In such a highly commoditized (and competitive market) A Specialty Box’s core competency lies almost entirely within their ability to customize their client’s orders. 

Unfortunately, their previous eCommerce platform was severely limiting, specifically with respect to capabilities regarding the visualization of their custom offerings and product options. 

Consequently, the company partnered with us for a migration to BigCommerce paired with custom site redesign and development. 

Shift4Shop to BigCommerce Migration

One of this client’s biggest concerns with their preexisting eCommerce platform, Shift4Shop, was that it was highly limiting with respect to the way product options were visualized. 

That puts it lightly. Their previous platform actually offered no visualization functionality for prospective clients. Even to get a quote for a custom box required prospective customers to actively reach out to them.

You can see this illustrated in the image below. Requesting a specific customization is not possible from the product page and worse, there is no visualization feature for the product requested.

This resulted in a poor customer experience and an ineffective, unpleasant journey, to say the least. 

We worked closely with A Specialty Box to migrate their data over to a newly designed BigCommerce website. This was not a standard migration and to execute it we needed to work hand-in-hand with them to make sure their data populated appropriately. 

Because of the non-typical nature of this eCommerce data migration, we had to perform a series of quality control checks to ensure that their data synched and populated properly during the course of the migration.

Fortunately, thanks to the native product options functionality of BigCommerce, no particularly heavy custom development lift was necessary in order to fix this shortcoming. The data migration and re-platforming initiative alone redressed most of the concerns here. 

It was also the case that on the old website, product options that were displayed as available (without requesting direct outreach and a custom quote) populated as entirely different products, not as options. This was confusing and made for a cumbersome user interface. We condensed the website hierarchy to minimize this conflict so that each product option would be nested under the product and not listed separately as a unique one.

The new BigCommerce storefront, that we redesigned for them, addressed these concerns. 

Custom Homepage Redesign and Optimizations 

For this project, we redesigned the company homepage and also redesigned the product page template to make it more user friendly. 

As for the homepage, we didn’t overhaul the design or rebrand anything; we just worked with what we had to modernize it. As you can see from the image below, the new interface of the homepage simply has a more modern look and feel. We also updated navigation by prominently featuring main and top categories on the homepage just below the banner. 

We also improved the dynamic slider banner which lives on the homepage just under the megamenu; on this banner their custom product options and capabilities are prominently displayed to drive engagement and conversions. 

In addition, we improved the categorization and visual aspect of the mega menu, including images to streamline the customer journey, while also making the overall interface afforded by the menu more succinct, more accessible, and less overwhelming.

The new website design, built on BigCommerce, also offered a much better mobile experience than their old storefront did, with visual elements and text that scale more appropriately and responsively to the screen used to view the website. 

This aspect of the migration and redesign strongly benefits the user experience, but it also benefits the domain’s overall SEO score, which is a big consideration since our digital marketing team is also undertaking an eCommerce SEO campaign for them, which was running concurrently with the design and development work. 

Otherwise, we kept the bones of the branding and store design fairly intact, at least on the homepage. 

Product Page Redesign and Doogma Integration

Our most extensive redesign efforts were to the product page template, which, as stated, previously had no visualization functionality to showcase the company’s product customizations and options. 

Doogma offers fairly robust product visualization functionality; we integrated this tool with their BigCommerce website, but otherwise, our designers and developers took the initiative to build the product page customization features for customers to utilize. 

This joint effort between our designers, developers and the basic functionality of Doogma enabled us to create a conversion-optimized product page template for A Specialty Box that offers a pleasant, streamlined user experience, as depicted below.

Altogether, these changes we made to the product page, on our end and through partnership with and integration of Doogma, significantly improved the customer experience and journey,  better positioning A Specialty Box to meet the changing needs of prospective customers, while also ensuring it occupies a more competitive position to address unseen future challenges. 

Explore Our Other eCommerce Case Studies 

This strategic initiative we undertook for A Specialty Box, though impactful, only represents a handful of our technical and digital marketing capabilities. To learn more about other client transformations we have authored in the past, please see our full collection of eCommerce case studies.

The post Improving Product Option Visualization and UX: A Case Study appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

What Is Time on Page?

Time on page is a metric that measures the amount of time a visitor spends on a specific webpage during a session. It is calculated from the moment a visitor lands on the page to the moment they navigate away to another page or leave the site. This metric can provide insight into how engaging and relevant your content is to your audience.

While time on page may seem straightforward, it is worth noting that it is not an absolute measure of engagement or quality. For example, a visitor may leave a page open while doing something else, resulting in a longer time on page without actual engagement. Nevertheless, when considered in conjunction with other metrics like bounce rate and conversion rate, time on page can provide a more holistic view of your website’s performance.

Why Time on Page Matters for eCommerce

Time on page is an essential metric for eCommerce businesses for several reasons:

• Increased Engagement: Longer time on page suggests that visitors are finding the content valuable and engaging, which can lead to stronger customer relationships and increased trust in your brand.
• Better Conversion Rates: When visitors spend more time on your pages, they are more likely to explore your products and make a purchase, leading to higher conversion rates.
• Improved SEO: Search engines, such as Google, consider time on page as a signal of content quality and relevance. Pages with higher time on page may rank higher in search engine results, helping drive organic traffic to your site.
• Insight into User Behavior: Time on page can reveal which pages and content resonate most with your audience. This information allows you to tailor your strategy to meet your customers’ needs better.
• Brand Perception: Longer time on page can positively impact your brand perception, indicating that your site offers quality content and a satisfying user experience.

How to Improve Time on Page

Increasing time on page requires a combination of high-quality content, a user-friendly website, and strategic engagement techniques. Here are several strategies you can implement to improve time on page on your eCommerce website:

Create High-Quality, Relevant Content

The foundation of a successful eCommerce website is high-quality, relevant content that meets the needs and interests of your target audience. Focus on providing in-depth information about your products, including features, benefits, and usage instructions. 

• Use engaging formats: In addition to written content, incorporate videos, infographics, and interactive elements to keep visitors engaged.
• Prioritize user intent: Understand your audience’s search intent and tailor your content to provide the most value to them.

Optimize Page Load Time

A slow-loading page can drive visitors away, leading to higher bounce rates and reduced time on page. Optimize your website’s performance by focusing on the following:

• Compress images: Large image files can slow down page load times. Compress images without compromising quality.
• Minify code: Reduce the size of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files to improve load times.
• Leverage browser caching: Enable caching to store frequently accessed data locally, reducing load times for returning visitors.

Enhance User Experience

A seamless and intuitive user experience can keep visitors engaged and encourage them to explore your site further.

• Clear navigation: Design your website with clear menus and easy-to-follow navigation, allowing visitors to find what they need quickly.
• Mobile-friendly design: Ensure your site is responsive and adapts to various screen sizes, as many users access eCommerce websites from mobile devices.

Use Visuals Effectively

Visuals can play a significant role in keeping visitors engaged and on your page longer. The right web design can make a huge difference when it comes to engagement

• High-quality images: Use crisp, professional images to showcase your products and capture visitors’ attention.
• Videos and infographics: Incorporate videos and infographics to explain complex concepts or demonstrate product usage in an engaging way.
• Break up text: Use visuals to break up large blocks of text, making your content more digestible and appealing.

Include Clear Calls to Action

Guide visitors to take the next step, whether it’s making a purchase or exploring more content.

• Strategic placement: Place calls to action (CTAs) in prominent locations, such as the top, middle, and bottom of the page.
• Compelling language: Use persuasive language in your CTAs to motivate visitors to take action.
• Variety of CTAs: Offer multiple CTAs on a page, such as “Add to Cart,” “Learn More,” or “Read Next Article,” to accommodate different user intentions.

Provide Related Content

Encourage visitors to stay on your site by suggesting additional articles or products that relate to the current page content.

• Related product recommendations: Show related products on product pages to keep visitors engaged and increase the likelihood of a purchase.
• Related articles and resources: Offer links to related blog posts or resources that align with the current page’s topic, encouraging visitors to explore more.

Monitor and Adjust

Consistently monitoring your time on page metrics can help you identify patterns and areas for improvement.

• Use analytics tools: Utilize tools like Google Analytics to track time on page and other key metrics.
• Identify top-performing pages: Analyze pages with high time on page and identify elements that contribute to their success.
• Experiment with content and design: Test different types of content, layouts, and designs to see which combinations result in longer time on page.

Time on page is a vital metric that can provide valuable insights into your eCommerce website’s performance and user engagement. By focusing on creating high-quality, relevant content, optimizing your site’s performance, and enhancing the user experience, you can increase the time visitors spend on your pages and ultimately boost conversions and customer loyalty.

Keep a close eye on your time on page metrics, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different strategies to find what works best for your audience. By continually refining your approach, you can create a more engaging and successful eCommerce website that meets your customers’ needs and drives business growth.

The post Time on Page: What Is It and How Do You Improve It? appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Sound familiar?

Unfortunately, poorly designed online stores are all too common, leaving customers feeling lost and frustrated. This highlights the crucial role of user-centric design in creating a positive and successful online shopping experience.

The Power of Good Design: Capturing Attention and Driving Sales

In today’s digital age, where attention spans are shorter than ever and competition is fierce, a well-designed online store is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. These statistics compiled by WebFX paint a clear picture:

• First impressions matter, and they’re often design-based. A whopping 94% of first impressions on a website are influenced by design. This means that in those crucial first seconds, the visual appeal and user-friendliness of your online store can make or break a potential sale.
• Design is a trust builder. 75% of consumers judge a website’s credibility based solely on its design. A clean, professional, and user-friendly website fosters trust in your brand and encourages customers to feel comfortable making purchases.
• Poor design leads to lost customers, and lost revenue. A staggering 89% of consumers have switched to a competitor after having a poor user experience on a website. This translates into lost sales and potential brand damage.

But the benefits of good design extend beyond just capturing attention. Studies show that 66% of people are more likely to engage with a beautifully designed website, and slow-loading websites alone are estimated to cause a $2.6 billion revenue loss annually. These statistics clearly demonstrate the significant impact good web design can have on both consumers and businesses in today’s online marketplace.

Beyond Aesthetics: The Value of a Well-Designed Online Store

While an aesthetically pleasing online store is certainly desirable, it’s the user-centric design that truly unlocks its value. A well-designed store goes beyond visual appeal, focusing on creating a smooth and enjoyable customer journey, ultimately leading to increased conversions and sales.

Enhanced User Experience, Increased Conversions:

Think about what it feels like browsing an online store where navigating to desired products feels intuitive, product information is clear and concise, and the checkout process is seamless.

Compare it to, say, going to a haphazardly-organized grocery store, where the items in each aisle are a jumbled mess. The milk is in the canned goods section; the juices are mixed together with the alcohol. There would hardly be anything intuitive about arranging a grocery in such a way.

This is why a positive user experience is exactly what a well-designed online store should strive to create. By incorporating best practices like:

• Intuitive navigation: Menus should be clear, logical, and easily accessible, allowing customers to find what they need quickly and efficiently.
• Mobile-responsiveness: In today’s mobile-first world, ensuring your website displays flawlessly on all devices, from desktops to smartphones, is crucial.
• High-quality product images: Clear and professional product photos showcase details and features, allowing customers to make informed purchasing decisions.
• Clear product descriptions: Detailed descriptions, including specifications, benefits, and usage instructions, eliminate confusion and build trust.

These elements combine to create a frictionless shopping experience, leading customers seamlessly from browsing to purchasing, ultimately boosting conversion rates and sales.

Building Brand and Customer Engagement

A captivating online store goes beyond simply selling products; it’s an opportunity to build a strong brand identity and foster meaningful customer engagement. Here’s how:

• Cohesive Brand Identity: Every aspect of your online store, from the color scheme and typography to the overall layout and visual elements, should contribute to a consistent and recognizable brand identity. This fosters trust and strengthens customer recognition, making your brand stand out in a crowded marketplace.
• Customer-Centric Design: Remember, your online store is for your customers. By prioritizing their needs and preferences in the design, you demonstrate a customer-centric approach. This can involve incorporating features like wishlists, personalized product recommendations, and simple checkout processes, all aimed at creating a smooth and enjoyable shopping experience that keeps customers coming back for more.
• Engaging Content and Interactive Elements: High-quality product information is essential, but engaging content can further elevate your online store. Consider incorporating blog posts, customer reviews, video tutorials, or interactive features that inform, entertain, and encourage user engagement. By providing valuable content and opportunities for interaction, you create a dynamic space that fosters brand loyalty and builds lasting customer relationships.

By investing in user-centric design and incorporating the key features mentioned above, you can create an online store that not only enhances user experience and boosts conversions, but also strengthens your brand identity and fosters meaningful customer engagement, ultimately leading to a successful and thriving online presence.

Customer Psychology and Creating a Story Around Your Web Design

Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework is a powerful tool for crafting compelling narratives that resonate with your target audience.

By understanding its principles, you can transform your website into a powerful marketing asset that connects with customers on a deeper level.

Here’s how to apply the StoryBrand framework to your web design:

• The Customer is the Hero, not your Brand: Shift the focus of your website from touting your features and accomplishments to highlighting how you solve your customers’ problems and address their pain points. The language and visuals on your website should speak directly to their needs and aspirations. As they go through your website, the goal is for them to see a reflection of themselves in the copy. It’s not just about you and your company.
• The Problem: Empathize with your customers by clearly defining their challenges. What obstacles do they face? What frustrations do they experience? What are their fears and uncertainties? By highlighting the problem you address, you demonstrate a deep understanding of their needs.
• The Guide: Position your brand as the trusted guide your customers can rely on to solve their problems. This involves demonstrating expertise, authority, and a commitment to customer success. Testimonials, reviews, and clear calls-to-action further strengthen your position as the guide.
• The Plan: Provide your customers with a simple and actionable plan that will lead them from problem to solution. This might involve showcasing a step-by-step process, highlighting a streamlined ordering process, or outlining the benefits of your product or service.
• The Call to Action: Don’t leave customers hanging! Provide clear and compelling calls-to-action that guide them towards the desired outcome, whether it’s making a purchase, scheduling a consultation, or signing up for your newsletter.

By following the StoryBrand framework in your web design and copy, you’ll transform your online store into a customer-centric platform that speaks to their needs and motivations. When customers feel understood and empowered, they are more likely to trust your brand, engage with your content, and take the desired actions, leading to higher conversion rates and increased success.

The Bottom Line: Invest in a Winning Online Store

In today’s competitive online marketplace, a well-designed online store is no longer an option, it’s a necessity. By prioritizing user experience, you can create a seamless journey for your customers, leading to increased conversions and sales.

Remember, though, that investing in good web design isn’t just about aesthetics. By creating a customer-centric online store that addresses their needs, guides them through their journey, and ultimately empowers them to take action, you unlock a world of potential.

So, don’t underestimate the power of good design. It can be the difference between a frustrating customer experience and a thriving online business that fosters brand loyalty and drives sustainable growth.

The post Good Web Design and the Value of a Well-Designed Online Store appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

SEO is also, technically, free (it just costs your time) in contrast to other models like pay-per-click search and social media marketing. 

That makes SEO highly attractive to startups, especially since it is also scalable, and the results build on themselves.

That is to say, when you stop running a paid search marketing or social media campaign, results stop dead. With SEO, the work you put in today will continue to bring in leads for months, if not several years down the line. 

So if you landed here because you have just launched a startup or have not yet done so, here’s some useful information on how to run SEO for a startup venture. 

Set Some SEO Goals 

First, you need to be clear about goals. SEO is a largely decentralized process, so if you don’t define your efforts with some goals, it will feel like you’re just throwing money in the wash. 

Don’t get too ambitious. Set a few attainable goals so you don’t lose your drive. 

For startups, practical goals might be something like these: 

• Ranking on page one for 5 of your target keywords within a year

• Generating 5%-10% organic growth per month after the first 6 months of intensive efforts.

• Increasing time on page by a little bit each month. 

• Capturing at least 10% of organic visits as leads, in some capacity or other. 

When you’re really just starting out, it’s helpful not to think in terms of dollar values as you probably won’t see organic marketing really bringing in conversion value for close to a year – in some cases a little bit more or less. 

But what you can follow are user metrics and shifts in keyword rankings (see below for what SEO tools to use).

Do a Little Keyword Research 

Once you’ve established some basic goals, it’s time to figure out what specific keywords you want to target. Everything else you do in SEO will be, for the most part, an extension of this. 

But how do you go about it? 

Well, think about terms you imagine users would be searching for to find your business, or businesses like yours. Pop these into Google and see what comes up. 

Take some search terms from the titles and headers of the top three results, and search those, too. 

For the next part you’ll need the help of a keyword research assistant like SEMRush. Put these keywords into a tool like this and take a look at what comes up. 

First, take a look at search intent. For most businesses, you will want to target keywords with either commercial or transactional search intent; these are keywords people are looking for when they want to buy things. 

Since this is SEO for startups, you will want to target keywords that have very low difficulty and a low number of results. Try to keep your target keywords at difficulty scores of less than 25. 

Volume is another thing. Ideally, you should target keywords with more than 50 searches per month, but higher is better, as long as difficulty is low. 

Also, if you use a tool like SEMRush, you can see in the tool what keywords other people are searching that are similar to the one you entered, and you can filter by difficulty. This can make it a lot easier for you to look through a ton of results at once.

Another tip: for startups that have physical locations, try to find some valuable local SEO related keywords to bring foot traffic to your sites. 

Pick a Suitable Domain Name 

If you haven’t built a website yet, think about the domain name you want to use. Ideally, it should be one that contains keywords that are central to your model. 

Think about your business. What does it sell, or what services does it offer? Your domain should contain some relevant keywords because it will make it much easier for you in the long run to rank for keywords that are similar if your domain name links up.

To be blunt, a company that sells shirts will rank much more easily for clothing keywords if its domain is “shirtoutlet.com” than it would with a domain name like “modernbazaar.com” even though the latter is very much more interesting than the other.

That’s just a very coarse example, though. 

Invest in SEO-Friendly Design 

Once you’ve selected a few target keywords and settled on a domain, you need to determine whether you want to choose a SaaS model, like Shopify or BigCommerce, or use an open-source platform like Magento or WordPress that will give you total flexibility, but will also require you to get your own hosting. 

I won’t give advice on that here, but once you’ve launched a website, you need to think about design. One little secret of SEO is that website design and UX have big impacts on it. 

For this part, I recommend working with a professional eCommerce web designer/developer if you don’t have a lot of experience with it. Don’t get me wrong, anyone can build a functional website on WordPress or one of the SaaS platforms, but little errors or lapses in judgment may compound into bigger SEO issues down the line. 

Either way, here are some best practices for an SEO and UX-friendly design:

• Whatever theme you use, make sure it is both responsive and mobile-optimized. Mobile shoppers account for an increasing majority of online shoppers and SEO requires a high level of mobile-friendliness. 
• Make sure that content elements (pictures/copy/banners) don’t take up too much of any portion of the screen, regardless of device. 
• Include contact information at the top or bottom of the page (or both).
• Include a cart icon at the top of the page; top right is a basic standard. 
• Use brand colors in your homepage design and on all of your other templates. 
• Build a well-categorized mega menu from which users can get to all of your main pillar pages. 
• Invest in search functionality, whether that means you use a native feature, a plug-in, or hire a developer for a custom job.
• Don’t use massive image files, as that will slow down speed (see below).
• Don’t rip copy from any other websites, write all your own, even if it takes a little longer (duplicate copy will hurt SEO).

I could go on, but taking a high-level view of SEO for startups, this should suffice to get you off the ground. 

Build a Fast Website (Use Tools to Check for This)

One of the most important (if not the most important) technical SEO ranking factors is site speed. 

For one thing, slow load speeds are a conversion-killer and a bounce machine. If your pages take 3 seconds or longer to load, you can forget about it. It isn’t 1997 anymore. 

For another, Google will directly test your web page speeds before determining how to assign rankings. All else being equal, the slower web page loses. 

You can even use some of their official tools. Visit Google’s Page Speed Insights and you can run your URLs through them to see how they stack up. 

Page Speed Insights monitors a web page for speed according to several criteria, including time to first byte, first and largest contentful paint, first input delay, and cumulative layout shift. 

Much of the time, if not most of the time, the culprit for failures is image size. One of the easiest things you can do to speed up your web pages is to compress images before uploading them. 

There are lots of free optimizers and compression tools you can use. Just make sure to do this before building each page because it is a manual process and will take a lot of work to go back, remove, compress, and re-upload images. 

Do it from the start. 

Optimizing for Local Search 

Unless you serve the national market, which, of course, is possible, you should make location specific landing pages. These will come in handy for optimizing for local search and voice search, as well as for if and when you run any local PPC campaigns. 

Make a location landing page for each of your physical brick and mortar locations, or a single page about the market you serve if you are eCommerce only but serve a specific market. Make sure specific, physical addresses and phone numbers are listed on each of these pages. 

This will help with Google’s local and voice searches. When a user searches for something near them, Google checks the searcher’s IP address and then cross-references listings on the web that might be a match, according to the voice query and the location. 

If you have location pages optimized for these searches, your business will be more likely to rank. 

Also, make sure you create a Google My Business profile and update it with names, locations, address, phone numbers, email addresses, and hours. Make sure it is linked to your website as well. This will also help you rank for local searches. 

Optimizing at the Page Level for on-Page SEO

Once you have built a website, optimized for speed, partnered with a qualified eCommerce web designer for a custom, brand-integrated design, and optimized for local searches, you can start building out your category, service, CMS, and product pages. 

This is where the value of your target keywords will really shine. Assign one or a few keywords to each target page that you really want to rank for it, then as you build the page, you can optimize in a piecemeal fashion. 

For one, include the target keywords in page titles and page headers. This simple optimization is one of the most impactful ones you can make, hands down. 

Go back and add target keywords into the alt text fields of your image files, and write custom meta descriptions for each page. 

For each page, category and product pages, write a custom section for the description. Do not use duplicate for the product and category pages as this will not improve your rankings. It can even incur a penalty, in which case it will harm your rankings. 

On pages where it makes sense, include internal links to other pages that present cross-selling opportunities. Where you link to these pages, use anchor text in the link for the page that you want to rank for that keyword. That transfers authority and context to Google and can help your rankings. 

These are the most basic optimizations you can make at the page level with respect to SEO for startups – but you know what? If you picked quality target keywords with low difficulty, it will work. 

Plus, going over the points mentioned here and implementing them will lay the foundation for more intensive SEO efforts in the future. 

Content Marketing and SEO 

If you’re looking at SEO for startups just to get an idea for how to begin your efforts, you might not have the time or bandwidth to sink into a full-blown content marketing SEO campaign. 

But the truth here is that good content marketing fused with SEO best practices will have more of an impact on SEO for startups than all of the other things mentioned here, combined. 

Those target keywords you uncovered for your key URLs are great keywords to include in blogs, guest posts, CMS pages like FAQ pages, and other content marketing efforts. 

In fact, one good blog, ranking for one of those keywords, with a link to the target page, can vastly improve the number of impressions and clicks your pages get. Remember, a good blog can get thousands, if not tens of thousands of views per year, and in some cases even more. 

So, if you can, in any way, budget time to run content marketing efforts, strongly consider doing so. 

To come up with ideas for what to publish, reflect on questions customers have asked you. For startups that might not have a lot of history, check out your competitors’ blogs and CMS pages, and see what questions they’re answering in them. 

Compile all of the information from two or three pages that are ranking well on your competitors websites, and then organize them in your own blog or on one of your own CMS pages. This is called skyscraping and it is an effective tactic to summarize a lot of helpful information in one place that online shoppers can easily find. 

It can also increase your website’s chances of ranking for relevant and competitive search queries, even if it is new.

Monitoring Performance 

After all the dust has settled and you’ve done the hard work, you’ll want to know if it’s working or not, won’t you?

There are lots of tools that eCommerce SEO experts use, and there are two free ones that you can use, which are among the most helpful of all: Google Search Console and Google Analytics. 

Configure your website so you can set up your account with both of these, and watch closely to see how your campaigns are performing.

Google Analytics is the best tool for monitoring traffic, sessions, time on page, pages per session, and for seeing what actions users took when they actually got to your page. 

You can also use Google Analytics to see how many users bounced, as well as how many users converted, how much they bought, and how much each page produced. 

As for Google Search Console, this is the tool to use to see how many impressions each page gets (useful to see which impressions your pages are getting clicks for as well as those that aren’t producing any) as well as clicks. 

You can also use Google Search Console to see click-through rate, average position, and to sweep your website for links to each page. Through it, you can see which websites eventually send you referral traffic, and you can also disavow toxic backlinks that might be hurting your website. 

Give your efforts a good six months and you should start to see increases in impressions, clicks, time on page, and if you’ve done good keyword research, conversions and sales. 

Baby Steps in SEO for Startups: Start with a Free SEO Audit 

SEO for startups will help your website rank higher in the search results and will help bring you more potential customers over the long term. 

But it can be hard to start out, especially if you don’t know where or you’ve never developed a marketing strategy before. 

One viable step that won’t cost you anything, at least if you already have a website built, is to get a free SEO audit. 

One of these will show you how your competitors are performing and what specific opportunities there are for you to pursue with respect to search engine optimization. 

Consider taking this as a first step toward SEO for startups if you don’t know where to start, then set the wheels in motion. It’s a lot of work, but you can do it.

The post SEO for Startups: What to Do appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Both of them have big impacts on how well an eCommerce website will perform, both in terms of online visibility and conversion rate optimization. 

Here’s what you need to know. 

What Are UX and SEO? 

We have to walk before we can run and that requires an explanation of what these two things are. 

In the case of UX, this is a condensation of “user experience.” UX, in sum, accounts for the holistic shopping experience your website produces. 

A website with a good user experience will usually generate more time on page, pages per session, clicks, and of course, conversions and sales.

A website that produces a positive UX will also probably spread greater brand credibility, as it will seem both more professional and more legitimate. 

It can be summatively good or bad, but there is no single piece you can look at. As a general rule, though, UX has to do with design, layout, security, and loading speeds. Instead of being one factor, UX is a collective of a variety of different features and traits that make a website look and feel either good or bad. 

On the other hand, SEO, which stands for search engine optimization, is a collection of practices that improve factors known as “ranking signals” which are intended to improve the organic visibility of your website. 

As with UX, there is no single factor you can look at, and there are many that are known (at least 200) but a website that has good SEO will rank higher in the organic search engine results pages, generating more visibility and clicks, and hopefully more conversions and sales. 

A website that has “good” SEO will have better brand authority and recognition than one that doesn’t, and will also have a steadier stream of organic traffic from search engines like Google. 

UX and SEO have some common ground as well as things that are unique to each. For instance, items like website loading speeds and security are considered elements of both. A website that loads quickly and has no broken features can be said to have good technical SEO and produce a good UX.

Some of these features are unique to each element of a digital footprint. For instance, the inclusion of keywords in the alt text fields of image files is good for SEO, as are backlinks that point to the host domain from a third-party website. These positively influence SEO but don’t really have any effect on UX.

Conversely, there are web page elements that markedly impact UX but which have little to no impact on SEO. For instance, a brand-integrated website design that looks modern, with contact information and cart or checkout pages prominently visible will be good for UX, but have effectively no impact on SEO.

Then again, it is also true that user interaction with a website can positively impact SEO, so on that front, there is some interrelationship between them. But overall, these features don’t really affect SEO. 

How to Improve UX: Best Practices 

So, now that you have a 50,000-foot view of what SEO and UX are, here are some best practices for eCommerce website user experience. 

• Prioritize the mobile experience. A substantial number of users are now shopping on their mobile devices. Even if you have a stellar desktop design, you need to make sure that scales properly to fit the little screen. You can’t afford a 50% bounce rate from mobile users because your mobile UX is, to put it lightly, terrible. Conduct a mobile experience audit if necessary. 
• Include user-friendly calls to action in your web page copy. These CTAs should be prominently featured in hero banners, footers, or on sidebars, be clearly marked with bright, contrasting coloring, and be clickable. 
• Invest in developing a quick checkout process. Every single roadblock in the checkout process, from having to fill out lengthy forms, to hidden fees, is a chance for users to bounce, and they will. Your checkout process should be easy and straightforward and require minimal effort from your customers. 
• Eliminate any requirements that force users to register before buying. Make sure there is a guest checkout process for those that aren’t.
• Navigation should be easy and there should be multiple options. A well-categorized mega menu and a search bar, at minimum, are ideal. Another good practice is to include navigable tiles to bestsellers from your homepage. 
• On product pages, feature items that customers also buy along with the one they’re looking at. This will provide opportunities for cross-selling.
• Use high-quality product images. Take them in-house if possible or work with a professional photographer – or work with your customers to solicit user-generated images that you can use on your website. 
• Capture customer reviews and display them prominently, not only on the product pages in question but also on the homepage. The overwhelming majority of online shoppers read reviews before buying so this can offer a big lift to UX. 
• Ensure that all pages follow the same basic color scheme and branding design for UX continuity across the website. 
• List contact information prominently on the homepage. Users need to be able to find the information needed to contact you if they have questions or concerns. This can make or break a conversion. 
• Highlight any deals and promotions in the hero banner or elsewhere on your homepage and make the highlight navigable so users can immediately get to what you’re selling.
• Integrate your social channels if possible. This will encourage users to follow you and will help foster remarketing conversions. 

Any and all of these items will help to improve your eCommerce website’s UX, and the more you put into practice, the more they will bolster your efforts. 

So now let’s take a look at some SEO best practices to round this all out. 

How to Improve SEO: Best Practices 

While UX influences how users interact with your website and whether that experience is positive or negative, SEO will help them find you (organically) in the first place. The following are some SEO best practices, many of which will also support UX.

• Prioritize website loading speed. Loading speed is not only a ranking factor, but users are very likely to bounce from a website if it takes more than 2 seconds to load. 
• Prioritize website security and implement an SSL if you don’t have one. This is a must, as it influences both UX and SEO and users are likely to bounce from a website that does not have one.
• Ditch duplicate content on product pages and write your own pursuant to a unique keyword strategy. Duplicate content will not help SEO (in fact it may hurt) and if it is ripped from a manufacturer’s website can harm UX because it seems cheap and disingenuous. 
• Compress images to improve page load speeds. There are plenty of free tools you can use to do so. 
• Include internal links on your product pages to other key products and bestsellers. This will improve both UX and SEO. 
• Blog regularly and use those blogs as an opportunity to link to product pages. This will transfer authority from those blogs to your key pages and will improve organic visibility for both.
• Regularly create new content and update your blogs and CMS pages with new information that your customers will find useful (reflect on your recent engagements with them to brainstorm ideas for updates).
• Include target keywords in page titles, headers, and URL slugs, where possible. This little lift can substantially improve SEO and visibility. 
• Monitor GSC for broken links and remove or redirect them wherever a sweep uncovers them. A 404 error is a death knell for SEO and pretty bad for UX, too. 
• Add alt text to your image files, as this will provide a slight boost to SEO.
• Write unique meta descriptions for key pages, and include specific target keywords in each. 

There are over 200 ranking signals, but most of the items mentioned here are easy to put into practice and can go a long way toward improving your overall organic footprint and visibility. Most of them can have a positive impact on UX, too.

Balancing UX and SEO for Success 

Following some of these UX and SEO strategies will help you improve not only the UX design of your website but also help make your website attractive to search engine algorithms so that your website shows up higher in the search engine rankings.

Most importantly, creating a website with a delicate balance between UX and SEO is not rocket science. Outstanding user experience and a well-optimized website are within reach, and together they will help your website get found and encourage greater conversion value. 

The post How UX and SEO Work Together in an eCommerce Website appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

However, not all websites make that connection possible. Thousands of visitors may go to your website, but many of these online guests do not stay long enough to understand your brand or what you offer, or even if they do they are not converted into paying customers. So what can you do to communicate with your online visitors and persuade them to stay and learn more about your services or products?

One way to make your website a welcoming place for your visitors is to use landing pages as digital doorways for engagement and conversion.  This doesn’t mean you make your regular marketing spiel for every product landing page you create; instead, you have to connect with your visitors and make them curious about what you offer. 

One of the most compelling tools for landing page optimization to boost conversion rates is to make an emotional connection with your target audience through effective storytelling. 

Landing Page Optimization and Emotional Connection 

Landing page optimization (LPO) is the process of improving the elements of a website to boost your website conversion rate.  A website’s rate is the average number of visitors who acted positively upon visiting the site. The calculation for the conversion rate involves taking the number of conversions and dividing it by the number of website visits or interactions. 

Your website’s landing pages are different from the main or home page. It is a distinct page that is designed specifically for one product or service, of which the goal is to generate leads or to increase the sales. 

Often the landing page is the main destination and most important component of any digital marketing campaign, and many businesses use it to promote or advertise a new product or service. 

However, using LPO is not enough to boost your conversion rate. Many companies think it is enough to convert their target audience to paying customers; but you have to use LPO the proper way to boost conversion, brand awareness, customer acquisition, and your overall business revenue. 

Making an emotional connection with your audience through LPO goes beyond the functionality of the page. It is not just about spreading product information, it’s also about telling a story through website design and content that resonates with your audience, addresses their needs, and aligns with their desires.

Why Storytelling Inspires Conversion

Using a narrative or storytelling for your landing pages draws more curiosity and involvement from your audience. Telling a story is part of what makes us human, and when used strategically in a website’s landing page, it taps into human consciousness and allows for an emotional connection.

The narratives that you place inside a landing page should not be just a story. It must have relevance and context that connects your audience to your service or product.

Your narrative should be a showcase of the benefits of your business, which should be relatable and valuable to your online visitors.  Storytelling also engages and retains the attention of your audience, which makes them stay longer on your website and allows for them to envision the benefits of your service or products.

It makes them stay on the page for a longer time, which gives them time to contemplate and consider the landing page’s information. 

How to Make Compelling Narratives for Your Landing Page

There are many ways you can add storytelling to your landing pages, but the most important are the following:

Headlines that Grab Attention 

The headline is the first thing that your visitors will see on the page, and it should be concise and relevant to your product, but also to the needs and desires of your target market. 

Create Engaging Content 

Adding a narrative is not enough. The story should be persuasive, informative, and easy to read. It can be straightforward, and you should use persuasive elements such as images, testimonials, and even videos. 

Fulfill The Need for a Speed 

Your webpage’s loading speed should be under two seconds. This allows for the user to focus on the narrative, and to be engaged in the story elements. The sites that achieve the best conversion rates often have a loading page speed that is 0 to 4 seconds, and anything that goes beyond that risks the loss of interest for web visitors.

Use an Intuitive User Interface 

An intuitive interface for a website allows for clear and easy navigation. You should have a website design with an intuitive interface that tells the story clearly. The progression should be clear to the visitor, allowing them to feel more positive and engaged as they go through the page.

The webpage’s layout is also not cluttered, and the images, text, and spaces guide the user to the desired action. Using colors also increases the user’s positive UI experience, which increases the likelihood of conversion.

Always Go for Testing

A/B testing should always be part of your LPO, as doing this can help identify what elements work best for your audience. It also helps you identify what your audience considers engaging, interesting, and helpful, so you could continually improve your pages. 

Optimization Includes Mobile

Your storytelling won’t be compelling if you do not have a mobile-responsive webpage. No matter how interesting or informative the content, if half your audience cannot access it or read it, then your conversion rates won’t be improving much. 

LPO, the Key to Boosting Conversion Rates

LPO offers much to small and large businesses, but it will not work much if you do not have an interesting or compelling narrative that allows for an emotional connection. You can create an interesting user experience for your audience, but you also need to capture their minds and hearts. And that involves storytelling. 

And the core of that is understanding your market, the psychology that underlies their behavior. Know what it is they need, and understand what it is they desire from a product or service. Then weave a narrative that they can identify with and you’ll find your conversion rates go up along with your webpage visits. 

If you need a digital agency that can improve your conversion rates through an LPO strategy that uses compelling content and storytelling, our 1Digital team creates strategies and web design services that can make your web page a conversion winner.

The post Emotional Connections: Landing Page Optimization That Boosts Conversion appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo use complex algorithms to analyze and rank websites based on various factors. By understanding these algorithms and implementing SEO strategies, website owners and digital marketers can increase the chances of their websites appearing higher in search results, making it more likely for users to discover and click on their links.

SEO is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring, analysis, and adaptation. As search engine algorithms evolve, SEO practices also need to adapt to ensure websites remain optimized and maintain or improve their search engine rankings. By investing in SEO, businesses and website owners can attract organic traffic, increase visibility, and achieve their online objectives more effectively.

User Experience

User experience (UX) has a direct impact on SEO. Algorithms take into account a number of factors when ranking websites, including user engagement metrics such as bounce rate, time on page, and pages visited. A website with a poor UX will have lower engagement metrics, which will hurt its SEO ranking.

In the dynamic and ever-evolving realm of search engine optimization (SEO), staying ahead of the game requires a comprehensive understanding of various factors that influence search rankings. While technical optimization and quality content have long been the focal points of SEO strategies, an often underestimated yet indispensable element is user experience (UX). In this blog post, we delve into the significance of user experience and its impact on SEO success.

What is User Experience (UX)?

User experience encompasses the overall perception and interaction a visitor has while navigating a website or utilizing a digital product. It encompasses elements such as design, accessibility, usability, functionality, and the emotions evoked during the interaction. A positive UX aims to provide users with a seamless, intuitive, and satisfying experience, leading to increased engagement, conversions, and, ultimately, improved search engine rankings.

Bounce Rates and Dwell Time

Search engines, such as Google, are continually refining their algorithms to prioritize user satisfaction. Bounce rates, the percentage of users who leave a website after viewing only one page, and dwell time, the length of time users spend on a website, have become critical indicators of user engagement. A well-optimized UX encourages users to explore and interact with a website, reducing bounce rates and increasing dwell time. These positive signals communicate to search engines that the website is relevant and valuable to users, thus improving its ranking potential.

Mobile Responsiveness

With the increasing dominance of mobile devices in internet usage, search engines have shifted their focus to mobile-first indexing. Websites that offer a seamless experience across different screen sizes and resolutions have a competitive advantage. Responsive design, intuitive navigation, fast loading times, and mobile-friendly interfaces contribute to an optimal UX. By providing a positive mobile experience, websites are more likely to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Website Speed

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, users expect instantaneous results. Website speed plays a pivotal role in delivering a satisfactory user experience. Slow-loading pages frustrate visitors and increase the likelihood of abandonment. Moreover, search engines, including Google, consider page speed as a ranking factor. Websites with faster load times not only cater to user expectations but also enjoy improved visibility in search results, thus driving organic traffic.

Readability and Content Presentation

High-quality content has always been essential for SEO, but the way content is presented and consumed is equally crucial. Users appreciate content that is easy to read, scannable, and visually appealing. Utilizing clear headings, subheadings, bullet points, and concise paragraphs enhances readability. Engaging visuals, multimedia elements, and well-structured content layouts contribute to a positive UX, encouraging users to stay longer, consume more content, and share it across various platforms, ultimately benefiting SEO efforts.

Website Navigation and Information Architecture

Intuitive website navigation and well-planned information architecture are integral to a seamless user experience. A well-structured website with clear and logical navigation paths enables users to find the information they seek effortlessly. User-friendly menus, search functionalities, and internal linking facilitate exploration and engagement, leading to higher user satisfaction. Search engines reward websites that provide exceptional navigational experiences by improving their visibility in SERPs.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

Inclusivity and accessibility are fundamental principles of user experience. Websites that accommodate individuals with disabilities, such as providing alternative text for images, closed captions for videos, and keyboard-friendly navigation, not only cater to a broader audience but also gain SEO benefits. Search engines promote accessible websites, considering them more user-friendly and prioritizing them in search rankings.

Social Signals and Branding

User experience extends beyond the confines of a website. Positive experiences foster brand loyalty, encourage social sharing, and attract natural backlinks. By engaging with and sharing content across various social media platforms, users contribute to social signals, which search engines consider when determining a website’s relevance and authority. Thus, an excellent UX can indirectly influence off-page SEO factors, further enhancing search engine visibility.

User experience has emerged as a vital aspect of successful SEO strategies. The increasing focus on user satisfaction by search engines necessitates the optimization of UX elements to maximize organic visibility. By prioritizing a seamless, intuitive, and engaging experience, websites can reduce bounce rates, increase dwell time, improve mobile responsiveness, enhance readability, facilitate navigation, and foster inclusivity. Implementing UX best practices not only benefits users but also elevates search engine rankings, driving organic traffic and boosting online visibility. In the pursuit of SEO success, remember that optimizing for users is optimizing for search engines.

The post Enhancing SEO Success: The Role of User Experience appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

These brand building services and strategies can help you create a strong and recognizable brand identity that resonates with your customers and boost your online sales. 

What is Branding in Ecommerce and Online Businesses?

Branding in e-commerce and online businesses refers to the process of creating a distinct and memorable identity for a business or product in the digital realm. It involves establishing a unique brand image, values, and personality that resonate with the target audience. 

Branding is a critical component of success for e-commerce and online businesses. It shapes how customers perceive and connect with a brand, and achieving a recognizable and successful brand image involves using different kinds of brand building services and strategies that encompass a company’s image and presence online. 

It Involves Creating a Memorable Identity

Branding plays a crucial role in capturing the interest of potential customers. It involves creating a memorable identity that stands out and leaves a lasting impression. This identity encompasses various elements such as the brand name, logo, colors, typography, and overall visual aesthetics.

It Requires Building Brand Trust and Credibility

Branding is essential for building trust and credibility in the e-commerce space. When consumers come across a well-established and recognized brand, they are more likely to trust its products or services. A strong brand presence signals professionalism, quality, and reliability, giving customers the confidence to make purchases. 

It Can Differentiate You from Your Competitors

Differentiation is key to standing out and attracting customers. Effective branding allows businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors by highlighting unique selling points, value propositions, and brand attributes. It helps communicate why customers should choose a particular online store over others in the market. 

Creating a Unique Brand Voice

In addition to visual elements, online businesses must develop a unique brand voice. The brand voice is the tone and style of communication used in all brand interactions. It should align with the target audience and reflect the brand’s personality, values, and positioning. 

Whether it’s through website content, social media captions, or customer support, a consistent and authentic brand voice helps establish a cohesive and recognizable brand presence.

Brand Building Services That Can Help Your Online Business

There are several branding services that play a crucial role in helping online stores build a strong and impactful online brand presence. These branding services are specifically tailored to meet the unique needs and challenges of online businesses. 

Let’s explore six essential branding services that can boost your online business.

Brand Strategy Development

You need to develop a comprehensive brand strategy. This involves conducting market research, competitor analysis, and understanding the target audience. Businesses have to define their brand’s unique value proposition, positioning, and messaging. 

Working with a digital agency can help you in creating brand guidelines that encompass visual elements, brand voice, and tone. A well-crafted brand strategy serves as a foundation for all your online branding efforts.

Logo and Visual Identity Design

Creating a visually appealing and memorable brand identity is vital for online stores. Work with  talented designers who specialize in branding and logo design. Develop a logo that represents your online store’s essence that resonates with the target audience. 

If you work with a digital agency, they can help you create visual elements such as color palettes, typography, and graphic elements that reflect the brand’s personality. They can give your brand consistency in visual identity across various platforms and help establish brand recognition.

Website Design and Development

A user-friendly and visually stunning website is essential for online stores. Look for website design and development services that align with your brand’s identity and objectives. Great website design creates intuitive navigation, optimizes the user experience, and ensures the website reflects your brand’s aesthetics. 

Professional designers will make sure that the website is responsive, accessible, and optimized for search engines. Additionally, a well-designed website enhances brand perception and encourages customer engagement.

Social Media Management

Social media platforms offer immense opportunities for online stores to connect with their target audience and build brand awareness. Working with digital agencies can help online stores develop a strong social media presence. 

They can develop content calendars, create engaging posts, manage social media communities, and run targeted advertising campaigns. The agency can also help you track social media metrics and adjust strategies to optimize brand visibility and engagement.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO plays a crucial role in improving the visibility of your online store in search engine results. Optimize your website for relevant keywords and create high-quality, valuable content that appeals to both search engines and your target audience. 

Focus on building a solid backlink profile and ensure your website is technically optimized for search engines. Implementing effective SEO strategies can significantly increase organic traffic and brand visibility.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has gained significant traction in recent years, and for good reason. Partnering with influencers who align with your brand values can help you reach a larger audience and build credibility. 

Research and identify influencers in your niche who have a strong following and engagement. Collaborate with them to promote your products or services and leverage their influence to enhance your brand’s reputation.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content refers to any content created by your customers, such as reviews, testimonials, and social media posts. UGC is a powerful tool for building trust and authenticity around your brand. 

Encourage customers to share their experiences with your products or services and showcase UGC on your website and social media platforms. It not only provides social proof but also fosters a sense of community around your brand.

Work with 1Digital for the Best Brand Building Services for Your Online Business

1Digital provides a range of branding services, including brand logo design for the eCommerce industry,  that are essential for online stores looking to establish a strong and impactful brand presence. Embracing the power of these branding services, businesses can establish a strong and lasting brand identity and achieve long-term success. 

Contact us today to unlock the full potential of your online brand. 1Digital can help you create the brand image you want for your online store to succeed.

The post Brand Building Services That Can Make Your Online Store Win  appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

But what happens if you want to edit Shopify CSS to change something small, like banner dimensions or the color of a small element? Do you really need to be a Shopify whizz to make these changes?

This guide will explain how to edit your Shopify theme files so that you can make small adjustments to things like text styling and element colors, so you can get the most out of your Shopify site without always having to rely on a developer.

How to Open and Edit Your Shopify Theme Files

To open and edit a Shopify theme file, follow these simple step-by-step instructions:

1. Log in to your Shopify admin panel: Open a web browser and go to your Shopify store’s URL (e.g., yourstorename.myshopify.com/admin). Enter your login credentials (email and password) and click “Log In.”
2. Navigate to the “Online Store” section: Once logged in, you’ll be in the Shopify admin dashboard. From the left-hand sidebar, click on “Online Store.” This will open a drop-down menu with additional options.
3. Access the “Themes” section: In the “Online Store” section, click on “Themes.” You’ll be taken to the “Themes” page, where you can manage your store’s themes.
4. Choose the theme to edit: On the “Themes” page, you’ll see your current active theme listed. To edit it, click on the “Actions” button (represented by three dots) beside the theme and select “Edit Code” from the drop-down menu.
5. Familiarize yourself with the theme files: In the theme editor, you’ll see a list of files on the left-hand side. These files represent different sections and components of your Shopify theme. The primary file you’ll likely edit is the “theme.liquid” file, which controls the overall structure and layout of your store.
6. Edit the theme file: Locate and click on the file you wish to edit (e.g., “theme.liquid”). The contents of the file will appear on the right-hand side of the editor. You can make modifications to the code here, such as adding HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.
7. Save your changes: After making the necessary edits, click on the “Save” button located at the top right corner of the editor. This will save your changes to the theme file.
8. Preview and test your changes: To see how your modifications look on your live store, click on the “Preview” button. A new window or tab will open, displaying your store with the applied changes. Ensure everything appears as intended and functions correctly.
9. Publish your changes: If you are satisfied with the changes and want to make them live on your store, click on the “Publish” button. This will update the active theme with your modifications.

Remember to exercise caution while editing theme files and keep a backup of your original theme files in case you need to revert any changes.

The important thing to note here is that you always want to have an idea in mind as to what you want to adjust before actually going in to edit the theme. On a live environment, you don’t want to experiment or add code just for the sake of testing.

So what exactly can you do with this knowledge? Now that you know how to get into the theme code, I will explain how to edit Shopify CSS so you can style certain elements the way you want.

How to Style Shopify Buttons Using CSS

To change a plain “Add to Cart” button into a rounded button with a blue to purple gradient and a transparency effect on hover using CSS, these simple CSS changes will do the trick:

Identify the class or ID of the “Add to Cart” button: Inspect the HTML code of your button element using your browser’s developer tools. Look for the class or ID attribute that identifies the button. For example, let’s assume the class is “add-to-cart-button”.

Define the CSS styles for the button:

.add-to-cart-button {

border-radius: 25px;
background: linear-gradient(to right, blue, purple);
transition: background 0.3s ease-in-out;
}

.add-to-cart-button:hover {

opacity: 0.8;
}

Apply the CSS styles to the “Add to Cart” button: In your theme’s “theme.liquid” file or any relevant CSS file, add the above CSS code targeting the class or ID of your button. For example:<button class=“add-to-cart-button“>Add to Cart</button>

Save the changes and preview: Save the modified CSS file and refresh your store’s page. You should now see the “Add to Cart” button with the rounded shape, blue to purple gradient, and a transparency effect when hovered.

Feel free to adjust the CSS properties such as border radius, colors, and transition duration to fit your desired brand style.

How to Resize Your Shopify Homepage Banner Using CSS

Homepage banners are one of the single most important pieces of real estate on your whole eCommerce store. Being able to adjust them to your needs is an important part of making your online store as responsive as possible for your visitors.

Here’s a simple guide on how to resize your banner using CSS:

Open the CSS of your theme as before, and search for the CSS selector that targets the homepage banner. This selector will vary depending on the specific theme you’re using. Common selectors might include .banner, .hero, or .homepage-banner.

Once you find the selector, add the following CSS code to resize the banner the way you want:

.banner {

width: desired-width;
height: desired-height;

}

Replace desired-width and desired-height with the specific dimensions you want for your banner. You can use values like pixels (px), percentages (%), or any other valid CSS unit.

Save the changes to the file.

Go back to your Shopify admin panel and preview your website to see the updated banner size. If it looks as expected, publish the changes.

How to Change Your Navigation Font in Shopify

Let’s say you wanted to change the font in your main navigation without it changing the way your font looks anywhere else on your website. Maybe you want it to match your logo’s font, but would rather not convert the font elsewhere on the website or in any other navigation areas.

Inside the file, search for the CSS selector that targets the navigation menu. This selector will vary depending on the specific theme you’re using. Common selectors might include .site-nav, .main-navigation, or .nav-menu.

Once you find the selector, add the following CSS code to change the font.

.navigation-selector {

font-family: desired-font, sans-serif;

}

Replace .navigation-selector with the actual CSS selector you found in the previous step. Replace desired-font with the name of the desired font you want to use.

You can use web-safe fonts or include custom fonts using the @font-face rule. The sans-serif part is a fallback font that will be used if the desired font isn’t available.

Save the changes to the file and check to see if it looks the way you want.

Want a Full Re-Design or Added Functionality?

Once you get a gist for finding which CSS selectors belong to which elements on your Shopify pages, it’s fairly easy to make small tweaks to the CSS in order to style the website how you like.

This is a great approach if you are comfortable working in the theme files and want to make small changes, but what if you are looking for a larger redesign or non-native functionality?

When it comes to making any significant changes on your Shopify store, you’re likely going to need the help of an experienced Shopify web developer.

Custom coding in order to develop a unique-looking page or special functionality is an in-depth process that can’t be handled by CSS tweaks alone.

You also want to make sure that any functionality you add mirrors the design of your Shopify website. If either one or the other is implemented without its counterpart, the whole experience will appear unpolished and may not look or function how your customers expect.

Is it worth making aesthetic and functionality changes to your Shopify store?

This is a question that many merchants wrestle with, but one good indication that your store is in need of some design or development help is if there is a high bounce rate. If traffic is coming to your site but isn’t converting for one reason or another, this is also a sign.

There can be several reasons for this. Your Shopify store might not be mobile friendly enough, which may require a responsive design overhaul. Perhaps it doesn’t speak strongly to your target audience and needs to be changed strictly from a design standpoint. This would require a branding update.

Either way, these are much more intensive projects than just changing out some CSS, so if you are looking to make a significant change on your Shopify website, you may want to get in touch with us first so we can guide you to the right choice!

The post How to Edit Shopify CSS appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.

Mobile phones have become an essential part of people’s lives. Using mobile devices to browse the internet, shop online, and do business is now more than common. Many businesses need to ensure that their websites are optimized for mobile devices if they want to capitalize on people’s desire for accessibility, mobility, and ease. This is where mobile first design comes into play.

But what is mobile first design and how can it benefit businesses?

Defining Mobile First Design

Mobile first design is an approach to website design that prioritizes the mobile user experience over the desktop experience. Instead of designing for desktop first and then scaling down to mobile, mobile-first design starts with designing for mobile devices and then scaling up to desktop. 

This approach ensures that the website is optimized for mobile devices, providing a seamless experience for users on smaller screens.

It has become increasingly important for businesses because of the rising trend of mobile usage. In 2022, 58.99% of website traffic worldwide was generated through mobile phones.

For many businesses, this means that mobile-optimized websites are not losing out on a significant chunk of their potential customer base.

Understanding the Mobile First Strategy

The first step in understanding the principles of this design is to have a thorough grasp of two fundamental concepts: Responsive Web Design (RWD) and the methodologies of “Progressive Advancement” and “Graceful Degradation.”

Responsive web design is a technique that facilitates websites to automatically adjust to diverse screen sizes and resolutions. It mitigates the need for users to manually pan, zoom, or scroll.

Progressive advancement involves crafting a mobile browser version with basic functions and features first and then expanding upon it to develop a version for a tablet or PC, complete with more intricate and interactive features to enrich the user experience. 

Graceful degradation entails starting with a desktop version and creating a version with all-encompassing features before reducing certain functions or content to suit mobile devices.

Both progressive advancement and graceful degradation ensures the compatibility of app interfaces for mobile devices and desktops. 

Progressive advancement is the most commonly used approach, as commencing with the mobile version allows designers to focus on the salient features of a product and prioritize its essential functionalities.

As they proceed to expand an app or website to tablets or PCs, designers can leverage the advanced platforms’ unique features to gradually enhance the app’s performance and quality.

Benefits of Mobile-First Design for Businesses

Mobile-First Design has several advantages that can benefit businesses, including:

Responsive Design

One of the key advantages of Mobile first design is that it ensures your website is responsive and accessible across all platforms. With the increasing number of users browsing the web on mobile devices, it’s crucial for businesses to have a website that is optimized for mobile.

Simplified Information

This approach also allows businesses to compress and simplify their information, making it easier for users to navigate and find what they need. This can improve the user experience and increase engagement with the website.

Efficiency

Designing first for mobile gadgets allows businesses to focus on the main functionality of the website first, and then add more features for larger devices later. This can save time and resources in the long run.

Easy Navigation

It can improve navigation on the website. With mobile devices having limited screen space, businesses must prioritize the most important information and make it easily accessible to users.

Improved User Experience

One of the primary benefits of mobile-first design is that it leads to an improved user experience. Mobile-first design takes into account the limitations of smaller screens and slower internet speeds, resulting in websites that are faster, easier to navigate, and more user-friendly.

Better Search Engine Ranking

Search engines like Google are now emphasizing the importance of mobile-first design. If a company has a  website that is mobile-optimized, they are more likely to rank higher in search engine results.

Increased Conversion Rates

Mobile-first design can also lead to increased conversion rates for businesses. When websites are optimized for mobile, users are more likely to stay on the website longer, engage with the content, and ultimately make a purchase or take the desired action.

How to Implement Mobile First Design for Your Business

Implementing Mobile first design for your business is a crucial step in optimizing your website for mobile users. Here are some steps you can take to implement it for your business website:

Conduct Research

Start by researching your target audience and how they interact with your website on mobile devices. Analyze your website’s traffic data to understand user behavior and identify areas for improvement.

Prioritize Content

Prioritize the most important content and features for your mobile design. This includes the primary call-to-action, navigation, and content that is most relevant to your mobile users.

Design for Mobile First

Design your website for mobile devices first and then add additional features for larger screens. This ensures that your website is optimized for the majority of your users who access your website through mobile devices.

Optimize for Speed

Mobile users are often on-the-go and have limited time to wait for a website to load. Optimize your website for speed by compressing images, minimizing code, and using caching techniques.

Test and Iterate

Test your  design across various devices and screen sizes to ensure it is responsive and user-friendly. Collect user feedback and analytics to identify areas for improvement and iterate your design accordingly.

Implement Responsive Design

Finally, ensure your website is responsive to different screen sizes and devices. This will ensure your website is accessible and user-friendly for all users, regardless of their device.

Use the Mobile First Design Approach for Your Website

Mobile-first design is a critical aspect of website design in today’s mobile-dominated world. When you prioritize the mobile user experience, your business can get better search engine ranking and increase conversion rates. Mobile first design is a strategy that can give due importance to mobile devices in the web and business landscape. 

Contact 1Digital and work with our Custom Website  Development Team to give your eCommerce site the design that will boost your website presence on every platform.

The post Mobile First Design: Enhancing Business Opportunities appeared first on 1Digital® Agency.