Getting the Most Out Of SEO

There you are, finally ready to launch your online business. You went through weeks of planning with a web designer and got everything worked out and tested.

Then, finally, your website goes live. And you wait. And wait.

Where are the customers? Where's the traffic? That's when you'll hear the word SEO for the first time. It's a word you should make your new best friend!

Search Engine Optimization is what can put your site at the top of search page rankings. But how can you get those high rankings? Fortunately, there are many wonderful resources available online to help you beef up your SEO. The goal is to choose the right SEO services and make sure that you get the value for your marketing money.

Here's what a good SEO company should be providing:

Knowledge and tools to research strong keywords. Everything starts with the keywords. This is what the typical customer will use to type into the search engines. Finding the right combination of keywords is, well, key. Keywords or phrases should be based on your understanding of your customers’ buying cycle. A comprehensive keyword search includes keyword popularity, competitive research and product-related searches. There are some keywords that appear to rank high but might make no sense in terms of being added to content. Your SEO expert needs to decipher the difference.

Ability to create engaging copy. Once you've got the keywords locked down you then have to fold them into your content. This is what will be picked up by the search engines. Working them into headlines is easy but it's the copy that really matters. Search engines are becoming extremely sophisticated - they can sniff out "spam copy" and penalize you for it. Don't depend on an IT guy crunching algorithms or a web designer to be able to entice your customers with the written word.

Up-to-date information. Google is still the reigning champ of search engines but it is getting plenty of competition from rivals Bing, Yahoo and a whole range of other players. Your SEO expert needs to be on top of all of the search engine parameters because they are constantly being upgraded. You want someone who will be staying far ahead of the technology curve. Ask them when the latest update to a search engine was and have them explain to you how it can affect your website. 

As you look for an SEO expert don't hesitate to shop around to find one that best suits your needs. Obviously, you should start with the ones that have the highest rankings themselves. You know they're doing something right.

Top 5 SEO Myths That Need to Be Broken

As you enter into the e-commerce space, you're going to be learning all about driving traffic to your website. One of the first (and most important) concepts you should learn is about Search Engine Optimization or SEO. Simply put, the goal of SEO is to increase the rankings of your website when a specific search term or phrase is entered. Depending on the topic this can be a crowded field.

For instance, Google "locksmith" and your hometown. What you're sure to come up with are dozens of pages of locksmiths businesses. If your business is among those ranking on the first page you stand a much better chance of garnering that new customer. Along with understanding SEO you'll also run across some SEO myths.

You would follow these myths at your own peril because they might end up preventing traffic to your site as opposed to increasing traffic.

Here are the top 5 SEO myths that need to be broken.

You only have to optimize your site once.

Wrong. You might get lucky with your first wave of comprehensive SEO content and achieve that number one ranking but you won't be there for long. All of your competitors will be working on their own SEO strategies which can knock you off the top ranking at any time. This means you've got to consistently improve your SEO on a regular basis. Look at it this way: Would you only have one "special sale" for your business to attract customers? Of course not! The same can be said for SEO.

Links to social bookmarks aren't considered SEO.

Actually they are. Adding social networking bookmarks to your content are becoming an important and viable component to a comprehensive SEO strategy. Based on the findings of recent surveys, close to 14% of a website's ranking power can originate from sites like Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus. In other words, fire up those accounts and make sure they're part of your website.

You should always be posting content.

Yes and no. The myth is that without new content your site won't be picked up by search engines. The key issue is one of relevancy. Your content needs to be relevant for the search. If it is content for the sake of content then you're defeating the purpose. Making content relevant is at the heart of successful SEO and that will be determined by many factors both on your web pages and off those pages.

Forget title tags and meta tags; they don't work.

That would be a big mistake. This is where those on/off page factors come into play. A common mistake by webmasters is to title home pages as "home" as opposed to the keyword in title tags. Going back to the locksmith example, you shouldn't tag your landing page as "home" but "locksmith in Austin" (or wherever). Focus on a 160-character meta description of your content that will include a relevant keyword phrase and you'll come out a winner.

You can't have enough backlinks.

Yes you can. Backlinks link other websites to your site. It's a way of expanding the potential for traffic. However, once again it comes down to a matter of relevancy. You want to establish your website as a place of authority that means you want quality backlinks and not general spam. Linking to news stories and videos work but you'll have to occasionally go back and make sure those links aren't broken. 

How to Build Trust in Online Marketing

Although the online community can truly have a global reach, businesses depend on more direct contact with their potential customers. To achieve that connection online companies strive to build trust but that often proves difficult without any direct face-to-face communication.

Can you really trust someone that you can't look in the eye? As it turns out you can and hundreds of e-commerce sites have achieved a strong bond of trust from their customers. How can you build up your company's credibility and make your customers feel safe when they shop?

Consider these important tips:

Post a Privacy Policy

You won't be able to conduct any business online without gathering personal information from your customers. That doesn't mean their information can't be kept secure. Making your customers aware of your security enhancements can give them an added peace of mind about doing business on your website. Additionally, you should assure your customers that their information won't be sold to a third party or used for other promotions without their permission. This keeps them in control of their personal data and builds up the trust.

Pick a Reliable Payment Processor

Chances are that by the time a customer reaches your online store they will have already been accustomed to shopping online. That's a good thing because you want smart shoppers. To help support this you should be dealing with a reliable payment processor such as PayPal, Moneris or others. Not only are these processors extremely user friendly but they also provide various consumer protections like tracking payments and chargebacks. This is something customers truly appreciate.

Put Testimonials to Work for You

If there is one thing the Internet has taught us is that everyone likes to share their opinions. You can put positive reviews to work for your company by making them available on your website. Invite customers who have had a positive experience to post a review in exchange for a future benefit or coupon. When a new customer reads these types of reviews they'll have a sense that your business is indeed reputable and trustworthy.

Be Visible on Social Media

Every business is based in a community. Being highly visible on Facebook, blogging and forums helps build credibility with your prospective customers. They appreciate that you’re trying to reach out to them and that they can communicate with your business representatives.  Develop a relationship with your customers and create a community that revolves around your company’s brand, products or values.

 Be Real

You have a lot of faith in your product or services as you should. However, that doesn't mean those things you're offering "will forever change a person's life" or "revolutionize their very existence." Customers are leery of the hard sell. On the other hand,finding a way to use humor in your marketing campaigns can generate good feelings. When in doubt always go for the smile. 

Less is More - Online User Experience Design

The adage "less is more" can apply to many things. It holds true in cooking, gardening, academics and especially business. It revolves around the idea that you don’t want your customers to think more than they have to.

The fewer decisions to make during the shopping process, the better.

This becomes easier when we consider all of our customer touch points throughout the decision making process. With how connected most people are now, an important part of this is recognizing what platform they’re using and what specific information they’re looking for.

Ask yourself the following questions when approaching your customer’s user experience:

What can you take out of the online shopping experience to make it easier for your users to make purchasing decisions?

 Are you presenting them with too many options too soon in the shopping process

Can you keep your customers engaged while minimizing the decision making experience?

Amazon has perfected the one click approach to online shopping but not without a lot of trial and error. Take a look at these websites to see how they are utilizing the "less is more" principle to web design:

Apple: If there is one company who has mastered the simplified approach to web design it is Apple. Even with the vast array of products that are part of the company's catalog you'll find that their home page consists of just three things: a navigation bar, a single product featured on the page and formational links below the fold.  The focus is on finding what you want, quickly and easily. When you click over to a specific product page you'll find sidebars featuring links to related products and support but that single product still dominates the attention of the user. You're not going to find dense copy, ads or clutter.  

 Shoeguru: Shoeguru is a terrific example of combing user-centric ideas with product-centric solutions. There also exemplify the proverbial "Grandma Rule." If the site is so easy to use that your grandma can shop there then you've achieved the ultimate in minimalistic design.

Etsy: Like Amazon, Etsy is an e-commerce site which has an expansive catalog. However, that doesn't mean you should crowd your page with tons of information to get your point across. Let strong and vibrant product shots do the selling work. In other words, you need only show what you need to make the sale. Specs and reviews matter but they should be part of the clickthrough.

After identifying the platform or device your customers will be on at any given point during their shopping process, remove all unnecessary obstacles, and give them exactly what they need.

The end result will be smaller bounce rates, more sales, customers who feel like you understand their needs.

How Mobile is Driving e-Commerce in the Future

Back in the sixties, the popular sci-fi series "Star Trek" showed us the way with its handheld communicator. This device allowed crew members to talk with their shipmates at very long distances.

They were also able to use that same device to tap into the vast resources of their super computer. Flash ahead to today and that bit of fantasy has become a reality.

We all have the ability to carry a super computer in the palm of our hands. We can look up information, check out the weather, get directions, stay in touch with friends and go shopping. In fact, mobile technology is going to be a leading factor that will drive e-commerce to further successful heights in the coming year.

Here's why the mobile device is having an impact on e-commerce:

1      Multiple devices and platforms increase brand visibility

Each year cyber shopping is carving out a larger portion of the retail pie with no signs of it letting up. It's not just the cell phone that is driving e-commerce but also the pad or tablet device. With iPad leading the charge shoppers are happy to download apps from their favorite stores and sign up for Twitter promotions and special offers. For the online brand, this means developing a web portal that can cross over on many platforms. You shouldn't limit yourself to just one device and stay competitive.

 

       Easy access for the consumer at all times

A major benefit that mobile users enjoy is the instant access to ordering a product online. Mobile apps have improved so much that they are considered the best friends of today’s users. The apps that are preferred are those that make it easier to find products and services on your cellphone and purchase the products. Consumers can download apps which let them scan bar codes to find the best bargain. If it happens that your website is selling that item at a better price then a few clicks later could have you closing a sale.

      Rising mobile demand

As smartphones are becoming cheaper and more powerful, their adoption is rising. In the US alone, web-enabled smartphone purchases have 46% of the cellphone market. Thus, the market for e-commerce consumers via mobile platforms is ever expanding. With the expansion, there is a logical increase in the use of cellphones for e-commerce.  

Improvements in technology are helping businesses and customers shop and it's only going to get better. Case in point: The Shazam app. Once downloaded, you can activate Shazam to "tag" any song playing on the radio or TV. That song becomes part of a virtual shopping list that is tied directly to iTunes. Hear it, tag it, buy it.

The mobile shopping experience doesn't get any better than that! 

5 Entrepreneur Blogs You Should Follow

Becoming an entrepreneur means you are entering into a new club of like-minded business professionals all with a common goal in mind - success. Although competition might be fierce in some circles, overall the majority of working entrepreneurs are happy to share their knowledge. Here are the top five entrepreneur blogs based on survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal.

Get Elastic: This is a blog dedicated to all things e-commerce. Started by Elastic Path Software, a technology company that provides online brands with ecommerce software solutions, the blog was created to showcase their expertise. However, you won’t see Elastic Path pushing their products in the blog. Any start up business can benefit from the vast amount of content detailing aspects of digital commerce, social media, web design and conversion optimization. If you’re unfamiliar with any of those categories, you’ll quickly become educated on Get Elastic.  Most interesting article : 9 freemium mistakes to avoid.

Seth Godin’s Blog:  Don’t be dismayed by the simple title - this blog is all substance. Seth was the founder of Yoyodyne which was an interactive direct-marketing company that Yahoo scooped up back in 1998. Seth has been in the entrepreneurial business ever since as a bestselling author and insightful speaker. With 183,000 Twitter followers who read his daily tweets, he is considered one of the most innovative minds in marketing. Although his blog posts aren’t long, they are poignant and have great insights into the world of consumer marketing. One of our favorite blog post is Understanding Stuck. Among some of this book titles are “Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing Out of Sync,” “Small is the New Big,” and “Purple Cow”.

WorkHappy.net: In the dynamic world of online business, it’s hard for a startup business to stay ahead of the curve. Thankfully, WorkHappy.net is standing by to provide readers with all the valuable tools any entrepreneur will need to help make their business a success. The title of this blog says it all - Killer resources for entrepreneurs. The founder, Carson McComas, has been involved in the online marketing world since 1998, having started and marketed various websites and he shares his expertise of how you can make an online business successful.  Most interesting article that we like: Bootstrappers, this is the golden age of the internet frankenstartup.  Clearly, there is a lot to learn from blog writer Carson McComas.

Drew’s Marketing Minute: If the success of a business is built on a strong marketing campaign then you could greatly benefit from following Drew’s Marketing Minute. Drew McLellan has 25 plus years as marketing veteran and as his bio states, “…he lives for creating aha moments for his clients, clients’ customers, peers and audiences across the land.” It’s worth checking in with a blog like this at least once a day to catch up on the latest marketing trends and to become inspired. A blog post that we like: What you can learn from a small town.

Blog Maverick: It’s rare to get access to a successful entrepreneur because they are so busy with their next venture. However, it’s not the case with Mark Cuban – one of the most outspoken entrepreneurs in the US. Mark started from extremely humble beginnings and has grown an empire that includes a NBA basketball team, entertainment companies and business investments through the popular TV series Shark Tank.  With every post on Mark’s blog, readers are encouraged to join in on the conversation.  Most interesting post: Facebook IPO , post mortem killer but not for the reasons you think  

5 Reasons Why Online Businesses Need Content Marketing

Imagine this scenario - you wander through a bookstore and find a novel with a very appealing cover and title. It looks like it’s going to be a great read. However, inside all the pages are blank. There is no story. This is not a lesson in “judging a book by its cover” but instead a reminder that without strong content, your online business will falter. In other words, you could have a great service or product but unless you engage and expand your customer base through strong content your business with wither on the vine. The following is a list of important reasons why online businesses need strong content marketing.

Customers Want the 411

You might have occasionally gotten lost in a “YouTube maze” clicking through random videos but when a potential customer goes in search of the specific product or service they are looking for valuable information. That information can be provided through well written content articles with catchy headlines. Be concise and give them the “bullet points” of what they are searching for. By providing valuable information to consumers, you can become considered an industry expert with the content you create and people will start seeking out your website for updates and tips.

Customers Want Quality

First impressions matter, whether you’re at a dinner party or developing an online business. If a customer stops by your website and is greeted with a poorly written article, then chances are they won’t be coming back. Don’t fall into the trap of sacrificing quality over quantity. There is no reason why you can’t have both; it just might take a bit more effort to find.

Customers Like To Be Targeted

Everything and anything can be Googled. No matter what the search, chances are there will be several websites that pop up in response to a user’s question. The goal for your website is to take advantage of these niche searches by providing targeted content. If you have a product for women, determine if it’s suitable for “busy moms,” “hard working professionals,” or “singles searching for love?” Maybe it’s for all three categories. That just means you’ll need specific content geared to all those groups.

Customers Like to Matter

Content should not only serve to provide information but also to engage the reader. Whenever possible you should leave room for comments. This is how you get online discussions going and pull in even more customers. Everyone likes to share their opinions online. Even if you receive negative comments, take the time to consider the comment and the way in which you can “fix” the problem. Perhaps the customer had a poor experience with your services – take the time to respond, apologize and offer a solution. Your customers will appreciate the open communication. Providing a personal touch gives customers a sense of security which will bring them back to purchase again.

Customers Are Always Searching

As mentioned above, potential customers are always on the prowl for those goods or services they need in that moment. Just as you need to create engaging content for them to read, you also have to create content that the search engines will pick up on. This will improve your search engine rankings which will place your website at the top page of any search. If you’re not familiar with how to achieve these goals then seek out experienced content management consultants to help build up your online presence.

Who Wants to be a Techie?

Remember the days when the computer technician worked almost around the clock to keep the system up and running, or develop that new program that would save the company? It would appear that the classic techie image is not what one might imagine. Several studies have been conducted recently and the world of IT employees has changed dramatically over the last decade.
 

     Recent industry figures indicate that 420,000 Canadians are employed in technology, nearly half of them in Ontario. The tech personnel divide into two basic categories – development and support. The development professionals, who comprise a small percentage of the field, do work incredibly long hours in order to perfect their products and get them out in the market as soon as possible. Product competition is fierce and time is of the essence. Most techies, though, work in support positions and the vast majority is employed at non-tech companies. Studies show that most of these techies work, at most, a 40 hour work week and barely 10% of them work overtime hours. No more is required. A company's IT department is no longer the mysterious room hidden in the sub-basement of the building. It is a regular functioning department of most companies, solving problems and providing services, as do other departments.
 

     As companies continually seek the youngest and brightest stars of the IT world, the question arises as to aging employees. A young employee may be computer savvy but lacks the management skills to run a department or complex system. Most IT managers come from within the ranks of the tech staff. In fact, most overtime hours are logged by older IT management staff. Generally, they help out on the technical side by day and complete their administrative tasks after hours. The higher you go, the harder you work. A far cry from days gone by when everyone went home after dark.

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Happiness is the Key to a Successful Business

More than 40 years ago, a classic episode of The Flintstones featured a segment that was ahead of its time. Fred's wife, Wilma, stars on a television program and sings the Rockenspiel jingle. Those who remember this episode will recall that the song instructs wives to make their hubby happy.
 

     Even the creators of those stone-age characters realized that happiness is crucial to business growth. Entrepreneurs across the business spectrum share common goals in their desire to secure their profitable share of the market. That which divides business leaders in their quest is the method of how to constantly reach those goals. Believe it or not, some of the greatest business success stories have discovered that happiness is the key factor to continued growth.
 

     Of course, one might argue that happiness is an intangible factor that cannot be measured.  The truth, though, is that happiness can be measured. More than 30 years ago, a consultant named Fred Reichheld created a measuring system called the Net Promoter Score (NPS). The method is quite simple. After completing a sale or service, the customer is asked to rate the likelihood of their recommending the company to a friend or colleague. Low scores (detractors) are subtracted from the high scores (promoters) and passives (mid-range scores) are left out of the equation. The result is the Net Promoter Score.
 

     According to Mr. Reichheld's studies, world class companies scored an NPS of 20 – 50. Some score much higher. The more aggressive companies measure their NPS daily and analyze results to look for patterns of what makes their customers happy. By repeating those patterns, they can keep customer happiness high and continue their success. Conversely, they can also track the issues that bother customers and try to eliminate those unhappiness factors.
 

     Remember, a happy customer is a loyal customer, and a loyal customer is repeat business and recommendations.
 

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E-commerce Provincial Sales Taxes

E-commerce has greatly increased many retail sales. Businesses, large and small, can now reach customers from coast to coast with relative ease, if they have a presence on the internet. However, a very interesting – and tricky - question arises from all these sales. Does a website vendor in one province selling taxable goods and/or services to customers in other provinces have to charge and remit other provinces' sales taxes?

Would that the answer were simple and straightforward. Just as taxes differ from province to province, so do the requirements for inter-provincial commerce.

Keep in mind that when dealing with tax related issues, it is better to err on the side of caution. Therefore, you should consult with your accountant and/or tax advisor to verify your own personal situation. Similarly, you can obtain detailed information from the finance/revenue ministries of the specific provinces in which you are conducting online business.

There are a number of factors that will determine your tax collection situation. As many small business owners are aware, you are exempt from charging and remitting the GST if you are a small supplier. However, even a business with small supplier status may have to register for GST if they conduct business in provinces that currently have HST (Harmonized Sales Taxes). The GST is part of the HST. Therefore, de facto, you will have to charge and remit provincial taxes in those provinces.

Some provinces have passed legislation requiring out-of-province vendors to register for their provincial taxes. Other provinces "suggest" registering.

Were you aware of the fact that if you, as a vendor, do not collect RST (retail sales tax) in a specific province, the responsibility falls onto the purchaser?

The tax issues are complicated and the requirements, and loopholes, are plenty. Before pursuing your sales in other provinces, check the tax requirements carefully with a qualified tax professional.
 
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