The Metacake Formula for Success
Art + Science = Success
We have found that success is created when there is a balance between art and science.
A successful business is equal parts art (the emotional connection brands create with their audience) and science (the data analysis and conversion optimization that goes into converting your audience into customers).
This is the formula for success that allows healthy growth over time. This is what we help our clients do.
But the formula is not so simple as it may seem. There is a lot more behind the art and science of a successful business.
The Art
Brand + Product + Communication + Design
Brand
The first aspect of the art side of the equation is brand. Your brand is the core of your business. It is your company values, your mission, your culture, and your purpose all rolled into one.
But developing a compelling brand that resonates with your target audience is no easy feat. It takes a lot of work. Your brand must not only be clear and understandable, but you must be unique and have a distinct message. Your brand must have personality and it must be consistent across every customer touchpoint and within your own company culture as well.
Learn more about the vital role your brand plays in the success of your company.
Product
You also must have a great product (or service!), providing a creative solution to solve one of your target customers pain points.
Check out our article on the components of a successful product to see if yours is up to snuff.
Communication
The art of communication is quite complex. Beyond the wordsmithing required for clever marketing messages, you also need to develop quality content that provides value for your customers and be clear, simple, and consistent in what you are promising through your brand.
And don’t forget to be interesting. Show your brand personality through your voice across all channels.
Design (Experience + Visual)
Lastly, do not underestimate the importance of design.
First, the experience design, which encompasses the entire customer journey from first interaction to conversion and beyond. Whether online or offline, think through the solution you are providing to your customers and how to make the experience easy, intuitive, engaging, and fun.
And second, the visual design, which must standout while at the same time being pleasing to the eye.
All of this together is the art.
The Science
Customer Insight + Data Analytics + CRO
While art is important, the science components are equally important when it comes to success. You can have an amazing product that meets your customers need and a brilliant brand, messaging, and design, but without science you won’t be able to maximize your customer reach and grow healthily over time.
Customer Research & Insight
It is vital that you have a deep understanding of your target customers. You need to know not only who your customer is, but how they think, where to find them, their habits, and their pain points.
Data Analytics
Another aspect of the science is data analytics…but don’t just think a simple install of google analytics. You need to intentionally collect the right data and know in advance how you are going to use it.
Simply having the data won’t get you anywhere. You must be using it to drive your decision making, especially when it comes to spending your marketing dollars.
CRO
Then comes conversion rate optimization.
If you are not currently tracking conversion rate optimization, you need to rethink your strategy. It is a systematic way to improve your experience, your marketing, and ultimately your conversion. No guesswork involved.
Check out our 6 part series on CRO for the full story.
The moral here is that you can’t simply rely on their monthly/yearly sales or revenue to measure the effectiveness of your operation. This is just gambling. It’s flying blind. For all you know, one aspect of your business really knocked it out of the park, and the rest of your efforts were working against you.
You need to have visibility.
Knowing that something worked is different than knowing exactly what, how and why something is working.
In order to succeed in the long run, you need to know the latter and be able to see how things are changing over time so that you can improve and grow. Then you’re able to easily pour gas on the right fires and put out the wrong ones and you can then predict your success. This is the science.
So really the formula is:
Brand + Product + Communication + Design + Customer Insight + Data Analytics + CRO = Success
This is how we build businesses and brands, including our own. That’s what has enabled Metacake to grow predictably year over year. And it’s what’s enabled us to help our clients grow predictably and do things like increase conversions by over 24% and get ROIs of over 400% on targeted ecommerce advertising.
This isn’t Vegas people. And it’s not rocket science. It’s simply a recipe.
