The nature of shopping has changed substantially in the past decade, as more and more individuals have discovered that great deals can be found from the comfort of their own homes. This has changed how businesses are required to interact with the general public, from where they must obtain products, and much more. E-commerce websites are now extremely popular solutions with consumers, with direct retail outlets and online marketplaces both becoming the default shopping methods for many individuals. We’ll discuss below how you can be sure to build the perfect e-commerce website that will be loved by search engines and shoppers alike.

Develop a Basic Structure

In order to do well in search and with customers who want to find what they need quickly, you will need to construct a website that possesses sound structure. The key to doing this is to keep a hierarchical structure in mind. Product categories are the most important element in building a solid structure, and will help consumers narrow down their search quickly in order to find what they need. These categories and sub-categories can be used to find products without search in a matter of seconds. This also helps Google and other search engines properly index your website when pinging servers for all relevant pages and keywords. In order to properly plan these elements, a sit-down that encourages brainstorming is recommended in order to develop navigational and categorical structure.

Properly Research Keywords

E-commerce websites revolve around driving traffic from search engines, social media, email and word of mouth. Search engines in particular can be an excellent source of organic traffic; for most e-commerce sites, they are the primary source of organic traffic. As such, understanding which keywords and phrases you want to target in search will be the next step of planning. Not only will planning these keywords help you begin optimizing strategies for search engine optimization, but they will also provide you with targets that can be focused on when deploying select paid search campaigns during the holiday seasons and beyond.

Monitor Results

Once you have developed the basic framework for properly displaying products and services, developed keyword targets and improved SEO functionality, the next step is to focus on how this all impacts performance. Through Google Analytics or a comparable solution, your job is to be watching for updates and results as shoppers begin pinging servers on your website. Not only should purchase volume be considered, but overall traffic, bounce rates, sources for inbound traffic and conversion rates should also be evaluated. These indicators help determine whether your site structure, offerings and overall marketing efforts are having the intended effect. Each indicator tells its own story, helping you to determine where future improvements in e-commerce effectiveness can be made.

Conclusion

In order to be an effective e-commerce entity, a solid website must first exist. By developing the overall structure of the site to be friendly to consumers, properly calibrating keyword focus and monitoring results over time, you can build the best e-commerce website framework imaginable.