When people think of ecommerce, their minds generally move to Amazon, Etsy or Steam. But ecommerce has no limitations – even small, local and indie brands can set up an ecommerce store and sell merchandise directly to their customers. Ecommerce provides a fantastic opportunity for brands to increase sales, reach more customers and provide a seamless user experience. 

Just as a traditional website needs regular upkeep, so does your ecommerce site. By continually updating and optimizing your site, you can separate yourself from your competitors and climb the ecommerce ladder. Below are some of our best tips for improving your ecommerce website. 

Make Sure You’re Using the Right Platform

Even though it might seem like basic information, you’d be surprised how often the wrong ecommerce platform is chosen. Not all ecommerce and merchant platforms are created equal, so it’s important to use one that has the features you need. If you’re not seeing the results you had hoped for, it’s possible that you’re using the wrong platform. 

Get back to the basics by answering the following questions: 

• What is your budget? 
• What products are you selling? 
• What features does your ecommerce store need? 
• What payment methods do you want to accept? 

Once you know for sure that you’re using the right platform, you can move onto the next tips! 

Improve the User Experience 

No one wants to shop on a messy, slow website, so you need to make sure that you’re providing a good user experience. The best ways to do this are by making sure that your store is laid out in a visually appealing manner, and that your customers can easily learn about your products and services. If users are able to find what they’re looking for quickly, they’re more likely to make a purchase. 

Put yourself in the customers’ shoes and pretend you are shopping for an item. Can you find the product easily? Are there clear descriptions and pictures next to the products? Are the category pages neat and organized? How is the checkout process? Is it lean and simple, or could it use some improvements? 

Optimize Ecommerce Site Speed 

Another way to improve your ecommerce site is by increasing its speed. Google says that a large majority of users will leave a mobile website if it takes more than three seconds to load. Online consumers are not patient, and you can’t expect them to change. Instead, you must provide them with the website they are looking for. 

Some of the best ways to improve your ecommerce site speed are: 

• Use fast and reliable hosting
• Reduce redirects and remove broken links
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
• Minify your code 
• Compress and reduce images 
• Use pop-ups sparingly 
• Decrease thumbnail image sizes 

Update Your Product Copy and Images 

When was the last time you wrote product descriptions or uploaded images? If it has been a while, now is the time to improve them. Users want as much information as possible so that they can make an informed decision, so include all necessary info. But even more important is the images you select. 

Because the ecommerce environment doesn’t allow customers to see and touch products in person, you need to provide them with high quality, detailed product photos. Focus on providing multiple photos of the product, zoom capabilities and 360-degree rotations, as these convert easier than single photos. 

Maintaining your ecommerce site is the best way to ensure you’re delivering the best user experience. Today’s consumers have a lot of options, so you can’t get away with mediocre. Follow these tips to improve your ecommerce site, or schedule an appointment with WSI Internet Partners for insight. 

Aaron Braunstein

Aaron Braunstein is the President of WSI Internet Partners, a Waco-based digital marketing agency that helps local businesses grow through strategy-driven SEO, Google Ads, and AI-powered solutions. A long-time member of the Waco business community, Aaron brings global expertise and local insight to every project. Connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at WSI Internet Partners.

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The post Easy, Effective Ways to Improve Your Ecommerce Site first appeared on WSI Internet Partners (Waco, TX).

Having a website just to have one isn’t enough these days. To be successful, you need a website that stands out from the crowd, helps visitors achieve their goals and provides a seamless user experience. This will require you to monitor your site and stay on top of the trends. While this does require more work, it ensures that people ‘meeting’ your brand for the first time have a great experience. 

Below are the reasons to invest in a professional website. 

Create Content that Performs 

If you haven’t taken a look at your website in a while, it’s likely that you haven’t been updating or maintaining your content. If you decide to build a new website from scratch, you can update your content so that it’s new and fresh. Old, irrelevant content is a missed opportunity – your audience could be reading something new and valuable!

Of course, you don’t have to scrap all of your content, especially if you plan to just update your site. But we do recommend a content audit that analyzes and assesses all of the content on your pages. This way, you can build a content library that your audience will find useful. 

Get More People to Find Your Business 

You don’t have to be a big name company to land at the top of the search results. Your brand can make it to this spot, though you’ll need to update your content often and make sure that it’s rich in SEO. Better yet, if you hire a website management company like WSI Internet Partners, you’ll have a team that constantly monitors your site and implements Google’s best practices. 

As part of these efforts, your SEO company will recommend adding new keywords and phrases into your content. This way, people who are searching for these words and phrases can find your content more easily. In addition to dropping certain keywords in your content, you should also write professional titles and descriptions with SEO in mind. 

Refresh Your Brand’s Image 

Investing in a new website also gives you the opportunity to refresh your brand. Colors, logos and text are important parts of your overall branding, but there are other elements to consider as well. Think about your tone and messaging – what is drawing people to your brand? What does your messaging say about you? 

Work with your professional web developer to create a brand image that’s eye-catching and timeless. Less is more, so you don’t need anything complex or complicated to stand out. Play around with different colors and renditions of your logo or explore new themes to see what will work for your brand. 

Design an Effective Website Today 

When you build a new professional website, you increase your online presence and make it easier for people to do business with you. WSI Internet Partners builds high-converting websites at an affordable price. Contact us today to discuss your next project. We will work with you to update, refresh, rebuild and rebrand your company’s online presence. 

Aaron Braunstein

Aaron Braunstein is the President of WSI Internet Partners, a Waco-based digital marketing agency that helps local businesses grow through strategy-driven SEO, Google Ads, and AI-powered solutions. A long-time member of the Waco business community, Aaron brings global expertise and local insight to every project. Connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at WSI Internet Partners.

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The post How a New, Professional Website Can Upgrade Your Business first appeared on WSI Internet Partners (Waco, TX).

Website speed optimization can help reduce your bounce rate and convert more visitors into customers. But as important as website speed is, many people don’t know where to start. Your images, hosting provider and JavaScript and CSS files all affect web speed, but this is only a start. 

Let’s learn more about what website speed optimization is and the best strategies to follow in 2022. 

What is Website Speed Optimization? 

Website speed optimization refers to a set of strategies and best practices that will make your website as fast as possible. This is important because the faster your pages load, the happier your visitors will be. They’ll enjoy a smooth user experience and be able to complete their desired action quickly. 

The benefits of a fast, optimized website are: 

• Higher conversion rates 
• Lower bounce rates
• Improved user experience 
• Streamlined browsing process
• More traffic to your site 

Strategies for Optimizing Web Speed 

Below are some of the best ways to speed up your website and improve the overall visitor experience. 

Audit your site

Start by auditing your site. This will tell you how your website is performing and the areas you need to focus on. You can start with a free tool like PageSpeed Insights. It will assess your Core Web Vitals and let you know if you pass.

Identify and prioritize fixes

Once you know what areas need your attention, prioritize them based on what affects your visitors most. If you have unlimited resources and time, you don’t have to prioritize anything. You can tackle all of your problems at once. 

Consider a new hosting provider 

Your hosting provider plays a significant role in your website’s performance. That’s because your hosting provider relies on their location, physical infrastructure and the overall bandwidth of their network connection to provide you with reliable hosting services. 

It’s also possible that you need to update your hosting plan. For example, if you started off with shared hosting, you may need to bump up to virtual private server (VPS) options instead. 

Consider a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

When our clients struggle with website speed, we often recommend a CDN. CDNs use multiple servers to store replications of your content across multiple locations. When users visit your site, the CDN delivers the information from the closest physical location for faster load times. 

Optimize images 

Your website needs images, but they need to be optimized. Compressing images saves weight and time, so do this before adding them to your site. You can use free tools like TinyPNG to reduce the file sizes of your photos. 

Reduce redirects and HTTP requests 

Redirects send users away from the page they clicked on. While redirects are not all bad, too many of them put more load on the servers, which can increase page load times. To keep load times short, replace old redirects with new content. 

You should also limit HTTP requests. Every HTTP request for images, fonts, stylesheets, etc., increases your overall load times. Fortunately, using a CDN and minifying CSS and JS files helps with this. 

Optimize Your Website Speed with WSI Internet Partners 

Having a fast, optimized website lowers bounce rates and increases conversions. This is why it’s important to make web speed a top priority. To discuss the best ways to make your site faster and more optimized, schedule a consultation with WSI Internet Partners.

Aaron Braunstein

Aaron Braunstein is the President of WSI Internet Partners, a Waco-based digital marketing agency that helps local businesses grow through strategy-driven SEO, Google Ads, and AI-powered solutions. A long-time member of the Waco business community, Aaron brings global expertise and local insight to every project. Connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at WSI Internet Partners.

wsiinternetpartners.com/

The post Website Speed Optimization Strategies for 2022 first appeared on WSI Internet Partners (Waco, TX).

Several of our clients have asked about “Website Listing Service” letters and what they should do with them. These letters are sent to your home and appear to offer an annual website domain listing for around $200-$300. They look legit, especially if you have a website and pay for a domain. But they are a scam. 

If you own a domain name and you’re not using a domain name privacy service, your full name and address are public information. This is where scammers get their information and then use it to target vulnerable people. 

What are Domain Listing Scam Invoices? 

Domain listing scam invoices appear to be valid and trustworthy. They include a logo, account number, your contact information and your domain name. But these statements are not to be trusted. It doesn’t matter if the statement says it’s to register your domain name, keep your site active or optimize your website – it’s all a sham. 

Now, you might be asking, “Don’t I need a domain for my website?” Yes, you do. But when you work with a company like WSI Internet Partners, this is already included in the fees you pay. We are a one-stop resource for managing all aspects of your online presence. You DO NOT need to pay any other fees to keep your website up and running. 

How Can I Tell for Sure the Letter is a Scam? 

If you’re still concerned about whether or not the letter is legit, you can do your research and look into the company and its rating on the BBB. Domain Listings LLC, for example, is a frequent name found on these website listing service letters. The company has a 1.5 star rating on the BBB and 224 complaints. So even though this is a “real” business, they don’t have a good reputation. 

Here are some other ways to tell the validity of your letter: 

• Examine all of the documents. Usually, domain name registration renewals are sent to your email. 
• Check for contact info. Some, but not all, scam invoices lack visible contact information. If you do see a number, call it to see who answers. 
• Do a web search. Does the company have a website? Do you see other people complaining about the company? Most scams are reported online by other people. 
• Know where you get your domain name from. If you purchased your domain name from a company like GoDaddy, you’ll receive an invoice directly from the company. Or, your internet marketing company will handle this on your end. 
• Know when you’re up for renewal. Usually, you’ll receive an invoice to renew your domain name once a year. If it’s not time to renew your name, the letter is likely a scam. 

Still Have Questions? Contact WSI Internet Partners 

If you’re still unsure about the letter, contact your digital marketing company. WSI Internet Partners is used to dealing with these invoices and we can help determine what they are, where they’re coming from and if you need to pay them. But we can pretty much guarantee that they’re scams, so don’t open up your wallet or share your credit card! We take care of our clients – and this includes choosing and renewing your domain name.

Aaron Braunstein

Aaron Braunstein is the President of WSI Internet Partners, a Waco-based digital marketing agency that helps local businesses grow through strategy-driven SEO, Google Ads, and AI-powered solutions. A long-time member of the Waco business community, Aaron brings global expertise and local insight to every project. Connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at WSI Internet Partners.

wsiinternetpartners.com/

The post Beware of Domain Listing Service Scams first appeared on WSI Internet Partners (Waco, TX).

When was the last time you updated the stock photos on your website? If it has been a while, it’s probably time to give them a refresh. Humans are visual creatures, so there’s no question that visitors are looking at your images as they read your content and browse through your site. But if your photos are old, low quality or no longer represent your brand, it can give visitors a poor impression. 

Because stock photos are affordable and readily available, there’s no reason to have old photos on your site. Below are some signs that it’s time to replace the stock images on your site and tips for choosing new content. 

How to Know When it’s Time for a Refresh

Stock photos benefit your website by breaking up large blocks of content, making things easier to read and supporting the main points of your site. With the right visual content, you can expect visitors to spend more time on your website. 

Here are some signs that it’s time to give your stock photos a makeover: 

• They look staged. Some photos have a “stocky” feel to them. The people in the images may look corny or cliche, which can turn people off to your brand. These days, people want to see authenticity, even if it’s not perfect.
• Other sites use the same photos. Over time, you’ll notice that the same stock photos appear on many sites. You can’t help this – it’s a part of using stock photos. But you can update your images to newer ones that other sites are less likely to be using. 
• They no longer represent your brand. Brands change over time, as do audiences. Take inventory of your stock photos and determine if they still represent your brand. It’s possible they don’t. If your images are a bit off, it’s time to update them with more relevant photos. 

Tips for Choosing the Right Stock Images 

You can typically download stock photos for free or low cost. Make sure that whichever platform you’re using, you read their licensing rules. You don’t want to get in trouble for using a photo that you do not own.  

Once you can confirm that the photos are available to use, here are some tips to keep in mind: 

• Choose high quality images. Always choose high resolution photos to support a professional image. 
• Align your photos with your brand. Select photos that match your brand’s personality. Is it funny and laidback? Serious and professional? Playful and family oriented? 
• Try A/B testing your photos. To determine which images your visitors like best, consider split testing them to see what gives you the best results. 

Stock photos make sense because they’re fast, easy and cheap. But at any time, you can consider hiring a professional photographer to take photos of your products and services. Even though it’s expensive, these will be YOUR photos. You can use them in any way you want, and no one else will have them. To have images updated on your site, contact WSI Internet Partners today.

Aaron Braunstein

Aaron Braunstein is the President of WSI Internet Partners, a Waco-based digital marketing agency that helps local businesses grow through strategy-driven SEO, Google Ads, and AI-powered solutions. A long-time member of the Waco business community, Aaron brings global expertise and local insight to every project. Connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at WSI Internet Partners.

wsiinternetpartners.com/

The post When Should You Replace the Stock Photos on Your Site? first appeared on WSI Internet Partners (Waco, TX).

We’re barely into 2021 and already we’re preparing for a new Google algorithm update. Google has been upfront about this one, and if it wasn’t for the pandemic, it would have been rolled out already. Earlier in 2020, Google announced that Core Web Vitals would become ranking signals the following year. In November, they announced that the algorithm update would become effective in May. Thankfully, this gives you plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming changes.

What are Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals are a set of specific factors that Google considers important to a user’s overall experience. They include the following: 

• Largest contentful paint (LCP). This refers to how long it takes for a page to load from the point of view to an actual user. 
• First input delay (FID). This measures how long it takes for a user to interact with the elements on your page.
• Cumulative layout shift (CLS). This indicates how stable a page is as it loads. 

How to Prepare Your Site for the Algorithm Update 

In May, all three Core Web Vitals will become ranking signals. The best way to prepare for the update is by making sure you’re delivering the best user experience possible. You can run a Vitals report in Google Search Console to see where your performance stands. This report gives you one of the following status metrics: Good, Needs Improvement or Poor. You can then work on improving your user experience based on these results. 

Here are some general tips we recommend to improve your Core Web Vitals. For a deeper look at your website, talk to your web development company. 

• Optimize images. Just one optimized image that takes too long to load can seriously hurt your Core Web Vitals. Also, consider adopting modern formats like WebP. 
• Speed up your server. The faster your server responds to requests, the better. For a better server, upgrade your hosting plan and make sure your server is properly set up with the latest hardware. 
• Improve loading of third-party scripts. If your site relies on ad scripts, you’re basically at the mercy of the ad provider. If the ads load slowly, it’s probably best to choose a new ad provider. 
• Audit your site for security. Website security also plays a role in a user’s page experience. Google wants the websites in their SERPs to be safe for users, so make sure your site doesn’t have anything that could put users at risk. 

There are many ways to improve your Core Web Vitals – these are just a few of them. But even the smallest changes can make a big difference in how your website performs. For more information about this upcoming update and how to prepare your website, contact WSI Internet Partners today. 

Aaron Braunstein

Aaron Braunstein is the President of WSI Internet Partners, a Waco-based digital marketing agency that helps local businesses grow through strategy-driven SEO, Google Ads, and AI-powered solutions. A long-time member of the Waco business community, Aaron brings global expertise and local insight to every project. Connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at WSI Internet Partners.

wsiinternetpartners.com/

The post Core Web Vitals to Become Next Ranking Signals in 2021 first appeared on WSI Internet Partners (Waco, TX).

Aaron Braunstein

Aaron Braunstein is the President of WSI Internet Partners, a Waco-based digital marketing agency that helps local businesses grow through strategy-driven SEO, Google Ads, and AI-powered solutions. A long-time member of the Waco business community, Aaron brings global expertise and local insight to every project. Connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at WSI Internet Partners.

wsiinternetpartners.com/

The post WORDPRESS SITE SLOW? HERE’S HOW TO MAKE IT FASTER first appeared on WSI Internet Partners (Waco, TX).

Aaron Braunstein

Aaron Braunstein is the President of WSI Internet Partners, a Waco-based digital marketing agency that helps local businesses grow through strategy-driven SEO, Google Ads, and AI-powered solutions. A long-time member of the Waco business community, Aaron brings global expertise and local insight to every project. Connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at WSI Internet Partners.

wsiinternetpartners.com/

The post WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR CUSTOMERS DURING CORONAVIRUS first appeared on WSI Internet Partners (Waco, TX).

I think it’s fair to say that none of us imagined we’d be where we are today. Nor did we foresee the impact COVID-19 would have on businesses all around the world.

We know your business has been affected in one way or the other, and we’d like to help you navigate through this crisis, so you are positioned to come out on the other side stronger.

Over the next few weeks, WSI will be running a free webinar series to share digital marketing tips, tricks, and best practices that you can use to overcome the marketing obstacles you are facing today. Based on some of the recent research we’ve seen, companies that embrace digital marketing will be in a much better position to engage and network with their customers through this crisis.

Here are the details for this special WSI COVID-19 webinar series:

Ahead of the Curve: Digital Marketing Tips, Tricks and Best Practices During COVID-19

Occurs every Wednesday from April 1 – May 6 | 11:30 AM – 12 PM EDT

Topics being covered:

• April 1 – Video Marketing: How Using Video Creates Revenue, Retention, and Relationships for Your Business
• April 8 – Competitive Research: How to Analyze the Marketing Activities of Your Competitors to Get Ahead
• April 15 – Database Management: Learning the Basics of Managing Your Customer Database to Grow Your Business
• April 22 – Persona-Based Marketing: Understanding Your Target Audience in Challenging Times
• April 29 – Conversational Marketing: How to Reimagine Your Customer Conversations Using the Latest Technology
• May 6 – Website Conversions: How to Convert More of Your Website Visitors into Leads

REGISTER NOWEven if you don’t think you can’t make all of the dates above, we encourage you to register for the series, so you get a copy of the webinar recordings to your inbox to watch later.

As always, my team is here to support your business in any way that we can.

Stay safe, and remember, we are in this together.

Aaron Braunstein

Aaron Braunstein is the President of WSI Internet Partners, a Waco-based digital marketing agency that helps local businesses grow through strategy-driven SEO, Google Ads, and AI-powered solutions. A long-time member of the Waco business community, Aaron brings global expertise and local insight to every project. Connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at WSI Internet Partners.

wsiinternetpartners.com/

The post A COVID-19 WEBINAR SERIES YOU’LL WANT TO ATTEND first appeared on WSI Internet Partners (Waco, TX).

Aaron Braunstein

Aaron Braunstein is the President of WSI Internet Partners, a Waco-based digital marketing agency that helps local businesses grow through strategy-driven SEO, Google Ads, and AI-powered solutions. A long-time member of the Waco business community, Aaron brings global expertise and local insight to every project. Connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at WSI Internet Partners.

wsiinternetpartners.com/

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