our Readers

Forget gut feelings and fickle intuition – this section is all about navigating the sea of business with the precision of a data-driven compass. With data-backed, data-informed and data-driven being big buzzwords of this year, we wanted to create content to help our audience navigate the differences between them and ultimately steer their business with precision and purpose. In this section, we have articles like:

• The 9 Ecommerce Metrics You Should Be Tracking No Matter What
• Compound Learnings From Your Experimentation Program With An End of Year Roadmapping Exercise
• 5 Ways to Improve Sales from Your Holiday Email Marketing Campaign

#1: The 9 Key Ecommerce Metrics You Should Be Tracking No Matter What

By Jon MacDonald

Ecommerce success hinges on tracking the right metrics. This article unveils the nine key metrics you absolutely need to monitor, from conversion rate and average order value to customer lifetime value and retention rate. By understanding these numbers, you gain insights into customer behavior and store performance, allowing you to optimize your website and boost your bottom line.

There’s little to no value in monitoring dozens of metrics if they don’t have a meaningful impact on the long-term success of your ecommerce store.

Jon MacDonald

#2: Compound Learnings From Your Experimentation Program With An End Of Year Roadmapping Exercise

By Maggie Paveza

This article champions the power of “compound learnings” – small, incremental improvements that build on each other over time, leading to transformative growth. It emphasizes the importance of embracing continuous learning, experimentation, and iteration, highlighting that even seemingly insignificant steps can yield substantial results.

By stacking these “micro-victories,” you unlock a growth trajectory far exceeding what single, big leaps can achieve. Remember, progress is rarely linear, so embrace the journey of constant learning and watch your skills and knowledge compound into something truly remarkable.

The exercise of reviewing your site data, experiments, and learnings from the past year will help you build on any optimizations to create an even better digital experience.

Maggie Paveza

#3: 5 Ways to Improve Sales from Your Holiday Email Marketing Campaign

By Maggie Paveza

Conquering the holiday season inbox is like conquering a gauntlet!

This article lays out the battle plan for crafting email marketing campaigns that rise above the avalanche of holiday promotions. It emphasizes personalization, data analysis, and urgency. Say no to generic email blasts and tailor your messaging for maximum impact – your customers will be unwrapping a delightful holiday experience they won’t forget.

Holiday shoppers want to learn more about the brand and compare products. They don’t necessarily want to make a decision about a product in the email and navigate directly to the product page.

Maggie Paveza

Most Inspiring Articles: The Content that Engaged and Sparked Ideas

If you’re stuck in a creative rut, this section is your jolt of inspiration, packed with examples to fuel your next big idea. Dive into articles where we showcase real-world success stories overflowing with practical tips.

From crafting user-friendly maps to designing conversion-boosting checkouts, the articles in this section include:

• Website Navigation: 10 Conversion Tips and Winning Examples
• 10 Of The Best Checkout Page Design Examples to Inspire Your Own
• 6 Post-Purchase Emails That Convert And Retain
• The Complete Guide to B2B Website Design (with Examples and Tips)

#4: Website Navigation: 10 Conversion Tips & Winning Examples

By Jon MacDonald

Don’t drop your customers into a maze of a website that makes it difficult for them to reach the checkout. This article dives into the crucial role of user-friendly navigation.

It emphasizes the need for navigation that caters to the user’s needs, not the brand’s preferences. The article suggests effective strategies like minimizing top-level links and maintaining a logical order. Intuitive navigation is key to a successful ecommerce website.

Favorite tip and winning example: American Eagle removing social media icons from navigation

If you invest a lot of time and money into social media, it’s tempting to make those links prominent in your navigation. In fact, 13% of websites do just that.

But here’s the issue: Each of those links is actually a colorful exit sign, sending your traffic to places with thousands of distractions. If you lose your visitors to social media, you won’t get them back.

Where should you put these links? Your footer is the most reasonable place.

#5: 10 Of The Best Checkout Page Design Examples to Inspire Your Own

By Caroline Appert

Transforming your checkout page from a friction point to a conversion champion is the focus of this article.

A simple, clear, and distraction-free design is the key to guiding users through the purchase process with ease.

 Forget clunky layouts and overwhelming options – prioritize a streamlined flow that minimizes clicks and keeps users focused on completing their order. To help you on your optimization journey, the article provides a well of inspiration – 10 examples of checkout pages that do it right.

Favorite tip and winning example: Happy Socks

Happy Socks has a unique checkout flow. Instead of using a standalone page, the entire checkout process happens in a slideout sidebar. The style fits nicely with Happy Sock’s branding.

Their shipping fee is apparent from the beginning, ensuring no surprises later. The payment screen offers multiple payments that make checkout fast and easy to follow.

#6: 6 Post-Purchase Emails That Convert And Retain

By Jon MacDonald

Transforming a one-time purchase into a loyal customer is the magic of post-purchase emails.

This guide unveils the power of five key emails: the order confirmation, the shipping update, the post-delivery check-in, the review request, and the upsell or repurchase reminder.

Each email nurtures the customer relationship, builds trust, and unlocks hidden sales potential. Remember, it’s not just about the initial sale; it’s about crafting a post-purchase journey that turns happy customers into devoted fans!

Favorite tip: Don’t have time to read the full article? Watch this video instead to get great visual examples!

#7: The Complete Guide to B2B Website Design (with Examples and Tips)

By Jon MacDonald 

B2B websites require a laser focus on clarity and conversion.

Here, we outline key practices to guide your B2B website design, like prioritizing intuitive navigation, showcasing value propositions, and using strong CTAs. B2B buyers are on a mission – make their journey smooth and informative.

Data-driven insights and user testing will reveal the best path to conversion. Ultimately, your website should be a trust-building platform, not a flashy storefront. Invest in a design that speaks to your audience’s needs, and watch your B2B connections blossom.

According to Gartner, 77% of B2B customers describe making a purchase as “very complex or difficult.”

Jon MacDonald

Best Insider Content: Articles that Unlocked Secrets to Our Processes

Curious how we turn ideas into impact? This section pulls back our curtain and unveils some of our proprietary models and processes.

From deciphering customer sentiment to crafting user-centered design, you’ll find articles like:

• Drive Business Growth at the Intersection of Positive Customer Sentiment & Ethical Website Design
• 5 Strategies for Improving Mobile Menu Design From Our Pattern Library
• Before Redesigning Your Website, Try This (Our Proven Framework for Wireframe Design Briefs)

#8: Drive Business Growth at the Intersection of Positive Customer Sentiment & Ethical Website Design

By Sumita Mukund

Unmasking your customers’ true feelings is key to unlocking success.

This article dives into the importance of understanding customer sentiment which is the emotions they hold towards your brand, products, or services.

It explores techniques like analyzing reviews, social media mentions, and customer support interactions to uncover hidden insights. By deciphering these emotional cues, you can tailor your offerings, build stronger relationships, and ultimately boost your bottom line. Sentiment analysis isn’t just about fancy metrics; it’s about understanding the human heart of your customer base.

A NICE CXone report discovered that 50% of businesses believe their customers have a positive sentiment toward their brand, but only 15% of customers agree.

Sumita Mukund

#9: 5 Strategies for Improving Mobile Menu Design From Our Pattern Library

By Angel Earnshaw

Mobile menus are often the first and only point of contact users have with your app or website on their smartphones. As such, they play a crucial role in shaping their first impression and overall user experience.

A well-designed mobile menu is intuitive, easy to navigate, and efficient, while a poorly designed one can lead to frustration, confusion, and even abandonment. We pulled five consistently successful strategies from our very own pattern library to inspire you!

More than half of all website visits come from a mobile device. In fact, Oberlo shares that a whopping 56.86% of traffic comes from mobile users.

Angel Earnshaw

#10: Before Redesigning Your Website, Try This (Our Proven Framework for Wireframe Design Briefs)

By Natalie Thomas

Before the glitz and glamor comes the blueprint: the power of wireframing.

This article champions the importance of wireframing, the foundation of successful websites. It’s not about fancy visuals but about crafting a clear and functional layout that prioritizes user experience.

Think of it as a website’s skeleton – it defines the information architecture, page structure, and user flow before any flashy design elements come into play. By investing in solid wireframes, you avoid costly redesigns and ensure your website is intuitive and efficient.

Before you get started wireframing, you should know who your users are, where they are coming from, and what stands between their desire and fulfillment. That means doing your due diligence through user experience (UX) research.

Natalie Thomas

Bonus: Our Most Downloaded E-Book

As a bonus, we want to share a gem from our resource library that’s been turning heads this year: “Everything You Need To Know About Building A Product Page That Converts.” 

It’s a map leading you to victory. This comprehensive guide unlocks our top strategies for crafting a product page that screams “Buy Me!”

 We’ll equip you with the tools to:

• Audit your existing page and identify hidden conversion roadblocks. Think of it like a pit crew inspecting your race car before the big win.
• Optimize the critical elements that make your product sing. From crafting compelling descriptions to showcasing drool-worthy images, we’ll show you how to make every pixel work its conversion magic.
• Unleash the power of product bundling, a secret weapon for boosting your average order value. Imagine selling two products at once–effortlessly! Learn how to bundle like a pro.

There are dozens of components on your product pages that can make or break every potential sale. Seemingly small tweaks to the right piece can improve the digital experience and massively boost sales revenue as a result.

Jon MacDonald

But don’t just add this ebook to your collection – put its insights to work!

The Good’s 2023 Insights Wrapped

And there you have it, a curated journey through our best of 2023, powered by data-backed insights and actionable strategies.  

Whether you’re seeking data-driven insights to steer your business, creative sparks to ignite your next big idea, or insider secrets to unlock impactful results, this curated journey has something for everyone.

And that’s our 2023 wrapped!