Thoughts
When we think about how to generate more sales, it’s usually centered around those familiar digital marketing efforts - paid ads, social media marketing, content marketing, etc.
However, most of us have now realised that customer behaviour is constantly evolving and more consumers are moving away from making decisions based solely on product features, price or even convenience.
What are our target customers basing their decisions on in 2025? Evidence suggests they’re looking for brands they trust, experiences that feel meaningful and value that extends well beyond the initial purchase.
Whether you're a small business owner or part of a larger marketing team responsible for growth, you're likely already thinking about your business model and how it can attract the right customers, improve your products and services and scale your brand in an increasingly dynamic environment.
For example, when is the last time you’ve revisited your customer segmentation prior to investing in website improvements, paid advertising or social media marketing? If your answer isn’t tied to data-driven insights, unique value propositions or long-term KPI’s, you might want to first consider stepping back to ask: What’s our strategy behind it going to be?
At Dream Config, we’ve always been obsessed with focusing on the business problem and strategic outcomes in order to tailor our digital expertise and deliverables specifically to them. So before we spend time and budget on digital tactics we’ll get clear on your market positioning, and investigate together how we can create customer interactions across the entire journey that will set you up for digital success moving forward.
With this approach in mind, we’ll now share the most common risk factors that we often see businesses make when trying to grow without having a clear strategic foundation in place that speaks to today’s customer.
Mistake #1: Ignoring the Customer Journey
Today’s customers move increasingly fast. Their expectations are higher, their options are greater and their purchasing habits are carefully considered. What worked last year might not work today. If you haven’t thought about your type of customer and the market segments you’re serving lately, it might be time to. The brands that focus on creating value at every stage of their customer journey tend to excel over the ones that don’t online.
The Solution: Helping our clients map out their customer journey in order to identify where friction exists is a fundamental requirement for improving key results, such as conversion rates online.
Why should I invest in improving the customer journey?
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You can pinpoint areas where customers face difficulties or frustrations, allowing you to address them proactively.
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By streamlining the journey and removing friction points, you can guide your customer more effectively towards conversion.
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Personalised and seamless experiences foster stronger relationships with customers, making them more likely to return.
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Loyal customers are more likely to spend more and stay with you for longer, increasing the overall value of each customer.
Mistake #2: Making Decisions Without Customer Data
Analytics isn’t just about gaining market insights for big business. Everyone has more access than ever to extremely clever analytics tools and customer feedback platforms. But we’re always amazed by how many brands still make decisions based on gut feeling, internal opinion or outdated assumptions.
The Solution: Make analytics a core part of your wider business strategy, which is a fundamental consideration for how we justify most of the conclusions being made for our clients’ project requirements - such as a new website sitemap or improving marketing campaigns.
Why should I invest in becoming more data-driven?
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It allows for more informed and strategic decisions, leading to better outcomes and increased efficiency.
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It can identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement in operations, leading to a flow-on effect with increased productivity and cost savings.
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Data enables businesses to create personalised experiences for customers, leading to increased engagement, loyalty and revenue.
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Data-driven businesses are better equipped to anticipate market trends, identify opportunities and react quickly to changes in the environment.
Mistake #3: Outdated Brand Positioning
When the market changes but your messaging doesn’t…
If your brand has been around for a while, chances are you’ve experienced the need to evolve in some way, shape or form in order to more accurately reflect current target audience needs. Brand positioning doesn't necessarily mean a full rebrand is required; it's more about strategically shifting how a brand is perceived in the current environment, which can mean subtle changes in messaging, personality and associations without necessarily altering the core brand identity or visual elements.
The Solution: We help our clients revisit their brand positioning by taking a closer look at specific target demographic needs. We’ll typically ask questions around why they buy and how they buy in order to align these attributes with realistic digital optimisation opportunities within their grasp.
Why should I invest in brand positioning?
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It helps you carve out a unique space in the market, highlighting what makes your brand different from competitors and why customers should choose you.
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A clear brand positioning enables you to communicate your message more effectively and efficiently to your target audience, leading to more impactful marketing campaigns.
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A well-defined brand positioning establishes clear expectations about what your brand stands for and what it delivers, fostering trust and credibility with customers.
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By establishing a strong and positive brand image, you can benefit from sustainability, as well as a long-term growth strategy.
Mistake #4: Lacking the Skills or Capacity to Execute
Strategy means very little if you don’t have the capacity to execute it.
In many organisations today, staff are wearing multiple hats. That often means core projects like digital upgrades, customer journey improvements, or brand positioning get half-hearted attention, which can really come back to bite them in the long run.
The Solution: We work with both individuals and internal teams to help build capability from within. Whether it’s training in specific SEO optimisation techniques or providing targeted UX/UI recommendations, we ensure your team is equipped to carry out optimisation moving forward.
Why should I invest in capability building?
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It provides employees with the tools and knowledge to take on new challenges and responsibilities
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It strengthens your competitive advantage by creating a skilled, adaptable and motivated team
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It leads to higher efficiency and increased productivity that ultimately drives business growth
Mistake #5: Reacting to Trends
Digital trends are a great way to feel your way through something new. During uncertain times, it’s even more tempting to jump on the next big thing that just might revolutionise your business. Unfortunately, more often than not these will be reactive decisions that often create more chaos than clarity.
The Solution: Time and time again we’ve seen the benefits of having a strategic digital roadmap in place, which often helps avoid trendy software distractions that can become expensive learnings. Ultimately, a strategic digital roadmap will help keep those key decisions aligned, goals realistic, and energy focused.
Why do I need a strategic digital roadmap?
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It provides a clear, actionable framework for leveraging digital tactics and technology investments that work specifically for your business objectives
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It can identify and mitigate potential risks associated with digital transformation, ensuring smoother and more successful outcomes
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It helps decision makers anticipate and adapt to changing market conditions and evolving customer expectations
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It keeps the team focused on the fundamentals that need to be executed consistently in order to see desired results
Mistake #6: Underestimating the Power of Creativity
Creativity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a strategic lever.
Whether it’s how you package your offer, tell your story, or respond to a market shift—creative thinking helps brands stay relevant and memorable.
The Solution: We help our clients develop a deeper brand story and highlight what makes them unique in ways that are optimised for how people search and browse online, specifically through our Content Strategy offering. That includes refining messaging so it’s clear, compelling, and easy to understand - especially when potential customers are comparing options. This not only improves brand visibility in Google search but also helps convert customers with less friction.
Why do I need a content strategy?
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It helps you clearly communicate your unique value proposition
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It creates consistency with educating your target audience on topics that matter to them
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Being SEO-optimised means your effort translates into measurable results
Knowing what’s holding your brand back is only useful if you take the next step. This could be where we come in. If you're unsure where to focus next, or you want help turning ideas into execution, our Discovery is designed to do just that.
Together, we’ll combine market insight with historical performance and specific business objectives to help you:
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Build a plan that feels achievable (and exciting)
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Understand how you can meet your audience more clearly
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Prioritise the actions that will make the biggest difference
Growth looks different in 2025. It’s not just about campaigns or conversions, it’s about adapting, connecting and communicating clearly in a sea of noise.
If you’re feeling stuck or simply ready for what’s next, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Alternatively, explore the Discovery process further or read more about when it’s the right time to Discover.
