With these tips, your association's site can stay ahead of the curve and be at its best. Get the tips here.

Thoughts from Blend Interactive

One of Blend’s core values is a dedication to advocacy and progress — to expand upon and give back to the community that fuels us. This is where those thoughts live.

Search Results List

Making the Switch to Google Analytics 4

It’s almost here: Google Analytics is about to make the biggest change in years, sunsetting the familiar Universal Analytics (UA) model in favor of Google Analytics 4 (GA4). And while the transition looks like a lot of long and tedious work, the journey to converting to GA4 can be simple and time-efficient with some helpful tips. 

July 12, 2022

Episode 8: Gather Insight From Your Metrics (w/ Jon Crowley) Off-site link

Corey and Deane talk about the first time they tracked analytics on their blogs in the early 2000s. Then, Jon Crowley, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Diamond Marketing Group, talks to us about the balance between data and insights — how to focus on questions rather than raw numbers, how to look for answers rather than “trying to be correct,” and a when we can take data at face value. (He also gives us a tour of his shoe collection.)

June 15, 2022 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Episode 7: Know Your Content (w/ Paula Ladenburg Land) Off-site link

Corey and Deane talk about Blend CEO Karla Santi’s recent selection as Small Business Person of the Year for South Dakota. Then, Paula Ladenburg Land, author of The Content Inventory and Audit Handbook and principal at Strategic Content LLC, joins the podcast to talk about content inventories and content audits, including what separates the two, when and how to worry about auditing, and her first ever content inventory, which arrived as a spreadsheet on one-and-a-half inches of printed paper.

May 17, 2022 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Episode 6: Identify Outcomes and Expectations (w/ C. David Gammel) Off-site link

Corey and Deane talk about understanding the audiences of the The Web Project Guide book, and the concept of predicate knowledge. Then, C. David Gammel, author of Online and On Mission, joins the podcast to talk about how to prioritize outcomes when stakeholders all have their own interests, understanding the expectations of those who use your website, and how to best introduce domain knowledge.

April 14, 2022 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

Episode 5: Identify Your Audiences (w/ Erika Hall) Off-site link

Corey and Deane talk about Bleachers, music producers, and how understanding your audience increases effectiveness. Then, Erika Hall, author of Just Enough Research, joins the podcast to talk about interviewing the people who will visit your site — how to frame interviews, effective incentives, and the difference between researching assumptions versus learning about your users.

March 15, 2022 | The Web Project Guide Podcast

No CMS Is a (SEO) Magic Bullet: A Quick Guide on SEO Within the CMS

A common misunderstanding is that one CMS is better at SEO than others. The success of your SEO relies on more than just your platform - it relies on content, plugins and the algorithm.

October 27, 2021

Why Planning Matters

Web teams need plans. Ongoing planning can result in higher ROI, improved long-term site health and an optimized experience for editors and site visitors.

August 4, 2021

Digital Optimization is for Marketers

The expectations and demands of digital marketing managers have increased dramatically. Account Success Manager Taylor Lopour talks about how digital optimization can help.

May 18, 2021

Adapting to Disruption

In web, it’s been one for change, adaptation, and innovation. And 2020 has been a year of change. 

October 30, 2020

A Glossary of Site Search Terms

Better understand the scope of your site search with this site search glossary.

September 23, 2020

Beyond Blend.

Blend doesn’t just write here: we also write books, create videos, and dive deep into our individual disciplines. Check out some of our external sources of knowledge.

The Web Project Guide

A phase-by-phase look at the web design and development process, providing context to each step.

Coding with Bob

A YouTube series by our director of development, focusing on .NET coding and Optimizely development.

Eating Elephant

A blog about content strategy, information architecture, and understanding user needs.