Today, successfully running an e-commerce store goes beyond just offering excellent products. You must also comprehend the nitty-gritty of your website's technical aspects. Yes, even if you're utilizing pre-made website templates or managing your online store through e-commerce platforms such as Etsy or Shopify.
This information will assist you in making more informed choices, enhancing your website, and increasing your revenue. Yet the realm of online commerce may be abundant in complex terminology. Thankfully, there is no need for concern! This article will define the important technical terminology you should be familiar with. Let's begin!
Website infrastructure
The infrastructure of your website consists of the domain name and hosting service. These are the essential building blocks of your online store. A stable infrastructure guarantees that your website can be accessed, trusted, and can efficiently manage traffic. In this part, we will analyze the main elements of website infrastructure.
Domain name
A domain name is the location of your website. In basic terms, it is what clients enter in their browser to locate your online store or website. Selecting the appropriate domain name is crucial as it greatly impacts your branding and the accessibility for customers to locate you. Overall, your domain name should be brief, connected to your business, and memorable.
Hosting
Understanding web hosting is essential for all e-commerce business owners. It is a service that stores website files and allows them to be accessed on the internet. If there wasn't a hosting service, no one would be able to see the website. Knowing that there are various hosting services to choose from is also valuable. The options include shared hosting, VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting.
Website design & development
Building a profitable e-commerce site necessitates a fundamental grasp of web design and development. Here we will briefly discuss the key programming languages utilized in web design and development: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Even when using pre-designed website templates, you frequently require expertise in one of these languages to modify your website.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
HTML is considered the go-to language for developing web pages. The purpose of HTML is to organize the content on the website – text, images, and links. Consider HTML as the foundation of your website. Your online store or website would lack a solid base if it weren't for HTML.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
CSS is required in order to give style or design to your website. Because of the CSS, you have the ability to modify the appearance of your website. For instance, colors, fonts, and arrangement.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a popular programming language that brings interactivity to your website. Think dynamic elements such as image carousels, pop-up notifications, interactive forms, and other engaging features. All of these elements enhance the user experience on your website.
Content Management Systems (CMS)
It is a fact – you cannot run an effective e-commerce business without being able to manage your content efficiently. Luckily, this is where Content Management Systems (CMS) come into play.
In short, CMS is a software application that enables you to create, edit, manage, and publish content on a website – all of it without needing to write code. This is why CMS systems are such a popular topic among e-commerce business owners. A CMS simplifies the process of maintaining your website.
For e-commerce businesses, using a CMS offers numerous benefits. It provides ease of use. Think of quickly updating product listings, adding new pages, or modifying existing content. Additionally, a CMS offers flexibility. For instance, you can customize your site’s design and functionality through various themes and plugins.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a must-have knowledge and practice for any e-commerce business. You probably already know that SEO involves optimizing your website to rank it higher in search engine results (like Google). To put it differently, SEO makes it a breeze for your customers to find exactly you and not your competitors. Of course, higher rankings mean more traffic to your website, which in turn can lead to increased sales. Below we'll look at 3 critical components of SEO: keywords, meta tags, and backlinks.
Keywords
Keywords are words or phrases that describe the content of your webpage or online shop. Those are what users type into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. This is why an effective keyword strategy may be the key to increasing sales. Smart use of keywords is crucial for SEO since this is how search engines understand what is your site all about and match it with relevant searches.
Nowadays, it is relevantly easy to find the best keywords for your exact online shop or website. Many e-commerce business owners nowadays use keyword research tools to find popular and relevant keywords. You can learn more about tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. Another way to get relevant keyword ideas is to analyze competitors by looking at the keywords they are using.
Lastly, a popular term in this section is also long-tail keywords. Those are phrases with three or more words relevant to your business. E-commerce business owners may decide to develop additional strategies for long-tail keywords since they are often less competitive and more specific.
Meta Tags
Meta tags are snippets of text that describe a page's content. Unlike keywords, those won't appear on the page itself – meta tags will be located in the page's code. The most important types of meta tags for SEO are title tags and meta descriptions:
- Title Tags. This is just as simple as it sounds – the title of your webpage. The title tag will appear in search engine results as a clickable headline. Make sure that it is concise and don't forget to include your main keywords.
- Meta Descriptions. A meta description is a brief summary of the page content. Think of it like a short introduction that must attract your audience and make them interested in clicking on the link. The meta description appears below the title in search results. Here, too, don't forget to include relevant keywords and CTA to encourage users to click through to your site.
To wrap it up, meta tags play a crucial role in SEO – they help search engines like Google to understand what your page or shop is all about, and then match it with relevant search queries from users. Well-crafted title tags and meta descriptions can also help in improving your click-through rates (CTR).
Backlinks
Backlinks are links on other websites that lead to your site. They are a vital part of SEO because backlinks signal to search engines that your site has valuable content and is a credible resource. This means that search engines are more likely to recommend your site to users.
Web Analytics
To run a successful e-commerce business, you need data. In the digital commerce world, it is called web analytics, which helps you understand how visitors interact with your website. Web analytics provides insights into user behavior in order for you to make informed decisions and improve your site's performance, as well as increase sales. In this section, we'll look at Google Analytics and conversion rate – two essential components of web analytics.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is an online tool that tracks and reports your website traffic. You'll be able to understand how visitors find and use your site. This way, you can optimize their experience even further.
Key Metrics
- Pageviews are the total number of times your page on a site is viewed. This metric will help you understand the popularity of different pages (or products).
- Sessions. A session is a group of user interactions with your site within a given time frame. This metric includes multiple page views, events, and transactions.
- Bounce rate. Bounce rate is a metric that e-commerce business owners aim to reduce. It is the percentage of visitors who leave the site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate indicates that the site isn't engaging or convenient enough or that visitors aren't finding what they're looking for.
Conversion Rate
Conversion rate is another important metric in the world of e-commerce. It is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action on your site. Those actions may be different, depending on your own goals. For instance, make a purchase, sign up for a newsletter, fill out a contact form, use a provided discount, etc. It is a critical metric for measuring the effectiveness of your website and marketing efforts.
Some factors that affect conversion rates include:
- Website design. It is vital to ensure that your site is easy to navigate and the checkout process is smooth.
- Product descriptions and images. High-quality images and detailed product descriptions can help convince your visitors to make a purchase.
- Call-to-Action (CTA). Clear and compelling CTAs guide visitors toward completing the desired action. Make sure your CTAs are easy to find and understand.
- Loading speed. Slow-loading pages can frustrate visitors and lead to higher bounce rates.
- Trust signals. Displaying trust signals like customer reviews, secure payment badges, and return policies can build trust and encourage conversions.
Speaking of techniques for optimizing conversion rates, a common strategy is A/B testing. It means testing different versions of a webpage to see which one performs better. You can experiment with different headlines, images, CTAs, and layouts to find the most effective combination.
Next, retargeting campaigns are used often. Retargeting ads bring back visitors who leave your site without converting. These ads can remind them of your products and encourage them to return and complete their purchase.
To conclude, understanding the technical aspects and terms of your website is just as crucial as having quality products or top-notch customer service. From the foundational elements of website infrastructure to the details of SEO and web analytics, mastering these technical details can significantly enhance your online business's success. Your dedication to implementing them will undoubtedly set you apart and lead to lasting success!
