According to a study from CMX and Leader Networks, improving customer satisfaction is the number one reason why businesses start branded online communities.

That means that businesses are investing big bucks in online community software, community managers, and helpful content to keep their customers happy. But does it work? Do online communities really improve customer satisfaction?

You'll easily pay $300-$500 for a new vacuum cleaner. That's why, when I needed to buy a new one recently, I didn't take the decision lightly. I spent over 50 hours researching vacuums online. I went to multiple stores, testing several vacuums as well as questioning the people selling them. I was looking for a clear idea of the winners and losing in the category.

With exploding phones, a divisive election, and major international news, 2016 certainly kept up on our toes. But through all the turmoil, we found that associations and businesses remained focused on what they do best - serving their customers and members.

No one is sure how that mission will evolve in 2017, but we know we can learn from the changes and advances from last year. That's why we've put together our 12 top articles from 2016. These articles will give you a head start on 2017, covering topics from member engagement to business management.

There was wood everywhere. Paper on the floor, nails on what was left of the counter, and a paint-splattered drop cloth was all that protected the kitchen tile. It was a mess.

That's how my kitchen looked during its recent upgrade. The end result was beautiful, but redoing an entire room was a huge undertaking.

It took weeks to finish, cost a fortune, and there were probably at least half a dozen considerations that I didn't fully think through before work got started.

That's how a website redesign feels.

77% of people say that when they're attending live events they often (or always) use their smartphones for business. Another 13% say they sometimes use their smartphones, while only 10% say they rarely or never use their phones.

That means that 90% of your event attendees are on their smartphones.

So where are you?

I hated the last event app I used.

Every time I opened it, I had to sign in all over again. It didn't save my login information, so I had to manually type in my email address and password multiple times a day.

Then, to make matters worse, the app didn't have all the information I needed. It didn't include the event emails detailing lunch options (I had to dig through my inbox), nor did it have session surveys or a map of the conference center.

Have you ever used an app like that?

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."

What a spectacularly incorrect statement.

Ken Olsen, founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (which has since been acquired by Compaq, then Hewlett-Packard), said this in 1977. Now, less than 40 years later, we not only have computers in our homes, we have them in our pockets, purses, and even our jewelry.

"This is going to be very unusual advice from a guy who runs a sales and marketing software company, but take dollars from sales and marketing. Put it in products and services and customer delight." Brian Halligan, CEO and Founder of HubSpot

When Brian Halligan, one of the men widely credited with coining the term "inbound marketing" tells you to take resources away from marketing, you know there's a major shift happening.

Which is easier for you to pinpoint, the number of new customers you won last quarter or the number of current customers who left your company?

For most businesses, it's easier to rattle off new customer numbers. That's because the majority of marketing and sales efforts (and executive focus) go toward attracting and winning new customers. Every day, marketers are becoming more and more efficient at winning new business through digital relationship-building approaches like inbound.

What's the first thing you do every day? Besides checking your email and Facebook notifications.

For me (and many other marketers), it's logging in to my marketing software and checking the day's stats. I look at how many people are visiting my website, converting on offers, and moving down the funnel that my coworkers and I painstakingly created.