Social Commerce: The Future of Online Shopping

Social commerce has become a powerful tool for businesses to boost customer engagement and sales through social media platforms. 

With the acceleration of online shopping and ecommerce due to the pandemic, it has become essential for businesses to find new and innovative ways to connect with customers. 

Social commerce allows businesses to interact with customers in a more personal way, providing them with the opportunity to browse, research and purchase products without leaving their favourite social media apps. 

In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of social commerce, ways to overcome its challenges, and examples of businesses that are using it successfully.

What is Social Commerce?

Social commerce refers to the use of social media platforms to boost customer engagement and sales. In simpler terms, social commerce is online shopping through social media. We live in a digital age where social media has become a crucial aspect of your business’s digital marketing strategy, whether you have an e-commerce or a physical store.

But why is it so important to leverage?

1. We live in a digital age where social media is becoming less of an option and more of a requirement for businesses, whether they are purely ecommerce or with a physical store.
2. Thanks to the pandemic, the shift toward the number of people online shopping has been accelerated, and it is now crucial for businesses to find new, innovative ways to engage and connect with customers. Social commerce provides the opportunity to do just that.
3. Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are just some of the social media platforms that allow you to interact with customers in a more personal way. Customers can browse, research and purchase products without even leaving an app.
4. Let’s just say you can consider yourself out of the loop if you’re not leveraging social commerce…

Pros and cons of social commerce

Pros

Increased Reach and Customer Engagement

Social media platforms have a massive user base, and using these platforms for social commerce opens your business up to a much wider audience in a more cost-effective way.

Seamless Shopping Experience

Social commerce allows customers to shop without having to leave the platform they are using, creating an easy process from start to finish that they are less likely to abandon.

Effective at Building Trust

Customers are able to see, in real time, the reviews and recommendations from others who use your products, which is fantastic at building trust. 

Reviews are already a fantastic tool to leverage; reviews that come with photo/video, as well as being able to see that a reviewer is a real person by going to their profile, provides the extra reassurance customers look for.

Cons

The balancing act of commerce and social media

Social media is a fun platform where people can interact with their friends and family; too much promotion may lead to frustration and a negative pushy perception of your business.

Businesses need to find the balance between having fun and interacting with customers and using social media to promote and push products.

Privacy and Security Concerns

Customers want to feel in control of how their data is being used and can be hesitant to share their personal information.

Therefore, it is important for businesses to be transparent about how customer data is used and that it is protected and secure. For example, using secure payment gateways and consistently monitoring for security threats.

Conquering the Algorithm 

Social media platforms use an algorithm to figure out what content is shown to what users, which means you can put in a lot of work for little traction.

How can I leverage social commerce for my business?

Like all things, social commerce does come with its challenges. The following points will help youovercome the challenges and make the most of all social commerce has to offer.

Choose the right social media platforms for the demographic and user behaviours of your target audience. Put in the research. Instagram is great for a younger audience, where Facebook caters to a wider age range.

Integrate your chosen social media channels with ecommerce to streamline the customer journey. Don’t make the customer have to exit the social platform they are on. Use the shoppable post feature so customers can shop in their chosen app.

User generated content (UGC) is your friend, as satisfied customers post about your product in reviews, photos and videos. This content not only means less work for you but provides an authentic way to build trust and credibility with potential customers.

Invest in influencer marketing to reach new audiences and build trust by working with influencers who fit your brand values and have an audience that consists primarily of your target market.

What does the future hold for social commerce?

Although it has already seen so much growth in the past few years, social commerce still has much further to go.

What can we expect?

1. The number of businesses using social commerce will continue to grow and will quickly become less and less of a choice and more of a requirement to succeed. 
2. It is predicted that over time social commerce will use data and analytics to refine and personalise marketing campaigns further.
3. Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual reality (VR) will likely increase in popularity, providing a more interactive and immersive shopping experience than ever seen before.
4. As technology evolves, it's expected that chatbots will improve and become a key tool in creating a personalised experience for customers.
5. Artificial intelligence (AI) is also becoming more prevalent and will be able to help businesses in analysing customer data for marketing purposes.

Examples of businesses using social commerce today

Instagram

Most people have heard of Instagram as it is one of the most powerful social media platforms today. Instagram has millions of businesses using the platform to promote and sell products using the integrated in app shopping feature.

Shopify

Shopify is a super popular ecommerce platform that uses social commerce well, integrating with platforms such as Instagram and Facebook for a seamless customer experience. They allow businesses that use Shopify to sell directly on social media.

Poshmark

Users of Poshmark are able to buy and sell their new and used clothing and accessories. This is all done through customer profiles so they can follow each other and shop for relevant products.

In conclusion, social commerce is becoming a crucial aspect of digital marketing, whether your business is purely ecommerce or has a physical store. However, as with any new technology, it also comes with its challenges, such as the need to balance commerce with social media, privacy and security concerns, and the challenge of conquering the algorithm. By choosing the right social media platform, integrating with ecommerce, leveraging user-generated content, and investing in influencer marketing, businesses can overcome these challenges and make the most of all that social commerce has to offer. The future of social commerce looks bright, with the increasing popularity of augmented and virtual reality and the potential of artificial intelligence to analyse customer data for marketing purposes.

In today's world, where most businesses have an online presence, customer reviews have become an essential part of building trust and credibility. 

Customer reviews offer potential customers a glimpse into your product or service from a third-party perspective. In fact, according to a survey by BrightLocal, 91% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchasing decision.

In this article, we'll explore the reasons why customer reviews are crucial for any business and how to gather them effectively.

Why do I need customer reviews?

Build Trust & Encourage Loyalty

Online reviews are a fantastic form of social proof for your business. They help build trust with potential customers making them feel more confident about making a purchase and in turn increases your conversion rate.

Trust is a big factor in who customers will buy from, so seeing reviews from other happy customers is great, as well as seeing that you care about your customers' experience by responding to the not so good reviews with resolutions. 

Improve Search Engine Rankings

Google and other search engines alike consider customer reviews as a ranking factor in determining which businesses show in search results.

The more positive reviews, the more likely Google will improve your search engine visibility.

Get Feedback on How To Improve

After all, keeping customers satisfied with the products and services your offer is incredibly important.

Reviews provide an external view of how your business is viewed. Whether the reviews are good or bad, it can be incredibly helpful to see where customers think you do a good job, as well as what areas could use work to enhance the customer experience in the future.

So how do I get customers to leave a review?

Now getting customers to leave reviews can be a challenge. There is a fine line between being too pushy and giving yourself the best chance at receiving a review from a customer. Here are some solid tips for getting more reviews.

Make it easy to leave a review - The more effort it takes to leave a review, the less likely customers are to do so. Make sure there are multiple sites and directories for reviews to be left, as well as send out an automated review request tool.

Time your review requests strategically - Ideally, you want to ask the customer for a review when they have had a positive experience with your business. This could be immediately after purchase or service experience. However, if the purchase is online to be delivered, after the product has been received could be a good time to ask for a review.

Offer incentives for leaving a review - You can offer incentives to customers who leave a review to make the time leaving the review worth it for the customer. Examples of incentives include discounts, prize draw entry and freebies. However, make sure you are clear on the T’s & C’s and don't offer anything that could be perceived as a bribe.

Respond to existing reviews - When you respond to the existing reviews (both good and bad), it shows customers that you value their feedback and care about whether they had a good experience with your business.

5 Creative Ways to Ask for a Review

1. Create a personalised video request: This makes the customer feel like you're not just sending a bulk email and that you care about their individual experience.
2. Include a review request in your signature: This means you aren’t being pushy and send emails with “give us your feedback” in the subject line but offer the customer the opportunity to review easily.
3. Create a review contest: Incentivise the customer to leave you a review by offering the opportunity to win a prize when a review is left.
4. Use social media: Create a unique hashtag for customers to leave reviews under 
5. Host an event: if you have a physical store, host an event for your loyal customers and ask them to leave a review at the event. Or better yet, get them to leave a review as their RSVP for the event.

How do I handle reviews?

It is very important to respond both promptly and professionally to ALL reviews. Yes, this means both the good and the bad ones. This shows that you value the feedback and want to resolve issues or concerns.

The Good 

• Positive reviews are an incredibly valuable marketing tool. 
• Not only do they help build trust and social proof, but you can share these reviews on social media, your website or in any other form of marketing you use. 
• Just make sure to ask permission before sharing feedback publicly.

The Bad

• Nobody wants to receive a bad review; however, it is important to respond in a way that shows the customer you care. 
• How you respond to a negative review can actually lead to a positive review from the same customer. 
• Make sure to apologise and provide either a solution or compensation when appropriate.

Where to gather your customer reviews

Website

Your Website is a fantastic place to gather reviews. You can have relevant reviews on the respective product and services pages you are advertising. 

This not only provides feedback but allows potential customers to be able to get a better idea of your product/service and builds their trust when there are multiple good reviews.

Reviews on your website under specific products/services can also help potential customers in their buying journey when it comes to what size or colour to purchase.

Social Media

Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are another great place to gather reviews.

Receiving reviews on social media not only means that they are easy to reuse on your own social media, but are shared with that customers following also. This is potentially hundreds of people directly being exposed to your product/service in a positive light.

You can also easily offer incentives such as prizes or discounts for customers who leave a review using social media.

Google Business

Using your Google Business Profile to gather online reviews is also a great way to increase business.

When people google your business, they don't even need to enter your website to see a star rating and review summary.

Receiving good reviews on Google can also increase your visibility and online presence by ranking higher in google search results.

In conclusion, customer reviews are a vital part of any business's success, helping to build trust, improve search engine rankings and provide valuable feedback for improvements. By making it easy for customers to leave reviews, strategically timing review requests, offering incentives, and responding to both positive and negative reviews professionally, businesses can gather feedback to build credibility and grow their customer base. So, if you haven't started gathering reviews for your business, it's time to start now!

The terms “landing page” and “product page” are often used interchangeably in the ecommerce sector, but they couldn’t be more different.  Landing pages are incredibly important. They provide the opportunity to target a specific audience as part of a larger marketing campaign.

This article will explain the differences between landing pages & product pages, how they play a role in ecommerce success, and how to design a landing page for high conversion rates and maximum revenue.

What is a Landing Page?

A landing page is a standalone page that a visitor “lands” on after clicking  a link in a specific marketing or advertising campaign. Optimised for high conversion rates and personalised to a particular audience segment, landing pages aim to accomplish just one goal in a campaign – move the customer further along in their journey. 

When a visitor clicks on a link they are directed to the landing page which provides exactly what the customer expected. For example if they clicked on a link that was provided in an email marketing campaign for 40% of a certain product or service the landing page would provide exactly that.

Wait… Isn’t that a Product Page?

Landing Page Versus Product Page

Although product pages are often used as landing pages, they are not the same. Landing pages are designed to move a particular customer or audience segment further along in the buying process whereas product pages are only intended for purchase decisions.  

Consider this: If you were to drive paid traffic from social media to a product page, the conversion rate would likely be extremely low and the campaign would be ineffective. But if users were instead driven to a landing page where they could submit their email for a discount code or more information, the conversion rate would likely be much higher down the road.

In fact, studies suggest that visitors who land directly on product pages are 72% more likely to bounce than those who land on a personalised landing page.

The landing page is designed to fulfil a single purpose for a single customer in a specific marketing campaign. Landing pages removes unnecessary distractions so that the customer reaches the desired goal and provides one offer.

The product page is designed to provide all the information about a product/service in a much broader sense to cater to a wider variety of visitors. Unlike the landing page, the product page provides a variety of different actions for the visitor to take with multiple CTA’s and links where more information can be found.

Why Does My Ecommerce Site Need a Landing Page?

To Increase Revenue

High-quality landing pages are guaranteed to increase your ecommerce revenue with higher conversion rates, increased AOV, and greater customer retention. 

You don’t want a customer looking for a beanie being directed to a category page for winter clothing as this does not show them exactly what they want. 

To Maximise Conversion Rate 

Landing pages should only have one CTA! There is only one goal for the landing page and that is to move the customer to the next phase of the customer journey, so you only need ONE CTA. 

Adding other links or information risks distracting the user from the goal, crushing your conversion rates and harming the campaign.

To Generate Leads

The more landing pages the more new leads will be generated! More landing pages = more conversion opportunities 

Companies with 10-15 landing pages see a 55% increase in leads shown in a study by Hubspot.

To Target Specific Audience Segments

Landing pages provide the opportunity to target a very specific audience. A landing page targeting Gen Z (1996 - 2010) would look completely different to a landing page target Gen X (1965 - 1980).

Personalized landing pages increase conversion rates because customers feel like they’re being catered to rather than just being sold products.

For example, a stationery brand would not want to target a full time worker with an offer catered to a student with a student discount or similar. Likewise a student between the ages of 18 - 21 doesn’t want to be targeted with a gold card offer.

To Learn More About Their Customer Behaviour

Landing pages provide a fantastic opportunity for A/B testing to find out exactly what works with a specific target market and what doesn't.

For example, two landing pages with the same offer could have slightly different headlines, CTAs, or images but one might convert far better than the other. The more you test, the more you’ll understand their behaviour. Remember to only test one variation at a time to avoid skewing results. 

What Makes a Great Landing Page?

Cut The Clutter, Design a Clean Page

Cut the clutter. Your landing page only has one goal, don’t over complicate it. Place the primary CTA so that it is clear and visible above the fold. Use colours that draw attention to the most important details on the page - CTA, Offer, Offer End Date 

Sell your high-quality product with high-quality content

The landing pages on your Ecommerce website are like windows in the shop. Customers are more likely to enter a store with a 50% off sign in the window than a shop with no sale or decor.

Use high quality images which draw your target customer in and allude to the quality of your product/service.

Clearly Define the CTA

Your CTA button is the most important button on the landing page. The visitor shouldn’t have to put any effort into finding it. Use contrasting colours to make it easy to spot and copy that makes it irresistible to click.

Focus On Your Target Audience

One of the features that differentiates landing pages from other pages on your ecommerce website is that landing pages are created for specific target markets.

The value proposition on the landing page needs to be crafted specifically for the audience segment being targeted.

Offer Social Proof & Case Studies

Showcase the best reviews from customers to increase social proof and build trust with the target audience to make the offer seem more desirable.

How Do You Design a Landing Page?

Landing Page Structure

Write a great headline - the visitor to your landing page should be instantly interested in your offer. Make it irresistible yet concise.

Add high-quality images & graphics  - this is your opportunity to really make the visitor feel like they are having a personalised experience. Use the high quality images that you cannot use in general marketing!

Center the content around one CTA - the landing page is for one offer so use one clear CTA, they either want it or they don’t.

Write in short, concise sentences - you should include a brief yet powerful description that entices the visitor to click on the CTA.

Add social share buttons (If Applicable) - if it makes sense for the landing page, include social sharing buttons so that visitors can share the offer with their friends and family. Be careful though, these buttons could distract users from the main goal. 

Landing Page Layout

Most visitors to your landing page won't read everything you’ve written so make sure to make the most important parts stand out!

Keep the most important information above the fold… this means anything that a visitor NEEDS to see should be available on the screen without having to scroll down.

A visitor to your landing page should be able easily find what the offer is and the CTA in less than five seconds.

Only have one offer per landing page! Landing pages that use more than one offer/CTA get 255% fewer leads than landing pages with one offer.

How Can I Improve My Landing page?

A/B Testing

Due to the unique ability of a landing page to be shown to a very specific audience, there is a lot of potential for A/B testing to find out what works and what doesn't. 

This means having the same offer but two different page designs or layouts to figure out what works best for that specific audience.

Irresistible Offers

Even if the landing page is extremely well designed using high quality images and catchy on brand copy if the offer isn't irresistible you can’t expect to convert.

An offer is irresistible when there is a limited amount of time or number available. Another way to make an offer irresistible is for the offer itself to be marketed as a once in a lifetime never again will this offer be available again.

It is the irresistible offer on your landing page which at the end of the day will create a sense of urgency in the visitor and lead to conversion.

Creative Copy and Images

Using your brand voice and being creative in your copywriting and CTA’s can help significantly increase conversions. Simply adding personality by changing the copy on a CTA from “buy now” to “I want it” can make all the difference and liven up your landing page.

The same goes for the images your use on your landing page. Stay away from manufacturers' photos and take your own. The landing page is aimed at a specific target market so use photos of someone within the target marketing using your product or service.

In Conclusion

Landing pages are important, so make sure that you are making the most of them on your ecommerce site. The more landing pages you have the more opportunity there is for new leads, so do not hesitate to add new ones wherever possible to cater to specific audiences. 

The product page is arguably the most important page on any eCommerce website. This is where visitors decide whether or not your product is worth their money. 

When done well, your product page can convert those same visitors into customers, generating steady sales for your business.  

This article will cover the importance of a product page, what to include on your product page, and how to design your product page. Using these tips will help facilitate in inspiring customers to click the checkout button, purchase your product and hopefully leave a 5 star review! 

What is a product page?

The product page is the page on your website which displays your product and all of the information about your product to help facilitate the customer in their decision making process. This includes images of the product, along with specs and answers to questions they may have.

Goals of a product page

Simply put, the goal of a product page is to convert a customer from considering, to purchasing your product. Here’s how to accomplish this goal: 

• Make it visually appealing - The first thing a potential visitor will notice is how your page looks, this includes the quality of your product images! Images are essential to 93% of customers in the decision making process.
• Write an informative & persuasive product description - Product photos can’t describe everything about the product. A great product description details features and benefits of buying or owning the product. 
• Keep it simple - You don't want a complicated process to be the reason you lose a sale. 76% of customers say that the most important part of a website is that it’s easy to navigate. Make sure your product page has a fast load time and is easy to use on mobile, desktop, and tablet.
• Show social proof - You can say your product is fantastic but why should a customer believe you? It is your product! Providing social proof through reviews shows the customer that real people also love your product, and customers trust reviews 12 times more than product descriptions! 
• Make it accessible - Your product is likely not just of value to able bodied people but is valuable to disabled people too. It is important to create a product page that is accessible to everyone, including the visually impaired.
• Create a sense of urgency - Sales can be increased by 332% when your product has a sense of urgency. Running low on stock? Let the customer know! Have a sale ending in 24 hours? Put a countdown next to the product price.

What is the purpose of the product page?

For the seller

The purpose of a product page is to persuade the customer that they need your product. To do so, you have to present the right information above the fold, forcing them to scroll down and view the rest of the page.

1. Clearly define the product

Describe the product in a short snappy way that gives the customer confidence in the product they are buying - What does the product look like? How big is it? What is it made of? What colour is it?

Does the product include anything that could make your product more valuable to the customer? - If it’s battery operated, does it include batteries? Extra accessories such as a charger? Does it come with a warranty?

One of the most important pieces of information to the visitor… How much does it cost? You can have an incredible product but you will not convert if the customer does not know how much it is - Is it on sale? Is there a discount the more you purchase? How much is one? Is shipping free?

How does it work?  - How do you use the product? Are there different use cases? Who is it made for? 

Check out this one from Party Pastries, which clearly explains what the customer can expect with their purchase. 

2. Establish trust 

Social proof is vital! Having a great product description is fantastic, but if the  reviews don’t align with how the product is described, they’ll never buy it. 

Have an influencer that mentions loving your product in their latest YouTube video or TikTok. 61% of consumers say they trust influencer recommendations –  leverage this and link any influencer marketing on your product page!

3. Align with the buyer’s goals

Why would you buy a product you don’t need? You wouldn’t. Create an environment on your product page that persuades the visitor that they need your product. 
Show how owning your product can help your customer solve their pain point, satisfy their craving, or achieve a certain goal. 

4. Get them to the checkout page

You can have an outstanding product page, but if there is no obvious way to checkout, how do you expect to have any conversions? It’s your job to make your customers' lives easier, not to give them a treasure hunt!

Include a call to action (CTA)  above the fold such as “add to basket” or “get this deal” that directs the customer to the checkout page. Be original with your CTAs; they don't have to be formal.

For the buyer

When someone visits your product page it is likely that it is because they need to solve a problem or satisfy a desire. 

Just talking about the features of your product is not enough. You need to discuss how and when the features of your product will fulfil the problem your customer is having.

If a photographer is looking to upskill, simply telling the photographer to take your online course is not enough. You need to tell them what they will learn in your course, how it will help them improve their photography, and ultimately, make them more money.  This speaks to the need of feeling superior to their competitors.

If a customer has been sunburnt and they are looking for relief, they don't just want to hear the ingredients in your product. The customer wants to know how the ingredients in your product provide relief and how soon they can expect results.

What should be on a product page?

Craft a creative & descriptive product title

Yes, you want such a juicy product title that your customers struggle to resist clicking on the product…But, you can’t mislead them.

If you tempt the customer with a clickbait-worthy title, they might click on the product. But they’ll be left frustrated and you run the risk of losing many potential customers because of your deceit. 

If you don’t have value to offer, don’t offer value. It’s that simple!

Use high-quality images

UGC can be fantastic, especially when it is high quality content. If possible, leverage content from powerful influencers in your target market. 

Don’t use the stock or manufacturer photos. Take your own photos and make sure they are high quality! 

Some consumers find it easier to visualise using your product when they can see others using it. Include pictures of people using your product or better yet a video of someone using your product.

Write informative & persuasive product descriptions

Most of the time there is no need to write like you are selling to the queen. Write as if you are selling to a friend. It may feel unprofessional at first but to the customer it comes off as genuine.

You want the customer to feel as though they will be missing out if they don’t purchase your product. For example if you are trying to sell a new easy up tent say something along the lines of “Don’t be the one to miss out on toasting marshmallows because your tent took twice as long as everyone else's to put up.”

If they can’t imagine buying or having the product, they’ll never buy it. The description should complement the images in a way that the customer can imagine themselves owning the product.

Check out this one from Dematech.

Add a compelling CTA

The goal of a eCommerce product page is to sell a product. To make that happen, your product page needs a clear CTA . 

And this isn’t limited just to the “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now” buttons… You can create a CTA in your product description, with the button click serving as the ultimate action.

Be creative and use your brand voice when creating CTA’s so that you can stand out from your competitors.

Just like we want our product descriptions irresistible to click on (without clickbait) make your CTA’s irresistible too! 

Create trust with social proof

Use trust badges, these let customers know that you are a legitimate brand. Not only are they taking a risk in buying your product online as a first time buyer but they are putting their credit card details into your website.

Just like you are more likely to buy a certain product or brand if it has been recommended to you by a friend, reviews and testimonials act as your customers' online friends.

Reply to those reviews whether they are good or bad. This lets customers know that as a brand you are listening and care what customers think – putting in the work to prevent future issues.

Although it may be tempting to just delete the bad reviews, it is unrealistic for every customer to have a 5 star experience. The key is to be transparent.

Add creative, yet intuitive symbols to draw attention to certain benefits

Website visitors are naturally drawn to symbols, so use these to highlight important features or benefits of your product. 

KeAloha uses symbols to highlight how their products help protect the oceans.  

Include other important information to eliminate any doubt

Customers like to put in the least amount of work possible, so you want to make sure that all of the information a customer may want before making a purchase is available on your product page. If they have to search elsewhere for more information, it’s unlikely that they’ll come back to your site.

The product description is meant to influence them. But ultimately, people want to know exactly what they’re buying. Let them know what’s included with the product, how it works, and how it satisfies their needs & cravings. 

Include a list of commonly asked questions about the product so that customers can quickly find the answer they’re looking for. 

From a few photographs and a short description, it can be hard to gauge the size of the product. Include dimensions for relevant products such as clothing, shoes, and furniture. 

What information does the customer need to know about the shipping of the product? Is it free? How long will it take? Let them know.

Encourage social sharing

Social sharing icons such as  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest should be added to the product page so that customers can easily share the link to anyone they have recommended the product to.

Offer similar products

If the visitor is interested in this product, they’re going to buy it. But if they are not interested, recommending similar products is a great way to keep them on your site, potentially resulting in the purchase of another product.

How to design a product page

Now, it's finally time to design that product page. But how do you get started? 

Get inspired

Have a look at what others are doing! What product pages are your favourites as a consumer? What do they do well and what do you think they could be doing better?

It is great to check out others in your niche, sometimes there are already great ideas out there that you can adapt and make even better.

Design a simple, intuitive layout

You may think that having a lot of words so that you can give the customer every single detail imaginable is a good thing. But, you should keep your information as concise and nicely presented as possible so as to not overwhelm the customer.

Website visitors don’t read every single word on a webpage. Instead, they efficiently scan the page, doing the least amount of work in order to achieve their goal. But, not all users scan the same.

Design the page with the rest of the site in mind. Keep logos, colours, fonts, and image styles consistent across all pages. 

Place the most important information above the fold – this is what the customer first sees when they arrive at your product page. The information above the fold should be enticing enough to convince the customer to scroll down to find out more.

The layout of your product page should provide a seamless uncomplicated experience no matter whether it is being viewed on mobile, tablet, or laptop.

The website should load fast enough that the customer does not notice having to sit and wait for it to load. Ideally, this should be under 2 seconds.

Now, repeat it

The great thing about product pages is that although there are a lot of them to create, you can make a template from the first one and then just duplicate it for your other products. Just swap out the title, descriptions, and images as needed.

Now, whenever you have a new product, the page layout is already complete. This will save you so much time as your business grows and you add more products to your site. 

Test, analyse, and make changes as needed

In a perfect world, you’ll design a high-converting product page that generates thousands of dollars in sales. But in a more realistic world, you’ll likely have to design and test multiple different layouts.

See what’s working and what isn’t – just because it worked for another brand does not mean it will work for your brand. And after enough iterations, you’ll have the perfect product page for your audience.

Conclusion

The product page determines whether or not your website visitors will become customers.  So, it’s important to design a product page that influences them to make a purchase.  Follow the tips in this guide and turn your product from something your customers want to something they need.

Or, if you're looking for a professional web design team, we're always happy to help. Get in touch with us today.

Mobile apps are taking over; and not just TikTok, but also in business, shopping, and commerce. 

Investing in mobile app development for your NZ business is essential for its growth. Here are ten reasons why.

1. Most users' time is spent on mobile apps

Users spend 90% of their daily screen time on apps and just the remaining 10% searching the internet. If you're struggling to get users to visit your website, building an app might be your next move.

2. Reach a global audience

Nearly everyone has internet access, and most internet traffic comes from mobile devices.

Mobile application development enables you to reach a global audience and connect with customers all over the world, promoting market expansion and increasing opportunities for business growth.

3. Increase users' accessibility 

Having a website for your business is great, giving customers a place to learn about your business, make purchases, and more.

However, investing in mobile app development will let you virtually put your business in their pocket. Mobile apps allow customers to access all they need about your business in one tap, anywhere and anytime.

4. Millions of people download apps every single day

In 2021, there were over 600 million daily app downloads. Make yours one of them.

4. Increase customer retention

New customers are difficult to acquire, existing customers not so much. Build an app for customers and offer exclusive content in the app to keep customers coming back time and time again. 

5. Build trust 

Having a mobile app makes businesses’ products or services more trustworthy for customers. 

96% of the top 50 online retailers in the UK and 94% of top 50 retailers in the US had at least one mobile app.

It also makes businesses more professional, as most companies nowadays have mobile applications.

6. Build a community

Building a community is one of the greatest ways to strengthen your brand image, improve customer retention, and increase average lifetime value.

Add features like posts, forums, and in-app messaging that allowing customers to interact with each other, discuss & review products, and help build an active community centered around your product or service.

These community members will then become ambassadors for your business in their own social circles, increasing your presence even further.

7. Increase customer engagement

Mobile apps give consumers a seamless, all-in-one experience with your business, putting your business right in the palm of their hand.

Rather than them continuing to visit your same website, create new, engaging content in the app to make them active daily users. 

8. Offer a better customer experience

A good mobile app should provide customers with everything they need to know about your products, and an easy way to learn more if necessary (customer service, FAQs, etc.).

Consumers will be able to make mobile transactions, get notified about offers and announcements, view product reviews, and so much more, all without entering a single store.

9. Increase sales & mobile conversions

Thanks to services like Amazon, eCommerce is growing faster than ever.

According to an Internet Retailer case study, adopting a mobile-focused marketing approach for 500 companies resulted in an 80% increase in sales, with 42% of mobile sales coming from applications. 

If you’re looking to grow your business, developing a mobile app is essential.

image source

10. See what users like

Market research is essential to good business.

Mobile apps can quickly and effectively collect consumer data and consumer preferences. Learning what content users most interact with will help determine the future types of content to develop, using data to drive content strategy for your app and other channels.

Activate Design has a firm understanding of the application design and development process and can help you maximise the opportunities this new exciting media has to offer your business.

If you're looking to build an app for your business, get in touch with us today.

What is On-Page SEO? And Is It Important?

On-page SEO is the process of optimising website content for both search engines and users. It includes elements such as metadata & heading optimisation, image compression, URL structure, and more.

All everyone seems to talk about these days are backlinks. So if you’re wondering if on-page is even important, think again.

On-page SEO is fundamental to the success of your search engine strategy. Even with successful technical and off-page elements, your website will struggle to rank without the proper optimisations.

What’s the Difference Between On-Page and Off-Page SEO?

Unlike on-page, off-page SEO refers to optimising for signals that happen off of your website, such as backlinks. 

Similarly, technical SEO differs from on-page in the fact that it refers to elements such as pagespeed, robots.txt files, indexing, and more.

So let’s get into it. Find out how you can level up your SEO with these 10 on-page SEO tips..

10 On-Page Optimisations You Can Do Today

Whether you’re an expert or totally new to SEO, here are 10 on-page items you can take care of today to improve your position in search rankings and drive more organic traffic to your website.

Keyword Research

You’ve done your keyword research. Great!

Now what to do with it?

Use Your Target Keyword in the First 100 Words

This principle has withstood the test of time in the world of SEO. 

Use your primary keyword at least once in the first 100 words of your blog article, product/service page, and all of the other pages on your website.

Just as users read top to bottom, so does Google.

Just imagine you were writing a blog about the best flavour of ice cream. Imagine not mentioning the term “best ice cream” until halfway down the page. Wouldn’t make much sense would it?  

Keyword Density

Now that you’ve mentioned your keyword at the beginning of the page, how often should you use it in the rest of the article?

Keyword density is the amount of times a specific keyword appears on a given web page.

In the early days of Google, most SEO “experts” were cramming their primary keyword onto a webpage as often as possible, a practice known as “keyword stuffing.”

Nowadays, this is considered bad practice. Most experts agree that the proper keyword density is around 1-2%, meaning that your primary keyword should only appear 1-2x per 100 words.

Title Tag

Your title tag is one of the most important on-page SEO factors. It gives users and search engines a high-level overview of what your page is all about. 

Let’s stick with the ice cream example.

If you’re writing an article comparing different types of ice cream, you wouldn’t title it “Chocolate v. Vanilla: Which is Better?” right?

Without reading the article, someone looking at the title may think it’s about cake or protein powders or anything else. They’d have no idea if it was about ice cream, and they’d never click on the search result.

A better title would be “The Best Ice Cream Flavour: Chocolate v. Vanilla.” 

In short, include your primary keyword (or a close variation of it) in your blog title. And similar to your copy, try to place your keyword as close to the beginning of the title tag as possible.

And though you may want to write a long, descriptive title, it’s best to keep it short and sweet. Keep your title under 580 pixels in length, as Google will cut off any characters after the pixel limit. You want users to read the full page title in search engine result pages (SERPs) right?

There are several tools online that help you check optimal title tag length, such as ToTheWeb.

Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are snippets that appear in SERPs directly below the title tag that allow users to understand what your page is about.

Though meta descriptions aren’t a direct ranking factor with Google, they’re still important to your on-page strategy.

To write a well-optimised meta description, include your primary keyword (towards the beginning if possible) and write a description that makes users want to click on your page. Using persuasive language that inspires the user to click on your page gives your page an indirect SEO boost.

And similar to title tags, meta descriptions also have an optimal length. Keep your meta descriptions under 920 pixels in length. 

Headings

Headings provide structure to pages, enabling users to quickly scan for the information they seek.

Take this page for example. It’s full of H2s, H3s, and H4s which help structure the page and make scanning easier.

As such, the headings differ in size, ranging in size from largest (H1s) to smallest (H6).

H1s

H1s serve as primary headings, and offer insight into the rest of the article. It’s important to include your primary keyword in the H1, and use persuasive language that makes them want to keep reading.

In this blog, for example, the H1 is “On-Page SEO: The Beginner’s Guide.”

H2s

H2s typically are reserved for main topics covered in your blog. In this blog, some of the H2s are “What is On-Page SEO? And Is It Important?” and “10 On-Page Optimisations You Can Do Today.” 

Though not as important as H1s, it’s important to use keywords in these subheadings. 

H3s, H4s, and More

Use these subheadings to further structure your article, and draw attention to supporting topics. 

Notice how in this section, “Headings” serves as the H3 and “H1s,” “H2s,” and “H3s, H4s, and More” serve as the H4s.

Image Optimisation

Images are great. They add a pop of color to your pages, and add plenty of design value when used properly.

Unfortunately, images are resource-heavy elements. They take a long time to load on websites, and pages that load slowly do not provide a great user experience.

But with proper sizing and compression, you can strike a balance between beautiful and fast.

First, you’ll need to convert your images into the proper format. Google recommends WebP (a next-gen format), but WebP files are not supported on Safari browsers. Instead, convert your images to a JPG or PNG type. These file types work just fine as well.

With the right file type, you’ll now need to compress your images. There are plenty of online tools for this process. One of our favourites is Tiny PNG. Tools such as these can compress images up to 80% of their original size, without sacrificing quality.

Sometimes, an image doesn’t need to stretch across the entire screen. Take your image : optimisation a step further by resizing the image to only the necessary size. A smaller image requires fewer resources to load.

Image Alt Text

Alternative text, commonly referred to as “alt text,” is used within your HTML code to describe the appearance and functionality of an image.

Alt text helps visually-impaired users better understand the context of an image, and search engines use it the same way. 

Just as with other on-page elements; it’s great to include keywords in your alt text, but remember to avoid keyword stuffing.

The purpose of alt text is to describe the image, and including keywords is a bonus.

So if you’re using an image of a child eating chocolate ice cream, don’t just define the alt text as “ice cream.” Try to be more descriptive: “child eating chocolate ice cream on a hot summer day.”

BONUS TIP: Save your image files with descriptive names (with keywords if possible). This can help Google better understand your images. 

Internal Linking

Internal linking is an underrated element of on-page SEO.

Internal linking is the practice of linking from one page on your site to another, typically a related page.

Linking between pages helps users and search engines better understand your content in a contextual sense by knowing which pages are related to each other.

To best structure your internal linking, link from high-authority pages to low-authority pages to increase the low-authority pages and make your entire website more authoritative as a result. 

And when linking between pages, be sure to use keyword-rich anchor text. This provides context to search engines about the link. You’ll notice a few keyword-rich internal links scattered throughout this blog. 

External Linking

Internal linking is the process linking between two pages on your website. External linking on the other hand, is the process of linking between your website and another website.

You may be thinking “why would I want to link to another website? They’re just going to click the link and leave my website.” Well, you’re not alone in that thought.

However, external links to related pages, especially authoritative pages, improve Google’s understanding of your page.  

URL Structure

Though URLs aren’t quite present “on-page,” they’re still considered an on-page SEO factor.

There are two things to remember when creating SEO-friendly URLs:

Keep them short and sweet
Include a keyword in every URL slug/extension

It’s that simple.

Let’s take a look at the URL for this blog:

It's short, sweet, and includes a keyword.

Here's a few more examples for good measure:

• Blog - www.icecreamcompany.com/blog/best-ice-cream-flavour/
• Service Page - www.icecreamcompany.com/ice-cream/vanilla

Write High-Quality Content

Now that you have the page laid out, it’s time to write great SEO content.And though you may be a great copywriter, you may not be an expert SEO writer (yet).

To write content that ranks, it must be unique, valuable, and optimised for search intent.

Unique

If you publish an identical article to one that is already ranking #1 in SERPs, not only is it plagiarism, but it also won’t rank.

Why, you might ask?

Because it’s not unique. If it were this easy to write great SEO content, everyone could do it.

To make your content unique, you have to add more value than the pages that are already ranking.

So whether it’s a new tip, more authoritative resources, a new case study, or something else, your content has to be better and more unique than the ranking content that already exists.

Valuable

There are billions of websites on the internet, and millions of people writing similar content to yours. To stand out from the crowd (and search engines), your content has to be more valuable than the rest.

To add more value than your competitors, add more details, use newer (and better) resources, cite case studies, and include images/infographics that support your writing.

Search Intent

Your content may be unique and valuable. But if it doesn’t satisfy search intent, it’s effectively useless.

Your content has to satisfy the searcher’s intent, otherwise it won’t rank.

Generally, search intent can be broken down into 3 main types:

• Informational - the user is looking for information, whether it be about the weather, recipes, or something else
• Navigational - the user is looking for a specific website (for example, Facebook)
• Transactional - the user is looking to buy/purchase something online, whether it’s a product or service 

You’re all set! Take these 10 actionable on-page SEO tips to your website and start growing your organic traffic.

And, if you’re looking for a full SEO strategy to boost your keyword rankings, contact us to speak with one of the SEO Specialists at Activate Design. 

In addition to yourself and social media profiles, your website is often the face of your business. That's why, at Activate Design, we want to build you something beautiful. 

Through the entire process, we'll work with you on everything from copywriting to web design to hosting and everything in between. 

So let's dive in, and you can see for yourself how easy it is to build the website of your dreams.

1. WEBSITE CONSULTATION

We'll first discuss your goals for the website: necessary features & integrations, target audience and more. We then propose a site that would suit you. We have developed our own CMS (Content Management System) which is the background system that runs a website, and we have created this to meet the needs of clients who need a user-friendly website that will allow them to make changes to their website themselves with ease and efficiency.

Types of Websites Available

A Simple, View-Only Website

If you just need to provide information about an upcoming event, product launch, or store opening, a simple view-only website is the perfect solution. Additionally, it can serve as a landing page for Google Ads or social media ads. 

Advanced, High-Performance CMS Website

Our most popular option, a new, high-performance website can be the facelift your business needs. Once completed, our CMS interface makes it easy for you to add new pages, blogs, and more. And don't worry, we'll provide in-depth training on how to use the CMS so you can edit your website confidently. 

eCommerce Website

If you're looking to sell physical or digital products online, you'll need an eCommerce website to do so. With the same high-performance features as our popular websites, our eCommerce solutions allow you to add, edit, and remove products, descriptions, stock levels, and more, directly in our CMS.

2. WEBSITE PLANNING

We want to build you the website of your dreams, and doing so may require a few meetings with our team to get things right. We need to determine how you want your site laid out, which colors you want to use, and more. Once we've mocked up your site, we can get started on the build.

3. DOMAIN NAME

Your domain name is your website's unique address on the internet. If you don't already own your domain name, we can help you pick one that fits your business. If you launch another business, or need a second domain for any reason, additional domain names can be added at any time.

4. WEBSITE DESIGN

With a domain name and a better understanding of your brand, our designers can get started on your website. Our talented design team will make your site come to life with a beautifully designed header, buttons & images that jump off the page, and more. 

And if you're looking to further upgrade your website with a new or improved logo, our designers can help with that too. 

5. WRITTEN CONTENT

A beautifully designed website is just the beginning. In order to grow your business, customers need to understand your business.

We'll introduce you to our copywriters, who will get to know you and your business inside out. They will then put pen to paper (figuratively), bringing your website to life with words. 

Our copywriters are seasoned SEO writers, meaning your content will be optimised for search engines, so that customers can find your business online. 

*Our copywriting services come at an additional cost, and are not included in the cost of building a website, unless discussed previously.*

6. PUTTING THE WEBSITE TOGETHER

Now that the designers & copywriters have created all of the written & visual content for your site, our programmers put it all together, ensuring consistency & functionality.

Down to the last detail, our programmers will properly size images, align navigation elements, and optimise your site to make sure it looks great on both desktop and mobile. 

7. WEBSITE LAUNCH

Congratulations! With the final touches on your new website in place, you can celebrate.

With the help of social media, email marketing, search engines, and other marketing methods, you can start driving traffic to your new website and attract new customers. 

Professionally developed websites are a powerful tool that any business can use to connect with customers and provide a positive experience for them. Sure, there are many build-your-own website building services out there, but they are only a ‘platform’, and the quality of the end result still depends mainly on your input and design skills.

Retail businesses employ professional shop fitters to design and build their store to ensure their goods are well displayed and enticing for customers. Why wouldn’t you want the same for your website? Whether you’re a consumer-facing or B2B business - your website is your ‘front door’ and usually the first interaction a customer has with your company.

When done well, a professional website can convert a casual browser into a valuable customer. However, some businesses still balk at the idea of paying for professional web designer services. But here’s the flip side—how many customers are you unknowingly losing because your website is turning them off? 

Read on as we offer five reasons why you should leave your website development in the hands of an expert.

#1: Good design attracts more customers

In many ways, maintaining a retail website isn’t that different from running a physical store. To make sales and become a profitable business, you need to attract customers. Brick-and-mortar establishments do this by investing significantly in merchandising.

An eye-catching window display will entice people into your store. They get a good idea of what you’re selling, and the attractive display draws them in for a browse.

People browsing your website are looking for a similar experience, namely:

• An attractive layout
• Products or services that are easy to find
• A professional-looking business

#2: Web Developers make the browsing experience more user-friendly

In the same way as store layouts are designed to maximise sales - a professional web developer employs design techniques to keep the user browsing your website. A well-functioning user interface (UI) and a good user experience (UX) are two essential elements in a successful website. A good UI will provide users with good UX and ultimately encourage them to act, whether submitting an enquiry or making a purchase.

In addition to being easily navigable, your website should also load quickly. Research conducted by American content delivery network Akamai shows that 53% of users abandon visits to a website if a page takes longer than three seconds to load on mobile.

Your website should also be responsive across both desktop and mobile devices. Sites that are not mobile-friendly lose a significant percentage of users who primarily use their smartphones and tablets to browse and make online purchases.

#3: Good design improves recall

We’ve already talked about how you can use good web design to make a lasting first impression. Well designed sites also create a consistent experience for the user, which helps build trust and improves brand recall.

Take Facebook as an example. Both the website and the mobile app use the same dominant shade of blue—it’s become a recognisable trademark in its own right. When we see that exact shade of blue against a white background, many of us would instantly recognise it, even subconsciously, as the Facebook colours.

Here at Activate Design, our team of professional web developers includes a graphic designer. We can create a complete aesthetic for your business and apply it across your website, logo, letterhead, in-store experience and anywhere else your customers interact with your brand.

#4: Good design projects your credibility

Online, the adage about not judging a book by its cover is flawed by default. In most cases, users only have ‘the cover’ to go on, and 75% of them make judgments about the credibility of your business just from the way your website looks. This judgment may seem unfair, but it’s one of the realities of the digital marketplace that you must address.

An outdated website gives the impression that whoever is running it isn’t up with the play. Likewise, inaccurate or poorly-researched content can make users question your products or doubt the legitimacy of your business. Regularly updating your website will help you rank better on Google - this means keeping up with blog posts and refreshing your look from time to time. Generating good shareable content attracts more visitors to your site and lends your site more authority, which is good for SEO.

#5: Professional web developers optimise your site for SEO

Just like a TV commercial or a print ad, your website is an important marketing tool. Developing the site is only part of what a good website developer offers. To get your website seen by your target audience, you need a combination of strategies, including:

• SEO Optimisation
• Pay-per-click advertising
• Social media promotion

Many DIY websites perform poorly in search results because they’re built on a standard template and are not optimised for SEO. Embedding keywords in your content is only one of many tools web developers employ to make sure your website is well recognised by search engines.

Many of these SEO techniques require coding expertise and up-to-date knowledge of SEO trends. Professional website designers engage copywriters to craft content that is rich in keywords and highly readable for the user.

—

The ongoing global pandemic has highlighted the importance of an effective online presence for companies, so they can continue to operate and adapt to changing circumstances. E-commerce has become an essential service, and you need the support of a professional web developer to ensure you deliver the best possible service to your customers.

Paying for a professional website designer might feel like a significant investment at first, but it will pay for itself again and again. With a well-designed website, you can showcase your brand’s best qualities, while differentiating yourself from your competitors.

If you are considering hiring a web designer for your website need —talk to the team at Activate Design. We do web design, graphic design, app development, branding, content marketing and SEO optimisation. We’d love to hear from you.

The internet has drastically changed customer behaviour, and with it, the marketing landscape. With millions of people spending hours online every single day, it’s patently unwise not to develop and invest in a digital marketing strategy.

One of the best ways to start is to create your own website. Once you’ve established your address on the world wide web, you can more easily explore other digital techniques.

That said, here are some crucial components of a robust online marketing strategy:

SEO

SEO or search engine optimisation, is arguably the most important part of any digital marketing strategy. Why? Two things. First, most people nowadays spend their zero moment of truth (ZMOT) on search engines. ZMOT, simply defined, is when the consumer looks for relevant information before buying a product.

Second, a significant percentage of internet users don’t go beyond the first page of search engine results. Thus, the higher your ranking, the bigger the chance that the consumer will see your brand name and click on your link. The further you are from the first page, the fewer opportunities you’ll have..

This is why your website is only the first step. After this, you must invest in good SEO services so you can boost your lead generation, and hopefully, conversion numbers. SEO is especially important if you’re in a highly competitive industry, such as e-commerce.

Blogs

Content marketing, which usually comes in the form of blogs, helps immensely with SEO. With a blog, you can establish your brand identity, industry authority, and credibility. You’ll also have a platform to cultivate a relationship with your customers. All of these can contribute to your brand being interpreted by search engines as a credible entity.

What’s even better is that you don’t need a separate website for a blog. If you already have a website, you can simply host it there as a dedicated page. For some topic ideas, start with insightful discussions about industry trends and how you’re applying these as a company. You can also consult your SEO strategy and find some keywords to write about.

Social Media

During its earlier years, social media platforms were almost devoid of brands. They were instead used to interact and connect with friends and family, or even strangers who shared the same interests. Soon enough, however, companies saw the benefit of engaging their consumers where they’re already active and receptive to engagement.

Nowadays, a social media strategy is a big part of digital marketing campaigns. Remember, though, that you don’t have to be present on every platform. The most important thing is to understand how each site works and if it can help achieve your brand’s goals.

You should also engage in what is called social listening. This way, you’ll know what people are saying about your brand and address issues. You can also discover the topics most relevant to your audience and thus engage in more meaningful conversations.

Email Marketing

Unlike social media, where you’re essentially trying to talk to thousands or even millions of consumers, email is more direct. This gives way to more personalisation, which greatly increases the potential for conversions and more genuine connections.

Email marketing is especially useful for e-commerce businesses. Through newsletters, you can easily announce the arrival of new products, your latest promotions, and other offerings. You can even send personal greetings and special discounts to customers during their birthday! Doing all of these can keep you top of mind, which is important in a highly competitive space.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is an increasingly popular advertising model, wherein a brand works with content creators like bloggers and vloggers to promote products and services. When a consumer performs the intended action (e.g., to avail the product or service or download an app), the content creator gets incentivised through commission fees.

This is an effective way of increasing your reach. If you’re a brand, you can tap the content creator’s fan base to expand your market. If you’re a content creator, you can add to your income stream and boost your reputation.

Online Advertising

The online space is a big one and unless you’re an equally big brand, it can be difficult for you to get noticed. This is where online advertising comes in. You can choose from a wide variety of options, including keyword advertising, boosted social posts, video ads, and more—it all depends on your goals.

For example, if you want to help maintain your presence in search results pages as you work on your SEO, you can opt for keyword ads. If you want to promote a certain piece of content or product, you can create a social media ad and then direct those who click on your website. If you want to target a certain audience, consider placing display ads on niche websites.

Remember to keep track of the ads that perform well so you can reallocate your resources when necessary.

The most important thing to remember is that there’s no singular formula to a successful digital marketing campaign. You might need just one, or maybe you need a combination of several. Having concrete goals can certainly help in deciding which ones are the best for your brand. 

SEO remains a vital tool to help you rank well in search engine results (SERP’s). There are many “experts” giving plenty of advice on how to optimise your website for Google, but what does good SEO website design look like?

Many designers think they understand SEO strategies, but opinions and facts can easily get entangled, confusing business owners who need to know what is best for their business. In this article, we’ll tell you what you need to know about SEO.

The Big Three SEO Techniques you need to know.

When designing a website for SEO, there are three fundamental techniques to employ:

1. Keyword research and placement
2. Making your site search engine friendly
3. Building links

Keywords and key phrases are the backbone of search results. There are many online research tools to get you started, but you mustn’t use keywords indiscriminately and diminish the quality of your content. Original visual content, including photos, videos and infographics, can also boost your site’s traffic and encourage content sharing.

Your web designer will ensure your website is easily indexed and searchable. Descriptive titles, meta tags, headings and alt-text are all opportunities to make your site more search-friendly.

Once your site is live, the ongoing SEO work begins through link building. Backlinks are links on other sites that send traffic to your site. Having high quality inbound and outbound links helps establish your site’s authority with Google and other search engines. So that’s a brief intro to SEO; now, let’s explore the subject a bit further.

With SEO, Everything IS Black and White…

But the only SEO techniques worth using are White-hat SEO.

These are the safe and long-term result producing techniques that the major league search engines recommend as part of good web design. Here are a few of what we think are the main White-hat SEO techniques:

1. Content is KING

There’s no point in having a website with poor content. A search engine is like a nightmare editor: it will catch you out on poorly written work. The best way to optimise your site for search engines is to produce excellent writing. Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft endorse websites that are the most appropriate for any given search. Google’s new Rankbrain algorithm rewards websites that provide compelling content—the longer they browse your site, the better your rank prospects. Your content needs to get to the point quickly and encourage users to keep reading and clicking links.

2. Mark-Up Matters

Semantically structure your markup to help search engines understand the content of your webpage. Keep it simple! Search engines like proper heading and titles. Use CSS to separate design elements from your content and make it easier for search engines to find what they’re looking for. If your titles are declaring certain content, make sure you deliver. Make your title and description tags more compelling by browsing the Google Ads that appear at the top of search results. Use these keywords and phrases in your meta tags to generate more clickable SERP’s. 

3. Keyword is Key

You’ve got to create your website with well-researched keywords and phrases in mind that you think your customers may use to find your particular site. Keep in mind that single words are not the most effective. Instead, try multi-word phrases that are more specific to your product/service and use them effectively throughout your website. Not sure what phrases to include? Reddit is an excellent resource for finding search phrases. Just search your topic and scan the threads for phrases that keep popping up. Another great source of keywords come courtesy of your high-performing competitors. Type their URL into a keyword research tool, and you’ll learn what keywords they rank well for. Incorporate the relevant keywords into your content.

4. Make the Link

The rule here is Quality over Quantity. You want links from other web pages that are regarded highly by search engines and relevant to the content of your page. The amount and quality of inbound links to your site affect how high up the search engine your site is placed. Talking about quality, make sure your content is easy to read and broken down into bite-size chunks. Remember, most users are browsing on their phones and don’t want to read great blocks of heavy text.  Keep your URL’s short and descriptive.

White-hat SEO’s evil twin, Black-hat SEO, uses techniques that are disliked by search engines. Unfortunately, websites that employ these techniques can suffer a number of punishments ranging from ranking penalties to complete removal from the index. Some websites can be banned. For the love of Google, do not do the following:

• Hide-and-go-Seek

Hidden content is the sneaky, underhanded content hiding within the code for a site that is stuffed with keywords. Developers can also hide this content using CSS, ridiculously small text or coloured text on the same colour background. If search engines catch a whiff of this, your website will be penalised or banned altogether. You’ve been warned.

• Stuffing is for Turkeys

Don’t stuff your site with Meta keywords. Two main Meta tags are used to inform search engines of the content on the page, and when they’re misused, they serve as an alarm to search engines that you’re using spam techniques to improve your ranking. Google is smart, don’t risk trying to fool it.

• Doorway to Destruction

Doorway pages are designed for search engines and not for your customers. These fake pages are stuffed with content and highly optimised for 1 or 2 keywords that link to a target or landing page. Search engine spiders/crawlers can detect these pages, alerting the powers that be, resulting in being flagged and banned.

• Farming Saga

The temptation to link all kinds of crazy things to your website to increase traffic is understandable. But, it has the opposite effect. Link farms or free for all (FFA) pages list links of unrelated websites. Trust us when we say they won’t provide your site with an increase in traffic. The only thing you can be sure of is the risk of having your site banned for participating in this scam. On the other hand, having good outbound links to authoritative sites can help establish your website as an information hub in the eyes of Google’s Hilltop algorithm, lifting your ranking.

The Internet is a Beast

SEO is essential because it’s all about ranking. A higher ranking will result in more customers, which is imperative for companies that make most of their money online. Good SEO can help these companies improve their organic traffic significantly. As you’ve seen, it’s not about the stuffing. You need an excellent game plan for SEO, and this is where we can help. We know a lot about how search engines work.

The internet is unfathomably large. Without search engines to help us navigate through the approximately 50 billion indexed web pages, we’d be lost in all the disorder. Search engines help find order amongst the chaos by creating an index that directs you to the most relevant website for your search query. Life is moving fast, and this index changes with it. Every day new websites are added, existing pages are redesigned, and new content is uploaded. The internet is fluid, dynamic. And search engines need to stay up to date. Enter the crawlers.

Creepy Crawlers

Search engines use crawlers to create search engine result pages by finding your website via a link from another website or the Add URL page. The crawlers then process this information and index it. When a person enters a query, the search engine analyses their index and generates results of the most relevant websites. Search engines use a ranking system to deliver relevant results. Numerous factors are taken into consideration, and your SEO success depends on your understanding.

Ranking Factors

So, relevancy is determined by over 200 ranking factors. I’m not going to list them all; however, some of the most important factors include:

• Links: When I’m talking about links, I’m referring to Pagerank, the link analysis algorithm used by Google. It takes the quantities of links into account and essentially translates every connection to a website as a vote for that particular website. Essentially, the more links you get, the higher you will rank, which is why some people lean towards farm linking. Remember when I told you that quality comes before quantity? Well, not all links are created the same. Links from authoritative websites will have more influence than links from less prevalent websites. Keep your links relevant, or suffer the consequences.
  
  
• Keywords: The keyword distribution on your page is extremely important as Google checks how often the search query can be found on it. If the search query appears in your domain, URL, and content, for example, your page will be considered more relevant and will thus rank higher. Just don’t overdo it.
  
  
• Site Age: Is it just Google who honours the knowledge that comes with age?! Google perceives older websites to be more authoritative than new websites. Take that, you young whippersnappers.
  
  
• Fresh is Best: Frequently updating your website is a good idea. It keeps you on Google’s mind. Adding new pages and deleting old ones indicates that your website is still alive and kicking.
  
  
• Algorithm Updates: Google’s Hummingbird algorithm uses semantic search to deliver results based on intent as well as language. So while keywords are still important, your page will perform better with related subtopics that are a good match for a user’s search query.

Your website’s load times and usability can significantly impact your ranking. Slow websites will have higher bounce rates, and Google demotes sites with high bounce rates or short dwell times.

If you want your website to achieve greater success on search engines, you’ve got to get your SEO just right. Doing it the wrong way can seriously mess with your reputation and your business. 

At Activate Design, we can help you with SEO and improve website performance.