Information Architecture Optimization involves the global navigation of your website. It will be helpful for users and search engines. Basically, it is a way to get the keywords you want to rank high for within the link text. The users experience should always come first before the search engines – so, you don’t want to cram a bunch of keywords on the buttons at the top of your website, because it might confuse users, it may not fit within the space you have, and could disrupt the look and feel of your website.

For example, most people have very general terms like “about us”  “contact us” and “customer support” as their navigation pages. With information architecture, you would make these more specific and keyword focused, so if we were to implement in our about us page, we could say:

“About Us – We are an internet marketing firm in San Diego”

The ways around actually displaying all of those words on the page, but still having them there, is by using one of four different strategies listed below:

Code Order

Within the code of the website, you can rearrange the order so that the first thing listed is the content of the page, then the side bar navigation, and then the header information.  This way, your website will be more optimized so that the links with the keywords are prioritized.

CSS Status Tip

The CSS Status tip is what appears in the bottom left hand corner of your screen. If you use this technique, your keyword rich sentence will show up at the bottom of the page when someone hovers over one of the buttons in the navigation.

CSS Tool Tip

This strategy is most commonly used and would display the longer keyword phrase right at the same place you are scrolling over. So, it will appear as a text balloon right next to the link.

Image Based Navigation

This way you would use images as the actual buttons and add alternative or ALT text to these images as the keyword phrase you want to use.

All in all, information architecture optimization is a more advanced technique, but if you are willing to put the effort into it, it will make a big difference. Have any questions? Let us know!

We discuss usability and conversion optimization frequently, but there is one simple piece of the puzzle that can get overlooked.  Website speed and performance! 

Users are becoming more and more impatient as they surf the web.  Now the majority of people really only focus on the first few results in Google so companies spend a lot of time, energy, and money performing search engine optimization and running paid search ads.  Once the user lands on your page, you have about eight seconds to capture their attention or they are gone.  But before you even worry about your design, layout, and call to action you should consider your site’s speed and performance.  If you page does not load within a few seconds, that user will leave and go to the next search result…and will likely never come back.

If your company’s website is slow, the first thing you need to do is determine what is slowing it down.  It may be due to a number of factors such as image file size or general architecture.  Here are a few simple steps for getting started.  You will first need to load the following on your computer:

• Mozilla Firefox web browser
• Firebug (getfirebug.com)
• Page Speed (code.google.com/speed/page-speed)

Once this is set up, open Firefox and go to Tools and choose Firebug.  Open Firebug and choose page speed.  This will give you a list of factors involved in site speed and make recommendations for improvement. 

Here are some things to consider for website development for your business to ensure proper structure, speed, and performance:

• Use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and combine them into one file
• Streamline the CSS by eliminating unused styles
• If you are running on a blogging platform like Wordpress install a caching plug-in
• Always trim down image size and resolution when possible
• Avoid flash based site when possible – combine HTML and Flash and limit the amount of flash on each page
• Use a dedicated server if possible or make sure you are using a high quality host provider

The Basics of a Website – Part 1

For most non-webtechies, the “behind the scenes” setup of a website is often very confusing.  There are two very specific things that need to be setup before you can launch a website (after website design and development) and that is the Domain Registration (www.yourname.com) and the Web Hosting – which is a server where the files of your website are stored and your email is setup.

Domain Registration

Finding a good name is very difficult these days.  Nearly all the short acronyms are already taken and in most cases, your own name is possibly already registered.  Using one of the domain registration websites, you can search for a domain name and if your choice is taken, most sites will give you suggestions for names that closely match your search.  Try to avoid using dashes in your domain name if at all possible. 

It is always strongly recommended that you register your own domain name(s).  There are a quite a few options available, just search for “domain registration” the cost is around $7.50 to $15 per year, and you can get discounts for registering multiple years at a time.  It doesn’t matter where you register your domain, but do not let a web developer tell you they have to register for you – this is absolutely not true!  They are only trying to control you and possibly your domain if your site is a success.

Web Hosting

Once you’re finished registering your domain, then you are free to shop around for web-hosting.   Some of the domain registration sites also offer hosting.  In most cases, this is the ideal setup.  This way, you only have one contact for all your support needs.   However, before you setup hosting, make sure you contact your web developer to ensure that the hosting company is acceptable.  The difference in cost is nearly insignificant, until you start adding layers of security (SSL) which are recommended for any online purchasing websites or eCommerce that accept credit card payments. 

For a web developer, there are certain tools that will make the development of your website proceed smoothly.  Example, is if the host offers a cPanel or Plesk interface (a user friendly control panel for development).  But most importantly, your developer will be able to check to see what software your host supports in order to build your website.  Some of these include MySQL and PHP (which are both very critical tools for Content Management Systems like WordPress or Joomla).

The type of server you choose for hosting can make a big difference in the way your website can be built.  Linux is the preferred server for most custom web developers, however, larger corporations and those with more interest of high-tech security chose to go with a Windows server.   In most cases, a Linux server will provide you with a safe and secure website hosting environment.

It’s always best to check with your website development company before you purchase a Hosting solution.  

Next: Changing your Domain Registration and /or Web Hosting provider.

Website design and development can be a frustrating process for both the designer and the client because it is a creative process and there are usually several people involved on both sides providing feedback and guidance.  Everyone has a different opinion on what looks good and what will properly reflect the company’s brand image.

To avoid obstacles and communication issues throughout the website design process, it is better to spend more time on discovery and the initial planning.  Here are seven tips to help ensure the end result is a success for both the client and the designer  Internet marketing company.

ONE:  Gain an Intimate Understanding of Their Business

This seems obvious but this step is often rushed.  To truly provide value and show your client that your care about their business, you need to learn about their business model, revenue streams, financial goals, corporate culture, and future vision.

TWO:  Know the Competition

It is important as the designer to understand who your client’s competitors are.  Find out who their offline and online competition is.  There may be a difference in who they are competing with in the search engine results and who they truly consider their competitor.  You should know both sides and find out what their competition is doing right as well as where they are falling short. 

THREE:  Understand Their Design Goals

During the discovery process it is often helpful to provide the client with a questionnaire such as a “needs analysis” or “design questionnaire” so you can extract as much information as possible such as color pallet ideas, websites they like and don’t like, desired functionality, and basic conversion goals.  For example, is the purpose of the site to simply inform, or will it be meant to generate new business, or both?

FOUR:  Get a List of Website They Like

One of the best ways to get behind the “design” eye of your client is to have them provide you a list of three to five websites they like.  Make sure they provide you with details about why they like the designs and any aspects about the sites they do not like. 

FIVE:  Understand Budget Ranges

This can be a sensitive discussion early on because the client will not want to give up any negotiating power by simply answering your question, “What is your Budget?”  However, quite often the client does not have a sound understanding of how their vision for their new website will translate into design and development time…and money!  That is why the discovery process is so important.  Whether you are a freelance designer or a full scale Internet marketing company, the process should be the same.  The budget will immediately help you communicate to the client what is possible and what is not. 

SIX:  Understand Functionality and Optimization Goals

This part is very important.  Many times a designer may not be the individual actually developing the website.  This can be problematic of the designer has more of a graphic design background and a limited understanding of the development process.  Sometimes great designs don’t translate well on the web or may not be feasibly from a development perspective depending on the functionality needs of the client.  Make sure you communicate with the development team so they understand how you plan to lay things out.  All designers these days should also have at least a basic understanding of search engine optimization.  It is frustrating for a client when they spend a lot of time and money having a great website designed only to find out month later that it has to be rebuilt for SEO purposes. 

SEVEN:  Functional Specifications

The result of the discovery process should be a very detailed FSD (functional specifications document) that both the website designer/developer and the client sign off on.  This ensures that there is a blueprint to consult when there is confusion about what is or is not “in scope”.  This is the MOST important part of the project and should not be rushed.  The FSD should include details on design, functionality, timeline, budget, and all supporting details and documentation gathered during the discovery phase.  A good FSD will include the wire frames and maybe even some initial design mocks.  Make sure the FSD is in line with the contract and that deliverables are detailed.  Because website design is a creative process, the client will think of things along the way that they did not initially communicate during discovery.  Depending on how simple or complex these requests are, you can make a judgment call whether to include the additional requests or possible provide the client with an additional quote based on estimates hours.

You just can’t by with an “old school” website anymore.  And yes, your company/brand will be judged on the appearance of your website.  You also can’t get by anymore by just having a site that serves the purpose of being your “online business card”.  Every company, no matter what industry, no matter what size, should have a website with clear goals.  Conversion goals that is.

Conversion optimization takes all aspects of your website into consideration starting with your core business objectives.  These need to be clearly defined and your website should be designed (or redesigned) to support these goals.  You should also have a solid understanding of your analytics so you can set some benchmarks:

• Where does our traffic come from?
• What are our bounce rates?
• How long do people stay and what pages do they go to, leave from?
• Do visitors convert?

What happens in 8 seconds.  A “bounce” is defined as a user who comes to your site and leaves in under 8 seconds.  Therefore a bounce rate is the ratio of people who leave in under 8 seconds VS those that stay.  Anything under 50% is pretty good.  Conversion goals are different for every website but examples are capturing information like name, address, phone; a sale; a download; a phone call…you get the idea.  So let’s take a look at the various elements that need to be considered when building a website that converts.

THE INITIAL HOOK

You must have a clear call to action, or a few key action points.  E-commerce sites usually have promotions and offer things like FREE shipping.  Everybody likes and deal and wants to be incentivized.  If your goal is to get a user to download your whitepaper, tell them why its valuable and give them some incentive for doing so. 

DESIGN

Once you have defined your goals, the site needs to be designed so that the call to action is prominent and focused on encouraging the user to act.  Using larger fonts, bold colors, simple but compelling design concepts, less content, and plenty of open space usually fall under the best practices category.  It is usually recommended to use separate landing pages with clear calls to action to support online and offline marketing efforts.

Notice the example below has a very clear purpose (sorry the picture is kind of small).  This page is designed to bring people back to the site, capture their information, and offers an incentive to do so.

SITE FUNCTIONALITY

This is very important because the more user friendly your site is the better your consversion rates will be.  Seems pretty obvious but can take a lot of focus to get it right for any specific site.  Many times bounce rates and lack of conversions are simply due to poor functionalty, poor design, and a “sales cycle” that is just too long.  Streamline the process, only capture the information you need, and keep the steps simple and fast. 

You can use technology and custom tools to enhance the experience and go beyond your competition.  Just remember, it all starts with defining clear goals first and then developing a plan.

Most people probably assume some level of optimization goes into website development but usually this is not the case.  Most often, SEO, if performed at all, comes much later when the stakeholders ask the marketing team why their site doesn’t show up for certain keywords.  Search engine optimization is not normally involved in the web development process, though it definitely should be.  Behind the scenes, unless there is a process in place, it can be difficult to weave SEO into the website development project plan. 

So where does it fit in and why is it so important to perform SEO during website development?

The truth is that this is not news to SEO’s or most website developers but making it work is a different story.  The answer to the question above is that SEO should fit into almost every aspect of you website development project plan.  It should be part of the functional specifications document and outlined every step of the way.  Ideally, there should be an SEO on the development team or at least consulting with the lead engineers and project managers.

This is important because by not integrating SEO into the whole development process, you can end up spending more money and time later on, trying to get it right.  When you are talking about rolling out an existing site to a new platform, this is crucial.  If the current site has rankings and even some of the smallest steps are missed, you could disappear from the SERPs (which ultimatley will cost you revenue and more costs related to fixing the issues).

Steps to consider when including SEO in the developement process:

• What are the goals of the website and how will certain keyword rankings support those goals?
• What is the defined keyword strategy and how will it be applied to title and meta descriptions?
• How will the important pages monetize and what are the necessary calls to action?

We must consider how SEO will affect the development process from day one.  SEO should be considered during the follow steps (but not limited to):

• Discovery period – to define the goals, functionality, site map, content needed, etc.
• Functional specifications and project plan – to define HOW and WHERE SEO will play a role in each step
• Site map and wire frames – to ensure site architecture and layout abides by SEO guidelines
• Design – to ensure the proper balance of design, functionality, and SEO friendliness
• QA – SEOs should be a part of the QA especially when performing a redevelopment and rolling out a new site (i.e. 301 redirects)
• Hard launch – to ensure the site is properly submitted to the search engines and is being properly indexed

So what is the takeaway?  SEO is always important ans should be a part of the process (but not because I say so).  Make sure the firm building your new website understands SEO and will build for optimization.  A site will never rank well without the basics of SEO architecture, and that starts in development.

We have all been hearing the buzz about “green” strategies and sustainability.  We are all responsible for molding the future of the web and contributing new content in responsible ways.  Sustainable (or “green) website design is just part of this.  It starts with committing to the mentality and applying it to how we conduct our operations online.  Most great Internet marketing strategies start with a great website.  So let’s talk about some ways we can be more efficient in design and functionality.

It has all started with the greening of data centers and hosting providers.  Data centers and hosting control panels are now leading the way in energy reduction, cooling, and bandwidth requirements.  Much of this strategy is a result of the ability to give back the responsibility to web developers and designers.  The more efficient we are at web design, the more we all contribute to helping data centers conserve energy and bandwidth.

Web standards like XHTML and CSS create more efficient websites by using less code.  Tableless website design makes it easier to reuse code through cascading style sheets.  This makes functionality and maintenance easier resulting in less bandwidth requirements.  And guess what else…its great for SEO! 

Specific design patterns can also be used to reuse code, imagery, and media.  For example, the same JavaScript can be recycled in an e-commerce shopping cart and distributed from product sku to product sku.  Even front end design elements can be reused.  The key is to separate the code from presentation and style.  Themes are a great way to recycle designs through simple customizations. 

Another great way websites can be standardized without developing new customized code (that increases bandwidth requirements) is the use of all the great open source technology out there.  Using open source technology reduces time, energy and cost.

Hardware is being refurbished and recycled as well.  Data centers and now even being located near renewable energy sources.  We are still at the beginning of sustainable website design and development strategies, but it is what we do now that will keep the improvements coming.

Does your website perform they way it is supposed to?  Do your visitors see the content you want them to and take action?  Web design and conversion optimization is all about maximizing your website’s potential to convert traffic into some kind of attainable and measurable goal.  Whether the goal is to collect emails, registrations, downloads, or purchases all the same rules apply.

Make your message clear

Make it simple

Make it easy

Here are a few suggestions to enure your visitors take action and become customers! 

Use simple but compelling language to communicate your message and its value.  Then compliment that message with a large and noticeable “call to action” so the user understands what the next step is.  The image below shows a good example of this:

The use of space, color, and page layout are very important.  Below is a great example of a good blend of color and space.  The more space you have around the call to action “buttons” the better.  Studies show that the more cluttered a page is the more likely the user is to get confused and not understand what you want them to do.

Notice how clean the page is and that a couple options are given.  The use of space is done purposefully to provide clarity and simplicity.

Other suggestions to improve conversions on websites and landing pages include:

• Trust factors – let the user know it is safe to enter their information or download your product
• Simple bullet pointed content – don’t make the user read to long paragraphs, keep them moving
• Compelling design and images – the pages of course should look clean and compelling to keep bounce rates low
• Large buttons – size does matter
• 3 to 5 step process – using a simple “step” process helps clarify what the user needs to do to complete your “sales cycle”

It is always surprising to see major brands and companies that have been around for decades that still have website built in the 90’s.  It is fairly common and many times this is simply not a priority especially if the company “doesn’t gain new business prospects via the web”.  The response to this kind of comment of course is “Of course you don’t if your website is old and invisible to Google”.

More large companies (across all industries) are starting to realize the importance of improving their online marketing capabilities.  For most, it is a matter of simply focusing on it, making the commitment, and having an internal team to head up the effort.  Even if the Internet marketing and website development initiatives are going to be outsourced, mostly companies will still need and internal marketing team leading the charge.

Some company owners and executives wonder if now is a good time to invest in improving their online exposure.  The answer of course is that it has never been a more crucial time.  During good economic times, consumers and potential customers do not scrutinize these types of things as much nor do they price compare a shop around as much as they do now.  You have one shot when someone visits your website.  This is important especially if your website is your key resource for providing information about your company and services.

So once you have decided that it is time to make the commitment, what is the next step?  Here are some tips for getting started:

• Define your business and marketing strategy: Your business goals should drive your marketing strategy.  Look at what you are currently doing (or not doing) and set some benchmarks.  Research your competitors that are doing it better.  If your major competitors have a better website (that has been redesigned in the last 12 months), great rankings in the search engines, and an exciting social media campaign, then you have some work to do!  But don’t worry…the fact that they are doing it proves that you should be too.
• Website redesign/redevelopment: Before launching the marketing strategy, you need to prepare your online platform for traffic and converting traffic into new business.  Think of this as having a house warming party.  You wouldn’t send out 100 invitations and make big plans to show off your home unless you have done spome “house cleaning” first.  Your website needs to be compelling, user-friendly, offer great value to your visitor, and have good calls to action so the user know what you want them to do.
• Internet marketing strategy: Start with the basics.  A good search engine optimization (SEO) campaign is the right long term investment to make.  There is no point investing in a new website if noone is going to ever see it (or at least not many people).  Remember my comment above about companies saying that they do not gain new clients or business from the Internet?  Well this is meant to change that.  Great rankings relevant to your industry, business, and services, will eventually build traffic and foster new customers – if the website is set up to convert.  Pay per click (PPC) advertising can be a great way to get quick results in the search engines, target specific areas and consumers, and get faster results than you will with SEO.  PPC is advertising where as SEO is more like a true investment in the future of your business.  Other strategies include social media marketing, email marketing, display ads, retargeting, etc.

The best way to get the process started is to talk to people you trust who are currently doing it.  The most important thing to realize is that consumers in all industries are researching online and could find you if you take the time to “be found”.  The web is a trasparent place and people want to know who you really are.  The days of hiding behind a website that has limited information are over (if you want to survive).   Consider starting a blog and get the executives involved.  If the CEO of Ritz Cartlon can make time for blogging and Twitter, so can you!

Conversion optimization was born out of the need of lead generation and e-commerce internet marketers to improve their website’s results. As competition grew on the web during the early 2000’s, Internet marketers had to become more measurable with their marketing tactics. They began experimenting with website design and content variations to determine the layouts, copy text, offers and images will improve their conversion rate. – Wikipedia

Conversion optimization is more important than ever as companies move more of their marketing budgets online seeking more cost effective ways to achieve their goals.  The approach has two angles.  The first starts with researching the industry and target markets of the company in need of improved conversions.  Once the data has been collected, a more targeted marketing message can be planned.  Secondly, comprehensive testing such as A/B testing is done to monitor results and make adjustments to continually improve the conversion rates. 

Conversion optimization is about achieving business goals and gaining the best possible ROI from the marketing efforts.  Here is a chart that outlines the basics:

The foundation behind conversion optimization is website design.  Once you have the marketing message put together and before you start running the campaign and testing results, you have to design the site and landing pages accordingly to achieve your goals.  Like anything esle there are some best pratices to follow when putting together a landing page.  The basics include the following:

• Keep it simple and focus on the message
• Message must be associated with ad campaign
• Keyword association
• Clear and obvious calls to action
• Simple content (bullet points)
• Trust factors
• Short registration forms
• Must be well designed and compelling

The bottom line is that a good Internet marketing company will first help you define your business goals, then help you assemble the message, and then put together the campaign, launch it and test results constantly.  Continually updating your landing pages will improve results dramatically which will lead to a well spent marketing budget!

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