However, many marketers and SEOs forget that the Google network, although by far the most popular, does not handle one hundred percent of internet search traffic. The presence and good presentation of the company’s website in competitive search engines is also important – it will allow you to attract traffic and potential customers from sources that are sometimes ignored by the competition.

Microsoft Bing

The second most popular internet search engine in the world. Bing was founded in 2009 as a development of previous Microsoft services, such as Live Search, and even earlier MSN Search – you could say that the Redmond company made an ordinary rebranding. The name of the search engine is sometimes ironically referred to as an abbreviation of Bing Is Not Google, which apparently functions in Microsoft itself as an internal company joke.

Please note that the search engine is built into Windows – the most popular desktop operating system in the world. Thanks to the agreement between enterprises, Bing also largely powers the Yahoo search engine – this former Internet hit (although mainly in the US), according to StatCounter, today has about 1.5% of the market share.

Naturally, due to the common producer, Bing supports search using the Microsoft Cortana virtual assistant. Less obvious, however, is that Bing is what Amazon Alexa uses.

Bing is a search engine that is part of a large package of services. For marketing and e-commerce, we get the entire Microsoft Advertising infrastructure, which works in a similar way as Google Ads – it has millions of customers and huge sales potential. However, even in its basic form, it is worth taking care of proper positioning in the Bing search engine – it is a service associating millions of users around the world.

Bing is set as the default search engine in Microsoft Edge and can be selected as the main search engine in Firefox, Edge, Google Chrome, and Safari.

Useful tools for the marketer:
– Bing Webmaster Tools
– Microsoft Advertising

Yandex

Yandex has existed in various forms since 1990, but as yandex.ru it was officially presented in 1997 – so it was formally established a few months earlier than Google. According to one theory, the name is self-ironic and comes from the Yet Another Indexer (another indexing tool).

As a search engine aimed at the Russian-language market, it has achieved considerable success, currently serving more than 50% of traffic related to Internet searches in the territory of the Russian Federation. Naturally, of all search engines, Yandex is the best at processing Cyrillic characters. Like Google or Microsoft, Yandex offers a number of other options and functionalities in addition to the search engine – from a web browser, through a GPS-based navigation system, cloud storage space, to an extensive display advertising network.

The version for the Russian market can be found at yandex.ru, while the western version can be found at yandex.com.

If your customers are located in the Russian Federation, you cannot afford to disregard the search engine used by tens of millions of Internet users. Yandex also supports the Yandex.Direct network, which is a system that displays ads, among others, on the search network – similar to Google and Bing.

Yandex can be set as the default search engine in the Microsoft Edge browser and (when added to the list) in Google Chrome.

Useful tools for the marketer:
– Yandex Webmaster Tools
– Yandex Metrica – yandex equivalent of Google Analytics, completely free, just like GA
– Yandex.Direct

DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is a search engine that was established in 2008. Its original name comes from the popular children’s game. The search engine is also available at the easier-to-enter addresses duck.com and ddg.gg. DuckDuckGo is gaining market share slowly, but is growing steadily – in 2021, nearly 100 million inquiries are entered into it every day.

DuckDuckGo uses a completely different model than Google or Bing. DDG does not collect data about the user and does not profile search results – it displays the same results to everyone, regardless of the previous activities of a given person in the network. Focusing on privacy is the main reason why the project is steadily increasing its popularity – some Internet users do not feel comfortable with the fact that various websites, search engines and applications collect a lot of data, even if they are anonymised and do not allow the identification of a specific user.

Disabling profiling has both advantages and disadvantages. The user is thus cut off from the content (or at least not getting it right away), which statistically most likely hits what he was looking for. Profiling in the context of searching for products or information makes purchasing sense and clearly facilitates finding data quickly.

DuckDuckGo mainly uses its own solutions, such as the DuckDuckBot crawler, but also many external sources – including Binga. This means that by optimizing the page to best meet the requirements of Microsoft’s search engine, you also help in positioning the site in DDG. The above-mentioned Bing Webmaster Tools comes with the basic help – with it you can check errors and see useful tips.

If you run a local business, make sure you have Apple Maps in your maps – DDG uses the AM database for this purpose, thanks to which your business will be displayed to users of both search engines.

In Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari, DuckDuckGo is one of the default search options – just select it as the main search engine in the settings.

Amazon

Interestingly, when it comes to searching for products, Google has been losing to another big player – Amazon for several years. According to Jumpshot reports, already in the second quarter of 2018, the e-commerce giant reached 54% of internet shopping traffic. For this reason, Firefox has allowed the use of Amazon Search as the default search engine for a long time. It does not matter much for the service sector or content websites, but when it comes to the typical sale of products on the Web, the presence on the Amazon platform is of great value for producers and stores.

YouTube

In many cases, YouTube is also an important source of traffic. Although it is not strictly a sales portal, as the largest video site in the world, YouTube is a great tool for increasing brand awareness. Millions of customers look for reviews there, watch unboxing, discuss product quality or customer service. Therefore, it is worth at least monitoring the buzz around the brand on YouTube, and it is best to focus your content activities on constant presence on the platform and proper brand exposure.

Advertising of a devotional shop: how to run it?

Devotional shops very often operate on a local scale, e.g. at holy places in different regions of the world or in the centers of larger cities. However, more and more people doing business in this way are also moving to the Internet. It is very reasonable, because operating in the field of e-commerce gives you the opportunity to significantly expand your reach and reach buyers from all over the world with your products.

However, the question arises: what should an advertisement for a devotional shop look like? Simply put – just like an e-shop operating in any other industry. Although indeed products in this category reach a very specific group of recipients, they also need to be effectively reached. This is possible by combining two strategies: positioning and active advertising.

It is worth taking a look at these two aspects and see what channels of communication with recipients to choose.

Positioning of the devotional shop

Positioning is a way to increase the visibility of an e-shop – so that its offer is available on the first page of search results for specific phrases. The higher it is, the greater the chance that the customer will choose your offer, not the one presented by the competition.

So the question is: how do you hit really high? The answer is simple: through a skilfully planned and even better implemented SEO strategy. What exactly is she. It consists of many factors, but the key ones are:
– optimizing the website – so that it is as functional as possible, loads quickly and is transparent and understandable (both for users and for Google algorithms),
– adjusting the website to the requirements of mobiles devices and ensuring its security,
– adaptation of the site map and URL structure to SEO requirements (including a clear division into categories and text page addresses with phrases),
– meta tags optimization.

Most of all, however, the point is that the website of the devotional shop should contain valuable and substantive texts, which will also be adapted to the requirements related to positioning. When creating them, the following issues are important:
– appropriate length – the more text, the better, as long as it is on the topic,
– proper saturation with key phrases – selected after careful analysis,
– division into h1, h2, h3 and sometimes lower-order headings,
– correct use of internal linking.

And although in theory meeting all these requirements seems quite simple, in practice it is a serious challenge. Therefore, if you want your actions to bring measurable results, it is worth entrusting them to SEO specialists.

How to choose keywords when positioning a devotional shop?

The basic issue is, of course, matching them to the subject of the website – so they must be related to the offered accessories. However, this is not the end of the task facing the positioner. There is competition in the devotional shop industry. Therefore, relying solely on general, basic keywords may not be enough – especially since your customers are often looking for very specific products.

For this reason, it is a good idea to use tools such as Google Trends, Keyword Planner or Senuto or Ubersuggest when searching for key phrases, but also to perform a professional and in-depth analysis. It will show which phrases have high potential and which may be too much of a challenge when positioning. In recent years, the most frequently recommended strategy for stores with a large assortment is long-tail positioning. It means matches to general keywords of side phrases that will increase your search potential. Especially in the times when a large number of searches are conducted by voice, this is a very important solution.

Why is positioning profitable?

SEO activities will benefit your devotional store in the long run – this is the most important benefit to keep in mind. While it may take a while to rank well in search results, it will also be possible for a long time to stay in the top rankings. But be careful! Activities with positioning cannot be limited to a one-time “setting” of the page high in the results. They should be continued – so as to maintain good results, and at the same time obtain equally good results when searching for other phrases.

Advertising a devotional shop in Google Ads – is it worth it?

Positioning is primarily used to build the visibility of the devotional shop. On the other hand, Google Ads tools allow for active promotion and reaching recipients with direct message. The huge advantages of this system are:
– the ability to precisely reach people potentially interested in buying devotional items – in the Google campaign you can define various demographic characteristics of the desired recipients, as well as their interests,
– thorough monitoring of campaign results and reliable settlement of their effects – you only pay for impressions / clicks, and therefore for effectiveness,
– high level of return on investment, provided that the campaign is set up correctly,
– the possibility of achieving long and short-term goals – also those related to quick promotional campaigns.

That is why advertising a devotional store based on Google Ads tools is also a good solution.

What does an ad for a devotional store look like in Google Ads?

Devotional stores usually have a very wide range of products. That is why it is worth conducting advertising in Google Ads using several channels – so as to obtain a synergy effect.

– The most popular and most frequently used form of promotion is the one with the use of sponsored links. These are links to the store’s offer, which are displayed above the standard Google search results. Despite the fact that such links are marked as advertising, they are of great interest to customers and their use may help to increase traffic to the site and general interest in the offer.
– A good advertisement for a devotional shop is also the one in the PLA model, i.e. in the Google Shopping model. How it’s working? Well, after the user enters a password related to a product belonging to your assortment, he will see not only standard search results, but also boxes with specific offers, enriched photos and prices. It’s a simple way to convert!
– Contextual advertising on external websites, displayed in the Google Display Network system, will also work very well. It will appear on banners on portals visited by your potential customers. Its very interesting version is remarketing advertising, which is targeted at people who have already visited your store but have not made a purchase yet.

It is worth remembering that when choosing a promotion method as part of Google Ads tools, you do not have to decide on only one. The best results will be achieved by advertising a devotional shop, which will be conducted through several channels at the same time. Transparent reports will show how the individual messages worked, who they were sent to and what is the return on investment in advertising, and only then will you be able to decide on the most effective channels.

Advertising of the devotional shop on social media

Positioning and Google – there is no need to end with these solutions. Social media also has a huge potential for stores selling devotional articles. It is especially about Facebook, which is the most widely used and at the same time the most universal solution.

When and how to reach the audience with an ad on Facebook?

In the case of stores with devotional items, it is worth thinking primarily about product campaigns related to specific seasons.

Remarketing advertising will also work well in social media – it works in a similar way as in the Google Ads system.

What about other social media? Is there a place to promote a devotional shop? In the aforementioned remarketing system – yes, yes. However, an image-related communication would have to be very well thought out. It is worth consulting with experts.

As you can see, a devotional shop can be advertised in different ways and on a variety of platforms. It’s definitely worth it, because the competition has reached this sector of the market as well. So if you have extraordinary products, be sure to show them off. You need help? Report to us. We will suggest how to run an effective campaign.

ClickMeeting

– up to 4 presenters
– up to 10 hours of recordings
– 30-day trial period

ClickMeeting is a webinar platform that is currently breaking records of popularity. Certainly, its great advantage is that the entire tool is easy to use for both presenters and participants. However, if you’re going to run an international webinar, that’s fine too, because ClickMeeting supports 7 languages, including English of course. In addition, there is a moderated chat that can be automatically translated into one of the 52 available languages.

What other useful functions does ClickMeeting have?

The tool has such useful features as an on-demand webinar and an automated webinar. The first of them allows you to share previously recorded seminars in the pay per view model, i.e. recipients can watch the webinar immediately after paying for access. The second option is to create a seminar where many things can be set up automatically in advance. All you have to do is upload the recording and on a special timeline add at which point the poll, CTA button or other available elements should appear on the participants’ screen.

In this program you have all the basic functions needed to conduct a webinar – the ability to share your screen, conduct a presentation, record a speech or conduct live surveys. In addition, ClickMeeting also has a board where you can create diagrams and notes for participants. Importantly, the tool has the option to organize paid webinars for which participants can pay via PayPal. So if you want to host an online seminar not only for lead gathering, but also for direct monetization, this is one of the best webinar software you will find.

The most important information at a glance:
– the ability to personalize the webinar, profile page and thank you page (own logo, colors, etc.),
– integration with other tools (including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, HubSpot, PayPal),
– the ability to record and store a webinar,
– option to create a CTA button that will take you to the offer page,
– an option to buy an addition to the package (sub-accounts for employees, more space for recordings, space for additional participants and presenters).

Zoom

– free plan for up to 100 participants (maximum 40 minutes of the webinar)
– up to 1 GB of recordings

We have recently associated zoom mainly with remote learning, but it also has a rich plan for webinar creators. Its big advantage is that it has a permanent free version – but you have to remember that you can then create webinars of up to 40 minutes. Also in this program you can conduct paid webinars and store seminars in pay per view format, and additionally integrate it with EventBrite – the ticketing and registration management tool. A useful option, but only available in more expensive packages, is the ability to create your own URL, including your brand name. In addition, you can also use Zoom to track source URLs and see where attendees are signing up for the webinar from.

What other useful functions does Zoom have?

When it comes to features for presenters, Zoom has similar options to ClickMeeting, i.e. presentation mode and drawing board, plus chat (private and group) and Q&A panel. What is not in the first program is the audience attention indicator. Thanks to this function, you can control which participants are the most engaged and how many of them are looking at what you present at any given moment. A nice and visually interesting addition is the virtual raise hand button for participants. This way you can see the questions when they are presented and you can answer them on the fly.

In Zoom, you also have the option of personalizing the webinar itself and the registration form. The platform also allows you to send e-mails to the subscribers with reminders about the upcoming seminar – you can also tweak them with your colors or logo. You can also instantly integrate Zoom with Facebook and YouTube to broadcast there as well, and with your CRM to collect leads. One thing to fault this platform is its few webinar automation options and marketing tools, but it’s still a good option for people getting started with online video.

The most important information at a glance:
– payment for participation in the webinar via PayPal or by credit card,
– e-mail reminders about the webinar,
– integration with Facebook and YouTube,
– own url,
– the ability to store webinars in the cloud,
– the ability to track the source of the conversion.

MyOwnConference

– up to 10 presenters
– up to 100 GB of recordings
– free plan for up to 20 participants (maximum 20 minutes of the webinar)

MyOwnConference is a cool tool for you if you only want to use webinars to collect leads, as it doesn’t have the option of organizing paid events. Similarly to Zoom, it has a free plan for an indefinite period, under which you can organize webinars for 20 participants with three presenters at the same time. The entire platform is available, so it’s a good choice if you are concerned that your participants may not know English well.

What other useful functions does MyOwnConference have

In MyOwnConference, you can make slideshows, movies and files in various formats and share your screen to show something live. Here, too, you have the option of adding a CTA to the webinar, i.e. a button that will take participants directly to your offer page. You also have a moderated chat at your disposal and you can block trolls that are interrupting your speech. The good functionality is that participants can send messages directly to you, not in a group chat – you immediately catch direct contact with those who are most interested. What else? Live tests and surveys are something you can definitely use.

Thanks to this tool, you can also create webinars in your own colors and under your logo, and send equally well-branded invitations to participants. You can record and store your speeches in the cloud, with 100 GB in the paid package and 500 Mb in the free package. You can easily create a landing page for your event in this tool and organize regular webinars.

The most important information at a glance:
– the ability to send invitations,
– the option to create a landing page,
– CTA in the webinar,
– private messages to the presenter,
– creating recurring webinars, – integration with Google Analytics.

GoToWebinar

This platform focuses on slightly different features than the ones we mentioned earlier. There is no special presentation mode in it, so data can only be displayed on the basis of screen sharing. There is also no drawing board, though you can make on-screen notes when showing files. However, it is possible to introduce a custom registration form. What does it give you? You can get a lot more information about your participants by adding your own questions. You can also create paid webinars (paid in dollars only) and create certificates for attendees.

What other useful functions does GoToWebinar have?

When it comes to presenting opportunities, the audience attention indicator is a good addition. Thanks to this tool, you can check even how many percent of people are currently looking at your screen or which participants are the most involved (there is an option to raise a hand virtually). In addition, you also have a chat and a Q&A panel at the webinar, and you can quickly conduct a survey among participants during your speech. The add-on that can be very useful to you are automatic transcripts that you can download after the recording is finished. An option not available on other platforms is the ability to provide participants with downloads.

GoToWebinar has perhaps the most personalization options out of the tools mentioned. You can not only add your colors and logos here, but also set the number and time of sending e-mails with webinar reminders and thank you for participation. The tool will also allow you to track the source from which the most entries for the webinar are coming from, share the recording after the webinar ends and change the URL to your own.

The most important information at a glance:
– the ability to add questions to the registration form,
– integration with CRM,
– number of emails with reminders to choose from,
– conversion source tracking, – audience attention indicator,
– paid webinars,
– certificates for recipients, in order to participate in the webinar, you must have the application downloaded,
– automatic transcriptions.

GetResponse

– up to 3 presenters
– up to 20 hours for recordings

This name is most associated with the newsletter tool, and rightly so. Initially, the platform was only used to create them, but over time the company expanded its offer to organize webinars. Thanks to this, buying a webinar package here is a good deal for people who already use GetResponse for e-mailing and have a contact base built there. In this tool, you can send e-mail invitations using one of the many templates available. You also get the option to create landing pages and configure the autoresponder.

What other useful functions does GetResponse have?

What has GetResponse prepared for the presenters? There are interactive whiteboard, screen sharing, presentation mode and the ability to play videos during the webinar. There is also a CTA that you can use to direct your audience to the offer page. Of course, there is also a chat for participants in this tool. You can integrate your webinar with Facebook and YouTube, so your audience can also find you on platforms that they know well.

GetResponse has a paid webinar option, however these are only available in more expensive packages. An interesting option, however, are automatic webinars that users can play in return for leaving you with their e-mail address. Also here you can personalize the webinar URL and record the speeches to share them later as well. The thing to be aware of is that package prices are not fixed – they increase as your audience list grows.

The most important information at a glance:
– e-mails with invitations – many templates,
– the ability to create landing pages,
– integration with Facebook pixel,
– URL adaptation,
– integration with Facebook and YouTube,
– automatic webinars available by e-mail,
– integration with the newsletter database, if we have an account there,
– paid webinars only in more expensive packages,
– the price increases with the number of participants.

AnyMeeting

– up to 12 presenters
– 30-day trial period

AnyMeeting is a platform designed mainly for small webinars – the maximum number of participants here is 1000, which is a big difference compared to other tools where the limits are tens of thousands. Here, too, a chat is available for participants, both public and private. However, you can completely remove chat on your speech so that nothing distracts your audience. AnyMeeting allows you to personalize your webinar, including sending invitations tailored to your needs.

What other useful functions does AnyMeeting have?

As for the basic functions for the presenter, here you can share the screen, show presentations, movies and pdf files and block participants who do not follow the meeting rules. You have the Q&A panel and engagement statistics at your disposal all the time. You can conduct real-time surveys and of course record your webinar for later use.

AnyMeeting also offers an interesting option for presenters who work together remotely. The package of this tool includes the so-called green room, i.e. a room for leaders. It is available one hour before the scheduled webinar so that presenters can discuss their speech together in private conditions. In addition, the website also offers e-mail reminders about webinars and personalized forms for participants. The only thing you need to remember is that the website does not allow broadcasting from mobiles devices.

The most important information at a glance:
– personalized invitations,
– real-time polls and emoticon reactions,
– public and private chat for participants (possibility of removing it),
– the ability to send presentations, pdf and mp4 files,
– custom forms and registration pages,
– green room for lecturers, – e-mail reminders about the webinar,
– cannot broadcast from mobiles devices.

WebinarJam

– up to 6 presenters
– up to 4 hours of webinar

This platform offers an interesting solution when it comes to landing page for registration – here you can choose two templates from those provided by the tool and test which one is more effective. If you want to create webinars on a regular basis, you will love the option to permanently book one room. Then the same link leads to each presentation, so participants will easily find you. In addition, WebinarJam offers reminders not only in the e-mail version, but also via SMS. One of the most interesting solutions of this tool, however, is the so-called panic button. If you have technical problems during the webinar, you can move all presenters and participants to a new working room with one click.

What other useful functions does WebinarJam have?

The lecturers also have a lot of possibilities here. The package includes standard options such as screen sharing, chat or presentation mode, but also the ability to take notes on presentations, create polls and polls, and enter clickable offers to your products during the webinar. You can conduct your seminar here both from the computer and the telephones, so you can broadcast without any problems, wherever you are.

In WebinarJam you will also find a separate room for the technical person, i.e. the control center. Thanks to this, you do not have to deal with everything yourself during the presentation – you can ask someone to moderate the chat, share surveys and offers at appropriate times, or track statistics. The platform also gives you the option to create paid webinars for which participants pay via PayPal or credit card.

The most important information at a glance:
– automatic recording of the webinar and the ability to set the times of repetitions,
– the option of booking a dedicated room – always the same link,
– you can change the status of any participant to presenter at any time,
– possibility to test two landing pages,
– e-mail and SMS reminders,
– e-mails after the webinar tailored to the user – depending on whether he stayed until the end or left earlier,
– the ability to create clickable offers that will appear at a given moment of the webinar,
– panic button,
– control center – a separate room for a technical person,
– paid webinars (credit card or PayPal).

Livestorm

– free plan with no time limits (20 minutes of webinar, up to 10 participants)
– possibility of paying extra for an additional presenter
– up to 4 hours for a webinar

Livestorm is another platform that is available, so it is easy to use even for participants without knowledge of English. Here you can create paid webinars and pay per view recordings. In addition, Livestorm offers a registration form that you can embed on your website, and an option to track which sources are generating the most registrations.

What other useful functions does Livestorm have?

The platform allows you to share your screen, conduct presentations, and enter CTAs into your webinar. Of course, there is also a live chat and the option to record your speech. You can also integrate a webinar with CRM to conveniently collect leads. If you like to be in touch with your audience, you will also be pleased to invite any participants to speak – with no limit to the number of participants.

Also in Livestorm you have the option of personalizing the registration form and the webinar itself – you add your colors and logo so that everything matches the company’s visual identity. The platform also allows you to plan repetitions of your speech – you can show it any number of times. The option of exporting all statistics to pdf is also convenient here – it will be useful if you want to print them, show them to your superiors or send them to the client.

The most important information at a glance:
– personalization of the registration page,
– unlimited number of repetitions of the recorded webinar,
– inviting participants to speak,
– possibility of introducing CTA,
– the ability to embed the registration form on your website,
– on-demand webinars,
– paid webinars,
– automated webinars,
– analysis, statistics, tracking the source of registration,
– the ability to export statistics to pdf.

WebinarNinja

– up to 10 additional presenters
– up to 8 hours for a webinar
– 14-day trial period

WebinarNinja allows you to create paid online seminars and on-demand webinars, as well as hybrid versions. What does it mean? You can record part of the speech in advance, and live only parts of it – for example, those that involve interaction with participants. Before starting the recording, you can also create offers targeting your products and plan when they should appear on the audience’s screens.

What other useful functions does WebinarNinja have?

Presentations, chat, polls, screen sharing – all of these basic options are also found in WebinarNinja. You can also change the registration and thank you pages according to your needs, including adding additional questions to the forms. The tool also allows you to change the meeting URL to your own – to refer to your brand.

The platform allows you not only to plan reruns of the webinar, but also to upload the recording to the webinar search engine – thanks to this, even more people can find you. An interesting option is also the ability to export data from the system, including even the participants’ chat recording.

The most important information at a glance:
– on-demand webinars,
– paid webinars,
– hybrid webinars – recording with the host,
– the ability to create offers in advance and make them available to participants by clicking or at a scheduled time,
– integration with CRM,
– data export (including chat),
– personalized url,
– the ability to add a webinar to the webinar search engine.

Of course, there are many more webinar tools on the market. They differ in interface, additional options and prices. For the purposes of this list, we chose those that together create a cross-section – from very simple ones, intended for people who are just starting to run webinars, to professional ones, providing many marketing options.

Lead magnet – what is it?

To explain what a lead magnet is, let’s first briefly discuss what a lead itself is. This is the name of a person or company that has somehow interacted with our website / profile on social media and left an e-mail address, telephones number or other personal data, with the help of which we can contact them and convince them to use our offers.

Internet users are usually very reluctant to share their data anywhere, and fewer and fewer things are able to encourage them to do so. They are inundated with requests to leave a contact, therefore, fearing spam, they are skeptical about each of them and carefully analyze whether it will be profitable for them in any way.

Such thinking of the users of the global network resulted in the creation of the concept of a lead magnet, i.e. simply a lead magnet. This strategy of acquiring contacts with potential customers is very simple – in exchange for contact details, we offer something for free that the recipient needs or at least that can be useful to him. It is a model of acquiring leads in which both parties stand in a winning position – the recipient gains an attractive gift, and your company – the person who may be interested in its offer.

How to make a lead magnet?

So the question is how to make a good lead magnet. As with most questions, there is no single right answer to this either. Audience groups differ from one another and have different needs, so it is natural that there is no one magnet that will attract everyone. However, it is very important that the lead magnet meets several basic conditions, i.e. it should be:

Related to the industry
It is known that if we run a dentist’s office, we will not give potential customers a gift in the form of a guide for farmers applying for a subsidy. Lead magnet should be related to the area in which we operate.

Beneficial for the recipient
The gift must be attractive enough for the recipient to consider that it is worth providing contact details in return for it. It should solve a problem or increase the comfort of his work, in other words, be useful to him.

Simple to use
For example, if we want to provide the recipient with access to the tool, it will only work as a lead magnet if the tool is as intuitive as possible. When the user has to spend time reading the manual or painstakingly learn the operation himself, he loses interest.

Easily accessible
Few of your potential customers will be interested in a lead magnet if you need to email a company to get it, for example. It will simply cost them too much effort. The gift should be easy to download – for example by clicking the appropriate button on the landing page.

Original
We will not attract people with a gift that is easy to get even without leaving contact details. So a lead magnet in the form of an article about makeup trends will not work, because there are plenty of such materials on the Internet. Only something that will interest the recipient and will be unique will be a magnet.

Lead magnet – examples

Creating a lead magnet may be more or less time-consuming. Often, however, gifts that work are easy for an industry expert to make and don’t take hours to make. Here are some examples of lead magnets that are a great help for many companies in collecting contacts for potential customers.

Educational lead magnets

Gifts that convey valuable, proven knowledge on a topic are highly appreciated by Internet users. Such lead magnets can take many forms. A simple and effective gift is, for example, an infographic, i.e. a material explaining an issue in a visually friendly way. In this way, the hairdressing salon can show, for example, how to create an effective hairstyle in just a few steps; yoga studio – explain a short sequence of exercises for the spine; tire dealer – show how to check tread wear. It is true that you can find such information on the web, but if we explain it clearly, illustrating with appropriate graphics, we will gain material that Internet users will be happy to read.

More complicated, longer topics can be presented in the form of a webinar or a tutorial. A specialist can include a lot of information in an accessible form, providing examples from his experience and worked out tricks helpful for the client. Of course, he will not reveal all his secrets, but he will reveal the secret, which will make him an expert in the eyes of the recipients, who is worth returning to for paid materials or services. Following the industries selected for the article: a hair stylist can talk about his ways to nourish hair damaged by bleaching, a yoga instructor – about the specificity of a given type of yoga, and a tire seller with strengths and weaknesses of various tire manufacturers.

Free e-books and guides are also very popular among Internet users. Such materials do not have to be several hundred pages long – several dozen or even a dozen are enough. They should be nicely prepared, enriched with graphics or charts, made available for download on a specially prepared landing page. What materials can be created here? For example, our hairdresser could make a Korean hair care guide, a yoga instructor – a guide for beginner practitioners, and a salesperson – a comparison of different tire models.

Ready to download

Not only education works in the form of lead magnets, but also providing potential clients with materials that they can use in their daily work brings significant profits. Here, for example, a calendar is a popular gift. It does not have to be handed out on paper, a printable PDF or desktop wallpaper is enough. Of course, such a calendar must be adapted to the needs of the target group and stand out among the standard versions available on various websites. If the calendar is to be useful for the teacher, it should contain information about the beginning of summer holidays, the end of the semester, exam dates, etc. dates of settlements, submission of documents, etc.

Another gadget useful for recipients will be a planner or a replenishment schedule. Such a tool allows you to clearly plan your daily duties, and if it is well designed, it is not only functional, but also a nice addition to the office.

Checklists are also interesting prefabs that can be used as lead magnet. It can be a cheat sheet to talk to a potential client, a list of things to check before buying a car, or a list of things to do before accepting it. It is also worth playing these materials graphically, focusing on transparency.

Tools that make your work easier

Very often, an element that attracts potential customers is also a free template to download. We are talking about various patterns, not only graphic ones. Depending on the industry, it may be a template for a diploma, official letter, or a household budget planning sheet. Many people cannot or do not have time to create them on their own, so they willingly use ready-made products prepared by companies.

An example of a lead magnet are also various web applications and online calculators. How to make such a lead magnet and use it? Suppose we run a DIY store. We can create a calculator, thanks to which our potential customers will calculate how much paint, cement or other material will be needed to perform the renovation. At the same time, however, the tool will be free only for logged in users, i.e. those who left their data.

Demo versions and discounts

We can also collect leads by offering customers special opportunities that are financially profitable. It certainly includes demo versions of programs and tools, free access to a chapter in the case of books, or access to one lesson when we sell courses. Lead magnets good for many industries that offer services are free quotes and consultations or free audits.

In addition, it is also worth thinking about discounts for people who subscribe to the newsletter, set up an account in the system or simply leave their e-mail address.

Lead magnet – a technique for acquiring contacts for any business

When it comes to lead magnet, there can be many more examples – the more original and interesting the content, the greater the chance that it will help in building a contact base. However, it is worth remembering that the key issue should be the usefulness of the materials for a given group of recipients. So before we decide to invest time and money in creating such a magnet, it is necessary to analyze the needs of the recipients and examine what similar content is already available on the web.

New Year – some entered it with greater, others with less impetus, but certainly every entrepreneur with hope and plans for the development of their business on the Internet. 2020 gave many businesses a hard time and absolutely forced them to open up online. It was also a difficult exam for us – meeting the requirements of companies and providing equal service to each partner. Our activities for clients were not limited to generating more sales or promoting brand awareness. In many cases, we have supported companies that have just entered the online world, offering them survival assistance and new development opportunities in a difficult time of the pandemic. Many companies decide to invest in online marketing at the beginning of the year, which is why I decided to briefly discuss what cooperation with Paraphrase-Online.com looks like – what we are, what we expect and what you can expect from us. If you are interested, I invite you to read.

We like what we do

On this we base all our activities and projects in which we engage. If we have the heart for it, it means that we will do it the best we can. This is our promise and commitment in one.

If you decide to cooperate with Paraphrase-Online.com, you can count on the full commitment of our team. We will always look for the optimal solution for your business and tailor services to specific goals. We will adjust the form of cooperation to the size and requirements of your company.

We work for a positive, long-term effect. We plan strategies and invest resources in tools that will affect the success of your company – both today and in the future.

We treat each other as a partnership – mutual respect, understanding and trust in our specialists and the work they undertake are extremely important to us. If we are to act, then together – because we have a common goal.

Effects of work take time

For many entrepreneurs it is most difficult to accept the fact that it takes time to develop the expected results. Of course, it happens that we cooperate with a client and we notice an increase in sales or visibility in the first months. In most cases, however, it looks different – you have to wait for the results of the work you put in. Of course, paid channels bring results much faster than, for example, website positioning, but they also need time to learn and work out the most effective mechanisms possible.

So how long do you have to wait? This is best illustrated by examples of common situations.

Many customers expect us to implement solutions that will immediately guarantee them sudden growth and a leadership position. Previously, they used the services of another agency or acted internally, but decided to come to us, seeing that thanks to the technologies, tools and practice used, we can significantly improve the efficiency of activities carried out so far.

However, signing the contract does not mean that on the next day we will “launch the rocket” and conquer the universe immediately. Everything takes time and requires methodical operation. Well-thought marketing is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. In order not to burn out and not to strain the condition of the website or advertisements shortly after the start, you should carefully prepare – test a wide range of possibilities, settings and tools to choose the “master composition”. Even if we know that certain solutions work (e.g. in the case of e-commerce shopping campaigns), it does not mean that we will not launch a search engine or other channel. At the beginning, we want to test the available tools to see if it will bring specific results. Only after checking a specific channel can we be sure that it works. If it did not work, we can be sure that you can opt out of it in a specific case. However, we do not write off any solutions. Each channel has thousands of combinations that are perfect for a different industry. Testing is key to understanding which method is right for your business.

To sum up – the success that we guarantee to many of our clients is often several months of cooperation, implementation of hundreds of improvements, and testing of solutions and channels. When you decide to cooperate with Paraphrase-Online.com, you have to be prepared for it.

We work honestly for your success

We offer many solutions, we are open and willing to test, we expand our service package, develop our skills (e.g. in video creation, graphics, animation, additional analytical and UX tools, optimization) – so as to be able to fully serve each client, according to his needs and expectations, but also with the use of the latest methods of operation.

We try our best, but we are not miracle workers. If your advertising budget in the previous agency was $ 1000 and you decided to invest with us, we will tell you openly that with this amount we will not be able to increase sales by 400%. We can improve the effects by 20%, increase revenues by 30%, reduce costs by 25%. Enchanting reality is not enough – with this type of budget, increasing the profitability of a campaign by several hundred percent is in principle impossible, especially when actions were taken in the right way before starting cooperation with us.

Clearly defined level of service

We have a clearly defined time for our clients. We are advisers, consultants and partners. It is worth bearing in mind that by outsourcing the activities that our specialists deal with, you do not gain an additional employee available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We are always in close contact and you can be sure that our specialist will always come back to you if you need advice. Yes, we are not a full-time employee of your company, although we will comprehensively deal with all the services you entrust to us – but if you expect constant, daily contact, tell us about it in the initial phase of talks – we will be able to clearly tell you whether it is feasible and how much you will pay for it so that both parties know what they can count on.

Really evalsuate your business and the chances of success

It is hard. Nevertheless, if you spend 2-3 thousand dollars on advertising activities and you do not notice any effects, and we have checked all possible channels and keywords, unfortunately you should not count on changing the agency to bring any effect. It is then worth analyzing your business, website and offer.

Let me give you an example and explain why changing the agency will be of no use in this case. Suppose you run a coffee roaster. We have already checked all possible channels, keywords (e.g. coffee shop, roasted coffee, craft coffee), several people tried to run the campaign (with a similar budget), and the results are still missing. Do not be under the illusion that another agency, modifying a given keyword (eg instead of “coffee shop” will use “coffee online shop”), will completely change the performance of the campaign. If all the attempts used do not bring results, it means that the fault is not on the side of ineffective advertising activities – most likely something is clearly going wrong in your business model or offer. Although it is sometimes difficult to accept this fact, it is worth accepting it and analyzing your business. This is a good time to make the appropriate changes.

An internet campaign is only part of the business

Please note that we will not plan the entire business model for you if it is flawed. We know advertising, digital solutions and technologies and we can help you with this. Based on our experience, we can suggest what will work for you. You can completely trust us in these matters.

We are specialists in our field, and you, in terms of business goals, count on your precise guidelines to match them with our activities.

Online activities, though, can really drive sales and bring you huge profits. In order to record these effects, you need a clear strategy and a certain business model. And it is worth starting from, and even should be started.

Too often, we encounter the case that an online store owner orders an ad for $ 1,000 or $ 2,000, or even $ 10,000, and does nothing else. The store is empty, maladjusted, unprepared for the campaign, and apart from posting an advertisement directing traffic to the website, no other actions are taken to improve efficiency. If someone thinks that today it is enough to set up an online store and buy an advertisement, e.g. in Google Ads, with the help of an agency or a freelancer, then they are very wrong. Currently, all activities related to running a business must be more comprehensive. The days when someone started an online store in a garage and launched a simple $ 2,000 campaign is long gone and they are unlikely to come back.

Multichannel is a necessity, not a choice

Using a single channel to reach customers significantly reduces the effectiveness of all marketing activities. By choosing only one method of communication, you cannot expect your business to achieve spectacular results. If you know how the Chain Reaction Mechanism works, it will be easier to understand that operating in one channel drives traffic in the next – the evidence for the correctness of multichannel actions are the values presented in the graphs below. It’s obvious you have to start somewhere. We do not always have the option to go all the way right from the start, but in the long run the implementation of new channels is a must – if we do not do it, it will be difficult to scale the company and achieve at least the same or better results.

What happens if you intensify your activities by using different channels?
There is only one answer. There will be a so-called synergy. Through various formats and targeting in Google Ads, advertising on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram or Programmatic, you will both accelerate the success of each of them individually and strengthen the results in each of them.

Building a brand requires a lot of advertising activities

The barriers to entry today are much higher than a few years ago. It is worth taking into account that other companies, i.e. your competitors, have been on the market for longer and regularly spend these funds on advertising. They invest every month, e.g. $ 5,000 or $ 50,000. They have it already contracted in the budget and spend such sums regardless of whether they have better or worse results in a given period. Even if they do not achieve the current results, they are working on intensifying traffic on the site, which in the long run will certainly translate into profits. If you are just starting your business, be aware that you will incur marketing costs. This is an entry barrier that all companies must take into account.

As an owner of a start-up business, you will probably invest wisely in advertising, allocating about $ 2,000 to $ 3,000. Meanwhile, the competition has been spending 5,000 or 10,000 dollars on marketing for a long time. With such a disproportion you cannot expect any spectacular effects.

You need to learn about the operation of individual business models and examine the competition, check how much time is already on the market and what funds are spent on advertising. Of course, spending 50% of the funds available from competitors will, in some cases, estimate the potential of the entire channel. But with us, you can safely skip this stage of estimation. After all, it is because of experience that you hire us.

The guidelines that we submit for implementation are extremely important

It happens that customers ignore the list of recommendations prepared by our team. Some business owners feel that they do not need a mobiles-friendly website. Others underestimate the role of redirects. It also happens that clients explain that they do not have enough time to introduce the suggested changes. And it is time that works to our advantage …

The implementation of changes based on the guidelines has a key role in achieving results! The client pays us for the website analysis as part of, for example, positioning or Google Ads campaigns, and we suggest actions that improve visibility and traffic within the website. As practice shows, it still happens that these suggestions are omitted and the client does not implement changes. Of course, this applies only to a certain part of the entities we support, but it is worth mentioning, because even those who rationalize their websites in terms of our guidelines, often do not realize the importance of this action.

If the changes are not implemented, it will certainly affect the results – both current and those expected in the future. When a client entrusts us with a specific task, he receives specific instructions in response, i.e. a work plan that must be performed on his side so that we can achieve the expected results together. It is very important – without appropriate modifications, we cannot efficiently perform our work and rationalize our activities. Of course, we understand that changes are introduced gradually, and in some cases it is necessary to wait six months or a year. However, if we unsuccessfully recall for a few months about minor, but necessary modifications, without which we will not achieve our goals, unfortunately such cooperation will end sooner or later.

The website is one of the most important components of your business

The online store should be treated exactly the same as a stationary point or office where contractors are received. If chaos reigns in the real space, e.g. in a supermarket or local shop, and the exhibition looks outdated, customers will avoid this place with a wide berth. The same goes for online stores. If the online store does not have a mobiles version of the website, i.e. it does not work properly on a mobiles phones, the potential customer will probably not return to it again. It is difficult to shop when the products are not showing up, and proceeding to transactions or making payments is a torment. This also applies to service pages – if you cannot find a clearly structured offer, gallery or portfolio on the company’s website, and in addition it is difficult to find contact details – acquiring a customer via the Internet will be a miracle. It’s time to accept the fact that users of virtual space have already got used to high standards of service.

At Paraphrase-Online.com, we can do a lot for you in the field of online advertising – improve the website, provide UX tips, implement tracking codes to better optimize the campaign. However, we are not able to change one thing – your approach to doing business.

The website – as a business resource – is still underestimated by many business owners. And very often, implementing a few changes on the website, rationalizing CTA, UX or improving the operation on mobiles devices can significantly improve the effectiveness of the campaign. It happened that its effectiveness was increased by up to 50%, at the same cost.

It is worth adding, as if in defense of all Google Ads specialists, advertising specialists in other channels or positioners, that they are too often blamed for failure in terms of search engine visibility or poor sales results. In fact, such cases do not occur among customers who work closely with us and prioritize their website by making the suggested changes.

If we do our best work on the advertising side, but a given client neglects his website, and in fact his business, we will never achieve spectacular results.

Fixed budget for advertising

Only constant, repeatable advertising activities bring long-term effects – mass and regularity count. Constant reminding. I will use the arguments of the author of the book “How brands grow”, who places building and maintaining reach over the occasional but intense frequency of advertising activities. This is particularly important for companies whose customers rarely make decisions. The more often we remind them of cheaply bought traffic, the greater the likelihood that we will hit the moment when they are ready to buy.

Budget to service relationship

We often come across cases in which companies have extensive marketing departments (e.g. 10 people in a team) and spend e.g. $ 10,000 a month on online and offline advertising. Including team members’ salaries, they cost in the range of $ 30,000-40,000. A simple calculation shows that only or ¼ of them go to real advertising activities. Such companies very often have a problem with generating positive effects. This is a flawed concept. Nevertheless, it is worth analyzing your sources of marketing costs to allocate them appropriately.

Theory, or what is this creation – JavaScript?

The website is in the form of code that is read by browsers and rendered as indicated. The next elements of the website are added via HTML tags. The appearance of the page requires adding an additional file, written in css. The most common styles are located in the style.css file.

Websites built on HTML and CSS are relatively simple. Creating complex websites requires the use of more technically advanced solutions, allowing for dynamic content delivery, HTML rendering at the server level, and processing information from users and saving them in a database. The use of additional technologies also makes the form of providing information on the website more attractive.

Building dynamic applications is possible thanks to a wide range of programming languages, extending the functionality of websites. One of the most popular programming languages in recent years has been JavaScript. This is confirmed, inter alia, by The 2020 State of the Octoverse report summarizing the activities of developers within the GitHub platform.

JavaScript was created in late 1995. Initially, it was used primarily to validate information entered by the user (e.g. the correctness of an e-mail address in a form), today it allows you to build dynamic websites. Thanks to the scripts, the website “lives” and reacts to the user’s actions – the image gallery becomes interactive, pop-ups can be closed, and Google Analytics collects information about the traffic on the site. JS is also responsible for other elements without which websites do not seem to meet modern standards:
– infinite scroll (i.e. loading subsequent elements, e.g. products without reloading the page),
– comments and ratings,
– internal linking,
– “the best” lists of products or articles.

The choice of JavaScript as the technology on which the website will be based allows you to place on it elements downloaded from external sources, for example the Google Maps API or API from social networks.

JavaScript code is in a file saved as .js (usually script.js) – a link to it is inserted in the head section of the page or immediately before the final body tag (which is recommended). However, some code fragments are also placed directly between html tags (e.g. the script responsible for Google Analytics), which allows the code to be executed (i.e. the appearance of a specific action on the page) before the entire HTML and CSS structure is loaded. Unfortunately, such treatments usually have a negative impact on the rendering speed of the website – so it is worth using this option to a limited extent.

Within websites built according to this standard, at first the HTML structure is loaded, which is then supplemented with CSS code. Finally, the JS code is executed according to the sequence of the following items in the file – top to bottom.

Client-side Rendering or Server Side Rendering?

JavaScript is a specific language – it can be executed on the server side (server-side) and on the browser side (client-side). Both options allow you to build a modern web application that is attractive to users and web robots.

Server-side rendering (SSR) is the most popular method of displaying web pages. The browser sends information to the server, which sends the response in the form of rendered HTML, which is displayed on our screen. The response speed depends on, among others:
– internet connection,
– server locations (distance from the computer from which the query was sent),
– traffic on a given page (how many inquiries are sent at the same time),
– from website optimization, e.g. cache and the possibility of storing some files in the browser cache).

Each subsequent click causes the necessity to reload the page – the server sends a response containing HTML with the same elements as the previous subpage.

Client-side Rendering allows you to render responses on the client side – most often the web browser. In this case, in response to the browser request, the server sends a JavaScript file, which is responsible for creating the HTML structure and adding content to it. In the case of moving to the next subpage, the website does not have to be reloaded – JS downloads the necessary content from the server and complements the previously rendered HTML skeleton. The server response is faster and the Internet connection is less loaded.

Client-side rendering is usually faster, but due to the need to execute all JS code, the first loading of the website may be longer than with SSR. Client-side rendering – rendering a view only for a given browser may cause problems with effective website positioning.

Google vs. JS – a bumpy road to success

The possibilities offered by JavaScript code had a significant impact on its popularity. JS allows, among others to create dynamic pages, based on a template written in html + css, supplemented with data downloaded, for example, from databases. Moreover, the potential of this language allows you to manipulate templates, create additional elements and render the page “on the fly” – while the program is running. On this principle, in the first years of its existence, Wix site builder – rendered websites based on JS code.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, this solution is not conducive to ranking high in the Google search engine. Network robots from the Mountain View company for many years were not able to analyze JavaScript pages well, which in turn resulted in the inability to compete in SERPs. In recent years, Google has declared to improve its capabilities in this area, but the effectiveness of reading the code files is not always satisfactory.

SEO JavaScript pages requires, first of all, to know how Googlebot processes JS code. For static pages, the robot’s flowchart is quite simple.

Google checks if it can enter a given address (access for robots can be blocked in the robots.txt file or tag in <head>), then downloads the page data – HTML structure and at the same time checks what is on all links in the code. Then the CSS files are read and the page is sent for indexing. This process is different for JavaScript pages.

As you can see, the path that Googlebot has to travel is much more complicated. After downloading the HTML file, it downloads the CSS and JS code which is necessary to render the page. It then supplements it with resources from external sources (if any) and renders the page. The appearance of the page and the necessary elements of its structure are contained in the JS code, which allows you to manipulate individual fragments and adapt them to the user’s needs.

Rendering the code before it is indexed may take a long time and Google does not guarantee that it will get all the information we wanted to include on the page. It has to do with with the number of URLs the robot scans during the day – the so-called “Crawl budget”. Taking into account the needs of Googlebot allows it to effectively crawl under the page, which translates into the visibility of the site in search results.

Drawing a Googlebot path gives a clear overview of the complexity of positioning JavaScript-based pages. Unfortunately, it does not inform about the risks and problems that may arise during the next steps.

JS pages – what does Google see?

Websites based largely on JavaScript code have always been a big challenge for Google robots. Their indexation level is increasing, but they are still not as high as we could wish for.

Google renders pages differently than the average browser, and uses the page in a different way than the user. The algorithm of operation focuses primarily on the elements that are necessary to render the website. It may omit those it deems less important and, as a result, ignore them during indexing. This is problematic especially in a situation when these fragments contain the content of the page, which was intended to become a ticket to high positions in search results. Data dependent on cookies are particularly exposed to the risk of remaining invisible – if the content is served on their basis, Google will probably not reach it. Additional issues are also the speed at which the code is executed – bad optimization may extend the entire process and cause the robot to abandon it.

The second problem is the lack of Googlebot activity when visiting the website – Google does not scroll the page, does not click where the user is and blocks automatic video playback. Unlike other visitors to the site, it may not reach all the prepared content and not have a complete picture of the site.

Information on how Google renders our site can be obtained using the mobiles Optimization Test. After entering the address, mobiles Test will download the subpage indicated by us and return information about the rendering process – including messages about problems. A preview of the rendered page will also appear on the right.

You can also check the page in Google Search Console – “URL Check”. Both forms of site rendering control allow you to obtain the data necessary to introduce any changes and improve the indexation of the site based on JS.

Single Page Apps – React, Vue.js and other frameworks

Strong emphasis on the speed of data delivery and the popularity of technologies used in mobiles applications has resulted in the growing popularity of Single Page Apps websites. This type of website has one html file, which is used to render subsequent subpages. The content is downloaded dynamically from the server through JS requests.

SPAs are fast and well received by users. During the visit, the browser downloads all static elements, the remaining content is read during the visit. Transitions between successive fragments of the page are dynamic – we avoid the moment of reloading the page. From the user’s position, it looks the same as in the case of more traditional pages – e.g. links in the menu have a familiar form, but after clicking on them, the browser does not download data from the next html file – in fact it remains in the basic index.html, and the content is downloaded are from the database and rendered with JS.

To build Single Page Apps, the AJAX model is used, which allows communication with the server in an asynchronous manner, which does not require the document to be refreshed with each user interaction with the site. Pages are built with what Wikipedia refers to as the “application framework” framework. The framework is responsible for the application structure, mechanism of operation, components and necessary libraries. The most popular frameworks include React, which is used to build application interfaces. Vue.js and Ember.js are also frequently used. The framework developed and promoted by Google is called “Angular”. The most popular frameworks allow for server-side rendering of websites (which is recommended from the perspective of easy page crawling by Googlebot) and take into account the requirements of mobiles browsers.

As we mentioned earlier, Google is not always able to deal with these types of sites, which makes the positioning of some Single Page App based on JavaScript without proper optimization may be impossible. A good example is the website. The website provides a lot of historical information (taken from Wikipedia), but Google does not see its potential.

While in the case of a website of this type, the lack of presence in Google is not that significant, in the case of a store it can significantly affect the interest of customers. Pages created using popular frameworks – React, Vue.js or Angular, allow you to introduce elements necessary to appear in the Google index and serve content in a way that allows you to compete in terms of position.

SEO and optimization of JS pages

The solutions enabled by the JavaScript code have a positive impact on the speed of the website and its reception by users. However, seeing the page by potential customers is only half the battle – most of them reach our URL only when they find it in Google search results.

Optimizing web pages with a lot of JavaScript code requires changes that seem obvious to static pages.

Access for network robots
As mentioned earlier, Googlebot will first check if the URL it encounters is accessible to it. This applies to all resources within it – including JS and CSS files. Google’s rendering of JS pages requires full code access, so avoid blocking these resources in your robots.txt file.

Urls
One of the problems that can be encountered when optimizing a site based largely on JS, is the lack of “traditional” links to subsequent pages of the site. Googlebot focuses only on the links placed in the href attribute, in the <a> tag.

Another problem with URLs typical of sites with lots of JS is the use of URLs with “#”. The cross allows you to avoid the need to scroll through the document and move directly to the selected fragment.

One solution to these problems is to use the HTML5 History API. It allows you to manipulate the browser’s history – e.g. change the address in the browser’s address bar and change the content, without having to reload the subpage. The API is built into most frameworks (including React Router), which makes it much easier to build websites that allow for positioning in Google. Note – such solutions will not be effective with old versions of browsers.

Among other problems with URLs, it is also worth noting quite a lot of potential for duplicate pages, with addresses that differ in case of letters or slash at the end. Placing a canonical link in the <head> section fixes this problem. The address they contain will be unambiguous information for Google.

Sitemap.xml
The element that makes indexing the site much easier are files containing links to all addresses within the domain – sitemap. The sitemap is a list to which all addresses to which we want to invite the bot should be included.

Redirects and the problem of apparent errors 404
One of the important elements of the website optimization process is catching broken URLs and directing them to new, correct ones. Redirects 301, 302, etc. are performed within the server. However, in the case of the Single Page App, this solution cannot be applied. As the Google Help Center suggests, and as proven by Search Engine Land’s testing, proper use of JS code will work in a similar way.

Redirecting JS will allow you to redirect the address to the next subpage, but it will not give the answer typical for redirects made on the server. However, from the point of view of presence in search results, this is not a problem. Redirecting effectively replaces the old address with a new one that may go further in the ranking.

window.locations.replace replaces the current document with the one at the given address. The address and contents of the original document will not be cached. This type of procedure is another example of the effective use of the previously mentioned HTML5 History API.

Other important server response codes for network robots include 404, “Not Found”. In the case of JS pages (although this problem also occurs with badly configured static pages), the lack of a document at the given address will be read by the server as a correct 200 answer. As a result, the search engine index may find non-existent addresses with no content. In order to overcome this problem and inform robots about the need to look at other subpages, it is worth supplementing the code with a fragment that allows you to get the desired answer from the server.

Loading delay
Page speed is one of the factors contributing to good website visibility. The optimal speed of content delivery and other content elements allows for comfortable use of the website without overloading the user’s internet connection. One of the most effective solutions is lazy loading – delaying the loading of certain website elements. Note – incorrect implementation may block access to important website resources and, as a result, prevent Googlebot from accessing key content for positioning.

When loading, priority should be given to the HTML structure that allows you to “build the page” and its content. Next in the queue are the graphics, which most often have the greatest impact on the amount of data downloaded to load your site. The use of lazy loading allows you to render successive elements visible on the screen in the first one, allowing for later loading of fragments available after scrolling below.

Titles, descriptions …
You can’t do effective SEO without optimizing your titles and descriptions. In the case of Single Page App pages, based on frameworks such as React, Ember or Angular, it is worth considering adding a module or library that allows for any modification of these tags. In the case of applications built on React, the most frequently chosen library is React Router and React Helmet. The Gatsby framework based on React is also becoming more and more popular.

Testing and troubleshooting JavaScript application SEO

Positioning of Javascript-based websites has not been possible for many years. The development of methods to deliver content to web crawlers is in line with improving Google’s ability to render and read JS sites. However, there is still a significant risk of errors when indexing the content of our website – the solution provided by Google is not perfect.

The guarantee of the appearance in the SERPs is to allow access to the site by Google robots and control the content displayed by them. For this purpose, it is worth not to limit yourself to testing the website, especially with the help of the previously indicated Google tools.

Dynamic rendering – ready for Googlebot

As part of improving the relationship between Googlebot and JavaScript, Google in its documentation suggests using various tricks that allow for better processing of JS code. One of them is dynamic rendering.

Dynamic rendering is based on identifying the client (e.g. a browser or a web robot) and providing him with a response tailored to his technical capabilities. In practice, when the query is made by the user (web browser), the page will be rendered in the normal way – the HTML file will be downloaded and the desired content will be downloaded from the database with the help of a request sent by a JS script. When Googlebot asks for a given URL, the server will send a render of the page containing static HTML, which will enable faster indexing of its content.

An API called Rendertron can be used to implement dynamic rendering, which works as a standalone HTTP server. It renders the contents of URLs readable by bots that don’t execute JavaScript correctly. Rendertron allows you to save the rendered file in the cache, which significantly speeds up the sending of responses to the bot. The data in the cache will be updated automatically at intervals specified by us.

Pre-rendered documents are also useful from the point of view of other clients – they allow you to prepare content suitable for readers used by the visually impaired.

SEO and JavaScript – summary

The growing emphasis on the speed of serving content will certainly result in a further increase in the popularity of the JavaScript language. Google also takes this into account and is constantly working to improve the indexing of the content accessible with the help of JS. Appropriate optimization and the use of bot-friendly solutions are the key to high positions in search results, even for Single Page App and other JS-based sites.

Let us assume that you have created a text whose thesis or proposition is the sentence, It’s worth writing straightforwardly. Now it is necessary to justify this point of view in order to convince the recipient to it. The combination of convincing with justification is nothing more than argumentation.

Because, what is worth emphasizing, there is also persuasion without justification. You act under its influence if you choose a floor cleaner just because its brand is known, or if you go to a movie where all your friends were present, or drink blackcurrant juice when you have a cold, because it was considered effective in your family home. When you follow an example or herd instinct, you usually do not need justification and thus argumentation.

Thus, whether we are dealing with argumentation is determined by the justification. It also has its other side. When you argue in favor of a thesis, you indicate that it is not obvious and must be justified. So it is worth considering whether argumentation is always necessary.

How to build arguments

The argument consists of:
– premises that justify the thesis,
– thesis, i.e. the conclusion.

It is structured as follows: Because premise 1, premise 2, … .., therefore the conclusion, e.g. because the human foot was formed while walking barefoot, and the feet of young children are just developing, therefore footwear should give children’s feet such an opportunity to develop, as if they were walking barefoot.

Of course, the argument need not be worded because, then, though, such transitions increase the effectiveness of suggestion and facilitate acceptance.

Without transitions, the argument would go like this: A person’s foot was formed when walking barefoot. Little children’s feet are just developing. Footwear should therefore give children’s feet the opportunity to develop as if they were walking barefoot.

Let us have a look at the fluency of the arguments as presented by J. Iwaszkiewicz: There is an author behind the book. So his writing is always a letter to the reader. We usually write letters to friends. The book is the author’s letter to a friend.

If the recipient accepts that sentence A is true, he must also admit that sentence B is true. Sentence A is the basis for accepting sentence B. And so on. This reliable way of inference can take the following form, for example:
– Premise 1: Food without preservatives is healthy.
– Premise 2: Juice X contains no preservatives.
– Conclusion: Juice X is healthy.

Both premises have one term in common (preservatives), each term of the application is included in one premise (healthy – in the first, juice x – in the second). This is how a syllogism arises. The greater premise contains a general truth, the smaller one – a detailed one, the conclusion follows logically from two premises.

When I say that Juice X does not contain preservatives, so it is healthy, I will ignore the first premise (Food without preservatives is healthy), because I will take it for granted. This is how an entymemma is created.

An entymemma can also refute a theorem, and in this role it has even greater power. In the inference Adam could not have committed the crime, I have known him since he was a child, the premise Adam is good by nature was hidden.

However, breaking arguments in an advertisement is dangerous. Now, when we fight a claim, we emphasize, as Perelman writes, that it has “sufficient strength that we must go to the trouble of resisting it.” It will be more advantageous not to invoke counter arguments unnecessarily. “Otherwise, we most often risk enhancing their meaning and presence.” – explains Perelman.

Aristotle attached great importance to enthymmas. However, he emphasized that they should be intertwined with the argument from time to time. In too high a density, they will hurt each other. “For simultaneous movements deny each other: they either destroy completely or weaken one another.” – he explains, and it is a universal truth about language. Entymems will not help to evoke emotion either, because “either the emotion will vanish or the enthem will be used in vain.”

Take care of the recipient’s favor

So what you need to care about the most is the favor of the recipient. Nowadays, it is straightforwardly said that effective arguments are those that are tailored to the audience. Therefore, the starting point should be the theses recognized earlier by those to whom we address.

This is why Aristotle advised: “When speaking, we must always pay attention to whether our audience has the same understanding as we are talking about. For it is likely that such things are easier for them to believe. “

When preparing the argument, we must first of all take care of being favorable to the premises. If we take a point of view that is denied by the audience, we will be mistaken.

The premises may concern reality (Mastering a foreign language is not innate) and desirable things (the way to master a foreign language is systematic).

Even a seemingly obvious rule, such as: If you learn 10 new words every day, improve your knowledge of a foreign language, you may not gain the favor of recipients who say that efficient use of a foreign language is the result of inborn talent.

In what order to present the arguments

First of all: should the argument follow the thesis or lead to it? Cicero claimed that when we want to convince the audience, the first order will work, when we move – the second.

In this series, I propose to present the main idea at the beginning. This approach will be useful in both advertising and expert text, and above all, it is consistent with the knowledge about how we read from the screen. In an online article, the passages above have a greater chance of being noticed, read and remembered.

And in what order are the arguments arranged? The rhetoric theorists distinguished ascending, descending and Nestorian order.

If your audience is interested and sympathetic, you can afford to argue from the weakest to the strongest. The ascending order gives the author a certain comfort. When the recipient accepts weaker arguments, he will become more open to accepting stronger ones.

In the case of indifferent and reluctant recipients, a falling order is better. You start with the strongest arguments. If the strongest argument is accepted, so are the weaker ones.

However, both orders have their weaknesses, which Perelman pointed out. “The weakness of the ascending order is that, starting with the weakest arguments, it discourages the [speaker] audience, it damages its prestige and badly affects the attention given to its speech. The descending order, ending the speech with the weakest arguments, makes a bad impression on the audience, usually the only one that they will remember. ” – explains the author.

The compromise ensures the Nestorian order. This honorable name comes from Nestor, who in the Iliad arranged the military ranks so that the strongest were at the head and at the rear, and the weakest in the middle.

This system intuitively created by the ancients has been confirmed by research into the primacy and freshness effects. What is at the beginning of the text has a chance to be permanently remembered by the reader, while what at the end may have a short but strong impact on him. The effect of freshness appears right after reading the content and does not last long.

How to compose a whole

Bert Decker advises you to first write down each idea on a separate piece of paper. Then analyze the ideas, discard some of the ideas, and categorize the rest with a title. According to the classic rule, 3 key points should be added to the final version. Each of them should contain 3 sub-points (arguments).

Below I will present a diagram of such an argumentation that could support a point of view: It’s worth writing simply. I used the Nestorian order, i.e. I started and ended with stronger key points.

Key point 1: Reading from the screen
– On the Internet, the reader is task-oriented and wants to complete the task quickly and effectively.
– When reading from the screen, the appearance of the text is as important as its content, and the short words and sentences, characteristic of a simple style, are easier to catch the eye.
– When reading from a small screen, the memory is overloaded and the pace of reading difficult texts drops significantly.

Key point 2: Brand language
– Language expresses the personality of the brand. Especially the service feeling is mainly based on language.
– The formal style is intimidating, it blows cold from it and these feelings translate into the perception of the brand.
– Written communication becomes more informal. This is one of the main directions of modern language development.

Key point 3: Good impression
– Simple language makes us sound more intelligent.
– We overly complicate the statement when we want to hide uncertainty.
– What you say or write will make more sense to others if they understand more. They recognize that because you express yourself clearly, you can think so too.

What is UX?

UX (User Experience) is a concept based on the concept of usability used primarily to evalsuate websites and applications. Useful websites are websites where you can easily find the information, products or services you need and quickly convert, such as a purchase. The concept of usability is also related to intuitiveness – the website should be easy to use and unambiguous.

The term User Experience is used to define the user experience and their impressions while using the website. It boils down to determining the friendliness of the internaut’s interaction with the website and its accessibility. UX consists of many factors: from design and aesthetics, through navigation, to the quality of information. This is an issue that has received more and more attention recently, mainly due to its impact on the effectiveness of websites or applications. Taking care of UX (User Experience) usually translates into higher conversion, as it makes the website meet the expectations of visitors.

In addition to User Experience, it is worth paying attention to the concept of User Interface. It means the user interface – it is all the elements that allow interaction with the website (including page layout, graphic design, typography, colors). UX and UI are sometimes treated as the same concepts, but more often they simply appear next to each other, playing a significant role in the perception of the website by Internet users.

UX audit – what is it?

Even if you think that your website is friendly, sensible and intuitive, it does not have to appear this way to random internet users who come across it. So how do you check user experiences? UX audit will be the best way.

UX audits consist in checking websites or applications in terms of meeting the expectations and needs of their visitors. This requires knowledge of, inter alia, habits of Internet users, trends and issues related to the clarity of the message. UX audit is quite a complicated procedure, but it can bring many benefits:
– allows you to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of a given website,
– indicates the mistakes made and their potential impact on the conversion,
– also indicates opportunities and threats for the future,
– suggests what actions should be taken to develop and improve the effectiveness of the website.

The tests carried out during the audit should concern, inter alia:
– website structure and navigation between individual tabs,
– page views, especially in terms of readability,
– the clarity and unambiguity of the information provided,
– usability of the website – the possibility of obtaining the necessary information, placing an order, contacting the company, etc.

They are carried out in various ways, but it always requires expert knowledge and experience.

UX audit – what does it look like?

UX audit is carried out using various methods. The most reliable results are obtained when combining several of them. The first step should be expert analysis, that is, in-depth research of the site by UX experts – equipped with the appropriate knowledge and experience. In this case, several developed UX methodologies are used. What kind?

Heuristic evalsuation
It consists in checking websites for heuristics, i.e. specific rules and guidelines. The most common is the so-called Nielsen heuristics covered in 10 points. They constitute very general guidelines for the functionality of a given website or application:

– Show system status.
– Maintain compliance between the system and reality.
– Give the user full control.
– Stick to standards and be consistent.
– Prevent mistakes.
– Allow you to choose instead of forcing you to remember.
– Provide flexibility and efficiency.
– Take care of aesthetics and moderation.
– Provide effective error handling.
– Take care of help and documentation.

However, you can also use the 8 golden rules of expert Schneiderman, 30 rules of Connell’s utility or the 9 cognitive rules of Gerhardt-Powals. These guidelines all convey similar content, but are worded slightly differently. Which rules will be applied for the audit does not really matter.

Cognitive walkthrough
This method is also known as the Cognitive Walk. It consists in testing scenarioses of a potential user’s journey on the website. In this case, the expert plays the role of the user who visits the site for the first time. The adoption of various scenarioses allows you to examine each path of the “walk” through the website and allows you to catch many problem areas or obvious errors in UX or UI.

Usability checklist
It is a method of checking the website according to specific points from the so-called checklists. The list is usually quite detailed and sets out the guidelines according to which the website should be constructed. It is also objective, which is certainly its advantage, but at the same time it is rarely tailored to a specific site, which may make it impossible to detect certain errors. The checklist procedure is fairly simple but often time consuming.

User tests can also be part of the UX audit. These are procedures that allow you to check how “ordinary” Internet users navigate the site. The survey can be moderated (led by a specialist) or unmoderated (the user freely moves around the site). After its completion, the participant is asked to fill in a questionnaire and comment on the website. This type of test can be combined, for example, with the analysis of eye movement, clicks, scrolling and other data, on the basis of which the so-called heat maps. This allows you to recognize not only the biggest obstacles faced by site visitors, but also the most important points of their interest.

UX audit results

The result of a UX audit is usually a comprehensive report, which should accurately indicate, above all, the mistakes made, areas for improvement and recommendations. By standard, errors are divided into three categories:
– critical errors – have a significant impact on the functioning of the website and require immediate repair;
– average errors – important, but to be corrected second;
– basic errors – details noticed during the research, which, however, do not have a significant impact on the functioning of the website.

It is also common to classify errors by type (e.g. communicative, visual, logical, etc.). Thanks to this, they can be immediately assigned to the appropriate teams and the necessary changes can be implemented faster.

It is also worth remembering that the audit report should contain both quantitative data (e.g. statistics) and qualitative data obtained e.g. through user research. The more information contained in the website analysis results, the more complete and objective the image can be obtained. Thus, the introduced amendments have a greater chance of having a real impact on the conversion rate and user satisfaction.

What after the UX audit?

After the UX audit, it should be time to implement its results and further usability tests that will allow you to check how effective the changes are. It is worth trying to prepare UX mockups presenting elements that require improvement, and then conduct A / B tests. This is a procedure during which two groups of users are presented with different versions of a page – and preferably they differ in just one element. Then, the behavior of the study participants is monitored and it is checked which version allows for higher conversion. After completing the website modification, you can re-audit to check its effectiveness.

The most common mistakes in UX – what should you pay attention to?

Every website is different, but there are some mistakes that recur too often. If you want to do some basic self-analysis of your website, be sure to check out our list and see what to avoid!

Interface not adapted to the user’s needs
First of all, the website should be legible and easy to navigate. Difficulties in this respect, especially those encountered at the outset, can effectively discourage the user from staying on the site. It really matters! For a website to be simply friendly, the first thing you need to know is what you want to achieve by publishing it. It is worth asking yourself questions about what the page is about and how the user should navigate on it, bearing in mind that the conversion should not take too many steps.

Some websites even throw their users more obstacles, making it difficult to find basic information about a product or price list, and then dragging the conversion procedure indefinitely (for example, requiring “clicking” through several subpages before hitting the registration or purchase tab). It is also worth remembering that the interface should enable the website to be expanded in the future, e.g. with new categories, products, services or language versions.

Triumph of form over content
A related error is the excess of form over content. This is primarily the result of an overly ambitious approach to design or the willingness to present your skills as a developer. The result may be a site that looks great at first glance, but definitely loses the next time you “get to know”. Too complicated structure, lack of readability, animations and other visual “tricks” only really distract from the main message of the page. The simple is sometimes the best – especially when it comes to usability.

Failure to adjust to reading patterns
The human eye usually “scans” the presented image according to one of several so-called reading patterns. The three most popular are Gutenberg’s diagram, Z pattern and F pattern. They tell about how the human eye travels. Knowledge of these rules allows you to place important elements (e.g. buttons leading to registration, purchase, etc.) in places where the user’s eyes will almost certainly fall. Meanwhile, many creators ignore them completely and opt for solutions that may look good, but they certainly do not provide the desired conversion.

No responsiveness
According to the global Digital 2020 report, more than half of all visits to websites are made from a smartphones. Meanwhile, some sites are still not adapted to users of a few inches of screens! If the page is unreadable on your phones, it’s no wonder you can’t boast a satisfactory conversion. Importantly, it is not only the presence of the mobiles version of the website that counts “as it does”, but above all its quality. Content and functions from the desktop version copied in the smaller version will not work. It is worth considering the placement of individual elements carefully, and if necessary, give up the less important ones to obtain a clearer and more friendly design.

Ignoring the fold line
This is a point that somehow relates to the previous one. A fold line is a line that marks an area of your website that is visible without scrolling down. Above all, it should be encouraging. Some people, not wanting to risk that the Internet user leaves the website before reading the most important information, put the majority of content here. However, this is a big mistake. It is also worth remembering that the fold line is in a completely different place on the screen of a computer, tablet or smartphones. Therefore, the amount of information above it and their graphic representation should be adjusted separately for each screen size. Remember – often less is more.

Content overload
Content is king – at least that can be deduced from the wise analyzes of marketing specialists. However, this does not mean that website users should be bombarded with information. Long, detailed descriptions of products or instructions related to the services provided may be your advantage, but they must also be properly presented. Otherwise, nobody will read it, and many people will leave the site and never return to it.

Use short paragraphs and bullets instead of huge blocks of text. Highlight the most important elements with appropriate graphics or pictograms. Add buttons with CTA (call to action). If there is too much content on the page, why not break it down into several tabs about individual services, products or offer aspects? It can also be beneficial for SEO if you use the right keywords.

Confusing forms
Forms are a minefield, especially for inexperienced web developers. If you expect website users to fill out a form (e.g. registration, quote, contact), make it as simple as possible! The rule in this case is quite clear-cut – the more fields, the less chance they will be filled. Labels, additional comments and buttons must convey an unambiguous message. If a date is required when filling in, please specify the format in which it should be entered. For weights, measures, etc., be sure to specify which unit applies.

After creating the form, take a close look at it and remove any fields that are not necessary. Use checkboxes and radio buttons where possible. It is also absolutely necessary to mark the errors accurately. If, after completing and confirming all the fields, the user receives feedback saying that an error has occurred (without indicating which field and which field), he will most likely not only give up on further actions, but also become irritated.

Incorrect placement of important components
The most important elements of the website should be placed in visible places – so that the user does not have to guess “what to do next” or look for the right button (eg allowing to add a product to the basket). There is probably nothing more daunting than a page that arouses interest and then makes conversion difficult. It is worth remembering that there are some unwritten rules on the Internet – all approval buttons (“OK”, “Next”, “I agree”) should be on the left, while those with negative actions (such as “Cancel”, “Delete” etc.) – on the right. It has also been assumed that the button for adding a product to the basket is located near the price. It really doesn’t pay off in making your users’ lives difficult – even if it makes you think your site is genuine.

Take care of UX, and success will come by itself

Building effective websites is really not as easy as it may seem. Success is a combination of many factors that must perfectly harmonize with each other. However, taking care of User Experience will certainly pay off. A functional website means greater conversion and a better brand image – and therefore both short and long-term benefits.

What is a site heatmap?

The heat map of the website is a visual representation of user behavior. It is a tool that shows which areas of the website are “hot”, and therefore more eye-catching, and which are “cold” – much less interesting from the visitor’s point of view.

The heat map can be produced in various ways and based on several types of data (more on that later). Prepared for a given website, it is in the form of a screenshot with marked spots in different colors. Deep red signifies the greatest interest, orange, yellow and green are intermediate colors, while blues and purples denote the “coldest” places that are the least popular among Internet users.

Heat maps tell you if users:
– reach the most important information,
– they can easily find links, buttons and other links on the website,
– focus their attention on unimportant elements,
– face obstacles to the free and comfortable use of the website.

The analysis of the data collected in the form of a heat map allows for a much better adaptation of the website to the expectations of users and increasing its functionality. The knowledge gained in this way can also significantly help in increasing conversions, i.e. the number of orders, inquiries or other forms of contact with the company.

How are heat maps made?

Typically, a heat map is cumulative data collected through several studies. Sometimes it is identified with the so-called eye tracking, i.e. tracking the movements of the eyeball, another time with the map of clicks. In fact, it is a combination of several types of information collected in different ways. Most often, when creating heat maps, the following are used:
– click analysis – clicktracking,
– page scrolling – scrolltracking,
– examination of elements that attract attention – attentiontracking,
– tracking cursor movements on the screen – movetracking.

They can be presented in the form of a combined report or separate analyzes. This is data that allows you to accurately understand the behavior of Internet users, and thus adapt the website to them. This affects not only the already mentioned increase in conversion, but also the friendliness of the website itself, and therefore the satisfaction of its users.

It is worth preparing separate heat maps for the desktop and mobiles websites. This allows you to compare how users of different devices behave and see if your website offers a similar level of conversion in different variants.

Heat maps and eye tracking

Eye tracking is also a popular method of measuring the engagement of website visitors and testing its usability. Its results are often presented in the form of a heat map, but it is a separate analytical tool. Eye tracking allows you to track the movement of the eyeballs. The research is used in many areas, it works well, among others in the case of website usability analysis.

During the procedure, a device that analyzes the eye movement is connected to the computer. Then a focus study is performed. Its participants are asked to perform specific tasks within a given page. Thanks to this, you can check, for example, how easy it is to find the necessary information or carry out activities such as making a purchase or registering on the website. While the data provided by eye tracking can be very valuable, heatmaps should not be equated solely with this study. It may be part of the website analysis, but more often a variety of tools are used to study the previously mentioned parameters.

It should also be remembered that the eye tracking research is carried out in created conditions, on a selected group of participants. So it does not necessarily have to be representative. Meanwhile, heat maps are usually created on the basis of data obtained from real site users in natural conditions.

Heat map – who needs it?

Are you wondering if creating a heat map will pay off? Do you need this type of solution at all? This is a very useful option – provided, however, that the results obtained in this way are properly analyzed, and the conclusions drawn will translate into activities aimed at adapting the website to the expectations and needs of users. The benefits of preparing a heat map will primarily affect people who:
– despite the SEO activities carried out, they do not enjoy a satisfactory conversion;
– are worried about the high bounce rate of the page;
– they achieve good results in terms of organic inputs, but significantly worse among mobiles users;
– want to adjust the website template to the user’s needs;
– they have no idea for functional changes within the site;
– want to find out if the mechanisms used are working as intended.

In short, heatmaps are for anyone who wants to improve their website and make it more effective. A user-friendly, functional website more and more often translates into real benefits. However, keep in mind that analyzing the heatmaps is only one step in improving your website. SEO, competition monitoring and other activities cannot be forgotten. Only a holistic approach to creating a website can bring clear results.

Heatmap of the site – how to use it?

A reliably prepared heat map is a great source of information for website administrators. The only question is: how to use them? There are many possibilities. Let’s check what the heat map data says and how it can be transferred to a more functional and, more importantly, more effective website design.

Content analysis
It has been known for a long time that texts on websites are scanned rather cursily, not read by visitors. The heatmap can tell you which elements grab your visitors’ attention and therefore where to put the most important information. Thanks to scrolltracking, you will also find out where on the website its users usually reach. This may suggest that you need to shorten the content or divide it. It is also worth taking care of the form of their presentation – short paragraphs and bullets containing concise information will bring a much better effect. Also, don’t forget about your headlines – they should be attractive and enticing, while still containing your most important keywords. At the very bottom of the page, you can include texts that are less important from the user’s point of view, but they will help in positioning the page.

Improving site navigation
The heat map analysis will tell you a lot about the effectiveness of the links on the page. Are buttons and links receiving sufficient attention? Do users have no problem finding the tab with the offer or the icon transferring the product to the basket? The click-through study will also help you check that the links in the text are in the right places. If their effectiveness is unsatisfactory, try to move them to places that attract more interest from website users. It’s also worth checking if those links that actually “click” lead to the most important tabs and increase your conversion rate. If the buttons aren’t performing well enough, it might be worth making them bigger, highlighted, or repositioned. Also, make sure they contain a call to action (CTA) – a slogan encouraging action (eg “Check”, “Order”, “Learn more”).

Thanks to the heat map analysis, it may also turn out that some of the navigation elements are unnecessary. If a side menu, banner, or button isn’t interesting, they may just be taking up valuable space where something else would be worthwhile.

Detection of problem spots
Broken or invalid links, especially in the “clicked” area, is a huge wasted opportunity. A user who is “framed” in this way can often get irritated and not return to the site anymore! That is why it is worth checking all links for operation and fixing them as soon as possible – especially if they are very popular among Internet users.

More effective suggestions
Many online stores have sections with other recommended or similar offers on their product pages. It is worth checking with the heatmap that this suggestion actually works. If not, it may be worth changing the form or position of the section. Seemingly it is a small thing, but it can significantly affect the time spent by the user on the website and, more importantly, the conversion.

Improving responsiveness
Responsive design is basically a “must have” of any website. It should be properly displayed on various devices and should be functional and easy to use, regardless of the size of the user’s screen. However, a website that is responsive in theory does not always offer the desired functionality in practice to mobiles users. Making a heat map can be very helpful in evalsuating the template and adapting it to the user’s needs. If it takes endless scrolling to get to the most important functions and information, some elements hide others, and buttons are not where they should be, the visitor will quickly lose patience and leave the page. These are unacceptable errors that can significantly affect the number of users on the website, as well as the conversion.

Effective website

An effective website allows you to achieve the intended goals, and thus – also profits. Creating such a website requires a lot of work, focused not only on the correct coding of the website, but also on adapting it to the user or the requirements of internet search engines. Each of these elements undergoes many changes – in a given period, users will focus their attention on some subpages, and a few months later – on others. The same applies to the rules governing search engines.

Analytics allows you to effectively catch places where traffic is higher or where it drops. By locating these “hot spots” you can improve them and increase the chances of conversion. Correct counting of conversions in Google Analytics also makes it easier to determine the level of fulfillment of a given goal and to mark its measurability.

Goal types in Google Analytics

In internet marketing, “goal” is quite a broad word. Underneath it, however, there are more specific slogans, characteristic of different types of websites. No wonder – in fact, the goals related to the operation of the online store will be different than those on which the blogging activity focuses.

In Google Analytics, the goal is the performance of an action, i.e. conversion. Actions can include going to a specific page, spending a certain amount of time on it, displaying a specific screen or performing the desired action.

Target – The goal is for the user to reach a specific URL, such as “thank you page”. The target related to a given URL facilitates the analysis of data related to free bonuses or trial accounts, filling out a form or subscribing to a mailing list. These types of targets are also used to count transactions.

Duration – amount of time spent on the website. This goal allows you to analyze the involvement of users on the website and is often set on pages such as support or FAQ. The target allows you to study two groups of users – those who stay on the site longer than the time set for the purpose and those who quit faster from being at a given URL.

Pages / screens per session – this goal allows you to check how many subpages the user saw during a single visit to the site.

Events – specific interaction with the website, eg clicking the “download” button, turning on the video. Before setting the goal, it is necessary to define the event.

Are you looking for other solutions? Smart Goals are based on a traffic analysis performed by a machine learning algorithm that finds the events most likely to convert. The algorithm evalsuates the session and assigns an intelligent target to those it deems “best”.

Not only one goal

Analytics allows you to set multiple goals for one website. Thanks to this, we can observe user behavior on many subpages, each of which plays a different role.

Each of the goals can have a specific value – expressed in the currency you use. Based on the number of goals achieved and the related transactions, it is possible to determine the value of each conversion. Example: Every 10th contact from the site ends up selling about $ 100. The value of one conversion – contact via the website – can be estimated at about $ 20.

If it is difficult to specify the specific amounts assigned to a given conversion, the value may play a different role – the weight of the given goal. Their value will depend on how important they are for a given business – the more important higher value can be assigned, and the less – lower.

The goals set in Analytics can also be used in Google Ads.

Correct counting of conversions in Google Analytics

Correctly setting goals and using the information they provide allows you to evalsuate the effectiveness of the website and marketing activities. Unfortunately, the collected data is not always correct. Errors can have several causes:

A. Incorrect tag configuration – some errors related to data collection result from incorrect tag placement, eg pasting it in the wrong place. The use of an incorrect tag can also cause problems. Some of the problems are due to our inattention or “printing imps”, which sometimes happen when we paste code from a text document. Formatting is implemented in your documents that may cause changes to the code syntax – for example by removing or adding extra spaces – autocorrect has different priorities than keeping the tracking code valid. You can also use the old GA code as a misconfiguration, which is still present on some sites. It is worth using Google’s recommendations and switching to new products suggested by them, which usually bring greater possibilities in the field of website control and analysis.

B. Errors also happen during the configuration of the Tag Manager – Here, the problems are mainly due to incorrect settings of the Exclude / Include filters, the assumption of which is to screen out information about unwanted data in the visit statistics. Too rigorous use of any of the filters can cause problems with proper data collection. Among other common problems with gtag.js, there is no container published (the publishing process is longer, the latest changes may not be available immediately) or problems with handling too large HTTP requests.

C. Using another account – the tracking code is associated with a specific account – in the case of incorrect data, it is worth checking if we are trying to analyze from an account that is not connected to GA.

D. Custom Code Placement – Analytics code should be in the <head> section of the web page. In the case of niche CMSs or less popular plugins for pasting external codes, the final localization may deviate from Google’s guidelines and as a result may not work properly. It is worth taking advantage of the possibility of pasting the code directly into the website template or using proven plugins.

E. Incomplete conversion data may be caused by the lack of code on all subpages within the domain. You can catch missing subpages.

F. Lack of internal filters – clicking on your website or shop may disrupt the statistics – eliminating internal traffic will allow you to obtain information about conversions that will be more reliable.

G. Inaccurate setting of the goal – the conversion is counted at the moment of achieving the goal, however, incorrect setting of the final moment means that it is not valuable, and the intended goal has not been met. Example – the purpose is to send a form, but the code is placed on the “Contact” tab and as a result, the conversion is counted at the moment of entering this subpage. The form is not sent, and the data collected by the tool does not reflect the number of actually sent forms. Putting the code in the right place – for example on the send button, and even better – on the “thank you” page, displaying information about the correct sending of the message, will allow you to collect real data.

Errors that make it difficult to correctly count conversions in Google Analytics can be due to many reasons. Some of them are trivial, and thus – easy to identify and remove. More complicated cases may require changes to the page code – but it is worth investing the extra time and obtaining the correct data.

Objective settings should be checked from time to time and modified if necessary. It is also important to test your settings and proper billing of conversions, especially after making changes to the site, such as modifying URLs that were related to your goals.

Ecommerce Tracking

Tracking movements in online stores may be different to what happens on other types of sites. Analytics allows you to count transactions, their value, and so on. Controlling this data by an external application allows you to fill in “white spots” that may appear in reports from the store engine. In addition, combining this knowledge with other information about the page will allow you to spot the moments when sales are going the best and those where they drop sharply.

Correct conversion counting is the key to analyzing and planning further development of online stores. Google Analytics enables an in-depth analysis of user behavior and the choices they make. It also allows you to evalsuate various sales channels and is invaluable when you need to make a decision to develop or eliminate one of them.

Ecommerce tracking should be included in your reports, and code should be placed within your website to collect more detailed data. Due to the more complicated structure of the code, its introduction will require cooperation with a programmer who will take care of its proper implementation. Next, in the Administration tab, in the appropriate data view, there is the E-commerce settings item, which you must enable and save your selection.

The data collected by e-commerce tracking is transaction and product specific.

Information about the transaction consists of a transaction identifier, which allows it to be counted only once per session (the lack of an identifier could result in the same transaction being counted multiple times, e.g. when reloading the thank you page by the user), affiliation – understood as the store where the transaction took place, revenues – transaction amount, delivery – delivery costs and tax.

The product in Google Analytics also has similar values – transaction ID, product name, SKU code (unique product code, assigned in the internal company database), the category in which the product is located, price and its quantity.

In addition to the transaction identifier, and in the case of the Product also its name, the rest of the parameters are collected optionally.

Standard reports can be used to analyze the data collected in e-commerce tracking:
– an overview, which is a general summary of the information collected,
– product effectiveness,
– sales effectiveness,
– transactions,
– time to buy.

E-commerce – data that sells

Extending the sales statistics with data from Google Analytics will allow you to adjust the sales method to the current trends and customer expectations. Detailed analysis of user behavior – incl. analysis of the time that elapses from entering the website for the first time until the moment of making a purchase may initiate the rebuilding of the store and the introduction of improvements that will help him make the final decision.

The online store has much more than just the shopping cart in which the transaction data is collected. Analytics allows you to observe customer behavior across the platform – e.g. checking articles in the blog section – e.g. which ultimately make the customer allow himself to buy a given product. Controlling traffic in the store also allows you to catch problems on the platform – e.g. bugs or places that, for unknown reasons, load slower, causing customer frustration and cart abandonment.

Comprehensive monitoring of activities also facilitates further planning of the strategy and selection of the most effective way to maintain and increase sales in the next period. Using the available tools, their correct implementation and data analysis allow for taking more effective actions that save time and money. Greater knowledge about the movement and steps of customers will allow you to choose more effective solutions, tailored to the needs of customers. Being ahead of the competition and reaching customers effectively also allows you to leave the competition far behind.

Correctly counting conversions in Google Analytics and using all available program options facilitates quick response to trends and changes in the market, which are a natural phenomenon in the case of E-commerce. The knowledge gathered by Analytics allows you to create Google Ads campaigns that sell.