Disqus - Latest Comments for jamesgurd

Re: How to Choose the Best B2B eCommerce Platform for Your Business

jamesgurd — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 03:11:27 -0000

Some helpful advice here. I'm surprised that Intershop isn't featured - according to analysts like Gartner, it's the leading global B2B ecommerce solution based on technical capability and reliability, ahead of the likes of Magento and IBM.
Netsuite typically works best as you say when you're using its own OMS/ERP solution.
thanks
james

Re: Customer remarketing for ecommerce websites

jamesgurd — Fri, 08 Jul 2016 14:11:07 -0000

Hi Stuart
thanks for the suggestion. Yes that's a good idea to test out - not done it myself but know others who have with success. Is it something you're actively doing?
thanks
james

Re: Why technical seo is so much more than just ‘make-up’

jamesgurd — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 10:02:49 -0000

100%. "Technical SEO is quite literally the least you can do" is the wrong way of looking at it - technical SEO is the bedrock of a well structured website that focuses on UX and ensuring the site optimises its potential for being readable by engines and humans. Good technical SEO helps improve UX. Great technical SEO can be the difference between organic search growth and stagnation.

The argument about game changer doesn't hold for me. Anything can be a game changer if you do it better than the competition. Oh and saving milliseconds of load time does directly impact conversion, specifically on mobile.

I do agree with his points about SEOs needing to see the bigger picture. I've worked with SEOs who are inflexible and incapable of balancing pure SEO good practice with wider business goals. There are SEO basics you have to to, then there are compromises sometimes to push commercial levers.

Thanks for the post, it's a well written explanation of how technical SEO adds value.

thanks
james

Re: Removing BBC recipes may cost them over 320,000 monthly visits

jamesgurd — Thu, 19 May 2016 05:12:58 -0000

Having read various articles on this, I think @danbarker is probably on the money with this being a commercial decision to move very popular content onto a commercial website where it can be monetised, rather than maintaining it on the public BBC website.

The BBC is under all sorts of pressure from the Govt for funding and its charter, so no doubt senior execs are thinking out how they can turn high value content into a source of revenue. So at face value they look to be responding to the Govt's request but in reality they've simply been a but sly and used public response to justify a commercial move.

I get the comments about the SEO impact (not to mention user impact) but it strikes me that if (and it's a big if) the migration is handled to the best possible degree of accuracy and quality, then they could make significant long-term gains from this content on the new domain. BBC Good Food is monetised through ads, /food isn't. If i was an exec at Good Food i'd be licking my lips (sorry!) at the potential boost.

I use a lot of recipe sites, /food is just one of them, and i'll happily use BBC Good Food as long as it comes up in search results for specific recipes. I wonder how many people who use /food as their default recipe finder will stop using the BBC just because they switch to BBC Good Food?

IMO the biggest risk is ballsing up the migration and archiving.

Another interesting read is hearing the view from other publishers - http://www.theguardian.com/...

Thanks
james

Re: Introducing the Content Strategy Canvas

jamesgurd — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 12:08:17 -0000

Hi Chris. I saw your post the other day on this - it's a nice, simple way of getting people focused on the key things that need to be considered when thinking about content. I've recently come across (via Dave Chaffey) the Mental Model, not new as was done a few years back. It would fit under Audience in your canvas, and is about mapping the mental journey of key users based on the types of question they're likely to have and what outcomes they'll need to answer them. For example, on a product page for curtains, a key question would be "What does the fabric feel like?". The outcome would be the need to feel the texture, which can be achieved by offering free samples online and/or by using really descriptive copy. This approach helps to align user challenges with target outcomes and site content that enable the outcomes. Waffle over! Have a good Easter mate.

Re: Google asks bloggers to nofollow links for free gifts: the expert view

jamesgurd — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 09:04:15 -0000

Hi Graham thanks for posting. I pretty much agree with what Henry and Barry say. Google is trying to enact a mass change to linking from bloggers but i can't see how it can be enforced with any degree of accuracy. Bloggers should make up their own minds about what links they put on their website and why, as long as website quality remains the focus and users are getting value. What Google doesn't want is lots of brands getting better search visibility through an outreach program that it can't monetise, it would much rather that investment go on paid search, hence why the search results page is getting more and more like an advertising column.

Re: 9 Things to Validate While Auditing E-Commerce Sites for SEO

jamesgurd — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 05:13:58 -0000

Hi Rohan, thanks for sharing a really useful article. In relation to indexation and taxonomy, establishing URL schemas is critical to technical SEO as this can help control what does and doesn't get indexed. For example, setting which elements of the faceted navigation generate indexable URLs vs. those that generate non-indexable URLs. I've worked on a handful of enterprise SEO projects and defining the URL schema is one of the most time consuming and critical tasks. Thanks, James.

Re: How to compete on the new Google SERP

jamesgurd — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 03:49:21 -0000

Hi Jim,
Some useful tips but i'm not sure how this is related to the recent ad change, rather than simple good practice advice that has held true for the past few years. The need for a clear content strategy isn't the result of the recent Google update, as content marketing is about more than search. Also, the mobile local pack update came earlier and pushed organic off the visible pane for most competitive ecommerce queries. So fighting for organic real estate isn't new.

What i think the update changes is:
1) Shopping (PLA) ads become more important for paid search visibility as the right hand side will continue to show these for many queries - so they can help with ppc brand awareness as much as direct selling
2) As you point out, top 4 ads likely to intensify in bidding, so marketers with smaller budgets will need to rethink generic bidding strategy and consider the long tail in more detail
3) Need to ensure your business isn't reliant on Google/search engines for acquisition/conversion - yes it will still be an important channel but look at how your marketing can improve in other channels (social as you point out being one option, though it's becoming harder to get reach organically on networks like Facebook as paid takes over, just like Google).

The key learning is - the big search and social companies are in monetisation phase to drive shareholder value. Everything they do will be based on a revenue/profit metric, so realise that organic is simply a means for them to the paid end.

Thanks
james

Re: Black Friday learnings for retail ecommerce

jamesgurd — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 04:17:21 -0000

Hi Sam thanks for commenting. Interesting that this year most retailers I know said the same with PPC, low level contribution compared to last year and other channels, inc social referrals, rose sharply.
Also interesting that Monday had lower conversion rate. I saw that on a couple of retailers but also the reverse on one - what I haven't had chance to do is review their marketing to know if it was down to some epic last minute deals.
thanks
james

Re: SEO for E-Commerce Websites

jamesgurd — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 06:06:53 -0000

Hi Mark,
Thanks for sharing, some useful pointers to get people to focus on SEO considerations for ecommerce.
I've worked on a lot of SEO projects for ecommerce sites, from small to large organisations. A common theme is the lack of a clear URL schema to control URL formats and indexible URLs.
Having user friendly/SEO friendly URLs is only part of the challenge. Understanding the short and long tail impact of URL indexation is critical - knowing which URLs need to be prioritised and which you need to block from search engine indexing to avoid issues like duplicate content, inefficient use of crawl budget, dilution of URL impact etc.
For small product catalogues, this can be a relatively quick process but for large catalogue with complex products and attribute sets, it takes a lot of technical focus to define a schema that works for SEO and is supportable by the platform.
For example, search engines don't read the URL string after a hashtag #, so at face value you could simply put any parameters you don't want to influence indexible URLs after the #. However, web browsers don't send the string after the # to the server, so the server can't then parse this information if it's required to determine the content being displayed.
Lots of complexity that needs someone with a keen technical eye to oversee.
thanks
james

Re: How do US retailers compare with the UK for address lookup and validation in ecommerce checkouts?

jamesgurd — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 11:17:54 -0000

Hi Richard thanks for reading and commenting.
Yes I understand that autofill exists in browsers but not every user lets browsers store their personal data and this data can become inaccurate over time as people change addresses and don't always update all browsers across devices (plus people can click the popup 'do you want to save' messages to get it out the way and sometimes override their main address with an alternative e.g. when sending a gift). Some still have security concerns, so relying on browser auto-fill isn't advisable, though it's clearly useful. I personally never use browser autofill, mainly because i find it inaccurate and i have to go back and manually amend on some checkouts.
I also understand your point about address complexity. However, the majority of retailers i've looked at ship internationally and to countries like the UK where postcode lookup is default good practice. None of them discern this and cater even for local country preference. Given the data i've seen, not just from Capture+, on checkout completion with address automation, it surprises me that more don't use it. Unless they've tested it and proven it doesn't work but i can't validate if they have or not.
Some US retailers are embracing postcode lookup, indicating that there is an appreciation that postcode lookup could improve the UX and site performance, It's not a stretch of the imagination to think that other major retailers would test this too.
thanks
james

Re: The “Pester Your Potential Lead Until They Hate You” Approach to SaaS Sales Sucks

jamesgurd — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 05:36:14 -0000

I think what makes emails 'spam' rather than 'communication' is when the sender expects the recipient to reply rather than providing them with a genuine reason to respond, so it's the intent in the sending which generally dictates the tone and content. If you intend to add value, the copy becomes more personal and tailored to that person. If you're gung-ho expecting a reply because damn it you're so amazing, then the content is inevitably going to be self-centred and [add in negative word of choice here].

I agree with many of your points Rand but "Don’t make the first conversation exclusively about the sale. That’s like making the first date exclusively about sex" doesn't always hold true (both in business and personal life!). Make it about sales if the person you're talking to makes it clear they want it to be about sales. There are times when, if I really want something, I don't want to have to make a new friend to get it. Sometimes a sale is a functional process. I've had no end of awful email approaches via LinkedIn and the delete button is a trusted friend. However, i've also had a few amusing approaches from cold contacts with a clear sales intent - they're honest and transparent but they tailor the email to speak to me so that i know they've taken the time to find out who I am and what might make me tick. But i like that they're not disguising the fact that there is a sell motivation for them. At least we know where we are.

However, the skill is in knowing when to push the sales button and when to engage, build a rapport and relationship to drive the sale through demand is I think sadly lacking in many sales professionals. First and foremost, to be good at sales you have to be good at relating to different types of people.

That's just my take on it.

Interesting discussion thanks.

Re: What Makes Great Ecommerce Websites Great? Part 1. The Home Page

jamesgurd — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 07:23:41 -0000

Hi Jill
Hope all is well with you.
Have you seen the freepeople.com website? I'm a big fan. It uses a distinct visual design and has segmented USP/BVP messaging based on geotargeting. So if i'm in the UK i see different copy to the US. I think it's only IP targeted rather than user ID but it's a good starting point. I also love the use of infinite scroll and the pinned nav bar. Shame the products aren't for me!
cheers
james

Re: How to choose a payment gateway for your ecommerce store

jamesgurd — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:36:19 -0000

Hi Christy, thanks for sharing.

Re hosted vs. non-hosted, an important point for people to understand is that there are different implementations for hosted depending on provider. Some providers support iframe, so the hosted checkout part still occurs within your webpage so you can control the branding around it. Some don't support this, so you have to jump out to a URL on a 3rd party domain.

Those offering external webpages also split between service providers giving you branding control vs. those that provide a rigid service where you can't control anything other than putting a logo on a template.

So the decision needs to be carefully considered to weigh up pros and cons. The payment process itself has to work smoothly but equally important is the UX - if the journey is disjointed it can have a significant impact on conversion rates.

Thanks
james

Re: How to Recover From a Google Smartphone Rankings Demotion [Case Study]

jamesgurd — Wed, 07 May 2014 11:36:52 -0000

Hi Glenn,

Thanks for a really insightful blog. Did you ever get a proper thank you from Electronista? If not that is completely unprofessional and unacceptable - you alerted them to a major SEO ranking issue that they have been able to fix and it will have a significant impact on their KPIs. They should be glowing in their praise!

I guess what you've highlighted, and what google has blogged about, highlights why they favour responsive - only 1 URL to index and the website serves the relevant template based on the device accessing it.

cheers, James

Re: Merchant Accounts vs. Stripe

jamesgurd — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 09:50:56 -0000

Thanks for a helpful write-up. I'm looking for a payment provider for a new start-up and really like Stripe as it's full stack and you don't need a merchant account. However, like Braintree they don't support 3D Secure, which means you can't accept Maestro. That's over 500m cardholders globally and Maestro penetration in some European markets is high. So you do need to think carefully about which PSP best matches the business model - there is inevitably some compromise. Thanks.

Re: 10 Ways to Fail in Your SEO Process in 2014 (and How to Avoid Them)

jamesgurd — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 08:48:02 -0000

A common barrier i face when pitching projects is people not wanting to spend money on planning/set-up and expecting us to launch straight into revenue generation activity like link building, content etc. It takes time to educate people on the need for accurate research to inform SEO plans. A fun challenge!

Re: 10 Ways to Fail in Your SEO Process in 2014 (and How to Avoid Them)

jamesgurd — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 08:46:35 -0000

Hi Aleyda,

Great post. For me #3 is often over-looked - technical audits aren't easy to pitch as they're seen as spending money for no direct benefit. However, get the tech side of SEO wrong, and your ability to generate revenue via organic search is compromised.

How do you promote the benefits of a technical audit (both one off and ongoing) and what business benefits do you focus on to help justify the investment?

And what tools are indispensable? GWT and BWT are essential and i've found ScreamingFrog to be great for novices and experts, plus DeepCrawl from Semetrical also v good.

Thanks

james

Re: How to run a successful conversion rate optimisation programme

jamesgurd — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 12:55:24 -0000

Hi Dan, thanks for a great read - lots of helpful advice in here.

Re reliance on analytics data, i'd expand the point about "What percentage of your visitors are dropping off your website without converting?" to factor in attribution.

Looking at last click conversion alone misses the bigger picture. You could have some pages that at face value haemorrhage visitors but when you dig deeper they actually do a great job of pushing new visitors to come back via other landing pages. Blog pages are a good example in retail ecommerce - rarely with high conversion, often high bounce rate, but actually pretty useful at increasing engagement and bringing people back (perhaps when they see an ad, or receive an email).

What's your advice for using attribution data to help inform testing plans?

Thanks

james

Re: Technical and Adaptive Change - Only Dead Fish

jamesgurd — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 14:30:17 -0000

Hi Neil,

Trying again...

My comment was that don't you think sometimes technical change is also more long-term and has a protracted solution timeframe? For example, digital transformation has a core technical element (integration of company wide digital tools & processes) and is not a quick fix but something that takes time and phases to handle adequately. I think the technical and adaptive elements go hand in hand and influence each other.

Do you think it's possible to delineate between technical and adaptive based on solution length and disequilibrium?

I'm not convinced it's so clear a distinction, though it's certainly a thought provoking discussion.

Thanks

james

Re: R.I.P. keyword intelligence as (not provided) slips into overdrive

jamesgurd — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 03:32:52 -0000

Hi Joe,

Thanks for posting your thoughts.

I think the NSA reason is a smokescreen for trying to tempt people into more paid search, further evidenced by the shrinking space for organic results in SERPs for some keyphrases.

So how does it impact SEO? I personally think it will push more people into optimising for landing pages rather than keywords. In analytics you can get landing page data, just not the keywords that are driving the traffic. Perhaps without this visibility digital teams will start thinking more about the user journey and less about the search click? The data is there to know which landing pages get the most traffic, which convert, which have engagement etc. What's not going to be there is the exact keyword mix. However, one of the goals of SEO is to drive traffic to key landing pages and increasingly that's done via content marketing, social & PR.

Maybe i'm way off the mark but that's my hunch. If i was Client side now, that's certainly something I'd be looking at to see if that's a better use of time than chasing the elusive keyword dream.

What do you think?

Thanks
james

Re: Google AdWords enhancements Summer 2013

jamesgurd — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 09:57:11 -0000

Hi Joel,

Thanks for the post.

One question - isn't is misleading to base bidding decisions purely on last click attribution?

When you say:

"Bid adjustments can go both ways, so in this example Monday has the best cost per conversion so we have increased our bids by 20%. On Wednesday and Thursday performance tends to be worse so we have reduced bids by 20%."

What if Wednesday visits actually drive more return traffic on a Monday that then coverts? Dropping bids could compromise net results.

How do you advise people use AdWords and analytics to do the joined up analysis?

Thanks
james

Re: Examples of effective landing pages for Ecommerce sites

jamesgurd — Sat, 11 May 2013 05:05:38 -0000

Morning all and thanks for taking the time to comment.

Ahmed - you're right, there is no 'this way' for landing pages but there is a framework that can be followed to lead you into the light. Behind each 'good' landing page is the same success criteria (e.g. clear message, CTA placed in the right place, good information to help visitors take action etc) but the execution varies depending on product/audience/industry/price etc.

Thanks
james

Re: 5 creative content sourcing ideas

jamesgurd — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:45:23 -0000

Hi Lee,

Thanks for an interesting article. I like that you emphasise the need to improve the quality of communication instead of creating lots of additional content. I think too many people mistake content marketing for volume, instead of first looking at what they currently do and how it can be improved.

What are your tips for getting information from customers about what they really want to have access to? If you prompt people with leading questions, generally they say yes to everything but in practice consume far less.

Obviously analytics data is the best indication of what works but using VoC is really important to encourage customers to engage with your plans.

Thanks
james

Re: Top UK Online Marketing Influencers & Bloggers in 2013

jamesgurd — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 04:36:28 -0000

Morning Lee,

Thanks for publishing and it's highly flattering to be included amongst such well known and respected industry voices. The challenge is on to get above 24 for next year!!!!
Thanks, James