Have you ever considered taking payments on your website, but thought it would be too complicated or expensive to set up? If you’re looking to take payments for single products on your website and you don’t need the full e-commerce functionality, I’ll show you that it’s incredibly easy to do using Stripe and something called Payment Links. I’ve been using …

Urgh, selfies. For a lot of business owners, the last piece of advice you probably want to hear is that you need to get in front of the camera more. But the fact is that this simple tip is one of the biggest things that will help improve your social media content, and even your business in general. One of …

There are very few absolute guarantees in marketing, and I’d recommend running in the opposite direction of anyone who says otherwise. However, I’ve come across a system that is almost guaranteed to get more leads into your business. If you follow these steps consistently, the leads will come. I can’t take credit for this system; it’s from a book called …

AI and ChatGPT in particular is pretty divisive. Some people think it’s going to bring about the next Armageddon and others absolutely love how much time it saves and how much more productive it makes their day. I’m a bit in the middle. AI can be awesome but it definitely can be misused. Firstly, the dark side of AI. This …

I recently started my adventures in public speaking. This included doing a presentation at a couple of networking groups called “How to Cut Your Social Media Posting Time in Half.” Public speaking doesn’t come naturally to me. It’s always nerve-wracking but I’m slowly getting better. Also, it’s funny how after you’ve done it, you get a real buzz and want …

I’ve got a confession to make: I absolutely love LinkedIn! It’s a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it, but for me, it’s a fantastic platform to connect with other business people. There are numerous great conversations happening all the time, and what sets it apart from other social networks is the supportive atmosphere it provides. Unlike …

A new Case Study for Dock Design has been posted to the site so make sure you check it out. Dock Design are a Liverpool-based luxury furniture design company. They focus on using traditional methods over mass-production and all items are custom built to the client’s requirements with the highest quality materials. They required a complete brand identity to position …

I’ve always been a huge advocate of the importance of having a personal brand. The era of faceless businesses is over. People like to work with…wait for it…people. I previously discussed the importance of this in a blog I wrote over on my agency Exposuremachine’s website. However, I realised how hypocritical this was, as there were no images or content …

Our new and updated website is now live! This website has been through several iterations since it was launched several years ago and it’s definitely time for a new version. The entire layout has been updated. One of the key aims for the new design was to have a striking, bold and fairly minimalist design. As well as the layout, …

A brand new case study is up! Hush Beauty Company are a business make luxury beauty treatments such as tans, nails and waxing much more accessible by bringing the experience of the salon to the comfort of your home. This project covered various media including a full brand identity, business cards, flyers and website. Want to see the finish work? …

A brand new case study is up! Exposuremachine are a web design agency who specialise in helping photographers attract more clients in less time. They required a premium brand to set themselves apart from the DIY site builders and stock themes in the industry. The work covered various media including a full brand identity, website design and more. This one …

You will probably think I am some kind of narcissist/douche for reading a book called ‘The Charisma Myth’ but being able to communicate effectively with people is a vital skill for anyone. This is especially true if you are more of a natural introvert like myself and need all the help you can get! The idea behind this book is …

I have just put up a brand new case study for my recent branding and identity work for PMB Projects. PMB is a company that offers landscaping and residential construction services throughout Toronto, Canada. Brent from PMB got in touch with me because he needed to create a recognisable, professional brand and identity for his company. After our initial consultation, …

This week’s book review is The Perfect Day formula by Craig Ballantyne. This is a FANTASTIC book about making more of each day and putting steps in place to work towards what you want to achieve in life. I first heard Craig on the awesome Renegade Radio podcast with Jay Ferruggia and I loved what he had to say about …

I am VERY happy to say that the new www.stephenoke.co.uk site is now live! The www.stephenoke.co.uk domain was registered a long time ago and the site is now in its third iteration. To be honest, I was never completely happy with the previous sites and always felt that something was missing. The new site finally provides a much more complete …