Craig Rentmeester's Blog

How I Quickly Built an e-commerce Site

As I mentioned in my previous post, the goal of this post is to inspire you to take a calculated risk and build a Web site you've thought about, but ‘haven’t found the time to build’. This post is describing a recent project I took on with my Dad.

Background

We needed a quick and dirty e-commerce site to showcase 50-60 scooter parts that my Dad has available for sale that fit various brands of scooters, primarily made by Dayang, Honda and Yamaha. 

Below you’ll learn about how I got started, the tools I used, and how I influenced search engine rankings by implementing proper on-page SEO items.

Please forgive my grammar, as I am writing this piece for speed as well. I'm hoping to edit it later on.

 

Built for Speed

Since this project wasn’t billable, and it’s not planned to be a long-term business, I tried to cut corners when possible. Also, scooters and mopeds are seasonal by nature, so finishing the site to allow for earlier rankings eased my fears about using shortcuts.

Buying a Good Domain

I bought the domain at the end of March for this site. Before buying it, I used five tools to help me compare search data. 

The five tools I used were:

1. Google’s Traffic Estimator

2. Adwords Keyword Tool

3. Free Keyword Research from Trellian

4. Keyword Difficulty from SEOChat

5. Keyword Difficulty Tool from seologs

To be able to compare the data quick and effectively, I set up an Excel spreadsheet with search data in columns and the corresponding search term in rows from the five data sources. I recommend this for both SEO research and keyword-based campaign research. It allows me to scan quickly for keyword opportunities. 

Using this data, and keeping in mind commonalities of the Web site content I was going to publish, I decided on MopedandScooterParts.com, which I was surprised was available.

Creating Content

To start, I got pictures of each part using a digital camera, with each part featured on a white bed sheet for easy editing in Photoshop. 

With the images, I also received corresponding descriptions and prices for each part.

Once I had this information, I had 80-90 percent of the Web site content. Now, it just need to be coded.

 

Payments

To save time, I decided to use PayPal for the shopping cart function. For this site, the transaction fees are reasonable (1.9% of the sale price + .20 cents per transaction).

 

Hosting

I already had Web hosting through Dreamhost, which is cheap, at $97 per year. (dreamhost affiliate link). Also, since I had the hosting package, Dreamhost allowed me to purchase a domain for free for the first year ($10 savings).

 

Software Used

I used Photoshop for deleting background noise from images of the parts for sale, and Dreamweaver for HTML/CSS coding.

I also used Dreamhost’s built-in HTML editor for minor HTML tweaks along the way.

 

Web site Building tools Used

I used CSSEZ to help me create a base model for the CSS stylesheet. It was tweaked slightly, but about 80% of the work creating the CSS was done in a WYSIWYG environment versus a coding environment, which allowed me to work much faster. (see CSSEZ version and the final version).Contrary to what this site states, these CSS you create can be used without WordPress or MoveableType.

I used HTML Playground for a reference when I forgot some HTML/CSS lingo. 

I used XML Sitemaps to help me create a quick and dirty sitemap in HTML and XML. It took some minor tweaking to the code to make the HTML Sitemap respectable. This tool saved me a ton of time, though.

I used FormLogix web forms since I don’t know MySQL, but wanted to grow an e-mail newsletter subscription list. Now, it seems that FormLogix puts Google Ads on pages where its forms are used, which is lame and a deterrent. When I created mine, they didn't do this.
 

How the site ranks

Right now, the site ranks in positions 1-3 on both Yahoo! and Google for phrases including the word Dayang and the name of a specific part we have for sale, which is roughly 60-70 percent of the content. (sample search 1, sample search 2, sample search 3).

 

How Did I Achieve Strong Search Rankings?

Right now, the site doesn’t have many in-bound links, which certainly is not helping it for difficult keyword phrases. However, one thing working in my favor on this project is that there aren’t many online content providers for after-market Dayang Scooter Parts.
 

Also, each page of the site has a strong focus on targeted keywords. Keywords for each page are included in the: 

• Page Title
• Directory Name (so they appear in the URL)
• Header Tags
• The site description and Domain contain targeted keywords
• Meta Data (descriptions and keywords)
• Anchor Text
• Image File Names, Alternate Tags and Titles

 

Other Tools

Google Analytics – monitor site traffic, usage, referring sites, etc.

Google Webmaster – monitor search rankings, inbound links found by Google, upload a sitemap, etc.

Yahoo! Site Explorer – to check competitor’s links and my links.

 

Some More Things to Consider when Building or Redesigning a Web site

1. Information Architecture – This didn’t really apply for this site because there was only going to be around 60 pages. However, breaking content into clear classifications that allow for search engine indexability and navigation is critically important with larger sites (250+ pages).
2. Link structure – This also wasn’t that important due to the limited number of pages. Since no one item is extremely preferable to sell than another, I tried to keep the link architecture as evenly weighted as possible. However, if you want to rank in a competitive market and you don’t emphasize the pages you’re hoping to rank via extra internal links, you’ll have trouble.
3. CSS vs. tables. – If you use a Web design firm and they build your site using nested tables, you’ll have bigger maintenance bills, more search engine concerns and slower load times.  
   

Future Plans

In case you’re interested with how I plan to proceed going forward, I listed a few measures I plan to take below.

I plan to build a Squidoo page about Dayang scooters, because there is not a lot information about them. Squidoo has a high PageRank, and providing relevant content will help us pick up some link juice. Hopefully the lens will pickup and refer some traffic as well.

I hope that we can post PDF versions of various scooter owners’ manuals.

I will be analyzing existing competitors Web sites for opportunities to pick up links from the same sources. 

Depending on the time it takes to implement, I may add a Google Checkout option in combination with an AdWords account. For now, we’ll see how PayPal works out.

If you have any questions about something I left out, please e-mail me.  

For additional site-building and SEO Help

Download my on-page SEO e-book to help you improve your Web site’s rankings.

Great Riff on SEO Shortcomings by Web Design and IT Professionals

Here's an interesting rant from Mark Jackson at Search Engine Watch.

I have been thinking this for a while and agree with his points about web design and IT professionals short-changing companies when it comes to doing 'SEO' work.

Language and Control

It's been heavily talked about in magazines, TV programs and blogs for years, to varying degrees and with varying intentions.

Yes, customers are in control.

In the broadcast era of marketing, customers decided whether or not to pay attention to your message.

Then, the Internet came along, put print and TV on the ropes, and gave customers new avenues to express their opinions, along with a wider selection of free content delivered in many forms.

Online, customers are always in control. From product reviews, to blog posts, to the search terms they enter to find products they're looking for.  Not only can customers determine whether or not your prospects buy your products, but your prospects can pass you by without even knowing you exist, unless you play by their rules and cater to the wants that they communicate.

The key to marketing in the digital era is to research how your target audience describes the products and services they use. Then,  create content related to that instead of trying to have your audience begin using the language your company uses to describe itself. 

The best thing about online marketing is that the playing field is (relatively) even online. Companies small and big can use the same research tactics and create great content.

Benefits of using a Blog as your E-newsletter

A rather new concept is using a blog like an e-newsletter.

I love the approach from a marketing and an SEO standpoint.

• Rather than sending PDFs or E-blasts via e-mail to subscribers, a blog offers dynamic content that maintains the same look over time.
• A blog instead of an e-newsletter makes subscriber management much easier.
• Its easy to transmit and easy for customers to subscribe in a way that works with their existing habits (live bookmarks, posts via e-mail, feed readers, etc.)
• From an SEO standpoint, the blog approach provides an opportunity for more content on your site and more inbound links.
• You can archive posts, allowing for customers to revisit old items.
  
• It provides an opportunity to distribute press releases when they're timely vs. lumping them together in a monthly newsletter.

The one drawback I can think of is not getting each subscriber's contact information. However, users are in control, whether you like it or not. If you provide continuous value, they'll want to do business with you.

I am going to be pushing for this approach at my company.

Do you have any other drawbacks or benefits of using a blog as an e-newsletter?

Also, I'll be on vacation this week. This will be my last post for a while.

SEO Tip: URLs

To promote my free SEO e-book on on-page search engine optimization, called "We Have a Web site, Now What?", I am providing some SEO tips. This week's installment is  about URLs. (URL defined). Below are four things to keep in mind before and after setting up a Web site.

1. Domain names are important. If you want to rank well for a keyword, having it in the domain name provides a big advantage. If all other factors (content, page titles, links, etc.) were equal, the site with the keyword in the domain would rank better than a site with generic company name in the domain.


2. Search engines take into account the names of directories and files in each URL where there is content. Thus, keywords should appear in the directory names and file names for individual pages.
   
   • Try to have a dedicated page, permalink, for each word or phrase. This helps with on-page and off-page SEO. I will discuss this in greater detail in my second e-book to be released in April, 2008.


3. Static URLs rank better than dynamic URLs.


4. If you’re going to use multiple words when naming a file or directory, use a hyphen, not an underscore between the two words. Google tends to ignore underscores, but views hyphens as dividing two distinct words.

Remember, search engines try to link searchers to information that is directly related to the search query that is entered. Therefore, having keywords in the domain name and file name are important because it shows search engines that you're catering your content to that micro-audience of searchers.

Long-tail keywords

I read a few interesting articles with differing view points on whether or not you should target long-tail keywords.

Links
For targeting long-tail keywords by Jennifer Laycock.
Why you should target the most competitive keywords by Hamet Batista.

I really like Jennifer's description, image and examples of the search buying cycle.

 

My Take on Long-Tail Keyword Targeting
My take is that it depends on the type of site you have. If it's a blog that wants readers, go for generic keywords because that's where the big traffic is. If you have a used car web site, go for long-tail keywords that are easier to rank well for and will likely convert at a higher rate.

Does your site get more conversions (e-mail sign-ups, purchases, etc.) from long-tail keywords or generic keywords?

Let me know in the comments. Please note what market your company competes in as well.

On-page SEO Tip: Header Tags

To promote my e-book, I will be providing tips related to on-page search engine optimization from time to time.

Today's topic is header tags.

Here is an overview courtesy of HTML Code Tutorial.

Each header tag indicates the relative importance of each section it is heading: <H1 ...> is for the major sections of your document, or as the one header to the entire document.  <H2 ...> is for the secondary sections of your document, etc.

Basically, you can think of the header tag as being similar to a newspaper's headline.

 

To help optimize your pages using header tags, keep these three rules in mind:

• Each page should have unique header tags related to the content on that page.
• Header tags should contain important keywords, with the most important keyword(s) appearing the H1 tag and descending in importance from there on.
• Don't use more than one H1 tag.

  

The graphic on the right, courtesy of Net Mechanic, visually displays how header tags
function.
The source code for this graphic would be:

<h1>H1</h1>
<h2>H2</h2>

Download my free ebook about on-page SEO.

SEO E-book Available for Free Download

My SEO e-book is now ready for downloading, viewing and sharing. (see below)

The e-book is 18 pages.

It provides straightforward advice for entrepreneurs new to  search engine optimization. It may also be of great benefit to those in marketing, public relations or advertising as well.

It features an example of a page that is properly optimized for the search term "sore throat". Using the example, I point out certain aspects of search results as well as the underlying code that corresponds to the optimization advice.

The e-book also features resources that will allow for quicker implementation.

While improving on-page SEO items alone does not guarantee higher search rankings, the advice lays the foundation for proper search engine optimization of your site.

The book is free of charge. In return, I just ask that you do one of two things.

1. If you read the book, please provide feedback via e-mail or through this survey.
2. If you learn something new about SEO from the book, pass it on to a friend.

Download

We Have a Web site. Now What? Part 1.    SEO-E-book    PDF (791.4K)

Reminder

I will be working on the second part of the series that will focus on off-page SEO items such as PageRank, inbound and outbound links, and visitor behavior. If you'd like to be notified when it's released, send me an e-mail.

SEO E-Book Coming Soon

I am working on free SEO e-book titled, "We have a Web site. Now What?".

The book will be the first of a two-part series. The first edition is dedicated to on-page SEO.

It will contain easy-to-understand SEO advice for small businesses and entrepreneurs that are new to online marketing.

It will also feature an example of a properly optimized page. 

The e-book will be free to download on my blog and should be ready by this weekend. 

Ad Age - Search Marketing Report

Here is a report I found from Advertising Age related to SEO and search marketing. The report came out in November, 2007, but the information is useful nonetheless.

Some interesting findings from the report:

Web-based Search

• Search Marketing Click Through Rate (CTR) = 11.5 percent in 2007.
• Google accounts for 56.5 % of U.S. searches, compared to 23.3% for Yahoo!.
  
  • Google search share up 9.9% (YOY)
  • Yahoo! search share down 6.5% (YOY)
• The percentage breakdown of the number of Words per Successful Search Phrase:
  1 word      21.68%
  2 words    25.00%
  3 words    22.03%
  4 words    14.33%

Mobile Search

• There are 31.1 million mobile Internet users, 75 percent of whom use mobile search as well (23.3 million).
• 22% of all mobile phone users use mobile search.

Two Free SEO Resources

I posted two more links in the sidebar. They are both SEO resources. Both are free and useful for different reasons.

These tools are great at giving a quick glance at how your Web site functions and how it could be improved. Some of my other favorites like this are Web site Grader, Compete, and SEO Digger.

SpyFu

What is it used for?

SpyFu is good at looking at organic search result rankings and paid search campaigns for competitors and your own site.

Submit Express

What is it used for?

Submit Express is good for quickly looking at meta data, link popularity and html. It also has measures in place to determine how relevant keywords and descriptions are for each page.

SEO Tip - Optimize PDFs

Admittedly, I am on a SEO kick, because of a project that I am working on. As such, here is another  resource that will help your SEO efforts.

Optimize PDFs for search engines 

Before this week, I assumed that PDFs weren't very good at communicating with search engines because of the format and how it functions similar to an image.

Wrong.

The person that posts a PDF can stack the deck to allow search engines to perform better in terms of searchability.

Here is a great resource produced by Search Engine Land that outlines how to do this.

Another Great SEO Resource

Thanks to Aaron for building this resource about internet marketing.

Within the mindmap, he points out a resource with great information that you may have never heard about.

It's called SEO Digger.

How It Works and What it Does
Type in any URL.

SEO Digger will tell you if that site is in the top 20 search results on Google or MSN and which corresponding keywords were searched for that ranking.

If you become a member, which is free to do (and worth doing), you're able to request more in-depth searches and conduct more searches per hour

The Value
This may go without saying, but this resource, combined with Compete, can tell you a lot about your competitive situation on the web.

SEO Digger can also be of value when determining how strong an established company is at internet marketing, if you're looking to launch a new venture and already know the existing competitors.

SEO Resource

I found out about a resource today that I think could be of value to many people.  It is compete.com. This site can be useful to anyone interested in comparing up to five Web sites.

It's free to use once you create a user account (yes, another account).

It provides data, and graphs, for each site on:

    the number of visitors per month or year.

    the average length of time a visitor spends on a site.

    the average number of pages a visitor views on a site.

    the growth of a Web site over time.

If only it collected data about the users and more statistics.

p.s. In my opinion, Compete has a great blog with information about web usage and useful resources.