4. Tip #1: Pursue a Hub and Spoke Model The Big Ball of Clay Old YourWebSite.Com
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6. With optimization it is possible to track email marketing campaigns, PPC campaigns and even offline campaigns through to conversion/exit.
7. Apply the lather, rinse, and repeat principle for improving performance over time. What to Monitor? Search Terms and Keywords Page Views and Popularity Referral Source Conversion
9. Tip #3: BuildwithPurpose 1 5 Plan nowor Plan Later Planning & Discovery 2 Your Business, Your Customers, Your Competitors. 4 3 This process begins with an analysis of your competitive environment and existing marketing and technology infrastructure. Review baseline data and establish the criteria for evaluating your success. Hold every decision up to the 3 pillars of any web project – Time, Cost, Scope. Plan but be flexible. The web can create new opportunities if you listen to your customers. Findings & Deliverables Identify User Roles/Types Identify & Review Competitors Identify Data Sources Develop Personas Create Information Architecture
10. Tip #4: Effective Design Converts 1 5 ApplytheHusbandPrinciple Wed Design & Development 2 Design & Prototyping 4 The most effective design often considers utility as much as visual-appeal. Assuming Hub & Spoke standard and measurement principles are attained, your design should evolve over time to optimize for conversion. Enforce Standards. Pay attention to user habits. Your website might not be where most people see your content. Consider mobile, iPad, social media channels and plan accordingly. Last but not least, if it’s not working, you can always trade it in for a new & improved model. 3 Tips for Effective Design Consistent, Intuitive Architecture Clear Calls to Action Enforce Design and Brand Standards across web assets
11. Tip #5: Live or Die bytheSword 1 5 How to Manage Risk and BuildforScale 2 Development Development 4 Don’t get hung up on the right technology ‘stack’. Implementation quality is always the most important factor for a successful project. Strive for ‘Elegant Code’ Component Based Loosely Coupled – limited regression issue Extensible Taxonomy – the power or correlated content 3 Evidence of a Bad CMS build? Limited # of Page Templates Limited Structured Content Broken Workflow Duplicate Content & Content Entry
12. Tip #6: Hosting & Code Matters 1 5 At least Google thinks so... Delivery & Closing 2 Delivery & Hosting 4 Don’t underestimate the importance of page load time. Good code and good infrastructure can improve your search engine ranking. Good code and hosting practices support improved SEO, accessibility and cross-browser and cross-platform functionality. Don’t lose Page Rank value. 301 vs. 302 and 404 – what does it all mean? 3 Tools for Improving Site Performance Google Webmaster Tools Yahoo!’s Yslow
