Webwinkel Vakdagen: Download the presentations of Thursday 30 March 2023!

How do you tell a clear online story that pulls traffic towards your website if you represent multiple businesses? Read the case and find out.

Discover how awareness, behaviour change, and hyper-local personalization lead to cost efficiency and relevance at the right moment.

Maximizing ROI: iO's Approach to Boosting Conversion Rate in Beobank's Campaigns. Read the full story here.

Gosselin, active in international relocations, wanted more leads to boost growth. Our experts helped to bolster their digital presence. 

How iO convinces travelers to choose Brussels Airport for their next trip. Discover the marketing campaigns.

Brussels Airport: a look at the digital platforms iO built for the ultimate passenger experience.

iO developed a website and UX-driven configurator for and with Suzuki Belgium. Read all about it in this case.

Brussels Airport: In this case story, read how iO has become an extension of the airport.

The first day of the Webwinkel Vakdagen (WWVD) is over! Still want to reminisce? Download the presentations of the lightning talks here.

As far as we are concerned, the Webwinkel Vakdagen (WWVD) was a great success! Did you think so too?

Our experts support your (first) steps in e-commerce with business, data and IT expertise. Get advice on the right platforms, marketplaces, integrations and payment systems.

iO’s experts in e-commerce help you develop a strong B2C or B2B e-commerce approach.

A content strategy is often based on your own insights and those of the client. At iO, we like to link data to this that confirms or corrects those assumptions. In this webinar, data expert Michael will show how he generates the right data to build his strategy based on keyword and competition analyses and content dashboards, and what a data-driven content strategy will look like in the future.

Conversion optimisation is a must-have, today more than ever - especially since the global wave of digitalisation following the COVID-19 pandemic took place. The same can be said of the (international) web shop competition, still increasing to this day. As a result, each (new) visitor has become a lot more valuable. This whitepaper shows you how to set up CRO in a data-driven, well-founded way - using the CRO cycle.

Selling through Amazon? Here’s how to become successful   Amazon is deeply ingrained in today’s digital retail landscape: you can buy and sell almost anything there.   For merchants, Amazon offers a unique opportunity to rapidly and efficiently expand their markets – even across borders.   But how do you start doing that? How will you successfully sell your products through the world's largest e-commerce platform? Well, you can find out how it works in our updated guide, 'Selling and Advertising on Amazon, a Guide for Belgium and the Netherlands'. 

Most of us have probably already ordered a product or two at bol.com. But the platform also offers merchants interesting opportunities to sell and advertise products, in Belgium and the Netherlands. In this white paper we will tell you more about the possibilities of the platform.

With cyber week (starting Friday, Nov. 29) and the end-of-year period upon us, there are some great opportunities ahead to give sales another boost, whether you're in B2C or B2B. With this guide and checklist of no less than 61 pages (!), we help you fine-tune your marketing, communication and advertising strategy so that you catch the eye of your target audience. With this guide & checklist, compiled by our +2000 experts from different departments, you'll roll out the digital red carpet for your customers in the year-end period. Download it now.

The world of online commerce is becoming increasingly complex. Businesses need to be able to create appropriate and unique customer journeys across multiple channels. But this is proving to be quite a challenge for those still using traditional commerce platforms.  Luckily, the world of online commerce is also constantly developing. When new and greater challenges arise, fresh solutions are created. Solutions like composable commerce. 

There is unrest in the SEO landscape, and it's no surprise given the rapid changes taking place. With the advent of AI, the future of SEO suddenly seems uncertain. The number one search engine is vigorously testing AI applications, reducing the need to click through to websites. This has serious implications for everyone whose traffic is partially dependent on Google, including e-commerce.

How does iO keep its long-term relationship with Farmaline fresh as a daisy? By mixing trust with a profitable synergy of tech and marketing services.

For Prowise, an interactive display and educational software expert, iO designed a new WordPress website complemented by a new brand voice and copy.

Discover how Avans University of Applied Sciences and iO attracted over 20,000 new student choosers with creative, data-driven campaigns. Learn strategies that hold Gen Z's attention and create strong brand connections. Get inspired and discover how to entice your target audience.

New technology, internet-of-things and proof-of-concepts. Find out how iO is introducing innovation at Brussels Airport.

With your Sitecore partner iO, you reach the right people on the right channels. Content, personalisation, and e-commerce in one.

Discover Sitecore Search for hyper-relevant content and lightning-fast search. Optimise now and consult iO's specialists for expert advice!

Sitecore Send, a module of the Sitecore DXP helps you to bond with customers more strongly. Want to know more? Schedule a demo!

What are the benefits of Sitecore Customer Data Platform (CDP)? Our specialists will be happy to tell you about it during a no-obligation meeting and/or demo.

With Storyblok headless CMS you can build relevant digital experiences quickly. Our experts are here to help you.

Shopware is a solid e-commerce tool that grows with your organisation. Discover the advantages of Shopware and working with Gold Partner iO.

Google Cloud Partner iO helps organisations harness the power of the cloud for storage, analytics, development, and more.

Manage and monitor your privacy preferences easily with OneTrust. Our experts are happy to help you.

At iO we work with Criteo: an advanced platform for digital advertising and targeted, data-driven campaigns. Find out more about what we can do for your organisation. 

With Tweakwise, your e-commerce approach becomes a success story. We are happy to help you as a Tweakwise Silver Partner.

Usercentrics (or Cookiebot) offers easy, transparent, GDPR compliant management of user consent and data.

CookieHub is the Consent Management Platform that puts privacy and transparency first in your organisation.

Elevate your business with personalized content and targeted offers. Increase engagement, conversions, and customer satisfaction with iO's personalization expertise.

Take your website to new heights with A/B testing. Stay agile, optimize continuously, and improve user experience for greater engagement and growth

Increase your conversion rate and reach the right visitors with a CRO scan.

Our SEO experts make sure you are found online — by both people and robots.

Stay ahead of your competitors by focusing on Local SEO. Request a Local SEO (LSO) Opportunity Scan and discover where your optimisation opportunities lie. 

Identify users quickly and safely and give them the necessary access to your platform. Our experts will help you.

AI is more than a trend. Our experts are here to show you how AI can add value to your organisation.

Enhance your website's accessibility with iO's expert guidance. Discover where your organisation stands, prioritise accessibility, and ensure transparency. Build a more inclusive digital world today.

We make your IT, data and marketing infrastructure scalable. And integrate it with the right cloud partnerships and data setups.

Digitale marktplaatsen zijn niet meer weg te denken uit het e-commercelandschap. Ze zijn een dagelijks speelveld voor merken, distributeurs en resellers in de digitale wereld. iO marketplace-specialisten Herman Maes en Jorge Braun gidsen je door deze fascinerende tak van moderne e-commerce, via sessies voor toekomstige én actieve marketplace sellers.

We’ve all noticed that in the dynamic world of marketing data, traditional attribution models are less and less relevant. Changes in technology and legislation mean that we have to look for alternatives. Modelling of marketing data is playing an increasingly prominent role and is becoming more accessible to organisations. Marketing Mix Modelling offers you unique insights into channels that are increasingly difficult to predict in a cookieless world. Find out all about it in this webinar.

From libraries to Google to TikTok...in just a few decades, our source of information has shifted to unexpected places. Today, a whopping 40% of young people use TikTok as their primary source of information.   Did you know that this platform is increasingly focusing on its own search function? This makes TikTok SEO an essential part of your digital strategy. 

Is your website not being properly found by relevant visitors? Is your SEO traffic not generating enough conversions? But do you think you already have an SEO-friendly website? Then it's time to switch from tactical to strategic SEO. Find out how during our webinar on 23 August. 

Discover how a composable architecture provides the flexibility to quickly respond to market changes and deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Do your customers know that they can find what they are looking for on your website easily? Conversational search, supported by an AI chatbot, makes it possible for your visitors to navigate your content seamlessly. The result? Better customer experiences. Introducing new technology such as conversational search can be challenging and is never without risk. In this webinar, we will take you through the ins and outs, to ensure that you and your organisation can get the best out of this innovation.

Personalisation revolves around adapting the user experience based on the user segment. But setting up a good personalisation strategy is not as straightforward as it seems. We’ll show you 7 pitfalls of personalisation and how to avoid them in this whitepaper.

A Customer Data Platform collects your customers’ data and is mainly at home in the more ‘mature’ marketing departments of the organisation. A CDP combines customer data from different platforms and hands it back to you in a 360° package. This whitepaper illustrates how a CDP gets assembled, where its added value lies CDP can be for your organisation and which conditions best serve a CDP.

Microservices, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS and Headless have secured their place ​​in the business world. These concepts have existed in their own right for some time and are already fairly well known, but the umbrella term MACH is new. Will it soon be mentioned in the same breath as Cloud and SaaS? And when will it be worth investing in it? Find out in this white paper.

A headless platform offers a lot of new possibilities for companies. It fits into a digital landscape that connects your customers with your business processes. But what exactly does it mean? And can your company handle the complexity of headless systems? In this white paper we will separate the facts from the fiction and guide you through your first steps in the headless world.

The world is evolving faster than ever. Consumers and stakeholders expect more and more flexibility from companies and organisations. As a result, you need IT solutions that can grow with you.

Four years ago, GDPR turned our digital processes upside down like a battering ram. Both in our private lives and in our professional environments: our data was never better cared for, seemingly overnight. At the risk of enormous fines, that is. Today, no organisation can afford to disregard GDPR. How has it changed, today - four years later?

In this whitepaper, we will immerse you in the world of cookies, discuss what exactly is about to happen and how you can prepare your company for it. Enjoy!

The evolution in the e-commerce world moves at an incredible speed. That’s why the e-commerce issue becomes more and more complex, with new technologies, products and strategies to deploy. And companies have no choice but to try to keep up with this rapid evolution.

In a world where customers are finding their products online at an increasing rate, it’s impossible to ignore e-commerce. Moreover, we’ve become so demanding that businesses need to be able to continuously evolve and improve the user experience. But not every system is equipped to grow along with you in a world that moves at warp speed. Shopware 6 is.

Data help the marketeer implement digital marketing techniques in customer communication. But how do you use that data, exactly? And how can you enjoy the full force of data? In this whitepaper, we will show you how to optimise your customer and prospect communication through segmentation and personalisation. Moreover, we’ll show you how AI supports these processes.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is omnipresent and indispensable to the modern marketer. Because paid ads are fleeting, because you always want to findable, or because up to 80% of internet users don’t look beyond the first page of search results. This includes a wide range of factors, from your website structure to the content and links.

Soon, third-party cookies will disappear. Use our calculator and get an estimate of the potential loss of sales and website visitors. You will also get tailored advice on the next steps to take to minimise that loss. Go directly to the calculator via the button below or scroll down for more background information.

But how do you get started with a first-party data strategy? What do you pay attention to? Can you still rely on third-party data? And which stakeholders do you best involve in this 'new' phase? In this whitepaper, we help you out.

“Create ridiculously good content”, an undeniably strong mantra for everyone in the business of content creation. After all, content is a unique way to share relevant and interesting stories with others and therefore forms a bridge between the company and the audience.

Digital marketing offers enormous opportunities in the field of data-driven working. We often fail to take advantage of these opportunities. That's means you miss out on a lot of opportunities to maximise the impact of your budget.

For the 2023 Local SEO Benchmark, we analysed nearly 100,000 business locations in 36 cities in the Netherlands and Belgium, across 14 different industries. Curious about how the retail sector in the Netherlands and Belgium is doing in terms of Local SEO? Find out in our 2023 Local SEO Benchmark Report . Some key conclusions of the 2023 Local SEO Benchmark Report:

Webshops have reached the status of shopping standard in the digital age. Users are just a few clicks away from their favourite items. Anywhere, at any time of the day, from the comforts of home. This is why online advertising on digital channels has become key to webshop owners: channels allowing you to maintain your margins and successfully activate consumers throughout the purchase process.

Consumers are increasingly used to communication that is tailored to them. An ad for 30% discount on cat food after you searched for the best kibble is an example. But so is the online purchase process of those kibbles. After all, today we want an online purchase to feel just like its physical counterpart. Online configurators are a great way to replace the eager shop assistant.

“Create ridiculously good content”, an undeniably strong mantra for everyone in the business of content creation. After all, content is a unique way to share relevant and interesting stories with others and therefore forms a bridge between the company and the audience.

The 2024 summer holidays are behind us and it's time for organisations to set their budgets for 2025. And that is often a more difficult task than we would like to admit.   We wouldn't be iO if we hadn't come up with anything to help you with that tedious task... Get 16 tips to make your marketing and digitisation budget for 2025 smarter

Organisations often store user data on their websites and apps, usually in the form of cookies. But every organisation has to be transparent about how they handle this data, and let users know if their data is shared with external parties. A Consent Management Platform (CMP) can help with this. We'll tell you all about it in this blog. 

A data analytics platform extracts data from websites and apps and processes it into actionable insights for your business operations. At the beginning of 2023, Google Analytics still had a market share of over 85% in our region and the choice was often an easy one. However, after a series of complaints and questions about its compatibility with GDPR legislation, Google Analytics is balancing on the edge of legality. Consequently, the following question arises: what should you pay attention to when choosing another data analysis platform?

After an extended period of online retail growth, both Belgian and Dutch consumers are finding their way back to physical shops. Online shopping is now an established part of the retail landscape, with the biggest platforms continuing to exert their dominance, seducing more and more consumers.    As the holiday season comes around again, many retailers are wondering what this year has in store. Alongside Christmas, newer celebrations like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Singles Day are attracting more and more attention in Belgium and the Netherlands. What does this mean for local retailers? We have analysed the market impact of these changes for you.  

In 2020 we published "The 2020 Local SEO Benchmark Report". Our analysis of the state of local SEO in the Dutch retail sector. At the time, our conclusions were not too positive. About 75% of all business listings were incorrect or incomplete, less than 26% of retail chains had made a Google post, and only 8% answered reviews and customer questions. Now, three years later, we've mapped the state of local SEO again, but this time we’ve expanded the scope of our analysis covering 36 cities in the Netherlands and Belgium, divided into 14 different industries. In total, we collected and analysed data from nearly 100,000 business locations and over the last few months, we have analysed the results and are proud that we can now  share the report and the most important findings. Let's dive into the key insights...

You may not have noticed, but a lot has changed in terms of analytics and tracking over the past five years. This is partly because we've already grown accustomed to many changes, and partly because their impact has come very gradually. Half a decade ago, no one knew of the existence of a cookie banner, a year later everyone thought they could never get used to it, and today we don't know any better. We've made serious strides in terms of data regulation, and perhaps the biggest steps are yet to come in 2024.

Seriously, it's done in no time. And we're about to show you how. The question is: is this what you want? In this blog post, you'll read how we do it at iO, you'll find some tips and tricks to apply on your own work and you'll start to grasp the added value of the human factor.

There is a digital divide between the personas we use in marketing and the population. In Belgium, this gap is large: almost 50% of the population are considered to be digitally vulnerable. How do you deal with this as an organisation? And how do you ensure that your products and services do not exclude anyone digitally? This blog contains nine practical tips to help you on your way to digital inclusion.

More and more organisations want to measure the return on investment of digital platforms accurately. But how do you develop a successful measurement plan?

The marketing world keeps turning faster, with new updates or guidelines at every turn. It’s a world that forces businesses to change with it. A recent change by this organization includes, among other things, that Google Consent Mode must receive an update by March 2024 to enhance user privacy. Take the Digital Markets Act, for instance. This European legislative body regulates digital platforms by creating laws. A recent legislative change includes that Google Consent Mode is required to carry out an update by March 2024 at the latest to better protect users’ privacy.

Google is the unequivocal search engine market leader (and probably will be for a while). However, when it comes to search queries, there’s a challenger to that monopoly: Bing by Microsoft. In the last few months, Bing made some significant strides, moving from 1 in 20 search queries to almost 1 in 5. That growing influence and Bing’s market share are some aspects you should leverage in your digital strategies. You can ignore 5% of your potential visitors, but ignoring 18% of the queries that lead to your business would probably have a significant impact on your business – and not in a good way.

The rise of AI, shifts in the social media landscape, and the end of third-party data...2023 was, to say the least, a tumultuous year. But this year, marketers and their organizations are also facing significant challenges. Discover the six digital and marketing trends that will dominate 2024 and, most importantly, how you can successfully tackle them.

“Refresh your website every five years.” Sound familiar? Well, listen carefully. Because in 2024, things have changed. The tech keeping your website up and running used to be out-of-date after five years. But now, it’s become more stable. So, don’t jump on the new website bandwagon just yet, and do your homework to see what you can repurpose first.

As an SEO specialist I had the opportunity to attend Friends of Search, a well-known SEO and SEA conference in Amsterdam. The event attracts at least 600 visitors annually and guarantees thought-provoking talks, an exciting award show, and a networking moment. I was immediately impressed by the international expertise presented by the other attendees during this eleventh edition, held on 21 March 2024. Discover 3 valuable SEO insights that stuck with me. 

Is AI the big monster some make it out to be? The one waiting in line to take over our job of content marketeer? One thing’s for sure: artificial intelligence is no hype. It’s here to stay, and it’s up to us to deal with it. At iO, we’re always looking at new ways to create value. AI turns out not to be a solution, but rather a means to an end. In this blog post, we explain how we use an AI copy assistant to write large volumes of copy in a cost-effective way. 

In the marketing optimisation of larger iO clients - such as Brussels Airport and Lidl - we see a shift from ad hoc campaigns to always-on. There are a few logical explanations for this trend. And both the elimination of cookies and the focus on the customer experience (CX) have a lot to do with it.

As a writer, should you embrace or fear generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini? The former for sure, the latter perhaps too. In any case, they make you an offer you can't refuse. So, hoist these rambunctious AI sailors on board and put them to work, but above all remain the captain of your ship.

For many marketers, allocating budgets for the year ahead is a real headache. Will you carry your budget over from last year – even though technology is evolving at lightning speed and the marketing world could look completely different tomorrow? Or will you follow your intuition and take a chance? Fortunately, data modelling exists allowing you to allocate your budget with the certainty that you are spending it in the right place, and at the right time.

Navigating the rapidly expanding MarTech landscape can be overwhelming, but with a clear strategy and focused approach, you can build an effective MarTech stack that drives your marketing success.

For many organisations, their digital platform is essential infrastructure: a versatile technology foundation on which they can build and run their digital operations. With a strong and flexible digital platform, you can stay ahead of your competitors by providing your customers with the best user experience that fits seamlessly with your business goals. But how do you ensure that your platform helps you to really make a difference?

There is no denying that language is an important part of our lives. We use it to express ourselves, to communicate with others, to think and to learn. But language is more than a tool. It also helps, often unconsciously, to shape our thoughts and perceptions. With this in mind, gender-neutral writing is receiving more and more attention. But what exactly is it? And why should you, as a brand or organisation, consider gender-neutral writing? 

Is it ‘My favourites’ or ‘Your favourites’? And would you rather start ‘Your free trial’ or ‘My free trial’? Even though they don’t always stand out, pronouns play an important role on a platform. They influence how users feel when reading the text on your website or app — and how they perceive your brand or product. That way, ‘I’ or ‘you’, ‘your’ or ‘my’, could mean the difference between buying and not buying. But how do you make the right decision?

The Mazda LaPuta. A tiny car with a cute name. Unless you speak Spanish. If only Mazda's marketing team had checked that before launching it in Spain.  Sure, Deepl and similar tools win you a lot of time. But do you also win in terms of quality? Using translation tools on automatic pilot is risky business. This blog post covers 7 pitfalls when using translation tools. By the way, the most powerful combo in our opinion? A native copywriter or translator who makes clever use of these tools. 

ChatGPT is writing texts at a rapid pace, images are generated in an instant by Midjourney or Dall-E, videos can be created via Runway and with Google's recent Notebook LM you can create a podcast at the touch of a button: AI is changing everything in the world of content. It also brings opportunities: about 60% of today's jobs did not exist 80 years ago, so luckily for us, historically technological developments have also created new jobs. If, as a content specialist, you devote a significant part of your work to an AI tool, what do you do with the time you’ve got left over to demonstrate your skills and relevance?

Pim Verras is an Online Marketer at iO, recently attended Brighton SEO, the search marketing conference that’s held annually in the United Kingdom. Let’s dive into his learnings and take aways.

According to Peter Van Hoecke (CEO Van Hoecke), the client is always central, especially — in digital transformation. By automating, accelerating, and rationalising processes, you help your clients save time — our most finite and valuable resource.

MediaMarkt is an omnichannel retailer, and that is a very conscious choice. Digital and non-digital channels flow seamlessly into each other, according to Yannick de Bièvre (Head of Marketing BeLux).

You can't do partial digital transformation, says Paul Smeets (CTO Cadac). In this video, he tells you more about his vision on digitisation.

How fast can you launch new products and services, scale up or scale down sales channels, or provide a better customer experience? The technical complexity of a business often determines its innovation speed. We look at how to transform the 5 key blockers in technology into accelerators for your business. Expert:Raymond Muilwijk, Center of Excellence Lead Technology

In his talk at the 2023 BAM Marketing Congress, David De Block (Public Services Director at iO) talks about e-inclusion — or what it means to leave no one behind digitally.

The tool will help children learn about the impact of high screen time on their mental and physical health.

iO helps Torfs, the Flemish shoe giant, to position itself better in the Walloon market and as a fashion player. Read more about this case.

Creating a Cohesive Platform: Assuralia's Rebranding and Site Redesign for Enhanced User Experience Read the story here.

Entopic/iO rewrote all content to a new tone of voice for the launch of the Odido brand and managed content migration from 2 websites to the new website. Want to know more? Find out in this case.

With creative always-on and ad hoc campaigns, our experts help Manna Sauzen grow into a leading Belgian brand.

For Port of Antwerp-Bruges, we brought a brand-new job platform to the market with a creative, multimedia campaign. Read more.

Discover how we customised a business app that semi-automatically schedules the most efficient solution and produces quick reporting.

How do you develop a virtual experience platform that takes your customer experience to the next level?

Discover what iO does for airport & travelers: from branding to creative campaigns and content creation.

We ensured GDPR-compliant, cost-efficient cookie management for Van Hoecke's platforms using CookieHub. Read our success story.

What it takes to make booking as easy as possible for you? Discover the power of a strong management vision, a streamlined work process, and long-term, open, and transparent collaboration between Landal GreenParks and iO.

iO experts built a brand new D2C website with an advanced Adobe Experience Manager e-commerce platform for lighting specialists Signify. The result: happy users and satisfied teams. Read the full case here.

Gaining insight into the customer journey in a data-driven way with journey mining