Copyright © 2005 - 2006 WhyWaitForever, Broxbourne, Herts, UK
| Revision History | ||
|---|---|---|
| Revision 1.0 | 20 January 2005 | M Bachrynowski |
| The initial version. | ||
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This document describes the WhyWaitForever Search Visibility Research product offerings.
Improving search visibility - improves web visitor numbers - increases web sales.
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WhyWaitForever Search Visibility Research delivers to website owners, marketing directors , IT directors and those interested in website quality an independent search marketing analysis in the form of a detailed research report on the strengths and weaknesses of any website in the public domain.
WhyWaitForever Search Visibility Research can be used to analyse a companies' own website and those of their leading web competitors.
As the size of the web marketing channel grows, it becomes more important to understand the strengths and weakness of competitors. At any time a competitor can implement website improvements and web sales market share can change disproportionately.
Search visibility optimisation is a low cost approach to increasing web market share.
The research report includes
an assessment of the overall quality of the website,
an assessment of the quality of a selection of important web pages
and recommendations for improvements.
The report can be used:
To influence website strategy.
To provide quantifiable objectives to the web designers responsible for the creation, enhancement or maintenance of the website.
To set and monitor quantifiable targets and success factors:
No errors.
No broken links.
No spelling mistakes.
Appropriate content in headers and meta information.
The report can be used in combination with web activity log analysis (web analytics) to set targets for visitors from particular search websites. Web analytics would measure actual visitors against targets.
The findings of the report can be independently verified. Each retrieved page is included in the report for cross checking.
Web designers run their own set of quality tools. IT audit best practice is to separate activities by function. Development is undertaken by a different group than testing or operations. WhyWaitForever provides an independent quality testing service. The delivered analysis report can be an important benchmark of website quality.
Search visibility optimisation is an advertising tool in its own right.
An important aspect of web marketing is the visibility of a website to the leading search websites. A leader in search websites is Google ( www.google.com ). Search websites provide assistance on implementing websites to maximise visibility.
Search websites run software which
retrieves visible websites in the public Internet domain,
analyses the retrieved content,
creates indices and summary information relating to the content
and publishes the indices and summary information for use by the visitors of the search websites.
Visitors to search websites enter keywords and click the "search" button or find websites through directory pages. A list of websites are displayed. The visitor can click on a link to go directly to the website. Websites listed first are more likely to contain information that relates to the keywords or directory subject. Websites listed first receive more visitors and so make more web sales.
The order of websites listed depends on a number of factors. The information visible to search engine software is one of the most important factors. Different search websites apply differing weightings to different factors.
The WhyWaitForever Search Visibility product runs software that retrieves and analyses a website or group of websites. An expert reviews the analysis and creates a detailed report containing marketing findings, technical findings and recommendations.
The WhyWaitForever software tools undergo a continous programme of improvement and testing.
A high position in some search website listings can be obtained through payment. This is known as "Pay-For-Inclusion" (PFI). This option may be the only one open to a website owner with a website with poor search visibility.
There is some customer resistance to visiting PFI websites. Search websites usually mark PFI listed websites to avoid the charge of misrepresentation.
There is an increasing risk that search website visitors might associate the linked PFI website with poor implementation quality and so might further extend the association of "poor quality" to the products sold through the PFI website. A reputation for poor quality in one area of a business can easily spill over into other areas of operations.
There can be conflict between branding, design, usability, accessibility and search visibility objectives.
With the low cost development web technologies now available it is possible to automatically generate multiple variants of a particular website and so address all target audiences and their different requirements.
A page type can be considered similar to a template. On a website there may be hundreds of press releases with each press release displayed on a single web page. All the press release pages may conform to the same single page type.
Analysis of a sample group of pages of the same page type is usually applicable to all pages of that page type. In most cases it is more cost effective to analyse a few pages of each page type rather than analysing every page.
Websites typically have under fifty page types. In many websites a group of related pages use the same page type.
An estate agent may provide a property search page which when the search button is clicked returns a property page. The page type to display a particular property is the same regardless of which property is selected.
Pages may be created automatically only when needed. The latest content is extracted from the most upto date information sources. The analysis is undertaken at the point of display and is not impacted by how the page is generated.
Generated pages can impact download performance. Other factors such as "no cacheing" on purchase pages can impact download performance. The quality tests consider download performance.
The software used to retrieve the website is by design less sophisticated than that used by search websites.
If the website can be improved to be visible to unsophisticated tools then visibility to search website tools should be assured.
An initial analysis usually identifies the quick wins. Reimplementation of parts of the website allows these quick wins to be gained. A repeat analysis provides ongoing assurance and allows additional aspects to be addressed.
After each major website structural change a repeat analysis provides an independent audit report.
Periodically or after significant content changes a differences analysis can be run which provides an independent audit trail of changes.
The report can assist in ensuring that due diligence has been undertaken in respect of statutory requirements such as accessibility. Search visibility is a good first step in compliance with accessibility standards.
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The following are based on composites of the experience of real companies who have used search visibility optimisation.
It is difficult to prove cause and effect. There is no doubt that there was a widely held perception in the companies concerned that search visibility optimisation contributed to their web successes.
Company X, a company whose turnover is hundreds of millions, in the hotel and hospitality sector completed their first website in the late nineties. It had limited ecommerce. It used frames. It had few visitors.
Company X rebranded and reimplemented their website adding Flash movies to enhance the experience of their customers. Ecommerce was extended. Paid banner advertising and email campaigns increased visitors. The Internet grew, Visitors grew far less. 90% of visitors passed through the home page. Most visitors skipped the welcome Flash movie. Web sales were few.
Search visibility tools and analysis were run. The website was reimplemented removing frames, removing text hidden in images, removing spelling errors and removing broken links. Correct markup was applied. Flash was retained. Performance improved. Search visibility improved. Web visitors increased. Web sales soared. Search websites delivered visitors direct to the purchase pages. Under 10% of visitors passed through the home page. Web sales increased from around 0.5% of total turnover to over 15% and this was in an economic climate where all other marketing channels declined significantly.
Company X has just completed a full content management system with limited personalisation. They plan to extend personalisation and introduce scenario processing. The web sales target is now 30% of total turnover. Web cost of sales is far lower than any other marketing channel.
Search visibility optimisation has transformed the web hotel business.
Company Y, a company whose turnover is well over a billion, first implemented a website in 1995. This company has achieved ISO quality standards and charter marks. It had one of the best reputations for customer service in the utilities industry. The website was not subject to the same strict quality standards as other software systems.
An audit drew attention to some of the website shortcomings. Customers complained about the website. Search visibility tools were run and the website implementation standards were raised to that of their other software systems.
Company Z, a company whose turnover is in the low millions, builds websites for clients. The strengths of Company Z are branding and creative work. The technical work has proved difficult to resource. They outsource but the resources available when needed can be variable. The do not have access to the expensive technical expertise to run extensive quality technical tests.
By utilising outsourced search visibility optimisation they can improve the quality of websites produced, they can provide clients with independent quality assurance and they can focus their business on what they do best.
The following describe how companies might use the WhyWaitForever Search Visibility products.
A company evaluating a web design company could:
Purchase the "Standard Initial" product.
Review the report.
A company has engaged a web design company who has produced a prototype or proof of concept website. The company has been asked for approval and sign off. The company could:
Purchase the "Standard Initial" product.
Review the report.
A company would like an independent review their website and could:
Purchase the "Standard Initial" product.
Review the report.
A company new to search visibility products could plan as follows:
Purchase the "Standard Initial" product.
Enhance the website to address the recommendations of the "Standard Initial" product report.
Purchase the "Premium Initial" product at the reduced rate within the first year.
Enhance the website to address the recommendations of the "Premium Initial" product report.
Purchase "Premium Repeat" product whenever there are major website changes; half yearly or quarterly.
A company aware of search visibility where content changes infrequently and where formal quality standards and testing are not in place could plan as follows:
Purchase the "Premium Initial" product.
Enhance the website to address the recommendations of the "Premium Initial" product report.
Purchase "Premium Repeat" product whenever there are major website changes; half yearly or quarterly.
A company aware of search visibility where content changes frequently and where formal quality standards and testing are in place could plan as follows:
Purchase the "Premium Initial" product.
Review and enhance the website if necessary to address the recommendations (if any) of the "Premium Initial" product report.
Purchase "Premium Difference" product to independently check content changes; quarterly or once every two months or monthly.
This approach is applicable to ecommerce websites with large catalogues of products, where product information is sourced in back office database applications or elsewhere and where information needs to be automatically published to the web. It is applicable to websites with automatic content feeds from partners and affiliates.
A company aware of search visibility whose website is growing and where microsites are routinely added or replaced and which are developed by different groups of web designers could plan as follows:
Purchase the "Premium Initial" product or "Premium Custom" product.
Enhance the website to address the recommendations of the "Premium Initial" product report.
Purchase "Premium Repeat" product whenever there are major website changes; half yearly or quarterly.
Purchase "Premium Difference" product to track content changes; quarterly or monthly or weekly.
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A website may be a single URL or a small group of URLs owned by the same company.
There are ten product offerings.
The "Standard Initial" product is applicable for websites with under 15 page types.
The "Premium Initial" product is applicable for most ecommerce websites and is limited to under 50 page types.
The "Premium Repeat" product is a repeat run of the full Premium Initial product together with an analysis of changes.
The "Premium Differences" product is a brief report of the differences of those elements that have changed between this run and a previous run. It is used for independently tracking content changes. Websites with high levels of content changes may benefit from a monthly independent audit of changes.
The "Premium Custom" product is applicable for large ecommerce websites where ecommerce is an important marketing channel. There are no page type limits. If required every page (even for hundreds of products using the same page type) can be analysed.
The "Quality Audit" product is an ongoing annual program of limited repeat quality and content audits and is applicable for websites which need an ongoing independent website quality program put in place that reports on content every three months and on quality every six months. It comprises the following:
Scheduling can be fitted in to business planning cycles and audits by internal or external auditors.
The "Quality Assured" product is an ongoing annual program of detailed repeat quality and content audits and is applicable for websites subject to considerable content change and which need an ongoing independent website quality program put in place that reports on content every month and on quality every six months. It comprises the following:
Scheduling can be fitted in to business planning cycles and audits by internal or external auditors.
The "Content Audit Quarterly" product is an ongoing annual program of detailed repeat content audits and is applicable for websites subject to reasonable content change and which need an ongoing independent website quality program put in place that reports on content every quarter. It comprises the following:
The "Content Audit Monthly" product is an ongoing annual program of detailed repeat content audits and is applicable for websites subject to considerable content change and which need an ongoing independent website quality program put in place that reports on content every month. It comprises the following:
The "Quality Custom" product allows a customised "pick and mix" approach to purchasing and scheduling audits.
Products are purchased and scheduled at the times best suited to business planning cycles and audits by internal or external auditors.
The "Standard Initial" product costs £800 .
Customers of the "Standard Initial" product can purchase, within one year, the "Premium Initial" product for £1,600 .
The "Premium Repeat" product costs £1,200 and is offered to customers who purchased the "Premium Initial" product within the last year.
The "Premium Custom" product starting costs are those for the "Premium Initial" product. To this should be added costs proportionate to the additional work involved. Detailed estimates can be provided on request.
The "Quality Audit" product costs £3,800 per year.
The products purchased individually would cost £4,400 .
The "Quality Assured" product costs £6,800 per year.
The products purchased individually would cost £7,600 .
The "Quality Custom" product costs depend on which products are selected and when they need to be scheduled. The "Quality Custom" products is subject to discounts compared to purchasing the products individually.
The "Content Audit Quarterly" product costs £1,200 per year.
The products purchased individually would cost £1,600 .
The "Content Audit Monthly" product costs £4,200 per year.
The products purchased individually would cost £4,800 .
The analysis is delivered as zipped files in the format of HTML, XHTML and PDF documents. A zipped file of the "retrieved" website is delivered. This contains only those elements visible to the retrieval software.
For companies without a purchase history at WhyWaitForever the following applies.
You should complete the online form or email us or write to us at WhyWaitForever stating the website or groups of websites to be analysed and the product you wish to purchase.
WhyWaitForever may contact you to clarify the requirement.
WhyWaitForever raises an order and sends it to you.
You return the authorised order.
WhyWaitForever runs the analysis and produces the report.
WhyWaitForever delivers the report (part) to you with an invoice.
You receive the report (part) and pay the invoice.
Once the payment has cleared you will receive the report in full and a receipt for payment.
For companies with a commercial relationship with WhyWaitForever the full report will be delivered with the invoice.
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Web Marketing and Design Companies have to provide assurance that their offerings comply with industry best practice implementation standards.
The use of WhyWaitForever Search Visibility products as part of a quality assurance programme reduces the risks associated with website developments.
WhyWaitForever is willing to discuss providing these products as "white label" products for use as "in-house" offerings to web marketing and design companies.
WhyWaitForever would run the analysis and supply the report to the web company for them to rebrand and supply to their customers. As part of the "white label" the reports and presentations can be branded to the brand standards of the partner company.
WhyWaitForever is willing to discuss partner relationships.