Back in 2001 when Commerce Vision was founded our interactions with prospects and customers was very different from what it is today.

One of the things I talk to a lot when spending time our customers is the CMS. Afterall, it's the conduit to your site so getting it right is more than a bit important. Now, I'm not going to say we're the bee's knees (yet), but I AM going to say that we have been listening. The listening became doing, and finally the doing is done!  

Just as Hoovering became another way to talk about vacuuming, and Kleenex became the thing I reach for every time I watch Toy Story 3, Googling has become another way to talk about searching. It’s that interest in forward movement and the constant change of the web that led me to today’s post.

One of the things I love about my job is getting asked questions I never would have thought of myself. I was asked one of those recently about the search tool on a customer's site and - like it so often does - it sparked a train of thought I just needed to satisfy. So the Googling for knowledge began... 

The prospect of a new website is exciting to most people who operate in the digital space – or maybe that’s just me. There are so many opportunities to improve and innovate. But getting the launch process right can be hard. We’ve seen it numerous times, after all, it’s what we do. So I thought I’d share some of the key points we’ve found that are important for you to consider when you’re launching a new site.

To quote a very quotable man; “The secret to getting ahead is getting started”. So, let’s start at the beginning.

Welcome back to the wide world of website search. It may not be quite as much fun as other parts of the internet (like cat videos) but hopefully you’ll still get something out of it.

Imagine this: you need to do your weekly grocery shop and you’ve found a great new supermarket (let’s call it Bob’s Market), which has some of your favourite products at good prices. As a bonus they’re right around the corner! So you head down to Bob’s, grab your trolley and start travelling the aisles with your list. That’s when things get confusing.

Well hey there. Welcome back!

Imagery is an incredibly important part of your website. Some would argue it’s the most important. And as with all important things in business, many areas of your organisation will have a vested interest; not just in what your images say, but how they say it.

• Your graphic designers treat these images as art.
• Your IT team want to ensure the files aren’t using more resources than necessary.
• Your marketing team need images that send the right message at the right time.

It’s been 12 months this month since I joined Commerce Vision and started working with you. The time has gone at warp speed, and I hope for those of you I've engaged with I've been able to add value. 

“For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” – John F Kennedy

I’ve been thinking a lot about change recently. About the ever shrinking gap between B2B and B2C. About what that means for us at CV, and you as CV customers. 

I saw a great quote on LinkedIn the other day and immediately went out to buy the book it was referencing (I’m currently working my way through it; I’ll let you know what I think once I finish it). The quote by itself is incredibly powerful though, and I think sums up a lot of what CSP strives to achieve.

It’s no secret I have a love of data.

Data driven design and feedback-based iterative changes… these are a few of my favourite things (don’t worry I’m not going to start singing The Sound of Music).