Blogging My Life...
Connect with me on Facebook, Follow me on Twitter & subscribe to my blog.

Saturday, April 1, 2023

Stop Losing Revenue: Learn How to Combat Abandoned Carts in E-Commerce!

Did you know that the US and UK alone are losing a whopping $738 billion in e-commerce revenue every year due to abandoned carts? Crazy, right?


And the average rate of abandoned carts is almost 70%.

There are a bunch of reasons why this happens, and some myths to debunk.

But one thing is for sure, if your checkout process isn't up to snuff, it could be holding you back from growing your business.

Two essential things to keep in mind before we discuss tactics to reduce abandoned carts are:

High abandoned cart rates do not necessarily mean there is an issue with your cart or checkout process. Generally, more people buy lower-priced items than high-priced items, so it's not fair to compare to the industry average.

Customers often make purchases subconsciously, driven by "purchase intent momentum." If your landing page and product description provide plenty of information, visitors are more likely to complete the purchase. Those who aren't interested won't add items to their cart.


Reasons for Abandoning Cart During Checkout

#1 IS UNEXPECTED FEES BEING TOO HIGH (SHIPING, TAXES, FEES, ETC.)


One of the primary reasons for high cart abandonment rates is unexpected fees, such as high shipping costs or taxes. Unfortunately, there may not be much you can do if your business requires expensive shipping, especially for international or heavy products. However, you can test the effectiveness of your free shipping threshold, which is the minimum purchase amount required to receive free shipping. You can use a tool like http://intelligems.io (for those using Shopify) to test different thresholds and find the sweet spot that encourages customers to complete their purchases.

#2 IS CREATING AN ACCOUNT


Another reason for high cart abandonment rates is requiring customers to create an account before making a purchase. Most e-commerce stores don't require this, and if you do, it's best to stop. There's usually not much advantage to having a customer account that you can't get from an email address or phone number unless you run a subscription-based business. Surprisingly, this is a common issue leading to abandoned carts.

#3 IS SLOW DELIVERY


Another reason for high cart abandonment rates is slow delivery. To address this, it's important to manage customer expectations. In today's world, where Amazon Prime offers lightning-fast delivery, waiting for 5 business days for a package can feel slow. One way to combat this is by offering express shipping, which usually takes 3-5 days. By being transparent about shipping times and offering faster options, customers won't be surprised or disappointed with slow delivery.

One way to reduce cart abandonment due to slow delivery is by using more appealing names for shipping options. For instance, customers may prefer choosing "Express Delivery" over "Standard Shipping," even if they both take the same 3-5 days to arrive. By using more attractive names for your shipping options, you may be able to decrease the number of abandoned carts.

#4 TO #10


Many reasons for abandoned carts come down to two things: customers not trusting the website or finding it difficult to use. These are separate issues that can be solved by simply running a test transaction on mobile and buying your own product. Put yourself in your customer's shoes and think about what can make it easier for them to trust and use your website. Remember that a lot of conversion rate optimization (CRO) can be as simple as experiencing your website first-hand.

To improve trust, you need to use social proof. Social proof can come from media outlets, famous influencers, testimonials (video/photo/text), and ratings/reviews. You need to determine which one works best for your checkout.

Statistics Source: Baymard Institute, Split Testing

Friday, March 17, 2023

The Power of Value: How Successful Companies Thrive with Subpar Website Designs

While having an impressive website design can enhance a business's user experience and credibility, it is not always a crucial factor in achieving success. Many companies have thrived with below-average website designs, such as Craigslist, Reddit, and The Pirate Bay. The reason behind their success is not their website design, but rather their ability to provide unique and valuable services that attract and retain visitors.

For instance, Craigslist has a simple and outdated website design, yet it remains one of the most popular online marketplaces in the world. This is because the website offers a valuable service of connecting buyers and sellers for free. Similarly, Reddit, with its basic design, continues to attract millions of visitors due to its user-generated content, niche communities, and discussions.

Another example is The Pirate Bay, which has a functional design but is not visually appealing. Despite this, the website continues to draw millions of users looking to download torrents. The reason for this is a unique service that The Pirate Bay offers, which is access to a vast range of digital content that is not available through traditional channels.

Let’s Take a look at certain big businesses with a website that could be improved but are still making billions:

Berkshire Hathaway

Revenue: $302 billion

A functional website but is not particularly attractive or user-friendly. Despite this, the company has a revenue of $302 billion, thanks to its diverse range of holdings.


Goldman Sachs

Revenue: $59 B

A website that is very basic and does not offer a lot of information or resources for visitors. However, the company has a revenue of $59 billion, driven by its expertise in investment banking, asset management, and securities trading.


Oracle

Revenue: $48 B

The website is complex and difficult to navigate, with a lot of information crammed onto each page. Nevertheless, the company has a revenue of $48 billion, thanks to its suite of software products and services that cater to businesses of all sizes.


Coca-Cola

Revenue: $43 B

The website is visually appealing, but it does not offer a lot of functionality or resources for visitors. However, the company still manages to generate a revenue of $43 billion, thanks to its strong brand recognition and global distribution network.


McDonald's

Revenue: $23 B

The website is simple and straightforward, but it could benefit from more user-friendly features and better organization. Despite this, the company has a revenue of $23 billion, thanks to its well-known fast food offerings and widespread international presence.


Lesson

The lesson to be learned from the success of companies with below-average website designs is that product/market fit is the key driver of business success. A company that offers a unique and valuable product or service can thrive even if its website design is subpar. These successful companies have built their business models around meeting the needs of their customers and providing a valuable service that cannot be easily replicated by competitors.

Conversely, even the most visually stunning and user-friendly website design cannot rescue a company with a flawed core business. A great UI/UX can certainly enhance the user experience, but it cannot compensate for a lack of product/market fit. In fact, a focus on superficial aesthetics and design can distract from the fundamental needs of customers, leading to missed opportunities and ultimately, business failure.

Amazon (Revenue: $514 B) owes its success not to its website design but to its unparalleled service offering of delivering orders within a day.

 

Monday, November 29, 2021

Chaudhry vs. Chooha

 You know how they say you get your best memories with your best friends. Our lives are no wonder full of hardships these days and it is very difficult to take time out for ourselves but it is also important. My buddies and I made a trip to Malaysia back in 2019 which gave me some of the best memories of my life to sit back and reminisce. Every time the trip crosses my mind, I’m left with a surge of happiness and I instantly feel a little lighter.

It was a semi-official trip with a group of more than 30 people. We all went to Langkawi and then also spent a few days in Kuala Lumpur. The whole group stayed in the same hotel for a few days. The hotel had its own vibe and environment which obviously added to our delight.

All participants of the group tour

Most of the group left as per the initial plan but my best friends and I planned to extend our trip. Who knew those five days would become the best five days of our lives. Six of us stayed back for longer to explore further, we decided to check out from the hotel and rent a luxurious apartment in Fahrenheit Suites, Bukit Bintang. All of us moved there with our Chuadhry Saab leading us because of course, who else would do it better when he is around?

Chaudhry Musaddaq Salman (second from left) - Hero of today's story

He is one of the most composed people I know about but on that trip, we saw a side we never knew existed. One fine night, we woke up to him aggressively barging out of his room, abusing someone real hard. I was the first person to see him like this and I was startled and really worried, as well. I mean it was definitely not something our Chaudhry  Saab would do! He is literally known for his kindness and how he never gets a frown on his forehead but I think things were headed in a different direction that night.

All of us gathered around him to figure out what went wrong. It took us all a few minutes to absorb it was really him doing all the yelling and abusing but it was confirmed when his anger started diverting at us. “Are you all really going to stand there and stare at me instead of actually lending a hand?” he said. It was scary. The look on his face, the tone, everything was terrifying; but he was also terrified. And guess what the problem was? Our beloved Chaudhry Saab heard a rat in his room. A RAT was the reason behind all that yelling and abusing. I still can’t forget the bursts of laughter we all had after that news. But of course, a friend in need is a friend indeed so we all headed to our buddy’s room to find out the despicable rat.

Chaudhry’s room looked like it had been turned upside down. The window blinds were wide open while the bed sheets were all taken off and piled up on a corner of the room. All his clothes and luggage looked like it just took a flying trip all across the room. No wonder our poor friend was traumatized by the rat. After hours of unsuccessful hunting, we gave up and curled up on top of the sofas and tables, in case the rat appears and plans on eating our legs.

The room was completely silent when Chaudhry suddenly yelled “Hear that! It’s that jerk again!” His red face showed how much he wanted to kill that rat but we were all still confused because we missed the sound. It happened again. And then again…

We were about to jump back on the floor and continue our hunt with our weapons but we heard someone from the washroom saying: “You guys need to see this”, so we all headed to the washroom, hoping to see a dead or at least trapped rat.

However, all we saw was an automatic air freshener that had been making the “rat sound” all along. Yup! There was no rat. Just an air freshener doing what it’s supposed to do. We stood there in complete silence for the next ten seconds and then came our fits of laughter. The apartment echoed with our voices. It was six grown-up men laughing their hearts out in an apartment washroom. Just imagine the sight! God it was one hell of a moment and even till this day, it lives rent-free in my heart.

Who knew the mere thought of a rat could turn six fully grown men into terrified little kids who wanted someone to come and kill the rat in their house. It was hilarious. That moment was just like the college days, my boys and I laughing on the most random things with no worries at all. It was nothing but wholesome.

I know we are all busy in making the most of our lives and doing the best we can to move ahead but it’s always a good idea to pause every now and then. It’s equally important to take out time for yourself, do things that give you joy and contentment. Do things purely for yourself. There is no point in earning or being the best if you don’t sit back and enjoy every once in a while. Find your true people and be grateful for them. For me, my true people are my friends and I couldn’t be happier to have been able to go out with them again after so long, just like the old times! 

Saturday, October 9, 2021

A Heartfelt Journey of Son of a Bull Cart Owner

 Not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth. For them, life is all about struggle, hard work, and survival. But with persistence and perseverance, some people can change the fate of their lives.

Never being vocal about my struggles and battles, but it's time to share them with all of you. I wish to motivate others through my story that you will always find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Even when the world around is pitch black, a shiny star will definitely come your way! Sharing my journey of hard work, patience, and determination, that made me who I am today! It is a real story of a son who appreciated every effort of his father – a bull cart owner!

Childhood

Every child deserves to have a childhood filled with memories. I am lucky enough to have a childhood that's filled with memories. However, they aren’t all gold and glitter! It's all about the struggle with dedication and courage.

This is probably my first ever picture ðŸ™‚

My father is not a literate person and therefore doesn’t know how to read and write. Even with dreams to study and become a successful man, my father had to let go of this wish. He became an orphan and lost his father at a very tender age. To make both ends meet, my father started riding a bull cart.

I started my education at Government Primary Scholl Chak No. 66/D (located 20 km away from Pakpattan). Like every father, mine also dreamt of giving a beautiful life to his kid. Therefore, he decided to do whatever it takes and provide me with a good education. To pursue this decision, my father migrated to a small town in the district Okara; where we live to date. He got me enrolled in another Government School which was much better than the last one and tried to provide me with everything possible. However, to keep the flow going, my father did different laborious and strenuous jobs.

Growing Up and My Contribution

After my matriculation, it was time to secure admission to a college. It was like a tradition in our town to send kids to Lahore for further education if they secure good marks. In spite of this, such an option wasn’t available for me. I had to give up on the idea of going to Lahore. And instead, took admission to a nearby degree college.

Would head straight to the fields right after I was done for the day in College

Since the beginning of my education, I had a keen interest in computers. And that’s why I wanted to get enrolled in the Computer Science program. However, to opt for my dream I was required to pay an additional PKR 3,000 in annual fees. These were computer lab charges and they looked expensive for us due to our financial concerns. But sometimes God has different plans for you, and therefore a help came into my life out of nowhere. 

Ameer Begum Welfare Trust; established by a local politician came to know about my good grades and financial conditions. They gave me PKR 8,000 which made it possible for me to pursue my dream. I got enrolled in Computer Science subject and with additional money bought second-hand sports shoes as well. Used those shoes to take part in extra co-curricular activities like Cricket.

I knew my father was helpless and guilty about the situation, where I had to study in a local degree college, instead of going to Lahore. But I never let him think that way and thanked him for his endless sacrifices and labor. However, this was the time to step in and become a helping hand for my father. I started helping him to make sure there is food on the table.

Working and helping in the fields continued, whenever I would get back from Lahore

The biggest disadvantage I faced was during my college time. The local educational institute had teachers from other cities who rarely came to take classes, you know how the Government institutes work in rural areas. Even with such a drawback, I continued to struggle. After all, something is better than having nothing at all!

Every day, I attended college for a few hours and would sit in my family’s small kiryana shop. This would help us in running day-to-day expenses. I continued helping my father in other laborious jobs as well. We, father and son, used to purchase larger blocks of ice, cut them into smaller pieces, and keep them in our small shop to sell.

During scorching summer seasons, our family sold self-made juices frozen in plastic bags. To keep up with the circle of life, I and father used to bring milk and yogurt to our shop to sell. We also rented our cycle to needy people to earn some extra money. Sometimes instead of sleeping on a cozy bed, we did spend nights on wheat packets or haystacks. It was like a watchmen's job for us, necessary to save those from thieves at night.

To be honest, I don’t remember any sort of small work we haven’t done to survive. My father always appreciated my efforts and praised me for the hardships I was going through. To make him proud, I passed my intermediate with flying colors and secured 80% marks in computer science; my favorite subject. I still remember the tears of joy and satisfaction in the eyes of my father. It truly motivated me to continue my struggle and make his life better.

Continuation of Adversities and Higher Education

Education had always been my priority! Even my father encouraged me to continue education, as he knew its value and edification in one’s life. However, continuing education in the local Government College was not possible anymore. For further higher education, I had to think of better opportunities.

Amid the darkness of managing finances and education, my cousin Shoaib Ahmad who is like an elder brother to me proved himself as an angel. He helped and guided me in looking for scholarship opportunities. A man can achieve anything with a positive attitude! And hence God helped me in scoring a chance to get admission to International Islamic University, Islamabad.

I appeared in the written test and aced it with perfection. Got selected in the final top 7 candidates for the scholarship. However, God had other plans for me and got rejected during the interview phase. Losing the chance of a scholarship to such a reputed institute disheartened me. But my father stood by my side and encouraged me to continue. I applied to Forman Christian (FC) College, Lahore, and secured a scholarship for myself.

Though my dream was to get enrolled in the Computer Science department. But the scholarship for it wasn’t 100% and I was supposed to pay PKR 36,000 per semester. For a person like me who was already struggling, managing such an amount was not easy in 2006. Therefore, unwantedly I gave up on my dream and took admission in Economics, and availed 100% scholarship.

My childhood friend Mazhar and I were living in Lahore in a rented room

I took admission in the FC College hostel but left it within one month. The reason was simple! I was unable to pay PKR 5,000+ monthly. To make sure I complete my 4 years degree, I started living in a rented house along with some friends, which cost me much less. Affordability has always been a serious concern for me. That’s why during my higher education tenure, I had 2 pants and 3 formal shirts with me only.

Home Visitation During Struggling Period

I love my family a lot and therefore, tried my best to keep visiting them and give them love. During the initial period of my studies, I visited my home every weekend. The major reason was that I was not used to living away from my family. At that time, a one-way bus ticket cost PKR 120 which was high. But family comes first and therefore, I endured these expenses happily.

However, after a while, my father asked me to visit them occasionally instead of regularly. It was a hard decision for a father to ask his son not to visit them. He wanted me to save money for my educational expenses and pay attention to my studies. During this time, my father took the job of a van conductor to support the family and when this job was no more, he also worked at a restaurant. It was heart-wrenching for me to see him struggling and working from dawn to dusk at such age.

My mother would never cook any special food at home and embraced eating simple meals only. This way, she also started saving money from groceries and start contributing to my education. These sacrifices still prick my heart!

With my father in our native home, we moved out once I started to do well

Conversely, I was also struggling surrounded by extreme pressure. To continue my scholarship, I had to maintain a good CGPA throughout. With little budget, struggles, and exertions, I thought to find new ways to earn as well. During my higher education time, I and my friends Naeem and Mazhar woke up one morning with only PKR 10 in our pockets. I still remember we visited a friend of ours to borrow PKR 500 to survive the last days of the month. On many occasions, I spent the night at bus terminals while traveling to other cities as I was not able to afford any hotel to stay.

Life was continuously giving me lemons but somewhere in my heart, I knew good days will come. I was preparing myself for better days without losing a hint of confidence in my God and His will.

Era When My Patience Started Giving Benefit

Finally, the day came when my patience got rewarded by God. I was becoming a bit depressed but my motivation level was still high. My parents stood by my side like solid support, never allowing me to feel alone. My cousin Shahid Rasool came as a savior in my life and helped me come out of my challenging days. He introduced me to the phenomenal Digital Marketing world.

Brother from another mother - My cousin Shahid Rasool played an important role in shaping my life, introduced me to the Digital Marketing world, not only helped me securing my first client but also let me use his computer because I have none at that time

Shahid taught me all the ins and outs of the digital marketing world and helped in scoring my first client. Slowly and gradually, I started earning PKR 12,000 a month in 2009. For many, this amount isn’t big but for me it was huge. I was able to bear my expenses on my own and share a good amount of money back home. I finally found the light at the end of the tunnel.

I found another job paying me PKR 6,000 a month. Initially, I thought it would be good to earn PKR 6,000 along with PKR 12,000 a month making PKR 18,000 easily. It was an Urdu typing job for a semi-government project. But within 6 days of working, I realized it was not worth my time. My passion for computers was not getting satisfied this way. That’s why I left the job during break time on my 6th day at the job.

Convocation Day at Forman Christian (FC) College Lahore

I finally completed my B.Sc. (Honors) from FC College in 2010. My association with the digital marketing world helped me in earning far better than the previous struggling phase. Once I completed my degree, the door for new opportunities opened for me. Secured my first full-time job at a small software house located at DHA. Worked there for a month before getting an exciting opportunity at ESP Interactive Solutions for PKR 15,000. I was working with an online client as well side by side. However, I bid farewell to the company after 6 months after receiving a much better offer from another one.

Got hired as SEO Expert at ESP Interactive Solutions

I was eager to earn better and return the favor to my parents for their extreme hardships. At starting salary of PKR 27,000; I joined Veloium. My struggles and exertions started paying off, where I felt confident to change the future of my family. Companies started recognizing my talent and I continued switching to better opportunities. On the other hand, with such success, I felt the need to get a better education, relevant to my existing field. Getting a degree in Economics is good but wasn’t suitable if I wanted to continue to outshine in the digital marketing world.

With colleagues from ESP Interactive Solutions

Continuance Towards Excellence

Since I already understood the importance of the IT sector and had an interest in the field for ages, I got enrolled in the Master in Information Technology (MIT) program. Unrelentingly started working as a full-time employee, continued working as a freelancer, and began supporting my education.

Worked at Velorium as SEO Analyst

Tried starting some ventures back then but they never turned successful. This never undervalued my confidence and helped me shine brighter each time. I continued grabbing bigger and better opportunities offering better remuneration and incentives. My freelance profile started getting a 5-star rating. This helped me in acquiring clients who were willing to pay me more!

Got hired as PPC Executive at InvoCode

This was the stage I was dreaming of for ages. I asked my father to leave his hardships behind and enjoy retired life. It was my time to take the responsibilities and make sure they get everything. My family struggled way too much and it was the phase where I wanted to provide them with rest and happiness. Something we all longed for years!

At the beginning of my career, I preferred switching companies in order to get better chances. Since I am a fast learner and can adjust to any environment conveniently, looking for good opportunities became a motive for me. However, in 2014 I finally settled down and joined Extreme Commerce (known as Net Solutions Sdn Bhd in 2014), the first organization where I literally gave my blood and sweat. For 6 years, I remained in the same organization and worked with confidence and dedication.

On an official tour to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) in 2014; few months after joining Net Solutions Sdn Bhd, now known as Extreme Commerce

When I was hired in Extreme Commerce, my salary was PKR 80,000 along with some promised incentives. It was a lucrative opportunity that I loved and appreciated. But after a while, the financial position of the business started declining. When they were on the verge of shutting down, some of the employees came to the rescue. I and a few other colleagues surrendered half of their salaries to bring the business back to its glory. We worked day and night to stabilize the financial position of the company.

Within a short span of time, we launched some fascinating products to sell online, initiated a new project in Pakistan, knows as Extreme Commerce now. Things started getting back on track and I saw an impressive future for myself in EC. Though it took me nearly 2 years to back to my initial PKR 80,000 salary, the wait was worth it!

King's Palace (Malaysia) 2019

During my time at Extreme Commerce (Jinnah International Airport, Karachi)

New Opportunity for Betterment

I did leave Extreme Commerce after 6 years and this has bugged a lot of my friends. When I was part of EC, I started receiving different offers, among which many were too lucrative to decline. But I remained loyal to my employer and continued giving my best. However, with time I realized that the corporate world is a temporary place. In such a world from the smallest thing to an employee, everyone is replaceable. Some changes in Extreme Commerce didn’t adjust as per my personality. This pushed me away and finally, I decided to quit.

In November 2020, I became part of another project called EG (E-Commerce Galaxy). This project was launched in collaboration with the City of London College. This was the first of its kind institute in Pakistan that was offering opportunities everyone dreams of.

In November 2020, launched another project called E-Commerce Galaxy. This was the first time I stopped being backstage. I took the stage. (Alhamra Art Center, Lahore)

We planned to be different, unique, and intuitive. Therefore, we planned out interesting training courses for the youngsters in Pakistan seeking a career in the e-commerce world. Being part of the City of London College was the biggest benefit and I made sure to get the most out of it. Therefore, after thorough analysis, we launched the academic education area as well. Where students from Pakistan can enjoy distinct learning and get a degree from the City of London College itself. Such an opportunity was not available in Pakistan before, and I am proud to be affiliated with such a unique program.

Bahria Auditorium, Karachi

My Life Today

Prayers made by parents in favor of their children can indeed change the world. This rightly happened with me and changed the fate of my life. After years of struggle, doing laborious tasks, and enduring hard times, my life took a 360o change. I witnessed the real ups and downs of life, endured tougher times with patience, and never complained to God.

Sending my parents to perform Umrah was the first thing I did after getting financial stability

Today, I am co-founder of E-Commerce Galaxy. Running a successful private label brand on Amazon in the USA. Part of a web service agency and just recently set up an app development firm in the UK as well. My hard work paid off and today I am the son of the proudest parents. The patience taught by father has finally changed everything for us.

Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok (Thailand)

If I look back, I do see a life full of lessons. Luckily, I had the opportunity to learn and grow from my mistakes, grew stronger after facing each crisis, and became a man I never dreamt of. By the grace of God, today I own a few commercial and residential properties and drive a nice car.

 My childhood friend Mazhar used to sell boiled eggs during our hard days. We faced those days together, it was time to party together. Phi Phi Islands (Thailand)

Today I am grateful to everyone who helped me during my hardships. I can never thank enough my cousins and friends who stood by my side. Tough times help you in finding true friends and real cousins. Luckily, I found the greats gem whom I am proud of.

Always remember, get freedom from the doubt and find the light and spark in yourself that keeps you awake! Never judge yourself! Keep your head up and continue fighting with the same fire and energy!

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Phone Etiquettes: A Primary Guide for Everyone

This post contains some suggestions which may be treated as protocols to be followed while seeking help from any senior or representative of any organization. I am hopeful that these principles will contribute in your professional development.

▪️ Many people get personal contact number of any of the official and just start calling or texting without any realization that the other person has a personal and family life besides business. It is suggested that before texting or calling anybody, please take a few things into consideration; time, the nature of the issue and relevance of the person you are about to make a call.

▪️ It is also encouraged that you must use mobile phones (texts or calls) when it is extremely important or in case of an emergency. Generally, you are supposed to interact via Email or Inbox to Social Media profile where all of your queries are expected to be addressed aptly.

▪️ It is important to learn that you are not supposed to discuss personal stuff with the officials you are interacting with. After a few formal words always come to the agenda. Nobody has free time to tell you about what he feels about Pakistan's economy or how is the weather.

▪️ Avoid voice notes on WhatsApp. But if you really need to do it kindly keep it less than 1 minute. It is important for to comprehend that nobody is interested to listen to you for five consecutive minutes. Remember, time is money.

▪️ It is also to be noted that in any international firm you are supposed to wait for 24 to 48 hours to get a reply. You do not need to send several messages to the person concerned. Be patient. You will get a reply when the concerned officers gets time to respond you.

▪️ If a person does not receive your call, please do not make your hobby to call that very person until he/she decides to blacklist your number. It’s highly unethical.

We all need to develop ourselves as world-class professionals who have utmost respect for the other’s personal life and individuality. We need to learn some basic moral codes before we all start interacting with the world outside Pakistan.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Call to Action – A Must Have for Every Page of Your Website

On-page content is not something that can be executed formulaically; there isn’t any defined outline for webmasters to plan their on-page material.  All websites need to be different based on the nature, product, services & location of businesses. With that said, there are few elements that all websites have in common. One of them is compelling ‘call to action’ on every single page of the website.

Websites that have ‘Call to Action’ on particular pages only are missing major opportunity.

What is a Call-to-Action?

It is very unlikely that a child will take the trash out unless he is asked, and in the same way, visitors are less likely to do what you want them to do unless you push them to do.

Call-to-Action also knows as CTA is text, button, banner, or some other type of graphic on website that prompts a user to click and execute the action you want them to do.


Following are some examples of Call-to-Action:

1)

2)


3)

 A good Call-to-Action has several characteristics. Some are:
  • Color contrast: It should stand out from surrounding elements of website.


  • Give a few details : Briefly give information that fits in button place and looks good.
  • Don't make it scary : Avoid such terms that people seem to shy away from.
  • Keep distractions to a minimum : Adding a lot of stuff; ends up loosing the effectiveness.
  • Use white space : Blank or empty space surrounding Call-to-Action element on your page will make it stand out.
  • Put it at the top of the page: If feasible, put Call-to-Action element "above the fold".

  • Give more than just one option: What if visitor is not ready to 'Buy Now', give him a chance to 'Learn More'
  • Give the button a "hover" feature : An attractive way to let users know that it is a button they can click on.
Why Every Page?

The more consistent you are with the call to action, the more likely it is that the message will sink in and users will do what you’re asking them to do—simple as that. 

There is no guarantee that visitor will not land on a page which hasn’t Call-to-Action element, someone might Google or Facebook their way to any random page or blog entry of your website – so don’t you want to have that strong call to action there to greet them?

Thursday, August 29, 2013

The Web Developer's SEO Cheat Sheet

This free and downloadable document covers all of the important SEO code and best practices that are needed by online marketers and developers.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Step-by-Step Guide to Add Google Authorship Markup in WordPress Blog

Google has offered a new feature that allows publishers to add “rich snippet” meta-data to their web material. This is a highly effective as this can help in developing brands more effectively — Google will show author information in search results if metadata has been properly labeled via Authorship Markup.



The main benefit of adding Authorship Markup is that as you publish more content with your name, your picture or logo keeps popping in Google search results. This is one of the ways you can display your personal brand in front of people, and it is not difficult to implement in WordPress. 

Getting Started

There are simple baby steps so there is no need to worry.  It doesn't require getting hands dirty with coding. 

Step 1: Google Plus Page

You need a Google Plus page for this work. If you haven't then Signup for a G+ Page. 

Step 2: Contributor 

It is time to officially inform Google that you are contributor (Author) for a site. Update "Contributor to" to field on your profile. 

Go to your Profile page


Select About Page


Edit Link Section


Add URL of website where you are going to contribute as Author 


Step 3: WordPress User Profile

Log in to your WordPress website. Go to 'Users'. Edit your User profile. Add Google Plus Profile URL in its respective field.


You are done!

Testing Tool

To test, go to Structured Data Testing Tool


If author image appears in preview of testing tool, it means authorship markup is added successfully. It will appear as in Google search result after the page is indexed.


Monday, February 25, 2013

A Look at the Search Landscape


After several Panda & Penguin updates, search engine marketers are required to work harder to maintain their visibility in Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). Now they need to leave the traditional tactics; instead they are required to be more effective in organic and as well as paid marketing by knowing the search trends in their target markets. Below is an abstract from the upcoming 2013 Digital Marketer Report:

Five Websites (Facebook, YouTube, Yahoo, Wikipedia, Amazon) taken 20 % of all the searches in 4th Quarter of 2012.


While top 500 websites taken nearly 50 % of the all search activity. Top 1,000 websites captured nearly 75 %. This indicates a big challenge for marketers to get access to potential customers. 



Marketers involve in paid marketing are also not at ease as top 10 websites captures about 16% of paid clicks. While top 500 occupies 56% of total paid search activity.  






Knowing the targeted customers can help to concentrate on your search engine marketing strategies effectively.