So you are thinking of starting up an eCommerce store to sell your products or services online, or you might have an existing online store and you want to drive more traffic to your site.
Today’s brand of internet consumer is much pickier, and it now takes much more effort, much more knowledge, and much more patience to be an online merchant.
There are things that can be done, but they take work. So here are 10 tips to assist you in optimising your online store.
1. Your Store Title
Make sure you have a great descriptive title. Your title is more than just the name of your store. You title is the bolded section that appears in search engines. Having a name that includes keywords that are important for “getting found online” is vital.
2. Add Meta Description
Meta Keywords and descriptions are how search engines find you. The Meta Description is what you see as the description underneath the title to your store that you see when you get the results listing from an online search. Using them correctly, can have you move to the head of the pack. Use them incorrectly, and you’ll find yourself falling behind. A rule of thumb is to use keywords and descriptions that ACCURATELY describe your store. If you sell Blue Widgets, don’t stick in White Widgets as a keyword if you do not have White Widgets. Also getting your link clicked on is often due to a great Meta description that makes it compelling for the user
3. Google Analytics
Once you have your Store Title and your Meta Description, you’ll definitely want to make sure that your keywords are working. This is where Google Analytics comes in. You’ll want to know what work is paying off! Using Google Analytics will tell you what keywords are working for you.
4. Create Additional Pages
Your store does not have to be all products for sale. Make sure you personalize and make it a good experience for the buyer. Are you an expert? Can you impart knowledge? Do you have a brick and mortar store? Create “information” pages (and by the way, think of your keywords) that convey additional items of interest.
5. Write a good description for your products and services
If you are setting up a new store make sure you are using the right keywords that people would be using in a search engine to find your products and services or if you have a an existing online store revisit your descriptions and make sure they have the right keywords (which is keywords that are driving traffic).
6.Submit your site to Search Engine Directories.
Three major directory sites are
- DMOZ directory
- Yahoo Directory
- ZoomInfo directory
Note: search engine directory sites are useful in asssiting serach engines to find you and list your website.
7. Create New Content That Establishes Your Company as a “Thought Leader” in its industry
Create new content on your website , on your blog. If you’re launching a new site, or new content, write an introduction and submit it to social bookmarking sites like Digg, Reddit, Delicious.
8. Conduct an Online Survey.
This is an excellent way to generate publicity and this helps you to better understand your clients by getting feedback and positions you as a company that is engaged and communicating with its customers. The statistics you gather can be used to adjust your stores strategy and add new services or products or even remove services or products that are no longer working.
9. Create a Technorati account and “claim” your blog.
Technorati is the “Bible” of blogs and it is used as a reference point and rating benchmark against other blogs worldwide. It is also used by over 5 million visitors a month to find information and share it with others. It helps get your new and existing content out in cyberspace and improves your sites Google Rank and traffic
10. Start Using Social Media
Social media has certainly moved from niche to mainstream and the ability to engage in 2 way conversations with your clients via your website and social media. The top 5 Social Media sites you should seriously consider are
- YouTube
- Blogs
Note: Social Media is becoming increasingly important as people pass on information and share links that builds up inbound links to your site and assists in search engines optimising your site for being found. Google ranks the quantity and quality of the inbound links to your site.
Remember driving traffic to your website is something you’ll probably want to review regularly as optimising your online store is not a destination it is a journey.
So what are you doing currently to drive traffic to your site and what is working for you? Would like to hear your comments.
