1Digital®

Choosing Specific Keywords For eCommerce SEO

Joe Chilson — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 18:03:02 +0000

A lot of the merchants that I talk to about an eCommerce SEO campaign want to target the biggest and highest trafficked keywords in their industry. I don’t blame them. It makes sense. SEO is supposed to increase your organic traffic, so it’s natural to assume that only high traffic keywords are worth going after. But in reality, the most general keywords are often not the place to spend your SEO budget. They are harder to rank for and deliver less qualified traffic. When I choose keywords for eCommerce SEO, I always prefer the specific to the general, and here’s why.

Harder to Rank For

I tell any new SEO client I take on that SEO takes time. It takes time to gain Google’s trust. It takes time to show them that you’re an authority on the subject you want to rank for, and worth recommending to their users as a resource. Doubly so for high traffic terms. The more of their users that search a term, the more trust you’ll have to build with Google in order to convince them to rank you for it. One of the main ways Google determines if they trust you or not is if they’ve already put faith in you to rank for other keywords related to the one you’re going for. If you start off by ranking more quickly for some lower traffic keywords, by the time you make a play for the big traffic terms, you’ll be able to spend much less time and budget to capture the ranking you want.

Less Qualified Traffic

The keywords that are harder to get aren’t necessarily even the ones you want. I mentioned earlier that the goal of SEO is to increase organic traffic, but that’s not quite true is it? The ultimate goal of SEO is to increase your number of completed transactions. While ranking for a general keyword can bring a lot of new visitors to the site, if they don’t convert they’re not fulfilling that goal. This is often the case because a user searching something general is more likely to be doing research, or just beginning their journey down the sales funnel. Whereas someone searching for something very specific knows exactly what they want, and is ready to buy as soon as they find it for the right price. And if you can rank for those specific keywords more quickly, then all the better. Selecting keywords for eCommerce SEO can be a tricky process. You’ll want to start with relevant, specific keywords for which you can rank quickly. Once you pluck the low hanging fruit, you can start going after the stuff that’s higher on the vine. If you need help deciding which terms are worth the investment, talk to the digital marketing experts at 1Digital Agency. We put together well-balanced SEO campaigns meant to start smart and ramp up over time. The world of Google rankings can be a confusing one. We take pride in helping eCommerce businesses of all shapes and sizes navigate it.

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Content Matters

Nick Fava — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 18:32:21 +0000

3 Tips to Writing Engaging Content

Creating engaging and informative content is imperative to your success in eCommerce. People want to know that you’re an authority on your products and your industry, and the best way to do that is to keep them updated with fun and appealing blogs and social media posts. For some, this is as simple as hiring a copywriter to take care of all content creation. For those that are on a budget, that is simply not an option. So what do you do? Well, you can either give up entirely and do worse by your business, or you can learn to create that content yourself. 1Digital Agency enjoys the benefit of some beautiful, handsome, charming, talented, and certainly not vain copywriters that can give you a few pointers. Also, we have flawless skin and vibrant hair, but I digress. Here are three tips for creating content that reels in your audience and boosts your sales.

Authenticity

People don’t want to read content that’s there for content’s sake. Write something that you would read yourself. You know what people love? Stories. There’s nothing better than a storyteller. If you’re going to explain to someone why a product or an industry is important, start with your own personal experience. If I’m selling hot sauce, I’m going to reflect that moment that my father thought Thai chili peppers were comparable to jalapenos and dared me to eat one in a single bite. Then I’d explain the hilarity of my mother screaming at him as I sobbed and sprinted around my household cramming ice cubes into my mouth. I’d end with a simple, “needless to say, ice cubes won’t save you from this hot sauce, and they certainly couldn’t save me from my dad’s ignorance.” There! Boom! You’ve got engaging content.

Pictures

Most people do not enjoy reading. Period. That’s not to say that there aren’t those who love to sit down with a good book (I know I do!), but today’s society enjoys the quick information that’s easy to digest. When the reader sees a huge block of text, they get discouraged. Litter your blogs with visual media that give people the stimulation they need to stick around. Feeling bored? Here’s a puppy! See? Now that you’ve enjoyed that puppy, you’re ready to read some more. Always remember that content is only worthwhile if it maintains the reader’s attention!

Be the Solution

With so much clickbait in the world, do you really want to be part of the problem? Imagine all of the times that you’ve clicked on an article, only to find that it’s devoid of any substance. Infuriating, is it not? Don’t be clickbait. Be a solution. Make sure that the content you produce contains information that improves your customer’s lives. Give them a few tips on how to better use their products or further navigate your industry. If your article lacks the tangible help that people crave, you’ll do more harm than good by writing it.

The 1Digital Boost

So, there you have it! These tips will set you on the right track to creating better, well-rounded content that your audience actually wants to read. For the sake of good content, I’ll even throw in an extra tip: end with a call-to-arms! Explain to your audience that they themselves can take action, like this: 1Digital Agency isn’t just an authority on eCommerce, we’re also an authority on content creation. If you think that your business could use some excellent copy, take advantage of our premium services and contact us today!

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KosmosQ: A Success Story

Nick Fava — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 18:07:46 +0000

How 1Digital Developed KosmosQ the Site of Their Dreams

1Digital Agency takes pride in our work, and that pride is tangible in the quality sites that we create for our clients. We love everything about eCommerce, and we know that your website is the vessel that carries your sales. Without a high-functioning vessel, you’ll surely sink. When you need help navigating the waters of online marketing, allow us to sail you towards the direction that benefits you most. A site designed by 1Digital is defined by sharp and sleek character, all dictated and created by the client’s exact desires. When KosmosQ came to us, they were committed to the vision of a southern barbeque aesthetic. Now, when customers visit their site, they feel like they’ve strolled right into a southern barbeque, coleslaw and all! That’s because 1Digital Agency was able to craft the exact design that KosmosQ had in mind and more; let us show you how!

BEFORE

AFTER

Custom Design

In order to appeal to the KosmosQ brand, 1Digital ensured that our entire design process centered around making sure that all color schemes, marketing materials, logos, et cetera were cohesive. We created a mock homepage through Photoshop and gave KosmosQ the opportunity to revise before we started coding. This included the homepage, footer, and header design. We did the same for their custom category page and product page. Their new menu design also taps into the overall homey feel of their beautiful southern barbeque website. Along with all of this, KosmosQ now has three homepage banners and five category page banners that really boost their aesthetic and tie the pages together. You can’t create that kind of cohesion without the expert designers at 1Digital! KosmosQ had what 1Digital Agency agreed to be an incredible idea; they wanted to change their existing blog post page to a recipe page. We not only redesigned their blog into a recipe page but created an interactive content page that simply looks incredible. Customers can now see KosmosQ products in action through fun and aesthetically pleasing recipes that shed light on the best qualities of each KosmosQ dust, rub, sauce, you name it! That’s the kind of innovation that 1Digital Agency brings to the table; looks fantastic, doesn’t it?

BEFORE

AFTER

We tell customers all the time: your site isn’t going to rack up the sales that it deserves if it doesn’t cater to mobile! In KosmosQ’s case, we created a sleek and crisp mobile design that allows potential customers to become definite sales as they purchase on-the-go. This included a homepage, category page, product page, and mobile menu. When you cover all bases, you get more sales. Plain and simple.

Custom Integration and Development

Stencil is a BigCommerce framework that provides a fresh and flexible approach to developing a dynamic storefront that’s entirely customized to the developers liking. With the expert developers at 1Digital, we switched KosmosQ to this fantastic website skeleton and got to work. All of the Photoshop mockups were converted to HTML/CSS, and our advanced responsive website development option led to an interactive and spectacular mobile version of their site. We also implemented Social Media buttons that connect KosmosQ customers to their respective Social Media profiles. Nothing helps business like starting a discussion! Each of the content and system pages, such as the Thank You Page, Checkout Page, and Shopping cart, were developed and designed to fit the general layout of the site. The styling of the content pages are added by our developers and inherit the design of the rest of the site, so it all fits together. As we stated above, cohesion is key, and KosmosQ now has first-hand experience with 1Digital Agency’s expertise in brand cohesion. We’re very proud of two new additions to the KosmosQ website, and both can be categorized under advanced development. The URLs of every blog post was changed from /blog/postname to /recipes/postname and SEO optimized with a beautiful recipe layout for customers. This further advertises the products and gives customers some wonderful ideas on how to use them! The installation of a “Frequently Bought Together” feature on the product page created a fantastic purchasing experience for KosmosQ customers. Now, similar to Amazon, customers can benefit from suggested products that go with whatever purchase they’re about to make. This leads to more sales, and it looks brilliant on their site. BigCommerce’s “related products” feature ensures that all suggested products are closely related. Now, instead of purchasing just one product, customers are likely to purchase several!

Third Party Integration

Without the right development team to back you, third-party integrations on BigCommerce can be a pain. Luckily, 1Digital makes the process painless. For KosmosQ, we integrated Kudobuzz reviews/Q&A’s directly onto their product pages, as well as Google analytics and Facebook analytics integration. That’s because 1Digital Agency makes sure to optimize every site that we work on for SEO.

SEO Extravaganza

Search Engine Optimization goes hand in hand with eCommerce, and 1Digital would like to optimize every aspect of your site to climb Google’s rankings and soar to the top of the competition. With SEO friendly coding & design in mind, we made sure that KosmosQ’s site surpassed a score of 50 for desktop & mobile using Google’s Page Speed Insights tool. We made sure that KosmosQ was aware of any and all customizations that could affect page speed, and we made sure that the site would pass Google’smobile-friendlyy test.

The 1Digital Boost

Clients come to us with the concepts that they hold dear to their hearts, and we turn those dreams into realities. KosmosQ now enjoys a website that their customers love and their products deserve; you can do the same for your business. Our designers and developers are well versed in Volusion, BigCommerce, Shopify, and plenty of other major eCommerce platforms. We can bring your vision to life and set you up with an SEO-optimized website that will reel in sales and thrust you toward the top of the competition. If you think that your business could benefit from the 1Digital boost, contact us today. Check out our before and after page for more examples!

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Do I Need It? Peer 2 Peer Payment for eCommerce Stores

Joe Chilson — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 18:44:10 +0000

For many years, my personal hell was splitting the check at a restaurant, especially with a big group of friends. A perfectly nice evening was always capped by a sharp stab of social anxiety, as we spent the last 15 minutes of any dinner figuring out who has cash and who has a card, who had salad and who had steak. But lately, I haven’t traveled to that personal hell quite as often, because of the rise of peer 2 peer payment apps like Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle. P2P payment apps allow their users to send each other money, directly from their bank account with only their smartphone. And while they have taken a lot of the stress out of life’s little monetary exchanges, these type of payments have yet to make their way onto eCommerce checkout pages in a big way. So I wondered, how good is peer 2 peer payment for eCommerce stores? Let’s begin by saying that almost all eCommerce stores do use a particular peer 2 peer payment app, Paypal. Paypal was the first of the P2P payment systems. It was created in 1998 with eCommerce transactions in mind. It remains very popular among eCommerce merchants because it allows their customers to submit payment quickly and easily, without having to enter credit card information. But when compared to the ease and informality of another Paypal product, Venmo, which often sends money accompanied by a string of emojis, Paypal can sometimes feel like writing a check. So, does it make sense for eCommerce merchants to go beyond Paypal and start accepting these even simpler forms of payment in their checkouts? We know that the easier it is for your customers to pay you, the higher your conversion rate will be. Research has shown that about 1 in 4 shoppers will abandon their carts due to a long and complicated checkout process. Payment takes up the majority of that process. Sites like Amazon have increased their conversion rate immensely by saving customers payment info and allowing them to pay with the click of a button. But for those of us on hosted eCommerce platforms, saving credit card info isn’t always an option. P2P apps save the banking information of their users. It seems like a perfect happy medium. You can get the ease of stored credit card info to simplify your payment process, without the risk associated with storing those details yourself. Additionally, the use of peer 2 peer payment apps is growing at an impressive rate. The transactional value of P2P payments grew 55% last year, to just over $120 billion, and that figure is on pace to double by 2021. At the same time, mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Wallet, seem to be faltering with a transaction value just shy of 50 billion. This trend is also related to ease of use. Consumers don’t want to bother to transfer money into a mobile wallet when they can connect the bank account they already use to a P2P payments app. On the flip side of the coin from ease and informality, is the question of trust and reliability. As eCommerce merchants, we work hard to engender trust in our customers. Is it possible that these P2P payments methods are just a little too easy? Research suggests that, for some customers, they may be. Only 36% of Baby Boomers and 17% of Retirees report having favorable impressions of paying through P2P payment apps. Younger consumers report being much more comfortable. Millennials and Gen Xers come in at 66% and 55% favorable impressions, respectively. Name recognition has been shown to make a big difference in trust response. Older consumers report a much higher level of comfortability with Paypal than any other P2P payment method. Greater name recognition has already started making its way into into the P2P market to address this. The P2P payment app Zelle is backed by a network of over 30 banks, including Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase. Facebook has also built P2P payment capability into Facebook Messenger. The rate of adoption of this technology, compounded by the increased comfortability of younger consumers, means that these payment methods, while on the margins now, are getting more and more accepted every day. P2P payment apps are encrypted. They have fraud monitoring and will help users resolve unauthorized transactions. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t vulnerable to hackers and scammers. In fact, one of the biggest challenges to using these peer 2 peer payment for eCommerce stores may be right in the name, and that’s peer 2 peer. Users feel comfortable sending money to friends and family with P2P, but there seems to be a reticence to send money to a stranger using P2P. Keeping track of how your money is going in and out is easier when you’re making occasional payments to someone within your circle of trust. For these apps to become something people use for everyday transactions, beyond splitting the check, strides will need to be made both in security and in public perception. The fact of the matter is that peer 2 peer payment for eCommerce stores just isn’t where it needs to be for widespread adoption yet. Will it be there in 2-5 years? Bet on it. The ease of use, the rapid rate of adoption, and its popularity with younger consumers all make P2P a solid contender to be a big part of the way that eCommerce stores will do business in the coming years. My advice is, be an early adopter. Keep an eye on your eCommerce platform and their partners for integrations and connectors. And if you ever have questions about how to keep your store converting better, and working with bleeding edge technology, feel free to talk to an expert at 1Digital Agency.

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Mobile APPS: An Integral Aspect of eCommerce

Nick Fava — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 15:28:36 +0000

eCommerce Trends Never End

Any eCommerce merchant knows that the nature of the business is constant evolution. Whatever tactics and strategies made sense for 2011 are completely null and void in 2018, and the same will be likely for 2025. One of the smartest business moves in the world of online marketing is tracking the trends that will shape the future. With that in mind, many businesses have recognized voice recognition and even virtual reality as being pivotal dynamics that will shape the way shoppers purchase their items. Mobile marketing has already made a name for itself within eCommerce, and businesses that turn to it are far more likely to see success. Even the simple addition of a mobile site can improve sales and customer satisfaction, and the more merchants that tap into this potential, the more popular the trend becomes. Within the past five years, there has been a significant rise in the number of customers that shop on-the-go. If you don’t, at the very least, have a mobile version of your site, you’re missing out on all of these opportunities.

The Rise of Mobile Apps

Just the other day, I needed an oil change. When I got to my dealership, I was told that I’d get a $5 discount if I downloaded the app. I immediately thought, “Why would a dealership need an app? What could I possibly use that for?” It’s ironic that my mind brought me to these qualms, because I had actually taken time to search the number of my dealership on the internet browser on, you guessed it, my phone. I should’ve realized right then and there that an app would have cut out that entire process and enabled me to schedule an appointment without the extra steps. That right there is the true convenience that an app can provide on the customer’s end, and, having experienced it first hand, I have to admit that it is a significant improvement in the realm of customer service. My own experience excluded, more and more people are finding the use of mobile apps to be an exciting and opportune method to purchase products. With brands like Wawa and McDonalds allowing customers to send in food orders that will be prepared by the time of their arrival, the appeal is quite clear. No matter what you’re selling, your customers will appreciate the ease and convenience of an app version. Anything that cuts out the middleman serves as a quicker route to your products, and this should be of the highest interest. Having a mobile site enables customers to access your store through their phone, but having an app allows them to access all of your products without even opening a web browser. The advantages are blatant and the payoff is clear. Easier access to products means more sales.

What Makes an App Effective?

The profits of a mobile app are clear, but what about the execution? There are a few simple tactics that should be utilized in order to maximize success, and we’d like to share some of them with you. The first is a no-brainer, but some don’t realize the absolute necessity. Speed is your number one priority. People will constantly check their phones throughout the day, but in short bursts; you really only have about a two minute window, tops, to catch their attention. What does this mean? It means you need to create a buying experience that panders to them quickly. Make it easy to sift through different products and categories with a few clicks and swipes. Pictures of products should be large, high quality, and attractive enough that a customer is immediately enticed. Don’t be afraid to remind your customers of the deals that you’re currently highlighting. With push notifications, any potential sale becomes an actual sale. I myself have the Groupon app, and every now and then I’ll see a push notification that’s just calling my name. It’s convenient, it’s effective, and if you’re proud of your products and know that your customers love them, it’s the kind thing to do! When speed is your number one goal, the checkout time is the most important factor. If your app successfully presents your products in a timely manner, the last step is to create the speediest checkout page possible. So many customers are willing to go through the process of purchase and then ditch on the last second due to a slightly longer checkout time. If you can reduce the time it takes to check out by turning the process into a click of a button, you’ll succeed in far more sales. Once someone’s information is typed in, allow them the option of making a purchase through a couple of clicks. You’ll be glad you did!

Stay Vigilant

As technology improves, so does eCommerce. It’s important to never be stuck in the past and always keep your eyes on the future. Apps will become more and more integrated into customer’s daily lives, and with virtual reality and voice recognition in the near future, we’re likely to see some major advancements in app design. For more tips to stay ahead of the competition and build the eCommerce storefront of your dreams, keep up with 1Digital Agency! We can create the mobile store of your dreams, and keep you up to date on all of the latest eCommerce news!

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Better Product Pages = Higher Conversions

Natalie Nako — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 18:25:25 +0000

Whether you run a successful eCommerce store, or are building a new eCommerce store, one of the most important parts that needs attention is product pages. Product pages are the last thing your customers are going to see when they decide to either check out and purchase your products or bounce from your site. If your product pages are hard to navigate and don’t offer a lot of product information, there is a high chance that your site’s visitor will bounce. However, if your site has product pages that are easily navigable with great images, optimized and informative content and descriptions, customer reviews, etc., there is a higher chance of conversion. When working on products pages, many people might think that because their site has a great design layout and is developed and optimized for a positive user experience, this will convince visitors to purchase their products. However, although how the rest of your site looks and navigates is an essential part of a better user experience, product pages are where customers get all of the information they need about the specific product they are interested in. Even if your products are hard to find and of great quality, if your customers can’t find this out via the product pages, then you lose a potential recurring client. Let’s take Amazon, for example. I use Amazon for a number of different reasons; their products are sometime cheaper than anywhere else on the web, and they have a variety of products to sift through in order to find exactly what it is I am looking for. Now, sometime I’ll find some products on amazon that I like and could use, I go to the product page, read the information available, read the customer reviews, and then decide that this would be a great choice. They gave me all of the information I needed, gave me options to see similar products that were purchased with the one I’m looking at, and they offered customer reviews about the product and shipping. Other time, however, I go to the product page, I see a short, uninformative product description, no reviews, and no insight whatsoever into what is included in my purchase. With minimal information like this, I am reluctant to purchase the product I am looking at. At that point, I’d rather do some more digging to find another option that gives me better and more information rather than take a chance with something that might give me more work to do in the future once I receive (if I receive) the product. In order to ensure your product pages are written and designed to offer your potential customer all the information they need for an irresistible purchase, you should take note of the following tips:

Create Amazing Product Photos

When creating your product pages, one of the most important aspects is product images. When people search for products online, the first thing that draws them in is a great product photo. If your photos are dark or only have one image, users aren’t likely going to go through with the purchase. Product photos offer users an idea of what they will be purchasing and gives them a better grasp of what the product will look like when it arrives on their doorstep. Be sure to offer your potential customers clear, quality images with a variety of viewpoints so that they can get a clear picture of what they will be spending their money on.

Create Irresistible Product Descriptions

When selling to online consumers, product descriptions can go a long way. Not only can excellent and informative product descriptions give the consumer a better idea of what they might be purchasing and the benefits involved with making that purchase, but they can also aid with the SEO of your entire site by drawing in more traffic with optimized content that motivates user to buy.

Provide Customer Generated Reviews

Offering your customers a glimpse at what other buyers think of your products is a genius idea for eCommerce stores. Consumers tend to trust their peers, or other like-minded individuals, when it comes to purchasing online. By giving your potential customers insight into what other buyers thought of your products is a great way to increase traffic and trust in your business.

Create A Clear Call to Action

Once a user reaches your product page, finds it easy to navigate with clear and useful information, they will then decide whether or not they will complete the purchase. It’s important to provide users with a clear call to action button (for example, ‘Add to Cart’) to lead them through your purchasing process. You’’ want a button that is easy to find (possibly colored) so that users find checking out on your site easy. However, there are also plenty of cases of users visiting your site with the intention of browsing to purchase at a later day. (I know I’m guilty of this, and I’m sure you are too). Aside from having a clear ‘Add to Cart’ or ‘Checkout’ button, you might want to consider adding an ‘Add to Wishlist’ button. This will give users the option of saving items for later and it will allow you to be able to send out reminders every once if and when you’ve received their email. In this blog post, I’ve only mentioned four tips to keep in mind for your eCommerce store. There are, however, a great many more one can consider when beefing up product pages. One of them being options. Color options, size options, any other options you can think of for your product. If you adhere to these tips (and more) when it comes to your product pages, you’ll have a higher chance of converting users to customers. For more information on how to keep customers engaged on your product pages, check out 1Digital Agency. We’ve worked with a number of different eCommerce stores and know what it takes to convert consumers to customers. Head on over to our website and check out our portfolio or give us a call at 215-809-1567 and let our experts help you build a site worth buying from!

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The Benefits of eCommerce Podcasting

Nick Fava — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 21:47:25 +0000

5 eCommerce Podcasts For eCommerce Merchants

Podcasting is one of the most popular trends of the modern media. With so many podcasts to choose from, the platform has become increasingly competitive, leaving many attempts in the dust. Although it may be profitable for an eCommerce business owner to buy into the hype, it’s important to recognize how much effort actually goes into these podcasts. They need to be thought-provoking, informative, and entertaining, all at the same time. Not only this, but creating a beloved podcast takes a certain amount of rapport with your listeners. People need to trust you and want to hear from you, and that’s not necessarily an easy task to accomplish. Those who have accomplished these coveted podcast positions in eCommerce have built quite a following, some of which use their podcast to boost their own business. Podcasts can drastically change your outlook on tactics and business strategies which, in turn, can boost your sales. Keeping this in mind, it’s important to recognize the benefits of podcasting as well as the effort that it takes to build an audience. It takes high quality content that engages the listeners and fills their minds with new information. Plenty of business owners could benefit from listening to podcasts that pertain to their industry, or just business as a whole, and that’s why 1Digital Agency has compiled a list of some of our favorites.

The Fizzle Show

We want to start off with The Fizzle Show because it truly ties together the most lucrative aspects of a podcast. It’s humorous, entertaining, informative, and will leave you with better ideas on how to run your business. With incredible business advice to go off of, as well as some nifty tutorials on fizzle.com, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable podcast about eCommerce. Sometimes, it’s nice to learn leisurely. Fizzle is the perfect podcast for that. They mainly focus on new eCommerce entrepreneurs, so if you’re new to the game, this is the perfect place to educate yourself!

EcommercePulse

Leighton Taylor is a web designer that offers eCommerce advice to startups and small businesses and conducts interviews with high profile entrepreneurs. What we like about this podcast is its versatility; you’re going to be able to learn about a wide range of topics and stay ahead of the competition. For any beginners, this is also a fantastic choice. The podcast keeps terminology simple and sweet, so there isn’t a huge learning curve. Whether you need help with conversion optimization, site building, or building traffic, you’ll find that EcommercePulse is a great place to start.

My Wife Quit Her Job

The host of this podcast, Steve Chou, portrays a real-world experience of what it’s like to start an eCommerce business. This one focuses on working practically and realistically; think of it as a “how to start an eCommerce business without selling everything that you own” guide. Through thoughtful interviews conducted with successful eCommerce merchants that tote rags to riches stories and Steve’s own advice, you’ll learn a lot about working smart, not just hard. 1Digital loves this podcast because it sensibly highlights some of the tangible struggles that anyone faces when starting their own eCommerce business.

MIXERGY

Andrew Warner took a risk and created an internet business by using all of the credit on his credit cards. His risk paid off, and his business makes millions in revenues each year. MIXERGY is a follow up creation with the intention of educating business owners from a success story perspective. We’re not suggesting you max out all of your credit cards or anything, but check this one out! He interviews some of the top dogs of the eCommerce markets, like Andrew Mason of Groupon and Tony Hsieh of Zappos. If you want to hear advice from the people who’ve really made great things happen for their eCommerce stores, this is a wonderful podcast to start with.

Niche Pursuits

If you’re shooting for a niche industry or website, this is the perfect podcast for you. Spencer Haws builds niche websites that target the less competitive keywords. If you’ve ever heard of the Long Tail Pro tool that’s used for keyword research, that’s him too. Sometimes, all your business needs is some solid advice on how to maintain the simple things, like rank higher on your organic searches or better navigate your WordPress. For those who’ve cornered themselves into a niche and feel a little helpless at times, you might take comfort in knowing that there are solutions, and Spencer’s podcast will deliver a surplus of them.

Create Your Own Podcast

1Digital Agency employees love to listen to podcasts for extra tips and helpful guides. Nobody is perfect and everybody can use some advice every now and then, so why not dive in with some entertainment as well? Sometimes, when you aren’t working, a podcast can feel like a relaxing escape that also builds your business lexicon. However, sometimes it’s you who has things to say! If you think that you have what it takes to start a podcast, consider these few key elements: Build Trust: Be the authority on your subject and don’t waste anyone’s time. Create thick and useful material that people can get behind. Explain Yourself: People want to know who they’re listening to. Let them know. Explain why you’re the authority on your subject and why your business ventures matter. Network: Get to know other podcasts and pick their brains for techniques. This goes for every facet of business; podcasting is no different. Create a Sense of Camaraderie: Treat your podcast like you’re building a community. You want everyone involved to feel a sense of belonging, like it’s a place for refuge. The most important step is to promote yourself. The whole point of your podcast is to create a conversation and reel in more business, so this should come as no surprise. Always remind listeners what business the valuable information is actually coming from. These other tips are to build a true podcast, instead of just an ad, but you still want people to know your name and business. A high quality podcast can actually reel in more customers and establish your business as a true authority in its field. Never be afraid to branch out and never be afraid to promote yourself as a success story!

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1Digital Customers Get A 10% Yotpo Discount

Nick Fava — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 18:18:58 +0000

Utilizing Yotpo Can Drastically Improve Your Sales

There are plenty of aspects to a business that attract a higher volume of customers, but one that is hard to acquire is trust. A trustworthy business is, by nature, going to see far more customers and sales. Presenting your business in a trustworthy manner can be a tough plight and downright confusing for some. However, there are plenty of simple ways to display honesty to your customers, and one of the greatest ways to do so is with reviews. With reviews of your products and your business in front of your clientele, they know exactly what their peers think of your company and the quality of your inventory. How can you create a helpful and visible review system that reels in more sales? Yotpo.

What is Yotpo?

Yotpo presents themselves as a “User Generated Marketing Solution”, and they’re very accurate with that description. With the help of Yotpo, your business can utilize the collection of photos and reviews from your buyers and grow a closer and more trustworthy relationship with your customers. This, in turn, will lead to better sales and better business. With Yotpo, your review system is personalized, leading to a faster response rate and a versatile review process that includes reviews, Q&A, and photos. As Yotpo says: “Generate more reviews by removing friction.” When you showcase the ratings and reviews of your products on your site, as well as through Yotpo’s partnerships with Facebook, Google, and Instagram, you draw in customers. People like to see that the business they’re purchasing from has a good relationship with other customers, and Yotpo allows you to put that information right in front of them. This also enables you to gauge your own services and improve your results through all marketing channels. With this kind of insight, you can constantly improve your performance and your customer’s experience. What does this mean for your business? It means closing the gap between business and customer in a way that’s revolutionizing business models. Even PPC and organic search advertising can be improved through the use of Yotpo; including your product/business rating right on the ad can make the difference between a click which, in turn, can make the difference between a purchase.

Who Uses Yotpo?

Yotpo has quite the extensive list of partners and customers, and that list is constantly growing. The reason? It works. If you take a look at some of their case studies, you’ll recognize that this platform is utilized by small and big businesses alike. With the help of Yotpo, Esurance was able to increase their CVR by 11.6%. That’s right, Esurance, the massive auto insurance company utilizes Yotpo to further their business. If a company as large as them can benefit from this system, you know that it’s good. It’s not just larger companies that enjoy the perks of the platform, either. Although there are plenty of big names like GoPro and Staples in the mix, less recognizable businesses like Giant Vapes and Leesa have become social media champions within their respective industries. With over 40,000 reviews, Giant Vapes has made a name for themselves as a trustworthy business that grows social proof every day. With the Yotpo boost, they’ve also enjoyed $65,000 from email upsells. The fact of the matter is that any kind of business can gain sales from social proof. With Yotpo’s boost, businesses of all sizes and industries have seen a positive change in their customer retention and social dynamics. If you plan on making it in the fast paced world of eCommerce, you need to consider Yotpo as a viable option for development. Those who can create social proof will earn the loyalty of the customers in their industry, and Yotpo is a surefire way to do so.

Keep Up With Your Customers

In today’s society, people want to get their information online. Online sales and marketing have become a critical aspect to business in general, and although brick and mortar stores are likely to stay, businesses that employ smart online tactics will always be ahead of the curb. Yotpo is the kind of platform that can truly boost an online business and throw it to the online community. When people are actively participating and communicating with your business in the public eye, you will always benefit.

1Digital Customers Get A 10% Discount

Remember earlier when we said that Yotpo has a ton of partners? Well, 1Digital Agency is proud to be one of them. We’re skilled experts of the platform, and whether you use BigCommerce, Magento, or anything in between, we can help you tap into Yotpo’s fullest potential. Not only this, but all of our customers benefit from a 10% Yotpo discount. You’ll be saving money as you make more money through Yotpo; we’d call that a win win! With years of experience under our belt, we’re your number one resource for all of your eCommerce needs. If you’re wondering what Yotpo could do to improve your site and your online presence, contact 1Digital Agency today, and let’s see what we can do for you.

The post 1Digital Customers Get A 10% Yotpo Discount appeared first on 1Digital®.

Case Study: 1Digital Does SEO for KRG

Natalie Nako — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 19:34:35 +0000

Before I jump into showing you a case study done on one of our SEO clients, I want to tell you a little bit about SEO. If you’ve stumbled onto this page, it might be because you already have a website up and running but don’t seem to be getting any traffic (or many sales), and you’re not sure why. Or, maybe you’ve come across this page because you know what SEO can do for you and you’re looking for an agency that can help you fully optimize your website. Whatever the case, I hope this article helps in explaining why committing to an effective SEO campaign can assist in greatly boosting your rankings.

What is SEO and What Does It Do For Your Website

So, what is SEO? Literally, SEO is Search Engine Optimization. If you Google SEO, you’ll find – after the advertised (paid) SEO service links – a few websites that basically say the same thing. One of them, Wikipedia, explains SEO as “the process of affecting the online visibility of a website or a web page in a web search engine’s unpaid results – often referred to as ‘natural,’ ‘organic,’ or ‘earned’ results.” Contrary to SEO, these paid search links that you see at the top of the results page are there because of the fact that they have been paid for. It’s tricky because, although these paid search results might be popular and dependable brands, a lot of people might skip these ads because they don’t see them as trustworthy. And, once these payments stop coming through, these ads will disappear. So, all that money you spent to advertise your website at the top of the search engine results page made no lasting effect. This is where SEO comes into play. With SEO, the hard work that goes into creating informative – and relevant – content using specific keyword terms all gets paid back by resulting in a (hopefully) higher ranking on search engines that will not only draw in potential clients and consumers, but, by committing to an aggressive SEO campaign, you’ll get a constant flow of content that will actually maintain this higher ranking and, with the right audience, convert to sales.

How KRG Found 1Digital

Now that you know a little bit about SEO, let me tell you about one of our clients: Kinetic Research Group (KRG). KRG is a company that designs high-end precision rifle accessories. Founded by a group of veteran Army Special Forces soldiers, KRG came to be because of the lack of satisfactory and acceptable small arms and accessories. The KRG guys have been shooting guns since their youth and are very well-trained and experienced gun professionals. They know what works and what makes shooting better, more accurate, and more fun. Officially founded in 2010, when KRG first created their online store, they had an old college friend help them optimize their site. They quickly realized, however, that they weren’t getting the kind of traffic or conversions that they were hoping for. They had a list of competitors on hand and knew that they needed to do something in order to establish their authority within their industry and build their rankings. They started to do some research into how to gear more traffic towards their site and found that, according to Google’s “Dangerous Products or Services” policy, and because KRG offers gun products, they could not utilize the help of Google AdWords to their benefit. What now? Well, that’s when they found 1Digital Agency. KRG came across our website and found that our genius SEO strategy appealed to what they were looking for. They submitted a quote request and viola…1Digital answered!

What We Found

When KRG first came to us, we did what we always do when we run an SEO campaign. Our first step was to do a thorough website audit. In this step, we completed a full analysis of KRG’s website to determine its search visibility and to give them a deeper understanding as to why their site wasn’t generating the traffic, and thus the sales, that they were looking for. During our audit, we found that KRG had bad links, broken links, crawl errors, and a site that was not fully optimized to their benefit.

What We Did

After conducting our audit and discovering these issues, we took the necessary next steps in order to improve their site. We ensured their website had a proper flow, because, as we all know, if a user can’t easily navigate a site, then they are more likely to “bounce’” and go to the next available option.

Easy Site Navigation = Higher ‘Add to Cart’ Conversion Rates

Next, we sent our technical SEO guy down the path to keyword research. For those that don’t know, choosing the right keywords is essential to an effective SEO campaign. To do this, we utilized a competitive balance between primary keywords and secondary keywords. Then, we got to working. We took our research and used what we found to optimize KRG’s link structure to create a strong foundation for SEO. We created on-page optimization that ranks to make it easier for people to find the site based on title tags.

Finally, we set loose our content team to create relevant and informative content that people would want to engage with. We started creating both onsite and offsite content on blogs, product pages, and category pages. And slowly, sure enough, we saw KRG consistently rank higher and higher for each keyword we targeted.

Where They Are Now

As of now, KRG’s site has 0 broken internal links, 0 broken external links, and 30 healthy links pointing to their site.

For the keywords we targeted, KRG’s secondary keywords have consistently remained on Google’s first SERP, or search engine results page. For the primary keywords we targeted, when KRG first came to use, they ranked below the third page on Google’s results pages. After working with 1Digital Agency, KRG jumped from these low position rankings to a first page ranking on Google. From an average sitting position of 62, when they first came to us, to a current sitting position of 6, KRG’s SERP rankings has jumped significantly! With 79% of traffic coming from organic searches, we continue to monitor and analyze KRG’s rankings so that they not only maintain high ranking positions, but also so that these rankings can convert to sales for a successful SEO campaign that lists KRG as a dominant force in their industry!

Why You Should Choose 1Digital Agency for Your SEO Campaign

If you have a website, or if you are in the process of building a website, one of the most important things you can do to ensure your website gets noticed is to have a competitive SEO campaign in place. SEO takes a lot of work; it’s not just a one and done type of project. SEO takes time and effort in order for results to show. That’s why getting a digital agency that specializes in SEO to commit to your project can be very beneficial. Here at 1Digital Agency, we pride ourselves on the fact that we create strategic SEO campaigns with engaging content that will not only bring people to your website, but will keep them on your pages longer for a better chance of converting to sales. If you’re interested in learning more about what 1Digital can do for you, head on over to our website and check out our eCommerce SEO services or give us call at 215-809-1567, today!

The post Case Study: 1Digital Does SEO for KRG appeared first on 1Digital®.

BigCommerce: Blueprint versus Stencil

Nick Fava — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 20:15:11 +0000

Important Distinctions Between Blueprint and Stencil

BigCommerce is a wonderful platform that provides excellent features for their customers, and the new Stencil platform is no exception. Although Stencil does boast more options than Blueprint, it’s important to recognize that a few features on Blueprint aren’t available on Stencil, and vice versa. Before taking the leap from one framework to another, you’ll want to stay educated on which one better suits your business. 1Digital Agency loves everything about BigCommerce, and we know how to navigate the platform to optimize your site to its fullest potential. Although Stencil and Blueprint are similar systems, differences in checkout page and minimum recommended image size (and many more) make them somewhat separate entities. When we recreate your store, we’ll try to stay as faithful to the original design, but upgrading to a new framework may mean that you’ll need to grow accustomed to some changes. Before diving into Stencil read through this article for a better understanding of the differences between these two frameworks.

An Overview of the Difference Between Frameworks

As BigCommerce has stated, Stencil will take on the bulk of theme components that Blueprint has to offer. These are the transferable components:

Products/SKUs
Categories
Promotion rules
Product images
Google Analytics will still work with your new theme
Store logos

Any sort of advanced customization could be problematic for transfer, including:

Code injected into your header
Checkout customizations
Storefront app integrations

What Will You Lose?

Development can take longer with Stencil but can be a safer process to making changes on Stencil code because you’re able to download your theme files, make the desired edits, and then re-upload and published your changes. It’s important to have developers who can easily navigate the platform, otherwise, you’ll lengthen the development process in general. Luckily, 1Digital Agency is proficient in both Stencil and Blueprint, so we can help you with all of your BigCommerce needs. As you can see, you won’t sacrifice too much for the transition, but there are a few key elements to Blueprint that you may prefer. It’s important to consider this factor before making your decision. Due to a heavy page load time, BigCommerce has disabled several features for Stencil that Blueprint still utilizes. Below are some of the key changes:

After a customer adds a product to their cart from the category page, “add to cart” confirmation popups will cease to exist on Stencil.

The Name Field will not be a part of the Stencil theme.

A few key Product Page changes will also take place between Blueprint and Stencil:

The “Find Similar Products by Category” section will not be available on the Stencil theme.

You’ll also have to say goodbye to the lightbox feature on the product click.

The “add to cart” confirmation popup will still exist on Stencil, but it will look more like this:

System pages will also be integrated by means of the Stencil theme. Check out this example!

What Will You Gain?

Although these changes may seem like a lot, they pale in comparison to the benefits that Stencil contains. You’ll be able to do most of the same things that you could on Blueprint and enjoy many extra features that make Stencil a preferred framework for many. BigCommerce really hit the nail on the head with this one, and we’re excited to show you all of the fantastic things that Stencil can do for your website and for your business. There are plenty of functionalities that remain exactly the same between the two platforms, so you don’t have to worry about dropping total familiarity. You’ll still be able to preview new themes on your existing site (although free themes can only be viewed through the Stencil Theme Editor) and you won’t need to recode any of your products. Your SKUs will also transfer. Take note, however, that although you retain your purchased Blueprint themes and can access them, you cannot access the Blueprint marketplace. Stencil benefits from AMP, a feature that will not only increase your site’s loading speed but will actually improve your rankings on Google. With Stencil, your developers can also make modifications that you can overview before actually implementing them on your site. This is massively helpful for site development and gives Stencil a significant advantage over Blueprint. Many different functions that require HTML/CSS customization on Blueprint are simplified with the use of the Stencil Theme Editor, including:

Adding Trust Seals to your checkout page
Displaying payment icons in the footer
Adding a GeoTrust SSL Seal to your store’s footer
Toggle ‘Displayed by BigCommerce’ in the footer
Adding non-Google Analytics tracking codes to your checkout page

The Stencil Theme Editor also makes the following theme configurations easier than Blueprint, where they must be configured in the Store Settings:

Number of blog posts displayed on the homepage
Number of featured products displayed on the homepage
Number of new products displayed on the homepage
Number of most popular products displayed on the homepage

The Stencil Theme Editor creates an environment in which you can change your storefront attributes without any coding. Sound great? It is! Stencil’s abilities with themes certainly surpass Blueprint’s capabilities. Within the Themes Marketplace, you’re allowed two free themes, one with 3 variations and the other with 4. You can preview themes within your store and filter the themes by featured variations and industries. Stencil themes are adapted to suit a wide variety of catalog sizes, promotions, verticals, and content. Designs are fully responsive and *hold your breath* optimized for desktop, tablet, and mobile browsers. Also, the optimized checkout on mobile is structured to reduce your cart abandonment rates. It’s the only hosted platform that offers out-of-the-box Browser-sync (you can check out changes on tablet, mobile, and desktop), development in languages developers prefer (YAML conventions, Sass/SCSS, Handlebars), and flexible local theme development that allows your developers to make changes to your storefront without any disruption to your live store.

How 1Digital Can Help

Regardless of which skeleton you choose for your site, 1Digital Agency can help you meet your standards. We’re fluent in both Stencil and Blueprint, and we’ve been partnered with BigCommerce since our inception in 2012. If you need help with data migration, site building, or anything BigCommerce related, 1Digital is the answer to your problems. With expert designers and developers, we’ve created beautiful sites for a plethora of clients, all coming from different industries and backgrounds. For more information, feel free to contact us here. We’ll be happy to give your site the boost that it deserves.

The post BigCommerce: Blueprint versus Stencil appeared first on 1Digital®.