subject: Retail website optimisation is the next frontier [print this page] Retail website optimisation is the next frontier
Consumers make a vast number of searches beyond the scope of traditional search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing.
According to website optimisation expert John Federman, online retail websites are often a preferred first-port-of-call for digital consumers. Shoppers often log onto their favourite retail sites, sift through new arrivals and bargain basement deals, and use a specialised search tool to hunt for more specific products. Writing for E-Commerce Times, Mr Federman claimed that the fact the web users are starting their online journeys directly at retail websites means that search engine marketing needs to have a distinct, digitally-local aspect to it. Users need to be able to find products quickly and easily and that means optimising all content on a website for any internal search tool that is offered to online shoppers.
"Most search activities involve either driving a consumer to the manufacturer's site or to the retail site where the product is sold. Yet it's what happens once a consumer gets to the retail site that is often the most important," Mr Federman said. He added: "Counter to conventional wisdom, searches are taking place well beyond traditional search engines. In fact, search on retail sites is a preferred first stop - even to search engines - so manufacturers and their agencies need to be evaluating how to make an impact on retail sites."
Mr Federman concluded that website optimisation strategies can only take you so far - particularly if retailers and retail suppliers confine their efforts to Google alone - and said that website optimisation specialists need to look well beyond traditional search engine marketing if they are to capture consumers' imaginations, as well as their custom. Recent research from fashion industry analyst GfK Retail and Technology Global showed that a multi-channel approach that incorporated search engine optimisation is the best approach for retailers looking to boost their online sales performance. The organisation claimed that businesses need an overarching brand strategy that ensures that all marketing material is complementary, offers the same consumer message and allows for tactical flexibility - the latter being particularly important when it comes to search engine optimisation.
