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Bandwidth: Just What Exactly Is it?

Written by wfootD on . Posted in Tips, Uncategorized, Websites (General).

When looking at Internet connections you will often come across one term that a number of people are perhaps slightly unfamiliar with. That term is ‘bandwidth’ and yet understanding it is perhaps going to be a bit easier than you imagine.

Now, if we go back in time slightly the idea of bandwidth would refer to a number of different things but, of course, we are just talking about the Internet as that is our main cause for concern. In actual fact, when it comes to choosing your Internet connection, this is something that you need to take into consideration so that you do indeed end up with the correct connection that is capable of  dealing with whatever you are going to be doing.

To be honest, we could go ahead and provide you with a rather complex explanation but there is every chance that it would only further confuse people and not actually answer the question. So, here is the simplified version.

Bandwidth refers to the actual volume of information that can be transferred within a set period of time. That period of time is per second and the higher the bandwidth number then the most information and data that can be transferred within a single second.

What this means is that if you have an Internet connection that has a low bandwidth then it is going to take considerably longer for say a video file to be transferred or downloaded than it would do if you had an Internet connection with a higher bandwidth.

Understanding its Stats.

If you are now looking at your own Internet connection and wondering what your bandwidth is then the figure you should look out for is going to be written along the lines of 60 Mbps or perhaps as 60 Mb/s. What this figure would translate into is that you have a bandwidth that allows for 60 million bits of information (megabits) to be transferred in a single second.

Now, here is another thing to take into consideration when you are looking at bandwidth. The higher the number then the higher the price so you have to understand what your budget is going to be before you go ahead and sign up to any contract. Furthermore, the amount of bandwidth that you actually need is going to depend on what you plan on doing with your Internet. If you are just going to be sending emails and not really using media then a lower bandwidth is going to suffice. However, if you are looking at streaming movies, downloading songs, playing games or anything else that requires a lot of information to be passed between connections, then a higher bandwidth is always going to be better.

Think about the bandwidth issue and compare it to a stream. A stream is small and can only allow a certain amount of water to pass through it. That is the same with lower bandwidth. However, if you have a river then the volume of water that can pass through it at the same time is considerably greater as you have increased the capacity.

The bandwidth issue is even more prevalent when you have a number of people using the same Internet connection because if you find that you are battling and things are starting and stopping due to different people going online together then that is because of the bandwidth. If this is the case, then you need to increase it so as more people can connect without running into problems.

But here is one final important point that we need to mention.

Say you have an Internet connection where the bandwidth is measured at 50 Mbps. If you are the only person using the Internet connection at that time, then you have the entire 50 Mbps to your own self. However, if another person also comes online and tries to download something else at the same time, then you no longer have all of the 50 Mbps. Instead, that measurement is going to be shared between both of you so you may then notice a difference in the speed at which you are able to download and it is going to take considerably longer.

In other words, you have to spend time thinking about your entire Internet usage in order to make sure that you have the correct amount of bandwidth for your needs. How many people are going to be connecting at any given time? How are you planning on using the Internet? Will you be downloading files or is it just for simple browsing? Understanding all of this and talking to an expert regarding bandwidth and Internet usage is going to make a difference and make sure that you do not run into problems in the near future.

Bandwidth is easier to understand than you think and yet, get it wrong, and your time on the Internet is going to be compromised.

Some Key Points for Those E-Commerce Product Pages

Written by wfootD on . Posted in eCommerce, Uncategorized, Websites (General).

Now we know that e-commerce is massive business and that so many companies are making a fortune from their online store on a daily basis and that is pretty cool. The Internet is the biggest market to have ever existed, but of course with that comes a problem in that it also means that it is home to the biggest amount of competition.

We could go on about strategy and sales techniques but that is not our business. Instead, what we are going to focus on is the layout of the product pages as the way in which they are designed and appear to the customers is going to have a profound effect on the chances of them going ahead and actually making that purchase.

1. Deal with the images.

You need to be able to catch the attention of the visitor to your page and the best way of doing this is by using large and clear images for the products. You do not want the visitor to have to strain their eyes to see what they will be buying and another tip is to make sure that they can zoom in on various aspects so they can see every tiny detail.

You will often find that a customer is going to make their decision as to whether or not they want to purchase something just by the image so if it is too small and grainy, then you are just making life harder for yourself.

2. Where possible give a 360 degree view.

This follows on to the point regarding the images but you should really look at providing a 360 degree view of the product wherever possible. This is going to really replicate the way in which they would view a product in real life and it gives them a better idea of what they are spending their money on.

3. Have a strong call to action button.

Any page needs to have a strong call to action element to it if you are serious about converting those visitors into buyers and in this instance we are talking about a strong button whereby they can purchase the item or add it to their basket.

This button has to really stand out so they are feeling drawn to clicking on it as that is often the most difficult part to get through from a sales perspective. You certainly do not want them to have to hunt for the section where they can add it to their basket as that is not going to help you in the slightest and that is why you will tend to see the button close to the image and near the top of the page so they feel drawn to it.

4. Make sure people can trust you.

This point fits in with the increased fear that people have regarding fraud via the Internet. We love to see logos of companies such as TrustE, Comodo, BBB and many others as it makes us feel safer and believe that we can go ahead and make that purchase without having to be concerned for our safety.

This is something that you really do need to work on by getting yourself verified and adding them to the product pages. By doing so, you will see a marked increase in the number of sales that you achieve simply because people feel that they can buy with confidence.

5. Show the discount price.

If you are selling something at a discount, then make sure that your product page is set up so that it shows the original price and what people are then saving. This is going to compel the individual into taking action when they see that they are getting an absolute bargain and they will also want to act fast as they will believe that they are going to miss out and have to pay the higher price if they are not fast enough.

6. Make sure the description makes sense.

Finally, when it comes to the product description then make sure that it is easy to find and, most importantly of all, that it actually makes sense. You want to have it written for the normal everyday person and have a short summary close to the image with a fuller description further down the page. Breaking it up into easy to digest sentences will avoid swamping the customer with information at the one time allowing them to better understand the product and then make a decision as to whether or not they want to make that purchase.

Now, we are not saying that these are all of the points that you need to take into consideration when you are going to be launching your e-commerce website but they are certainly things that you have to think about just to make the pages clearer than before. The design and layout is so important so think carefully about the placement of everything before you launch your website.

Can Old Content Help With SEO?

Written by wfootD on . Posted in SEO, Uncategorized, Website Design.

In previous blog posts we have kind of alluded to the simple fact that SEO is a rather complex business due to what appears to be its ever changing nature. It seems that new theories and ideas as to what works and what fails are popping up all the time and that just makes things even more difficult to understand as a result.

One such example is the theory that your old content could actually improve your SEO and this seems to go against a number of theories simply because it was previously believed that old content would be too laden with keywords for it to now be effective. Well, to some that is no longer the case.

How To Take Advantage.

You see, in the past it was all about sheer quantity, or that is what people thought, but that particular game has certainly changed now as quality of content reigns supreme. However, this is where you need to be slightly ruthless with your old content in order to then benefit from it.

What people are now saying is that you have to go through the content and unpublish those articles that just do not come up to the standards that you would expect. This is going to clear out a lot of deadwood in an instant and then you are left with the content that you are then able to work with.

At this point you then need to see if the good content requires any additional editing just to further improve the quality at all. This may sound like a lot of work initially, but all that you are doing is refreshing old content, making it relevant again, and then the likes of Google will pick up on it being new and reindex it.

You see. The old content that is no longer relevant is also going to have an impact on the speed at which your website loads. The faster the loading speed then the better it is for your visitors and then Google is going to love you even more and it certainly helps where your website then ranks.

Also, here is another tip that is also going to help things along even more. Whenever you delete old content you should make sure that there is a 301 redirect put into place on that page for the sake of sending people to a new page that has updated content. This is going to help with keeping them on your website for longer and clearly that is also going to also help your SEO as Google love happy people that spend longer on a website.

Furthermore, when you are examining the old content, it is certainly better if you check the way in which your keywords are being used. Look at the long tail keywords that are bring used and then make sure that they are making sense and appear naturally in the content. This is important as it was not always the case with old content where the key was to really stuff in as many keywords and combinations as possible. The problem is that this did not always make sense and yet that was not as important in the old days.

Well, that is no longer the case because of the issue of quality over quantity that is now the important part in all of this.

Look at the facts that are included and perhaps just update the points that are being made to make sure that they are still relevant or even making sense. Google may love fresh new content on a regular basis but the cool thing is that by updating old content it comes across as being refreshed and is now relevant again and yet you still get the benefit of its history as well. In other words, you are really getting the best of both worlds and that is only going to be beneficial to you.

So, what we are saying is the following.

When you have quite a lot of content on your website and that content has been built up over a period of time then it is now the time for you to look at having a clear out and just freshen it up so that you can still get the benefit of it and indeed improve your ranking at the same time. This is something that Google now expects and the best part is that it is also not going to cost you a fortune to do.

Remember that SEO is something that does change and you need to stay on top of it all and to stay abreast of what the new updates are meaning for your website. However, what this post shows is that there is no need for you to make major wholesale changes at all and instead you can just make some minor adjustments that can then have a profound impact on your ranking.

Your Design Influences Your Conversions with E-Commerce Websites

Written by wfootD on . Posted in eCommerce, Uncategorized, Website Design.

When it comes to you having an e-commerce website there is more to it than simply designing the site via a tried and tested formula and throwing products on there. Instead, it has been proven time and time again that the design is going to have a direct influence on your potential conversions and surely any business is going to want to be aware of how to increase their sales without doing too much in the process?

The problem is further exacerbated when you realize that the average conversion rate for the majority of e-commerce websites sits at a rather paltry 2% and that shows how many visitors and hits you are going to have to get just to then make any decent sized income. Now, surely when you discover that it is such a small percentage that you will want to do anything you can to improve the chances of those visitors then going through the checking out process?

Well, according to different studies of e-commerce websites there are several things that may improve those chances and they are not even that difficult to implement.

Dealing with the Images.

Wherever possible make sure that you never just use stock images of products as that has a tendency to make your website appear as if it is effectively just a cut and paste job and that is hardly going to be inspiring for them. Instead, try to have different images rather than just the norm although clearly they do have to show off the product in order to make it more attractive.

With the images, you should also make sure that you include various thumbnails that show the products from different angles. This is going to provide the customer with even more information and will make it easier for them to decide if they should go ahead and make that purchase.

Dealing with the Layout.

If we then think about the layout because you cannot just throw stuff onto a web page and hope that it is going to start to work for you. Instead, there are several key areas to focus on that will make life so much easier and hopefully increase the number of people that are going to go ahead and make those purchases.

First, you should always have a strong header on your home page as this is really going to help frame the entire page and make your website look far more professional. It should also be capable of telling people what you are all about and what they can expect if they venture further into your website. At the same time, you should always have things such as contact information and links to social media profiles on the footer part of the website and never leave it blank. Also, you might want to use this space in order to really push on with your call to action as this is your last chance on your home page.

Furthermore, do not be afraid of white space on your pages as that is going to give a better balance rather than just cramming in as much as you can to fill it up. This will only lead to some confusion and people will then be put off your website pretty much from the moment that they land there. In addition, do not have extensive parts of text all together because that is also going to hurt the eyes and people are just not willing to sit there and read it all.

Dealing with the Design.

Finally, we have to think about the design because this is also going to play an important role in increasing your conversion rate. First of all, you need to make sure that it is a responsive design so that it works for anybody that ventures on there no matter the device that they are using. This is huge because mobile and tablet usage is continuing to increase so if you do not provide them with an adequate experience then they are simply going to go elsewhere.

Also, do not include too many potential options on any page at any given time. Make sure that the design has a focus and that the focus is clear and draws people in. This has to also include the menu bar on a page because even though you may have a number of different categories it does not mean that you should go ahead and include too many categories. Keep it neat and you will benefit from it.

Basically, what we are saying here is that if you want to at least try to increase those checking out rates then you need to pay attention to your website and in particular your home page. Avoid putting too much on there and make sure that your design draws in the person rather than spinning them out of control. Remember, you want it to be a pleasant experience for them so make sure that is what you provide to them.

Understanding the Importance of Speed for Websites

Written by wfootD on . Posted in Hosting, Search Engine, SEO, Tips, Uncategorized, Website Design.

Webfoot Website SpeedWhen it comes to you having your website it is one thing wanting something that is amazing to look at and capable of providing all of the information that you have deemed to be relevant, but there is something else that is perhaps even more important than the way it looks. That thing is the speed of the website and we are going to look at the reasons as to why this is so important.

The one thing that you can generally say about us humans is that we are often not the most patient species on the planet. We want things to happen now and to not sit around and wait for it as we get bored, irritated, and simply storm off and go elsewhere or do something different. Now, this also applies to websites and, to be honest, the problem is actually worse with websites than it is generally going to be elsewhere.

But why is it like this?

The problem is that we always feel that we are so busy that we hate to waste time. Also, we are aware that there are a number of websites out there for whatever it is that we are searching for that there is no reason for us to just be stuck on the one site as there are other options available. In other words, we hate the very idea of effectively being held captive by a website while we wait for it to load.

So, what is the outcome? Well, it has been shown in studies that if we do not see real progress being made with a website loading in a matter of seconds then we are very likely to just click off and go elsewhere. As a website owner that is going to result in you effectively having people just bouncing off your domain name and of course in this kind of situation you are not exactly going to be able to get the results that you expected from your site.

Overall this is going to have a profound impact on your bottom line and your business is going to suffer from a marketing and monetary perspective and that is hardly something that you want to have happening on a regular basis.

Often, the problem with load times is that people want to have this huge and elaborate website with all of the fancy bells and whistles as they mistakenly think that this is what people are looking for. They want the wow factor when somebody lands on their site, but what is the point in having the wow factor if it takes forever to load and nobody then sees it?

That in itself just does not make sense and it is clear that there has to be a balance between effective design and a short loading period.

This speed issue is a massive problem. In actual fact, the way in which we are now using our smartphones or tablets to access the Internet has only made matters worse. A study showed that as many as 73% of smartphone users have complained about the slow loading speed of websites and, as a result, they simply navigate away.

Now, imagine almost 3 out of every 4 people that load your URL not even bothering to wait for the page to load as it is just taking too long. How is that going to affect your business?

So, what do you do?

Well, the answer is actually easier than you think and it is all back to that key part, the website. You have to get honest and real with yourself and accept that having all of those fancy things is not all that it is cracked up to be. People are more interested in what you are trying to tell them and the information that they are looking for rather than whether or not some cool little gadget flies in on a spaceship and lands on a sunflower before the page opens up or some other crazy stuff like that.

Do yourself a favor and focus on the content. Focus on the navigation and making sure that all of the information that is relevant about your website is on there and is accessible. It is that information that is going to make your business and website a success and nothing else. It is not the cool design that takes an eternity to load.

All that we are saying here is that you need to put some more time and effort into thinking about the actual design and how it is going to work from a practical point of view. Also, you want to listen to your designer and if they say that something is going to be too heavy and take forever to load, then accept that this is going to be the case and take a different route instead.

Websites should be useful, informative, and still look good. They should not load slowly or else there is no point in having them.