Results before positioning

The client in question runs an online store where he sells sockets, switches, cables, wires, extension cords, installation boxes, insulating tapes and other products used in electrical works. He signed a SEO contract with us in June 2019, opting for a budget of $ 1,400 per month. When we started SEO activities, the client’s website appeared in 18 phrases in TOP3 and 145 phrases in TOP10, while in TOP50 there were less than 1000 phrases. So it cannot be said that we started from scratch – the website was visible in the search engine and also had organic traffic. However, the audit showed us that the website has the potential to generate even more search engine hits and gain better places for industry phrases.

The first year of cooperation

During the audit, we noticed that the client’s website is available at two addresses, which would be a significant difficulty in positioning, among others due to duplicate content. At the beginning of the cooperation, permanent redirects to one of the addresses were introduced, thanks to which the problem was quickly removed and opened the way to new activities.

In the next stage, we focused on the most urgent issue, i.e. optimizing the pages of the most important product categories by adding comprehensive descriptions. We chose the best key phrases for each of them and placed them in the texts to increase the probability that the page will be high in the search results for these keywords. We have also determined the optimal H1 headings and meta titles, and we took care of the appropriate length of the text for each subpage. This brought the first signs of increased visibility, which showed that the chosen positioning strategy was working. The website appeared on 38 phrases in TOP3, 387 phrases in TOP10 and 1795 phrases in TOP50.

Second year of cooperation

After a year of cooperation, the client decided to extend the SEO contract and additionally increase the budget to $ 1,800 a month. As the most urgent changes have already been implemented, we focused on increasing website traffic with blog articles. We focused on extensive, valuable texts containing phrases loosely related to the client’s activity, which we could not implement in the category descriptions. This resulted in a significant increase in the number of phrases in top positions, and thus an increase in the visibility of the customer’s website, which translated into greater brand recognition. The client also agreed to expand the website with detailed categories that were optimized for long tail phrases. Thanks to this, we were able to fight the competition for even more keywords relevant in the industry.

The strategy based on extending the website with high-quality texts brought particularly noticeable effects in May this year, when the Google algorithm was updated. Our observations show that as a result, pages with a large amount of unique content recorded increases, and sites with little text or duplicate content fell in the ranking (e.g. product descriptions taken from manufacturers’ websites). This change confirmed our predictions about the future of positioning, and although it did not echo widely in the industry, it had a significant impact on a large number of websites, especially online stores. This is shown by the results achieved by our client:
– TOP3 – 218 phrases,
– TOP10 – 1099 phrases,
– TOP50 – 4656 phrases.

What is the conclusion of this? Positioning requires not only knowledge and experience, but also tracking trends so that updating algorithms, instead of destroying the effects of work, help to climb higher and higher positions.

The answer will not be a big surprise – it depends. From what? First of all, the industry in which we operate, the promotional budget and the target group we want to reach. Of course, we also have to consider what exactly we want to achieve through advertising. We have a lot of possibilities to conduct campaigns on the Internet. Below, we briefly present the most popular of them.

Google Ads – not just advertising on the search network

One of the effective ways to promote your brand on the Internet is a Google Ads campaign. The giant from Mountain View offers users a system with which you can advertise not only in Google products, but also on many websites of its advertising partners. Examples of such formats as:

Text ads in the search network – this type of promotion is also known as sponsored links. They appear at the top or bottom of the search results page and are labeled “ad”. In addition to headings and descriptions, you can put various types of extensions in them, e.g. links to other subpages of your website, explanations, location or information about promotions. As a result, the link to our website not only appears on the first page with results, but also occupies a large area, so it attracts the attention of the audience.

Advertising on the Google advertising network – this type of advertising campaign on the Internet has a graphic form and is displayed on the partner websites of the giant from Mountain View. It is a very broad network, ranging from small to huge portals, industry sites, blogs, local sites and many other sites on a variety of topics. Ads can take the form of banners appearing between paragraphs of articles or on the side of the page, in the background (behind the main content), full-screen or pop-ups. The advertising network can also provide dynamic ads, the elements of which are automatically selected depending on the user’s preferences (based on his previous behavior on the Internet).

YouTube Ads – Video campaigns may or may not be skipped and may appear before, after, or during your videos. Bumper Ads, i.e. six-second ads that are highly effective, especially on mobile devices, are also very popular.

Product ads – they contain a photo of a specific product, its name and price and lead directly to the subpage where you can buy it. They appear on the search results page and in Google Shopping. To create this type of campaign, you must have an account in Google Merchant Center and implement the so-called Product feed, i.e. a file with data about the products we offer. The ad data is automatically drawn from the feed. This is an excellent format for online stores, as the user immediately has the key information when making purchasing decisions.

Why is it worth using Google Ads?

Google Ads is a system that gives advertisers a wide range of promotion opportunities that are not provided by traditional advertising on radio or television. The most frequently mentioned advantages of the system include:

Advanced targeting options – with our message we can reach a strictly defined group of recipients, which gives us the best chance for conversion. We can set a group, taking into account the interests of users, their place of residence, age, life situation (family, children, renovation, buying a house, etc.), reach people who have contacted our website or simply place advertisements on websites about specific topic. We can also freely set the ad schedule and territorial range or modify the rates depending on various parameters (e.g. device type).

Payment for the effect – in the case of campaigns in Google Ads, we do not have to pay for the mere display of the ad. The budget will be used only when we achieve the assumed goal, i.e. when someone clicks our ad or watches a promotional video (depending on the selected billing model).

Full control over the budget – at any time of the campaign, we can check how much we spent and increase or decrease the expenses.

Quickly visible results – an ad in Google Ads can be launched at any time without leaving home and it becomes visible almost immediately on the web (you have to wait for verification, but it usually doesn’t take long). Thanks to this, the effects can be seen much faster than, for example, in positioning.

Constant access to statistics – we can check which of our ads have the best results, identify keywords generating the most conversions, etc.

Raising brand awareness – our advertisement is displayed on the first page of search results or on the websites of Google partners, so even if the user goes to our website, he may remember the company name, logo or special offer.

Google Ads – who is this online advertising campaign for?

Google Ads advertising is a good way to promote almost all brands. It works well for both online stores and service businesses. However, you need to know that such campaigns, in order to bring profits, should be regularly optimized, and optimization is not a simple task for a layman. Therefore, when choosing this type of campaign, it is worth learning more about Google Ads or using the help of a specialist.

Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads – when is it worth it?

Facebook’s advertising system has a tremendous amount of information about social media users – especially when it comes to their interests and preferences. It is on FB or Instagram that we follow fanpages, talk about our hobbies, participate in discussions, inform about relationships and their ending, baby births, new animals, we even mark where and what we eat. That is why the Facebook advertising platform gives a good chance to reach those recipients we care about. In this system, we can advertise both the post itself (it will appear on the users’ board, even if they are not fans of our profile) and the entire fanpage, or direct traffic directly to the website. We currently have the following ad formats on Facebook:

– image – graphic advertisement in which we can present our products, logo, information about the offer, photos from the headquarters, etc.
– video – this format allows you to promote short movies or slide shows.
– carousel – this is a type of advertisement in which we can present a maximum of 10 images or videos – each with its own link. This allows, for example, to show several products covered by the promotion or new products on offer within one advertisement.
– instant material – a format designed for mobile devices. If a user clicks on our ad, a full-screen environment appears in which you can show images, videos, products or place a form.
– collection – an advertisement that opens as an instant material, used to show many products. As part of the advertisement, recipients can conveniently browse products on mobile devices and make purchases.

In the case of Instagram Ads, we can also use the graphic, video and carousel format, and additionally choose whether we want to display the ad in News or Insta Stories.

Advantages of advertising on Facebook and Instagram

An online advertising campaign conducted with the help of Facebook has similar advantages as in the case of Google Ads. It is a relatively cheap advertisement in which we pay for the effects, enabling precise selection of the target group and remarketing. This system also gives access to a large number of statistics and allows you to control expenses at every stage of the campaign.

What is particularly worth paying attention to when using the Facebook advertising platform is the option to select the target group Lookalike Audience. Thanks to it, we do not have to choose what features the users who will see the ad should have. The system will do it for us, selecting recipients as similar to our current customers as possible. So if we already have a certain group of recipients, it is a simple way to get more.

Who are the ads on Facebook and Instagram for?

Such an advertising campaign on the Internet is also very common and for good reason – it can give great results in many industries. However, it should not be forgotten that users enter these platforms mainly for entertainment. So it is a place where advertisements for cosmetics, clothes, cafes, hotels or an aquapark can be great, but not necessarily funeral services. The same applies to all industries that provide emergency services – such as roadside assistance, locksmith, plumber, electrician, etc. – there is little chance that users will be looking for them on social media. In these cases, a text ad on the Google Ads Search Network with a dial-in extension will perform much better.

Internet advertising campaign – LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn is the only platform with a lot of data on the education and career of Internet users. Thanks to this, it is an ideal place to establish B2B contacts, look for employees, partners and create a professional image of the company. We can choose from such formats as:

– advertising with a single photo – a format in which we can insert a photo and a description into it. It appears in the news,
– carousel advertising – allows you to place several images with assigned links,
– video advertisement – type of advertisement in which we present the video material on the news board,
– event advertisements – within this format, you can promote the event we organize, e.g. a webinar, in the news,
– text ads – contain a headline, description and image. They may appear in different places, for example at the top of the page or on the right side of the screen,
– sponsored messages – this type of ads appears directly in users’ inboxes – just like messages from their contacts,
– Follower ads – they encourage you to follow a given profile on LinkedIn. They are dynamic – this means that in addition to the logo and name of our company, they also include a photo and the name of the user to whom the advertisement is displayed,
– Spotlight ads – they direct you to our website or any other landing page. They are also dynamic and adapt to a specific recipient,
– job advertisements – another dynamic format, but thanks to it you can promote offers by reaching potential candidates.

Who is LinkedIn Ads for?

Ads on LinkedIn work well in very specific cases, when we want to target the message to people with specific professional experience, from a specific industry or in specific positions. Despite the fact that the platform is becoming more and more popular, there are still representatives of only some industries, in particular from the IT and marketing industries.

Or maybe website positioning?

Positioning of websites is probably the most commonly known method of promotion on the Internet. Despite the excellent recognition of the term itself, there are really few customers who know what it actually means. Positioning of pages are activities aimed at raising our website in organic results for a given phrase. It includes a number of activities – optimization of the website itself to be robot and user-friendly, as well as the issue of linking or delivering high-quality texts to it. However, the most important thing in positioning is the fact that it must be treated as an investment. While Google or Facebook Ads offer quick and repeatable results, positioning will start to bring results only after a few months. In the long term, it is the cheapest method of acquiring customers and building a reputation.

Other advertising channels on the Internet

Of course, this list does not include all the channels in which we can promote ourselves among network users. Online stores can also use, for example, Amazon Ads, with which you can increase the visibility of your offer on these platforms. There is also more and more talk about ads on TikTok or Pinterest, which are an alternative to more popular advertising channels. Is it worth taking advantage of these opportunities? This should be determined by the analysis of where our target group spends their time.

What is a website audit?

The dictionary defines audit as “control of the company in terms of financial and organizational, valuation of its assets and analysis of its development prospects, carried out by experts”. In practice, it is a very broad concept referring not only to entire enterprises, institutions or other organizations, but also to their specific organizational units, processes or projects. Audits are also carried out in the digital space against systems, applications or websites. They mainly boil down to control, problem identification and perspective analysis.

Website audit can cover various areas. It consists in checking its operation and identifying the reasons why it does not allow to achieve the expected results. The analysis may concern both the technical and legal, marketing or general business dimensions. In any case, it should be a very thorough process, necessarily carried out by an objective subject. Therefore, website audit is basically always outsourced to an external unit – one that had nothing to do with the creation or maintenance of a given website. It is necessary to reveal any flaws or problems – and for this you need objectivity.

Why are website audits performed?

Audits of websites are carried out especially when their owners are looking for solutions to certain problems or the reasons for the lack of the expected results. Depending on the reasons for the willingness to carry out the analysis, it applies to a specific area of the website. It can also be carried out to control the results of the actions taken. A specific type of audit is worth carrying out, for example, when:
– positioning activities do not bring the expected results,
– despite the increased traffic on the website, sales are still standing still,
– users spend a lot of time on the site, but do not go to the next subpages, etc.

The audit is then the basis for taking corrective actions, allowing to identify the causes of the problems. It can also help in making decisions about starting cooperation with an SEO agency / marketing agency or changing the provider of this type of service.

Types of website audits

A website can be subjected to various types of audits tailored to specific needs and problems. There are three main types of website audits:
– IT audits,
– marketing (business) audits,
– legal audits.

IT audits
The first group concerns purely IT issues. The following can be distinguished in it:
– security audit,
– performance audit,
– software legality audit.

They consist in checking the technical parameters of the website and looking for errors that may lower the obtained results or pose specific threats.

Marketing audits
Marketing audits, also known as business audits, mainly refer to how the functioning of the website affects the company’s turnover. This group includes:
– SEO audit,
– UX audit,
– audit of analytical systems (e.g. Google Analytics),
– audit of advertising campaigns.

They consist in the analysis of the website in terms of optimization in terms of search engine requirements or user behavior. Conducted by experts, they are able to identify many significant errors and ways to correct them. The audit also helps to find out why certain efforts do not bring the expected business results.

Legal audits
Please note that the website must operate legally. In particular, companies and institutions must comply with the provisions regarding, for example, the protection of personal data or consumer rights. In this group, the following are most often carried out:
– GDPR audit (related to the protection of personal data),
– audit of the online store regulations.

It consists mainly in the analysis of the applied procedures and provisions and their compliance with legal requirements.

What is an SEO audit?

SEO audit is one of the most important tools that can be used to improve the results of a website. Positioning is currently one of the most effective ways to promote your website. It is based on an in-depth analysis of all parameters influencing SEO. Its scope is not strictly defined, but it should definitely provide:
– an overview of all website elements important from the SEO point of view,
– evaluation of their optimization and adaptation to the requirements of search engines,
– indication of strengths and weaknesses of the current state of website optimization,
– indication of opportunities to improve optimization in specific areas,
– detection of problems in adapting the website to the guidelines.

The result of an SEO audit should be an exhaustive report that can be a determinant of further optimization of the website. The auditor is required to know the latest SEO guidelines and usability trends, as well as to be scrupulous and objective.

Why is an SEO audit so important?

Currently, SEO is often called the most important and effective form of advertising for companies. This is for a number of reasons. First of all, the wide access to Internet services means that more and more people use Google to search for information about products or services. This means that not being present in the search results is the same as losing the opportunity to attract many new customers. In addition, Google’s search engine algorithms are becoming more and more refined. As a result, the first places of search results usually contain pages that present the most interesting, comprehensive and reliable information on a given topic. This leads to increased confidence in the algorithm choices. As a result, as many as 92% of Google users do not even look at the other side of the search results. In order to be within their reach, one must foretell intense activities in the field of positioning.

Auditing websites in terms of SEO is so important for another reason as well. Positioning is really based on assumptions – the algorithms are constantly being improved, but the precise guidelines they follow when determining the page position are unknown. However, there are even more than 200 factors that determine the position of a site. Therefore, it is impossible to set gold standards or a rigid framework of conduct in this area. However, an SEO audit conducted for a specific website helps to see what works and what doesn’t. As a result, more and more effective procedures can be implemented.

What does an SEO audit cover?

Audit of websites in terms of SEO should certainly be meticulous. It requires looking at many aspects of the website’s operation and its various parameters. However, the most important issues are:
– indexing – checking the correctness of page indexing;
– keywords – analysis of phrases on which the page is visible;
– content – their influence on strengthening the appropriate phrases;
– linking – the correctness of its implementation and the effects in terms of strengthening the relevant subpages;
– cannibalization of phrases – checking if there are any tabs within the page that position themselves on the same keywords; – duplicate content
– duplicate content;
– long tail positioning – resources enabling positioning for phrases, the so-called long tail;
– URL addresses – their correctness and “friendly” structure;
– meta tags – their correct display, structure and content of keywords;
– responsiveness – correct display of the website on mobile devices;
– security – effectiveness of the applied security measures;
– performance – loading speed of subpages and their content.

Who is the SEO audit for?

SEO audit is a very important tool for basically any website. Regardless of whether you are working on positioning or just about to take action in this direction, conducting an audit will be an excellent starting point. A professionally conducted SEO audit is a source of a lot of valuable information and can help you improve your SEO strategy almost immediately. It will be especially advisable to carry it out:
– in the process of creating a website,
– when key changes are made to the website,
– before changing the positioning strategy or SEO service provider,
– in order to eliminate penalties or threats in this respect.

Even if you do not have the means to hire a professional auditor, it is always worth taking advantage of a fast, automatic and free online audit. This will give you general ideas about the areas that need improvement. The resulting reports are not very detailed, but they can be useful for sure!

What is a UX audit?

UX stands for “User Experience” which means user experience. This term is used to describe all the feelings experienced by a person using a given website. These can be both positive and negative. A useful website (i.e. one with a good UX) is easy to use, fast and intuitive. It allows you to easily find the information you are looking for, and does not annoy you with pop-up windows or an excessive amount of ads. It guides the user smoothly through all steps of the purchasing process and enables easy and pleasant conversion. However, there is also a flip side to the coin. Probably every Internet user has found himself at least once on a page from which he wanted to escape as quickly as possible. Slow operation, uncomfortable interface, lack of important information are just some of the problems that can appear on websites – importantly, even on very carefully constructed ones. Website developers often find it difficult to look at their work from a distance, so they may not notice some significant errors. Then the UX audit turns out to be extremely useful.

Like other website audits, the one regarding UX should be carried out by an impartial entity. It consists in testing whether the website meets its goals. It can be carried out by various methods.

What does the UX audit look like?

The website usability analysis can be carried out using various methods and tools. A comprehensive UX audit of a website should include many different ways of analyzing its operation. What are these ways?

Expert analysis – heuristic and cognitive
Two methods of expert analysis use the developed UX methodologies to assess the usability of a website. Heuristic analysis is based on the principles of creating websites – e.g. 10 Nielsen and Molich Heuristics, 8 golden Schneiderman principles or 30 Connell usability principles. The auditor carefully, point by point, checks the website’s compliance with the requirements of these rules and finds errors. The second method of expert analysis is cognitive wandering. Then the auditor plays the role of a user who wants to perform a specific action. The process includes testing various scenarios of conduct – making purchases, subscribing to the newsletter, searching for specific information or products, etc.

Analyzing User Behavior on the Website
Another excellent method of UX research is analyzing user behavior on the website. It uses, among others eye tracking, i.e. tracking the movements of the user’s eyeballs in order to check where their eyes are intuitively. As part of this analysis, the so-called heatmaps, i.e. graphical diagrams showing where the clicks are concentrated, what the user’s cursor movements look like or to which point the user scrolls the page. Thanks to this, you can gain very valuable knowledge to increase conversion and make your website more user-friendly.

Content usability testing
The UX audit should also analyze the content. The so-called content experience tells about whether the text on the website is sufficiently specific and comprehensive, whether it is accessible to read and whether it encourages conversion.

Preparation of UX mockups
Part of the UX audit is also the preparation of suggestions for changes to the website. For this purpose, UX mockups are prepared. They are based on the conclusions drawn from the conducted analyzes and specify where and how improvements can be made.

A / B tests
A / B tests are a way to check the effectiveness of the proposed solutions. They are carried out with the help of users. It consists in presenting two research groups with the same page that differs in one specific element (it may also be several elements, but such research is less precise) and asking them to perform a specific activity. The results (e.g. in terms of conversion efficiency) indicate which version is better for the user.

The selection of tools to support your website testing depends primarily on the goals of the analysis, capabilities and budget. You can carry out:
– moderated user tests – based on specific scenarios,
– unmoderated user tests – checking the natural reaction to the website,
– analysis of eye movement, cursor, etc. – very objective method due to its minimal invasiveness,
– surveys – questionnaires with questions about the site,
– card sorting – a type of test that allows you to check whether the hierarchy of elements on the page is properly read by users,
– paper prototyping – creating paper mockups of the website to discuss them with users.

What does a UX audit help with?

A website usability audit is an extremely useful tool. Thanks to it, it is possible to recognize and remove many errors that have a negative impact on the business results of a given company. The most frequently detected UX errors include:
– incomprehensible nomenclature,
– complicated presentation of terms of sale, delivery, payment, returns,
– too complicated menu structure,
– too long forms,
– unresponsive design,
– no sorting option,
– unintuitive product comparison engine,
– long page loading time,
– unclear pricing policy,
– lack of essential information on available products or offers.

Some of them may seem trivial, but the results after eliminating them speak for themselves. This is why UX audit is such an important business tool.

Who is the UX audit for?

Who needs a website audit in terms of UX? Anyone really. It is quite a time-consuming and resource-intensive process, but the results are definitely worthwhile. It is especially useful to conduct usability audits to identify the causes of ineffectiveness in achieving business goals. It is worth conducting it at the stage of creating the website – it will result in creating a friendly and useful website.

What is a phrase?

Keywords are queries that a user enters into a search engine – for example on Google – when he searches for something on the Internet. Of course, there are billions of passwords entered into the search engine and new ones appear every day, but there is a large pool of those that are repeated many times – from this group we choose valuable phrases for website positioning.

But one by one: what is it about positioning for specific phrases? When a user enters a specific term into a search engine, the algorithms rank the results for them. It contains the pages that most likely answer the internet user’s question best. The assessment of whether a website should appear high in the search results for a specific keyword is influenced by many factors – including the quality and credibility of the website, the correctness and formatting of texts or links from other websites. However, one of the most important is whether the headings and the texts themselves on the page contain the specific phrase that the user has entered on Google. When it appears, it is a signal to the algorithms that the recipient is likely to find the answer to their question on this site, which makes them rank it high in the results.

Key phrases in texts

The discovery that algorithms take into account key phrases has brought a real plague of texts written exclusively for bots. They were packed with the most searchable keywords, but they were of no value to the user. However, Google quickly put an end to these practices by introducing an algorithm aptly named Panda to the search engine. It was created to promote high-quality websites that provide reliable knowledge and contain original content. From that moment, inserting phrases in each sentence ceased to make sense and today it is necessary to ensure that the optimal number of phrases is included in the text and that they are naturally woven into the sequence of the narrative.

Key phrases – types

Key phrases can be short – one word – or even a few words. Most often, we divide them into general phrases and long tail phrases, i.e. the so-called long tails.

General phrases are short and – as the name suggests – rather imprecise. They are entered by users who are usually at the beginning of the shopping path, i.e. do not yet have specific expectations as to the service or product. General phrases can be, for example, slogans like “summer dress”, “sneakers” or “car mechanic”. They have a lot of searches on the web, which is why they are often considered the best for website positioning. In fact, this is not always the case, because often the user entering such a phrase is only doing initial research and is not determined to make a transaction.

Long tail phrases are much more complex and quite precise, because they are entered by users who already know what they are looking for. Long tails have fewer searches than general phrases, but are often more effective – because if the Internet user has already formulated his expectations for a product or service, it means that he is most likely ready to decide on them. Long tail phrases are becoming more and more important in website positioning, as the popularity of Voice Search, i.e. voice search, increases every year. This type of search favors the use of longer and natural-sounding search terms, i.e. long tails.

Selection of key phrases

How to choose key phrases? There is no universal way here. It all depends on the type and scale of business, offer, competitors’ activities and many other factors. For example, if we run a hairdressing salon, local phrases will work first, i.e. those that give the name of the city or district in which the establishment is located. Positioning for very general phrases is unnecessary, because the logic requires looking for customers only in the area. Online stores will not use local positioning, but should focus on longer passwords that match their product range. The selection of phrases should therefore always be preceded by a thorough analysis of the industry and competition and the formulation of the goals we want to achieve.

Bounce rate – what is it and what does it mean?

Google Analytics calculates the bounce rate using the formula:

sessions where the user has performed only one interaction / whole session

Of course, the rule is that the lower the bounce rate, the better – low bounce rate means that most users interact with the site, which should be important to every website owner. However, it does not have to play a very important role for every website.

High bounce rate – is this a cause for concern?

Certainly, the opinion that a session with a single subpage means that “the user entered the site, threw up and left”, which can sometimes be found on the Internet, should be approached with a great distance. For natural reasons, the bounce rate analysis will not work very well if the website is a so-called onepage, i.e. there are no subpages. Expert blogs are often characterized by a fairly high bounce rate – a user usually comes to such a blog in search of an article containing specific information on a specific topic, and after obtaining it, he leaves the site. A similar “problem” occurs in the case of online dictionaries, culinary websites or websites with research aids, and it does not necessarily mean that the websites are of little value to users – it is simply dictated by the specificity of the content.

Certainly, a high bounce rate should be very alarming for the e-commerce industry, especially when it is accompanied by a low conversion rate. The specific value in most cases can only be interpreted after taking into account the user group and the customs prevailing in a given industry, as well as – if possible – the results of competing parties.

When it comes to traffic sources, sessions obtained from display ads and social media typically generate the highest bounce rates. Users who access the site from these sources often return to the previous site quickly. In the case of display ads, you should definitely take into account “missclicki”, i.e. incidental clicks on the image with the advertisement, especially if the entries were generated by pop-ups that were difficult to close, or other forms of “clever” provoking not entirely intentional interaction.

Is bounce rate a ranking factor in SEO?

As is often the case with the Google algorithm, opinions are divided. Google itself claims that the bounce rate is not a factor that directly affects a website’s position in search results. On the other hand, a large number of positioners believe that the search engine is able to conclude that a given page is optimized for a given phrase, and users do not find information on it, which must have some impact on SEO.

A high bounce rate can also be related to other factors that are included in Google’s official webmaster guidelines. In this case, the bounce rate will be an indicator of other website optimization problems that will definitely affect positioning. A high value may, for example, result from a long loading of a given subpage, which makes an impatient user decide to switch to another site. Another reason may be poorly optimized text, which makes it difficult to absorb the content, the website is not adapted to mobile devices, a large number of annoying ads or the lack of an SSL certificate.

How to reduce your bounce rate?

Improve UX (user experience) on the website
Underdeveloped UX is usually the main reason for a high bounce rate. For some reason (or more often reasons), the site simply does not encourage the user to interact. This may be due to hundreds of factors, from the archaic structure of the website itself, through the choice of an insufficiently fast server, to errors that hinder browsing the content.

UX is a multi-faceted, complex issue – a valuable first step may be to commission a full UX audit to specialists.

Optimize your content
Proper optimization of the content is in many respects a UX element – division into paragraphs, alignment of the text in paragraphs to the left, choosing a font that is pleasing to the eye or adapting the content to different resolutions. However, not only the form, but also the content is of great importance – sometimes redrafting a given text can significantly minimize the bounce rate. Analyze whether there is a lack of appropriate call to action, whether the text is read lightly or rather clumsy. Even seemingly small changes can have a noticeable effect.

If a subpage generates a lot of organic traffic and at the same time its bounce rate is very high, perhaps the keywords used do not correspond to the actual content, collecting low-value inputs from the owner’s perspective.

Link internally and send suggestions to users
If there is an article on your website with a high bounce rate, offer the user other subpages that are related to the topic – you can do it in the form of a link directly in the text, with an appropriate CTA or a panel that will automatically display suggestions for similar subpages in within your website. In online stores, you can suggest other products from a given category that will probably meet the customer’s requirements.

Check the correctness of the Google Analytics implementation
Suspiciously high or low bounce rates can also be the result of incorrectly pasting the Google Analytics code. In this case, the system will misinterpret the given page entry, which will result in falsified data. A related issue will also be the lack or improper setting of events – the session with the launch of the movie on the website should not be included in the rejected sessions – although the user has not visited other subpages, he has performed a specific action on the website.

Let’s start with the basics, i.e. explain what a static website actually is. A static site is a very simple type of website that always loads as it was saved on the server. It is not equipped with a CMS system, thanks to which you could easily make changes within the site without any programming skills. It is completely saved in the file – including all texts – it can be said that the content is “rigidly” placed there.

The lack of a CMS, i.e. a friendly editor that allows you to add text, photos, videos, and even entire subpages, means that each change within the site requires interference with the code file, which makes modifications much more difficult for a user unfamiliar with programming languages. Accidentally deleting a command can completely change the look of the page, and it is impossible to edit the text without applying the appropriate lines of code for each bold or centering.

What advantages and disadvantages does a static website have?

A static website has many advantages that make it still the choice of entrepreneurs. The price is the first and probably important advantage of this solution for many people. Creating such a website is relatively easy for the developer and does not take much time, which translates into a lower cost of such an order.

One of the most valuable advantages of static websites, however, is their loading speed. These types of websites load quickly, which translates into user satisfaction and a good rating of web robots, for which loading time is one of the factors influencing the overall rating of the website. However, choosing a dynamic website does not always have to mean long loading times – this is where cache systems come to our aid.

The big advantage of static pages over dynamic pages is the security they provide. They do not have a CMS or plug-ins that can potentially be a source of threats, so they enjoy a lot of trust among entrepreneurs who focus on protecting their customers.

If we focus on a simple, small website, a static website is a better solution than one created with the help of WIX wizards. The latter are easier to edit, but they offer very limited optimization possibilities, so from the SEO point of view, they are a worse solution than static pages.

The disadvantage of this solution is that, as we have already mentioned, static pages do not have a CMS, so each change requires interference in the code. In addition, it cannot be denied that a static page has fewer functions than a dynamic one.

Static page and dynamic page – differences

As already mentioned, a static page is a file that contains all of the website’s code and all its content. A dynamic page, in turn, requires a connection to a database in which texts, images, videos and other elements that constitute the content visible to the user are placed. Therefore, when the viewer enters the static side, he gets something like a ready-made image, a fixed composition drawn from one place. In the case of the dynamic version, we serve him a page that must be re-created in a way – that is, “composed” of individual elements. Of course, the process is so fast that with the proper implementation of the project, the user has no idea what type of website he is dealing with. The fact is, however, that a static page will load a little faster than a dynamic site.

So should we always choose a static page in pursuit of the best loading speed? Not necessarily. If the website is extensive, has a blog or news section, a dynamic CMS page is often the better choice. Of course, you can run a blog or news on a static website, but due to the lack of a CMS, it can be difficult for beginners.

Who is the static website for?

A static website works best as an electronic business card with basic information about the business, contact details, etc. These types of websites rarely need to be updated and do not need advanced features, so in this case we can afford a static page even if we can’t make changes to the code. You can decide on such a page, for example, when:
– we run a stationary store and we only want to mark our presence on the Internet,
– we have a service business such as a beauty or hairdressing salon, dentist’s office, etc. and we provide services only at our headquarters,
– as part of our business, we provide services only to the client, e.g. plumber, construction company,
– we create a website with the CV function.

However, the type of business you run should not be crucial when choosing. The most important criterion is whether we intend to edit the page frequently, and in the examples mentioned, as a rule, regular updates are not necessary. This does not mean, of course, that we cannot opt for a static page in other cases. As long as we know that a simple page with the most important information is enough for us, we do not have to invest in a more expensive dynamic site – a static site is enough for us.

What is hosting?

Almost every tutorial on starting your own website begins with a recommendation to get a domain and hosting. These are two key elements of any website. The domain is the same as the address (name) of the website, while the hosting is the server space on which it is located. However, hosting is also defined as a service consisting in making available part of the server space in order to publish a page on the Internet.

This dual meaning probably partly contributes to the fact that many people do not fully understand what hosting is. Basically, however, the point is the same in each case – the use of server space. The hosting user can place any files on it and then decide on their publication. It is hosting that makes it possible for anyone to enter a given website and use the shared resources. Depending on the type and size of the server part, it gives different possibilities, therefore the choice of hosting is a very important issue for every website owner.

What is a server?

It would be appropriate to explain what a server is, since hosting allows you to rent a part of its space. A server is a computer that:
– is continuously connected to the Internet,
– has specific performance parameters,
– has a specific space,
– meets specific safety requirements.

The owner (administrator) of the server can share the space on it with others. It can separate a specific space and allow any user to use it. However, it still exercises control over the parameters and operation of the server. It can also decide on the ways of using the server and the tools used for it – most often it is a dedicated user panel. This is what is called a hosting service. Web hosting is usually intended for website hosting (web hosting), but can also handle e-mail. It should also be noted that it is the administrator’s responsibility to ensure the proper, continuous and stable operation of the server and thus any hosting accounts used.

It is also possible to invest in your own server and use all its space. This is an option with many advantages (more on them later in the text), but also with one major disadvantage, which is high cost. That is why most websites on the Internet use the so-called Shared hosting, i.e. just a separate space on a shared server.

Hosting – types of servers

If you’re considering hosting, it’s also worth knowing the types of servers you can use. Each of them is intended for a slightly different recipient, so the choice in this area should not be a particular problem – even for someone who does not have specialist IT knowledge. What types of servers are available and what possibilities do they offer?

Shared hosting
Most websites use servers that offer shared hosting. It is the technology described above which consists in allocating a certain amount of space on a given server and assigning it to individual users. Usually, in this case, all accounts are assigned to the same IP. This makes such hosting the least efficient and stable. Of course, this does not have to mean problems – good shared hosting can only periodically (in times of increased traffic) work a little less smoothly, causing e.g. slower page loading. However, this is often only minimally noticeable.

The greatest advantage of shared hosting is definitely the affordable price. This is the cheapest solution, although of course each server owner proposes slightly different prices and payment plans. It is also a good choice for people without IT expertise. The account and website maintenance is usually done via an intuitive user panel, and all the work related to the maintenance and maintenance of the server is carried out by the hosting company. Shared hosting is used by basically all smaller websites, including blogs.

VPS (Virtual Private Server)
A slightly better solution in terms of stability or bandwidth is VPS hosting, i.e. hosted on a virtual private server. What does it mean? Hosting in this case is also a separate part of the server, but it is created as a separate virtual machine. This involves assigning a separate IP address and clearly better operation, completely independent of other users. You can freely customize and organize your workspace. Such hosting also allows you to install any software.

However, it should be remembered that the physical hosting is still only separate from the server used by many other accounts. Therefore, such a solution is not synonymous with the highest level of security. A VPS server is more expensive than a shared server. Usually, using it also entitles you to additional services, such as the care of a dedicated consultant. It is a solution designed for larger parties that care about stability and smooth operation. It is used, for example, by game servers and large online stores.

Dedicated server
A dedicated server can be called the “crème de la crème” of all web hosts. This option is based on the use of your own individual physical server. One computer supports one account, which of course offers many advantages. The first is independence. Second – stability, even in moments of increased traffic. Third, it is the safest solution. Separating the site on a separate server significantly reduces the risk of cyber attacks and other similar problems. Fourthly, a dedicated server gives you complete freedom of action, software installation, etc. So it is not difficult to guess that this is the most expensive solution – the price difference compared to a shared server is huge. That is why only the largest websites use it – e.g. e-mail servers, streaming services or popular internet portals. A dedicated server also requires the employment of professionals to operate it.

What Makes Good Hosting Different?

Website owners and entities planning to launch their own website often look for “good hosting”. But what does that actually mean? Hosting is largely responsible for the operation of the website – primarily its smoothness and speed. Therefore, it is important to:
– hosting used a high-quality, stable server,
– the operation of the server was constantly monitored by the technical team,
– the server was configured in such a way as to ensure data security for users, protection against cyber attacks and other threats on the network,
– the server’s connection to the Internet was stable (in the event of a link failure, it should be automatically changed so that there would be no disruptions).

For many people, server and hosting support will also be very important. It is important that the devices are supervised by specialists who know their job very well, and that any unforeseen faults are removed as soon as possible. Customer service will be no less important – technical support that allows you to consult both on problems and configuration of the website on the server or other activities.

Paid or free hosting?

There are both paid and free hosting plans on the market. Some companies offer different hosting plans, including one that is completely free. However, is it worth choosing? Not necessarily if you are thinking about creating a real functional website. Free web hosting may be tempting, but in many cases it just doesn’t work. Such a service is usually distinguished by:
– very limited disk space – which allows you to build only a very simple, small page;
– low, limited transfer – which may cause problems with displaying or loading the page;
– the presence of advertisements – often quite intrusive and making it difficult to read the content of the website.

In addition, when choosing such a solution, you often have to take into account failures and other similar problems. So you should never use free hosting for sites that are intended to represent any kind of business activity. A website that is inefficient, slow or flooded with advertisements looks highly unprofessional and has a negative impact on the company’s image. You can use free hosting, for example, when trying out new features or learning how to create, modify or maintain websites.

How to choose a hosting?

So how do you choose hosting? What parameters should you pay attention to? If you already know what type of server you need, it’s time to start looking at specific offers. Before you decide on a specific hosting, be sure to check all the above-mentioned parameters. Hosting providers often tempt with promotions and attractive fees, e.g. for the first year, and after signing the contract, it turns out that after this time, hosting costs increase dramatically. Sometimes it also happens that the server from the promotion simply “does not demand”. How to avoid such mistakes? Drive on hard data. Check what to look at before signing the contract.

Uptime
Uptime is a rather mysterious-sounding parameter that simply means availability. It determines how often the server is unavailable due to outages or other problems – that is, how often you have to reckon with a broken website. It is defined as a percentage. If you’re looking for good hosting, choose a company that boasts an uptime of at least 99%. Some service providers also provide compensation if the uptime drops below a certain level. It is a sign of customer care, as well as hard work on the stability and proper operation of the server.

Data transfer
Data transfer is called link speed. It indicates how much data can be transferred per second between your website and the network. How fast your website loads depends on the speed of your internet connection. Of course, it is worth looking for the highest possible values. Hardly anyone has the patience to wait more than a second for the site to load. Slow action is able to effectively discourage reading its content. It is also good to check if the hosting has any data limit. Of course, unlimited offers are the best.

Security
Security is one of the most important issues. Moreover, its importance is constantly growing. It is up to the hosting company to ensure the appropriate level of security to protect the data of the website owner and his customers. Of course, hosting should support the standard SSL certificate you already have, but it’s also worth checking if there are other security services available. Among other things, the frequency of backing up the accounts is important. It is also worth finding out how long these copies are kept.

Disk space limit
Each hosting service is associated with obtaining a specific slice of disk space. Depending on the complexity of the page, you will need more space. If you only intend to create a business card page, as little as a few hundred megabytes may be enough. However, most pages need more space. Remember that each subsequent bookmark, each photo or graphic will require a specific disk space. You can also attach an e-mail box to the domain, which will take up more megabytes. That is why adjusting the space limit to the user’s needs is so important.

It is also worth finding out what the company’s policy is in case of exceeding the space limit or the transfer limit. This is because sometimes the website is blocked. It is worth choosing a hosting provider that shows more understanding and, for example, sends warnings about exceeding the limits, asking you to modify the website or purchase a higher service package.

Other Limits
Depending on the type of account and hosting company, there are also other limits imposed on users. Of course, the most restrictions are related to the basic, cheapest accounts. Sometimes the number of databases may be limited, other times administrator accounts, domains or subdomains. Think about what is important to you and how you want to run your website before buying hosting, especially the cheapest one.

Technical assistance
Anyone may need technical support. Problems with the pages and their operation vary. They tend to be unexpected and quick removal is crucial. That is why good hosting offers its customers 24/7, easily accessible and reliable support. Everyone should be able to get answers to their questions quickly. It is also worth checking the issue of passing the crash messages and the average time needed to fix the problem. Good hosting can even offer you compensation related to breakdown, ongoing repair or maintenance.

Price
The price of the service is undoubtedly important. However, you should take into account not only the promotional price, which is often offered to new customers (even hosting plans for a dollar for the entire year are available), but also, and maybe even above all, the price for the next billing period. Extending the service with many hosting providers costs much more than creating an account and using it in the initial period. So let’s carefully analyze the offers before you decide on the right one.

Feedback
The feedback can definitely help you choose the right hosting. There are tons of sites on the internet that collect feedback on hosting services. However, it is worth remembering that the entries posted there do not always have to be reliable. It is a competitive market, and both positive and negative word of mouth marketing are basically the order of the day. Therefore, it may be a much better idea to use your friends’ experience. You can also ask a question e.g. on a trusted Facebook group or a closed forum. Then the chance of receiving reliable opinions is much greater.

Trial
What’s the best way to check a given hosting? Of course, during the trial period! Not every company offers such an opportunity, but if it is available, it is definitely worth taking advantage of. Usually it is no more than 14 days, but during this time you can check in practice how the server works and how convenient it is to use the hosting.

Hosting – essential for your website

Hosting is a must for any website. Without it, the site cannot reach other network users. There are many hosting service providers and many options for using them. Therefore, if you run a website or intend to set up one, you will surely find the right option for you.

Keywords like bread crumbs

Google is the first stop in online searches – we enter the Google address almost automatically, both on mobile phones and when using desktop computers. The Google search engine is constantly changing, but the basis of its searches is still the word.

Keyword – a phrase consisting of one or more words, leading users to the materials they are looking for. In other words, “keywords” are used to describe all the terms that users enter into the search engine window.

In simple search engines, e.g. searches on store pages, the code fragment responsible for this element focuses on searching for a string of characters that creates a given phrase. More advanced search engines, such as Google, Bing or Yandex, use complex algorithms to deliver the best results. Search complexities are related to the amount of data processed by search engines that sort content from all over the Internet. In a situation where the results for even the most complex terms are displayed on several thousand pages, searching for a string and presenting the results in an alphabetical manner would not be very effective.

Keywords – types and varieties

Search engine marketing – in a nutshell – is based on selecting the right keywords and strategically placing them within the website. However, before we start looking for an answer to the question “how to find keywords” and move on to research, it is worth taking a look at the basic types of phrases that we will be looking for:

A. short-tail keywords – the so-called “general keywords”. These types of phrases consist of one or two words and are characterized by very high searchability, and thus – also by competition. Another special feature is their quite generality, which is rather not conducive to conversions – after all, it is difficult to find the skirt model of your dreams, guided only by the results related to the slogan “skirt”. It is similar with wildcard phrases – depending on the search context, the user’s goal may be completely different.

Short general phrases may seem attractive, but the cost of bringing the page to the top of the search results may not be worth the results – i.e. not translating into website traffic, contact or purchases.

B. long-tail keywords – a type of phrase that consists of at least three words. Characteristics? Less frequency of searches, but also – usually – less competition. Longer phrases are more specific and it is much easier to determine the purpose for which it was entered in the search engine. The phrase “red pleated midi skirt” allows you to define the specific features of the desired model – color, type of decorations and length.

Accurate definition of longer key phrases allows you to successfully target the needs of search engine users and significantly facilitate conversion. The cost of positioning long tail phrases will vary between industries – some are still undeveloped, and in others – competition is as fierce as it is on general phrases.

C. brand keywords – words related to the brand. These types of phrases usually contain all or part of your company name. Brand phrases also include entries containing a fragment of the website. If your company name is original, in most cases branded phrases will return results from your domain. In the event that the name of the activity has common features with the names of competitors, it is worth taking care of additional promotion and optimizing the website taking into account interesting brand phrases.

Note – positioning yourself on the name of the competition is not a good solution. In order for the optimization to be effective, it is necessary to place the selected brand phrase within the website, which may lead not only to information chaos and doubts on the part of potential customers, but also to unpleasantness on the part of the competition.

The above division of keywords is one of the most frequently used. It is not perfect – key phrases can be divided in several other ways, for example … according to the “use by date” – into “short-term” (fresh) and “evergreen”. The first one can certainly include phrases based on the current trend.

The ideal solution is to find keywords from each of the groups – this type of diversification allows you to reach various groups of recipients. Appearing various types of phrases in the search results also allows you to increase your reach and raise brand awareness. If the user has received satisfactory answers at the first contact with our brand, there is a chance that he will also choose our link on the next occasion.

How do you find the right keywords for your website?

He can search for keywords with the help of many available online tools. However, before we start using the available software, let’s take a moment to a less technical look at keyword research.

As in the case of setting up a website, when searching for keywords, it is worth defining the GOAL that guides our activities. If the purpose of creating the website was to sell, you should focus on the phrases under which customers will search for products. In a situation where the website is to strengthen our position as an expert in a given niche, the phrases we will focus on will allow us to present our knowledge on a given topic.

A website can simultaneously fulfill various types of purposes, e.g. sell products and be a source of industry advice. This is how DIY stores or bookstores that are also cultural portals. It is also worth remembering that the purpose of the website may change after several months or years of operation. Change is a constant element of running a business, and its intensity and frequency depends on the industry and users’ expectations.

The second important issue is the NICHE ANALYSIS. The analysis of industry activities on the Internet is as important for new businesses as for older ones that are just “entering the Internet”. Marketing online and engaging with customers are different from traditional marketing efforts and require a different set of skills and tools.

It is worth starting to analyze the Internet version of your industry on forums and groups associating people interested in our subject, e.g. on Facebook.

What to look for? It is worth taking a look at what people interested in our subject talk about, what questions are asked there (it’s also a great place to get inspiration for blog texts!) And what language they use. Research should also be supplemented with competition analysis – check how they communicate with customers on the website and on their social media profiles. Additional information may also be provided by reading the comments – in the case of unsuccessful ideas, users of social networks do not have problems with criticizing the actions taken by the company.

Defining the GOAL of our activities and finding out about effective methods in our NICHE will allow us to set the direction in which we should follow when searching for keywords. The preliminary analysis will make it easier to select the main keywords – terms with a greater degree of generality, which will be the basis for further keyword searches. By specifying this basis, it will be easier to use tools to help you find key phrases.

How do I find keywords? Choose your tools!

The correct selection of keywords is the basis for optimization and the entire process of website positioning. Focusing on the phrases that will convert is one of the elements of success that seo activities are aimed at. The tools available on the Internet will help you find words that will be consistent with your goal.

By using the previously specified keywords, we can expand our database of phrases with new related terms.

The Google search engine aims to provide its users with the best possible answers to the questions they are looking for. For this purpose, it uses, among others hints to help you formulate relevant queries.

Autocomplete is based on the popularity and similarity of the phrases entered by the user. The search engine puts a lot of emphasis on personalizing the content served to its users, hence some of the hints will be based on the search history on our account. More universal prompts will appear when using incognito mode.

Keyword suggestions are not the only way to find attractive phrases using search engine data.

KEYWORD PLANNER – the planner is a tool dedicated to Google Ads campaigns. However, you can successfully use it when searching for keywords for positioning. How to find keywords that will suit our needs?

Start by going to the keyword planner page and log in to your Google Account.

Do you remember your main keywords? Based on them, you can define subsequent phrases that will better reflect your business. When using the tool, remember to select the language and country to which you want to direct your services.

You should review your keyword ideas in terms of the number of searches. Note – the “competitiveness” of these phrases is counted for Google Ads, while searching for phrases for positioning, it is not necessary to include the data collected in this column.

How do I find… even more keywords?

The evolution of the keyword base for our website is inevitable, especially if we plan to further increase our visibility within the Google search engine. For this purpose, it is worth taking a look at the phrases on which our website ranks – i.e. the password under which users are displayed.

For this purpose, it is worth visiting the Google Search Console, the EFFECTIVENESS tab.

The data collected in GSC is especially useful when we want to squeeze as much as possible from pages that already exist and are included in the Google index. Perhaps these slogans include those that we did not take into account before, and which have a great potential to increase the number of users on our website? The tool shows us not only the average position of our website – after clicking on the password, we will also get the address of the subpage that ranks it and the type of device.

Additional information may also be provided by the analysis of the search terms – if we place one on our website. This type of data is successfully collected by Google Analytics.

And more and more and more… we don’t need any more

When searching for keywords, moderation and matching their quantity to the size of the website is essential. The amount of space in the key points of each subpage (title, headers) is limited, as is the possibility of processing information by network robots and the user.

When creating lists of key phrases, it is worth planning their placement in a way that allows for optimization in accordance with Google’s requirements, ie without stuffing keywords “by force”. The development of the keyword database does not have to be hampered by this – just take care of expanding the content layer through a blog or news section. In the case of stores, other tricks can also be used – for example, creating various types of unconventional product categories that can be decorated with occasional texts. And the rest … Your clients will tell you what they need – just watch them for a while!

Creating an online store is extremely hard work – even if you limit yourself to running it in a dropshipping model. However, despite everything, even the best designed and made online store will not become visible to search engines or recognizable among customers overnight. You need advertising for this to happen. There are no shortcuts here. It is worth emphasizing immediately that the effects of e-shop promotion are best visible in the long term and you often need to be patient. But this patience pays off – especially if the campaign is conducted in a thoughtful and consistent manner.

Where is the best place to advertise an online store?

Are you wondering how to approach the topic of online store advertising? First of all: before you act, plan what you will do. Especially that in the virtual world there is a lot of tools waiting for you that can be used to advertise an online store. However, if you rashly invest in advertising, without first specifying the basics, you may find that instead of gaining … you will only lose the funds spent on the campaign.

How to avoid it? Specify precisely the assumptions of the campaign before proceeding to the selection of channels through which the promotion will be conducted, as well as the content of messages that are to “go out into the world”.

What exactly needs to be specified before advertising?

A. What is the target group of your customers?
Who are you addressing your offer to? Are they recipients in a specific age range? A specific gender? With specific interests and lifestyle? Or maybe you want to reach a very wide group of customers? The more precisely you define your target, the easier it will be for you to plan communication and the better you will invest your funds. For this purpose:

– create personas representing the target audience of your products – give them symbolic names and surnames, specify their approximate age, needs, interests, expectations and possible objections, and even add sample photos,
– think about how the products you want to sell are supposed to solve their everyday problems,
– think what type of communication style will be appropriate in the advertisement – is it more “official” and neutral, or maybe “laid back” and bold?

B. brand DNA
Do you know what and to whom you want to sell? You still need to define what image your brand will have. What associations should the recipient build? What is it supposed to be associated with? With prestige? Or maybe with low prices and fast delivery? With high-quality products? Or maybe with “exotic” goods unavailable in USA in a stationary way? This will translate into both the manner of advertising and selected communication channels.

C. Objectives of the advertising campaign
What will be the aim of the conducted promotional campaign? If you are just starting your business in the e-commerce industry, first of all, you need to make potential customers aware that you exist on the market, and in the next step to build their trust. Only then will the campaign move towards promoting specific products and lead directly to the conversion. Most often you have to go through all these stages in order to gradually start to expand your portfolio of clients – not the one-time ones, but those who will come back again and again and recommend your services to friends.

So start by identifying a key campaign premise. Once that’s done, it’s time to define your specific goals. This can be, for example, an increase in traffic on the store’s website, obtaining sales leads, or strengthening the sale of a specific product. What course of action you choose will depend on what tools and channels will be used during the campaign.

D. Budget
How much money can you spend on an advertising campaign? Remember: it is not worth limiting expenses for promotion, because it is … very apparent savings. Why? Take a moment to consider where are you buying? In stores whose offers are readily available and visible in the palm of your hand, right? This visibility will not build itself! If you don’t tell the world about your store, nobody will hear about it and find it.
Nevertheless, there is no such thing as an unlimited advertising budget. It is worth knowing in advance how much money can be invested in the implementation of a specific campaign.

How to promote an online store?

Do you already know why you will advertise your e-shop, who do you want to contact and for how much? Now it’s time to choose the tools with which you will conduct the campaign. The decision is not easy at all because – as we mentioned – the number of options is really solid. Important hint: you don’t need to use all the available options during one campaign. Choose those that will match the assumptions of the promotional campaign or choose those that, with a limited budget, can potentially turn out to be the most sensible.

How? For example, a very large online store, which cares about huge ranges, may think about advertising using ATL channels, e.g. press, radio, and even television. However, this is a solution primarily for the largest players on the e-commerce market. Those who operate on a slightly narrower scale will focus on promotion mainly on the Internet.

So where to promote? The basic rule that is always worth having “at the back of your head” is: be where your customers are. Where? Here is an overview of the tools that are good to consider.

The advertising system provided by the Mountain View giant is the absolute basis of Internet advertising. Why? Simply put: because we all use Google, and the platform offers extremely wide opportunities to promote ourselves. What more can you reach for?

Sponsored Links
Where are the recipients looking for the products they want to buy? They very often start their hunt by entering a search term into the Google search engine, and then… they click on the first search results. However, sponsored links appear above them. The presence of your store in this section will increase the chances that its offer will be checked in the first place. Customers rarely distinguish an ad from organic results, and even so, these ads are very well targeted, and advertisers want the person who clicked on them to make a purchase. If the ad is set wrong, they will just blow your budget.

Google Shopping
In recent years, Google has improved its advertising tools and today one of the most interesting proposals for e-commerce is a “carousel” of products displayed in the search results – with photos and product prices. Such a mini catalog with promoted stores’ offers increases the probability that the recipient will click on your ad and then make a purchase!

Outdoor advertising
Google Ads is also advertisements displayed on various external portals – in the form of banners. This format, discredited some time ago, if only due to the fact that many internet users blocked banner ads, is now back in favor. For two reasons. First of all, more and more websites are introducing technological solutions to prevent ad blocking or asking their users to display them (it works!). Second, remarketing ads are widely used and are much more effective. What’s the thing? In remarketing campaigns, the recipient on the banners sees personalized ads that show, for example, the products he has previously viewed. Such constant reminders can be very persuasive!

Google Ads tools – as long as the campaign is run by a specialist with appropriate qualifications – can bring very good short-term and long-term results. Although the configuration of the campaign is seemingly very simple, in fact, specialists should watch over its course – they will make sure that every dollar invested in the promotion earns itself and brings the expected ROI. In the case of Paraphrase-Online.com, campaign optimization is entrusted not only to a specialist, but also to our self-learning algorithms that introduce even thousands of changes a day. This campaign optimization ensures that you invest resources in the time and place most appropriate for it.

Social media

If e-commerce advertising on social media is of course Facebook first. The portal founded by Mark Zuckerberg has today become a source of information, entertainment and inspiration. That is why it is worth being here and promoting your e-shop. How?

First, use the full potential of free solutions. So, first of all, run a fanpage of your e-shop. Regular, engaging posts will allow you to build a specific audience that will grow over time.

But that’s not all. On Facebook, you can use a wide variety of advertising tools. There are, among others:
– post promotion – so that they are displayed in the news feed of people from your target group,
– classic banner advertising,
– advertising in the form of a carousel of products – redirecting directly to the e-store,
– video advertisement, displayed during the presentation of film materials on the portal.

It is mainly these tools that the online store will use. Like Google, Facebook also allows you to set the purpose of the campaign and conveniently configure other details. It’s also easy to track the results your message is getting. Regular monitoring of the results allows you to implement any corrections in the campaign or draw conclusions for the future. Depending on the industry, remarketing on Facebook can also turn out to be very effective and it is worth to complement the activities carried out with Google Ads at least in the basic scope.

Remember that advertising an e-shop on social media is not necessarily just Facebook. Depending on the profile of your business, you can also reach your potential customers, e.g. on Instagram (especially in lifestyle industries), and even on LinkedIn (especially if you sell products intended more for business customers). Where is the best place to advertise an online store using social media? This question will be answered by e.g. an internet marketing specialist.

YouTube

Is YouTube a good promotion channel for an online store? In many cases, yes. And how to promote yourself in this medium? One of the options is to publish video ads that will be displayed during videos watched by users. However, it should be remembered that here you need to focus on short, several-second messages – especially since visitors to the portal most often “click” ads whenever possible.

But that’s not all. An increasingly common solution used by online stores is the so-called influencer marketing. In a nutshell, it is about starting cooperation with the creator running a popular YouTube channel and placing the store’s brand in its material. For example, online stores with cosmetics operate in this model. Collaboration can take many forms. An influencer can:
– mention in the material about the current promotion in a given e-store,
– recommend purchases on the site,
– offer your recipients a special discount code obtained in the affiliate program,
– link products used in the published video and available on the e-shop website.

A skilfully and unobtrusive campaign can result in a quick and significant increase in traffic in the e-store. However, it should be remembered that in order for such effects to last long-term, cooperation with influencers should be repeated regularly.

Another option offered by YouTube is … running a video channel through the store itself. What could happen to him? In the case of an e-shop, specific industry guides will work best. Valuable films will reach a wider audience, thanks to which they will work in the field of image and sales.

Are the places where it is best to promote the online store the only channels you can use? No! There is also a whole range of inbound marketing and PR tools that are worth paying attention to. One thing is certain: the campaign strategy should be developed and implemented wisely, preferably under the supervision of specialists. Then it takes place in an orderly, not chaotic manner, and above all – translates into the desired conversion.

We left the positioning of online stores for the very end. In the long term, it is usually the cheapest method of acquiring new customers. However, among all forms of advertising, it is also the most “investment” nature. By investing funds today, you can feel it only in 3 or e.g. 6 months. Therefore – even though most people do not set up stores to operate, for example, only for a year – most of them decide to position themselves only after some time. It cannot be clearly stated that this is a mistake. Every investor wants to achieve returns as quickly as possible and can do it with e.g. Google Ads. However, if at the beginning you have a slightly larger budget for advertising, then it is definitely worth conducting your marketing in two ways and in addition to what is “now”, think about what “later”. The sense of investment in positioning – in relation to your budget and needs, will also help you determine the specialist – in this case, the positioner.

What’s what in this puzzle

DOMAIN – a series of characters that allows you to define the scope of the website within the DNS (Domain Name System). The domain consists of two parts – the main name and the ending, most often specifying the language and country associated with the website.

SUBDOMAIN – an address created within the existing main domain. The address that starts with www is also a subdomain.

CATALOG – folder within the main domain.

The basic component of an online store

The first half of 2020 will forever be a period of many changes. Along with the slowdown in the economy and the closure of stationary outlets, part of the business moved to the Internet. A lot of online stores have been created, and are still being built, that support the activities of entrepreneurs so far, and probably many of them will decide to continue online sales also in the coming months and years – not only due to the pandemic.

The main task of the store is sales – it is no different in the case of its virtual version. Like the stationary, the Internet version requires appropriate preparation, which will enable existing customers to conveniently shop. With the creation of an online store, the possibility of reaching new recipients also opens up.

When taking a step towards the sales website, it is worth getting acquainted with the rules that will allow us to quickly start in the search engine. They include, among others the need to act in accordance with the recommendations for optimization for search engines, especially Google.

Subdomain or catalog – where to put the store?

One of the first problems that business may encounter when moving to the Internet is the need to make a decision related to the location of the store. If the current website of the company was informative – and we want to maintain it – the online store may appear next to the current page – in a subdomain or catalog.

The decision regarding the location of the store is crucial due to the visibility of the domain in the search engine. Older domains that have an established position in Google and lead customers to a brick-and-mortar store should not be abruptly modified and, for example, completely rebuilt into an online store. Changing the URL structure, changing the content and layout of the website may result in the loss of existing positions and de facto mean the need to position the store’s website from the beginning.

On the other hand, the main goal of some websites is to deliver content, and the associated store – despite the thematic consistency – is to be a separate entity, serving, for example, to sell 2-3 own products. Goods from this type of online stall will be sold mainly through blog entries and posts in social media, and its visibility in SERPs will be much less important.

So … shop in the catalog or in the subdomain? Or maybe a new domain? Let’s check the pros and cons of these solutions and how Google looks at them!

Positioning the store in the catalog

Developing an existing website by adding a store to it will keep the existing structure and position of the website in the search engine. It is possible that the enlargement associated with the addition of new categories and product pages will have a very positive effect on existing items. And vice versa – higher deposits of old subpages and traffic on them will allow for a better start with new ones.

The appearance of additional pages on the website gives new opportunities for internal linking. Thanks to this, both the older part of the website and the newer one will work for each other by supporting user navigation on the website and accelerating indexing of new content and products.

Behind the success of such a solution, however, is the earlier correct construction and optimization of the website. Further optimization work should take into account the entire page, i.e. modifications for keywords should be broken down into the entire domain, and not only within the newly added directory. Among other potential problems, it is also worth mentioning the payback in terms of website construction and the risks associated with changing its performance. The launch of the store requires technical modifications, the end result of which may be a slowdown of the website.

Before starting the store, it is worth making sure that our server will withstand additional traffic, and the technical solutions used will allow for trouble-free use of the entire website. You will also need to make sure that the domain is properly secured, i.e. it is covered by an SSL certificate. In the absence of a certificate, after implementing it, redirect the domain to a new address, starting with https: //, which may confuse the positions also for the old part of the website.

If the current website was based on one of the most popular CMSs, adding a store to it will be relatively easy. In the case of WordPress, a new store can be set up using the WooCommerce plugin. The VirtueMart component works well for Joomla.

Positioning the store on a subdomain

The decision to create a store on a subdomain means that you have to build your website from scratch. A subdomain – even though it is linked with the main domain – functions as a separate entity on the Internet. This is also considered by Google. It is true that the representatives of the search engine claim that robots combine subdomains and domains, but one does not affect the visibility of the other.

Putting the store on a subdomain, however, can be a good solution for those companies that want to separate their current activity from the store and limit possible changes in the amount of traffic on an existing website. This type of solution works well for bloggers – the store is built on a subdomain, thanks to which it does not disturb the normal work of the blog, while allowing the purchase of products.

A subdomain can also be a good solution for those who wish to sell their products in another country. According to the art of positioning, it is recommended to buy a separate domain for each country, with the extension appropriate for the language of the country to which it is to be addressed, but it is not always available. In this case – taking into account the potential difficulties in ranking – you can decide to create a store in the subdomain. This trick will work especially if our domain ending is .com.

Putting your store in a subdomain is not much different than building it on a separate domain – it is necessary to create the entire website infrastructure from scratch. However, this has its advantages – other technical solutions can be used on the website, without the risk of damaging the existing architecture, and thus – also the results of an already functioning domain. In addition, a fresh store may be in the testing phase for some time and undergo further modifications aimed at finding ideal solutions – the lack of a direct link to the main domain will not have a negative impact on its position.

Subdomain or directory? Alternative solutions for the store

The motivation to transfer sales activities to the network for each entrepreneur may be different, hence the multitude of solutions facilitating this jump. For those smaller, who plan to support their current activity through an online store, there is one more solution – a platform that provides ready-made stores. Pros? The prices of the smallest subscriptions are a few dollars per month, and all maintenance and security issues are on the side of the software supplier. The downside of this solution is the lack of your own domain – the store is created on a subdomain within an external website, which prevents its effective promotion in the search engine. The use of SaaS programs, however, allows you to quickly start sales and it will certainly work for bloggers who have one or two of their own electronic products, e.g. e-books.

Subdomain or catalog? Yes, Google says …

As I mentioned above, Google points out that web robots associate subdomains with main domains, also from the search engine perspective, the choice of one or the other solution should not be of great importance.

The subdomain is treated as a separate page, therefore it must be authenticated in Google Search Console – regardless of whether the home page is already connected to the console.

In practice, most positioners will suggest choosing a catalog. In our opinion, the history of the domain, links referring to it and the current visibility is an excellent basis for building a larger website. Expanding the existing content – especially under the supervision of a specialist – will allow for a faster start of a new part and may have a positive impact on subpages that have previously worked for high positions.

A similar debate – subdomain or catalog – may also apply to the location of the blog. Just like in the store, the blog should be associated with the main domain and left within it.