StartupTalky

Tag: Website Optimization

  • How Experts Optimize Website User Experience for SEO: Learn from the Best!

    In 2024, Google’s all about making websites more user-friendly. We, at StartupTalky, asked some of the smartest marketing and SEO experts how they’re doing it.

    They say it’s not just about showing up in search results anymore. It’s about making sure the audience loves using your site too. So, how do they do it?

    With Google’s focus on user experience, we’ll learn how they ensure their websites meet these criteria while optimizing for SEO.

    Now, let’s get into their secrets for keeping Google happy while still making websites that people actually enjoy using. Get ready for some easy-to-follow advice from the pros!

    Soumitra Sengupta, Fractional CMO and Growth Advisor
    Chaitanya Kulkarni, Head, SEO and Analytics, Tring
    Kiran James, Global Head of Marketing & Product Development, Muthoottu Mini Financiers Limited
    Sumit Singh, CEO & Co-Founder, DashLoc
    Ritu Parakh, Digital Marketing Manager, GREP
    Pranjal Agarwal, VP-Brand Marketing, Mudrex, a Global Crypto Investment Platform
    Nishant Shah, Head-Digital Marketing, Blue Buzz
    Omm Dev Sharma, Founder, Mavericks Global
    Kishore Acharya, SVP & Head of Marketing, Masai School

    Soumitra Sengupta, Fractional CMO and Growth Advisor

    Soumitra Sengupta, Fractional CMO and Growth Advisor

    With Google’s focus on user experience, I ensure my website meets these criteria while optimizing for SEO by:

    • Ensuring faster load times
    • Usage of Schema wherever possible
    • Making sure the query intent is resolved with the first 2 scrolls of the reader

    Chaitanya Kulkarni, Head, SEO and Analytics, Tring

    Chaitanya Kulkarni, Head, SEO and Analytics, Tring
    Chaitanya Kulkarni, Head, SEO and Analytics, Tring

    The best way to focus on user experience is to start focusing on Core Web Vitals. It is not just how fast your website loads on every internet connection and browser. It is also how the media on the website/page loads while giving a pleasant and smooth experience for the end user. This should be impactful in terms of duration of visit, sales, or lead generation.

    Kiran James, Global Head of Marketing & Product Development, Muthoottu Mini Financiers Ltd

    Kiran James, Global Head of Marketing & Product Development, Muthoottu Mini Financiers Ltd
    Kiran James, Global Head of Marketing & Product Development, Muthoottu Mini Financiers Ltd

    Ensuring our website meets Google’s user experience criteria while optimizing for SEO is paramount. We prioritize site speed by optimizing images, minimizing HTTP requests, and leveraging browser caching. Mobile responsiveness is crucial, so we use responsive design and test across various devices. Clear navigation and intuitive site structure enhance user experience and help search engines crawl our site efficiently.

    We prioritize high-quality, relevant content that answers users’ queries and provides value. Using descriptive meta tags and headers improves accessibility and helps users navigate content easily. We also focus on reducing bounce rates by offering engaging multimedia content and interactive elements.

    Regularly auditing our site for technical issues and fixing errors promptly ensures a seamless user experience. Additionally, soliciting and responding to user feedback helps us identify areas for improvement and prioritize user satisfaction.

    By balancing user experience with SEO optimization, we create a website that not only ranks well but also provides a positive experience for visitors, ultimately driving long-term success.

    Sumit Singh, CEO & Co-Founder, DashLoc

    Sumit Singh, CEO & Co-Founder, DashLoc
    Sumit Singh, CEO & Co-Founder, DashLoc

    To align with Google’s user experience focus while optimizing for SEO, we prioritize several key factors. Primarily, we optimize website speed to ensure fast loading times, facilitating quick access to content for users.

    Additionally, we prioritize a mobile-friendly design, ensuring responsiveness across various devices for seamless browsing experiences. Clear navigation is maintained to facilitate intuitive information retrieval, while high-quality content is created to engage and inform users effectively.

    We focus on readability and accessibility, using clear language and accessible formats to cater to all users. Furthermore, multimedia elements are optimized to enhance user experience, and interactive elements are incorporated to encourage user engagement.

    Regular analysis of feedback and data allows us to continually refine website usability and effectiveness, ensuring a positive user experience while maximizing SEO performance.

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    StartupTalkySubham Kumar

    Ritu Parakh, Digital Marketing Manager, GREP

    Ritu Parakh, Digital Marketing Manager, GREP
    Ritu Parakh, Digital Marketing Manager, GREP

    The key to this strategy is to prioritize the main aspects that help in making the user experience better which are, site speed, mobile responsiveness, and site architecture.

    Firstly, we use Google PageSpeed to continuously monitor and improve the website loading speed which gives a better experience to our users and a positive impact on search engines.

    Secondly, we make sure all our features are available on mobile first because we get the highest traffic from the mobile and then followed by the website. This not only enhances user satisfaction but also aligns with Google’s mobile-first indexing.

    Additionally, we also make sure the site structure is well organised, clear, and user-friendly which will help them to navigate and find the information which they are looking for. This strategy has definitely helped us in reducing the bounce rate.

    Google PageSpeed Insights: Achieving a Perfect 100% Score
    Discover the significance of page speed in boosting your website’s ranking. Learn how to achieve a perfect 100% score on Google PageSpeed Insights.
    StartupTalkyShalini Rath

    Pranjal Agarwal, VP-Brand Marketing, Mudrex, a Global Crypto Investment Platform

    Pranjal Agarwal, VP-Brand Marketing, Mudrex, a Global Crypto Investment Platform
    Pranjal Agarwal, VP-Brand Marketing, Mudrex, a Global Crypto Investment Platform

    Google’s core ranking systems look to reward content that provides a good page experience. At Mudrex, we have effectively addressed Google’s core ranking criteria:

    • Focus on User Metrics in Analytics: User engagement metrics like avg. time on page, bounce rate, and pageviews per user will help you evaluate your content’s effectiveness.
    • Core Web Vitals: Our pages meet the CWV standards, ensuring a good page experience.
    • Mobile Optimization: Our mobile-first and mobile-friendly design approach aligns with Google’s preference for mobile-first indexing.

    Nishant Shah, Head-Digital Marketing, Blue Buzz

    Nishant Shah, Head-Digital Marketing, Blue Buzz
    Nishant Shah, Head-Digital Marketing, Blue Buzz

    Google’s emphasis on user experience has significantly influenced our website design and optimization strategies. We prioritize creating a seamless and intuitive browsing experience for our users by focusing on factors such as page speed, mobile responsiveness, and site navigation.

    We regularly conduct usability tests and gather feedback from our users to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments. Additionally, we optimize our website’s structure and internal linking to ensure that users can easily find the information they’re looking for.

    By aligning with Google’s UX criteria, we not only improve our search engine rankings but also enhance user satisfaction and retention.

    Omm Dev Sharma, Founder, Mavericks Global

    Omm Dev Sharma, Founder, Mavericks Global
    Omm Dev Sharma, Founder, Mavericks Global

    While optimizing for SEO, we prioritize user experience by focusing on several key aspects:

    • We regularly check our website’s core web vitals using tools to ensure optimal performance in areas such as loading times, interactivity, and visual stability.
    • Additionally, we emphasize intuitive navigation, clear call-to-actions, and mobile responsiveness to enhance the overall user experience.
    • Our approach includes continuous monitoring and improvement based on user feedback and behavior analysis.

    Kishore Acharya, SVP & Head of Marketing, Masai School

    Kishore Acharya, SVP & Head of Marketing, Masai School
    Kishore Acharya, SVP & Head of Marketing, Masai School

    We regularly audit our site for usability issues, optimize for mobile devices, and prioritize page speed. We also pay attention to metrics such as bounce rate, dwell time, and click-through rate to gauge user engagement and make necessary adjustments to improve the overall user experience. We constantly strive to improve the quality, trustworthiness, and depth of our website content.

    Best Content Optimization Strategies by Marketing and SEO Gurus
    Optimizing content is important for a website’s success. Explore the best strategies for content optimization straight from marketing and SEO experts.
    StartupTalkySubham Kumar

  • How to Make Impressive Use of 404 Page on eCommerce Stores to Boost Conversion?

    Frequent online shoppers must have come across a 404 error page at least once during their online shopping journey. As the site keeps getting bigger, so do the chances of encountering such pages. An eCommerce store can render a 404 error page for several reasons.

    For example, the site owner may have forgotten to permanently delete the page without any redirect, poor server configuration may be causing the problem, or the page is currently unavailable because it is being worked on. The reasons can be several, but the eCommerce store owner cannot take the risk of losing potential sales because of an error page.

    To ensure store owners make the most from 404 error pages, we’ve analyzed hundreds of eCommerce stores to check how they tackle this problem. After studying various eCommerce stores, we’ve handpicked and listed below some of the best ways to boost conversions from 404 error pages. Let’s quickly head to the list shared below.

    Pitch in Your Most Popular Products
    Display Product Categories with Working Links
    Incorporate a Product Search Bar in the 404 Page
    Sprinkle Some Humor or Add a Surprise Element
    Skyrocket eCommerce Sales by Optimizing 404 Pages

    If a visitor landed on the 404 page, he was looking forward to buying a product from the online store. This opportunity should not be wasted. The best way to monetize such situations is by recommending some of the most popular products on the 404 page. Something like Urban Outfitters does.

    Urban Outfitters 404 Page
    Urban Outfitters 404 Page

    Their entire 404 page is divided into two sections. The top section features an old-style black and white GIF stating the page can’t be found. At the same time, the second and lower part displays the most popular products with high-quality image and product name. Since the best and most sold products are shown, the visitor may be tempted to check them out and make a purchase.

    Since this is an excellent way to optimize the 404 page, Urban Outfitters isn’t the only eCommerce store following this method. Steve Madden, a popular shoe-selling online store, also follows a similar approach for maximum conversions.

    No shopper would appreciate landing on a dull 404 page. If the eCommerce store only tells the visitor that the page doesn’t exist, the chances are rare that the visitor will continue browsing the same site. He may instead prefer going back and looking for better-optimized eCommerce stores.

    To prevent this from happening, provide the visitors with a starting point once they reach the 404 page. An excellent way to do it is by adding category pages.

    Missguided 404 Page
    Missguided 404 Page

    Take a look at the 404 page from Missguided, for example. It tells the visitor that the site couldn’t find the page they were searching for. But they don’t end there. The 404-page message is quickly followed by the line “let’s get back on track.” Visitors can see a list of categories with relevant images just below this message.

    It prompts them to start their search again by simply clicking on any of those categories.

    For example, if a visitor was searching for tops, they can click on the “tops” category instead of leaving the eCommerce store. It will boost the chances of the visitor making a purchase. Birchbox is another eCommerce store that follows a similar approach to increase conversions.

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    Incorporate a Product Search Bar in the 404 Page

    When visitors visit a particular eCommerce store knowing what they want, converting them becomes much easier. But missed sales are guaranteed if they accidentally land on a 404 page that isn’t optimized.

    It is why various big eCommerce stores are taking appropriate measures to ensure visitors don’t leave their site after coming across a 404 page. Take Etsy, for example.

    ETSY 404 Page
    ETSY 404 Page

    It is one of the biggest eCommerce marketplaces and knows how to bring back lost sales. It gives visitors two options – type for the relevant product in the search bar or heads back to the homepage.

    These two options give visitors a reason to stay back instead of abandoning the site. Since it becomes difficult to anticipate what each visitor is looking for, giving them an option to search their way out is one of the best-performing ways.

    It is why Etsy is not alone in adopting this approach. eCommerce stores like Need Supply Co., Ted Baker, UnderArmour, etc., follow a similar template while designing their 404 pages.

    Sprinkle Some Humor or Add a Surprise Element

    Making a prospective customer annoyed or frustrated is always a big no for eCommerce store owners. It takes them away from the brand and reduces their chances of returning for future shopping.

    To prevent such events, eCommerce brands should adopt a more personal or humorous approach. Everyone can take inspiration from Amazon, the biggest eCommerce platform on the internet.

    Amazon error 404 Page
    Amazon error 404 Page

    Whenever a visitor lands on a 404 page, Amazon displays a picture of one of its ‘dogs of Amazon’ to make them feel less annoyed. Everyone loves dogs; hence, this approach works in most cases.

    No one expects to see a smiling dog when landing on a 404 page, so it makes them giggle a little instead of making them feel annoyed. Another aspect of this page is a direct link to the homepage.

    Now that the dog’s picture made the visitor smile, he can continue searching for relevant products by returning to the homepage. eCommerce store owners can either replicate the same strategy or make some tweaks to make the 404 page look humorous. It will help prevent visitors from going to another online store.

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    Skyrocket eCommerce Sales by Optimizing 404 Pages

    A mistake some eCommerce store owners make is ignoring their 404 page. They forget that these are also part of the website that needs proper optimization for better conversions. eCommerce store owners that desire high sales must develop unique 404-page optimization methods.

    They can either design their own optimization ideas or pick one from this article. No one can entirely prevent visitors from landing on 404 pages, but efforts can be made to ensure they don’t leave the site without making a purchase. So act wisely.

    FAQs

    What does the 404 error indicate?

    404 error is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol standard response code that indicates the server was unable to find what was requested.

    What is 404 error in eCommerce websites?

    404 error in eCommerce websites indicates that the webpage is down to a misspelled URL, a broken link, or a product page doesn’t exist anymore.

    What are the best ways to optimize 404 error pages on eCommerce websites?

    Some of the best ways to make your 404 error pages of eCommerce websites impressive are:

    • Pitch in Your Most Popular Products
    • Display Product Categories with Working Links
    • Incorporate a Product Search Bar in the 404 Page
    • Sprinkle Some Humor or Add a Surprise Element