Ecommerce Archives - Unwired Web Solutions

February 1, 2022 by David Henderson

When you hire content optimization services in Canada, you can request assistance with meta descriptions, a critical part of any listing on a search engine results page. Of course, you may wonder why you should go through the trouble, as most of them are auto-generated if left alone. Is it worth the effort of creating your own? You may be surprised by how much it affects your marketing campaign.

What Is a Meta Description?

You’ve seen meta descriptions before, but you may not have known it at the time. Meta descriptions are the handy paragraphs underneath links on SERPs. They describe what the page is about and help searchers find the right website to answer their questions.

As we mentioned, search engines automatically generate meta descriptions, but you also have the option to write them. Depending on the quality, Google may rewrite them to better serve the user experience. However, meta descriptions optimized with keywords are less likely to get rewritten, so it’s in your best interest to at least try creating your own.

It’s important to note that the meta description isn’t part of your web pages’ visible content but part of the metadata that works behind the scenes. As a result, you must access the HTML markup to change it. This process is relatively easy in most content management systems.

Why Are Well-Written Meta Descriptions Important?

Meta descriptions are a great place to flex your SEO muscles. Optimized descriptions appeal to internet searchers, who are the more likely to click on the associated link. The more clicks a link gets, the higher it ranks on SERPs. The higher it ranks on SERPs, the more clicks it’s likely to get, and so on. Basically, a well-written meta description is a way to jump into a high-ranking feedback loop.

How Can Content Optimization Services in Canada Help You Create Effective Meta Descriptions?

While there are meta description generators out there, professionals find that organic text is more effective. In fact, creating a unique description with strong branding can significantly impact how many people click your link. Of course, if you write a description the old-fashioned way, you have to keep a few things in mind.

First, make sure you stay within the character limit. Google only shows the first 160 characters of a meta description, including spaces. That means you have a tiny window to state your case.

Second, don’t stuff your description with keywords. While utilizing keywords is crucial for product content optimization, treating the meta description as a list of buzzwords won’t do you any favours. Searchers want to know what your webpage is about, and a description packed with keywords won’t tell them that.

Instead, only use one or two keywords as naturally as possible. This approach strikes a balance between appealing to search engine algorithms and providing value to consumers.

Third, prompt searchers to act with clear directions. Termed “calls to action,” these statements use active verbs such as the following:

Learn
Discover
Explore
Find
Buy

Which you use depends on the content of the webpage. For example, if the link leads to a blog, you’ll want to focus on words related to learning. In contrast, web pages listing products for sale should use terms related to shopping.

Finally, keep the consumer’s intent in mind. What is the user hoping to find by searching these terms? Try to present your webpage as the answer to searchers’ hypothetical questions.

Optimizing meta descriptions on your own is feasible when you’re a startup, but as your business grows, so will your website. Maintaining dozens of web pages takes time away from other essential operations. Fortunately, Unwired Web Solutions can help you strike a balance with our content optimization services. For more information, give us a call or reach out online.

July 14, 2021 by David Henderson

For eCommerce websites, it can be confusing to know how many pages should be used for multiple products in the same family. Our search engine optimization Waterloo experts dive into the subject and explain when and when not to use multiple pages.

This is actually more of a common question than you may think. Many sellers have single products offered in different sizes or colours and are unsure of how to categorize them. Today we will discuss the issue using t-shirts as an example of a product.

Single Product

Experts advise using a single product page when selling a single product. For example, shoppers do not need individual pages such as material, size, and colour. If your shop only carries one t-shirt and no others, it will only have one product page but will have canonical links to point back to it. These links will be applied to all parameters and variants and let search engine optimization know the “preferred” web page version.

Sizes do not generally have enough uniqueness to justify having individual product pages. However, colours may be separated out by having their own page. This can help shoppers, for example, who are only looking for red t-shirts or black crew-neck shirts.

Even if you only carry one product, by separating them out on dedicated pages for specific colours, you can benefit your consumers, and better describe the printing options and styling options. All size options would have a canonical back to the original colour option.

Another point to consider is if this is the only version of the product you will carry. In other words, you will never carry, manufacture, upgrade or release new versions. It is only in this instance that you will want to try and optimize unique pages for variants. If you do go this route, you need to build a solid site structure and make sure your copy is 100% unique for each version. SEO can penalize sites that have the same content on multiple pages.

Exceptions to the Rule

There will always be exceptions to the rule. However, the general rule of thumb is if there is no need for individual variant pages and no actual benefit to the end-user, use a single page and apply canonical links to the variants.

Our search engine optimization Waterloo team at Unwired Web Solutions takes pride in helping businesses set up their eCommerce sites to increase conversations. Contact us today and learn more about how we can positively impact your website and ensure your products and variations are set up effectively and efficiently.

October 22, 2020 by David Henderson

Even when websites are mobile-friendly, it is generally much easier to purchase items online using apps. Consider, for instance, the difference in using the Amazon shopping app over its website on your phone. Because of this, web development teams are now pushing to create more apps for e-commerce websites. Should your company invest in this?

What the Data Says About Smartphone Use

The data on smartphone ownership and usage differs across national and cultural lines. However, most indicators point to smart devices taking over the market in the near future:

Pew Research estimates that 84% of men and 79% of women own a smartphone.
The higher a person’s disposable income, the more likely someone is to own a smartphone.
Statista reports that in the third quarter of 2019, 52% of the world’s population had recently bought something online using a mobile device.
In Canada, a third of the population had bought something online; meanwhile, in Indonesia, 80% have done so.
CNBC estimates that by 2025, almost three-quarters of the world will use only their smartphones to get online.

What the Most Common Challenges for App Development Are

Building an app for your business requires high levels of skill and creativity. You need professionals who know the ins and outs of not only your business but also your industry. Otherwise, the team may create an app that does not solve the pain points your products or services address for your customers.

To hire the necessary level of experience and skill, cost becomes an obstacle many small businesses struggle with. However, if you believe an app can take your business to the next level, a business loan can help make it happen. You may even have the opportunity for creative payment options, such as a commission basis.

Finally, apps require ongoing maintenance to function properly. As customers provide feedback on how well they operate across multiple platforms, making changes is important. This adds to the cost of the investment in both time and money.

Why You Should Get Your Own App

Many business owners feel intimidated by the success of Amazon and other large e-commerce platforms. After all, if these companies already sell everything imaginable, why should customers use small business apps that only provide a limited supply of items?

1. Brand Loyalty

Even if the checkout process simply takes the buyer to Amazon or eBay, your app makes it easier for buyers to pinpoint all the products and services you provide. They may discover new ones along the way and begin to choose your products over available options. This works especially well when companies offer lower shipping rates for bigger orders or subscriptions.

2. Personalization Opportunities

How well do you know your customers? Can you tie specific orders to names and addresses? When companies can do this easily, it becomes much easier to personalize communications, offers and other key aspects of your marketing campaign. Encouraging people to make accounts when using your app makes this possible.

3. Potential for Ad Revenue

Businesses that diversify their incomes stand a much better chance of weathering economic storms. One way to do so is to pitch partnerships with other companies. An excellent example of this is when apps that allow you to find vehicles for sale also incorporate offers for financing. Lenders may offer commissions or pay to run ads on the platform.

How To Create an App for Your Business

The first step is hiring qualified professionals for the design, creation and ongoing support work necessary to create a successful app. You should also write down your goals for the app and how it will integrate with other aspects of your marketing plan, such as SEO.

Unwired Web Solutions has a team of qualified professionals eager to assist with web development and the SEO process. Contact us for more information on how we can assist with your app development.