Atlantic Business Technologies, Inc.

Author: Natalie Iannello

  • Five fixes for your top eCommerce SEO challenges.

    Five fixes for your top eCommerce SEO challenges.

    Local or service-based SEO is fairly straightforward: you optimize service pages, start a Facebook page to drum up local interest, build some relevant links to pages, write some keyword optimized blogs, and ultimately cover the SEO basics.

    But for something like an online learning system, a media platform, or eCommerce; SEO presents new challenges. The sheer breadth of these websites is a challenge in itself. All SEO tasks will have to be prioritized by effort and impact, regular audits become essential to stay on top of site health, and you’ll likely be coordinating with several internal or external marketers to keep things afloat.

    Aside from page volume, eCommerce websites have a unique structure that presents industry-specific challenges. Digital ads will be closely tied to your revenue and technical SEO becomes a priority.

    Take a peek at 5 of the top challenges that eCommerce SEO experts face and how they are handling them.

    1. Implementing custom product descriptions.

    Custom product descriptions are an opportunity to create unique content on product pages. Custom descriptions will also help you add several relevant keywords in one place.

    Better still, you can incorporate some tricks in your product descriptions to make them convert – such as using sensory adjectives or suggesting some common product uses, helping buyers picture a product in their everyday lifestyle. 

    Here are some methods to create a consistent practice of unique product page content.

    Train site users for SEO.

    Train the people who actually upload products and add descriptions in keyword research. For example, we wrote a blog on SEO basics for this reason. We can share these simple tips with clients who have larger site sizes so that they can train blog writers to incorporate best practices.

    A blog post isn’t always the best way to train. Try having an SEO expert audit some existing pages and show teams how they would fix them. Showing tangible examples is usually easier to digest than having people read an overview.

    Make sure you house a writeup or presentation as an internal resource. SEO is complicated, and you’ll need to make it easy for learners to refer back to this material.

    Automate unique descriptions.

    A unique description does not necessarily need to be manually written. There are a plethora of tools and AI solutions that could be implemented to help. For example, these four software businesses offer Natural Language Generation (NLG) product descriptions:

    Boost custom product reviews. 

    If you have enough good reviews on a page, you may eliminate the urgency for a custom description. 

    While a high quality product may generate reviews on its own, using a tool like Power Reviews to ask for feedback after a purchase is a better way to ensure ratings.

    Remember to ask customers to write something a few paragraphs long… or provide them with an example. 

    2. Prioritizing keywords with thousands of products.

    There’s no single correct way to zero in on certain products. But here are some options to help you prioritize:

    • Pick keywords around your largest revenue-driving product
    • Pick keywords involved with a new product you are trying to grow
    • Pick keywords that are the easiest wins for your business – or “keyword mapping”

    eCommerce keyword mapping.

    Pick an “easy win” keyword by looking at traction you’ve already built. Do you have any page 2 rankings for promising keywords? You might be able to bring them to page 1 with a simple internal linking strategy.

    Focus on product landing pages.

    Another approach is to manually optimize product landing pages, given there is a manageable amount. These will be your high level category pages.

    Optimizing these landing pages eliminates the issues of having similar products compete with each other. If your site offers a high volume of similar products, this is probably your best bet.

    3. Defining an unclear blog strategy.

    What is the goal of your eCommerce blog? Likely, you’ve discovered that a blog is the easiest way to get unique content on your website in bulk. It’s also a great way to attract organic traffic from buyers in the “awareness” phase. 

    Maximize the ROI of your blog by using it for internal linking opportunities and faster conversions.

    Boost sales by internal linking in your blog.

    Backlinking from external sources can help boost the authority of your web pages and demonstrate relevance. Internal linking is an easier way to do the same thing, helping you capitalize on the authority you’ve already built.

    First of all, find blogs that have the most or highest quality backlinks to start with. These will be easy to pick out because they likely generate the most traffic.

    Then, link these top blogs to products that you’d like to focus on using keyword anchor text.

    The keyword anchor text will signal relevance to search engines, and the blog posts’ backlink authority will pass through to the product page.

    Conversion optimization in your blog.

    Boost product conversions throughout your blog by incorporating featured product callouts, adding a recommended product widget in the blog, or adding popups with limited offers and coupon codes.

    You could also go the longer (but less pushy) route: gather newsletter signups on your blog and nurture them with emails including offers and featured products.

    4. Optimizing URL structure.

    There are a couple of optimal URL structures for eCommerce.

    Most optimized eCommerce stores today are using one of these two structures:

    • storename.com/category/sub-category/product-name
    • storename.com/product-name

    Using the first option works like a breadcrumb, showing users exactly where they are on the website. 

    On the other hand, the second option can keep your URL short and reduce confusion (especially if you have many levels of categories on your site). To give you some more schema markup opportunities, you can use a breadcrumb on your product page along with this shorter URL.

    For instance, Best Buy uses this URL structure for a product page:

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dyson-cyclone-v10-animal-pro-cordless-stick-vacuum-copper/6373040.p?skuId=6373040

    Also note that Best Buy is a large website with similar products. They need to add unique identifiers like an SKU in the URL to prevent duplicates. 

    Should you restructure if your site is organized differently? 

    Changing your site structure and implementing a high volume of redirects will hurt your SEO initially. However, cleaning up your website should pay off over time if you’re willing to take a temporary hit. And if you’re already suffering in the organic department, you have nothing to lose!

    5. Third-party scripts are slowing down your website.

    With sales tied closely to marketing spend, you probably have all sorts of third-party scripts to track conversions (Google ads, Linkedin, Facebook, etc.). An easy precaution to take is uploading scripts in Google Tag Manager so that marketers can pause them  when they are not in use.

    A Google study proved that  53% of mobile ad clicks immediately exited when load times exceeded 3 seconds. Now calculate your site conversion rate and average sale to determine the revenue impact. 

    Site speed is worth the investment! And as frequent deployments can affect your site speed, the only way to stay on top of it is to perform regular audits. We recently compiled a prioritized list of 6 key factors to boost website performance to give your team a starting point.

    Marketing and Development are tied closely together.

    You’ve probably noticed that all of these SEO best practices are closely tied to eCommerce web development. For this reason, you’ll need to rely on a development team that is well-versed in eCommerce SEO, or make sure that you’re investing in appropriate training. 

    Ready to get the ball rolling?  Give us a call – we offer free consultations to get started building your eCommerce digital strategy.

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  • Take full advantage of the new Instagram Shopping.

    Take full advantage of the new Instagram Shopping.

    Instagram has slowly been increasing its features for advertisers and sellers. The new Instagram Shopping experience provides an additional revenue stream for the app itself (as they charge a fee for sales). But it’s also providing a whole channel for brands to gain exposure and drive sales!

    Read on to learn more about the ins and outs of Instagram Shopping and see what brand value is in store for you.

    Whats the new Instagram Shopping experience like?

    Instagram Shopping began with the rollout of tagging products within posts and video descriptions. Users were able to click on these products and either save for later or click through to purchase on the brand’s website.

    But this month, Instagram began rolling out a whole new shopping experience in test phases.

    How do users get there?

    Instagram shops are now a tab in the interface, letting users browse products when they’re in the mood to purchase.

    How do users browse products?

    Products are organized into collections, making it easy to stumble upon appealing items. Product recommendations are based on the brands that Instagram users are following, meaning this shop is completely customized towards an individual’s preferences.

    What other features should I know about?

    Instagram influencers and creators are also able to tag products in their own posts. This means that affiliate programs are now more useful to sellers than ever before.

    Better still, users now have access to a seamless in-app experience. Since all of their information is already stored in Facebook pay, the checkout process is simple.

    How does Instagram Shop benefit eCommerce sellers?

    Bypass larger brands – get exposure through targeting your niche.

    eCommerce is a growing, competitive space; especially since Covid forced many stores to rely on digital sales. 

    While you are enjoying the benefits of more people shopping online, you likely noticed that traditional channels are becoming more competitive at the same time:

    • Search engines driving organic traffic
    • Paid ads targeting through custom audiences and search intent
    • Social media exposure through relevant hashtags or the Instagram Explore page

    Now, Instagram Shop provides a channel with less barriers to entry. Focus on growing your Instagram following and affiliate partnerships to tap into a ready-to-buy audience, without worrying about search engine bloodbaths or the Instagram Explore page’s ambiguous algorithm.

    Tap into an audience that is more likely to purchase.

    Not only are Instagram users getting an extremely personalized shopping experience while they’re in the buying mindset, they also have a convenient checkout experience. 

    Buyers shop with Facebook pay, meaning there is no hassle to input all of their billing information. For you, that means less cart abandonment.

    How do I set up my Instagram shop?

    If you’re new to social media selling, make sure your domain is verified through Facebook Surfaces and Instagram Shopping. Then, connect to a business Facebook page.

    Next, you’ll need to connect a product catalog to your Instagram Business Account. You can either manually upload your products, or you can sync your website if it’s built with a supported platform (like Shopify or BigCommerce).

    Heres an example of syncing your catalog through Shopify.

    Once you’ve configured your catalog, you can submit your Instagram account for review. If your account is approved, you’ll be able to enable shopping in your settings.

    What’s next for Instagram Shopping?

    With new features that make Instagram’s shopping experience streamlined and personalized, this is becoming an essential branch of eCommerce strategy.

    And it doesn’t stop at setting up your Instagram store. Live shopping is coming soon! That means that influencers using an Instagram Live can tag products within the video.

    This is valuable real estate! When someone posts a live, all of their users are notified immediately (jumping to the top of everyone’s feed).

    It’s a great time to start setting up influencer marketing programs to take advantage of upcoming features.

  • Try these 5 SEO quick wins for your blog.

    Try these 5 SEO quick wins for your blog.

    As businesses improve SEO techniques over time, the competition to rank has intensified. You’ll want to rely on an SEO professional for advanced link building, site speed optimization, and well-researched keyword-optimized blog posts. 

    If you’ve never invested in SEO resources before, there’s a few things you can do to clean up your blog and get a jumpstart all on your own. 

    Our 5 SEO quick wins to optimize your blog are:

    1. Perform keyword research.
    2. Optimize URLs.
    3. Optimize meta tags.
    4. Use purposeful headings.
    5. Incorporate internal linking.

    1. Perform keyword research.

    Many of our tips include optimizing elements of your blog – but you can’t keyword optimize without performing research.

    We also know that it’s not possible to keyword optimize your entire blog retrospectively. Instead, find blog posts that are already bringing in some traffic and see how you could improve. Then, implement keyword research for all blogs going forward.

    Choose keywords and topic areas that you think would be a good start. Then, either plug them into Google’s keyword planner or the tool Ubersuggest (they’ll provide similar results).

    Browse the suggestions for easy wins. You want to choose keywords with high search volume (at least 50 average monthly searches) and low competition. Choose 1-3 keywords for each blog post. 

    Now that you’ve mapped out which keywords go with which blog, you can continue optimizing the content, URLs, and meta tags. 

    2. Optimize URLs.

    Including keywords in your URLs will definitely give you a competitive edge. However, you might not want to change the URLs of your older blog posts. You would have to implement some 301 redirects, and too many of those could slow down your website.

    So for your upcoming blogs, make sure you implement optimized URL structures before publishing.

    Aside from including keywords, you’ll want to balance length with relevance. There is no “end all be all” for how many characters a URL should be. As a rule of thumb, make it as short as possible while including keywords and letting users know where they are.

    Using the Yoast plugin’s automated URL for this blog would have read:

    atlanticbt.com/insights/try-these-5-seo-quick-wins-for-your-blog

    However, we’re targeting the keyword “blog seo”, so we shortened the URL accordingly:

    atlanticbt.com/insights/blog-seo

    Users who see this short and relevant URL are more likely to click.

    3. Optimize meta tags. 

    Title tags

    A title tag is an element of HTML that specifies the title of an article to search engines.

    A title tag should be 50-70 characters and include 1-2 keywords. It’s highly unlikely you will rank for a keyword if it’s left out of a title tag.

    Many businesses also include their business name in the title tag for brand exposure.

    Meta Descriptions

    A meta description is an HTML element that summarizes a page’s contents in a snippet.

    Your meta descriptions won’t necessarily help you rank. However, if they are compelling, they will encourage people to click through once rankings are achieved.

    Meta descriptions should be 100-160 characters and include action words. That’s because users are more likely to take action if they’re told what to do! Use verbs to drive clicks – like “Explore,” “Learn,” “See how,” “Access,” “Unlock,” etc.

    Alt text

    Alt text is HTML code used to describe an image, typically just 1-4 words.

    Make sure you train designers and content specialists to use keyword-optimized alt tags. This tag will tell search engines what an image is in your words.

    It will also allow people who cannot see images (or whose browsers struggle to load images) to gain some context for what the image would be.

    4. Use purposeful headings throughout your blog.

    In order to rank, you need to write blog posts that are a minimum of 800 words. But your competition might be writing even longer articles. In fact, according to Hubspot, the ideal length is 2100-2000 words.

    You should naturally be using your keywords throughout the content, especially if you are focusing on length. 

    Headings throughout your article are an even more effective place to add keywords and boost engagement by helping readers skim. 

    5. Incorporate internal linking.

    Some of your articles might have strong backlinks that help them rank. If you link a top performing article to another page, the backlink authority will pass through.

    While some internal linking could be automated with recommended article features, manually adding links can give you control of the anchor text. Using keyword-optimized anchor text can also tell Google your article is relevant to certain keywords.

    Need help building a digital strategy?

    From improving site performance to increasing organic traffic and eCommerce conversions, Atlantic BT is here to help you tackle your business challenges. Contact us for a free consultation with an expert.

  • How to win more business with engaging long-form content.

    How to win more business with engaging long-form content.

    Writing content that converts is a balancing act. You want to write in a way that engages readers, but you also need to rank on Google so people can find your page in the first place. Both attracting users and keeping them engaged are important elements of the conversion process. 

    Our tips for boosting user satisfaction in lengthy content include:

    1. Use highly specific titles.
    2. Let headings protect readers from consuming irrelevant content.
    3. Incorporate an interactive table of contents.
    4. Get designers and developers involved in blog UX.
    5. Only include useful images.
    6. Optimize page load times.

    First of all, how does Google rank blog content?

    In many instances, Google uses ranking factors that aim to increase user satisfaction. For example, a low bounce rate and high time on page signify quality to search engines. 

    However, this is only a small piece of the pie when it comes to serving the best content to users. That’s because Google is also on a mission to rank the most authoritative and credible content. 

    Factors that signify factually correct information include:

    • Content length
    • Linking out to stats
    • Having authoritative websites link to your content

    SEO expert Neil Patel emphasizes the importance of content length in his blog post: How to Make Every Blog Article You Write Rank High in Google Search.

    And according to Hubspot’s article on the ideal blog length:

    “For SEO, the ideal blog post length should be 2,100-2,400 words, according to [our] data.”

    Here lies another challenge for content strategists. How do you keep readers engaged with a blog that is 2000+ words long? Will publishing lengthy, factual blogs harm user satisfaction and engagement?

    These guidelines will help you increase engagement with long-form content.

    When longer content is handled with care, you can make it digestible for readers and point them only to information that they need so they can skip the rest. 

    Here are some tips to harmonize lengthy content and user satisfaction:

    1. Use highly specific titles.

    This blog could have been titled something like:
    • “Writing better content in 2020.”
    • “The balancing act of readability and crawlability.”
    • “Tips for writing better lengthy blogs.”

    Each of these titles state the gist of the piece, but leave out important details. People reading these titles would have to dig through the blog to find out if it’s actually useful information and I’d be lucky if that’s what users were actually doing!

    Instead of choosing a title that is vague, a cute play on words, or a phrase stuffed with keywords, point to the actual focus of the article. Drawing a central focus to your content lets readers know they are in the right place. 

    Here are some of my favorite titles from Atlantic BT’s blog:

    While these titles tell you exactly what you are going to read about, words like “hack,” “game changer,” and “killing” are sure to peak a reader’s interest or create a sort of urgency.

    2. Let headings protect readers from consuming irrelevant content.

    I traditionally see headings as one- to four-word phrases used to break up content. In these situations, users are forced to read paragraphs following a heading to gain context.

    We don’t want to make readers do extra work! Instead, make headings as descriptive as your titles. This way, readers can truly sift through a long blog by jumping to the most useful sections. 

    3. Incorporate an interactive table of contents.

    Now that you have written descriptive headings, compile them in the beginning of your article. Users can click anchor links to jump to sections without scrolling. 

    I used an interactive table of contents in the beginning of this article. This tutorial walks you through some simple HTML to add one yourself.

    4. Get designers and developers involved in blog UX.

    One might argue that a blog is meant to have a simple layout that lets words speak for themselves. On the other hand, some design elements will facilitate reading rather than distract from the content.

    Atlantic BT recently did a blog upgrade that incorporated some of these elements. For example, at the top of blogs we use a progress bar. Hovering over the dots will tell you which section you can navigate to and clicking the dots will take you there. Try it out above!

    Switching our blog to use the Gutenberg editing experience also gave us some new flexibility with blocks. Our design and development teams worked to build callout features and different variants for displaying images.

    Here are a few examples of what we can do:

    5. Only include useful images.

    Throughout the content of a blog, you will often find random pictures used to help “break the blog up” or “provide something interesting to look at.” 

    Assume that any image that doesn’t add value is a distraction.

    Instead, incorporate graphs, charts, or screenshots of examples to support your point.

    6. Optimize page load times.

    Google studies have pointed to people exiting if load times exceed three seconds. In fact, 47% of consumers expect a page to load in two seconds or less. 

    Some of our top tips for increasing page speed include optimizing images and removing third-party scripts. However, the right CMS, hosting, and development team can identify and implement more technical factors that will significantly reduce load times.

    Because page speed is both a factor for organic rankings and user satisfaction, we cannot emphasize its importance enough!

    Putting these tips into practice facilitates content positioning.

    As the blog manager for Atlantic BT, I frequently rely on subject matter experts to write content. Sometimes we’re able to outline the pieces together. Other times, I’m handed a 1,000 word draft that reads as a stream of consciousness or a journal entry. And it’s totally okay! If we expected our technical experts to be content strategists, I wouldn’t get to be one.

    In many situations, I’m able to follow the above rules to frame the content and position it in a direct, consumable fashion that caters to the user groups we serve.

    Content strategy, design, and technology work together to support long-form content.

    The content you serve is crucial, but the way it’s presented can take it to the next level. For this reason, building thought leadership through well-structured articles goes far beyond copywriting. Your CMS, flexible design, and information architecture are all important elements in a business-winning content strategy.

  • These crucial LMS features will improve learning retention.

    These crucial LMS features will improve learning retention.

    As the e-Learning space grows in popularity, businesses are finding ways to increase the effectiveness of their learning platforms. Furthermore, this rising popularity kickstarted a race to meet user expectations. According to e-student.org:

    Today’s educational landscape is going through a revolution unlike any we’ve ever seen before. The e-learning industry growth statistics aren’t showing any signs of slowing down, and the corporate e-learning sector is expected to grow by as much as $38 billion from 2020 to 2024. The largest EdTech companies such as Coursera are already valued at well over $1 billion, and they will be the driving force of the entire online education industry.

    Making e-learning as easy and enjoyable for users as possible improves online engagement, helps garner positive reviews and word of mouth, and ultimately boosts user retention and success. Designing a strong LMS experience ensures a higher quality product.

    8 key tips to improve retention and keep the attention of learners.

    1. Use small slices of content.

    Studies have shown that “microlearning,” or breaking content up into modules, improves the learning experience in the following ways:

    • Better holds people’s attention
    • Increases information retention
    • Improves speed and efficiency in test-taking

    When breaking content up into digestible pieces, subjects retained 20% more information than their peers who learned in longer blocks of content. In addition to higher test scores, the “micro learners” completed their tests 28% faster.

    2. Implement quizzes throughout a course.

    Quizzes do much more than tell you whether or not you get the gist of the information. They can help people decipher what they actually know from what they thought they knew, allowing them to diagnose and fix their weaknesses.

    3. Make it easy to backtrack and find information.

    Once you are quizzed, you’ll have to go back and improve retention for specific information. It’s important to make sure courses are organized appropriately. Not only is it essential to use shorter modules, but there should also be a user-friendly roadmap or table of contents to point learners to the right information easily.  

    For example, the Google Academy Advanced Analytics course is broken up into easy-to-find units and lessons. Within each lesson, it’s easy to navigate throughout different elements and find your place highlighted in orange.

    4. Track progress to stay organized and boost motivation.

    While traditional progress trackers can help learners plan and manage their time, this format is most effective in a sequential (or linear) learning model. 

    When information is organized in a way that users can skip what they already know, a checklist format will be more helpful.

    5. Include multi-device learning options.

    Offering mobile options helps people learn on the go, or wherever they feel like it. Some people prefer learning while waiting at the DMV to sitting down at a computer. Regardless, mobile-friendly courses help you meet users at their convenience, wherever they choose.

    6. Reduce frustration in the learning experience.

    According to Stanford University research, learners retain information best when they are in a state of “relaxed alertness.” For this reason, it’s important to make sure an online learning experience is simple, easy-to-use, and fast.

    Google released that 53% of mobile ad clicks immediately exited when load times exceeded 3 seconds. Likewise, 47% of consumers expect a page to load in 2 seconds or less.

    Although these stats pertain to conversion behavior, the theme is apparent. Page speed is a key factor in providing a pleasant experience and meeting user expectations.

    7. Implement gamification.

    Gamification doesn’t have to be complicated starting out. Leaderboards, badges, and point systems can help establish a motivational system of subtle rewards. Studies have also proven that gamification can produce endorphins, which help us learn. Elearningindustry.com states:

    When we participate in activities that stimulate our bodies or minds, such as exercising, our body releases a hormone known as endorphins. The same effect can be achieved by playing eLearning games that challenge learners or give them the chance to achieve a particular reward, even if that reward is something as simple as moving onto the next level.When these endorphins are released, the learners not only have more fun during the eLearning process, but they actually retain more information. 

    8. Prioritize accessibility.

    Providing a website that serves disabilities can help improve learning experience, broaden your audience, and improve UX for any user. For example, something as simple as keeping color contrast in compliance with 508 can make a website easier for anyone to read.

    Having an accessible interface is a good idea to stay ahead of the competition and prevent any lawsuits.

    Rely on a team experienced in LMS design.

    These key features of an LMS enhance learning by improving product quality, helping you stay ahead of the competition, and unlocking new revenue opportunities.

    Need help strategizing for your new or existing e-learning platform? Contact us for a free consultation to get started.

  • Shopify Guide: a Simple Solution for eCommerce

    Shopify Guide: a Simple Solution for eCommerce

    Is Shopify right for my business?

    Because of its scaling capabilities and easy integrations, Shopify is an all-encompassing solution that fits the requirements of many businesses.

    Shopify might be the best choice for you if you identify with the following:

    • I need a quick and easy way to transition into eCommerce.
    • My business is a startup, and I need to be able to manage my store easily (without technical knowledge).
    • I only have a few products/services now, but I will be adding many more in the future.
    • I can invest in a web partner to get me started, but then I’d like to manage my store independently.
    • I have an online store, but I am too busy running my business to keep up with eCommerce improvements.
    • My small product catalog site is taking off and needs a more reliable solution.

    You may need a more complex solution, like Magento, if you identify with these issues:

    • I want full control over the customization of my eCommerce store.
    • My store needs to integrate with specialized software.
    • At times, I have large surges in traffic and need highly scalable hosting.
    • I’d prefer to rely on a website partner to fully manage my upgrades, feature development, and integrations.

    Shopify feature breakdown.

    While each of Shopify’s plans includes hosting, staff accountants, a blog, and other basic features; some additional features can be purchased through the Shopify app store.

    What’s included in each tier?

    Most businesses choose between one of Shopify’s main tiers: Basic Shopify, Shopify, and Advanced Shopify. Each of these three tiers include an online store, unlimited products, staff accountants, discount codes, SSL certificate, and abandoned cart recovery. Other features – like gift cards, professional reports, and cubic pricing – will come at a price.

    Shopify also offers Shopify Lite – which adds simple features to an existing website or social media page for $9/month.

    At the other end of the spectrum, Shopify Plus offers enterprise features and scalable hosting at $2,000/month.

    Shopify web design.

    Shopify offers hundreds of professional themes to choose from, from free options or templates closer to $200.

    All that is needed to tweak your design is a basic understanding of HTML and CSS. However, Shopify uses a template language called Liquid for web design and development, and for some this presents a steep learning curve.

    It may be in your best interest to rely on a partner who already has experience with Shopify’s designer-focused programming language.

    Shopify Inventory Management.

    Shopify allows for unlimited products as well as product types. You can group products into many different types of categories, simplifying product recommendations. Avoid tedious counting and never disappoint customers with out-of-stock items.

    • Smart Collections: Shopify collections will help you sort products according to inventory level, price, and vendor to make automations quick and easy.
    • Barcodes: You can use barcodes to keep track of products, and access a wireless barcode scanner to instantly ring in customer orders.
    • Inventory Tracking: Keep track of your stock count, and set up automations to place orders as they dwindle.
    • Inventory analytics: An analytics dashboard displays behavior on your website and gives you insight that helps with forecasting, creating marketing promotions, and planning orders.

    Shopify fulfillment and shipping.

    Shopify Shipping allows you to purchase labels as you fulfill orders through Shopify. Prices are automatically calculated based on product weight.

    There are several fulfillment options through Shopify:

    • Manual fulfillment
    • Automatic fulfillment
    • Use a fulfillment service with an app
    • Use a custom fulfillment service

    Shopify Point of Sale solutions.

    Streamlining in-store and online sales with simple hardware can help you gain better business insights.

    Shopify has varying POS solutions, including options for pop-up shops, businesses with 1 retail location, and more.

    Shopify Email Marketing.

    Email is an essential part of driving sales, encouraging existing customers to make purchases, and building loyalty.

    The Shopify App store offers integrations with many popular email platforms, including Constant Contact, Drip, and Jilt. Check out the full list of Shopify’s email app integrations.

    Furthermore, Shopify recently announced its own email marketing software, Shopify Email. While you can apply for early access to see for yourself, Shopify Email will allow you to create templates and track results all within the platform.

    Shopify Product Reviews.

    Shopify offers an app to help you easily collect and display product reviews. Import and export reviews using a CSV, respond to them within the platform, and add a simple snippet to your website to help Google find and display your ratings.

    Shopify and SEO.

    Shopify’s app store offers an SEO Manager at $20/month to help you manage the SEO basics, including:

    • Edit meta tags
    • Scan for issues
    • Access keyword suggestions
    • Add structured data
    • Review sitemap

    What can I do myself, and when will I need a partner to help?

    While Shopify was designed for easy setup and use, relying on a trusted partner will facilitate the process. An experienced agency can help you:

    • Navigate technical setup – like your domain, hosting, and email
    • Narrow down the right apps to use
    • Categorize your products effectively
    • Design your site to maximize conversions
    • Build a marketing and email automation strategy
    • Comply with eCommerce best practices
    • Migrating from another eCommerce platform

    Ready to get started?

    Whether you are interested in building a new website or moving your store from another platform, our team can help you get started. Contact us for a free consultation.