7 Tips For eCommerce

There is SEO, and then there is SEO for eCommerce. While some of the typical SEO tips you will see on the web are certainly relevant for eCommerce sites, there are some best practices that are unique to the web addresses of online retailers. In this blog, we run through seven SEO tips for eCommerce websites: 

1. Optimise your product pages

There are plenty of ways in which you can improve the product pages on your e-commerce site for the purposes of SEO. There are many ways in which product pages can easily be ineffective in your push for search engine ranking leaps. Duplicate or substandard content can be just some of the typical weak spots. So, ensure your product descriptions are unique, that you include metadata, and encourage user-generated content such as reviews.

Another thing to consider is alt descriptions. Alt descriptions are important for any website to improve the accessibility of web pages for images. However, when it comes to e-commerce, this is absolutely crucial. Since your focus is on individual products, it becomes more important to provide alternate descriptions for images so that people are fully aware of the product they are looking to purchase.

This goes without saying, but remember to add mentions of your target keyword into all the key areas of the page, this would be the title tag, h1 and within the first 100 words of the body content. Adding a mention in the meta description and alt description can also be good, but try not to make it look like you’re adding the keyword for the sake of it.

2. Optimise your category pages

If you are looking for a home for your top-level keywords, you have one right here on your category pages. This is a way of driving high traffic by including keywords that are focused on the product terms online shoppers are searching for.

Your text should be rich, with at least a paragraph describing what the category is about and which kind of products are included. And if you’re in the process of link building, try to focus on including links to these category pages, as this is recognised as a helpful SEO practice.

Because you ideally want your product pages to not contain too much unnecessary content, category pages are the perfect place to add that content instead, making them a great resource to internally link to as well as providing further opportunities to mention target keywords.

3. Organise your site navigation

Structuring your site in a Google-friendly layout is essential:

• Consider adding several landing pages for specific brands or product types. This allows you to optimise for multiple keyword groups and multiple pages – in turn this increases your site’s visibility when search.
• Include category level navigation on drop down menus.
• Organise your URLS in the following formation:

• yourwebsite.com/category
• yourwebsite.com/category/sub-category
• yourwebsite.com/category/sub-category/product-name

4. Say yes to HTTPS

Switching to HTTPS can be beneficial for all websites, but it is especially pertinent for eCommerce. That’s because this security feature assures encryption for visitors to your website and protects their activities. It is even more important considering the personal details which can be exchanged over eCommerce sites, including payment information. An HTTPS URL gives visitors to your site the reassuring padlock symbol and green part of the address bar. More importantly, users need not be issued a security warning that your eCommerce site is not encrypted and risks being a deceptive platform. This can see many potential visitors turn back before they even start shopping.

5. Understand the potential problem with a filter system

Filter search systems can undoubtedly be helpful to eCommerce customers, allowing them to narrow down items as they browse for a particular product. But they can also be counterproductive when it comes to SEO. That’s because they have the effect of producing a large number of indexed pages, on which it is likely that there is a lot of duplicate content. Google is recognised as not liking duplicate content, so if your number of index pages are spiralling out of control, the best answer could be to add a parameters noindex follow with a meta robots tag.

6. Use internal links naturally

Google will notice when you’re overusing internal links, ensure your use of internal links is natural. For example, placing an internal link to another related product on a product page would be natural. Opposed to overfilling your pages with irrelevant internal links. In addition, placing links on your homepage to your products will also help the product’s page rank score and be easier for customers to navigate.

One way to prepare for this is to plan an internal linking structure. If you can map out each of your pages, you should be able to see which ones are relevant to each other and therefore, which pages should logically be connected to each other. This is not so much experience and technique as it is applying logic and what you as a customer would expect upon visiting a web page.

7. Keyword research

Keyword research should be the main priority for any SEO plan. Knowing what your customers are searching for helps you gain an insight into what they are physically typing into search engines when searching for certain products you sell. This allows you to focus on keywords and phrases which will get noticed by potential customers. This of course does not mean filling your pages with keywords. There is no need to constantly use the same keyword throughout your page. Google’s Latent Semantic Indexing means Google uses context clues to recognise what the content is about. Top sites for keyword research include Google’s Keyword Planner, SEMRush and Moz.

SEO for eCommerce websites takes on a whole new importance and offers a real incentive for site admins to keep up with all the latest tips and tricks. We hope these SEO tips for eCommerce websites can help boost your SEO traction.

eCommerce and the end of cash

eCommerce and the end of cash!

Scary, huh?

Well, whether tech scares you or not, we are moving closer and closer to a cashless society. Bank accounts and contactless cards have allowed us to pay for items in shops without handing over any cash and the same is true online – eCommerce websites function without the need for anything physical.

In a world where physical cash is fast losing relevance – don’t worry – this is a competitive edge.

You may be panicking: scared of an ever-changing world where the physical becomes the virtual, but you’d be mistaken to throw eCommerce aside as just another beast of technology. Once you learn how to command that technology you’ll no longer fear change; but instead, you’ll openly accept it as you notice how much it can benefit you!

In the last few decades, the online world has changed enormously!  Global business has moved onto the internet and today, the biggest companies in the world are built entirely on technology. Facebook, Google, and Amazon are all online, and they simply could not function with cash alone.

It’s Astonishing…

eCommerce websites are an incredible tool for consumers and businesses alike. With sites like Amazon offering one-day delivery for absolutely everything you need, we are closer than ever to living in a world where almost all transactions take place online.

But what does this mean for businesses? 

Well, it means that you need to be just as ready to accept card and bank payments on your site as you are to make them in the real world. Whether you offer services or products, you need to be able to get paid for it.

What do you need to take payments online?

Firstly, taking payments online requires a number of tools.

If you sell products then you will need cart functionality attached to your site so that products can be added to a basket and bought all at once.

You will also need to have online payment gateway functionality added – this will mean having a secure site with the right software added. It is worth looking into this as there is a range of options available – some are more suitable for specific industries, and almost all payment gateways offer their own benefits and price plans.

You will also need a merchant account. Whether you are taking payments by card in person or online, a merchant account will facilitate it. Most merchant accounts will work with payment gateways – mentioned above – to ensure that your customers have a streamlined, secure and easy payment process, from start to finish.

Plugins or bespoke functionality?

Depending on the website builder or CMS you use, there will be a range of options when it comes to setting up online, cashless payments for an eCommerce website.

On common platforms like WordPress, for example, there is a range of plugins available that can be easily and securely set up so that the entire online shopping process can be integrated. Other CMSs may require a bespoke approach and will need the work of web designers and developers. Neither approach is wrong, but the one you choose will depend on the system you have in place.

In conclusion

You need to get online.

Whether you like technology or not, if you want your business to thrive, you have no choice in the matter. A business with an online presence is a happy one.

Thriving businesses need to make use of the online world, and they need to be able to operate without cash. Think about how often you actually carry cash nowadays.

If you don’t expect to pay with physical money, then why would your customers?

Top 10 Things To Look For When Purchasing Website Hosting

So, you’ve decided to take the step of building a website. It could be for a number of reasons. A new business venture, a personal blog, or an online resume are among the more popular choices, but regardless of your reason, you will eventually come to one of the most important decisions you have to make: purchasing website hosting.

Making sure you buy the correct website hosting for your needs is a crucial part of the process, and will make other factors easier to deal with down the line.

1. Identify What Your Hosting Needs Are

This is the first step you should be taking. You have to understand what your hosting requirements are before you make any kind of decision.

Some questions you may want to ask yourself include:

What kind of website are you building? What platform are you using? Do you have a rough idea of the level of traffic you’re going to be getting? Are you looking to build and then scale within the next year?

Write the answer to these questions down and you’ll have a clearer picture moving forward of which website hosting is right for you.

2. Are You Using WordPress?

WordPress websites now account for 30% of all websites in existence, so to say it’s a popular choice would be a large understatement.

Most start-up company tips that involve information about building a website will touch on WordPress, and with good reason.

When it comes to hosting though, you should look at what WordPress-specific services they offer if you’re choosing to go down the WordPress route. Many offer “one-click” setup these days. This is a great option for those who aren’t as tech-savvy and want to get their site up and running as quickly as possible.

3. Look For Reliability And Server Up-time

Before choosing a website hosting provider you have to make sure that the provider has a great record when it comes to reliability and server uptime.

You want your website to spend as little amount of time offline as possible – as a rule of thumb, anything below 99% is not considered reliable – so working with a hosting company which offers a stable network connection and uses high-quality hardware is crucial.

Our WordPress server auto-scaling service https://designboxhosting.co.uk/wordpress-hosting-platform/ is load-balanced, ensuring your hosting reacts to your user demand and doesn’t experience sudden downtime due to unexpected traffic.

4. Initial Cost And Renewal Cost

Many website hosting companies will try to draw you in with very attractive signup costs, but what some of them will do is increase the renewal costs.

It is pretty standard for a hosting company to offer a discounted price when you sign up, but look out for companies who increase the cost of renewal by a sizeable amount.

You’ll have to make a judgement call when it comes to the cost of renewing, and remember to take other factors into account when weighing up this decision. Don’t go for the cheap option if the company providing the service isn’t up to scratch in other ways.

5. Upgrade Options

When you first get started you’ll find that shared web hosting will suffice; unless you’re anticipating high levels of traffic from the get-go.

For most new sites, shared hosting is the sensible option, allowing you to grow your site while paying web hosting costs that won’t break the bank.

One of the most important things to consider when choosing a web hosting provider is how well they can accommodate your future needs. I

f you plan on running out of space for all those photo galleries and video uploads in the near future, it would be wise to find an affordable website host that can provide enough storage for your site’s growth before anything bad happens!

You’ll want to check the upgrading options of your chosen web hosting company to make sure that you can upgrade easily if and when your site starts to grow to the extent that a dedicated server may be required.

6. Number Of Websites

An important factor to consider if you plan on running more than one website on your hosting plan.

You may initially see web hosting available at a low introductory price, but be sure to check the number of websites you’re permitted to have.

Many of the lowest-cost options only allow for one site, and this is fine if you’re only planning on creating a single website, but if you think that there’s even a small chance you may decide to increase that number then you’d be better going for an option that provides some flexibility. Usually, the next pricing tier will offer this option.

7. Customer Service

A non-technical factor in your decision, and for that reason, it’s often ignored.

You’ll want to make sure that if you run into problems you’ve got access to a good level of customer service.

Do they offer email support? Or do they provide a live chat feature? How long do they take to respond? Are they available 24/7? Or only during business hours?

A good host should provide 24/7 monitoring and support. This way, if anything goes wrong you will be able to get help quickly from your hosting provider without having to wait for someone’s availability or worrying about what time it is there.

If this kind of support cannot be guaranteed by your hosting provider then you should seriously consider other options. When it comes to hosting, there are many opportunities for things to go wrong and if you’re struggling to get in touch, everyone loses.

8. Migration Services

In the near future, you may find yourself needing to make significant changes to your website, whether that’s in terms of the structure, the content or the underlying coding itself.

A poorly-handled site migration can result in a costly drop in search engine traffic which can take a long time to resolve, so when looking for a website hosting provider, you want to make sure that they can handle a full site migration in a planned and professional manner.

We offer free migration services for both websites and emails.

9. E-Commerce Compatibility

Depending on the type of business or site you’re looking to create, e-commerce website options will be an important factor in your decision.

Look for e-commerce specific factors, such as SSL certificates, dedicated IPs and data centre location. It may also be worth checking that your hosting is PCI-DSS compliant – this is a necessary certification to have if you handle customer credit or debit card information.

E-commerce web design is a huge factor for any website owner who has plans to provide their visitors with any kind of online store.

10. Site Backups

A website crash is every website owner’s worst nightmare.

Website backups allow you to restore your website to a point where it was working perfectly, so it’s the safety net that all website owners require.

Website backups are often included in the hosting plan, but it’s important to ask when you’re signing up. Backups will usually be taken off your website daily automatically and kept for seven days, enabling you to restore your site if need arises.

Make sure to check that your web hosting company backs up their sites regularly, and also look for other options such as assistance in restoring your site, especially if you’re not all that tech-savvy.

At Design Box Media, we can help you address all of the above 10 points with our specialist WordPress hosting service. To find out more about how we can help you with our hosting, please get in touch with us today.

How Much Does A Website Cost in the UK?

How Much Does A Website Really Cost?

That is the defining question we all like to ask! Well, when it comes to creating a website, the term “you get what you pay for” really is put into place. If you’re hoping for a prize-winning website that’s dynamic and eye-catching; you’re unlikely to recreate similar effects using free website templates, but web design service costs do vary tremendously!

Comparison Of Different Website Designs And Their Costs

In many ways you could compare website designs to cars.

How?

The top-of-the-range, all-singing, all-dancing sites are like exclusive sports cars. They’re fast, reliable, feature many gadgets and most of all, engage visitors. Upmarket sites purr along like BMWs or Mercedes; they look professional and have high success and conversion rates. Everyday websites might be looked on as the runaround cars that chug along and provide a basic design and minimum details, these need a lot of work and extra features if success is to be achieved. Finally, free template designs and website hosting plans are similar to those cheap, second-hand cars, being unreliable and unlikely to be found by search engines.
So, what does this car metaphor mean for the costs of different website designs? Let’s take a look!

BASIC BROCHURE WEBSITES
SECOND-HAND VEHICLE TYPE WEBSITES (£0 – £1000)

You could compare DIY websites to second-hand cars; these sites are often built using standard templates offered by web-building platforms and can be very similar to each other. Platforms like Wix and Weebly are popular for DIY site creation. Owners will only need to pay for domain hosting, which could cost anything from zero up to around £1000. It is possible to build your own eye-catching website using web-building platforms; however these sites take a lot of time, effort and creativity. DIY sites also have a large amount of limitations. If you’re on a very tight budget of under £1,000 then consider using a DIY site.

CUSTOM BROCHURE WEBSITES
EVERYDAY RUNAROUND STYLE WEBSITES (£1,000 – £5,000)

Typically, small business websites could be compared to your run of the mill, runaround vehicle. These sites usually cost between £1,000 and £5,000 to build; although developer costs do vary. They generally feature a fair amount of business information; such as employee bios and downloadable product data. These will usually have integration with social media sites, Google Maps and Google Analytics. Hiring a website developer to build these sorts of sites helps to create a visual brand image and add a professional touch.

ECOMMERCE WEBSITES OR CUSTOM FEATURE WEBSITES
BMW OR MERCEDES STYLE WEBSITES (£3,000 – £25,000)

E-commerce websites and custom bespoke websites could be a typical example of the luxury, professional style epitomised by BMWs or Mercedes. The most popular e-commerce sites need to be slick and professional in order to attract customers and integrate the entire order management system. These sites also provide a higher level of functionality and would cost between £3,000 to £40,000 (the most we’ve done) to design and build.

ALL-SINGING-ALL-DANCING WEBSITES
SPORTS CAR WEBSITES (£10,000 – £50,000+)

You could consider the bespoke websites created by larger companies as upmarket sports cars in the world of website design. These sites are custom created; tailored to meet the needs of individual corporations. They can be lead generating websites or Ecommerce, either way, they are perfectly moulded for their intended purpose. These sites don’t feature any of the standard website templates that are common to smaller sites and tend to require advanced functionality. Some of these sites are database driven and update content on an automated basis as a result of customer interactions. Websites of this nature can cost from around £10,000 to £50,000 + to produce.

What are the differences in hiring a digital agency or a freelancer?

Now that the whole car metaphor is out of the way, let’s consider some another aspect which may affect the cost of a website: hiring a digital agency or a freelancer. We can start by throwing out some thoughts on the matter, before we get to that pesky price:

An Agency:

• Will have a whole team working for their clients. Agencies will have a team of people focused solely on the design of your website who are fully skilled in this single component.
• Will cover marketing and SEO to an extremely high standard. Even if you have an exceptional site, it will be worthless if people are unable to find your site on search engines. If wanted, an agency will continue working with you and set up a marketing strategy to ensure success for your business.
• Will once again have a team of people who will be ready for any questions and queries; normally having an individual dedicated to your website.

A Freelancer:

• Will take on all the components on an individual basis. A freelancer may still be skilled in a few fields, although it is rare to find a freelancer who is fluent in all areas.
• May have many clients and be stretched between communicating to them all on their own; this can effect the communication quality and quantity.

The cost comparison between freelancers and Agencies

If you felt like the last part was too harsh; well, freelancers do tend to be cheaper than digital agencies in terms of hourly or daily rates but this isn’t always reflected in the end cost. It all varies on whether you have a time limit, a tight budget, a larger budget, etc!

• A freelancer will on average charge around £25 – £50 per hour or £200 – £300 per day.
• A digital agency will on average charge around £50 – £200 per hour or £300 – £1000 per day.

When looking at the prices above it’s clear to see a freelancer is cheaper than an agency on paper, but, in the long run they may be more expensive! A freelancer is only one person creating a site; meaning the length of time taken will be significantly increased compared to that of a team of people. An agency will normally have more experience due to a larger client base and a wider range of websites. This enables an agency to have more skills to create your desired site, especially if you require bespoke components.

OUTSOURCING FOR YOUR SITE?

Alright, i know what you’re thinking: outsource?
Lets be honest and go on the record to say that there are many problems when outsourcing from cheaper countries for your website:

• Unable to meet with face to face.
• Time inconsistencies and delays.
• Language barrier may be a problem when communicating your desired requests.
• Harder to source a trustworthy company to share your data with.
• Although cheaper there can be hidden costs you are unaware of until completion due to terms and conditions not being stated.

Overall; if you’re looking for a site with all components taken into account, a digital agency would be the better choice. If price is an issue remember an hourly/daily rate isn’t always as clear as it seems.