Last week, Google announced the release and roll out of its latest search feature, Google AI Mode. Typically, the marketing and tech world is both excited and nervous about the release, so we asked our digital team their views on how Google AI Mode will impact search behaviour and what we should be doing to prepare. Is it doom and gloom? Or is it just something else for our ever-changing to-do list!

Lauren, Senior Content Strategist 

There’s no denying that AI Mode will change how people search – and here’s how I think those changes will manifest themselves:

Users will click less and skim more

The instantaneous, conversational style answers AI Mode gives means that users are less likely to read the source information (even when the sources are cited in the answers). This is comparable to behaviour we’re already seeing for AI Overviews.

Users will use longer-tail search queries

The personalised answers AI Mode (and other AI Search engines) present to users will encourage longer search queries. For example, instead of typing ‘mens trainers size 9’, a user might search ‘best mens trainers in size 9 for running long distances.’

Users will use other channels to verify recommendations

Everyone knows that AI-generated content isn’t always accurate (my first impression of AI Mode is that there’s still a long way to go when it comes to accuracy, but that’s a different post!). As such, I think that many users will verify AI Mode answers. A user asking for recommendations on ‘things to do in Liverpool when it’s raining with the kids’ might then do further research on recommendations via branded Google search, Instagram, TikTok, TripAdvisor.

Fraser, Senior Paid Manager 

With regard to how AI will change my role, it’s already handling a lot of the manual aspects of my work. Campaign builds such as Performance Max handle bidding, targeting, and creative combinations. However, the output is only as strong as the input, and increasingly, I am becoming more focused on account setup and data integration to make sure Google’s AI can make the best-informed decisions for its bidding process – namely first-party data, correct GA4 setup, enhanced conversions etc. All of these tasks are becoming far more important as AI handles the more manual aspects of account management.

Testing is now becoming far more commonplace within Google Ads. Different asset types, audience lists and audience segments can be used across campaigns to test our assumptions and improve an account. I think search behaviour will largely remain the same, but the way in which the results are presented to customers will be key. Google is increasingly condensing search results to answer the customer’s needs as quickly as possible, as evidenced by AI overviews. The new AI mode on Google is an expansion of that, with AI overviews combined with shopping listings etc.

Abi, SEO Manager

The impact of AI on SEO has been playing out over the last year, and we’ve been expecting AI Mode and an increase in conversational AI for a while. Since AI Overviews were rolled out by Google, we’ve been seeing traffic decline and the rise of the zero-click searches. Because of this, the SEO industry has already done its panicking and has been pivoting their methods the whole time. So AI Mode may not be the game-changer many think it is – bear in mind other conversational AI platforms account for ~1% of organic traffic.

My prediction is it will continue trends we’ve already seen – higher impressions and less click-through, zero-click searches, and a growth in long, highly-specific search terms. As for what we’ll be doing? A change in focus from keywords to intent, multi-platform optimisation, brand strengthening, and growing topical authority.

Is it RIP to SEO? No, search is simply shifting, like it has done numerous times over the last few years. AI Mode will change how people search, but it doesn’t change why – and that last little nugget kick-starts our recommendations of what we need to focus on during this search shift.

• Make sure you understand your personas
• Don’t abandon traditional search engine optimisation
• If you’re not marketing cross-channel, start.
• Test! Don’t be afraid to test new strategies – everyone else will be.

If you’re still not sure how you should be optimising your site or pivoting your search strategy for the newly coined “Search Everywhere Optimisation” then get in touch with our team and we’d be happy to guide you through this exciting period for the future of marketing.

Even if your website is getting the job done, clunky navigation or slow load times could be costing you leads. Buyers expect speed, clarity and ease… and, of course, that includes B2B decision-makers.

73% of B2B buyers and big decision makers are millennials. And 74% of millennials expect businesses to offer a seamless experience across all channels. So, if your website feels like hard work, they simply won’t stick around. 

In this blog, we’ll discuss why it’s not just important for B2B websites to be clear, fast and user-friendly, it’s essential. Let’s get to it.

Misconceptions about UX in B2B environments

B2B websites are often clunky and dated. If they’re still converting, it’s understandable that some business owners are reluctant to make changes. If it’s not broken, why fix it?

But conversions don’t always tell the full story. You could be missing opportunities without realising, and your website might be part of the problem.

Let’s break down some of the assumptions that are holding B2B websites back.

B2B users only care about functionality and output

Dated B2B websites often prioritise functionality over aesthetics, because that’s what companies think their customers want. And, to an extent, they do; they want to find what they’re looking for easily. However, 94% of B2B users state that first impressions have a lot to do with a website’s design. If your site looks outdated, unclear or difficult to use, it reflects badly on your business.

Redesign is high risk

Many B2B websites are dated and were built by people who didn’t understand UX or design. And since their creation, layers of old content, tools, and functionality have stacked up until the site becomes hard to navigate.

A redesign might sound risky, but if it helps users get where they need to go, quickly, it is a risk worth taking.

Buyers will not be the ones using the product, so UX is not important

While it’s true that B2B buyers are often not the end user, they are still responsible for deciding whether your product or service is the right fit. If your website is clear, easy to navigate and feels professional, it reflects well on what you offer. A smooth experience builds confidence, makes your business look credible and increases the chances they will buy or recommend you to others.

The risks of bad UX

When UX isn’t considered properly on B2B websites, it can frustrate users and force them to look for solutions elsewhere. Here are some factors that contribute to poor UX and frustrate your customers.

Poor navigation

Put simply, if your website is hard to navigate, users will struggle to find what they need. Maybe there are too many options. Maybe there’s no clear way to filter products or content. Either way, that friction makes it harder for people to engage and easier for them to leave. Bad news either way.

Unclear messaging

What is it that you’re actually trying to sell? You’ll know first hand that B2B offerings are often very technical and can be complicated, so how well are you putting that across to a potential customer who needs your product or service, but might not be totally familiar with the subject area? 

Your copy should be simple enough for a beginner to understand but technical enough that you still look like an expert in your field. If it’s too complicated, users will seek similar products or services somewhere else.

Slow speeds

It’s pretty simple. Slow page speeds = high bounce rates. The longer a user is left waiting for a page to load, the more likely they are to give up and go somewhere else. That results in fewer customers and, ultimately, lost revenue.

Features that improve B2B UX

The good news is that most UX issues can be fixed without blowing up your entire site. Here are four areas that make a big difference.

Simple navigation

Consider your main navigation. Can you group things more clearly? Remove anything unnecessary? Add clearer calls to action? Simplifying your navigation can create a more positive and engaging user experience.

Quicker page load times

The optimum page load speed is under 2 seconds – anything longer than this and your customers start losing interest and begin looking elsewhere. Start by reviewing and optimising your Core Web Vitals because this is what Google uses to measure user experience. Optimise your images. Minimise scripts and reduce server requests. It sounds technical, but small changes can make a big difference to user experience.

Easy contact options

Not everyone wants to phone you, especially these days.. So, offer more contact options to suit a broader spectrum of customers including a telephone number, email address, contact form, live chat and social media channels where possible.

Trust signals

Making a purchase is a big decision and, especially in the B2B world, it needs to be the right one. Adding testimonials, reviews, security badges, compliance documents, specifications, customer reviews, test certificates and more improve your credibility. This can give your customers the confidence they need to be sure that both you and your product or service is right for them.

Better UX isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a performance driver

B2B websites don’t need to be flashy. But they do need to be clear, fast and easy to use. That’s not just about aesthetics, it’s about building trust, reducing friction and making it easier for users to say yes.

If your site is cluttered, confusing or slow, the chances are it’s quietly costing you leads.

The good news? Most UX issues can be fixed without starting from scratch. From simplifying navigation to clarifying your messaging and improving page load speed, small changes can have a big impact.

We help B2B tech companies design websites that work for the people using them.

Take a look at some of our recent work, or get in touch to learn more about what we can do for you.

After many years of operation, ecommerce platforms can become slow, hard to scale and expensive to maintain. Sound familiar?

If you’re trying to grow, working with legacy tech can hold you back. Replatforming to something built for performance, like the Aero ecommerce platform, can help you scale efficiently and boost conversions along the way.

Let’s look at where the Aero platform fits into the market and whether it’s the right choice for your business.

The ecommerce platform landscape: common pain points with the big names.

With so many web platforms to choose from, it can be overwhelming deciding which will be the best one for your business. Do you want to customise your storefront? Do you have the technical knowledge and time to put into development? Are you willing to pay more for additional plug-ins?

These are key considerations when choosing a platform for your website. Here are the pros and cons of some of the most popular ecommerce platforms.

Ultimately, plugins are expensive, and when scaling your ecommerce business, these costs can mount up quickly. So, what is the alternative?

Aero: built for performance-led retailers looking for speed and lean infrastructure

Aero is different from other platforms thanks to its lean core and ready-to-go functionality as standard. This is a huge benefit for retailers who want to individualise their store, while agencies benefit from Aero’s support to provide high-quality integrations.

For retailers who want to grow their business and improve performance without the need for extensive plug-ins, Aero is a great option. Some of the benefits of Aero include:

• The most cost-effective platform of its kind on the market
• Helps retailers generate more sales with a lower lifetime cost
• Supports agencies with drivers to port existing data and replatform to Aero
• Flexibility for retailers to grow and extend stores
• No need to buy extensive plug-ins
• No excessive development and infrastructure costs

Unlike other platforms, Aero is made with retailers in mind. With fast page-load speeds and a lean infrastructure, it is easy to manage, reduces bounce rates and makes it easier for customers to check out.

Where Aero excels

The Aero ecommerce platform is built with ambitious retailers in mind. With performance at its heart, Aero understands the ecommerce landscape is always changing, so it’s built to adapt to these changes. Its key features are centred around performance and scalability, which is where it stands out. 

Fast load times

Slow page loading plays a huge part in bounce rate and customers abandoning their baskets. The optimal page load speed is 2 seconds, but Aero takes this one step further. Guaranteeing load speeds of under 1.5 seconds, it’s lightning-fast regardless of your catalogue size or traffic volume.

This isn’t just theory. When we replatformed Tools & Parts Direct, a retailer with over 95,000 products and more than 400,000 product associations, to Aero, we saw a 23% reduction in page load speed and a 40% drop in redirect time. These performance improvements contributed to a 4% increase in conversions, even in a tough economic climate.

Whether you’re trading through peak sales periods or handling large, complex product catalogues, Aero’s performance-first infrastructure is designed to keep your site running fast and your customers converting.

Low running costs

The lean architecture and efficient infrastructure of the Aero ecommerce platform mean running costs can be lower over time, especially when compared to platforms that rely heavily on expensive plug-ins or third-party apps. However, it’s important to note that Aero doesn’t offer the same breadth of out-of-the-box payment gateways as platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify or Magento. That said, because Aero is built on Laravel, one of the most widely used PHP frameworks, custom integrations are often straightforward and cost-effective to develop.

So, while there may be some initial investment, the long-term maintenance and infrastructure costs of Aero are often significantly reduced, particularly for retailers looking to scale without being tied into costly plugin ecosystems.

Flexible platform

Aero is built on Laravel, a well-established backend framework known for being flexible and easy to work with. It gives developers the tools to create fast, secure and scalable ecommerce sites without the usual headaches that come with more bloated platforms.

With a lean core and essential features ready from day one, Aero supports growth without the bloat or technical debt that often builds up on other platforms. It’s designed to handle high traffic, busy trading periods and changing retail demands while giving developers the tools to build secure, scalable solutions from a robust foundation.

Who Aero is (and isn’t) right for

Aero is a great fit for ambitious, performance-led retailers who need a scalable ecommerce platform without the complexity and mounting costs of traditional options. For retailers focused on long-term growth, the Aero ecommerce platform provides a streamlined alternative to bloated or overly complex setups. With a lean, efficient setup and core functionality included as standard, it’s ideal for conversion-driven SMEs looking to scale without being tied into endless third-party plugins or bloated infrastructure.

It’s especially well suited to businesses who want to work with an agency partner to build a fast, flexible and future-ready store that’s tailored to their long-term growth plans.

When Aero ecommerce platform isn’t the right fit

While Aero is a powerful platform, it’s not the right choice for every business. For example, if you’re looking to manage multiple websites from a single control panel, Aero may not be the best option. It takes a slightly different approach, where each site has its own setup, but you can still sync products and orders between them. This works well for businesses that run separate stores in different countries or under different brands, but may not suit those wanting one central dashboard for everything.

It’s also worth knowing that Aero isn’t a self-serve platform; you can’t download and use it without going through a partner agency. That’s a strength for businesses seeking quality and consistency, but it does mean Aero isn’t aimed at low-budget projects or side hustles. If your ecommerce operation is still early-stage or you’re looking for a DIY setup, Aero probably isn’t the right fit just yet.

How do I know which platform is best?

The good news is, you are not expected to know which platform is best for your business. You don’t even need to know the ins and outs of how it works. But you do need to make sure it’s the right fit.

That’s where Reckless comes in. By working with us as an experienced full-service agency, we can take you through a discovery process to determine which platform suits your business needs the best. In addition, we can take care of replatforming, migration and ongoing maintenance, as well as UX improvements and delivering your digital marketing strategy. This is the best way to get the most out of your website and the platform it is built on.

Aero may not be the loudest name in ecommerce, but it is certainly one of the smartest choices for most ecommerce retailers. If you value speed, simplicity, performance and low maintenance costs, Aero may be the best choice for you. However, if you know you need to replatform and update your website but don’t know where to begin, that’s where Reckless can help.

Get in touch now to discuss replatforming and how to make the most of your ecommerce website.

Do you struggle to prove ROI on your digital marketing strategy and justify your spending? Many businesses like yours have the same problem. But why is proving ROI so bloody difficult? It could be that you’re tracking the wrong metrics, or not tracking anything at all. Or, you might need to improve the way you report on your marketing metrics.

Whatever it is, we’ll help you understand why proving ROI is so hard, and how to make it easier in the following article.

What is ROI?

ROI stands for return on investment. This is the metric that businesses use to measure the profitability of an investment. In digital marketing, ROI refers to the profit generated from the money spent on marketing activities. It helps measure how effective your campaign has been in delivering value..

Why proving ROI is difficult

It can be tricky to prove ROI on your digital marketing efforts because they often involve complex customer journeys and multiple touch points across different media. This makes it difficult to attribute success to a specific campaign or ad. There are a few other factors to consider too.

Lack of clear tracking

What defines success in your campaign? Is it clicks, likes, sales, email sign-ups or something else entirely? Whatever it is, that’s what you need to be tracking. Without the right tracking, it’s difficult to understand the impact your digital marketing efforts are having. If the ROI is not obvious, you’ll have a harder job of justifying the spend.

Siloed data

Siloed data can impact your ability to access the very metrics you need visibility of to prove ROI. You’ll likely be experiencing inefficiencies and inconsistencies in data if it’s stored in different places. This can make it harder to find the data you need and report on performance accurately.

Incorrect metrics

If you’re reporting on the wrong metrics, it paints a misleading picture of how successful the campaigns from your digital marketing strategy actually are. Reporting on the wrong metrics not only means your ROI will be incorrect, but it could also impact your budgets for the next year or quarter if you don’t appear to be getting results.

For example, reporting purely on impressions or page views could give the illusion of high engagement, while actual conversion rates remain poor. In this case, although your reports may indicate success based on traffic alone, your campaigns might not be genuinely delivering value or revenue, potentially leading your team to invest in ineffective tactics and overlook strategies that drive real business results.

How to measure ROI effectively

There’s a lot you need to implement to effectively measure ROI, and, unfortunately, it’s not a quick and easy one-size-fits-all approach. However, it’s worthwhile ironing out all of the snags that could be affecting your reporting as it could positively impact your ability to prove ROI in the long run.

Attribution models

With multiple touchpoints along the customer journey, it’s important to understand which elements resonate with your customers. There are a number of attribution models that can help you understand what’s having a positive impact on your ROI:

Single-touch models: These are best for short sales cycles, usually generated by a campaign or event. First-touch attribution tracks what marketing activity initiated the sale or interaction with your brand. Meanwhile, last-touch attribution shows you the final interaction someone had with your brand before converting.

Multi-touch models: This type of model is useful for businesses with longer sales cycles, where customers interact with your brand several times before converting. Rather than giving all the credit to just one touchpoint (like a single ad or landing page), multi-touch models aim to share the credit more fairly across the customer journey. There are several types of multi-touch models, like linear, u-shaped, and time decay, each distributing value slightly differently depending on when and how the interaction took place.

Key metrics

Identify the KPIs that are important to your business growth and determine what success looks like to you. Whether it’s click through, customer lifetime value, conversion rate, retention rate, acquisition cost, net promoter score, or return on ad spend, proving RIO will look different to everyone. So, focus on the metrics that align best with your KPIs and track these to ensure you are meeting your goals and proving that the return on investment is having a positive impact.

Tools that provide accurate insights

To get the right insights, you need to use the right tools. Whether it’s Sprout Social to track your social media performance or Hubspot for customer relationship management (CRM), there are plenty of tools you can use to monitor ROI. But, if you have an e-commerce business, there are two tools that you absolutely cannot be without.

Ruler Analytics captures every interaction in the customer journey, identifying leads, tracking conversions and predicting when future investment will stop resulting in revenue.

Google Analytics is essential for e-commerce businesses. Offering a great deal of information about your website performance, Google Analytics is essential for revenue tracking.

How to present ROI to stakeholders

Presenting your data in the right way gives you the best chance of showcasing your success. Alternatively, when analysing your ROI, it can highlight any shortfalls and areas for improvement.

Reports

Presenting ROI isn’t just about showing numbers, it’s about telling a clear story that ties your marketing activity to business outcomes. Here’s how to make it count:

Start with your goals

Remind stakeholders what the campaign set out to achieve (e.g. lead generation, sales uplift, brand awareness).

Show the metrics that matter

Focus on KPIs that align with business objectives like revenue generated, cost per acquisition (CPA), or return on ad spend (ROAS).

Visualise the impact

Use graphs, charts, and comparisons to make the data more digestible and show trends at a glance.

Compare against benchmarks

Contextualise your performance by showing how it stacks up against previous campaigns or industry averages.

Highlight what worked (and what didn’t)

Be honest. ROI reporting is just as much about learning and improving as it is about celebrating success.

By clearly linking spend to outcomes and keeping the focus on business impact, you’ll make your ROI reporting of your digital marketing strategy much more engaging and persuasive.

Case studies

Delivered an awesome campaign with some great results? Create a case study. What was your aim? What metrics did you track? What results did you get? And, most importantly, what was your ROI? When you’ve got success stories that prove your marketing efforts are doing a good job, document them and use them as evidence of your good work. This can help build your case for additional marketing budget in the future if you’ve proven ROI is successful.

Framing the impact of ROI

ROI might not always be easy to prove, especially if you’ve not got the results you were hoping for. But, there’s always a way to put a positive spin on your results. If you’re tracking the right metrics, it’s much easier to evaluate what worked and what went wrong. So, as with all marketing, although you might not always get the results you want, you can always learn from them to improve your ROI next time.

By setting KPIs, consistently tracking the right metrics with analytics and using proper attribution models, businesses can effectively prove ROI from your digital marketing strategy. Presenting data in a structured way with case studies and reports will help demonstrate the impact of marketing investments and could help you to get larger marketing budgets in the future.

Need help improving your results and proving ROI?

Get in touch now.

Many growing e-commerce brands struggle with operational inefficiencies that hurt growth. From the first interaction a customer has with your business to the moment your product reaches them, the process should be as seamless and pain-free as possible. But unfortunately this isn’t always the case.

With multiple steps in between, there are plenty of opportunities for bottlenecks to present themselves in your e-commerce operations. But what problems are you likely to come across? And, more importantly, how do you resolve them? We’ll help you uncover the biggest bottlenecks in your e-commerce business so you can fix them before they start to slow you down. Let’s go!

What is a bottleneck in e-commerce operations?

Bottlenecks in e-commerce are those frustrating roadblocks that slow things down and frustrate customers. Maybe it’s outdated software that struggles to keep up, inventory that never matches demand, or miscommunication that causes delays. Whatever the cause, the result is the same – missed opportunities and unhappy customers.

Common bottlenecks in e-commerce operations

In today’s on-demand world, customers expect seamless shopping experiences: fast orders, real-time updates, and quick deliveries. But behind the scenes, even small inefficiencies can cause major headaches. These bottlenecks can frustrate customers, drive up costs, and hold your business back from scaling. Let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest culprits.

Slow order processing

If you are processing and managing orders manually, this can be tedious and time-consuming. From manually sending customer updates to not having enough members of staff to manage growth, order processing can get out of control quickly. This can lead to long wait times, customer complaints and, ultimately, loss of revenue and customer loyalty.

Inventory mismatches

Manually tracking inventory is a recipe for errors. From incorrect stock counts to inaccurate forecasting and poor replenishment planning, even small mistakes can cause big headaches. Running out of stock leads to lost sales, while overstocking ties up cash flow. As your business grows, relying on manual inventory tracking only increases the risk of errors, making it harder to keep up with demand.

Manual workflows

When order processing, inventory management, and fulfillment rely on manual workflows, inefficiencies stack up fast. Staff handling repetitive tasks like updating stock levels, generating shipping labels, or processing returns by hand can slow down operations and increase the chance of mistakes. Plus, if key employees are absent or caught up with other tasks, delays become inevitable, impacting customer experience and revenue.

How to resolve e-commerce bottlenecks

An integrated digital approach is one of the best ways to banish the e-commerce bottlenecks you may be experiencing. Not only can this reduce the degree of human error that comes with managing your e-commerce business manually, but it can also improve efficiency and make it easier to grow your business.

Automate fulfilment

From order confirmation emails and updates to inventory alerts and shipping labels, you can automate it all. By automating your fulfilment process, you’re not only saving time but also improving accuracy by removing the chance of human error. This also frees your team up for more important tasks while providing your customers with accurate, up-to-date information. Nice.

Integrate inventory management

An integrated inventory management system ensures you always have the right stock at the right time. Automating stock tracking, replenishment, and forecasting reduces errors and prevents costly stockouts or overstocking. With a real-time view of inventory, you can make smarter purchasing decisions, improve fulfillment times, and keep customers happy.

Improve data flows

Disconnected systems create bottlenecks that slow down operations and cause miscommunication. An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system centralises business processes and gives teams access to real-time data across inventory, sales, procurement and customer service. This seamless data flow ensures faster order processing, better forecasting and improved customer communication, helping your business scale efficiently.

Case study: How Stevensons’ streamlined their e-commerce operations

One brand that successfully tackled e-commerce bottlenecks is Stevensons, a leading schoolwear retailer. Their existing website was complicated to use, and their product data and functionality weren’t aligned, making it difficult to manage stock effectively, especially during peak seasons.

To resolve these challenges, we rebuilt their website with a fully integrated NetSuite ERP system, allowing them to manage stock levels in real time and streamline their fulfilment process. As a result, Stevensons experienced zero website issues throughout their peak season, improved operational efficiencies, and created a scalable foundation for future growth.

This case highlights how investing in automation and digital integration can help e-commerce businesses eliminate bottlenecks, improve customer experience, and breeze through high-demand periods without disruption.

Read the full case study here

Eliminate bottlenecks and scale your e-commerce business

Operational inefficiencies do not just slow things down. They impact sales, frustrate customers and make it harder to scale. By automating fulfilment, integrating inventory management and improving data flows, you can eliminate common bottlenecks and create a more efficient and resilient e-commerce operation.

Taking a proactive approach to streamlining your processes will help you reduce errors, improve customer experience and free up time for growth-focused activities. With the right digital tools in place, your business can operate smoothly, no matter how demand evolves.

Want to improve efficiencies and remove bottlenecks in your e-commerce operations?
Get in touch to see how digital integration can help your business scale without the stress.

Sales and marketing make up a big part of your acquisition and revenue, but when these departments are misaligned, it leads to inefficient lead nurturing and lost deals. Ouch. The average overlap between sales and marketing is just 16%, which suggests that the two are not aligned most of the time. This pretty serious disconnect leads to lost revenue and wasted resources.

So, what’s causing misalignment in B2B tech companies and how can you overcome it? We’ll focus on this, and more in the following article. Let’s dive in.

What is sales and marketing misalignment?

Sales and marketing often fall out of sync because they’re chasing separate strategies in silos. Instead of working as a team, they unintentionally operate in isolation, leading to a disjointed approach and underwhelming results.

Common issues causing misalignment between sales and marketing teams

There are a few reasons your sales and marketing teams may not be well aligned that could be harming your growth. Here are some of the common issues we notice.

Different goals

Not only can it create tension when teams are misaligned, but it can be difficult to reach your end goal when it’s different for each department. Marketing teams are often focused on broad reach and a high volume of leads, while sales teams focus their efforts on closing small numbers of high-value deals. 

Lack of shared data

If marketing departments are measuring success based on the number of leads they bring in, but sales measure success by the number of leads that convert then success looks different for each team. By sharing lead quality and the types of leads that sales can successfully convert, marketers can use this data to target the same type of customers in the future for ongoing success.

Inconsistent messaging

For a joined-up approach, sales and marketing teams should agree on what benefits and value propositions they want to push. However, this doesn’t always happen, and if each department is pushing different customer benefits, it can lead to inconsistent messaging. Not only is this confusing for your customers, but it can also weaken your brand’s credibility and make you seem less trustworthy. A nightmare scenario.

How misalignment reduces conversion rates and slows growth

Misaligned sales and marketing teams can reduce conversion rates and, as a result, revenue too. If the leads that marketing teams are bringing in are not high quality and not converting, then you’ll have slower growth rates than you’d like. One contributing factor could be the content you are producing.

Your marketing teams may be producing high-quality content, but if it’s not serving your customers or helping them to convert, you may need to rethink your strategy. Speaking to sales teams to identify customer pain points can inform your content strategy so you can create content and nurture journeys that help customers solve a problem and lead to more conversions.

Strategies for improving sales and marketing alignment 

Unifying your sales and marketing teams is key to growing your business and increasing your revenue. Here are some things your team can do to create a more cohesive customer experience.

Shared KPIs

Is it the number of leads or the lead quality you care about? What do you want to report on? What metrics do you care about? These are the questions your sales and marketing teams should be answering together. By agreeing on your KPIs and how you’re going to measure success, you can be sure that both departments are working towards the same goal.

Better communication

The messaging in ads, emails, campaigns, signage, and blog posts should be the same as that used by sales reps when they speak to customers over the phone. To achieve this cohesive approach, sales and marketing teams need to work together to decide on messaging that works throughout the customer journey.

In addition, sharing sales data can inform marketing teams what messaging sticks and the type of customers who are converting. But communication starts with your teams, so organising regular meetings to agree on KPIs and messaging is a great place to start.

Tech integration

Integrating a shared CRM system allows your sales team to manage customer interactions and gives your marketing team access to these customer interactions. This creates a robust feedback loop between each team so marketing teams can see insights on campaign performance and sales can provide feedback on the lead quality.

Integrating a CRM is a simple way to manage the flow of information between departments so they can become better aligned and enhance their strategy together. 

In summary

Businesses can improve sales and marketing alignment by setting shared goals, implementing integrated CRM systems, and fostering better communication between teams. Regular cross-functional meetings, agreeing on KPIs and performance tracking will ensure sustained alignment and long-term growth.

Need some support to better align your teams? 

Get in touch now to see how an integrated CRM could improve your business growth.

Buying a home is a big decision and the process is full of friction, so many buyers drop out long before they reach the sales stage and make a purchase, leading to major frustration for homebuilders.

The traditional way of homebuilders selling homes, with long email chains, phone calls, and in-person visits, does not align with the expectations of modern buyers. Homebuyers today are shorter on time and expect digital experiences that make everything easier. If they do not get that, they go elsewhere.

To help you to reduce homebuyer drop-offs with digital tools, we’ll be looking at:

• Why do homebuyers drop off?
• How can digital tools keep homebuyers engaged?
• Case Study: How Castle Green reduced buyer drop-offs
• What does the introduction of digital tools mean for homebuilders?

Why do homebuyers drop off?

There are many reasons homebuyers drop off the buying process. This includes a change in circumstances, insufficient funds, a change of mind and a difficult buying process. Many of these factors are related to dated buying processes that are long-winded and difficult to follow.

The buying process is too complicated 

In such a fast-paced world, buyers don’t always have the patience to deal with drawn-out homebuying processes. They often face long response times, slow admin and outdated sales procedures leaving them chasing for updates. This can become a frustrating burden that leads buyers to pull out of the chain.

There are no self-service options

Before even committing to buying a new home, homebuyers often weigh up their options and want to spend time browsing. They may not have the time to visit a new build site, especially if they are relocating, so they may prefer to enquire online and reserve their home without waiting.

The website does not help them enough

A key reason homebuyers will drop out of the buying process is because the website is too difficult to use. This is particularly true for new build developments where the homes aren’t even built yet. If the website doesn’t answer key questions or give updates on the development progress, homebuyers lose interest and move on.

With such a high percentage of buyers withdrawing from the home-buying process, there are lots of things we can do to keep them engaged and push the sale over the line.

How can digital tools keep homebuyers engaged?

By implementing the right tools, you can make the home-buying process much more seamless for your customers. Reduce drop-offs by removing friction by using some of the following solutions:

Virtual tours and interactive site plans

By setting up virtual tours and interactive site plans of new developments, homebuyers can explore the development and virtually walk through homes before they are built. They can do this as many times as they want to get a feel for the property and development which can make them more emotionally invested in the space. 

Digital sales assistants

Chatbots and automated responses can keep buyers engaged even outside of office hours, answering questions and satisfying their queries when nobody is available to answer a call or email.

Smart CRM and ERP integration

Link sales data, pricing and availability with smart CRM and ERP integration. This will show potential homebuyers real-time availability and remove any admin headaches.

Self-service portals 

Customers can check availability, book viewings, and track the progress of their home build whenever they want to. Self-service portals allow homebuyers to see the progress of their home when it suits them, without calling a salesperson.

For example: Castle Green added a digital assistant and CGI tours to their website. This made the buying process easier and helped to convert more leads into sales.

Case study: How Castle Green reduced buyer drop-offs

The challenge

Castle Green saw too many buyers losing interest due to slow, manual processes and a lack of digital engagement.

The solution

Reckless built a digital assistant and interactive experience that gave buyers a smoother way to explore and purchase their newbuild homes.

The results

• £1M in additional revenue generated
• More qualified leads through digital engagement
• Higher conversion rates thanks to an improved buyer journey

Key takeaway

It’s pretty simply – homebuilders who invest in digital tools to support online homebuyers will see fewer drop-offs and more completed sales.

Read the full case study here

What does the introduction of digital tools mean for homebuilders?

Homebuyers now expect frictionless, digital sales journeys. If a website does not help them explore, enquire, and purchase easily, they are more likely go to a competitor who offers that experience.

Reckless has helped companies like Castle Green transform their digital experience to engage customers and increase sales.

Find out how we can help and get in touch now.

It can be difficult to manage an ecommerce business when there are so many moving parts and places to store your data. Managing multiple platforms can become confusing while manual data entry can become a chore while trying to keep your ecommerce business afloat.

That’s where ERP integration comes in, to give you an overview of your business operations in one place. We’ll cover:

• What is an ERP?
• What is ERP integration?
• Things to consider before an ERP integration
• Benefits of ERP integration
• What data should you share with an ERP?
• Managing web orders

What is an ERP?

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is the software ecommerce businesses use to manage day-to-day activities. It tracks business resources and combines multiple business activities, allowing data to flow between key areas such as:

• Finance
• Sales
• Supply Chain
• Manufacturing
• Human Resources (HR)
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Project Management

This helps to reduce data duplication across business operations and becomes a single source of truth. It can also help to streamline processes, reducing manual tasks and creating a more efficient operation overall.

What is ERP integration?

In broad terms, an ERP integration is a way of connecting your ERP to your website and other business applications. This could be within an existing ecommerce platform like Magento, or a bespoke web application. The goal is to enable seamless real-time data sharing between the two software platforms.

However, ‘ERP integration’ is still a broad term. There are several approaches to ERP system integration with different levels of complexity, depending on the needs of your business.

Things to consider before an ERP integration

When looking at options for your ERP solution, it’s important to define your objectives and consider some fundamental questions.

What is the problem you’re trying to solve within your inventory management?

Would you like customers to self-serve more, or would you like to reduce the effort required to manage your product catalogue? ERP implementation can automate these processes and streamline the day-to-day management of your business.

How much data do you want to share and pass between your website and ERP?

Decide what information needs to flow between your ERP application and website. For example: order management, inventory levels, customer details or all of the above as this will impact how your ERP is set up.

What will be the ‘source of truth’ for your data?

Determine where and how you’ll manage different types of data. Product marketing data, for example, might remain on your website, while inventory data could reside in your ERP. You may choose to integrate all of your applications within the ERP to maintain data integrity across different platforms.

Are other systems involved?

For example, is there a PIM (Product Information Management) system or a courier server that will form part of the overall solution? This will impact how the ERP integrates platforms and systems your business uses. 

An ERP is useless without a plan so it is important to consider the above questions and understand what you want the ERP to do before implementing it.

Benefits of ERP integration

There are several key benefits to integrating your ERP with your website, especially if you operate in ecommerce.

Increase the efficiency of your operations

An ecommerce integration means your customers can place their own orders, without human intervention. This can directly reduce your overheads because the purchasing process will be automated. Additionally, it gives employees more time to focus on their work when they’re not managing data, which can also increase productivity.

Improve information accuracy

When data is manually transferred between your website and ERP, this increases the potential for mistakes. An ERP system can reduce errors in data entry, inventory management, customer information and more which is inevitable when we account for human error.

Real-time updates

An ERP can ensure businesses and customers have the clearest, most up-to-date view of product availability, pricing, dispatch and delivery notifications. It can also ensure that data is easy for employees in different departments to find and manage.

Flexible and bespoke user interfaces

ERPs are extremely complex. Seemingly simple things, like creating a sales order, can be difficult. But with an ERP integration, you can create a simple, optimised user journey for your customers and staff members that works exactly how you need it to.

Stay up to date with compliance

In highly regulated industries, compliance is non-negotiable so an ERP makes it much easier to stay compliant. The best solutions can ensure you always have up-to-date records that are easy to find, audit and adjust to current regulations. Customisable reporting tools can also help to reduce workload and the work required to ensure you stay compliant.

What data should you share with an ERP?

With a clear business case for an ERP integration, you’ll need to decide what data to share between systems. At a minimum, this will typically include sales or order data, but this can be taken much further and feature:

• Products
• Customer data
• Inventory
• Returns
• Pricing
• Shipping methods

In addition to deciding what information is shared, you will need to decide which system is the ‘source of truth’. This is where you’ll manage the data. Typically this will be within the ERP, but not always. For example, some ERPs don’t support the sort of data you’d want to add to your products for marketing purposes. So, this is something to consider when deciding which ERP vendor is best for your business.

Managing web orders

For web orders, the initial order data is generally recorded in your web application. However, the sales order in the ERP may be different to the web application so the ERP might become the ‘source of truth’. This means it’s often easier to present the customer with the ERP sales order data rather than the web application order data. It can be difficult to keep these in sync so the ERP data will be more accurate.

However, this can seem complicated so there is a benefit to sharing your sales order data with your website too. This will enable customers to see not only the web orders they have placed but also orders they’ve placed via other channels like over the phone.

How we can help

ERP integrations can be challenging to understand and implement. However, they deliver significant benefits when they are used correctly. At Reckless, we’ve implemented a range of ERP integrations through third-party tools like Celigo as well as direct API connections. We can help you identify the best approach for your business, address potential challenges, and create an integration that works for your unique needs.

Get in touch to see how we can help.

As 2025 comes to life, we’ve geared up for the new year with a fresh burst of energy, talent, and expertise. Our newest team members have hit the ground running, and they’re already making waves. Let’s dive in and see who’s who…

Laura Wyatt Account Director

Laura joins us with over 15 years of experience in performance marketing, client leadership, and digital transformation. Her career highlights include leading campaigns for more than 30 brands, running her own consultancy, and heading up performance at an e-commerce agency in Salford Quays.

Reflecting on her decision to join Reckless, Laura says, “Reckless hugely appealed to me for its passion for creativity, innovation, and a people-first culture that truly impacts results. I’m looking forward to driving client growth, building relationships, and contributing to the team’s continued success.”

Outside of work, Laura is a self-confessed bookworm who has read over 185 books this year, a Shakespeare enthusiast, and a mum of three who has a knack for embarrassing her kids with a hula hoop. Fun fact: she’s hidden all Ed Sheeran tracks on her Spotify.

Fraser Hughes Senior Paid Media Manager

Fraser discovered his passion for marketing while training as an accountant and hasn’t looked back since. With over seven years of PPC experience, he has worked with clients across the UK, US, Europe, and Latin America in industries as diverse as construction, pharmaceuticals, and even microwave repairs!

A specialist in Amazon Seller Central, Fraser is particularly proud of taking a client’s revenue from £220k to £500k in just two months. “I see huge potential in the Amazon platform and am keen to lead the charge in building out the service offering for Reckless.”

After hearing great things about the agency through his network, Fraser was inspired to join the team. His enthusiasm for exploring new opportunities and driving results makes him a fantastic addition.

Ashley Perrin Web Developer

Ashley started building websites in high school using Dreamweaver and went on to earn a degree in Computer Science at Chester University. Since then, he’s gained experience managing Magento sites, creating WordPress projects, and freelancing to explore new technologies.

He was drawn to Reckless for its focus on complex builds and custom software. “I thought this would definitely be more interesting than the simpler WordPress sites I’ve been building. I’m particularly excited to deepen my skills in Laravel and have really enjoyed using it so far.”

Ashley brings a creative and methodical approach to web development. He’s also a second dan black belt in martial arts, so, gentle suggestion: better be nice to Ash!

Steph Farrow Studio Manager

Steph brings over a decade of diverse marketing experience to Reckless, spanning social media, content, influencer and brand strategy, as well as studio and account management. She has honed her skills at agencies across the North West and London, as well as in-house roles with international fashion brands, the NHS, universities and e-commerce businesses.

Her well-rounded expertise gives her a unique perspective on agency life, both as part of a team and when working with external partners.

“I’ve been a silent stalker (in the nicest possible way!) of Reckless since the beginning, and really admired the way they have scaled both in terms of the impressive roster of clients they choose to work with and also their ability to attract, and more importantly keeping hold of, great talent. I love that the team is at the heart of everything they do. Working hard and playing hard are equally as important,” she shares.

When she’s not in the studio, Steph loves travelling and exploring new places with her husband and son. Most recently, they enjoyed a two-week adventure in Australia. She also relaxes with reformer pilates and admits to having a slight mug obsession (owning more than she could ever use in a month).

With their diverse expertise, passion, and drive, Laura, Ashley, Fraser, and Steph are set to make a big impact here at Reckless. Here’s to 2025 and all the opportunities it brings!