Atlantic Business Technologies, Inc.

Category: Information Architecture

  • Four proven processes for digital marketing struggles.

    Four proven processes for digital marketing struggles.

    Many of our clients have marketing teams that handle ads, content, and overall strategy. But even with a well-structured marketing team, it’s easy to spin your wheels on elements of your website that don’t have a clear formula for success. 

    In this grey area, we’ve found some patterns in what our clients need help with. From careful research and testing with hundreds of websites, we’ve compiled some best practices in how to handle common marketing struggles.

    1. You know SEO is essential, but you’re unsure where to spend your time.

    Everyone seems to understand the importance of organic optimization. But as your competitors start to invest in SEO, you quickly realize that you can’t do everything without a large specialized team.

    So how do you identify the quick wins or your “best bang for your buck” initiatives? One way we help our clients discover these quick wins is by completing an SEO audit in an effort to point them in the right direction. 

    Our SEO audits are generally not a one-size-fits-all template. Instead, we take some time to understand your business goals and review your  Google Analytics profile. From there, we identify  pain points and discover opportunities that are worth taking a deeper dive by leveraging other tools.

    These deep dives provide actionable steps to get you ranking for the best keywords. For example, we might:

    • Find page two keywords and provide an internal linking strategy to help achieve page one results.
    • Evaluate site speed performance and identify the top development changes to give you a boost.
    • Provide keyword clusters that help you build a focused content strategy.
    • Generate lists of “unlinked mentions” so you can reach out for backlinks over time.
    • Create guides including best practices for your continual reference.

    2. You’re unsure if your site structure is optimal.

    Does your site have all the necessary information for a potential buyer? Are the right pages prioritized in your navigation? Are the pages named correctly? Are the URL’s optimized? Does the hierarchy make sense?

    There are many factors to consider with creating an improved information architecture. At Atlantic BT, we tend to use a mix of our own well-tested techniques and apply SEO best practices. It’s also important that we follow a certain order in this process, as many steps have dependencies.

    1. Initial workshop(s): First, we work with your team to help you choose the best categories and page names that will make sense to your customers. This is usually a workshop where we gather business information and ideas. In some instances, we’ve built these strategies in a quick 30 minute meeting. In others, we test naming conventions with card sorts and interviews.

    2. Visual recommendation: Then, we take this stage into consideration and  recommend a hierarchy and sitemap. This step may also include categories and filtering options for certain areas of your site. For ultimate clarity with a messy concept, we create both a visual map and a spreadsheet.

    3. SEO optimization: Finally, an SEO specialist will review the recommendations to create optimal URLs and select the best target keywords for each page. At this stage, we may also map the appropriate 301 redirects.

    4. Implement and measure: When these steps are complete, it’s easy to work with developers to implement. We can measure the success of the new site structure by observing conversion rates, heat maps, and other website metrics.

    3. You’re unsure if you’re getting the most out of your blog.

    A blog strategy goes beyond topically relevant content. When asked what is the purpose of your blog, are you able to answer?

    The best blogs have multiple purposes. For example:

    • Attract people who could potentially be interested in your product or service. Provide educational resources, describe problems they may face, or share news to keep them in the loop of latest trends. You’ll need to build paid or SEO strategies around bringing in new prospects with this content.
    • Inform people on why your solution is the best option for their problem. This is where you talk about your process, unique differentiators, and company culture. You can provide value to new users or cater this content to people who are already familiar with your brand. It’s also ideal content for remarketing campaigns.
    • Build confidence in customers’ decision to choose you. Continue to publish content on how your company is innovating and staying ahead, and inform existing customers of anything you think they should be aware of.

    No matter what your buying cycle may be, it’s helpful to list out existing content and ideas for new content. Fitting these ideas into your buyer’s journey will help you spot any missed opportunities. Atlantic BT can help you map out your content strategy in this way, which is called a gap analysis.

    4. You’re looking for ways to improve without knowing what you need.

    You always want to keep improving your website to stay ahead of your competitors, but the marketing activities that prove successful start to become weekly tasks. With so many set activities on a daily basis, there comes a point where it’s hard to step into a high-level view and find new opportunities.  

    High-level website audits turn into deeper dives.

    Sometimes people ask us for general website audits to find any missed opportunities as a safety measure.

    Atlantic BT can conduct a quick general site audit that identifies areas that may require a deeper dive. For instance, we may begin by reviewing site performance, keyword analysis, heat maps, and competitor websites. Based on our findings, we may recommend something more specific, like a UX audit, SEO audit, or site speed audit. 

    We’ll handle development.

    A deeper dive can help us build a marketing roadmap for you to follow. Because marketing and development are closely tied, these roadmaps often include development work. Atlantic BT can seamlessly step in to support you in the development pieces if needed.

    Do you feel any of these marketing pains?

    Do you relate to any of these struggles? We’re happy to help in several ways. We conduct discoveries to build strategic recommendations, and we can help you evaluate what technology will fix core issues. Reach out to hear from an expert and learn more.

  • Do breadcrumbs improve usability?

    Do breadcrumbs improve usability?

    What are breadcrumbs?

    Breadcrumbs are dynamic navigation paths throughout web pages. They show you the trail that led you to the particular page you are on with clickable links, allowing you to jump back to previous pages. 

    Breadcrumbs are most useful when websites house a large volume of information broken into clear categories and hierarchical structure. While a website like nestle.com should use breadcrumbs for its many brands, a local bakery probably should not.

    Why should we incorporate breadcrumbs in web design?

    You’re probably most familiar with seeing breadcrumbs on eCommerce websites. They helped you go back to a product category when you wanted to see other options. You knew to use this navigation element because you see them all the time; users understand the breadcrumb pattern well.

    Breadcrumbs enhance UX.

    Breadcrumbs are an important part of content strategy. They give users a roadmap to web pages and help them feel less overwhelmed. They are also beneficial because:

    • They provide contextual information to help users understand categories.
    • They make it easier for users to jump to previous pages without using the “back” button (when they likely forgot where it will take them).
    • They tell users the pattern of a site’s structure so they have a better understanding of how to find other pages.

    Breadcrumbs boost SEO.

    Breadcrumbs are recommended for SEO for several reasons. Partly, search engines evaluate the user friendliness of a website. Breadcrumbs can help reduce bounce rate and increase pageviews per session for the reasons outlined above.

    Additionally, breadcrumbs can boost crawlability and increase rankings because:

    • Google uses breadcrumbs to gain context of content (just like users).
    • Google includes breadcrumbs in the Search Engine Results page, giving users extra information that makes them want to click.

    How do I get started?

    Talk to your development team about how to add breadcrumbs to a website. For WordPress, it’s as easy as using breadcrumbs with the Yoast plugin. For other websites, it may require a custom development piece. A designer may need to find the best placement for this navigational element and provide styling as well.

    Structured data helps you provide page information directly to the Google search engine. A developer or SEO specialist can also help you include structured data for breadcrumbs. 

    Looking for ways to boost user satisfaction and conversions?

    Breadcrumbs are just one way to increase usability of your website. Atlantic BT also places value on content quality, information architecture, and UX design. If you’re interested in a site audit or consultation, reach out. We’re here to help.

  • 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.

  • The ins and outs of a complex content strategy.

    The ins and outs of a complex content strategy.

    Content strategy involves the planning and creation of copy for your business.

    The principles of a basic content strategy for your website include:

    • Deciding who your customers are and what they want to read
    • Performing keyword research
    • Crafting copy or a content plan within these guidelines

    When is a basic content strategy not enough?

    If your website gets hundreds of thousands of visitors a month, the decisions you make about content could drastically impact your business. For this reason, content strategies for larger websites go beyond basic copy. They also incorporate:

    • Detailed persona research and testing
    • Categorizing information (Information Architecture)
    • Navigation and design
    • Selection of a Content Management System (CMS) to support user level access, page creation, and approval workflows

    For example, Atlantic BT has been faced with the following scenarios:

    • When redesigning a website for the Department of Revenue, how do you label information so people can easily find the tax forms that pertain to their situation?
    • When designing a university website, how do you point prospective students to information when they are at different phases of the decision and enrollment process?
    • When designing an eCommerce website, how do you categorize thousands of products and incorporate search?
    • When creating 1 page of content takes 3 weeks, how do you simplify the CMS experience to reduce turnaround?

    Atlantic BT has developed a proven process for Content Strategy.

    An all-encompassing content strategy will include persona and market research, information architecture, user testing, and supporting technologies. Take a look at the steps and considerations involved.

    Defining personas.

    Persona research varies on a client by client basis. Personas may include both internal users of the website, or external users (customers and clients).
    Through conducting interviews, market research, and web behavior analysis; Atlantic BT creates detailed profiles that describe a member of the audience segment, their preferences, their perspective, their background, and what influences them.

    Creating a content plan and information architecture.

    Atlantic BT develops a comprehensive Content Strategy using a structured sequence of research, workshops, and strategy development methods. Websites of all sizes benefit from going through these steps.

    • Content inventory: We carefully examine a website to locate and identify existing content.
    • Content audit: We take this content and evaluate its usefulness, accuracy, tone of voice, and overall effectiveness. We use in-house tools and Google Analytics to score web content.
    • Content analytics: We review content ranking and keyword usage within analytic tools.
    • Audience mapping: This includes the mapping of content to different audiences and use cases.
    • Information grouping: We define user-centered topics and relationships between content. This could include grouping content by service categories or the persona it serves.
    • Card sorts: Card sorts can be conducted as live workshops or online. This testing method identifies the way users understand and group the content being presented to them.
    • Taxonomy development: We create a definition of a standardized naming convention (controlled vocabulary) to apply to site content.
    • Descriptive information creation: We define useful metadata that can be utilized to generate “Related Link” lists or other navigation components that aid discovery. This could include tagging eCommerce products into categories or tagging articles by topic.
    • Governance: We define the desired editorial workflow and build the role/auth model to fit. Your Content Management System will facilitate this workflow.

    Your Content Management System plays an important role.

    Choosing technologies to support your content strategy includes selecting the right CMS, or customizing an existing CMS, to meet needs. Some considerations when choosing a CMS include:

    • Will you need different levels of user permissions?
    • What will the publishing workflow be?
    • How much would you like users to be able to customize pages?

    Implementing the right CMS can simplify the content publication process and create brand consistencies across templates.

    A Content Strategy is only useful with adequate training.

    Employees need to be able to use a system with ease publish content frequently. First of all, we provide guidance for choosing the types of things to write about and where to publish them on your website. Secondly, we provide training for using your CMS to the fullest. This could include drafting content or designing new pages.

    Ready to take a deeper dive into content strategy?

    If you’re interested in learning more about user behavior on your website, how to effectively structure your content, or selecting the right tools to support your goals; we’re happy to help you get started. Contact us for a free consultation.

  • 5 ways to write valuable anonymous case studies.

    5 ways to write valuable anonymous case studies.

    When working towards winning enterprise, government, and higher ed projects; smart organizations will only consider your services after reviewing past results. It’s in their best interest to make sure you have a proven process that serves the requirements of an organization their size.

    But sometimes, the most relevant examples of your work will be with an anonymous partner.

    You could simply stick to writing about businesses that allow you to use their name. Or, you could learn how to impactfully write anonymous case studies. Your portfolio will ideally have a healthy mix of both.

    Our 5 tips for writing anonymous case studies are:

    1. Lead with results.
    2. Come up with a name for reference.
    3. Use this name as little as possible.
    4. Take advantage of anonymity.
    5. Give very specific, tangible details.

    When writing anonymous case studies, you have three goals.

    Case studies are ultimately about building trust. But it can be challenging to build trust when you are hiding details. Your goals are to:

    1. Reduce suspicion that you are making this case study up.
    2. Prove that you have a game plan by showcasing your processes.
    3. Demonstrate that your processes get results for large brands.

    Achieve these goals by following our 5 writing tips.

    1) Lead with results. In order to distract from the fact you are not giving a name, focus on the results at the very beginning of the case study. You can do this in a summary format early on. Then, go into careful detail of the results at the end of the case study, where they naturally belong.

    2) Come up with a name for reference. You will have to refer to the business as something. You may choose to call it “this city,” “this South Carolina university,” or “this vehicle brand.” Whatever you choose, you want it to be as specific as possible without giving away the brand (or over-hinting in a way that could annoy your client).

    3) Use the reference name as little as possible. You do want to use a descriptive name to give readers a frame of reference in the beginning. However, overusing these pronouns can be awkward and remind the reader that you are hiding an identity. To reduce use of these names, structure sentences to refer to the project and work itself rather than the business:

    • The goal of this redesign project was to cater to predefined personas.
    • A new website would grow the brand and unlock new B2B opportunities.
    • A new system would allow for more administrative efficiency.

    4) Take advantage of anonymity. A common reason for clients to disprove case studies is they paint the company in a bad light.

    Since there’s no name tied to this content, you can get into all the nitty gritty details without embarrassing anyone. Was the project a total mess when you first came in? You can unveil all the business issues the company was facing, which can provide context that will enhance end results.

    5) Give very specific, tangible details. Detail your process as much as possible. Talk carefully about each step you took to solve the problem, what methods or technologies were involved, and what specific client challenges you tackled.

    Images are another way to tangibly show credibility. Best case scenario, use any visuals or pictures of your team working on the project that you can. Be careful to remove identifying logos, names, images, and data.

    An example of showing a project deliverable without revealing the company’s identity.

    Instead of rounding when presenting final results, use exact numbers for percentages increased, ROI, and any other metrics.

    An example of one of Atlantic BT’s anonymous case studies.

    In Atlantic BT’s case study about a redesign project (no longer available), we direct readers’ focus away from anonymity by highlighting the results right after the intro. We refer to the project as “a pharmacy school” early on, later using language that speaks directly to the project itself rather than calling out a name. For example:

    The new website included enhanced features and a scalable content system that supported growth.

    We then clearly define the work implemented, getting into details like card sorts, 3 methods for testing, and direct quotes from survey takers. These specific quotes act as metrics of success:

    • “It’s pretty clean. I like that there is a lot of space. It’s breathable.”
    • “It looks cleaner and a lot less chaotic.”

    We go into further detail by mentioning the original technologies used by this school and how we transformed the website with Advanced Custom Fields in WordPress.

    Anonymous case studies don’t always work.

    Many readers are here to skim, or just review a logo and images. In these cases, your hard work will do little to build authority with these readers. While you should never rely on anonymous case studies to build full confidence in a reader, they can enhance your existing portfolio of success stories.

    You may also consider using them as a sales tool to send to prospects you are already conversing with. In that situation, you already have some buy-in.

    Ready to grow your business strategy?

    Writing compelling case studies is a small piece of your content strategy. If you need support with market research, business process analysis, or digital strategy; our team is happy to help you get started. Contact us for a free consultation.

  • Accessibility and Section 508 Compliance: Planning, Testing, and Design

    There are many different pieces to obtaining digital accessibility, and it can be an issue that needs clarification. Atlantic BT can help you feel confident that your site is in compliance with the latest accessibility regulations to reach a larger, more inclusive audience for your company.

    But let’s take a step back and think about why it matters. Digital spaces are essential to the way we live our lives. “We” is a collective, inclusive word. So digital solutions wind up affecting the lives of every person who has access to the Internet. It is clear that designing web experiences for all users, regardless of ability or potential needs, is a crucial component of modern web design. Not to mention, it is also the law. Web accessibility is an element of your website that can not be ignored.

    Why Should You Care About Website Accessibility?

    Americans With Disabilities Act

    While the ADA does not explicitly mention websites in its language, it does prohibit discrimination based on disability in places of public accommodation. As many organizations have discovered, the ADA has been applied to lawsuits over inaccessible websites. Perhaps one of the most famous was the National Federation of the Blind’s lawsuit against Target in the mid-2000’s, which led to Target settling the case for $6 million.

    Section 508

    Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, is another law that many of our clients have their eyes on. Organizations that are subject to Section 508 have a clear requirement to meet accessibility standards. As of January 2018, these organizations are now required to make sure their websites meet the guidelines laid out in Level A and Level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0).

    Appeal to a Wider Audience

    Aside from the law, there are benefits to making your website more inclusive.

    • Provides key services to people with disabilities
    • Increases the audience or customer base an organization can reach through its website
    • Often makes sites easier for all users

    And the need for accessibility continues to grow. According to the CDC, more than 20% of adults in the United States have a disability. That number is only likely to go up as the population ages.

    How We Create Accessible Websites

    Making accessible websites requires careful planning for success. Of course, not all of our clients have the same accessibility needs, so each is handled on a case by case basis. A typical project looks something like this:

    Make an Accessibility Plan

    During our discovery phase, we identify what accessibility requirements a client has. We will additionally scan for issues that we will need to mitigate later on. For example, a lot of old sites have videos and PDFs that no longer meet accessibility guidelines. Whatever the specifics may be, sticking to the initial audit ensures we know what goals we need to meet.

    [pull_quote]Technology’s value lies in what it allows people to do. By designing inclusively and making digital products accessible to all users, we make our technology more valuable. We bring this perspective to every project which makes our products that much stronger.[/pull_quote]    – Gordon Chadwick, User Researcher, CPACC

    Design a Site Everyone Can Use

    With requirements in hand, our designers apply styles that both function and delight. We’re long past the days when people thought designing an accessible website meant designing an ugly website.

    [pull_quote]Accessibility isn’t just about blind users and screen readers, it is about everyone. Designing for all people encourages exploration of new ideas and solutions that lead to a better product overall.[/pull_quote]  – Maris Hall, User Experience Designer, CPACC

    Develop Using Best Practices

    Building accessible sites doesn’t mean bolting on tons of features, it means following best practices for front end development. Clean, well-structured code is the foundation that allows screen readers and other assistive technology to function.

    [pull_quote]When you start paying attention to the needs of all of your users, you begin to see how wonderfully diverse your audience is and you start looking for ways to give everyone a seat at the table. Since I’m usually working on implementation, I make sure the sites I build provide a good experience for users of assistive technologies like screen readers or magnifiers. [/pull_quote]   – Mark Andrews, JavaScript Developer

    Test and Verify

    Testing is how we ensure that the work we did meets the goals we set during the planning stage of a project. Since meeting success criteria is of critical importance, our testers have several different ways to verify that we hit the mark. Testing methods include:

    • Automated Testing – We use automated checkers to identify accessibility issues in your code.
    • Expert Reviews – Certified accessibility professionals review behavior on your site.
    • User Testing – Go straight to the source and test with users who have disabilities.

    [pull_quote]There is a wealth of information on the web and everyone should have equal access to it. I make sure that we’re making that a reality by accounting for accessibility as we build things instead of after they get released.[/pull_quote]    – Yolanda Hyman, Quality Assurance Manager

    Start Feeling Good About Accessibility

    It’s easy to understand why accessibility is important. However, uncovering potential issues and implementing changes can be a complicated process. Atlantic BT is happy to guide you through requirements and implement the necessary changes to make your website not only compliant, but accessible and inviting to all users. Reach out today for a free consultation or to get in touch with one of our accessibility experts.