Holy cow where did this year go!? I can’t believe that it is already October! You know what that means – the holiday season is right around the corner! Did you know that 40% of all holiday shopping is done online? Since online shopping makes purchases so convenient for most shoppers in today’s day and age, it is important for your website to stand out to your consumers and the search engines. How are you going to place yourself ahead of your other competition online to ensure you get the sale? Here are some tips for cleaning up your e-commerce website’s SEO, in preparation for all of the customers that will be searching for your products, so that they are more likely to make their holiday purchases on your website.
Mix Up Manufacturer Descriptions
We can’t stress enough how important it is for you to make your business’s website content unique. Most manufacturers will distribute product descriptions to retailers that are easy to copy and paste onto your website pages. Don’t! Try to spice up the copy and make it more meaningful and intriguing for your customers. Provide content that will enhance the product’s appeal and offer more valuable information to a consumer looking to purchase. Consider adding a blurb about the advantage of shopping with your company vs. others, or highlight unique product features to diversify from the standard manufacturer description. Stray away from the cookie cutter content that is provided and give it that personalized touch your customers will appreciate. If your copy reads the same as every other retailer out there, there is no reason for the search engines to give you better search visibility or for your target audience to select your website over your competitors.
Give a Unique User Experience
Having a unique user experience is something that consumers look for and appreciate when purchasing a product online and it could be the make or break factor in whether they buy from you or your competitor. Did you know that over 50% of online shoppers watch product videos before making a purchase? Interactive images and engaging videos are the best way to demonstrate a product in action so that the consumer can feel more confident in their purchase, making a return less likely. With large purchases typically being made around the holiday season, customers want to educate themselves on their options. They will be looking to YOU for knowledge on merchandise and reasons why making the purchase from your company is the right decision. Use your website to attract, engage and convert your target audience, showing them why your store is their best choice for holiday shopping.
Expand the Sale
Accessories and add-ons to purchases can be an easy upsell during the holiday shopping madness. Optimizing your e-commerce website to display and highlight “related items” to already selected products in a buyer’s shopping cart is a great way to grow the sale and encourage shoppers to go one step further and add that extra item to their transaction. I know that I am guilty of tacking on additions to my purchases, especially when they are recommended to me and so simple to add to the cart!
Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are HUGE! Just as I mentioned before about consumers wanting to feel educated in the purchases they are making, customer reviews can play a large role in their buying decisions. Getting your customers to leave positive feedback on your products will also give your e-commerce site a natural boost in SEO. Google loves frequent and fresh content and with new reviews being continuously added, your site will be rewarded by the search engines! There are many ways to ask your clients to review your business and its’ products after a transaction is made. Consider adding a request on the thank you page, or a follow-up email after the item has been delivered to the consumer
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Utilize Rich Snippets
Rich snippets, also known as structured data, give Google a better understanding of the context of your site which will allow for more relevant information to be displayed according to the search. These rich snippets have evolved over time and now offer some great opportunities that your e-commerce business can take advantage of, which in turn, can also help to improve your online rankings and place you ahead of your competition. Creating rich snippets for specific product pages can better position that product to appeal to the right shopper at the right time. Including prices, descriptions, images, specials, and related items in an e-commerce rich snippet will assist in driving those holiday sales!
All-in-all these e-commerce SEO tips can be applied at any time, but preparing for the annual online shopping frenzy that is just up ahead, can give your e-commerce business a leg up on the competition!
