Article

8min read

5 Website Optimization Tools that Every Marketer Needs

A fully optimized website is imperative if you want to rank in the search results, attract website visitors, and generate valuable leads or revenue from sales.

Simply put, website optimization is essential for your website to thrive. 

But what is website optimization?

Website optimization means improving all of the elements on your website used to “acquire traffic, engage visitors and then convert them into prospects or buyers using a clearly defined method which meets a number of predefined goals.” (AB Tasty)

As it encompasses factors affecting both the traffic your website receives and the conversions your website generates, website optimization covers a wide range of specialties, including the following:

  • Search engine optimization: website content, on-page SEO, and backlinks
  • Technical performance optimization: speed, mobile optimization, page errors, and hosting performance
  • Conversion rate optimization: user demographics, bounce rate, conversion rate, and abandonment rate

Search engine optimization and conversion rate optimization are inexorably linked. Traffic without conversions is worthless.

And conversions without traffic is impossible.

  • To generate traffic, you need to make sure that your website is properly optimized for SEO.
  • To generate conversions, you need to make sure that any traffic that lands on your website is compelled to take action.

Each one complements the other and they both work hand in hand to improve the performace of your website in terms of your business goals.

Why are Website Optimization Tools Important?

With such a wide range of skills required and the growing complexity of modern websites, it’s no longer possible to manually optimize websites.

Website optimization tools automate the process of making your website more visible in search engines and make customers more likely to convert.

Tools range from website speed tests and mobile-friendly analyzers to A/B testing tools and data insights as to how you can improve your website to ensure that it’s successful.

For instance, a mobile-friendly tool helps you uncover which fonts are illegible on smaller screen sizes and which page elements are not displayed fully on the screen.

A/B testing tools allow you to compare two versions of a page against each other to determine which one performs better.

The list goes on.

There are a wealth of tools available that can help you improve your website and generate more traffic and conversions.

The tools allow you to see what’s working and what’s not — and offer recommendations to improve your processes.

With so many tools available, which one should you use to make your website rank higher in the search engines and convert more visitors into paying customers?

Let’s find out.

#1 PageSpeed Insights

Google’s Speed Update was released in January 2018. While desktop speed was already a ranking factor, the update meant that a website’s speed on mobile was also taken into account.

As well as being an SEO factor, site speed has a huge impact on a user’s behavior. The slower your website loads, the more likely a user is to bounce and the less likely you are to get a conversion.

Many studies have shown that a faster page speed means a better conversion rate, but how quickly should your website load?

Google aims for a website load speed of less than half a second and it states that two seconds is the absolute maximum for e-commerce websites.

Studies by AI healthcare software company mPulse Mobile found that:

  • pages that loaded in 2.4 seconds had a 1.9% conversion rate;
  • at 3.3 seconds, the conversion rate was 1.5%;
  • at 4.2 seconds, the conversion rate was less than 1%; and
  • at 5.7+ seconds, the conversion rate was 0.6%.

Fortunately, Google offers a PageSpeed Insight tool which allows you to test your website load speed, as well as offering actionable recommendations.

Enter your domain name into the search bar and hit ‘Analyze.’

Page Speed Insight Tool

The tool allows you to analyze your website speed on mobile and desktop and provides a list of recommendations to improve your results, such as minimize main-thread work, remove unused CSS, and so on.

Page Speed Improvements

#2 Google Search Console

The Google Search Console (formerly Webmaster Tools) offers a wealth of information to optimize your website.

Google Search Console

The console is a free tool to monitor how Google views your website and provides recommendations to optimize its organic presence.

The platform shows you how many referring domains link to your website, how your website performs on mobile, your search queries, and your highest traffic pages.

In order to set up Google Search Console, follow these simple steps:

  1. Log in to your existing Google account
  2. Go to Google Webmaster Tools
  3. Click “Add property now”
  4. Click “Add property”
  5. Enter the URL of the website you would like to add
  6. Choose a way to verify that you own your website:
    1. HTML file upload
    2. Domain name provider
    3. HTML tag
    4. GA tracking code
    5. GTM container snippet
  7. If your site supports both http:// and https://, add both as separate sites
  8. Add each subdomain and domain (e.g. abtasty.com, blog.abtasty.com, and env-abtasty-newwebsite.kinsta.cloud)

One of the most useful elements of the Search Console is its mobile usability test. It quickly checks that all pages and posts on your website are responsive, quick to load, and that the elements fit on the page and the fonts are legible on mobile screen sizes.

Once you’ve analyzed your website in the Google Search Console and worked through the recommendations, make sure to hit “Validate Fix” and re-run the test.

Once your pages are fixed, you can provide a better mobile experience for visitors and, of course, increase the chances of your pages ranking higher in search results.

#3 AB Tasty 

A/B testing is the process of experimenting with different page variations on a website to test which pages get the best results.

In other words, it tests which version gets the most conversions for your business, such as quote requests, appointments scheduled, more traffic, sales, and so on.

In order to optimize your website, you need to understand what works for your audience, website, and business goals.

This means understanding your customers’ behaviors, how they interact with your website, and where in your funnel they drop off.

AB Tasty – that’s us! – allows you to understand your website visitors’ behavior. (Along with a range of other CX optimization options), you can build A/B tests, split tests, multivariate tests, and funnel tests with our visual editor.

It’s also possible to conduct advanced targeting to test other criteria like website URL, location, user demographics, the weather, and more.

Finally, it’s also easy to use. Once you sign up, you can begin running tests as soon as you’ve installed the AB Tasty tag on your website, which you can do in minutes flat.

#4 Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is an easy-to-use tool for optimizing the on-page SEO on your website. It’s a WordPress plugin which offers a traffic light system to ensure that you’ve correctly optimized your pages and posts.

The first step is to install Yoast on your WordPress website and then activate it. Once that’s complete, every time you create a new page or blog post, you will get an SEO rating of the page.

By entering your focus keyword and synonyms, Yoast will tell you whether the page is well optimized or even over-optimized.

The plugin also gives you the following recommendations to improve your SEO rating:

  • Add your keyword to your SEO title
  • Add your keyword to your meta description
  • Increase or decrease the number of times your keyword is mentioned in the text
  • Add internal or external links

Yoast SEO

It’s so simple to use and allows you to stay on top of your SEO optimization for individual pages – it’s really a no-brainer.

#5 SumoMe

Conversion rate optimization is a huge part of the website optimization process. If traffic doesn’t convert, then there’s little point getting more traffic to your website.

Building an email list is important for most businesses nowadays. Whether it’s to generate a lead for a service or to build a list to market to at a later date, SumoMe can help.

Use SumoMe to gather email addresses from website visitors using exit intent popups, lead magnets, discount codes, scroll boxes, CTA popups, and more.

The paid version also offers A/B testing and data insights, but it’s to a much lesser extent than a dedicated tool (like AB Tasty).

Where SumoMe excels is by retargeting your website traffic. For example, if someone browsed your store but wasn’t in a position to buy, then you could send them an email with a discount code a few days later, and that could be enough to encourage them to convert.

Best Website Optimization Tools for 2020

If you want to attract more traffic to your website and convert it to a lead or sale, you need to optimize your website. Make sure you’re working on SEO and CRO – you need both to thrive online.

Website optimization tools make your life easier by automating many of the backend tasks. While the tools are designed to automate many of the tasks, most of them require input, so schedule a regular routine to check the tools, run reports, and make updates.

And most importantly, use your findings to improve your website. With the help of a handful of tools, you can attract and convert more traffic than ever.

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Article

9min read

How to Get More Instagram Followers for your Travel Brand

It’s no secret that social media has changed the way businesses conduct their marketing strategy. These platforms are excellent ways to influence potential customers, spread brand awareness, and share their expertise in their market.

Instagram particularly can be especially advantageous for businesses. Currently, over 25 million companies use Instagram, and about 200 million people visit at least one company page every day. 

Not only does Instagram have less competition, but it also maintains some of the highest audience engagement of any platform. 

Brands are more likely to succeed when more people know about them, so cultivating an online following is essential. Not only will it attract new customers through word of mouth, but it will also build brand loyalty.

For travel brands, a photo-centric platform like Instagram may be the best thing ever to happen. It’s the perfect way to capitalize on visual connections that inspire and motivate people to explore new places. 

With so many people using Instagram to explore interests and find inspiration, there’s a lot of opportunities for travel brands to connect with more followers. 

Here’s how to get more Instagram followers for your travel brand.

Use Hashtags to Attract New Followers

Just like retail brands, travel businesses can also use hashtags to reach new users and get more Instagram followers.  

Hashtags make it easier for users to search and explore, so using the right keywords is crucial.

Websites like IconoSquare make it easier to find hashtags that will help get your company noticed in search results. 

By making an Iconosquare account and connecting your company’s Instagram account, you can search the hashtag you want to use and check its relevance and popularity against other posts while suggesting other terms. 

Use a spreadsheet to keep search results organized and easy to track later on. 

Travel brands can begin by making a unique hashtag for their business included in every post. 

The next step is creating a marketing campaign with a hashtag that entices people to participate and engage with your brand. Promoting a special offer and inviting followers to use the hashtag in relevant photos and videos is one way to get your brand’s hashtag noticed.

An example of an effective Instagram campaign is the #CruiseLikeANorweign from Norwegian Cruise Line. Currently, it has 37,758, all of which advertise this company and boosts its visibility across Instagram.

Instagram travel brand

Know When and What to Post

Even if your company masters the hashtag, your brand may not appear in searches because of post timing. 

When trying to get more Instagram followers, an important step is finding social media monitoring tools that help you review post history and see what worked and what didn’t.

Sites like IconoSquare have tools to break down how well older posts have done for engaging users. There, you can also optimize the best times to post down to the time of day.

Make a monthly posting calendar that includes the day, time, and week for each post. It will help keep you from publishing duplicate or similar content and track engagement for each type of post.

Scheduling posts in advance is a great way to keep your profile relevant. It makes it more likely to appear in searches, and lets followers regularly know what you can offer them. 

Also, make sure to keep the content high-quality. Followers want to see things that are new and interesting, so try to create entertaining posts.

Consider learning about storytelling as a tool for digital marketing. Doing so will help you make content that doesn’t just appeal to your Instagram followers–it resonates with them. 

This type of high-quality content will get users to pay attention and eventually follow your profile.

Additionally, there are many free analytics tools for businesses, both from Instagram and other websites. 

 

Analytics
Source

Target the Right Demographic

Many travel brands have the luxury of appealing to a broad audience. Not only do many people rely on travel companies when planning trips, but the desire to travel is something that appeals to many users.

However, forming an effective social media strategy to gain more Instagram followers still needs to appeal to the right audience

Your brand might get a lot of online engagement with young adults, but they might not be the ones buying your products. 

Using analytics resources is helpful for travel brands to find which users are more likely to purchase products as well as engage with posts and hashtags.

Once you identify the target audience, it will be easier to curate content that incentivizes them to look into your offers. 48% of consumers expect brands to know them, but with the right outreach strategy, it will be easy to meet that order.

Make sure to link to your company’s website whenever possible to funnel users to your page. 

Analytics Insta
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Follow Other Brands

If your company is still in the beginning stages and hasn’t yet gained much brand awareness, mass following is one way to pull in more Instagram followers.

While this method isn’t for everyone, it is one way to get the ball rolling and start building that follower count. 

Instead of blindly following other accounts, use it to your advantage by studying how other travel brands interact with their followers and what posts create the most buzz.

Taking note of travel trends and following popular influencers will help your brand stay relevant.

It’s a good idea to follow smaller accounts, as they are more likely to check their notifications and follow back. Comment and connect with their posts to boost your visibility.

As you start to gain a fair number of followers, it will boost your company’s credibility and encourage others to follow as well.

It also doesn’t hurt to ask for more followers occasionally. Just like YouTube content creators request viewers to subscribe to their channel, travel brands can invite users to follow them, so they don’t miss out on new products, offers, and more.

Use Geotags

Like hashtags, geotags highlight any Stories, photos, or videos you post by including your location. 

Geotags can be particularly beneficial for travel companies because it strengthens the visual connection that users see between the brand and the country, city, or venue they could discover with your business.

Also, using geotags allows you to contribute to that location’s Story and elevate your brand to other users.  

geotags
Source

Don’t be Afraid to Self-Promote

Hashtags and geotags are two ways to make it easy for people to discover your company on Instagram. 

If you are also using other platforms, use those to raise awareness about your Instagram profile. Share a link while providing an incentive for users to click it, such as a unique offer code.

Take it to the next step by adding a link to your account in newsletters, on the company webpage, or in your email signature. 

In the same vein, Instagram for company profiles has the option for sponsored advertisements that are useful for promoting your travel brand and getting more Instagram followers.

Photo, video, carousel ads, and Stories are all effective formats for advertising and building brand visibility.

Consider reaching out to influential users who can alert their followers to your brand. Begin by making a list of accounts that are relevant to travel and following them.

Look for a large following and an email address in the profile description. These are a good indication that the influencer is willing to do sponsored posts or give your brand a shoutout.

Even paid promotions are likely to be positively received by followers if the post appears more natural and genuine. 

45% of people say they are more likely to unfollow brands that talk too much about their products, but striking the right balance with engaging content will help keep their interest.

Instagram travel brands
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Conclusion

Photos are one of the best ways to get people excited about traveling, and Instagram is perfect for connecting users to travel companies looking to expand awareness about their brand.

There are many ways to get more Instagram followers for your travel brand.

Using the right hashtags will help your brand stay relevant and connected to the latest trends. It will also help your profile appear in more search results.

Posting at the right time will ensure that when you publish a video, photo, or Story, people will see it. No matter how much content a profile produces, posting at the wrong time means no one will see the content.

Using analytics tools to find your target demographic will help you learn which content is more relevant to users and what leads to the highest engagement with your brand.  

Following other travel brands, as well as popular influencers, will help you stay in the know when it comes to what’s trending.

Geotags, like hashtags, are beneficial because they help companies become more discoverable. They are an excellent way to stay relevant and boost engagement with existing followers.