If you want to stand out from the rapidly incoming new
sellers and ecommerce experts, you have to make your own domain a more
appealing destination. On top of keywords, visuals, etc. take the time to get
the most out of your hosting provider. If you are not happy with the services you get, it might be time to switch to a VPS plan and a better provider. Here’s how your SEO is positively
affected by good web hosting or dedicated web hosting and strategic domain name choices.
Better brand recognition
Choosing a business name is a fine line to walk. On the one
hand, you want something catchy and unique, which has meaning or emotional
value. You want that human quirkiness that sets you apart from generic industry
drones.
On the other hand, you want to avoid standing out so much
that you end up out of the field. You still have to use phrases and keywords
relevant to your industry. If your domain name isn’t clear about the purpose of
your business, or just sounds too strange, people won’t click on your links.
Personalized domains such as the customizable .me format help to bridge this gap. You can
maximize human appeal while minimizing industry confusion. Such personalized
domain extensions are memorable, easy to brand, easily keyword-focused, and can
even be phrased as direct calls to action.
Naming and optimization
Including keywords in the domain name is one of the most
popular ways to appeal to search engines. However, it’s not as important as
consistent optimization throughout the website. All pages, from site copy,
through descriptions, to testimonials and reviews, have to be optimized for it
to have any real impact.
Thus you have some space for creativity in your domain name.
Include one or two keywords to make clear what your business is and be playful
with them. Choose an appealing and recognizable name. Try to keep it short to
make it more memorable. Puns and fun turns of phrase are good options.
Increased trust and brand loyalty
Brand loyalty is another important function of good hosting.
It somewhat stems from brand recognition. Once customers learn to recognize
you, they must learn to trust you if you want repeat business from them. You can achieve this
with personalization and security.
The trick is to use your hosting and domain name to combine
the two. A trustworthy brand will protect itself and its customers from
malware, phishing, and spam of all kinds. With a personalized domain it’s
easier to catch scammers pretending to be your business, e.g. by changing one
character in their URLs.
It’s a small investment with a huge return. It shows your
customers that you care about their safety. This on top of a catchy brand name
humanizes your business. People are more likely to trust a brand they can
relate to, which builds strong loyalty over time.
More secure buyer experience
People are more cautious than even when it comes to spending
money online. From accidental charges, through sneaky subscription renewals, to
outright identity theft, you have to protect your customers from a whole host
of online shopping risks.
Now, you might be wondering what cybersecurity has to do
with SEO
hargespot.com. The common denominator is hosting. Different hosting providers
have different built-in features, which massively impacts your ability to
provide a secure customer experience.
You want to maximize your ability to protect the sensitive
data that buyers must provide to make a purchase. Look for providers that offer
powerful firewalls, SSL encryption, and quality, reputable malware protection.
You also have to be able to notice and handle one-off
threats in real-time. Invest in good network monitoring. This is also a
potential feature with hosting providers. It detects any unauthorized attempts
to access your network.
Periodically review the reports of these security efforts
and see what you can improve. Great security will vastly improve your website’s
standing with search engines, not to mention customer endorsement and great
word-of-mouth among shoppers.
The impact of support
When something happens which prevents visitors from
completing their purchases, you want to have a support agent readily at hand.
Even if the first one or two support loops are bots, you have to be able to
reach a human fairly quickly. The bots themselves must be effective and offer
relevant help material.
Explore the available support spectrum between your hosting
provider’s service tiers. Can you get priority support? Can you reach someone instantly via live chat or phone, or is email the only option? Is the phone
line available internationally? Is it free? Are the support channels open 24/7
or only at fixed hours?
One of the worst things that can happen to your business is if it becomes infamous for poor support. Consider things like page loading speed, crashes, scaling your web shop, product catalogs rendering properly, etc. Anything that might present an ongoing issue for your customers is a danger to your standing.
If you want your online business to thrive you need to give
it a strong reputation that will keep up for a long time. Secure, supportive
hosting and a standout domain name will go a long way. They establish you as a
secure seller and improve customer experience overall. It’s also a solid
foundation for further selecting and implementing other SEO elements throughout
your site.
