Digital marketing as a career

Digital marketing as a career

vezlay   4:58:00 pm

Have you started seeing occasional suggested posts on your Facebook timeline lately? Have you ever received offers and coupons on your SMS from businesses with whom you have shred your mobile number? 

Are you busy filtering out promotional messages in your email inbox? If your answer is yes to any of the questions above, you have already become part of digital marketing value chain. 

Marketing as it has been, when uses a digital medium, it can then be treated as digital marketing. These media include social, mobile, web, content, email etc. 

Digital marketing is not a new discipline but it is fast emerging as a complementing arm of traditional marketing.  When there was only print media few decades ago, electronic media revolutionized marketing with its reach. 

However, digital marketing is much more powerful in multitudes with its features and advantages. Main power or appeal of digital marketing comes from the measurability aspect of digital marketing.

In digital marketing, a marketer can set the spend, precisely target the audience he or she wants to reach and also measure how many have been reached. 

This is possible with the tech platform that enables digital marketing. When an email is sent, a marketing agency can now measure if the email was opened, if links were clicked or if email was reported as spam instead. 

Based on the number of subscribers to whom a certain email was sent, then now know exactly how many became leads and how many can be targeted to be converted to prospective clients. 

Social media like Facebook, google and YouTube go several steps further and give the marketing agencies choices and flexibility on the spend, targeting time line. 

YouTube goes one step further and claims that a marketer need not pay unless the ad was completely watched by the users. 

This is very powerful for the marketers as they never had such control and transparency on their spends. And that is achieved by the measurability aspect of digital marketing. 

Taking a step back, one needs to conceptually understand the advent of digital marketing and why it is an unavoidable component of today's marketing strategy. 

With 462 million internet users, India stands second in the world in terms of number of users who use internet. 

And from a behavior standpoint, people are spending more time on the web and less on the print media. They are consuming more video content from YouTube than from television. 

They are reading more blogs than they read print magazines. They are listening to more podcasts than radio. 

All these usage behavioral changes meant one thing for the new age marketers that these media need to be explored and exploited to reach their target segments.

Today's digital marketing starts with search engines. Search engine optimization and search engine marketing are two most common methods of search engine digital marketing. 

Irrespective of where the brand was mentioned or communicated, every customer reaches a business's website by sheer recall of the website or by simply typing the business name in a search engine like google or Bing. 

More often, a customer may not even know the business name. They simply type what service or product they are looking for. And when they do that, as a business, if you are offering that product or service, you would want to be the top result in their pursuit. 

This can be achieved through search engine optimization and search engine marketing. Optimization is when your website's quality and relevance are organically developed and improved to reach the top page of search engine results. 

Along with the natural search results, there are sponsored ads on the top and side of a search engine results page. These are result of search engine marketing, where businesses bid and pay for premium spots on a results page to show up on the top page. 

While search engine marketing is very open ended, Social media marketing provides for a more targeted approach where a business can target audience of specific age range, located in a specific part of the world, working or studying at a specific company or college etc. 

Similarly, YouTube marketing allows for targeting people with specific interests based on the audience's interests and preferences. 

Digital display advertising is also a very popular mode of digital marketing but challenged. All the banner ads that we see when we browse news and other free content websites fall under this category. 

These are challenging because no one wants to see a cluttered webpage with ads when they visit a webpage with a certain purpose. So they suppress the ads using ad blocking browser extensions which kill this medium. 

Content marketing is the new age digital marketing and the current rage as it nicely brings together all modes of digital marketing and enables complementing of each other in a very sophisticated fashion. 

Content marketing is creating and sharing content through digital mediums with an intent to promote brand directly or indirectly. For example, one creates an entertaining video with a brand placement and shares in YouTube and Facebook and people share it if they like it. 

If you notice, content marketing enables other people promoting your brand without your involvement. All in all, digital marketing is here to stay and will only dominate marketing plans with time. 

Careers in digital marketing are growing by the day and should be considered seriously by every management and computer science graduate. 

Since digital marketing is all tech enabled end to end, this field employs graduates from both management and engineering disciplines. 

For one to set a path into this career, best place to start is by creating your personal website, blog or service and trying to market it digitally. 

To learn how to use digital marketing techniques on your own content, start by signing up for free learning resources and then slowly graduate to a specialized stream within digital marketing through a specialized training program. 

Once you have achieved certain proficiency and have some achievements to showcase, a career can be spun off through consulting, entrepreneurship or a full-time job.

Digital Marketing Company in India Overtaking the Beauty Industry

Digital Marketing Company in India Overtaking the Beauty Industry

vezlay   4:51:00 pm

The digital marketing channels have always been a key factor in the fashion industry, then how these channels cannot be left utilised for the beauty industry. Much like the fashion industry, there are lot of new hurdles to be conquered, but there are plenty of ways to come out on top of the marketing game. Now, consumers are spending more time browsing products on mobile, less in stores. With the help of digital marketing company in India, you can change the way of beauty brands engage with the customer, here are the ways. It’s having the biggest effect:

Catch on social content

Make sure that your post great engaging content on every social channel. Other than posting, the most important thing is to tap your already existing customer base, to gather content for your channel. Many customers are going to select your brand when they will see, how other customers are wearing your products. So why don’t you post new photos? Most big brands regularly share content created by their happy customers to drive other potential customers.

Embed experiences into your website

Have you bought any beauty product from a  company website?

If your answer is “NO”, then you are lagging behind in this long run. As nowadays, consumers mostly prefer to purchase a product by exploring realistic experience. Adding a virtual experience to the sites will make consumers easier to answer the question while surfing through your website.

Digital Marketing Company in India Utilise new channels

Are you promoting your beauty products on Pinterest or Instagram?

Instagram and Pinterest are the largest social channels for fashion and beauty brands. Every now and again customers come to Pinterest or Instagram to find new ideas and new products. You can even add the new users through this channel. Post beauty tips and blogs on Pinterest so that you can drive more potential customers to your website. Your regular customers are definitely going to pin looks involving your products, so there is a tough competition ahead.

Personalization is done at its best!

With digitalization, the first-time visitors are turning into smart consumers. It’s better to spend a lot of time defining your brand. Consumers want to feel the personality behind the brand, not just your best products. So step into the digital marketing ground with a unique idea.

Which marketing tactics make you unique?

Know your customers, so that you can find your brand’s authentic voice. There’s a tough competition ahead, so it’s time to put your best digital foot forward.

These 9 Ecommerce Mistakes Can Ruin Your Online Startup

These 9 Ecommerce Mistakes Can Ruin Your Online Startup

vezlay   4:36:00 pm

When running an online business, it’s important that several factors are considered. While many may assume that you can simply upload a store and reap the rewards, there is a lot more to factor in when making an impression online. This could be anything from sorting internal logistics to building a responsive, visually-appealing ecommerce store.

The following 9 mistakes can often undo any hard work you’ve done, and see you falling behind the competition.

Choosing The Wrong Platform

When starting an ecommerce site, you will often be fronted by a number of companies who believe their platform is for you. Regardless of how good these platforms are, choosing the wrong one could be detrimental. But, how do we know which is right for us? Fortunately, there are many platforms to use, and there is no preferable one, a business just needs to ensure that a platform is suited to their needs. Evidently, there can be a number of factors to consider, but the following are among the most popular, and should give you an idea of what features are available at your disposal, thus allowing you to make a well-informed decision in relation to the platform you choose.

·         WooCommerce – a free and intuitive ecommerce plugin for WordPress

·         Shopify – a platform specifically designed to build online businesses

·         Magento – the most advanced & flexible ecommerce solution

This is only a snapshot of what’s available.

Many of the platforms on offer will have a showcase of high-profile brands behind their backs. For instance, while large businesses like Coca-Cola and Burger King are using Magento as their CMS, medium-sized ecommerce stores may find WooCommerce and Shopify as their optimal option. It all comes down to your needs. Nevertheless, make sure you carry out a thorough research and choose a platform that fulfils your requirements.

Your Online Store Isn’t Secure

It’s no secret that more and more people are keen for their details to remain secure, but what many may not know is that an astonishing 25 percent of consumers are likely to stop a purchase if they pick up on the fact that a site isn’t secure. As such, it is in your best interest to persuade a customer that your store is safe, and you do not store and/or share any sensitive information. A wise investment in a proper SSL certificate not only encrypts data for shoppers on your site, but also ensures that more customers complete a transaction, which is the ultimate goal of your business.

Not Accounting For Mobile Users

It is a well-known fact that mobile search has surpassed the 50% mark and now accounts for nearly 60% of all search queries, and according to HubSpot, around 34% of all online retail purchases now happen on mobile devices. Furthermore, the recent move by Google to prioritise mobile-indexing over the desktop is a clear indication that the whole market is moving towards the mobile-first web.

So, what’s the takeaway?

In order for your ecommerce business to thrive in the world of competitive online selling, your store has to be responsive and accessible by those who are using smartphone and tablets to shop.

Not Having The ‘Trust Factor’

This isn’t to say that your site is doing anything underhand, but many will be on the lookout for a refund & shipping policies, frequently asked questions, a valid SSL certificate, and believe it or not, a cookie policy.

Many stores fail to gain traction because they do not give customers that peace-of-mind. Hence, many shoppers will opt for an online store that does. Rectifying such matters can be done quickly, and can certainly help win over customers who may still be on that side of a bridge.

It’s in your best interest to present your business as a credible institution that cares about its clients and is keen on providing the best service possible.

Bad Search Capability

When shoppers look to make a purchase online, they want to find a store that is capable of finding items quickly. While your store may have the items the shopper is looking for, if your search algorithm isn’t reliable and isn’t functioning properly, it’s unlikely that they will ever know.

How important is search? Well, when you consider that users who search for a product are more likely to make a purchase, then it stands to reason as to why an effective search feature is vital. Apart from having a decent search function, it’s imperative to offer an intuitive navigation, listing relevant categories and sections.

Lack Of Personalization

The vast majority of ecommerce websites are still very generic with little or no personalization at all. In the world where every second counts, users expect your site to give them what they want at the time they want it. This kind of personalisation goes far beyond the standard “spray and pray” retargeting ads and suggested products carousels. Here are some thriving trends that will give you a head start in creating a “personal” business: With tools like Unbounce and Optimizely, you are now able to create highly convertible & personal landing pages.

Based on the navigation, search, and purchase behaviour, you are now able to show specific landing pages with products specifically tailored to your customer’s interest.

Real-time, contextual messaging will become a standard practice for ecommerce owners as a way to push the potential buyer to complete a purchase. For example, Alex, who’s trying to figure out the right jeans size for over 5 minutes can now receive a real-time support message from a real person, guiding to the right size.

Not Making Use Of Social Media

Social media platforms can quickly become the front page of the Internet for many online users, so those who aren’t utilising it may find that they are not getting the traction they want. Similarly, you should only use platforms that accommodate relevant audiences to your business, or you could find your efforts wasted. For example, if you have goods that are marketed to design-oriented individuals, then it can be a worthwhile idea to look at the visual-based social networks such as Instagram and Pinterest. Similarly, those offering a service or niche product may find more traction on the likes of Facebook and Twitter.

No Content Marketing Plan

Everyone loves content, which is why so many businesses make a substantial investment of time when it comes to connecting with their audience. Whether it’s evergreen content focusing on their niche, or a series of articles that helps you get the most from the product in question, when done right, content marketing can bring forward several benefits in relation to search rankings, conversions rates, traffic and brand recognition.

Not Measuring Performance

For everything an ecommerce store does right, there could also be a number of things being done in the wrong way. This is expected of any company, as it’s what helps it grow, as long as you are aware of what improvements are needed. However, simply not monitoring the performance of an ecommerce store means that you could lose more potential customers as a result.

As such, tools such as Google Analytics should be used to give you a breakdown as to where your ecommerce store is thriving, what pages are bringing the most leads, what pages bring in the most traffic, and pick up on areas that need improvement. Every website will need tweaks and improvements over time, but knowing where you’re going wrong will only make the process more straightforward.

To Conclude

Ecommerce stores are plentiful within the online sphere, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for more. But, to gain recognition, an ecommerce store has to be tailored in the right way. It can be compared to a bricks and mortar store. More people are likely to visit if it has a credible reputation, is easy to find and has an attractive storefront.

Those who have an unsavoury work ethic and vague information in relation to returns can find they are passed by for a business that is more upfront about its working practices. Trust is a vital commodity with the online community, and without it, a business is unlikely to prosper.

What is Digital Marketing?

What is Digital Marketing?

vezlay   4:08:00 pm

Is marketing one of your company’s biggest challenges? You’re not alone. According to Aseps WebTech, 65% of business owners identify generating leads for their business as the biggest challenges. Knowing where to market, what message to send, what to prioritize, and how to measure return on investment isn’t always easy.

Embracing digital marketing can help businesses overcome these challenges and achieve marketing success that is a lot less accessible – and more expensive – with traditional marketing strategies. What is digital marketing, and how can you leverage it to take your marketing efforts to the next level?

The term digital marketing includes all of a company’s online marketing efforts. Any online channels that businesses leverage to interact with current and prospective clients are considered digital marketing: Google search, email newsletters, any social media network, the company website and blog, video, webinars, podcasts – you name it. If you’re heard of online marketing or internet marketing, it’s the same thing.

Print ads on newspapers and billboards, flyers, stickers, event sponsorship and radio or TV commercials, on the other hand, are considered traditional marketing. While these might still be good investments for local businesses, traditional marketing tools do have their limits when it comes to audience reach, engagement factor, and measurability. Customer behaviour has evolved with the progress of technology and businesses are adapting their sales efforts and consumer targeting strategies accordingly which is why digital marketing is in such high demand.

What has changed in the marketing world?

The global usage of the world wide web has drastically increased over the past twenty years. That has also changed people’s buying behaviour, meaning “traditional” outbound marketing isn’t as effective as it used to be. Over the past few years, the development has even gone so far that mobile browsing and shopping have officially overtaken people’s desktopusage, taking digital marketing to a whole other level.

Nowadays, businesses have to earn their customers’ attention with engaging content, on-going conversations, opt-in email lists, online brand building, and viral campaigns. That doesn’t mean that the 4 Ps or the Marcom Workflow we learned about in school aren’t relevant anymore, rather the opposite. You need to master your basics before being able to step up your game. Ultimately, both strategies are all about connecting with your audience in the right place at the right time with the right message. That means you meet them where they already enjoy spending most of their time. In 2017, that’s the internet (specifically: the internet on mobile devices).

What are the advantages of digital marketing?

Digital marketing is cost-efficient. Of course, badly managed pay-per-click campaigns can burst anyone’s budget; however, the cost of most digital marketing tactics still deliver better ROI than traditional marketing.

Another big opportunity for businesses in digital marketing is that it allows you to target an audience that local or international, which makes your campaign efforts much more effective. You have the freedom to target specific age groups, geographic locations, occupations, interests and so forth.

Thanks to insight tools like Google Analytics your digital efforts are easily measured and scaled. Unlike traditional marketing campaigns, you can check on your numbers in real time and adapt very quickly to what’s working and what isn’t.

One of the most crucial differences and a clear win for digital is the fact that through online marketing you can interact directly with your audience. It’s a key part of 21st-century marketing allowing the inquisitive modern day consumer to research your products or services, like and follow your brand, rate them, discuss them, and share them with other prospects.

Obviously, I am passionate about digital marketing, because I know that it works. But that doesn’t make traditional marketing materials obsolete. Depending on your specific marketing objectives I am all for leveraging the best of both worlds.

Digital marketing strategies take years to perfect, but can yield prospects galore

Digital marketing strategies take years to perfect, but can yield prospects galore

vezlay   3:37:00 pm

Financial advisers revere the idea of new business leads coming to them instead of them having to pursue prospects, but successful inbound marketing requires a focused strategy and trial-and-error that can take years to perfect.

At McLean Asset Management, after two years of evolving its digital strategy, the financial advisory firm is seeing it bear significant fruit. Last month, the firm began offering groups of 50 to 75 people from its cultivated list a retirement income optimization map and 90-minute meeting.

The firm quickly had 30 people take them up on their several-hundred-dollar offer and decided to pause the campaign to catch up. After 15 completed meetings, several of these prospects have become clients, said Alex Murguia, managing principal of McLean Asset Management, which has about $700 million in assets under management.

 "We have nurtured a relationship with the people on the list and given them valuable content over time," he said. "So when we present the offer, they think, 'I've learned a lot for free, imagine what we'll get if we're paying.'"

At the most basic level, inbound marketing involves creating an impactful website, attracting interest to that site, building trust with visitors and then offering something that prompts interested parties to submit their contact information.

That process, though, needs to beat out the natural human inclination to keep that information private.

"The adviser has to create credibility and make the online prospect trust that nothing bad is going to happen to them," said Jack Waymire, chief executive of Paladin Digital Marketing.

Building the trusted relationship takes time and typically involves an investor receiving content that is valuable to them, repeatedly. Those pieces also need to get themselves noticed through search engine optimization, he said.

Making an ecommerce website secure

Making an ecommerce website secure

vezlay   3:30:00 pm

Securing an ecommerce website is not same as securing a local store. A physical store can be secured with locks, CCTV cameras, alarm systems, etc.  Contrary to this, ecommerce websites face much more sophisticated attacks. Hackers and fraudsters are always on the lookout for security loopholes in ecommerce sites which could be used to steal valuable data. Invariably, your online assets are at constant risk, unless you have systems and processes in place to secure them. 

Following simple techniques can go a long way in protecting your ecommerce site and therefore, your business.

Choose ecommerce hosting wisely

Are you one of those who are risking it all by choosing a low-cost hosting option?

Market is swarming with low cost hosting options for websites and it’s easy to be tempted to choose from unbelievably cheap hosting options. If you’re on a shared hosting service with hundreds of thousands of other users, then you could end up in a ‘noisy neighborhood’ ones which are rude, anti-social and tend to bring the tone of the neighborhood down. 

Probably the best option for serious ecommerce retailers is a virtual private server. This balances superb, scalable performance with reasonable costs and excellent security customization options. Setting up your server for security is quite straightforward and if you can’t manage it yourself, then usually a reputable host will offer a managed server service for you.

HTTPS is the way

Not very long ago, most website owners would reserve HTTPS hosting to ‘payment links’ of their websites. This was prior to the phase when Google commenced increasing focus on security and started including HTTPs as a ranking factor. Any serious ecommerce player understands the value of SEO ranking and wouldn’t want to compromise on it. To add to this, it is certain that in upcoming releases Google Chrome will label all non-HTTPS pages in incognito mode as “not secure” because users using this mode have an increased expectation of privacy. Invariably, the browsers are going to start penalizing HTTP sites. So, believe it or not, HTTPS is the way to go.

To switch to HTTPS, you need to select an SSL Certificate and start using it on your website. Your hosting provider can bundle it in his offerings to you. You could also purchase one from a reputed SSL vendor. 

Select a secure platform and keep it secure

Once up and running, your site would need to be maintained periodically and supplemented with regular updates and your designers, developers and hosting vendor can support you in the process. But, when it comes to security, you need to own the process. 

Particularly, keep an eye on software provider’s site to check for periodic updates and ensure they are being applied to your site. 

Secure the admin panel

Protect your admin section against obvious attacks. For instance, avoid using default username like ‘admin’. Choose your login credentials wisely. They should be original, and difficult to crack. Next, be selective in providing access to admin panel. You can do this by setting up a ‘Whitelist’ of IP addresses under server administration and permitting only known IPs to access admin panel.    

As a final step, set up unique threshold values, such as number of login attempts, so that the administrator gets notified when certain number of login attempts fail from an unknown IP address. 

Backup key data

Data, as your key business asset, needs to be protected. You cannot afford to leave data backup at the mercy of manual process only. An ideal solution is to have an automated backup facility in your platform which ensures your data is backed up at all times.

Avoid hoarding user card data

Some ecommerce clients lure clients to save their precious time by storing the latter’s card details. As a prudent ecommerce player, refrain from adopting such practices. In an event of data breach when your systems are compromised, you could end up being penalized heavily. 

The best practice is to utilize the services of an authentic payment gateway provider, who have in built capabilities for managing data and keep the payments off your site. If you are operating on low budgets, choosing PayPal can be an optimal solution. 

In the long run, it would be good practice to aim for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) accreditation. Of course, to become PCI-DSS compliant, your website needs to guarantee the integrity of your customer’s financial data and you need to implement strong access control throughout your website.

Use a GeoLocation anti-fraud software

There are instances everywhere of cards being stolen in one part of the world and being transferred electronically at a different geographical location for online frauds. Ecommerce players who remain oblivious of security loopholes may end up losing revenues by servicing fake orders and start picking up chargebacks. 

An effective way to address this is to use a GeoLocation anti-fraud tool. Merchants can use this data to determine the level of risk of any particular transaction.

The algorithm looks at a number of criteria around the IP Address of the order and takes into account popular cloaking methods, such as using proxies and compares this with its database of billions of transactions to create a unified Fraud Risk Score.

If you’re unsure, it gives you the opportunity to either refund the order or run further manual checks.

Create robust security policies 

Incorporating manual, but robust security processes can go a long way in securing your online presence. For instance, let’s take the example above where a freshly arrived order looks like it has a high Risk Score, but it ‘looks’ perfectly fine. 

Your security policies and procedures must immediately be invoked, even if they sound redundant. 

The verification process could involve as simple as tele calling the client or sending him an email to confirm his identity. 

Layered security

A multi-tiered approach to security is a must because there is no panacea to make a site secure. Based on the budget, one can either create a physical firewall or a firewall through a web application. These are first lines of defense to protect against the more prominent and common breaches and hacks, which may include SQL injection or cross-site scripting.

Secondly, one can use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to boost security. CDNs learn to identify malicious traffic to the website. Moreover, they are able to prevent Distributed Denial of Service Attacks (DDoS), thus being highly advantageous for security. 

Another way to protect from DDoS attack is to use OpenSource Software.

10 SEO Tips for Site Redesigns

10 SEO Tips for Site Redesigns

vezlay   3:11:00 pm

Understanding the aspects of design, technology, and content that affect search engine optimization (SEO) is an essential skill for any web team, but they are particularly important when undertaking a major redesign effort.

During a redesign much can go wrong, from technical issues and change-adverse audience reaction to traffic loss and usability problems. Any one of these problems can severely impact key metrics. Here are 10 simple tips to follow to ensure your website stays on page one after you throw the switch.

1. Use descriptive links.

Designers and marketers know the value of a good call-to-action (CTA). And historical best practice says verb-noun pairs work great for users in terms of setting expectations and enticing action. The problem, from an SEO perspective, is that this practice has led to vague and repetitive CTAs on many homepages.

Homepage CTAs are one of the most important tools available to tell Google which content is the most important. Before you litter your page with “learn more” or “view details” links, consider providing more context. For example, “learn about diamond buying” is a far more descriptive link that just “learn more.”

2. Reduce your links.

What you say in your links matters—and how many links you have also matters. Every link on a page reduces the potential link equity that can be spread to key pages.

This situation can be challenging in a world of mega-menus and super footers that result when everyone wants a piece of the homepage. One way to mitigate this is to avoid over-linking to pages that are unimportant for SEO. For example, multiple policy pages can often be combined into one page. Another way is to be diligent in relegating lessor links to your sitemap.

3. Limit h1 tags to one per page.

Every page should have just one h1 or header tag and it should be specific to the page. The more that it matches a user’s potential search query the better. While it may be tempting to rely on your site’s name and branding for context, specifics help. For example, a page called “How to buy a diamond” is more helpful than “How to buy.”

4. Hand roll your site maps.

It sounds old school in a world of XML sitemaps submitted to Google and Bing, but you’ll want a hand-edited sitemap too. Hand-edited sitemaps give you an opportunity to use different words and phrases than you might use in your space-constrained navigation. This is particularly true for multi-national sites with longer words (i.e., German) crowding navigation menus.

One example is spelling out common acronyms or using long-form references for key topics vs. shorthand ones. This gives search engines more information about your pages. Alternatively, if your page name is rooted in important industry jargon consider descriptors with lay-person language to attract both neophytes and initiates. Since the sitemap has a lot of links into it throughout your site, you could also prioritize how you list the links and keep the more important ones near the top. Hierarchy counts in design, and in SEO too.

5. Use PDFs selectively.

Search engines prefer not to send people directly to PDF pages. This does PDF content a real disservice as it’s a common format for in-depth information like research, specifications, white papers, and thought-pieces—the kind of content Google loves. You can still have the content available in PDF format for easy offline reading, but by integrating it into the page you greatly expand your unique content footprint.

Additionally, if others link to the page, vs. bypassing it and linking directly to the PDF, you improve the site’s overall link ranking.

When using PDFs as lead generation bait, common on B2B sites selling costly software and services, try integrating a strong sampling of the content into your page body. This will not only help Google, it will also help would-be customers determine if they want to provide the lead information sufficient to download the rest.

6. Check your analytics.

Redesigns often entail shifts in content strategy and information architecture. Before you revise your navigation review your analytics. Some long-forgotten pages might be functioning as landing pages and generating valuable organic (free) traffic. Make sure these pages retain a presence in your sitemap so search engines can continue to find them. While you’re under the hood checking your analytics, be sure to look at your goals. Some of those pages might not only be generating traffic, they might be driving real business results. If so, consider elevating those pages, not just retaining them.

7. Be wary of subdomains.

While domain decisions are often the province of IT, there are very real marketing and SEO factors to consider. Google considers a subdomain (anything taht precedesthe primary domain like finance.yahoo.com) as an independent domain. As such, a new subdomain will have little to no initial equity in SEO terms. So, if you’re adding a new platform, particularly if its potentially rich in content, like a blog or forum, add it as a subfolder of your primary domain. This way your primary domain will accrue the SEO value.

8. Go responsive.

Every marketer and designer knows the world has gone mobile, but did you know your site’s mobile friendliness is now an SEO factor? It is. Google’s preferred approach to mobile-friendly design is called Responsive Web Design (RWD). A responsive website adapts to the user’s view port size so they see the same experience on their iPhone as they do their ultra-wide monitor. So, if you’re considering your approach, a responsive site design will provide your customers with a great experience and make Google happy.

9. Install webmaster tools.

It might seem counter-intuitive to clean up any of your current site’s SEO issues before you redesign, but the sooner you get on good footing with Google (or Bing) the better. Install Google Webmaster Tools and the Bing counterpart to diagnose how well, or not, your current site is being indexed. If you see any major errors fix them now. You know the saying “the best time to plant a tree is yesterday?” The same is true of SEO. SEO takes time so start your clock as early as possible.

10. Draft copy with care.

While it might be tempting to give your copywriter free range to express your brand in unique ways, take care to consider the words and phrasing for those who may want to discover your business. Promotional copy that’s doesn’t align with how people think about your product or solution might play great for those who know you, but it might not attract Google and could limit your reach.