The digital landscape is constantly changing. As we approach a new year, now is the time to embrace the trends that are shaping how we’ll do business online in the future. Many of today’s savvy entrepreneurs, as well as plenty of established online businesses, are enjoying tremendous success on Shopify, an all-inclusive, user-friendly ecommerce platform.
While Shopify is a powerful tool right out of the box, today’s leading Shopify SEO experts recognize the need to tweak it for the best possible results. While it’s impossible to predict exactly what the future has in store, we can certainly speculate. Let’s take a look at some of the trends and upgrades we can look forward to implementing in 2017.
- More Niche Stores
Shopify is a haven for budding entrepreneurs. In the past, those who wanted to join the vast world of ecommerce either needed to programming skills to build a website or a large budget to pay experts to do it for them. Today, Shopify has made it possible for virtually anyone to carve out their own unique corner of the web.
In today’s saturated markets, savvy entrepreneurs are realizing the need to target niche markets. There’s no shortage of potential customers out there for virtually any product or service, and Shopify has given motivated people of all backgrounds the opportunity to stake their claim. In 2017, we’re going to see a lot of new stores opening, many that will be targeting a very focused audience.
- A Stronger Focus on Mobile Devices
Today’s Shopify SEO experts recognize the shift away from the desktop that’s been happening. It’s no secret that people are on their smartphones more and their home computers less. Impulse shopping is becoming more and more common, as people are able to make immediate purchases as soon as inspiration hits.
SEO technician, Christian Hilario, says, “In order to reach this massive and growing market, Shopify store owners and developers need to be focusing more and more on creating responsive websites that translate equally well on smartphones and tablets.”
In a time when smart TVs, smartwatches, and smart wristbands become more commonly used, forward-thinking entrepreneurs are going to need to consider how to approach these new devices.
- A More Welcoming and Genuine Approach
Today’s consumers are getting tired of corporate lingo, preferring a more real and authentic shopping experience. Shopify empowers business owners to really be themselves.
As niche stores become more common, so will the attitude that accompanies the associated subcultures. Store owners are going to feel more comfortable using a more casual voice that resonates with their specific target audience, rather than feeling the need to appeal to a broad range of customers. This creates a more refined sense of community, making customers feel like they belong to something.
- Customer Expectations of Convenience Grows
Shopify SEO experts have seen a strong focus on immediate – or at least rapid – gratification. Amazon’s same and next-day shipping policies have changed the game, and companies like Uber, Caviar, and Postmates have made it possible for consumers to get what they want with the push of a button.
Shopify store owners are going to need to think outside the box to appeal to the ever-growing expectations of those who use digital technology to enhance their lives. Shipping times are going to be a major factor, and online store owners may need to adjust prices in order to provide faster shipping at a reasonable cost. Subscription services with free shipping will also become more common, thanks largely in part to the Amazon Prime effect.
- New SEO Practices
How today’s leading experts on Shopify SEO approach site optimization is always changing, and this year won’t be any different. Shifts in Google algorithms demand the need for evolving SEO strategies. Keeping your site updated with fresh, high-quality content will always be the safest way to rise to the top, but there are plenty of other effective white hat methods to use.
How experts approach SEO also varies on a case-by-case basis. For example, we recently worked on optimizing an ecommerce site for Coolerguys, a Washington-based ecommerce company specializing in PC and AV cooling systems. One thing we noticed is that the old site had 907 pages returning 404 errors.
“Not only does this make navigating the site difficult for potential customers, but it also increases the risk of non-crawlability for search engine algorithm,” says Andrej Sarevski, an SEO technician team lead, “By redirecting broken URLs to live pages, we were able to drastically boost rankings and overall usability. This is only one of the many ways to improve SEO, and we’re sure to discover many more in 2017.”
Partner with Coalition to Get Ahead of the Game
We’re proud to be the industry’s leading Shopify SEO experts. If you’re ready to get a jumpstart on 2017, we’re ready to help. Our highly skilled and experienced team consistently provides real results, and we can help your company to increase its ROI in 2017 and beyond. Give us a call at (310) 827-3890 for a free consultation, or feel free to send us a message online any time. Now is the time to start planning next year’s strategies. Call our experts today.
