So you’ve spent all this money on a beautiful website, but what good is it if you’re not getting found? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has always been this mystical science to me – and I’m certain that I’m not alone in this regard. Fortunately, if you have a WordPress site, you are one step ahead because WordPress is known for being a leading Content Management System (CMS) when it comes to SEO. And there’s more good news! There are plug-ins – like WordPress SEO by Yoast – that make it even better!

We set up our WordPress clients with the WordPress SEO by Yoast plug-in as we’ve found it to be very effective. If you’re looking for the technical how to get started, benefits and so on, read this great tutorial by Yoast, WordPress SEO-The Definitive Guide To Higher Rankings For WordPress Sites.

For a quick, down and dirty, what you need to do when working with SEO by Yoast, read on.

Yoast Musts:

If you’re using the Yoast plug-in, there are a few things that are a “must” on your list of things to do:

SEO Title:

This is the most important areas to complete. While Yoast’s Snippet Preview will generate a title for you if you don’t have one (based on your title template), it may not be the actual title that you want to put out there. Think carefully about your word choice as this is not only the first thing people see in the search results, but it’s one of the most significant areas that the search engines use in their secret “searching formula.” Use the most important words first as that’s where more of the weight is put as well as what people see first.

A few notes about the title:

• The title display in search engines is limited to 70 characters. The preview will show you what the SEO Title will look like as well as how many characters you have left. You can type a title that’s longer, and while the words may be searched, the rest of the title will not show on the search.
• The title should always contain your brand, typically at the end, which will help people recognize you.
• It should always contain the most important keyword(s) for your post or page – preferably at the beginning of the title.
• And of course, the title should be interesting enough that people will click on it.

Meta Description:

The meta description is also a crucial piece to fill out if you want to be found by search engines. This description is the summary of what your page or post is about and is limited to 140 characters. Again, you can write as much as you want, but the first 140 characters should be the most meaningful. You’ll see when you run a search that key words in the meta description (and title) are bolded, so it’s important to include keywords that people will search for.

Some people think that the meta description has to be the opening sentence(s) of your page or blog (okay, that was me at one point), but that’s not the case. Often the opening is just an introduction and doesn’t even contain your key ideas. So, remember to use words that people will search for and get keep the most important content in that first 140 characters.

Optional:

Focus Keyword:

We usually let our clients know that this area is optional. Filling in the keyword or phrase will trigger the Page Analysis in the 2nd tab. The analysis lets you know if you’re using your keywords and phrases appropriately throughout your document and if you’ve done what you can to help your SEO efforts.

Again, there is so much more to SEO and Yoast’s plug-in, but this post is strictly to let you know what you need to know to get started with WordPress SEO by Yoast. For detailed information on how to set up your templates and how to optimize each of the areas, read more.

If you do nothing else, be sure to complete your SEO Title and Meta Description with meaningful content. It will boost your chances of getting found by leaps and bounds.

I talk with storeowners every day about their websites, POS systems and their customers and business and over the past few years I’ve noticed an alarming problem that is certainly recognized and overwhelmingly ignored by almost all storeowners. It’s the complete disregard for staying current with technology.

Here’s the problem – it’s too easy to push technology to the bottom of the upgrade pile because technology is expensive. Too expensive, in fact, to care about until its too late. Time is vicious when you ignore it.

Scenario – The storeowner opened its doors years ago and stuck in a ton of money to build the inventory and customer base and hire employees. They even bought a computer system complete with software and printers, and in the beginning, it was amazing and very cool how everything worked so well. Then they built a website and started selling online, and life was good. Yesssss!

Well, now it’s been six or seven years and the store is maturing and getting better and better. The open to buy inventory makes sense and the profits are increasing at the normal retail rate. But, now the owner is looking around and discovers that their website is looking kind of old and out dated compared to the “new guy” down the block. The computer systems are glitchy and cumbersome now and the work to keep these “dinosaurs” going is a big fat headache. The employees are complaining that the computers are slow, they’re locking up and, etc., etc., etc.

The storeowner looks in their accounting program and discovers that he didn’t budget for technology upgrades. That’s no problem, we’ll just get new computers and build a new website. And then it hits him! Ouch! Technology didn’t get cheaper it just got better.  Once he starts looking around at how expensive everything is, the first instinct is to put it off again and “make do” because it’s just too much money. Twenty-five thousand dollars for a shiny new website. Are you kidding me? The cost of upgraded POS systems and new computers pushes the storeowner over the edge of denial and he makes the costly mistake of waiting, again.

Now the problems begin to snowball. Your competitors’ websites are slick and responsive to mobile devices. You see a decline in web sales because you ignored the technology trends that happen very quickly today and the traffic on your website begins to trickle south. No matter how much money you throw at other areas of your business, the sales keep declining. You need help!

Now you can’t afford to upgrade because you decided to put it off until sales increased and the opposite has happened. You can’t catch-up this way and it’s now that you really begin to pay attention. You read about record-breaking growth in Internet sales that everyone else is having except you and now it’s all hands on deck. You’re going to make a big business decision and shift everything to the web. It’s your basic crisis management thinking and it had better work. Your customers are a finicky bunch and will no longer be loyal if you don’t keep up with the times and make them happy. They want to support you, but you have to do your part as well.

Here’s a good rule of thumb to live by in the retail world and it’s a bit of a history lesson, so bear with me. Back in the mid 60’s, Gordon Moore, who is one of the founders of Intel, boldly stated that computing power and technology will double every two years. This statement has been widely regarded as Moore’s Law.  Ha! He was wrong! It doubled about every eighteen months.  It’s 2013 now and computing power and technology is still growing . . .

So having a technology budget that is strictly adhered to is very important for your business success. You save for your retirement why would you ignore technology? Trying to catch up is going to require a rich uncle to become an investor and even so, it will take six months to complete the upgrade. Do you have that much time? Can you afford the price of time?

Websites have a shelf life of about three years before you have to start thinking about doing something different. Computers and software programs have to be maintained and updated all the time because it takes about two seconds to recognize that four years went by, and four years for a computer is like twenty human years.

Please don’t get yourself stuck in this scenario. Pay attention, budget for growth and know that you’re going to have to eventually spend some money to stay current.

Last week we attended and exhibited at a RICS User Conference in sunny Bonita Springs, FL. [RICS Software is a Point of Sale software vendor that we work with integrating their software with e-commerce websites for the specialty retailer.] The people were friendly, the weather was beautiful – particularly after a cold and dreary Midwest spring –and the food was phenomenal (steaks, lobster – they went all out for their conference). While I could easily fill a page on the food alone, given that this isn’t a food blog, I’ll stick to the highlights of the conference.

It was wonderful to see some of our specialty retail clients and meet potential clients. It was also great to meet a lot of the RICS’ folks that I talk to on a regular basis. It became clear to me while I was there how similar our philosophies are to RICS’s views. They really focus on how they can better serve their clients and make the experience better. That shared philosophy is probably what makes us such great partners.

A couple of the highlights included their keynote speakers.

Dave Carroll

The first speaker, Dave Carroll, an award winning singer-songwriter, professional speaker and social media innovator based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada gave an inspiring presentation about Customer Engagement. Back in 2008, Dave and his band flew United Airlines from Chicago to Nebraska for a week-long tour. While in Chicago, some passengers witnessed guitars being thrown on the ground by baggage handlers. When he arrived in Nebraska, sure enough, he found that his $3,500 guitar had been damaged.

After multiple go-arounds with United with no success, he wrote and posted 3 songs on YouTube to get the attention of United Airlines; the first of which garnered over 13 million views! In the end, United agreed to compensate him, but it was a little late on their part, the damage had already been done. Dave’s was a great story about customer service and how important it is to make things right – along with the power of social media. Read more about his story here.  Fortunately for us, we got to enjoy Dave’s company for the duration of the trip as he sang songs around the campfire and we toasted s’mores over the fire. (Here I am, back to the food again.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kyle Lacy

Kyle Lacy, Senior Manager of Content Marketing and Research for ExactTarget(a leading provider of interactive marketing solutions) talked about something that we feel very strongly about as well. He discussed marketing through Mobile Media and more specifically, Responsive Design (making sure your site resizes to different screen sizes of mobile users). He said that if you’re working with a developer who is not doing Responsive Design, it’s time to make a change. We agree!

Kyle also discussed other marketing strategies and the platforms you can use. In regards to social media, he stressed the fact that you need to be on the various platforms – and not just because your kids are. He talked about tying email marketing, mobile media and social media together to reinforce your brand.

All in all, it was a great conference. The time spent with RICS, the customers and other vendors (Hewlitt-Packard, Honeywell, and Infintech to name a few) was time well spent.

Q. Do I use a tripod for shooting live models?-from an apparel retailer

You’re going to have to hold the camera vertical and move your body up and down to get the shot. If you used a tripod for this type of shooting it would take forever to get one shot and way too much work.  Your Nikon D300 and lens will make the job very easy.

Q. When do I use a tripod?-from an apparel retailer

You will definitely want to shoot live models WITHOUT using a tripod.  You’ll quickly get the hang of it once you do it. You will use a tripod shooting accessories like footwear, jewelry, handbags, etc. because you will probably drop the shutter speed so low you’ll need a tripod to hold the camera steady.  I never used a flash for these items, which is why the shutter speed is so low.  I like the natural light and soft shadows created by the lights you buys and set up along side the table.

Q. What kind of models do I look for?-from an apparel retailer

Here are few tips on models that I learned the hard way:

• No Visible Tattoos or Piercings – Put that requirement in the casting call notice and that the model will be inspected.  I didn’t want the staff wasting their time removing all the piercings and tattoo’s in Photoshop.  Ugh!  Remember, you’re going to be shooting tank tops, shorts, dresses jeans, swim suits, etc., so even little ankle, wrist or belly tattoos is a problem.  Twenty-five earrings in and around their ears are a problem as well.   Nobody gets a tattoo or a piercing because they want to keep it hidden.
• Pretty Girls and Fashion Models are Two Different Things - Every pretty girl thinks that she can be a model.  That’s because everyone for as long as she can remember has told her that she should be a model.  Have you ever noticed that some women are drop dead gorgeous in person and then take a lousy picture?  And then, other women look like plain Jane’s but look incredible on camera.  It’s all in the features.  Some women have masculine features (muscular necks, strong jawbones, short forehead, and other hard features) while others have feminine features (high forehead, small chin, small nose, a shorter narrow jaw, high cheekbones.)  Both are beautiful but one is a model while the other is not.  Stick with small feminine features when you choose a model and don’t immediately discard a candidate when she doesn’t immediately turn your head when you see her.

Great fashion model!

Beautiful but not a model

• No Breast Implants on Fashion Models!  Implants add weight and a distracting focus to models and the images are not about that, and that’s probably not what kind of store you are as well.  Unless you’re a lingerie store, implants are not good for fashion photography.  Tall, skinny and flat is perfect for the job at hand if you can find that look, and she’s out there.  Here’s a great model that knows how to be a model with well-done makeup and beautiful photography. This store/photographer does a really nice job with the images and styling the shots with accessories and with practice, you will get this good, too.

• Shooting Jewelry – When you have clothing to shoot, style the shots with the models wearing the jewelry like the images above and then when you shoot the jewelry, use those images as “other view” images to show the viewer how to wear the jewelry item.  You kill two birds with one stone here.  This is also why it’s nice to turn a staff worker into your assistant who can help you style the shots and keep track of all this stuff.

Remember the goal:  You want your customers to buy the products because they want the outfit to look just as good on them as it does on the model.

For more Photography Q & A, check back often as we will be featuring common questions that we hear regarding photography along with responses by one of our expert photographers.

After attending this year’s Magento Imagine Conference, it is easy to see why Magento is the fastest growing e-commerce platform on the planet. Sure Magneto is a very powerful and extendable system, but in my opinion that’s not what makes Magento such a tour de force. Instead, it’s the thriving community Magento has built and the passionate people behind the platform.

Just now as I’m sitting in the cafe of the hotel writing this blog someone came up and introduced himself. Your initial thought is probably, “Sure what is he trying to sell you?” Yes, there’s certainly people here pushing their wares, but there’s a genuine desire to collaborate and connect with people.

Ok, just moments later someone else came up to me in the cafe, but thought I was Alan Storm. I guess Alan writes a really good Magento blog because he was clearly excited to meet me, and disappointed when I told him I wasn’t Alan. If you’re a developer you might want to take a look at Alan’s blog because it is chalk full of useful information.

Here’s a summary of the things I found interesting this year at the Magento Imagine 2013 Conference. Sorry if you’re looking for a technical summary of the conference, this is not the place. Instead, I’ll be sharing my personal experiences and anything that inspired me during this year’s conference.

Taylor McFerrin & Marshall Davis Jones

Without a doubt, the thing I liked the most about this year’s conference was the musical performances from Taylor McFerrin and Marshall Davis Jones. I’m sure you’re saying to yourself, “Boy the conference must have really stunk if the highlight for you were these musical performances.” On the contrary, the conference was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed the speakers, break-out sessions, marketplace, and all the new people I met. However, I found Taylor’s and Marshall’s performances amazing and a perfect fit with this year’s theme of “The Art of Commerce”. If you ever have the chance, please go see Taylor and Marshall, they are indescribably talented and gave some of the most inspirational moments of the conference.

Side Note: I talked to Taylor a couple of times at the conference and found him to be one of the most humble and “coolest” people I’ve ever met. I’m in my mid-40s and don’t even know if saying someone is “cool” is even cool anymore. I guess that makes me most definitely not cool anymore.

Jamie Clarke

My next vote goes out to Jamie Clarke. Jamie’s account of his attempts at climbing Mount Everest and crossing Arabia’s Empty Quarter literally had me buckling over in laughter. However, if you paid close attention, you realized his talk was not all about getting laughs. Jamie has a unique perspective on what it takes to be successful in life. He believes you must face obstacles and challenges in your life to gain a better understanding of yourself. Everyone has gone through obstacles of one sort or another and as Jamie says, overcoming your fears, rejections and setbacks is an internal battle everyone must concur. This understanding will help you become a productive member of your “team,” whether that’s your job, expedition or family.

Magento Enterprise 1.13 Released

I was also delighted to hear about the release of Magento Enterprise 1.13. The performance improvements made to version 1.13 look very encouraging with some nice enhancements to the Magento index and cache. I’m also looking forward to seeing the improvements to the API, which is useful to those of you integrating your point of sale (POS) and enterprise resource planning(ERP) systems with Magento.

Responsive Design

Finally, I need to give a shout out to Brendan Falkowski and his presentation on: “Mobile First: Responsive Design for eCommerce”. His presentation was a continuation of last year’s presentation on responsive design but with all new material. It is easy to see why Brendan was nominated for “Brilliant Newcomer of the Year” by .net Awards. Brendan has a way of explaining complex problems in a way that’s both understandable and enlightening. Brendan shared his key learnings over the last year on his work with both Skinny Ties and Angry Birds, which we’ll definitely be applying in our projects.

I look forward to next year’s conference and experiencing everything that makes Magento so great!

Special Thanks: I would like to thank Karen from WebShopApps – your insight and assistance at the conference and throughout the year is most appreciated. If you have special shipping needs for Magento, I highly encourage you to look at WebShopApps. P.S. I hope you enjoyed the Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies.