Build a Better Understanding of Customers, Get a Competitive AdvantageCreating buyer personas, which include customer demographics and behavior, can be enormously helpful in persuading potential customers to choose you over a competitor.

A decade ago, your company website might have been a kind of digital brochure with some basic contact information. Taking that approach in 2013 will make you look like you're wearing mom jeans to Coachella.

These days, a successful digital presence is a living, breathing, meaningful experience--rooted in inspiration, customer empathy and clear utility. Your goal is to provide real value to prospects and customers by anticipating their needs, giving them a reason to do business with you and fostering their loyalty to your brand. There's even a verb for all this: grokking--understanding or communicating through empathy or intuition.