Secret #1: Keep it simple Navigation. Make it easy for your customers to find the products they are searching for. Using simplified navigation (for instance breadcrumbs like the Apple Store example) gives your customers instant orientation to which page they are viewing and a visual path back. Search. Since approximately 50% of users are search driven - they instantly locate and use the closest search tool - having a search that narrows search results as you type is a great feature. Your results page should effectively and graphically list the results, proving to be simple to understand. Checkout. An easy checkout system or shopping cart can make the buying process smooth and more inviting. For example, it's easiest for me to checkout online with simply my e-mail address as a guest checkout, rather than having to create a new user account at each site I shop at. If yo...
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In today's world of online shopping, search engine results are critical for nearly every website owner. After all, "googling" has become a new verb in our vocabulary, according to most dictionaries. The majority of the populace first turn to a search engine when they are seeking information on a product or service or looking to buy. With our game-changing CMS product, Backstage, we have made it easy for you to cover all your basics in optimizing nearly every part of your website for the search engines (SEO). Here are 4 simple steps you can take today to create an optimized site. 1. Create a keyword-focused page title. It's simple to create your own keyword-driven page titles that will help you rank better in web searches. After logging into Backstage, and clicking on the page you would like to optimize, click on the "Optimize for SEO" option on the right-hand panel of...
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We came across this blog-post on www.churchleaders.com about church websites recently and thought the thoughts recorded were worth sharing. The post references the same Lifeway Survey that we mentioned on our blog several months ago. While we don't use (or recommend) Wordpress or pre-designed/stock templates, we do think the 5 simple points made in this blog post are worth thinking about. As a branding company, we believe each client is inherently unique and we strive to design them a website with layout, functionality, and attractiveness that is exactly right for them and reflects their brand, or identity. So, we don't deal with templates and this actually goes hand in hand with the article's point number 1: Engaging Home Page. Having an engaging home page is essential. We as a culture have become content to skim through content and jump from website to website looki...
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