Regardless of whether you run a clothing store, an automotive parts store, a gardening equipment store, a health food store, you have one specific goal – for example, getting customers and increasing sales. An online store advertisement comes in handy, thanks to which you can reach a wide audience. This is the beginning of the road, but you are not far from success.

Online store advertising – possibilities

Wondering what online advertising options you have? Internet marketing is a very broad concept, thanks to which you will choose solutions adequate to your needs and expectations. Importantly, online store advertising should not focus on just one tool at all. To increase your chances of success, it is worth acting on many levels. Many forms of online advertising complement each other perfectly, thanks to which a larger group of potential customers can get to know you.

– Google Ads
This is a paid online store advertisement that gives quick results. Therefore, it will be great when you are just starting a business and your brand is not yet known.

As part of Google Ads, you can use, among others from sponsored links. They are displayed in the search engine – above the organic results – after entering specific keywords. After clicking the user is redirected to your store. This is a very effective method of advertising because for the average user Google Ads do not differ from organic results. It is also worth adding that they are well-matched to the client’s queries and thus get what he expects.

Another option is given to banner campaigns, which are implemented with the participation of portals cooperating with Google Ads. The banner is displayed on the given website – after clicking on the graphic the user is redirected to the online store.

The third option is Google Shopping – a tool with which you can promote specific products in the search engine. The user entering the product name receives the results in a special box – a link to the product appears along with the name of the store, price and photo.

– Advertising on Facebook
Statistics show that most people use at least one social networking site. Facebook is the most popular and, among other things, you should mark your presence there.

One of the forms of advertising is your own fanpage, through which you can establish long-term relationships with customers and engage in dialogue with them. It is also a good way to build brand awareness.

The fanpage itself is not enough – especially if the store takes its first steps. Facebook campaigns come in handy to help you adapt to your needs. The form of advertising can be, for example, sponsored posts appearing on the board of potential customers or in Messenger. There are a lot of advertising formats on Facebook, from static to carousels and movies.

– Content marketing
Content marketing is not direct advertising. It is a series of activities on the Internet that primarily allow you to increase brand awareness, build an image of an expert or gain leads.

These activities can be carried out in many ways, however, the publication of thematic articles on external websites and the publication of articles on a company blog plays a major role. These are content activities that we know widely, but there are many more and they can also be much more sophisticated. Let store actions serve as an example. A simple loyalty mechanism (stickers = reward) was turned into a content self-play. Such action provides a lot of sought after content. Thus, a powerful envelope of content is created around the programs.

Online store advertising – why is it worth it?

The need to incur financial expenses for advertising on the Internet raises many questions – including those related to profitability. Although it’s hard to get a clear answer, one thing is certain: online store advertising has many advantages and is extremely measurable. So you can make budget transfers to the most promising channels in real time!

– Wide range
Internet advertising is distinguished by a very wide range. It allows you to reach hundreds of thousands of recipients – not only in your country, but also in the world. This is especially important if you are considering selling products also abroad. A wider reach means reaching more users with more potential customers among them.

– Unlimited access to the offer
Unlimited access to online stores means that an online store ad does not have to be displayed at certain times. It reaches the recipient virtually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

– Precise targeting
Online store advertising – regardless of the tool chosen – allows you to precisely identify the target group and then reach it. This increases the chances of the recipient carrying out a specific action, e.g. placing an order, subscribing to the newsletter.

– Speed of campaign launch
An online advertising campaign can be launched very quickly. What’s more, it is possible to reach a wide audience as soon as the campaign starts. This works great for online stores starting out, which – in the case of offline advertising – would have to wait much longer for results.

– Affordable costs
Traditional forms of advertising can cost a lot – unlike online advertising. It is much cheaper, which allows you to achieve your business goals with a lot less money. Thanks to this, every online store has a chance to appear on the web – regardless of its scale.

– High flexibility
Online store advertising is characterized by great flexibility. You can modify the parameters of individual campaigns – so that they bring the expected results. And all this without having to increase advertising expenditure.

– Possibility of constant monitoring of effects
Internet advertising is fully measurable. It is possible to systematically monitor effects using various tools. Thanks to this – if a given form of promotion does not meet expectations – it can be modified or completely eliminated.

Online advertising of an online store is a profitable investment. Compared to other forms of advertising, it provides the best ratio of campaign costs to results.

1. A negative approach to marketing in social media itself

If you think social media is not suitable for your industry and its associated demographics, then you are probably wrong. Many people still think that social media is only interested in teenagers and technology fans. However, this situation has changed a long time ago. For example, one study found that the fastest-growing Twitter age group is between 55 and 64 years old. In turn, the fastest-growing demographic group on Facebook is in the range of 45-54 years. Social media has penetrated all layers of our society. That’s why you can use them to reach virtually any target groups that are relevant to you.

2. Lack of goals and target group arrangements

Knowing who your audience is can be the biggest challenge you face. When creating a campaign, it is important that you identify your target group and tailor your activities to it:
– Who did I create this product for / I offer the service?
– Do I try to reach adults, adolescents, men or women?

All these questions are important from the point of view of identifying the target group, so you can set your initial campaign goals. Once you have defined your group, you should determine how to measure the success of the campaign. To do this, set parameters and define your goals and KPIs:
– How many customers do you want to reach and with what commitment?
– Is your attention just focused on increasing brand awareness or do you want to direct traffic to the company website?

The more you specify your goals, the better!

3. Lack of measurement of results

Social media marketing is a powerful way to promote your brand. In addition, you can track all your activities and progress in real time. This allows you to make strategic changes to your campaign over time. You can stop inefficient advertising to save your budget until it is re-optimized. Expecting amazing results from the first post or campaign is a bit too optimistic. To succeed, you’ll always need a series of patches and tests to get the results you want.

4. Vague and overly general actions

Should you be on all social platforms? Probably not.
If you want to conquer all platforms, it will be rather difficult for you to create unique and high-quality content on each of them. The mere handling of profiles and interaction with the target group also takes time. You also need to choose your marketing channel accordingly. If you operate on one platform, but your target group is on another, you won’t do much. You can choose to choose only one or combine several. Remember not to overdo it and consistently generate good content for selected platforms.

5. Avoiding, deleting and counterattacking negative comments

Negative comments give you the chance to improve the quality of services and build trust in your brand’s community. When a customer is dissatisfied with the service and makes a sharp negative comment, many brands decide to ignore it, and some even try to remove it or respond with even harsher statements. Look at it from a different perspective.

This situation is an opportunity to turn a complaining customer into a satisfied customer – one who will remember your culture and patience.
Therefore, take negative comments seriously and try to solve the problem the client is facing. Reply directly to the comment, and then move the matter to a private channel.

6. Too many self-promotion

– Buy it.
– Download it.
– We were here.
– Wait for our latest offer.

Imagine you are following a brand that publishes only this type of content. Each individual post is self-promotional – it adds no value to you. Nothing fun, nothing motivating, no interaction with customers.

Would you be honestly interested in such a brand?

Social media is a fantastic place to build and develop your community. This is where you can get feedback and establish long-term customer relationships. Therefore, follow the 20/80 rule, where 20% of your posts are self-promotion, and the remaining 80% is a specific added value for your recipients. This balance will help you subtly promote yourself while not overwhelming with your messages.

7. Not using different content formats

Is your fanpage not like a boring history book?
Large blocks of text without graphics make the content monotonous. The text itself is not engaging enough. If you want to effectively attract attention, in addition to text, place photos, infographics and videos. Facebook users watch over 100 million hours of movies a day. Individual content formats also have different results in terms of engagement. In a survey prepared by Paraphrase-Online, marketers determined which forms of content brought the best results:

– 40% – original graphics (e.g. infographics).
– 23% – movies and presentations.
– 20% – charts and data visualizations.
– 12% – stock photos.
– 5% – gifs and memes.

People love graphic content because they are easier to learn than just reading text. Therefore, try to combine it with photos and videos.

Summary

Promoting your company on social media is an activity that will definitely bring benefits. Therefore, avoid the mistakes listed here, and you’ll see the results you want much faster.

What is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is one of the ways by which you can promote your online business. The essence of SEO is such activities that Google will consider a site valuable, which will show it higher in search results. Website optimization consists in conducting activities on the site (on-site) and off-site. In addition, content on a website is extremely important in SEO. The better the texts appear on the site (both in terms of language and content), the better Google will evaluate the entire site.

In this article, we present the advantages of SEO, which – we hope – will dispel your doubts about starting positioning activities. Below are seven SEO benefits that will affect the development of your business.

Seven reasons to invest in SEO

A. Visibility on Google
98.38% of users use Google search engine (data from September 2019 according to Paraphrase-Online.com). Of this huge number, a really negligible percentage goes to the other side of the search engine – that’s why you should make sure that your keywords get the highest possible page rank. Because it is using the Google search engine that customers look for information about products and services.

The higher you go to Google, the greater the chance that a potential customer will visit your site. The benefits of SEO in the form of visibility will translate into more website traffic.

B. SEO is an opportunity for small businesses
Promoting a site on which no previous positioning activities were conducted can take from six months to even several years. For some this may seem like a long period of time, however, the effects that the website will get – if only the actions are performed correctly – can last for years.

Search engine optimization is a long-term process – stopping website optimization may result in a decrease in visibility, because Google focuses on promoting websites that are constantly expanding. In addition, remember that if you give up positioning activities, you give competitors who know the advantages of SEO, the opportunity to chase you away in search results. Regular investment in SEO brings enormous benefits, especially to growing businesses that are unable to spend on promoting such large budgets as large corporations.

With a constant budget, you build visibility of your online business for years. SEO benefits are also such that after a while you don’t have to (but you can, the effects will be even better) increase your budget significantly.

C. SEO is profit for the company
Investing in positioning with a reasonable budget and maintaining business continuity will ensure a return on investment. That is why it is worth starting a cooperation with a marketing agency, which will not only conduct a detailed audit of your website, but also plan activities for the next months, so as not to burn your budget.

A good SEO agency will not only prepare a plan for you, but will also constantly monitor the growth of individual keywords and will ensure the visibility of your website. However, don’t be put off by the lack of results after 3 months – it’s not like you don’t have any benefit from SEO. As we mentioned in point B. for SEO to be profitable, the site should be positioned for at least half a year.

The benefits and advantages of SEO are enormous when it comes to your company’s earnings. Positioning is an investment that after some time (depending on many factors, e.g. industry or your budget) will bring you significant profit while maintaining a low budget.

D. SEO is cheaper in the long run
The advantages of SEO are also a constant budget and growing effects. A well prepared SEO strategy can be cheaper than other forms of online advertising. The first half of the year is mainly an investment that, compared to other PPC ads, may seem unprofitable at first glance. However, if you survive the first phase, in which you mainly invest, then you will later appreciate these seemingly unprofitable positioning activities.

For paid advertising methods, you must pay to see results and traffic on the site. In the case of SEO after the first phase, traffic is still growing (organic searches) despite the same budget. Positioning conversions for long-term activities are simply more effective.

After some time, organic traffic continues to grow while maintaining the same budget. The costs of positioning activities do not increase drastically, as in the case of other forms of online advertising. These SEO advantages will also allow you to set a firm budget for the months and years ahead.

E. Local SEO will attract customers from the area
SEO also brings benefits to the local market. Google has long been giving users results that are based on their geolocation (e.g. GPS location).

How does it look in practice? You enter “cheap hairdresser” or “good patisserie” on Google, ignoring the city, and Google based on your location will show you the results of the nearest premises in the current area. Most of the answers to queries that the user directs to the search engine are personalized. The advantages of SEO are different, but for smaller businesses this is one of the most important, if not the most important: local positioning is also cheaper than global positioning, and for some industries it is also much more effective. A good SEO agency will tell you which type of positioning will be most profitable for your business and what exactly benefits SEO will give you.

Local positioning is often cheaper and more profitable for small businesses that address their offer to the local market.

F. SEO will show you as an expert
What are the benefits of SEO besides increasing sales? Positioning increases the visibility of the website on the internet, which translates into greater customer confidence in the brand. SEO activities also include content marketing, i.e. creating valuable content from the user’s point of view.

The more answers your questions find on your site, the faster Google will notice and position you higher. And the higher the page is on Google, the more likely they are likely to be trusted by its customers. SEO will help you achieve the image of an expert on the web, and will also show users that your employees are very knowledgeable and not afraid to share it. The more substantive content you provide to users, the more likely they will buy a product from you or pay for the service, believing that you know what you are doing. The advantages of SEO are not only influenced by increasing sales – it also increases brand awareness in the eyes of your potential customers.

The higher your business is on Google, the more likely Internet users will trust you. And people prefer to buy from experts and trusted sellers, than unknown companies.

G. SEO is advertising reaching a specific group of recipients
SEO will allow you to reach people actually interested in your offer. In the case of e.g. billboards or outdoor advertising, the message reaches both people who would be interested in leaving you money and people who will never use your services. Positioning allows you to create a model persona and match both queries and answers to the user who is your potential customer.

With well-conducted SEO activities, you don’t have to worry that part of the budget reaches people who are not interested in your offer.

What are the benefits of positioning?

Website positioning can give you above all real profit from business – sales and customers. By climbing the next positions in the search results, you have a great opportunity to reach more people who want to buy your product or use your services. The higher you go on Google, the better chance you have of increasing inquiries. And that’s what you mean, right?

Website positioning process

SEO is a long-term process worth investing in. However, it is difficult to run your own business – hiring employees, taking care of orders or accounting as well as the quality of the goods or services provided is time-consuming enough. Therefore, you should not make decisions about independent positioning hastily. In SEO agencies, positioning is done by teams consisting of several people. These are, among others, positioners, client supervisors or copywriters. Each person is responsible for a different aspect of positioning, thanks to which they can 100% focus on performing specific actions for your company. Thanks to cooperation with an SEO agency you have the chance to significantly increase your revenue.

Combining strategies

We encourage you to combine different e-marketing strategies. The combination of SEO and PPC ads, i.e. Google Ads, is particularly effective under the influence of conversions. Google Ads drives sales in the first phase, when positioning will work on itself, and then will support (with a lower budget) organic traffic, obtained through SEO.

SEO migration is possible?

Let’s keep uncertainty and start by answering. Yes, it is possible to change the website or completely rebuild it during the positioning contract. Sometimes, it is also strongly recommended or simply necessary to be able to effectively position such a website. The last case does not mean surprises for the customer. We inform you at the stage of inspecting the website before signing the positioning contract that you need to change the website. In individual cases, such a recommendation regarding the site only appeared after signing the contract and transferring access to the site. At that time, the analysis of the website’s construction, possible thanks to the access received, showed that even basic optimization or removal of errors in the website’s construction was not possible (most often it concerned websites built on wizards or proprietary CMS). In our opinion, there was only one fair solution – informing the client about the condition of his website, indicating what can help the website and how it should look new (what should include a good site adapted for positioning), as well as enabling the client to decide whether we are finishing positioning agreement (without contractual penalties, notice periods, etc.) or are we trying to act with current focus, e.g. on external works, hoping that this will bring an effect.

What does website change mean for results?

In this case, a lot depends on what stage of the positioning process we are in and what positions the website to be changed. Here we will present several situations and discuss them in more detail in terms of what the change involves and how it affects the work of a positioning specialist.

The site is high in the results – presence in the top 10 or close – will SEO migration hurt?

This is a situation in which the customer will be particularly interested in whether the change of the website and SEO migration will not cause permanent decreases in position. Unfortunately, no one can guarantee that this undesirable process will not occur. A lot will depend on how Google evaluates the new website. Therefore, we are happy to advise you already at the stage of building a website and indicate what is worth making sure that this “shock” associated with the change is as low as possible. The risk of falls always occurs, it is important that this period of decline is as short as possible, and the site jumps as quickly as possible to the positions occupied by its predecessor (and of course improved its achievements) – this is the task of the positioner. Changing the website each time means the likelihood of a decrease in its visibility and traffic.

It is worth noting here that we are talking about a website that will be available at the same address as the previous version of the website. The new domain – even with a properly made redirect from the previous one, which is high in the search engine results – will not inherit its visibility.

In the case of websites with earned positions, it is worth paying attention to the following issues when changing pages:

– Is the new website similar to the previous one, which was successful in search results – is it similar in structure, is it similar in size or even larger (moving from an extensive website to one page is not a step in a good page in terms of SEO) or category names , subpages etc. are similar. It is worth identifying (with the help of an SEO specialist) in the old website those elements that had a positive impact on the positioning process and include them in the design of the new page. These can be category names containing keywords, including space for text on the home page, blog or news that are an integral part of the website, etc.

– Are the content of the new website containing keywords and an offer that matches the phrases to which the website is clearly visible in the search results? If not, then you can’t expect the new webpage to be clearly visible in the search results for these keywords, as was the case with its predecessor. It happens that the new website appears under the pressure of major changes in the company and its offer, in this case a lot of activities related to the website are basically work from scratch.

– Has the existing content been moved to the new website, is there more or have it been cut off for the needs of the new website, or is it missing at all? The positioners’ attachment to valuable content on the website and their suggestions to place it on the main page or in the descriptions of the categories can only be compared with the zeal of an English teacher speaking to the final grade. If the new website in terms of quantity and quality of content is similar to the previous version, then there is a growing chance that the decreases will not be so severe. Of course, if the offer, the scope of the company’s activity or other important issues have changed, even the best SEO supporting text from the previous version of the page is no longer necessary and must be replaced with something corresponding to the current state of affairs.

– Is the new website available for network robots? This includes issues related to whether the site is running (or how long it has been down), the contents of the robots.txt file, meta robots, or cannonical settings. Even the best new website, which has been sensationally prepared for SEO, will remain invisible if it is not available to Google web robots. As a curiosity, one can give the fact that sometimes (although in very rare cases) it is enough to unblock the availability of the site for network robots to enjoy being in the top 10.

– Access to the website for a positioning specialist. The new website means that the positioner will have to find time to audit it, determine which optimization actions should be implemented first and which may be introduced later. Even a website prepared in accordance with the guidelines of an SEO specialist may require work and corrections, e.g. in optimizing meta tags or redirections. the latter is important because of the links obtained so far. Links to dead pages do not support the site. If these non-working subpages are redirected to subpages that are part of the new site and are available to web robots, then these links are again gaining importance in the context of positioning. The sooner a positioning specialist receives the necessary access to the new page, the sooner he will be able to implement his changes.

The site is in distant positions in SERPs

In the event that the “old” website did not have specific results and was not in the lead, it is important to improve those issues that blocked growth in the past. It is important to identify them as early as possible and indicate what can be improved during the work on the new site (if these were issues that could not be corrected earlier for various reasons). It is also worth pointing out what was valuable in the case of the previous version of the page and ensure that this asset is also used in the new version of the website. This case is devoid of as much result pressure as the website, which is already present in the top 10. It is important here to create a new strategy that takes into account the changes that have occurred within the site.

The source of very low positions (100 positions visible in the report) may also be a penalty from Google on a given website. Changing the website does not mean automatic abolition. An exception may be a situation in which the new version of the website no longer contains an error that responded to the imposition of a penalty. Such situations are, for example, the old page was a threat to the safety of users (a site hacked) or was punished for texts (hidden text, dramatically low quality content, etc.). If the new site does not commit those sins (respectively – it is safe for people visiting it, has good quality text content, etc.), then there is a chance to remove the manual penalty. Manual punishment can be detected using even Google Search Console.

The site has been positioned for a long time

The case of a site that has been positioned for a long time and obtained a large number of links at that time is special. As we mentioned, links leading to dead pages do not support the positioning process. The way to “save” them is to make redirections correctly. This is especially important in relation to naturally obtained links, e.g. in the case of entries recommending on forums and containing a link to a subpage, the positioner cannot edit them and enter a new – correct URL. The link to the redirected subpage is less valuable than the link directly, but it is better than the link to the down page, which does not present value.

The effect of longer positioning can also be an extensive blog section (with internal linking) or a large amount of content added to the page. It’s worth moving them to a new page. If the content was used to perform internal linking, it is worth continuing to use it, but remembering about any corrections in the URLs of the links.

How to present a product in an online store?

Internet users like shopping online because they can make their consumer decisions at home. Nobody asks them “how can I help you?”, Nor do they have to prepare or dress before going shopping. Online stores are available 24 hours a day throughout the year, so even late at night or during public holidays you can opt for even the most extravagant items available on the internet. If you run your business in the e-commerce industry, you are probably aware of the importance of properly presenting products on your website and continuous use of quality marketing strategies. It is worth organizing this knowledge to sell more effectively online and record new profit records.

Optimizing your site for SEO is a must

You can have revolutionary product descriptions on your website and a content management system compared with the seventh wonder of the world, and the competition will still eat the whole cake if you do not adapt your texts to SEO principles that allow for better positioning in google. Category and product descriptions optimized for SEO is the first step to enter search modes and be a viable option for customers interested in a given type of product. Key phrases, relevant headers, a link system should also be used in the blog section, where it is worth regularly placing articles from your industry that will interest and engage the recipients. Content marketing is based on these types of texts, in which compliance with SEO goes hand in hand with interesting content that lays the foundations for establishing a longer relationship with the client.

Unique and engaging content

However, just saturating texts with keywords is not enough. It used to be easy to outsmart google algorithms to create schematic content, or so-called “pretzels,” but now technology has moved ahead and simple excuses do nothing. The basic sin for which the machines of the largest search engine in the world severely punishes is “duplicate content“, which is copied content that appears in many places on the Internet. You should not download product descriptions from the manufacturer’s website, at best be inspired by them.

Pasting the same content to different bookmarks and subpages is just as bad for your site’s ranking. Unique content is the basis and it is worth using the services of professional agencies, whose daily bread is to provide high-quality texts that meet the principles of SEO, are original, well-written, engaging and compatible with the sales system.

Of course, you can try to color your site on your own, but in this matter it is good to rely on the experience of specialists who quickly produce interesting content. Such material conveys basic knowledge about the product, presents its advantages and is a call to action for the customer who after reading such a description will be more willing to buy.

Unique texts written by content agencies are also appropriately targeted. Experienced copywriters adapt the style to the group of recipients, choosing a loose, direct style in content intended for example for young people, and substantive and professional in texts supporting serious business industries.

Appropriate product photos

In addition to unique content, it is worth taking care of the aesthetic appearance of the page and the intuitive interface that will make your customers feel at home on your website. Pictures of your products are very important – it’s not worth saving in this matter. Each item for sale should be photographed from many sides in professional conditions. For many customers, much more important than reading the description is the ability to view the product from different angles in high resolution to see different construction details. To optimize images according to the search engine requirements, it is worth supplementing the title and alt attributes.

You can’t forget about the reviews and reviews section on your website, where customers will be able to express opinions about your products. Also, the newsletter, an efficient search system inside the page and linking it to accounts on social networks are very effective ideas to tie the recipients to the brand.

It is very important for customers on the product page not to look for a purchase, but to see it immediately – the CTA must be very clearly visible and is usually located on the right side at the height of the product photo, which is on the left.

Social media is power

There is no self-respecting company operating in the e-commerce industry that would also not function on social networks. Sites like Facebook, Instagram and Youtube offer huge opportunities for promotion and the use of innovative advertising forms. One of them is live video marketing, thanks to which you can present your products in real time, thus engaging your fans. This type of marketing is most often used among online stores selling clothes. The construction, furniture and cosmetics industries can successfully opt for video content marketing in the form of guides. Unobtrusive forms of knowledge sharing are highly respected by the recipients. Giving something from each other, you can always count on reciprocity from customers. This is important because you can use this type of video both in social media and on individual product cards. Before the e-commerce industry, fat years, if not decades, but in this very competitive business only those who present their product in the best possible way will survive and earn. A functional and aesthetic website, reliable descriptions in line with SEO principles, well photographed products and efficient operation on social networks are the first step to success in this difficult industry.

However, in many cases our actions are not everything and despite the application of best practices, a given e-commerce fails. So we have a few insights regarding the success of online stores, which we decided to share, further illustrating our point of view with a fresh case study of one of our clients.

The appearance of the online store – as we see it at Paraphrase-Online.com

Working with such a large number of online stores, we’ve had to deal with more than one website and technology. About those we know really well.

Very often, store owners, having in mind marketing activities that want to conduct in the future, seek our advice on solutions for online stores. Although we know a lot about this, the final decision is up to the customer. Nevertheless, consultation on the choice of CMS or e-commerce platform can save a lot of unnecessary nerves, ill-considered actions and, as a consequence, decreases results.

Consequences of unconsulted changes in an online store [case study]

In cooperation with our clients, we have repeatedly emphasized the importance of exchanging insights and consultation before introducing any changes regarding e.g. the interface of an online store, website or other issues that may have a small impact on the success of Google Ads campaigns or SEO activities. Unfortunately, it also happens that as an agency running a campaign or positioning a website, we are not kept informed of upcoming changes. Consequently, all online sales suffer, which, for example, with an average of $ 100,000 per month dropped to around $ 30,000, while maintaining the same costs for the campaign.

The drop in campaign results in the online store can be seen very quickly, reacting to this drop, but unfortunately not always. In the described case, a complete change in the appearance of the site and certain technical aspects brought unexpected consequences. A more modern look of the site does not always go hand in hand with easier navigation and better customer experience. This is evidenced by the change in time spent on the site by users before and after the modifications introduced. The difference in average session duration was 45 seconds and the number of transactions dropped by 70%.

The best look of an online store – what to consider when changing?

If you want to completely change the appearance of the online store, it is worth basing on the best practices of both UX and SEO (on-page and off-page), as well as analyzing what can affect any major change, e.g. the sales process, returns or marketing activities, e.g. Google Ads or Facebook Ads campaigns.

The optimal appearance of an online store is one that will satisfy the expectations of consumers above all, but also improve the sales process, i.e. allow, for example, obtaining feedback from the customer about the product or improve shipping. Optimal appearance does not always mean the most modern. Of course, a website with a large number of beautiful graphics can convince the customer to buy more, however, it is worth remembering that photos cause a decrease in the speed of loading the website, and may also limit the field to the activities of a specialist in positioning an online store.

In the case of the case study in question, prior to changing the website, consultation with existing store customers was carried out. However, there was no verification of the received insights with proven UX practices, which the industry is talking about. As a consequence, the most important aspects related to the user’s movement on the website were ignored, and only the visual side was taken into account.

What should an online store look like? – best practices.

All you need to do is to check what the largest and most recognizable online stores look like before starting work on a new online store project or before redesigning it. Very often, their appearance is primarily very intuitive. Most of us expect certain solutions and although the modern look attracts us more at first glance, we still prefer shopping on simple pages. The division into product categories, the ability to filter by sizes, colors, etc. have been used for years. Among the more modern solutions it is worth considering the product presentation itself, i.e. the quality of photos or videos showing the product “in action”. By checking the path of users on our website in Google Analytics or based on statistical data collected on the basis of research of other online stores, design the path that the customer should follow from product search to purchase. Most practices say that this process should be as intuitive and short as possible so that the customer can proceed to payment in two or three steps. Optimizing the online store and Google Ads product advertisement will help you bring the customer to the product you offer.

The appearance of the online store and the impact on the Google Ads campaign.

Every major change in the online store can also be seen quickly in advertising channels. Google Ads campaign leads to the online store, i.e. to specific products or their categories, and thus, changing the appearance or certain settings in the store has an impact on the final results of the campaign, e.g. on CPC, number of conversions or other dependent parameters.

The incomprehensible look of the website lengthened the customer’s shopping path and quickly became apparent. In the first two quarters of this year, i.e. before changes were introduced, the average ROAS for the campaign was 1,429.216. Changes on the store’s website occurred at the end of the second quarter. Their effect can be seen already in the third and fourth quarters where the average ROAS was 766.31.

Therefore, we want to warn every store against making drastic changes on the site without prior consultation with any entity that works in our favor and whose actions may be very dependent on these changes. Cooperation between e-commerce and the agency should not be limited to exchanging reports on campaign results or position reports. If you already work together, it is worth using the knowledge and practice of specialists who will gladly suggest what you need to consider and what may affect the success of Google Ads campaigns or SEO activities.

Summary

Many factors contribute to the success of an online store, and any changes should be discussed with us. Not only generated sales, but also customer opinion and experience on the site are involved. The success of Google Ads campaigns or online store positioning activities are also heavily dependent on them. The best appearance of an online store should therefore take into account its functionality and the ability to implement various additional activities that will support sales.

Website positioning for free

Running a professional business is connected with the necessity of incurring many costs. Paying salaries, renting an office, bill payment – these are just the basic expenses to consider. So wouldn’t it be beautiful if some useful advertising tools and forms were available for free? Or maybe you need to put cost-free positioning between cartoons? Before we have to solve the mystery of website positioning for free, it is worth to outline what it really is and what factors can influence the success of our efforts. If you do not spend money on positioning, you will definitely spend on it … your time!

Positioning from scratch

Creating a website is a relatively simple process. Difficulties arise when it is to acquire appropriate coverage and reach a specific group of recipients. The dream of most e-stores is that after the user types a given category or specific product, their platform appears in the first place or at least on the first page in the search engine.

Remember, however, that creating a page is just the tip of the iceberg. Even if it is done respecting the basic principles of SEO, it will still have to work out its place in the search engine.

The task of positioning is to help in this. Everything, however, requires skilful distribution of planned operational activities. Developing a schedule for implementing the necessary modifications allows you to increase control over the process of adapting your site to the requirements dictated by search algorithms. A number of actions necessary to take include optimization of meta tags, content on the page, graphics used and links posted. It may not sound so bad, but when you have an online store and we are talking about optimizing hundreds or thousands of product pages, then it gets interesting.

In addition, you must also remember about other improvements that will allow the smooth functioning of the site (e.g. by eliminating unnecessary duplicates). The list begins to grow as the company begins to increase its reach and becomes more and more popular. When you manage to join the strategic group of market leaders, you should monitor your online presence and respond quickly to any changes.

So conducted SEO activities – or more generally positioning – is a path leading straight to success. However, before you catch up and overtake the competition, you have to spend a lot of time in the peloton of this specific race. The use of cycling metaphor is not accidental, because there are many seemingly imperceptible analogies between these two areas. The best results are achieved by players who have full comfort – they have excellent technical facilities, and the sponsor’s support allows the purchase of high-end equipment. Although cycling is an individual sport, the whole team works hard for individual successes. It is no different in the case of positioning.

The first few laps, or how to overtake the competition?

There are two strategies that can lead to positive SEO results. The first is painstaking individual work. It largely involves independent search for solutions, which means the necessity of using trial and error methods. At the initial stage of business development, a good start is the basis, which is why a large number of mistakes occurring at the very beginning can make the time for prosperity not come. You can put a lot of effort in the process of positioning the page, but without a proper budget and substantive support, it is difficult to obtain positive and long-lasting effects.

It is worth focusing on a second strategy. This is a variant in which the owner of the page asks for help to a professional company, fluent in SEO activities. The solution is beneficial not only during the initial phase of preparing the concept of brand presence on the Internet. At every stage of the company’s activity, you can reach for the experience and knowledge of specialists. This substantive and technological base allows not only to save time, but also money.

Before decisions are made regarding the will to cooperate, the recommended action is to audit the website. Some companies offer this option completely free. At a rapid pace, reaching up to 20 seconds, you can check which elements of the current web page are working incorrectly, what to improve, and which aspects do not require modification. We are talking here about automatic audits, which of course operate to a large degree of generalization – if we are serious about positioning and want to allocate more funds to it, then it will be reasonable to order such an audit to a specialist.

Free positioning tools

Once you have successfully carried out the WWW audit, you can start your adventure with positioning on your own. As already mentioned, although individual work brings results only to a certain extent, it is worth at least taking this effort to be better prepared when talking with SEO specialists. The use of free positioning tools allows you to learn the basic concepts and principles on which the whole process is based.

Every day, most Internet users use Google search and only a few remain faithful to solutions such as Bing or DuckDuckGo. This is for a reason, because it is this gigantic company that has several tools in its portfolio, the use of which helps to elevate the site to the highest positions. Here are some examples that are most useful in business:

a) Google Advertising Academy
Before choosing specific solutions, you should familiarize yourself with the entire system of related opportunities that Google offers. Although the Academy of Ads deals strictly with advertising campaigns, it contains valuable knowledge about how to use Google Ads, Google Analytics or the Double Click platform. Completing virtual training gives you a broader understanding of not only positioning, but also any activity in virtual space. Graduates of the Google Advertising Academy receive certificates, which are an additional asset because their possession is appreciated by the best positioning companies.

In Academy for Ads you will not find direct references to the positioning process, but you will learn the specifics of how Google search engine works, how customers navigate and how to use analytics to achieve business goals. That’s why it’s worth it.

b) Google Keyword Planner
This extremely useful tool facilitates selection of key phrases. It is especially useful when circling a product and service promotion plan. Google Keyword Planner allows you to choose the right solution when developing your Ads campaign and of course – for positioning. An additional advantage is the function that provides verification of the number of queries for specific terms entered by Internet users in the search engine.

The clear interface gives full insight into statistics on selected operations performed on queries and forecasts of the effectiveness of operations. The results are given on an average monthly basis, taking into account the relevance of a specific key phrase. To use Google Keyword Planner you must have an advertising account in Google Ads (formerly: Google AdWords). The tool suggestions result from the ongoing analysis of data flowing into the Google database.

c) Google Analytics
A basic tool that should be familiar to anyone who is going to get involved in professional site positioning. From the statistics set you can read, among others at what times the website and specific subpages are most often visited, and in which places in the world there is interest in a given website. Traffic analysis is a key factor in the effectiveness of SEO because it gives an overview of the profile of users interested in the product or service.

What’s more, Google Analytics can indicate how potential customers came to the page. Based on only this one information, you can evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing strategy implemented so far and possibly make new assumptions about communication channels with recipients. In direct translation into SEO activity, this means a change in keywords in the positioning process. Having full control over online marketing activities allows you to better respond to the real expectations of customers.

d) Google Maps
The user types in the search query. When it is possible to find the right company that provides a specific service or has the dream product in the range, the internet user makes the key decision – he intends to visit a point of sale, restaurant or hotel. A business card created in Google My Business points to a specific location.

At this point, Google Maps comes to the rescue. This is one of the most recognizable and most frequently used solutions of the American company. Few people know, however, that it is also a great positioning tool. Integration with the search engine allows not only to find the location on the map, but also to lead the client to the destination. Having a tag with the right name allows you to be among competitors.

e) Google Search Console
Another tool after Google Analytics and Keyword Planner that is hard to do without. It’s a free platform for professionals involved in website administration. Its task is to monitor the site and to control the indexing of pages. Google Search Console is an extensive analytical database which contains information about links to the site, possible errors and keywords contained on the page.

Website positioning for free and the help of professionals

Examples of solutions that have been successfully presented are available for free to every Internet user. However, as any statistics prove, it is not the number of data collected that counts, but the ability to interpret it. In addition, you need to spend a lot of time devoted to product or service development to become familiar with all the features of specific proposals.

Positioning sites for free will certainly prove very time-consuming. So it all depends on whether you can afford it or if you prefer to devote yourself to another part of your business activity.

When a company aims at positioning a website, it is a good idea to report the needs of an SEO agency. Many years of experience and knowledge that specialists have at their disposal allows us to accurately respond to business needs. The advantage of this output is the fact that all the tool is received in the package together with the service provided. This is a huge saving of time and money. Hard to believe? It is worth getting acquainted with the materials available for free on the Paraphrase-Online.com  blog, which prove that it pays to invest in positioning.

Marketing – the “invention” of the 20th century?

The concept of marketing appeared relatively recently, as it was around the time of World War II, in the USA. However, the fact that it was only then called this phenomenon does not mean that marketing itself was not born until the mid-twentieth century. Because the first ads can already be found in excavations straight from ancient Greece or Rome. After all, competition in the world of selling products and services has never slept. However, it must be admitted that it was the 20th century – not to mention the current times – that was the time when the market developed extremely dynamically. We operate in a consumer-oriented society with extensive needs and open to new products and services. The number of brands, products and solutions is growing not only from year to year, but also by the minute. And if so, the activities themselves that are to encourage the customer to choose product X, not Y, are evolving.

Modern marketing – the one we know today – therefore differs from previous attempts at promotion by one detail that is of colossal importance. It has the form of organized strategic activities, subordinated to a specific goal. Although there is a lot of room for creativity in it, there is no chance and chaos. Then, the likelihood of budget overflows is highest.

What is marketing?

The question of what marketing is is more difficult than you might think. Not at all because there is no definition of this term. On the contrary. Over the past few decades, a whole lot of them have appeared, as well as disputes about what marketing is and what is not. For example: are PR activities part of marketing or a completely separate plot? And … does it matter?

If we define marketing as all activities that support the sale of products and influence customer decisions – not necessarily. Because this group of activities includes almost everything – from designing the brand logo to activities in social media or price reduction.

One thing is certain: marketing focuses on the needs of consumers and satisfying their needs through a specific offer of products or services. By acting in this direction, the company increases the likelihood that the customer will choose its offer, rather than the competition – because it will be better suited to his expectations.

Is marketing the same as advertising?

It cannot be denied that both concepts are closely related. However, they are not the same. Advertising is part of marketing strategies. These are specific messages aimed at promotion, which are sent to recipients. But marketing itself covers a much broader scope of activities – those that have, among others:

– inform the customer about the existence of a given problem / topic or its exposure,
– inform about the existence of a specific brand / product and maintain this awareness in the long term,
– arouse interest and encourage interaction (which at the beginning does not have to be a purchase),
– help “push” the customer towards conversion – understood not only as buying a product, but also, e.g. leaving contact details or starting communication with the brand,
– build a positive brand image based on a specific set of values,
– build and maintain communication with the target group of potential customers – also to research their needs on an ongoing basis and to better match the offered products,
– build long-term relationships and brand attachment – so that the customer returns to it many times.

The very description of these marketing goals shows that advertising alone is only a fraction (very important!) Of this area of functioning in the business environment.

Is marketing the same as sales?

The sale transaction is the last stage to which marketing activities always lead. So that’s the result of marketing. However, marketing alone does not focus on closing sales, i.e. negotiating the target terms of the contract with the customer. The marketing funnel leads the customer from interest in solving a problem or response to needs, through interest in a product or service, to inducing the need for a specific solution. Activities in its area are also carried out after the sale – so as to maintain communication with the client and make him come back again. So let’s keep these differences in mind and look at marketing as a separate element of market communication – the most diverse and crucial for business efficiency in the business world.

The 7P concept, i.e. the elements that make up marketing

To understand even better what aspects marketing covers, you can refer to one of the concepts of marketing mix, i.e. a network of related elements that affect the market environment of an enterprise.

In the first version, created in 1960, E Jerome McCarthy talked about 4P, and thus about the success of the company’s strategy is influenced by:

– product – its quality, design, packaging, brand and fit to customer needs,
– price – the demand for it also depends on how much the product costs. But this does not mean that the pricing policy must be guided towards the maximum reduction in rates;
– place – a market where products go,
– promotion – and this includes, among others, advertising and PR activities or merchandising.

Currently, the literature also adds further aspects to this list, such as:

– people – it’s both about the customer service staff and the customer himself,
– process – the way in which customer service goes from interest in the offer to after-sales service,
– physical evidence – all “tangible” elements of the company’s image that affect its perception, e.g. the brand’s logo, its website, visual identification system or the appearance of its headquarters.

There are also another “P“, e.g. “pleasure“, i.e. the pleasure of using services, so important in today’s consumer market. So, as you can see, issues related to defining marketing are a river topic. One thing is certain: if you take any action with a view to ultimately increase sales – this is part of marketing. Since marketing includes such a large group of diverse activities, you can guess that there are also various divisions and classifications. It all depends, of course, on what criteria of division will be adopted.

Traditional and internet marketing

Marketing, especially online, is a very broad category of activity. Which one will you choose? It depends, among others from the industry in which you operate, as well as your target group or promotional goals. However, it is worth looking at the most popular types.

SEO marketing
These are all activities related to website positioning. The absolute foundation of communication with clients in the 21st century. Why? You will answer for yourself if you think for a moment where you are looking for e.g. information about good restaurants in the area or proven ski equipment. Modern consumers direct their first steps to the Internet search engine and most often click on the first few results on the list. And if so – the position your website achieves in SERPs (search results) determines how effectively you reach customers.

Content marketing
It’s so-called content marketing, and therefore all activities related to “textual” communication with the recipient. This broad category includes content published on your website (and not only, but also because of SEO), external image articles, as well as product descriptions and much more. The better and richer the content you create, the greater the market potential of your brand.

Social Media Marketing
So all activities related to market communication carried out in social media – e.g. on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. Warning! It is not only about paid advertising, but above all about adding interesting posts, as well as building a community and communication with its members.

Video marketing
Contrary to appearances, this is not the same as TV commercials. The content of video materials that are posted for marketing purposes can be completely different. Popular are, for example, thematic guides with product placement, cooperation with vloggers or purely image-based clips.

Remarketing
These are automated activities that aim to display to the consumer ads related to what he has previously searched on the web. For example, a person who has visited a website of an online store with clothing displays his ads when he visits other websites. Remarketing is one of the most interesting solutions especially in the context of abandoned shopping carts.

Word of mouth marketing
Based on product and service recommendations – these are now more and more often authentic opinions obtained from customers.

It is also worth mentioning on mobile marketing – activities aimed at interacting with smartphone users (including, among others, sending SMSs with information about promotions!), and above all about inbound marketing, i.e. ‘inbound’ marketing, which is aimed at waking up interest of the recipient – so that he himself actively searches for content related to a particular brand, as well as offers. Strategies based on it are considered to be the most effective.

This, of course, does not exhaust the list of marketing varieties. But it will never end, because new ways of reaching the customer are constantly emerging – along with the evolution of the market itself, technology and social needs. Keep this in mind when planning your marketing strategy – to be effective, it must be adapted to current trends.

What is a paraphrase?

In the process of interpersonal communication, you can use the procedure of repeating the sender’s words with your own. Interpretation of the information received is called a paraphrase, about which textbooks are written when discussing active listening. The very terminology itself indicates that the processing of the sender’s message gives the impression of carefully analyzing his messages and attempting to properly understand all the issues raised by him. Thanks to paraphrase, you can easily avoid any understatement or overinterpretation, thereby arousing the interlocutor’s sympathy and his respect. In addition, it allows you to remember the information you heard, as well as reduce barriers to attentive listening.

Why use it?

In addition to the already mentioned improvement in the relationship between the sender and recipient of the message, the paraphrase allows … to gain time. Sometimes it happens that by understanding the other side perfectly you don’t have an idea for a quick and proper answer. Thanks to the paraphrase, you can be sure of the correct reception of specific information and come up with a brilliant answer when formulating it. This technique also allows you to reduce tensions or crises. If the conversation is about uncomfortable topics, is too emotional and deviates from the main course, it is worth using a paraphrase. Saying the sender’s words in the right tone can restore peace and change the attitude of people involved in communication. Thanks to the paraphrase, ambiguities can also be corrected, creating an atmosphere of security and certainty regarding the issues raised.

How to master this art?

First of all, remember that listening is not an easy art. Limiting oneself to him during the interlocutor’s statement should be the basic principle of every communication process. You should avoid interrupting, prompting, imposing your views or determining the emotions of the sender, and none of these elements can appear in the paraphrase. This is to be only a transposition of previously heard words, helpful in achieving the objectives mentioned in the above paragraphs. This treatment can be started with the following phrases:

if I understood correctly, then …
did I understand correctly that …
you mean to say that …
(i.e.) in other words …

Their completion should be a paraphrase, after which you will receive confirmation or denial of the correct interpretation of the message. It is important not to go to the next stages of negotiation or conversation without the express consent of the sender. If instead you hear it “not quite as you say”, then you have to ask to repeat and clarify the previous information.

The ability to paraphrase heard messages is extremely useful not only on professional grounds, but also social. Using this technique brings many benefits, allowing not only mutual understanding of the parties involved in the communication process, but also calming emotions and creating a good impression on the interlocutor. It is important to paraphrase skillfully and naturally, which can be learned, for example, on professional courses and training in interpersonal communication.

Marketing definitions – what is marketing?

Marketing is a concept that is defined in different ways:
– according to the American Marketing Association (AMA), all activities aimed at creating, communicating and providing products of value to the client and partners;
-Philip Kotler and Kevin Lane Keller define marketing as activities that involve recognizing and meeting human needs.
– There is still, among others managerial definition of marketing, according to which conducting specific activities is aimed at increasing the sale of certain goods.

Types of Marketing

Marketing is a very broad term, so several types can be distinguished. Some of them are the fruit of modern times – they were created as a result of the spread of the Internet.

1. Internet marketing (e-marketing)
Is currently one of the most popular types. These are all activities that take into account the development of a strategy for placing a product on the market, its promotion. In this way, you can increase the company’s visibility on the web, including via the website.

2. Personnel marketing
It covers the activities of the company, whose goal is to build and maintain the image of a friendly, attractive and responsible company.

3. Sensory marketing
Sensory marketing is defined as activities that engage all the senses of potential customers. In this way, they can evoke appropriate associations and reactions that contribute to increasing brand awareness. One of the forms of sensory marketing is fragrance marketing. It consists in flavoring the rooms in order to create a pleasant atmosphere, e.g. at the point of sale or customer service point.

4. Sports marketing
These are activities aimed at promoting specific products, e.g. through sport sponsorship (e.g. sports teams, leagues, athletes).

5. Word of mouth marketing
This concept covers activities through which marketing information is to reach a potential customer. The channel of communication is usually a direct discussion. Whisper marketing is inherently associated with so-called buzz marketing. It means provoking discussion among consumers about the subject of the marketing campaign.

6. Mobile marketing
These are activities that use many tools, e.g. SMS ads, SMS surveys, MMS etc.

These forms of marketing are really the tip of the iceberg and do not exhaust the subject in any way. It should also be remembered that each of them still has its own branches and it is difficult to find a specialist who has done well in several at once. Therefore, the form of marketing that we choose should be closely related to the group of recipients of our products or services.

Internet marketing – “to be or not to be” of modern companies Although marketing has many names, it is Internet marketing that is the foundation of conducted activities. It is one of the fastest growing branches of marketing – due to the fact that many potential customers can be found online.

The main purpose of Internet marketing is to increase the visibility of the company on the Internet. Activities focus on building and consolidating the brand – recipient relationship. It is a bond in which the role of a potential customer is much greater compared to classic marketing. Here, the client ceases to be just a passive recipient of messages. Can conduct a dialogue with the brand and respond to specific marketing activities.

When it comes to internet marketing, many of the techniques and tools used can be mentioned. The most popular are:

– website positioning,
– Google Ads,
– mailing campaigns,
– content marketing,
– viral marketing,
– remarketing,
– video marketing,
– social media marketing,
– influnecer marketing.

It is worth emphasizing that internet marketing activities should be carried out on a multifaceted basis. Only then will they increase the chance of achieving satisfactory results that will bring them closer to achieving their business goals.

Marketing is not just sales …

Although marketing is associated with sales activities, its role is much broader. It also includes, among others: communication and market knowledge, analysis of conducted activities, preparation and implementation of specific strategies.

Restricting only to sales will not bring long-term effects. Here, you need a carefully thought-out strategy that includes a wide variety of activities carried out using a variety of techniques and tools.

What determines the effectiveness of marketing activities?

There is no universal recipe that would make marketing activities 100% effective. Efficiency depends on many factors, among which an important role is played by, among others:

– strategy developed,
– tools used,
– creation,
– matching to the target group,
– selection of channels building relationships with recipients.

It should be emphasized that marketing activities cannot be carried out intuitively. In this area, first of all, numbers count, so it is necessary to regularly measure the effectiveness of marketing. It is worth noting, among others on aspects such as:

– range,
– reactions,
– impact length,
– media quality,
– method of collecting the carried out action.

Return on investment (ROI) is also a fairly reliable indicator. It helps to estimate the ratio of profits to incurred advertising costs.

Classic or internet marketing?

It is difficult to answer this question unequivocally, because a lot depends on the specifics of the company. The advantage of internet marketing is certainly the much wider range and much better adaptation to the needs and expectations of a particular customer (so-called personalized marketing).

If you have the opportunity, combine classic and internet marketing activities. Thanks to this, you will increase the chance of achieving the assumed goal – in line with the developed strategy.