Tiny_Coast

Keywords are essential for generating traffic from search engines. But which keywords should you use? And how do you brainstorm your ideas? Let’s go through some ways to generate ideas and different types of keywords you can use.
To get started, there are tons of organizational note apps that lend themself to a personal brainstorm, so play around and see what works for you! I personally use Google’s JamBoard as my virtual sticky note go-to. This way I can visualize the contents of my site and see what keywords make sense for which pages. For my example photography business, I decided to break it up into the different types of photography I’m involved in and some potential keywords that would relate: 

Some questions to ask yourself when brainstorming:
 
Who is your target audience?  What sets you apart from your competitors?  What synonyms can you utilize?  For example: New York photographer and NYC photography are two different keywords. And what other words does Google autofill?  Type the words you've come up with in Google and see what else pops up! When determining types of keywords, there’s “Head” and “Long-tail”, and there are benefits to using both types. Head keywords are short, usually one-word keywords that catch a wide audience like ceramics, tapestry, and shoes. Long-tail keywords are Multi-word phrases that are more specific, such as engagement photography, NYC shoe designer, and LA dog cafe. Head keywords can catch a more general audience who might not be specifically looking for you, whereas long-tail keywords cater to those who search with the intent of finding a specific product or service.
 
How did you brainstorm your keywords? Any tools or tricks that aided you in the process? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below!
 

Good question! For me, a qualified lead (form fill) is a conversion. As such, I find time on page a valuable indicator. Of course, KPIs are often contextual, and a lengthy time on page isn't always a good thing - perhaps people are confused, and calls to action aren't clear.  In my case, however, time on page gives me a good idea of if people are landing somewhere that meets expectations. 

If I'm running ads through search, display, or paid social and my click-through rate (CTR) is good, but time on page is short, it is an indication that my landing page doesn't appropriately align with what they were hoping to find. 

I also find traffic sources valuable - this gives you an idea of how different channels are performing and if they are contributing towards conversion, and where there are opportunities to build out a larger content strategy. 

Looking forward to hearing what other people find helpful :) 
 
 

Congratulations, the first big step has been taken - you launched your website! 
Now, it’s time to check how it is doing. Monitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for your site will help you determine its performance, uncover optimization opportunities and ultimately assist you with converting your visitors into actual customers. 
Squarespace Analytics is our website reporting tool, designed to empower users with a wide range of insights including pageviews, conversion, sales, referrers, and bounce rate, that can offer a clear picture of how your site is performing. Set yourself up for success thinking through what exactly you want to measure, why you are measuring it, and what actionable steps you’ll be able to take. And through the Squarespace App you can have this info accessible on the go! 
The most relevant and useful metrics to track are certainly dependent on your website and business goals. Nevertheless, there are some claimed key website KPIs that should require attention like conversion rates, mobile vs desktop traffic, or traffic sources. Which are your top ones and why? Tell us about them in the comments below.
 

When I created my website i knew i would be relying on mostly stock photos. There are so many amazing stock photos available that I wasn't too concerned about this, but it did take a lot of digging to find the right ones. 
I wanted to create something that was inviting, optimistic, approachable and recognizable by location. I also opted for images that are a bit grainy or resemble film photography. 
Thanks
Tiny Coast Digital
 

I think this comes down to creating content that provides value and depending on your audience, helps them solve a problem or answer a question.
When I create content for my website, I try to be mindful of keywords and what I may want to rank for, but ultimately I don't want to create something just for the sake of SEO. So, I write something with the idea that I want it to be helpful (free guides etc) and if it gets backlinks, that's an added bonus. 

1) Use headings to help google understand and prioritize your content and to help improve usability for website visitors. 

2) Don't create spammy copy for the sake of SEO. Also, don't get so caught up in clever copy that you miss out on SEO. Strive to create content that considers SEO and brand voice. 

3) Write as you naturally would. Yes, add headings and keywords, but do so in a way that it would happen organically. 

1) Use headings to help google understand and prioritize your content and to help improve usability for website visitors. 

2) Don't create spammy copy for the sake of SEO. Also, don't get so caught up in clever copy that you miss out on SEO. Strive to create content that considers SEO and brand voice. 

3) Write as you naturally would. Yes, add headings and keywords, but do so in a way that it would happen organically. 

1) Use headings to help google understand and prioritize your content and to help improve usability for website visitors. 

2) Don't create spammy copy for the sake of SEO. Also, don't get so caught up in clever copy that you miss out on SEO. Strive to create content that considers SEO and brand voice. 

3) Write as you naturally would. Yes, add headings and keywords, but do so in a way that it would happen organically. 

I often use the Promotional Popup to offer a lead magnet in exchange for someone joining a mailing list. For many clients, we show these when someone visits a blog post, but not on the main services pages of the site (we don't want to interrupt someone if they are looking to book a service).

For me personally I always try to capture what exactly myself or the client is offering above the fold. Perhaps if you are a massive brand or very recognized with signature creative, this is less of an issue for you. 
If you plan on using tools like Google Ads to drive traffic,  you may want to emphasize communicating your service or product above the fold.  You don't want to leave potential clients confused about what you do or offer, and waste ad spend. 

A  brand with recognizable creative, however, may have the advantage of someone already knowing what they offer and find themselves less concerned with confusing potential customers.

For me personally I always try to capture what exactly myself or the client is offering above the fold. Perhaps if you are a massive brand or very recognized with signature creative, this is less of an issue for you. 
If you plan on using tools like Google Ads to drive traffic,  you may want to emphasize communicating your service or product above the fold.  You don't want to leave potential clients confused about what you do or offer, and waste ad spend. 

A  brand with recognizable creative, however, may have the advantage of someone already knowing what they offer and find themselves less concerned with confusing potential customers.

For me personally I always try to capture what exactly myself or the client is offering above the fold. Perhaps if you are a massive brand or very recognized with signature creative, this is less of an issue for you. 
If you plan on using tools like Google Ads to drive traffic,  you may want to emphasize communicating your service or product above the fold.  You don't want to leave potential clients confused about what you do or offer, and waste ad spend. 

A  brand with recognizable creative, however, may have the advantage of someone already knowing what they offer and find themselves less concerned with confusing potential customers.

For me personally I always try to capture what exactly myself or the client is offering above the fold. Perhaps if you are a massive brand or very recognized with signature creative, this is less of an issue for you. 
If you plan on using tools like Google Ads to drive traffic,  you may want to emphasize communicating your service or product above the fold.  You don't want to leave potential clients confused about what you do or offer, and waste ad spend. 

A  brand with recognizable creative, however, may have the advantage of someone already knowing what they offer and find themselves less concerned with confusing potential customers.

I'd ask the usability experts:
https://www.nngroup.com/videos/scrolling-information-foraging/?lm=illusion-completeness&pt=youtubevideo
 
 

‘Above the fold’ traditionally refers to print media, specifically the upper half of the front page of a newspaper. There is some debate amongst web designers as to whether the concept of ‘the fold’ applies to digital content. 
Some believe that given device context, such as viewing a website on a mobile device, scrolling is an agreed upon action. As long as it looks like there is a reason to keep scrolling, visitors will continue to do so. 
Others believe that even if the exact location of the fold changes between devices, it still very much exists. Visitors will only continue to scroll if the content above the fold is promising enough to encourage them to do so. Clear indicators of the content to come, like anchor links or engaging imagery, will let your visitors know they have arrived at the right page and encourage them to keep scrolling.
Do you think of the fold when designing your website? Has it affected how you structure your content? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
 

I think it is easy to get caught up in creating content and posting on social without having a clear idea of how the content fits into business goals. Before posting on social, I think you want to have a clear idea of your online business goals (SMART goals), and then you can identify how you want the content to help you get there. 
From there, you can consider your audience, the kind of information they find valuable, the creative that would resonate, and the best channel to meet them on. You also want to consider what part of the buyer's journey they are on. Some content is excellent for creating brand awareness; other content helps minimize confusion around a product. 
These are the key questions I think are helpful to consider around content (social included).  Because you want to consider destination URLs and so on, it can be very helpful to create a content calendar to keep you organized and on track. 
What are your content goals?
Who is your target audience (who are we trying to reach)?
What is your budget for distributing content?
What channels (Instagram, LinkedIn, Google display, email, press releases, sponsored content etc.) will you use?
What are your destination url(s) (blog posts, landing pages, services pages)?
What is your key messaging? 
Have you decided on your CTA’s "calls to action" (Sign up, Subscribe, etc.)
What campaign assets are required (white-paper, free guide, etc.)
Do you have creative assets sized for different channels?
Do you have tracking and analytics in place?

Generally, I'd agree with the usual aforementioned suggestions like diversifying your ad strategy, spreading out your content, SEO, and etc–but with the current trend overtaking the market, the number one tip I can suggest to every aspiring online entrepreneur out there is softwares and apps are your best friends.
The pace at how much the world of e-commerce is changing is subtle, but astronomical. One quick look at job ads and you'll see what I mean–you'll see ton of job postings and ads saying something along the line "looking for [insert name of app/software] expert to join our team etc etc" this is because tech-companies and everyone within the digital realm is realizing the income potential there is to automating what an entire department (marketing / finance) does by using a piece of software, and just having one person oversee that app.
Leading apps in the automation game are Zapier, customer.io, and mailchimp–to list a few. But there are a plethora of other options that you can explore that suits your needs. It's all about recreating a system that you already have (manual stuff) by using these tools to make it faster, more efficient, and best of all–automatic.
So case and point: the best way to position your online store for success with the current market, is by making the business run itself. I highly suggest reading up on sales automation guides and tips like this one to fully understand the potential this technique has in ensuring a smooth flow for your business.

I really like this website - the copy, imagery, and colours are all working really well together. Well done 😊
I'd consider adding a gallery block with some images highlighting the amenities to the bottom of the homepage just under the book now block.
Or, perhaps in place of images, a quick and snappy testimonial to give people one last nudge to click book now. 
 
 

Colour is a great way to communicate an overall feeling. As @Spark_plugin mentioned, colour can be used to convey different brand attributes - like being personable, demonstrating authority, or being quirky and so on. 
When I design websites for clients I think about their brand, services, or product, and the way they want to be perceived by potential customers.. From there, I have a good feeling of their overall vibe and the colours that would work best for them. 
With colour, I also think it's important to make sure the imagery you use also works well with the colour palette. And even beyond the colour palette, does the imagery you use effectively communicate the overall feeling you are going for. 

Colour is a great way to communicate an overall feeling. As @Spark_plugin mentioned, colour can be used to convey different brand attributes - like being personable, demonstrating authority, or being quirky and so on. 
When I design websites for clients I think about their brand, services, or product, and the way they want to be perceived by potential customers.. From there, I have a good feeling of their overall vibe and the colours that would work best for them. 
With colour, I also think it's important to make sure the imagery you use also works well with the colour palette. And even beyond the colour palette, does the imagery you use effectively communicate the overall feeling you are going for. 

Site URL: http://www.lescactusps.com
Hello everyone! I was hoping to get some quick feedback on my new hotel website.
I have noticed an issue that I cannot fix toggling through Site Styles: when the homepage loads, there is a lag for the header photo to popup on the page and for some reason the place holder for this header photo is a pale yellow when it should be pink to match the rest of the site's background color.
I have also noticed a second bug that I do not know how to fix. Now when I visit the www.lescactusps.com, the pink background quickly turns to black. I attached a photo to illustrate this in case it does not happen when you visit the site.
Thank you so much for your feedback and help!

I agree with you @Jo_SQSP, using a color that stand out is the best way to go most of the time.
I've done quite a few reviews on peoples websites here on the forum, and one thing that I see many websites do wrong is not using colors that resonates with what they want to communicate.
For example:
I want to be personal - use a warm/soft color like low-saturated beige or brown I want to show authority - use blue or black I want to stick out - use a distinct color like yellow or pink

Colors can be used throughout your website to tell the story of your brand. They are a key part of the experience the customer has with you, as colors are often what a customer remembers most. Colors are also an opportunity to direct your visitor’s eye towards important buttons or calls to action (CTAs).
 
While it’s tempting to stick to your brand colors throughout your website, we find that choosing a different color for these buttons and CTAs helps them stand out. Think of your brand colors as your ‘passive’ ones and choose an ‘action’ color for all of your links and buttons. 
 
What are your color preferences for your website? Do you like the contrast of ‘action’ colors or prefer to keep it all within your brand color palette? Tell us about how you use color in the comments below.
 

Have a content strategy in mind. As mentioned above, a blog can be a lot of work, and it can be time-consuming. This isn't a bad thing - but it is a reason to have some goals around why you are blogging. 

SEO aside, before writing a blog, consider what kind of content you are writing and how you intend to distribute it. You also want to think about your goals. 

For example, are you hoping to get more people familiar with your products or services, or are you addressing an audience in a different part of the buyer's journey? Is the blog intended to help address hesitations and move people from consideration to purchase?  Once people are done reading your blog, what steps would you like them to take?

With that said, quality content is the most important. You don't want to get so caught up in your "goals" that you lose sight of providing helpful content. 

You may not get a ton of shares when you initially share your content.  However, if you start with quality content, you may find people are retweeting and sharing your content many months later. 

I think this comes down to creating content that provides value and depending on your audience, helps them solve a problem or answer a question.
When I create content for my website, I try to be mindful of keywords and what I may want to rank for, but ultimately I don't want to create something just for the sake of SEO. So, I write something with the idea that I want it to be helpful (free guides etc) and if it gets backlinks, that's an added bonus.