You know those pop-ups you see when you first land on a website? The ones that say something like, “This website uses cookies, blah, blah…” This little “cookie banner” has become the center of a growing area of digital marketing compliance that brands cannot ignore because this cookie banner and what it represents is at the center of global data privacy regulation. And as regulations are implemented across the world and back home in individual states, the increase in privacy-related litigation has become noteworthy. So, in this edition of Plain Talk, we will dig into the somewhat murky world of “consent management” and what marketers need to know to stay out of hot water.

Show of hands if you’d watch a reality show called “Your Money or Your Life.” I mean, who wouldn’t?! I can picture the beautiful, backstabbing cast now.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), in this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll talk about how Google protects your money and your life when you’re searching online. More importantly, we’ll discuss what type of content Google expects from you as a business with a website that impacts consumers. Welcome to the world of YMYL–Google’s guidelines for websites that can impact a person’s quality of life. Learn what it is, why it matters, and how to make sure you’re implementing it on your website.

From investment strategies and risk management to services for individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and governments—money and finances touch every aspect of life. If you’re a retail, commercial, or investment bank, credit union, savings and loan association, brokerage firm, or insurance or mortgage company, your website needs to be optimized for organic search. If you know this but don’t know where to start, read on. In this edition of Plain Talk, we will address things to consider before implementing SEO for financial services.

Every year, CMOs, IT, and agency folks like us are asked to deliver websites that are great looking, offer a great customer experience and accessibility, and ultimately drive business. Part of that process always includes the selection of a content management system (CMS) that will make the site easy to update and maintain but that also offers great security features because it’s a scary hacker-filled world out there. In the urban mythology of website content management systems, few myths seem to be as pervasive as the idea that somehow, sites built in the WordPress CMS are “not secure.” In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll get to the truth about WordPress website security and how you can build a secure site.

“No-code” WordPress website builder plugins have gained popularity in the past decade. Their shiny promise of simplicity and ease in creating decent-looking websites without the need for coding knowledge is enticing. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll delve deeper into the world of no-code WordPress builder plugins. We’ll reveal the hidden truths, costs, and considerations that businesses and website owners should be aware of before choosing the proverbial easy button. By understanding their limitations, challenges, and potential drawbacks, we hope you can make more informed decisions about whether these plugins are the right choice for your needs.

Depending on your level of knowledge about the specifics of website development, the process can seem like a black box. Having a good working knowledge of the parts involved can save your company from ending up in a situation, months or years down the road, where you find out you don’t have access to or even ownership of certain parts of your website or data. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss the most important facets of website ownership. We’ll outline the items you absolutely must control to ensure your company’s website is completely under your control.

There’s an invisible battle waging in the background of the internet. The prize? Your attention. Brand websites, social media apps, and search engines are all vying for your attention by applying algorithms that facilitate showing you content based on the probability that you’ll want to see it. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll explore where digital targeting is evolving and how to utilize invited personalization.