Congratulations on your new CoolMo Design website! Whether you’ve just launched your first blog, ecommerce shop, or business website, you’re probably wondering what to do next to make the most of it. Don’t worry—I’ve got you covered! Here are some key steps to ensure your website gets off to a successful start. Follow these 10 Best Practices to Success!
1. Understand Security Basics
Security is critical to the success and safety of your website. Here’s how we work together to protect your site:
- What We Do for You:
- SSL Certificates: We ensure your website is secure with HTTPS by managing and maintaining SSL certificates.
- Backups: Regular backups are set up and managed by CoolMo to ensure your data is safe and easily restorable if needed.
- Plugin Management: We handle all plugin installations, updates, and monitoring to keep your site running smoothly and securely.
- What You Need to Do:
- Strong Passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for your WordPress login and related accounts. A password manager like LastPass or 1Password can help you generate and store secure passwords.
- Monitor Access: Limit access to trusted individuals and regularly review who has access to your site.
- Stay Alert: If you notice anything unusual, like unexpected logins or changes to your site, notify us immediately.
By combining our proactive management with your vigilance, we can keep your website safe from potential threats.
2. Optimize Your Website for Speed
A fast website provides a better user experience and ranks higher on search engines. Here’s what we provide through CoolMo Design and what you can do to help keep your site running smoothly:
- What We Do for You:
- LiteSpeed Servers: Your site is hosted on high-performance LiteSpeed servers, designed to deliver fast loading times and improved performance.
- Built-in Caching: We enable LiteSpeed caching, which stores a copy of your site’s pages to reduce server load and speed up delivery to visitors.
- Image Optimization: We optimize images for you to maintain speed and quality without sacrificing visual appeal.
- Efficient Plugins: We ensure all installed plugins are necessary, up-to-date, and optimized for speed.
- Content Delivery Network (CDN): CoolMo Design provides integrated CDN options to deliver your content faster to users worldwide by reducing latency.
- What You Can Do:
- Optimize Videos: Host videos on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo instead of uploading them directly to your site.
- Use Properly Sized Images: Resize images before uploading to match their intended display dimensions. For example, don’t upload a 4000x4000px image if it will only display at 800x800px on the site.
- Compress Images: Use tools like TinyPNG or JPEGmini before uploading to reduce file sizes without noticeable loss in quality.
- Select the Right File Format: Use JPEGs for photos, PNGs for images with transparency, and SVGs for icons and simple graphics.
By leveraging our advanced hosting infrastructure and following these best practices, you can ensure your website remains fast and efficient, delivering a seamless experience to your visitors.
3. Customize Your Design
Work with us to personalize your site:
- Add a Logo: Provide us with your logo, and we’ll ensure it’s displayed prominently. Don’t yet have a logo, let the graphic design team at CoolMo Design help you develop one today. Contact our team now to get started.
- Brand Colors & Fonts: Share your brand’s style guide, and we’ll match your site’s design to your vision.
- Create a Favicon: If you have a small icon for your brand, let us know, and we’ll add it to your site.
4. Understand Your Website Analytics
We’ll set up Google Analytics for you to track your visitors. If you want even more specific insights and power tools, contact our support team for information on purchasing our Add-On tool for your website that helps you track nearly all site visitor actions.
5. Leverage SEO for Growth
We handle the technical SEO setup, including implementing our Advanced CoolMo Schema tool, but here’s what you need to do to contribute:
First, What is Schema Markup? Schema markup is a type of structured data that helps search engines understand your website’s content better. It provides additional context about your site, such as identifying products, events, reviews, or local business information, so search engines can display rich results like star ratings, prices, or FAQ snippets directly in search results. In a nutshell, this is what Google uses to make your search results look amazing when someone does a search for your business!
- Adding Product Schema: If you sell products, ensure each product includes detailed information such as name, price, availability, and reviews. Use the product editor to fill in these details.
- Adding FAQ Schema: Create FAQ sections on your pages or posts where relevant, using CoolMo’s Schema options to mark them up properly. Contact Support if you need assistance.
- Enhancing Local SEO: If you operate locally, add your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistently across your site. Use CoolMo’s Local Business schema feature for pages like your contact page.
- Content Optimization: Use SEO-friendly keywords when creating new content. For example, when creating or editing an existing product, include keywords throughout both your short description and the full description consistent with the post or product you are creating.
- Meta Titles & Descriptions: Craft compelling meta titles and descriptions for each page and post. These should be concise, keyword-rich, and engaging to attract clicks.
- Alt Text for Images: Add descriptive alt text to every image on your site to improve accessibility and help search engines understand your content.
- Internal Linking: Create internal links to connect related pages or posts. This not only improves navigation for users but also helps search engines crawl your site more effectively.
By combining our technical setup with your ongoing content efforts, you can ensure your site remains competitive and visible in search engine results.
6. Create Key Pages
We set up the following essential pages by default for all our customers. However, it’s your responsibility to edit them to fully personalize your site and align them with your business goals:
- Home Page: Use this space to highlight your key offerings and make a great first impression. Update this page with any new promotions, product launches, or key announcements.
- About Page: Share your story, your mission, and what makes your business unique. Customers love to connect with brands on a personal level, so use this page to build trust and authenticity.
- Contact Page: Ensure your contact details are accurate and include options like a form, email address, phone number, and links to your social media accounts.
- Privacy Policy and Terms: These pages are set up with a generic template, but you must review and customize them to reflect your specific policies, including how you handle data, returns, or other store-specific policies.
We Strongly Encourage Blogging for SEO
In addition to the default pages, consider adding a Blog Page to your website. Blogging regularly provides you with countless opportunities to showcase your online business. For example:
I. Showcase Your Products Through Targeted Content
Blogging allows you to create articles that highlight the versatility and customization options of your products. For example:
- Post Ideas:
- “10 Creative Ideas for Customizing T-Shirts for Your Family Reunion”
- “Why Personalized Coffee Mugs Make the Perfect Corporate Gift”
- “How to Use Customized Pens to Promote Your Brand Effectively”
- SEO Benefit: These posts target specific long-tail keywords and attract customers searching for personalized gift ideas or promotional products.
II. Drive Seasonal Traffic
Use your blog to focus on seasonal trends and events when customers are most likely to shop for personalized products.
- Post Ideas:
- “The Best Custom Holiday Gifts for Employees in 2024”
- “Celebrate Father’s Day with Personalized T-Shirts and Mugs”
- “Top 5 Graduation Gifts You Can Customize”
- SEO Benefit: Seasonal content increases traffic during high-demand periods and keeps your site relevant throughout the year.
III. Educate Customers About Personalization
Many customers may not know how to start with personalized products or what makes them special. Your blog can guide them:
- Post Ideas:
- “How to Upload the Perfect Photo for Your Custom Mug”
- “Understanding Design Options for Personalized Products”
- “Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Custom Logo for Promotional Items”
- SEO Benefit: Educational content builds trust, increases engagement, and helps you rank for how-to queries.
IV. Highlight Use Cases and Success Stories
Show how your products are being used by real customers or companies:
- Post Ideas:
- “How ABC Company Used Custom Pens to Boost Their Trade Show Presence”
- “Creative Ways Families Are Using Custom T-Shirts for Milestone Birthdays”
- “Customer Spotlight: Unique Personalized Gifts That Wow”
- SEO Benefit: Real-life examples inspire potential customers and help build credibility.
V. Target Business and Corporate Customers
Many businesses use personalized products for branding or employee appreciation. Create B2B-focused content:
- Post Ideas:
- “Why Custom Products Are a Must-Have for Your Next Trade Show”
- “How Personalized Mugs Can Enhance Your Employee Recognition Program”
- “The ROI of Using Custom Promotional Products in Your Marketing”
- SEO Benefit: Attracts corporate clients searching for branding solutions, increasing order sizes and lifetime value.
VI. Leverage Local SEO
If you also serve local businesses, your blog can target location-specific keywords:
- Post Ideas:
- “Best Places in [City] to Use Custom T-Shirts for Events”
- “Why Businesses in [City] Are Turning to Custom Mugs for Branding”
- SEO Benefit: Helps attract local customers searching for custom products in your area.
VII. Provide Tips and Inspiration
Help customers make the most of their personalized products:
- Post Ideas:
- “5 Tips for Designing the Perfect Custom T-Shirt”
- “Top Color Trends for Custom Mugs in 2024”
- “How to Choose the Right Font for Your Personalized Products”
- SEO Benefit: Positions your business as an expert and keeps your blog content useful and shareable.
VIII. Promote Events and Partnerships
If you collaborate with events, charities, or other businesses, write about it:
- Post Ideas:
- “Our Role in Supporting the [Event Name] with Custom Products”
- “Partner Spotlight: How Custom Merchandise Boosted Their Fundraising Efforts”
- SEO Benefit: Generates backlinks and helps with community-based SEO.
IX. Optimize for Visual Search
With a highly visual product like personalized merchandise, blog posts featuring images can rank well in Google Image Search:
- Post Ideas:
- “Photo Gallery: Creative Custom T-Shirt Designs for Every Occasion”
- “Our Favorite Personalized Mug Designs from 2024”
- SEO Benefit: Drives traffic from image searches and inspires users to explore your site further.
X. Use Long-Tail Keywords
Blogging allows you to target specific queries that customers are searching for:
- Examples:
- “Where to Buy Custom Coffee Mugs Online”
- “Best Place for Personalized T-Shirts for Small Businesses”
- “Affordable Custom Pens for Bulk Orders”
By focusing on these niche keywords, you increase your chances of ranking highly in search results for terms with less competition.
XI. Encourage Social Media Sharing
Great blog posts with beautiful visuals or unique ideas are more likely to be shared on social media. This boosts visibility and drives traffic to your site.
Conclusion
I hope you can see just how important Blogging can be for your online store. Don’t worry about doing all this in one day, but please do consider it and start today! For an online business, blogging is an excellent way to showcase your products, educate your audience, and rank for keywords relevant to your merchandise. It drives both organic traffic and conversions while building your brand as a leader in the custom products market.
7. Add Regular Content
Regularly updating your website keeps it fresh and shows search engines that it’s active and relevant. Here’s how to make the most of your content:
- Blogging (See previous #6):
- Write blog posts about topics your audience cares about. For example, share tips, product updates, industry news, or how-to guides.
- Post consistently—even a monthly schedule can make a big difference.
- Include high-quality images or videos to make posts more engaging.
- Updating Pages:
- Regularly review and update your home page, about page, and product pages to ensure all information is accurate and up-to-date.
- Highlight seasonal promotions or new offerings.
- User-Generated Content:
- Encourage customers to share testimonials, reviews, or photos featuring your products and showcase these on your site.
Fresh content keeps visitors coming back and helps boost your site’s SEO over time. Don’t forget your products! Keep each product listing fresh and new.
8. Promote Your Website
It’s a common misconception that simply building a website is enough to attract customers. While we ensure your website is built to the highest standards, it’s up to you to actively promote it. Think of your website as a storefront—it needs visibility to bring in customers. Here’s how you can drive traffic and grow your online presence:
- Social Media Sharing:
- Share links to your latest blog posts, product updates, or promotions on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Better still share to all of them.
- Use eye-catching visuals and engaging captions to encourage clicks.
- Regularly interact with your audience by replying to comments and joining relevant conversations.
- Email Marketing:
- Build an email list by offering incentives like discounts, free resources, or exclusive content.
- Send regular newsletters to share updates, tips, or exclusive offers. Even a simple reminder of a sale or new blog post can drive traffic.
- Collaborations & Partnerships:
- Partner with influencers, bloggers, or other businesses in your industry to reach a wider audience.
- Co-host events, webinars, or social media campaigns to expand visibility.
- Offline Promotion:
- Include your website link on business cards, flyers, packaging, and other offline materials.
- Use QR codes to make it easy for customers to visit your site from printed materials.
- Engage Your Local Community:
- Participate in local events, sponsor community activities, or join networking groups. Share your website link wherever appropriate.
Promotion is an ongoing effort, and it directly impacts the success of your website. The more you engage and connect with your audience, the more traffic you’ll generate, and the more opportunities you’ll have to make the sale and thereby grow your business.
9. Stay Engaged With Us
Your website is a collaborative effort. Staying engaged with us at CoolMo Design ensures it runs smoothly and remains effective. Here’s how you can help:
- Report Issues Promptly:
- If you notice anything out of place, like broken links, slow performance, or unusual activity, notify us immediately.
- Request Enhancements:
- Share ideas for new features, design tweaks, or additional functionality that could benefit your site.
- Regular Reviews:
- Periodically review your site’s performance and content to identify areas for improvement.
- Let us know if there are any updates or changes you need help with.
- Friend Reviews:
- Ask your friends to look at your site. Have them browse it as they would if they intended to buy and then report back on your site’s performance and content to identify areas for improvement.
- Should they find anything you agree needs adjusting, let us know so we can help implement the changes or implement them yourself if you are confident you know how to manage.
Our partnership is important to us and we are here to help every step of the way. Please allow us to help you make your site a brilliant success.
10. Engage With Your Audience
Building relationships with your visitors turns them into loyal customers. Here’s how to create meaningful engagement:
- Respond to Comments:
- Reply to comments on your blog or social media posts promptly and thoughtfully.
- Encourage Reviews:
- Ask happy customers to leave reviews or testimonials on your website or platforms like Google My Business.
- Create Interactive Content:
- Add polls, quizzes, or surveys to encourage participation and gather insights from your audience.
- Host Events or Webinars:
- Engage with your audience directly by hosting live events, Q&A sessions, or online workshops.
Engaging with your audience fosters trust and builds a community around your brand.
By following these steps and collaborating with us, your CoolMo Design website will become a powerful tool to grow your business and engage your audience. Consistency and teamwork are the keys to long-term success.