It doesn’t have to be that way.

Artificial intelligence can create more than slop. And it doesn’t have to replace human writers. Instead, an AI copywriter can form half of a productive team: a Human/AI collaboration. Let’s look at how to best use these tools for copywriting.

Benefits of using AI copy

What are the benefits of using AI along with a human copywriter? Content writing with AI can:

• Save time
• Give a starting point
• Scale the amount of content produced

Save time

AI tools can save time by increasing your copywriting output. AI can zoom through repetitive work – like creating product descriptions – much faster than you can. And if you’re a small business owner rather than a writer, then an AI copywriting assistant frees you to focus on what you do best – overall marketing strategy and day-to-day operations.

Give a starting point

A former colleague of mine loved to write copy for social media but absolutely hated long-form writing, like blog posts and use cases, since he didn’t see that kind of content creation as his strength. For him, using a simple tool to generate the first draft of a blog post eliminated a blank page and writer’s block. It gave him a starting point – a draft he could revise to make his own. 

Scale content production

Because generative AI saves time by producing polished copy in minutes and can simplify workflows, it lets you create a lot of new content and scale your content production.

Limitations

Of course, there are limitations to making AI part of the writing process. AI can’t (and shouldn’t) do it all. A popular concept envisions the AI/human collaboration as layers in a sandwich. Whether you see AI as the bread on both ends or the stuff in the middle, the idea is that AI copywriting software augments human creativity and intellect. 

AI is useful for generating a wide range of ideas and even producing first drafts. However, AI content can introduce inaccuracies, making it essential for humans to fact-check, review, and refine copy. You’ll also need to add human value by including your own nuances, personal experience, and original data from your business.

How AI copywriting tools work

Generally, they follow this process: you enter a question or instruction, called a prompt. The content generator reviews huge libraries of content and then produces a response. You can then refine or change the prompt to get a different AI-generated response. These tools use machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) to understand your request. They respond with content gathered from scanning a vast amount of online data.

How much does AI copywriting cost?

The costs vary, but many AI copywriting tools offer a free trial or have free versions.

How should I use AI copywriting tools?

Use them in the copywriting process in concert with your human innovation and creativity. These tools can play a role in each stage of the copywriting process, as you: 

1. Generate content ideas
2. Conduct research
3. Generate a first draft
4. Revise and edit content
5. Optimise content
6. Repurpose existing content

At each step, we’ll explore some of the best AI copywriting tools for that task.

1. Generate content ideas

Let’s say you need ideas for posts related to business recycling. You could write a prompt asking for 10 ideas for blog posts about business recycling and then choose the ideas you like.

Both ChatGPT and Gemini are tools that produce ideas based on prompts. They also excel at changing or refining those ideas based on additional prompts. 

2. Conduct research

Other AI models do a good job of generating copy from cited sources or summarising long content:

• Perplexity provides short answers along with sources and links.
• Gemini provides sources with its answers, which helps with fact-checking.
• Claude summarises and comments on the files that you have uploaded.
• Otio extracts key information from large amounts of text.

3. Generate a first draft

Different AI tools have frameworks or templates for types of content so you can easily switch between creating new copy for social media posts, emails, and other specific copywriting tasks.

Jasper is a popular tool for generating marketing content. It learns your brand voice and adapts so that every piece of content it creates has the same voice. This tool is great for long-form content, social media captions, and ad copy. It also integrates well with other AI tools such as SEO Surfer.

Copy.AI is geared for sales and content marketing copy, with templates for product descriptions, social media posts, website copy, blog outlines, emails, social media taglines, and subject lines.

Claude is known for creating content in a concise, conversational style. It is good for generating or rephrasing long-form content. 

Describly, another AI,  is used primarily for ecommerce and catalogs because it handles repetitive tasks well, such as generating product descriptions, titles, and tags.

4. Revise and edit content

Many AI writing tools can also be used for rewriting and editing. For example, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude can all edit for tone, clarity, and length. 

Other AI tools specialise in editing. Here’s a selection, along with the basic tasks they perform:

• Grammarly checks grammar, adjusts style, and checks for plagiarism from online sources.
• Hemingway checks for text readability, shows word count, and assigns a reading level to the draft.
• Wordtune rephrases, changes the tone between formal or casual, checks grammar, and adjusts sentence length.
• Quillbot is a paraphrasing tool. It also summarises, creates citations, and conducts grammar and plagiarism checks.

5. Optimise content

Some AI tools focus on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). SEO copywriting aims to improve how search engines rank written content in their results based on user search questions. Content that ranks high in search engine results drives more organic traffic to the landing page and other areas of your website. One of the components search engines consider is relevant keywords in titles and text. Search engines also look at how you use headers, meta descriptions, and alt text. 

Tools for SEO writing help you to optimise your copy to rank higher in search engine results. Some of these tools are SEO Surfer, Neuron Writer, Semrush, and Clearscope.

6. Repurpose existing content

AI tools can speed through the tedious time spent revising existing content for different audiences or across platforms. AI copywriting tools repurpose content by either offering different templates or by adjusting voice and tone for specific situations. 

For example, Copy.AI takes long-form recordings of events like interviews and sales calls, transcribes them, and extracts insights that can be used in different content templates. 

Writetone adjusts voice, attitude, emotion, and style so content can be repurposed for different situations, social media platforms, blogs, and emails. 

How to best use AI tools?

Use the tools as part of a collaborative partnership. Think of them as writing assistants. Remember, they can play a role in every part of the copywriting process as long as they’re combined with your human innovation and creativity.

Online profiles or your website may be your first contact with your audience. Creative photos taken by a professional photographer capture attention. Images that communicate your brand can improve your market presence. Depending on your industry, those images may need to project professionalism, confidence, warmth, creativity, trustworthiness, fun, or authority.

The photos may be online or in print: part of your website, social media presence, or print marketing. The whole package matters. Especially online, your audience will glance at images – of you, your team, or your product – and form an impression in less than a tenth of a second. And those initial impressions stick.

Professional photography in Canberra

At Futuretheory, our amazing team collaborates with you to capture your brand. Whether you’re a business owner, company or government professional, or a creator, we can help you communicate your vision and story through creative, beautiful photos. We can work with you in our studio, shoot outdoors, or come to you.

Photography services at Futuretheory

We offer professional photography services for organisations of all sizes:

• Company portraits and headshots
• Profile photos for social media and personal branding
• Individual or group photos of your team
• Product shooting
• Event shooting
• Creative photography

Need video rather than photos? Or both video and photos? As a full-service agency, Futuretheory has you covered. We provide professional video recording services that complement our photography services.

Our creative approach

At Futuretheory, we take pride in our work. We offer many photographic styles and approaches for your photoshoot. Say headshots for example, you can choose classic black-and-white or formal portrait styles or more casual looks and locations. Check out our website to see our work from past projects for examples of our creativity.

The creative process

Our process is collaborative, and we’ll all exercise our creativity in planning aspects of the professional shoot. Our digital marketing team will take a strategic look at your project to see how images will support your business goals and brand. This is the time to let your ideas shine. At Futuretheory, we enjoy long-term collaboration with our clients and save designs and brand-specific solutions to ensure consistency across your future photoshoots and brand images.

One of our photographers will work with you to find creative solutions to satisfy your project’s requirements. Do you want to shoot photos on location or in our photo studio? On-location shoots can yield amazing photos, but factors like weather, sound, natural light, and logistics can make them unpredictable. A studio offers a dedicated, controlled space with lighting that can mimic natural light or create dramatic effects, putting our photographer and you in the driver’s seat.

During the photoshoot, the photographer will use professional camera equipment, lenses, and lighting equipment. Professional setups result in stunning photos.

After the shoot, you’ll review the raw images to choose the best photos. Editing and retouching photos are essential parts of the process, and you’ll work with one of our professional photographers to decide what’s needed. And then you’re done – completing the process with the final photos turned into your story – one that reflects your brand, vision, and ideas.

What makes us different

We’re a friendly bunch. Our professional team thrives in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere, and we think you will too. Your shoot will feel natural – just like your smile – rather than awkward or formal. Imagine feeling as if you’re hanging out with friends rather than doing a photoshoot for work. Futuretheory will capture the essence of your business or personal brand – whether we’re on location or in Offshoot, our studio in Canberra.

Our professional photography studio in Canberra

Offshoot was created with professional photography front of mind. Our Space 1 studio features high ceilings, lots of space, textured background walls, and a collection of backdrops, furniture, and props – whatever you need to transform your ideas into incredible photos that tell your story. The studio is an ideal space for many kinds of shoots and video productions and offers both blackout and natural light options.

Space 2 offers a smaller, more intimate studio space. Equipped with a 3-roll backdrop system and professional lighting, video, and audio equipment, this space also offers blackout and natural light options. Space 2 is ideal for shooting professional headshots, product shots, meetings, and audio and video podcasts.

Both our studios are versatile spaces. Our studio amenities include dedicated dressing and makeup areas and a shared common area with a breakout space including a bathroom and kitchenette. Both studio spaces are fully accessible.

Check out our professional studio today

Reach out to our helpful team if you have a project in mind or get in touch if you’d like an obligation-free tour of our studio.

Let’s answer that last question first:

• 85% of people are attracted to brands that use visual graphics.
• Nearly half of website visitors associate website design with the business’s credibility.
• 94% of consumers leave a website if they think it has poor graphic design.

That’s pretty convincing – graphics are important. But how do you decide on who to work with? Here are the top 7 questions you should ask (and answer!) when you’re looking for a graphic designer.

1. What services are offered?

Freelance graphic designers or small graphic design studios may focus on a few types of design, such as logos, illustration, web design, or design for print publication like brochures, signage, or annual reports. If you need different expertise for your design project, they may recommend other vendors to engage who specialise in copywriting or website development. 

Larger full-service creative agencies may provide all of the above design specialities and more, including strategy and digital marketing, branding and logo design, illustration, website and mobile design, photography and video recording, signage, and design for print publication.  

2. Do they have experience in my industry?

Looking at the website is a good place to start. Are they based in Canberra? Who are their clients? Do they work across industries?

Next, look at the design portfolio or case studies. Does their design work show innovation and creativity? How versatile are the design styles? Do the styles they work in resonate with you and work with your business goals?

If you’re struggling between a few options, there may be benefits to working with someone who has that industry experience.

3. Can you work with my budget?

This is probably the most important question because the answer is make-or-break. If you can’t afford the design fee, then there’s probably no reason to continue looking at that designer.

Graphic designers should be able to provide a per-hour or fixed-price amount for the project. They may also offer discounts or packages for new clients or small organisations.

While you will need to have a meeting or provide a brief to get an exact quote, most graphic designers should be able to give you a ballpark figure so that you understand if they are within your budget early on.

4. Do their values align with my business values? 

When there’s a mismatch in values, the working relationship suffers.

If you value highly personalised, immediate support on your project, you may be unsatisfied working with an agency that prizes efficiency and cost minimisation. Or if you are demanding high-quality work on an extremely tight deadline with an extremely tight budget, you may get frustrated working with a company that values fair compensation and quality of life.

You could go even further and compare a company with a local Canberra-based team, versus someone who is based overseas. While they may provide similar levels of work, their business values might not align with yours.

5. What’s the creative process like? 

The process itself should be fairly straightforward. It usually starts with an initial meeting or conversation to understand the scope of the project. Next a price quote or estimate is delivered, followed by a contract if the quote is approved. The designer will then work up initial ideas, followed by revisions based on how many drafts were agreed to in the project. Finally, the designer will deliver the final files. The number of drafts and length of time for feedback may drive how long the overall project takes.

One thing to clearly communicate is how hands-on you want to be. How much collaboration and input do you want? Do they plan on taking the time to learn your business to make sure their strategic vision and design solutions are tailored to your business objectives? Will they follow your branding guidelines for visual consistency across their work?

6. How well do they collaborate? 

You’ll want to work with a designer or designers who can interface with you, your in-house team, and other vendors. How are their communication skills with clients, copywriters, web developers, or printers? Strategic graphic design often requires seamless liaison with other teams to get the maximum impact.

7. How is the customer service?

Being accessible, transparent, and flexible are all signs of excellent customer service. Ask about their response time for standard inquiries or support requests. Ask how they have handled problems in the past. Check out their online presence: are there customer reviews you can read?

The answers to these 7 questions will help you find premium graphic design in Canberra.

Futuretheory graphic designer Canberra

Futuretheory is a Canberra-based full-service marketing agency, and design is a large part of what we do. Whether it’s graphic design, web design, branding, or numerous other types of design, we have an in-house team that can work with you.

If you would like to discuss your design project, please get in touch with us. We offer obligation-free meetings and quotes, to make sure that we are the right fit and can deliver exactly what you or your business needs.

Support

While our office doors may be closed, we’re still here to support our current clients. Please email support@futuretheory.co if you need help. We’ll be intermittently monitoring our inbox. Our phone will not be monitored so that our team can enjoy their well-earned holiday.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday sales mark the beginning of the holiday season when Australia business owners offer significant discounts and special promotions. Black Friday sales run until the following Monday, called Cyber Monday. In 2025, Cyber Monday is on 1 December. Many business owners begin Black Friday sales early in November and may extend them past Cyber Monday.

Why does Black Friday matter to business owners?

Black Friday matters because it’s the busiest shopping day of the year.

How big is Black Friday?

Black Friday tops both Boxing Day and EOFY sales events. It’s also bigger than Amazon’s Prime Day. Black Friday is the year’s biggest shopping event for most retailers in Australia. Cyber Monday had traditionally been for online shopping but is now part of the Black Friday blow-out. Both online stores and in-store retailers – in fact most retailers – now offer incredible deals in the time between Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Australia Post’s latest eCommerce report says that Black Friday in Australia is now the biggest shopping event of the year. And it promises to be even bigger this year, according to both Deloitte and the Australian Retailers Association.

And that volume of customers in a concentrated time frame gives business owners the chance to:

• Increase the year-end revenue for your business.
• Clear out inventory before the next calendar year.
• Acquire new customers and begin building a long-term relationship.

What’s for sale on Black Friday?

The best Black Friday deals are often on big-ticket items like home appliances, new mobile phones, computers, TVs, tech accessories, and kitchen appliances. Discounts range from 25-30% off full price, but they can be as much as 40-60% off full price for items like laptops.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the most popular Black Friday discounts driving consumer sales have been on clothing, footwear, furniture, and household equipment.

Our top tips to prepare your business for Black Friday sales

Whether your business sells goods or services or is just looking for some great deals, you can take steps to prepare for Black Friday sales.

As a business owner selling items

Take these steps to provide the best Black Friday deals to your customers:

1. Set goals
2. Test your website
3. Depend on your best sellers
4. Create bundles
5. Communicate with customers
6. Reward customers
7. Make the in-store experience festive
8. Build a relationship

1. Set goals

What do you want to achieve in terms of business revenue or customer growth? Set clearly stated goals ahead of time.

2. Test your website

If your customers shop online or check your website for information, make it as user-friendly as possible. Test your website for speed, ease of checkout, and mobile optimisation.

3. Depend on your best sellers

Look at what sold the best over the year and focus on those goods or services for Black Friday sales deals. If you sell services, consider adding an incentive or offering an additional service rather than discounting them.

4. Create bundles

Does your business have items that naturally go together? Bundle complimentary products or services to increase your average sales value.

5. Communicate with customers

Let your customers know about your fantastic deals. Consider creating a dedicated landing page on your website to advertise your Black Friday deals. Use email marketing and social media. You may also want to partner with local influencers to get the word out.

6. Reward customers

Consider offering loyal customers special access to your store or exclusive online shopping deals. You may also want to offer thoughtful gifts or free shipping with a minimum purchase. During the holiday season especially, customers expect free gifts or shipping.

7. Make the in-store experience festive

If your business has a physical store, make it as welcoming as possible. You’ll want to attract shoppers who like to support local businesses during the holiday season. Update displays, use bold signs, and make sure discounts are visible to passersby.

8. Build a relationship

Keep new customers by building an ongoing relationship. Encourage reviews and customer-generated content on your website or social media.

As a business owner looking for deals

If you’re looking to buy for your business, you can also capitalise on Black Friday’s incredible deals by following these steps:

1. Think about what you need
2. Buy early
3. Avoid scams

1. Think about what you need

What could the business use right now? More computers or new mobile phones? Tech accessories or new furniture? Do your research on where the best Black Friday deals are.

2. Buy early

Start buying as soon as you see discounts. Many retailers offer early deals in the weeks before Black Friday. You can always keep your great buy in the box just in case prices drop more and you need to return it.

3. Avoid scams

Scammers and cyber criminals are offering ‘great deals’ too. Beware of websites that look suspicious, unsolicited emails with links or attachments, and social media links to the ‘best deals out there’. Scam websites often copy the look of legitimate ones. Scammers will also invent ‘ghost stores’ that often pretend to be small boutiques to fool customers.

How did Black Friday start anyway?

Black Friday sales started in the early 1950s in the United States when retailers designated the fourth Friday in November – right after Thanksgiving Day – as the start of the Christmas shopping season. Around that time, police officers began calling the shopping event ‘Black Friday’ or ‘Black Saturday’ because crowds of shoppers resulted in lots of traffic. Efforts to change the name to ‘Big Friday’ or ‘Big Saturday’ never caught on. Later U.S. retailers promoted the idea that the ‘Black Friday’ name meant that retail businesses went from being ‘in the red’ to ‘in the black’ thanks to the massive shopping event.

Black Friday sales caught on with retailers around the world, although the name was controversial in Australia. Black Friday also referred to the January 1939 bushfires in Victoria, where 71 people died.

In Australia, the first Black Friday sales occurred around 2011. Customers responded enthusiastically, and by 2017, the tradition was already well established.

Are you ready?

Now you know what Black Friday is and why it matters to business owners. We’ve also covered some of our top tips to give your business a head start on this busy holiday shopping season.

As a business owner, it pays to prepare for Black Friday in Australia. Whether you’re offering incredible deals or searching for them – good luck and happy holidays!

What Google Ads does

Google is by far the dominant search engine in Australia, with more than 90 percent share of the market.

Google Ads targets your audience on the Google search network based on demographics, interests, and geographic location. Google then displays relevant search ads to your target audience on Search Engine Results Pages (SERP), YouTube, Gmail boxes, the Google Play Store, and Google Shopping.

Types of Google Ads campaigns

Google has nine campaign types. Each has different marketing goals, ad formats, and targeting options. The nine types are: Search ads, Display ads, Video ads, Shopping ads, App adds, Discovery ads, Local Services ads, Performance Max ads, and Smart ads.

Google Ads pricing

You pay each time someone interacts with your ad, based on different pricing models.

An auction system determines the actual Google Ads pricing you pay within each model.

Google Ads cost in Australia

In 2025, the average cost-per-click in Australia is between $2 to $4 AUD.

Australian businesses have a range of monthly Google Ads budgets. A small business may spend around $1,000 to $2,000 AUD per month. Larger businesses, or those in highly competitive industries, may spend anywhere between $5,000 all the way up to $20,000 AUD (or more) to maintain strong online visibility. Those monthly budgets are just for the ad spend and don’t include any management fees that you’ll pay if using a digital marketing ad group or agency.

Google does not have a set minimum daily budget for ad spending, but starting out at an average daily budget of $10 to $50 AUD will give you some meaningful data.

Factors influencing Google Ads auction system and cost

Industry competition

Highly competitive industries have higher average cost-per-clicks. In this benchmark study of industries in Australia, the industries that paid the highest average cost-per-clicks were automotive, hotels, and airlines for flights (with average cost-per-clicks ranging from $10.90 to $15.60 AUD). E-commerce was at the lower end of the cost scale (with average cost-per-clicks ranging from $2.50 to $5.00 AUD). Lowest in the study? The dating industry clocked in with an average cost-per-click of $1.70 AUD.

Keyword competition

Bidding on highly competitive keywords also drives costs up. Industries like insurance, legal services, and finance often have much higher cost-per-clicks (CPCs) because the keywords are so competitive, especially those that reveal high commercial intent and could drive conversions, like ‘apply for house loan’. The most expensive keywords in these industries can have CPCs of $50 AUD or more.

Search volume

Search volumes also affect keyword cost. Higher search volumes equal increased competition and thus higher costs.

Target audience

Using demographics, interests, or geographic location to target a specific audience can affect your average CPC.

Geographic location

Location may also affect your average CPC. Targeting denser populations or affluent localities can result in higher costs.

Seasonality

Imagine being in the travel industry and competing for a target audience during school breaks or over holidays. Seasonal events and holidays can drive up competition in some industries and therefore average CPCs.

Ad quality score

Google Ads determines your quality score based on your keyword relevance, ad relevance, and ad copy. Ads that closely match the intent of the user’s search receive a higher quality score. The ad’s Click-Through Rate (CTR) affects your quality score as well. Google rewards high-quality ads with lower CPCs and better ad placement.

Google Ads management fees

An important question in managing Google Ads budgets effectively: Should I pay someone else to do Google Ads management for me?

Google Ads campaigns require a lot of time to manage, particularly for those in competitive industries. A specialist in Google Ads management can help you develop a campaign strategy and ad budget. Google Ads management services can include campaign setup and keyword research, along with ongoing monitoring and optimisation. Generally, the costs are included for any additional tools and integrations needed for campaign optimisation.

Google Ads management fees vary based on the complexity of the Google Ads campaign, the number of services offered, and the agency’s experience. The fee can range from $800 to 2,500 per month. Agencies may charge Google Ads management fees as a percentage of the ad spend or as a 3-month fixed rate.

Managing Google Ads budgets wisely

Define your target audience

The first strategy is to define your target audience as precisely as you can. That makes sure your ads reach the most relevant audience, making them cost-effective.

Do keyword research

Use Google Keyword Planner on your Google Ads account to help create your keyword list. With Google Keyword Planner, you can identify relevant keywords that are less competitive, which helps lower the overall cost.

Use long tail keywords. These are typically phrases of three words or more. They are more specific than the highly competitive keywords and so have lower search volumes, making them less competitive. For example, instead of bidding on ‘photography studio,’ try ‘nearby Canberra photography studio’. With long tail keywords, you can reach a relevant audience at a lower cost.

Also use negative keywords, which filter out irrelevant keywords and traffic. Negative keyword research finds specific words or phrases to avoid. This way, your ads won’t show up in irrelevant searches.

Continue to review and refine your keyword list.

Create a campaign and monthly budget

Define the objectives of the ad campaign clearly. How will you measure success? Are you looking at clicks? Conversion? Revenue?

Develop a realistic budget and consider daily or monthly spending limits.

Start with a test campaign

Dip your toes into the water of Google Ads with a test campaign. Assess ad relevance by trying out different headlines, presentation methods, and ad copy. The results will show you clearly what your audience wants.

Use bidding strategies to your advantage

In the Google Ads auction process, there are different bidding strategies.

Manual bidding on CPC lets you set how much you’ll pay for each click. This is ideal for those doing their own Google Ads management.

If you want to reduce the time and effort involved in managing bids, then consider automated bidding strategies. Algorithms adjust the bids automatically to maximise chances of reaching your defined performance goals. Those goals might be the maximum number of clicks, a targeted Cost-Per-Action, a targeted Return-On-Ad-Spend (ROAS), or the maximum number of conversions or conversion value.

Smart bidding strategies are part of automated bidding. In smart bidding, Google’s AI considers factors such as device, time of day, and location to optimise conversions in real time.

Target timing, location, and devices

The timing of when your ads appear can affect costs and effectiveness. Use ad scheduling to time your ads to appear when your audience is most active and likely to see them.

Target the geographic areas where your customers are. This keeps you from spending on clicks in geographic areas where you’re less likely to have conversions.

Target devices as well for cost-effectiveness. For instance, if you’re seeing better conversion rates from users on mobile phones, then allocate more of your budget to mobile ads.

Optimise like crazy

Continue to refine your keywords list. And don’t forget to optimise landing pages for the best user navigation and landing page experience. Continuing to optimise content as well will improve the quality scores of your ads.

Examine Google Ads ROI

How do you know if your Google Ads campaign is cost-effective? There are a few metrics you can use to gauge the overall effectiveness of your ad campaign.

Look at cost of acquisition (CPA), however you’re defining that cost. Your target CPA may be in terms of purchases, signups, or downloads. Look at that cost versus the lifetime value of the customer.

Assess Click-Through Rates (CTR). Higher click-through rates probably indicate that your ads are relevant and engaging. That may mean higher ad quality scores, which result in lower costs and better ad placement.

Continue to monitor the campaign’s performance metrics and adjust accordingly to maximise cost effectiveness.

Is Google Ads worth it?

The simple answer is yes. Google Ads gives you instant online visibility, and since it targets a relevant audience, Google Ads drives more traffic to your website quickly.

You can see and measure the results on the platform. That lets you track results and adjust your ad campaign accordingly.

Is Google Ads better than SEO?

This question is comparing apples to oranges. Google Ads results in more website visitors immediately. SEO campaigns lead to organic growth over time of more website visitors. These strategies work well in tandem, so combine both for the best results.

How long does it take to see results with Google Ads?

Prepare to wait a few weeks to a few months. The Google algorithm will need a few weeks to learn. It gathers data related to its bidding strategies and re-calibrates its bidding decisions to maximise performance results.

Remember to be patient. It takes about three months for a campaign to mature, and this time allows you to adjust as needed to optimise the campaign.

1. Install an Authenticator App

If you don’t already have one, install an authenticator app on your phone or tablet. Popular options include:

• Google Authenticator
• Microsoft Authenticator
• 1Password (mobile and desktop versions)

2. Log in to WordPress

Sign in to your WordPress account, then go to: yourdomain.com/wp-admin/admin.php?page=WFLS (Replace yourdomain.com with your own website address.)

3. Add a New Account in Your Authenticator App

Open your authenticator app and add a new entry (look for a + sign or QR code icon).

Scan the QR code on the “Login Security” page.

If you are setting this up on the same device, use the manual setup option in the app by copying and pasting the letters/numbers shown below the QR code.

4. Download Recovery Codes

In the “Download recovery codes” section, click Download.

Save or print these codes and keep them in a safe place. They can be used if you lose access to your device.

5. Verify & Activate

Enter the six-digit code displayed in your authenticator app.

Codes refresh every 30 seconds—if one expires, just use the next code.

Click Activate.

Logging In to your WordPress website with Two-Factor Authentication

1. Enter your username and password, then click Log In.
2. When prompted, enter the 2FA code from your authenticator app.
   • If you use 2FA on multiple sites, make sure to select the correct one.
3. Click Log In again to complete the process.

Then, I stumbled across Futuretheory while I was scrolling on Google. When I called, not only were they instantly on board, but they were welcoming and ready to show me how things worked.

This excited me, as I had been looking for something in line with business and marketing. I wanted to see if that pathway was the one for me, and being allowed to experience this company was news I had been hoping for.

When I arrived, I received more than I expected: an email, a key, and my own desk. Here I was thinking I just had to stand over someone’s shoulder and take notes, or get people’s coffee and clean.

But no, I was offered my own tasks to complete and given constructive criticism. The notes they made on my work are things that I can take on board and use in so many ways in the future.

Not only was I given tasks, but they were varied. I wasn’t stuck doing the same thing over and over again. They ranged from writing glossaries, articles, product descriptions, and filming content. And they let me do things for their other companies, allowing me to write in varied tones and learn the importance of different structures of texts depending on the business’s goal.

They taught me how to use programs like WordPress and SurferSEO. They also took time to educate me on their importance in certain fields. And I was always allowed to ask questions and ask for help if I was stuck. 

I think that it’s also important to note that the tasks they gave me were informative on two levels: the use and the information I learnt through them.

What I mean by this is, I learnt about everything I was writing about. When tasked to right product descriptions for LAYR, I learnt about 3D printing, which I had no prior knowledge of. When I wrote an article about social media for Futurtheory, I deepened my understanding of how much of a big role social media has in business.

Being able to try all these different things showed how much they were taking care of me. Other places may have just let me sit and scroll on my phone, but here, they let me be active and contribute to their company. 

Although I didn’t do everything under the sun, I was able to start confidently understanding what marketing entails.

It’s extremely difficult to compress a jam-packed week into only one page, but to sum it up: it was an eye-opening experience and a great introductory step into the working world.

Many businesses that set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) expect incredible results but end up disappointed because it doesn’t go as they’d imagined. This is because companies set too many unclear KPIs. There tends to be a large gap between what a company wants their goals and objectives to be and the way they articulate them.

That’s where SMART KPIs come in. SMART KPIs help provide clarity on your goals and expectations for your employees: how much they should be progressing, and what they need to do. Good SMART KPIs should let your employees succeed in your business. 

In this article, we’ll go over what sets SMART KPIs apart from regular KPIs and how you can use them for your business.     

What Does SMART Stand For?

To create an efficient Key Performance Indicator, you need to use SMART goals: Goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Setting your KPIs based on the SMART model has noticeable advantages for businesses. This is the outline you should follow to create effective strategic goals, and that your KPIs should follow in order to be able to effectively measure progress. 

Here’s a more in-depth explanation of what each letter in the SMART model means:

Specific

A goal should be specific. This means that it needs to be clear and well-defined to be correctly understood and followed. Specific Key Performance Indicators are excellent ways to steer your employees in the right direction and avoid any unnecessary confusion. When your KPIs are specific, it’s easier to gain constant employee satisfaction. 

If a goal is vague or unclear, not only will employees have more room to guess what you want from them, but you will also have difficulty managing their performance and achieving your own desired outcomes.   

Examples

For example, let’s compare these two common KPIs: “Increase website traffic by 25%” vs “Get more visitors”. 

Though “Get more visitors” seems like it gets the job done, it leaves your employees in the dark. Not only would they be unaware of your intentions to increase website traffic, but they wouldn’t know how much of an increase you would be expecting. When employees don’t know what you mean, they can’t deliver. 

On the other hand, “Increase website traffic by 25%” clearly outlines that you want your employees to increase the monthly website traffic and a percentage increase of 25%. Clear targets mean they know exactly what particular activity you want them to engage in.  

Measurable

Your employees need to be presented with realistic goals that can be accurately measured using quantitative measurements. Good KPIs should be measurable to give an accurate performance measurement for your business. With measurable objectives, you can identify weak spots in your strategy, assess your team’s efficiency, connect all your goals, and make data-driven decisions that will improve your business. 

But what are you tracking and how should you do it? You should be tracking major areas, such as:

• General business metrics, where you’ll observe things like gross profit margin, ROI, gross productivity, total number of customers, and recurring revenue. 
• Then you should be tracking marketing metrics, which include daily web traffic users, new web traffic users, email open rates, and the number of leads generated. 
• Customer success metrics like NPS, your customer retention rate, the customer churn rate, customer feedback, the average customer lifetime, and the customer lifetime value.
• Sales metrics, such as qualified leads, lead to customer conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and total new customers.
• Developer metrics like product uptime, bug response time, daily active users, cycle time, and throughput.
• And finally, human resource metrics, which include employee satisfaction, employee retention rate, and employee feedback.

You can measure and compare these metrics with tools: Geckoboard, Salesforce CRM, Grow, Tableau, Olation, Simple KPI, Scoro, Asana, Google Looker Studio, IDoneThis.

These create KPI dashboards and help you analyse all your data, measure whether you and your employees have achieved your goals, and whether business performance has improved. 

Or, you can use more traditional methods: Traditional spreadsheets and surveys.

Example

To exemplify this, a business may only have a 60% customer satisfaction rate one month. They would like to increase this rate, so they set their KPI to “Increase the customer satisfaction rate by 50% next month”. By the next month, the business sends a survey to customers, asking them how satisfied they are with their service.

They can then compare the new satisfaction rate to their goal and measure if they have achieved it or not.

Achievable

The next important step is to make sure that your KPIs are realistic. This isn’t to say that your own smart goals can’t be ambitious, but they have to maintain a good balance between ambition and practicality. 

To find out if a KPI is achievable, ask yourself: a) Is it measurable? b) Is it feasible?

If the answer is no to these questions, the goal isn’t achievable, and it will de-motivate your employees. 

To make a goal achievable, make sure that it isn’t a stretch. You should offer a small challenge, not something everyone will be overwhelmed with. A SMART KPI should motivate your employees, but it needs to be feasible.

If you’re unsure how far is too far to set your goals, start small. Smaller KPI targets and closer deadlines allow you to track progress effectively and still achieve the results you want in a way that is more enjoyable for everyone.

Example

Let’s look at an example: if you’re ultimate goal was to run a marathon, you wouldn’t just wake up one morning and do it. You would set smaller goals first, like “run 5 km”.

Relevant

Effective KPIs need to be relevant. Whether the KPI is for a team, company, or industry, it needs to align with short-term or long-term strategies and smart goals. A relevant KPI is “how many products did we sell during our sampling event,” which would be the marketing manager’s responsibility.

An irrelevant KPI would be asking a sales team, “Improve the bug response rate on the website.” You need to correctly assign ownership to have relevant strategic objectives. This is, however, relevant for a web development team.   

Even if your KPI is relevant, be sure you’re not checking irrelevant metrics. Checking metrics that aren’t in line with your KPI is a waste of time and resources.

If your KPI is to achieve a 10% increase in new customers, there’s no need to be checking every metric, like that of web traffic users.

Even if you were to check metrics in the same category, you would still be wasting time and causing yourself more confusion. And the more confused you get, drowning in all the possible data, the worse the outcome becomes, and the more meddled the response to the KPI gets. 

Vanity KPIs are also ones to avoid. For example, knowing that the number of downloads to your app might feel great, but it isn’t reflective of the usage, and doesn’t necessarily result in a growing customer base.

You should choose KPIs that matter and focus on different areas of your business. Your KPIs should be objectives that you can branch off of, improve on, and that help you understand the overall health and performance of your business. 

Time-bound

Creating KPIs is one thing, adding deadlines is another. Although sometimes this step may seem unnecessary, it is another key part of making effective KPIs.

Deadlines give employees a clearer structure, focus, and urgency towards objectives, rather than putting them aside. When a team has a given period for a KPI, they’re much more likely to collectively work towards that goal and finish it in a timely manner.

Example

For example, asking the sales team to “Increase sales by 10%” and “Increase sales by 10% for Monday” would both have different effects. “For Monday” tells your employees that they have to prioritise this action, and it cannot be left to the side.

This creates accountability through set time frames. The sense of urgency people get benefits the business and allows for easier performance management.   

Short-term VS Long-term KPIs

There are short-term and long-term KPIs, both with different overall goals. A short-term KPI, or an operational KPI, aims to track performance daily, weekly, or monthly.

These also serve to give immediate feedback, allowing daily adjustments that can enhance productivity, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Operational KPIs are temporary and reflective of the company’s current state

Long-term KPIS, or strategic KPIs, harbour broader objectives, the company’s long-term goals, and vision. Strategic KPIs also serve for executive decision-making.

Why SMART KPIs Matter for Your Business

With poorly set Key Performance Indicators, it’s easier to run into issues. KPIs that don’t follow the SMART method lack clarity, take a while because they aren’t time-bound, prove difficult when tracking progress, and you may find it difficult to track performance management and measuring success. 

Smart KPIs improve decision-making. When following the SMART method and only having relevant KPIs, information becomes clearer, project management becomes easier, and all of your decisions are now data-driven. This organises your thoughts and offers a more precise understanding of how your business is performing.

So, there is a prominent correlation between SMART KPIs and business growth. With effective KPIs, you have an easier trajectory to overall growth, can identify all the areas that need to be improved, and can create actionable targets, adjusting them to real-time necessities. 

Correct KPI development allows you to notice a real-world improvement in your team’s performance, where they become more efficient and motivated. They’ll showcase better productivity and admit to less confusion over vague KPIs.

SMART KPI Examples by Business Function

Marketing

In marketing, SMART KPI examples are:

• “Website conversion rate improvement”. This KPI should measure the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action, like a purchase or a form submission.
• “Lead generation targets”, a KPI that tells marketing teams how well their efforts are translating and if they are attracting potential consumers.
• “Social media engagement metrics.” This KPI measures the effectiveness of a social media marketing strategy. This KPI helps marketing teams understand how well their campaign is performing, if it’s achieving the desired effects, and flagging areas that need improvement.

These KPIs should be adjusted to your business. These are common cases for KPIs and need to be adapted to your schedule and needs to provide further clarity.

Sales

In sales, common KPIs are:

• “Revenue growth targets”. When giving this KPI to employees, be precise. Use percentages to express what goal you would like to achieve.
• “Customer acquisition goals” measures the effectiveness of acquiring new customers through a range of sales and marketing techniques.
• “Sales cycle reduction” measures the time it takes to close a deal, from top to bottom. The reduction of this time is crucial for an effective and higher quantity of sales.

Taking into account these KPIs, you should mould them to suit your business: make sure that they are time-bound and use the necessary metrics to receive a desired response.

Customer Service

In customer service, some KPIs are:

• “Response time improvements” aim for an efficient response time. Often, customers expect a response within hours.
• “Customer satisfaction scores” follow a metric scale of 1-5 or 1-10, rating a customer’s happiness with the service they received. This should always be a crucial part of a business’s KPIs.
• “Issue resolution rates” measure the percentage of customer support issues resolved within a specified timeframe.

These should be adjusted to how well your business may be performing. They should all feature specific goals and time-frames if they’re implemented.

How to Create SMART KPIs for Your Business

Step 1: Identify Your Business Objectives

To identify business objectives, you need to understand your core business goals. If you don’t know what you’re on about, neither will your employees.

Don’t forget to prioritise. Along with deadlines, some objectives are more relevant and important than others. Those should always go first.

Step 2: Choose Relevant Metrics

You should always be selecting metrics that align with your objectives. A metric that doesn’t follow your objectives is redundant, wastes your time, and your resources.

Vanity metrics might seem useful (e.g, social media followers) but might not have an overall relevance to your business and its ongoing growth.

Step 3: Apply the SMART Framework

It is always necessary to work thoroughly through each SMART criterion when writing a new KPI to make sure it’s comprehensive and gets results. 

If you’ve currently got KPIs, test them against the SMART framework to improve them and the outgoing results. Remember: Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Step 4: Set Up Tracking and Reporting

It is indispensable that you set up tracking and reporting for your SMART KPIs. There are many tools available online to help you organise your thoughts and findings. These are KPI dashboards, which help you visualise if you are moving further away, towards, or plateauing at your goal.

But, for KPIs to work effectively, you should be regularly reviewing your progress through your KPI dashboards.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

However, it’s easy to make mistakes when creating SMART KPIs. Sometimes, it’s easy to set too many at once. When creating operational KPIs, you shouldn’t have more than 5 at a time. Surpassing this limit leads to confusion, decreased focus, and ultimately a lack of notable progress. 

Then, there’s the issue of choosing metrics that are too complicated for your SMART goals. These metrics will hinder comprehension and end up making KPI results incomprehensible, making it harder to monitor progress and harder to build off of. 

Often, businesses are too ambitious. Though in the long run, it can have positive effects, ambition with KPIs translates as unreachable goals. So, when you make your KPI, keep in mind that little steps are better than big leaps. 

Other things that render KPIs useless are the lack of regular tracking and viewing. Once a KPI is set, you should regularly check on the appropriate metrics to be able to adjust and take note of progress. If you don’t track your KPIs, you won’t know whether you’ve achieved your goals or if you’re behind.

A final, common mistake that people make when setting their KPIs is not communicating them properly to their team. This makes it difficult for your employees to grasp what you want them to do if you haven’t clearly defined what it is you want them striving for.

You’ll have nothing viable to track if employees have been working towards the wrong goal.

Tracking and Reviewing Your SMART KPIs

The main periods to measure progress for your SMART KPIs differ, depending on what they are. Operational KPIs can be checked weekly or even daily, whereas strategic goals can be reviewed monthly or quarterly.

Optimal times to adjust your KPIs are after you’ve reviewed them, if your goal has been reached, or when your business’s objectives, goals, or market conditions change. These are all viable factors to know when to change your KPI.

You should adjust KPIs by changing the goal you want to hit on your dashboard, by revising your target metrics, or the way a KPI is communicated. 

But, you don’t only have to have reached your smart goal to adjust your KPI. If performance isn’t improving, or the metrics are plateauing, take a minute to assess your KPI.

Is it clear to your employees? Does it follow SMART criteria? 

You should be using all the data, including historical data, to make informed decisions and correctly assess how your work is performing.

Don’t forget, you should learn from your mistakes and misses to achieve your goals, but you should also celebrate your wins. It’s all about balance.

Conclusion

SMART KPIs are the way to go when writing your Key Performance Indicators. Effective smart goals help your employees know what you expect from them, and they help you track progress more efficiently.

So, now you know how to write SMART KPIs, it’s time to review your current KPIs and see how well they track against the SMART method.

Knowing what platform to use for your business should be a key focus of your marketing strategy. Though this task may be difficult, as so many social media platforms come and go, and demographics evolve.

 In this article, we’ll go over the top 5 social media platforms in Australia in 2025, their user demographics, and the way people use them in their day-to-day lives.

Facebook, the leading social networking app worldwide

Facebook continues to be one of the most popular social media platforms worldwide, and one of the first to reach and maintain its scale. As of February 2025, the social media page recorded over 3.07 billion users across the globe, according to Statista. That is an astonishing number, as it equates to roughly 40% of the world population. 

Not only does Facebook have the largest number of users, but the platform also sees an impressive day-by-day usage. Australians spend on average 17 hours and 30 minutes per month, or about 35 minutes a day, watching content posted by others or making their own. Every day, there are over 300 million posts that get uploaded, and every minute, there are more than half a million comments posted.

21 years from release, Facebook continues to grow

Right now, Facebook has over 2.1 billion active users, which is a 5.5% increase compared to last year. Facebook welcomes 56.6% of the world’s active internet users monthly. What’s incredible is that, although it’s one of the largest social media platforms in the world, it still manages to have an increase in use. With a growth rate of 5.1%, compared to the rate of 4.4% in 2022, the platform is far from dying out. 

When Facebook was released in 2004, it was mainly used to connect people together. It allowed users to post personal updates and follow other users who engaged in that same activity. But today, the platform is more than what it once was. Now, Facebook is home to more features than ever, with things such as Facebook Marketplace, which allows users to browse, buy, and sell second-hand items. 

Not only that, but there are other new elements like Facebook Events, Facebook Questions, Facebook Livestreaming, Facebook Gaming, and Facebook Podcasts. These novelties enable more people to enjoy a more varied and dimensional experience. 

Facebook still maintains its video and photo sharing feature. This permits users to create and share long-form or short-form videos, competing with platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Meta Platform, formerly known as Facebook Inc., owns other social media platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. These platforms continue to grow in their respective areas.

YouTube, the biggest video-sharing platform

In Australia, YouTube remains the second-largest social media platform in 2025. This platform welcomes over 2.5 billion monthly active users as of February 2025, according to Statista. To put this number in perspective, one in two Australians actively uses YouTube in their daily lives. 

To further exemplify this constant use, 1 billion hours are watched each day, and more than 500 hours of video content are uploaded every minute.  This makes YouTube one of the best social media platforms for video advertising and influencer marketing. This platform has managed to rake in over 8.3 billion US dollars in the first quarter of 2025 in ad revenue, which is up 10.3% year-over-year, according to Variety. 

Who is driving YouTube’s immense popularity?

YouTube is particularly popular among men aged  25-34. However, this does not take into account children’s usage of the platform and the usage of a similar platform, ‘YouTube Kids’. 

YouTube Kids is a video-sharing platform catered towards children under the age of 13. Unlike other platforms, where 13 is the limit, YouTube Kids permits it and encourages it. Kids are now spending on average over two hours online, where at least half of that time is spent watching videos on YouTube or YouTube Kids.

As of February 2025, according to Statista, YouTube’s audience in India has surpassed 491 million users. This is a huge viewership, and it is many leaps ahead of other countries. The US, which holds second place, is home to half the number of viewers, but still stacks up to 253 million users. The race for fourth place is close, with Brazil and Indonesia hosting 144 and 143 million users, respectively.  

In 2021, YouTube Shorts was launched, allowing users to post vertical short-form videos ranging from 15 seconds to a minute in length. This feature is comparable to its competitors, TikTok and Instagram Reels. The average length of a video in 2025 is between 20-40 seconds, according to DemandSage, and these short-form videos attract over 70 billion views per day. 

Instagram, the app that partakes in more than just photo-sharing

Instagram is another platform owned by Meta and has the third-highest monthly users of any social media site in Australia as of 2025, with 2 billion users. The original app was launched in October 2010 by developers Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, and was later bought by Meta for 1 billion USD in 2012.

Instagram is home to varied demographics: 55.2% of users on the platform are female, whereas 44.8% are male. Although the audience is fairly homogeneous, the largest user base is females aged 25 – 34. Additionally, there are users who don’t use the app monthly but still maintain accounts on the platform, representing 34.8%  of users. However, 65.2% of users do use the platform monthly. 

Instagram has gradually increased the number of features available over the past decade. Users can send Direct Messages (DMs) to each other, post Instagram Stories that disappear similarly to those on Snapchat, watch short-form videos through the ‘Reels’ function, and discover brands through the Instagram Shop and ads. 

Instagram has been in a long-running competition with Snapchat

Instagram Stories is one of the more popular features, competing with another social media platform, Snapchat. Instagram reports that over half a billion users make use of their Stories feature daily.

The ‘Stories’ feature isn’t the only time where Instagram and Snapchat go head to head. In terms of viewing time, Australians spend just over a third more of their time on Snapchat, rather than on Instagram. 

Snapchat reports over 16 and a half hours of monthly viewing time per user, whereas Instagram only has just above 12 hours. This difference may be surprising as Snapchat isn’t in the top five social media platforms worldwide, but rather in the top ten, ranking at number 7.

Notably, companies can advertise on Instagram by sponsoring video or photo posts to show up in users’ feeds. This can be compared to Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and many other social media platforms. 

This advertising method is known as ‘pay-per-click’, meaning that businesses will pay a small amount every time someone clicks on their sponsored post. The average cost for pay-per-click on Instagram ads can range from as low as $0.20 USD to over $2.00 USD.  

WhatsApp, the Forth Most Used Social Media App in Australia

WhatsApp is one of the most popular social networking apps out there, amassing over 2 billion monthly users worldwide. The platform was founded in February 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, and was later bought by Meta (then called Facebook Inc.) on February 19, 2014. Since then, the platform has been a part of the Metaverse, alongside apps like Facebook and Instagram. 

WhatsApp has an aging user base and low daily usage

Although its use may be popular, only 48.3% of users above the age of 16 use this platform frequently. Another shocking factor is that users, on average, only spend 2 hours and 44 minutes on the platform per month, averaging out to about 5 and a half minutes a day. This makes it the 9th most time-consuming app, behind platforms like Reddit and Messenger. 

WhatsApp serves primarily as a platform for messaging people, whether that be family, friends, or colleagues. However, it also has many features that improve user experience, like message searching, voice messages, and a status feature similar to Facebook and Snapchat Stories

It all allows users to join ’communities’, where several group chats may be housed in one space,  and Channels that permit companies and organisations to send out broadcast-type messages and video and voice calls. 

Ads are coming to WhatsApp

Businesses will soon be able to start advertising through WhatsApp, as the platform begins to place ads within their Status and Channel features. These ads will not make it into personal chats. According to WhatsApp, businesses will need to pay per ad as opposed to paying per click. 

TikTok, a Popular Platform, Especially Among Youth 

TikTok is a short-form video-sharing platform that is owned by the Chinese company, ByteDance. TikTok was launched in September 2016 as an international version of the Chinese platform Douyin and has become one of the most downloaded apps globally. During the COVID-19 period, it saw a massive increase in use. 

The platform now has just over 1.5 billion monthly active users worldwide, with 55% of users under the age of 30 and 40% of those users between the ages of 18 – 24. In Australia, the average TikTok user spends over 38 hours and 51 minutes on the platform per month, or about 76 minutes a day. This makes TikTok the app with the highest monthly usage per month in Australia.

Music integration and user-generated content are the cornerstones of the platform, making it the perfect place for the creation of music-based trends. The app lets users create videos that range from 15 seconds to 10 minutes long. The nature of the app is to keep people scrolling; as a result, the monthly time spent per user is incredibly high. 

Revenue is up despite hurdles

In 2024, TikTok’s Australian revenue was up to 679 million AUD, nearly double that of the previous year. The total advertising revenue is set to rise to 25 billion USD by the end of 2025. 

This is because of the high volume of sponsored posts, especially from brands with a younger target audience. Since the fourth quarter of 2021, there’s been a 71% increase in people using TikTok to follow or find information about brands and products, and it shows. 

TikTok has been giving other platforms a run for their money, as their viewership and engagement rise. But the platform has faced a couple of hurdles, like the ban in the US from January 19th to February 14th 2025, and backlash from loose age restrictions. Clearly,  these obstacles haven’t stopped the platform’s success.

Current Social Media Usage Statistics in Australia and Worldwide

The average Australian has around 7 social media accounts and spends a whopping 6 hours using the internet on their phone. Australians tend to use their social media for four main things: keeping in touch with friends and family, which equates to about 58.2% of usage. Filling spare time is a close second, which includes finding content and reading news stories. 

Social media as a shopping and consumer research tool

What’s increasing is the number of Australians turning to social media for their brand research. More than 58% of Australians now use social media to find products and services, and the e-commerce industry is expanding. 

The average online shopper now spends just over 2000 AUD a year on online shopping, a 3% increase from previous years. Online and social media purchasing now account for 13.8% of all consumer goods bought in 2025, a 6.4% increase over previous years.

Social media ad spend to reach $276 billion worldwide by 2026

Worldwide, social media plays a massive role. 5.24 billion people were social media users as of February 2025. This is equal to 63.9% of the world’s population, an enormous number of people. Because of this incredibly large online use, social media marketing is hugely popular. In fact, social media advertising spend is projected to reach $276.7 billion by the end of 2025.

Who is using social media apps the most, and where?

China represents the highest portion of social media users, totalling 1.1 billion users. This represents over 74.7% of its population. These people participate in over 2 hours of social media engagement daily. India follows with 462 million users, primarily using Facebook, where India encompasses 369.9 million people on the platform. The US ranks third in this race with 239 million social media users, accounting for 69.19% of its population.

There are no specific sets of data that explicitly announce this, but according to Statista, the gender distribution of social media use is fairly even. 

And although Gen Z are the biggest users of social media, that doesn’t mean older generations stay far away. 70% of Gen X have admitted to using their phone daily, whereas only 60% of Gen Z report the same thing. But 90% of Gen Zs use at least one social media platform, compared to about 70% of Gen X. So, even though they may be older, they don’t abstain from the online world.  

References:

1. https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/
2. https://backlinko.com/facebook-users
3. https://wearesocial.com/au/blog/2025/02/digital-2025-australia-social-media-rivals-search-for-brand-discovery/#:~:text=Facebook%20remains%20the%20most%20widely,%25)%20and%20TikTok%20(14%25 
4. Global Facebook user age & gender distribution 2025 – Statista
5. https://bernardmarr.com/how-much-data-do-we-create-every-day-the-mind-blowing-stats-everyone-should-read/
6. https://www.smperth.com/resources/youtube/youtube-statistics/?srsltid=AfmBOoo98knSUmtbrkj7oZioRSR61hWZkj4yOmSp6qurIcJhpQ3bPvVh  
7. https://www.smperth.com/resources/instagram/instagram-statistics/
8. https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/china/articles/tiktok-the-worlds-most-valuable-startup-that-youve-never-heard-of/  
9. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1434280/annual-revenue-of-tiktok-usa/ 
10. https://www.meltwater.com/en/blog/social-media-statistics-australia
11. https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1004179/most-common-social-media-activities-in-australia
12. https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/
13. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-statistics/
14. https://www.gwi.com/blog/social-media-statistics
15. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-statistics-australia/
16. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/

About Futuretheory and our team

Futuretheory is a full-service digital marketing agency based in Canberra. We work with clients big and small across a wide range of industries.

Our team is:

• small but mighty,
• close-knit,
• multidisiplinary,
• highly collaborative,
• and, most importantly, passionate about what they do.

What you’ll be doing

• Develop WordPress child themes based on the supplied website design 
• Utilise WordPress functions, hooks, and filters to achieve the desired layout/functionality
• Develop Gutenberg Blocks with Advanced Custom Fields using HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript, or React (no page builders, i.e., WPBakery Page Builder, Divi, Elementor, Visual Composer, etc.)
• Set up and manage WordPress sites on cPanel hosting
• Familiar with modern CSS grid and flex layout
• Configure user-friendly WordPress backends
• Add functionality to existing WordPress sites
• Troubleshoot website issues
• Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud applications to export assets for website development

What we’re looking for

• Minimum 2 years of experience in WordPress or PHP
• Communicate with non-technical designers, team members, clients, and other stakeholders
• Write efficient, clean, low-maintenance PHP code and functions
• Comfortable communicating with clients to resolve issues 
• Be able to efficiently gauge project requirements in terms of time and resources
• Agency experience is a big plus!

What We Offer

• Comfortable modern office in Beard (5 minutes from Fyshwick)
• A small, friendly team who love what they do
• The chance to work on a wide variety of projects
• A strong emphasis on learning and upskilling

Important to note

This is an on-site role. We’re not open to hybrid or remote work for this position. 

You must have full working rights in Australia. We’re not open to sponsoring candidates.

No recruitment consultants, please.

Next steps

If this sounds like the role for you, please take a few minutes to fill out the form below. If you have any questions, please email hello@futuretheory.com.au

If you seem like a good fit, we’ll invite you for a short in-person interview at our office in Beard.

About Futuretheory and our team

Futuretheory is a full-service digital marketing agency based in Canberra. We work with clients big and small across a wide range of industries.

Our team is:

• small but mighty,
• close-knit,
• multidisiplinary,
• highly collaborative,
• and, most importantly, passionate about what they do.

What you’ll be doing

• Writing, editing, and publishing blog posts and website copy. 
• Coordinating with our marketing coordinator to develop a solid content strategy.
• Do basic keyword research and content optimisation. 
• Update website content using WordPress
• Ensure all content is in line with our style guide

Who we’re looking for

• Deeply passionate about writing and writing well. 
• Diligent about spelling, grammar, and tone.
• Has a basic understanding of SEO or a willingness to learn. 
• 1-2 years of experience in content marketing, copywriting, or a similar field. 
• Comfortable writing about a broad range of industries and topics, including technical ones.
• Experience with Content Management Systems (CMS), particularly WordPress, is a plus. 

What we offer 

• Comfortable modern office in Beard (5 minutes from Fyshwick)
• A small, friendly team who love what they do
• The chance to work on a wide variety of projects
• A strong emphasis on learning and upskilling

Important to note:

This is an on-site role. We’re not open to hybrid or remote work for this position. 

You must have full working rights in Australia. We’re not open to sponsoring candidates.

No recruitment consultants, please.

Next steps

If this sounds like the role for you, please take a few minutes to fill out the form below. If you have any questions, please email hello@futuretheory.com.au

If you seem like a good fit, we’ll invite you for a short in-person interview at our office in Beard.

About Futuretheory and our team

Futuretheory is a full-service digital marketing agency based in Canberra. We work with clients big and small across a wide range of industries.

Our team is:

• small but mighty,
• close-knit,
• multidisiplinary,
• highly collaborative,
• and, most importantly, passionate about what they do.

What you’ll be doing

• Overseeing our social media assistant to keep our social strategies on track.
• Managing multiple internal and client PPC campaigns.
• Developing, analysing, and optimising marketing campaigns.
• Proofreading content and overseeing our overall content strategy.
• Working closely with our copywriter to ensure content is on-brand, strategic and engaging
• Liaising with external stakeholders and nurturing our client relationships.
• Collaborating with the rest of our agency, including developers, designers, and admin personnel.

Who we’re looking for

• A well-rounded marketer who can juggle internal and external marketing projects.
• 2+ years of relevant experience with demonstrable results.
• Strong ability to take ownership of and spearhead marketing initiatives.
• Familiarity with marketing tools and the ability to adapt to new ones.
• Strong leadership skills. You’ll be overseeing both our copywriter and social media assistant.
• Strong collaboration skills – agency experience is a plus. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

What we offer 

• Comfortable modern office in Beard (5 minutes from Fyshwick)
• A small, friendly team who love what they do
• The chance to work on a wide variety of projects
• A strong emphasis on learning and upskilling

Important to note:

This is an on-site role. We’re not open to hybrid or remote work for this position. 

You must have full working rights in Australia. We’re not open to sponsoring candidates.

No recruitment consultants, please.

Next steps

If this sounds like the role for you, please take a few minutes to fill out the form below. If you have any questions, please email hello@futuretheory.com.au

About Futuretheory and our team

Futuretheory is a full-service digital marketing agency based in Canberra. We work with clients big and small across a wide range of industries.

Our team is:

• small but mighty,
• close-knit,
• multidisiplinary,
• highly collaborative,
• and, most importantly, passionate about what they do.

What you’ll be doing

• Shooting and editing both short and long-form content for our businesses and clients.
• Driving forward content production, from ideation and planning to production and editing.
• Work closely with our social media assistant and marketing coordinator to get content out regularly and on time.
• Tailoring content to the platform, following trends and best practices, whether it’s a fun reel for Instagram or corporate headshots for a client.

What we’re looking for

• Minimum 1 year of experience in photography, filming, and editing video
• You have to be locally based and able to travel to our office – this is non-negotiable
• Strong ability to stick to deadlines and content plans
• Experience using DSLR/mirrorless cameras, a good understanding of gimbals, lighting and audio
• Skilled in editing software (Da Vinci, Adobe Creative Suite or similar)
• Creative, reliable and responsive to feedback
• Being social media and trend-savvy is a big plus

What we offer 

• Access to a purpose-built, 128 sqm studio on site
• Top-of-the-line photography and videography equipment to make the job that much easier
• Comfortable office and desk space for editing and collaborating with our team
• A lot of variety. If you’re looking to create content across different industries and formats, you’ll love this role.

Important to note:

This is an on-site role. We’re not open to hybrid or remote work for this position. 

You must have working rights in Australia. We’re not open to sponsoring candidates.

No recruitment consultants, please.

Next Steps

If this sounds like the role for you, please take a few minutes to fill out the form below. If you have any questions, please email hello@futuretheory.com.au

If you seem like a good fit, we’ll invite you for a short in-person interview at our office in Beard.

The goal of technical copywriting is to bridge this knowledge gap. A good technical copywriter has to step into your customers’ shoes, identify what confuses them, and turn complex information into clear content people actually enjoy reading.

In this article, we’ll explain what technical copywriting is and how technical copywriters help you communicate with customers who don’t share your expertise.

Technical copywriting defined

Technical copywriting translates complex, specialist information into clear, persuasive content for non-expert audiences. It combines technical understanding with marketing skills to create materials that both accurately explain your product and convince people to buy it.

Unlike regular copywriters, technical copywriters have the skills to understand complex subjects first, then explain them simply without losing important details. Technical writers typically write website content, product descriptions, brochures, and ads for technical products or services.

The best technical copywriting doesn’t just explain how something works. It shows readers why they should care.

The difference between technical copywriting and technical writing

Technical copywriting and technical writing serve different purposes, even though they both deal with complex subjects.

Technical writing focuses on instruction and education. Technical writers create user manuals, help documentation, and training materials. Their goal is to help people understand how to use products they already own.

Technical copywriting focuses on persuasion and marketing. Technical copywriters create website content, product descriptions, and sales materials. Their goal is to convince people to buy products or services they don’t yet own.

The tone differs, too. Technical writing is straightforward and instructional, like step-by-step guides. Technical copywriting is more engaging and benefit-focused, highlighting why someone should care about the product’s features.

Both roles need strong research skills and the ability to understand complex information. However, technical copywriters also need marketing knowledge and persuasion skills, while technical writers focus on clarity and completeness.

Why technical copywriting is important

Technical copywriting is important because it helps potential customers understand the real value of what you sell. When you explain complex products clearly, you remove barriers to purchase and build trust with your audience.

Let’s use web hosting as an example. A technical description might read: ‘Our hosting uses NVMe SSD storage with RAID 10 configuration, 99.9% uptime guarantee, and DDoS protection on a tier-1 network’. While this might be the case, it probably means almost nothing to most small business owners in unrelated fields.

A technical copywriter, however, would write: ‘We make sure your website stays fast and reliable with our hosting. Your pages load in under 2 seconds, your site stays online even during traffic spikes, and you’re protected from common security threats – all without needing any technical knowledge’.

I would wager that the second example, written by our imaginary technical copywriter, converts those without technical knowledge a lot more effectively. It connects technical features to the benefits that matter to customers: speed, reliability, and ease of use. This helps potential buyers understand why they should care about NVMe SSDs or DDoS protection without needing to become hosting experts themselves.

A famous example of good technical copywriting

In my opinion, there’s one undisputed god of technical copywriting: Apple. They’ve been getting it just right since this much lauded advertising campaign for the iPod nano in 2001:

Instead of harping on about technical features like ‘1GB of storage at only 9 ounces’, this ad lands a spot in the technical copywriting hall of fame for perfectly focusing on benefits, not features.

24 years later, this ad is still fondly remembered. It worked so well that Apple revamped the campaign in 2020 for an Apple Watch campaign:

What skills do technical copywriters have?

Technical copywriters need a good balance of classic communication skills, research abilities, and marketing knowledge.

Writing good technical copy is not an easy task by any means: They need to both thoroughly understand the subject matter, no matter how complex, so that they can explain it simply without losing any accuracy. If you’ve ever tried to explain how to reset a WiFi router to your nan, you’ve had a taste of how hard this balance is to find.

To add another layer on, technical copywriters also need to be both accurate with persuasive. They shouldn’t just explain how products work, but why readers should care. This helps turn technical features into compelling reasons to buy, just like in the Apple example we gave above.

The industries that most often need technical copywriting

Some industries need technical copywriting more than others:

• Software companies need help explaining features in user-friendly terms
• Healthcare businesses must turn medical terminology into language patients can understand
• Financial services need clear explanations of complex products like investments or insurance
• Manufacturing firms need to show the value of their processes without overwhelming readers
• Information technology companies need to clearly explain what they do and how it helps

These industries find technical copywriting most helpful when launching new products, creating educational content, or developing marketing for non-expert audiences.

Typical duties of technical copywriters

While it is a large part of the job, technical copywriters do a lot more than just write. Here’s a list of all the things a technical copywriter normally does:

Content creation

• Writing web pages and product descriptions
• Creating user manuals and guides
• Putting together mail campaigns for technical products
• Developing case studies showing technical solutions
• Writing scripts for instructional videos
• Tailoring press releases

Research

• Reading technical documentation and specifications
• Interviewing subject matter experts
• Testing products to understand functionality
• Reviewing competitor materials
• Researching audience questions and pain points

Collaboration

• Meeting with technical teams to verify accuracy
• Working with designers on visual explanations
• Coordinating with marketing on campaign goals and overall marketing strategy
• Getting input from sales on the customer journey

Editing and reviewing

• Submitting drafts for technical review
• Making revisions based on feedback from relevant experts
• Checking facts and specifications for accuracy
• Proofreading final content before publication
• Testing content with sample audiences

What to look for in a technical copywriter

If you want to hire a technical copywriter, the first step is to look for someone with a portfolio that shows they can explain complex ideas clearly. Their previous work should demonstrate how they’ve made technical products easier to understand for non-expert audiences.

Naturally curious

An inquisitive nature is also important. Find a writer who asks good questions about your product. The best technical copywriters will want to know more than just what your product does, but who uses it and why they find it valuable. These questions show they’re thinking about your customers’ needs.

Fast learner

Technical copywriters should have strong research skills. They don’t need to be experts in your field already, but they should show they can grasp technical concepts quickly and accurately.

Accurate AND persuasive

The right candidate needs to write in a way that’s correct but not overwhelming, and simple but not patronising. Ask potential copywriters how they would explain a complex feature of your product to see their approach.

Versatile

Check if they can write technical content in different formats. Technical copywriting includes web content, blog posts, product descriptions, and white papers. A versatile writer can adapt their style to suit different platforms while maintaining clarity.

Communicative

Finally, find someone who fits your team’s working style. Technical copywriting often involves collaboration with the subject matter experts on your team, so choose a writer who communicates well and takes feedback positively.

Does a technical copywriter need specialised knowledge of your industry?

No, and you shouldn’t be looking for someone who already has a deep understanding of your industry or technical subject. Most of the time, this will be like looking for a unicorn: Imagine you work for Dyson and you’re looking for someone local and available who has 5+ years of experience writing about vacuums. Chances are, it’s not happening.

What’s more important is finding a copywriter with strong research skills and the ability to learn quickly. A good technical copywriter should be able to interview your subject matter experts, read your documentation, and understand your products well enough to explain them clearly.

These are the core skills of technical copywriting that apply no matter the niche – not an encyclopedic knowledge of vacuum technology.

Lack of specific industry knowledge is an advantage

A copywriter without prior knowledge of your industry will be able to approach your product with fresh eyes, just like your target audience does. They’ll ask the basic questions that you didn’t even know they had.

This outside perspective helps identify technical jargon and concepts that industry insiders take for granted. A vacuum expert might not think to explain what ‘cyclonic separation’ means, but a good technical copywriter will instantly recognise that this is something you need to clarify.

In short, look for someone who has successfully written about different technical subjects in the past rather than just specifically your technical subject. This shows their ability to adapt and learn new fields, which is more valuable than specific industry knowledge that can be acquired through research.

When do you need to hire a technical copywriter?

You should consider hiring a technical copywriter when your in-house team struggles to explain your products or services simply. This is common in technical fields where experts become so familiar with complex concepts that they forget what beginners don’t know.

If you’re expanding your business reach

Businesses launching complex products often need help explaining their value clearly. If you’ve created something innovative but find people don’t immediately understand its benefits, you’re in need of a technical copywriter to help bridge the gap!

Technical copywriting can also be useful if you’re moving into a new market with less technical knowledge. What works for industry experts won’t always connect with general consumers, so you’ll need to switch up your message accordingly.

If there are warning signs your content needs help

If your content clearly isn’t gelling with your audience at the moment, it might be time to call in a technical copywriter.

One of the most common signs of this is high website traffic with low conversion rates. This could mean visitors don’t understand your offering well enough to take action. Another indicator is when you keep getting the same basic questions even though you’ve written about these topics – this suggests your explanations aren’t clear enough.

Confusion after purchase is yet another warning sign. When people seem surprised about what your product does after buying it, there’s likely a gap between what they expected and what they got.

Have a look at your existing copy and ask yourself: Is this written in technical jargon rather than plain English? Are the sentences long and complex? Most importantly, if you pulled a random person off the street and read your copy to them, would they have a clear understanding of what you’re saying? If the answer is no, you need technical copywriting.

What does working with a technical copywriter look like?

Working with a technical copywriter is an involved process that requires great collaboration and communication on both sides. Here’s how it typically goes:

Discovery and research

Working with a technical copywriter typically starts with a discovery phase where they learn about your product, your audience, and your goals. It’s not just a quick briefing. Good technical copywriters ask lots of questions to understand what makes your offering special and who you’re trying to reach.

The research phase comes next. Your copywriter will review any existing materials you have, like product documentation, user manuals, and competitor content. They also have to interview your technical team to fill knowledge gaps they have and clarify complex concepts. Don’t be surprised if they ask for access to the actual product to test it themselves.

Writing and reviewing

During the writing phase, most technical copywriters work iteratively. They’ll often share early drafts or outlines to make sure they’re on the right track before completing the full piece. This collaborative approach helps catch any technical errors early and makes sure the content matches your brand voice.

The review process involves both checking for technical accuracy and marketing effectiveness. Your subject matter experts will verify the facts, while your marketing team might suggest changes to make the copy more persuasive and aligned with campaign goals.

Throughout the process, expect regular communication. Technical copywriters often schedule check-in calls to discuss progress, clarify points, or present options for handling particularly complex concepts.

Technical copywriting timeline

Timeline-wise, technical copywriters usually take longer than other copywriters because of the research and review phases. A simple product description might take a few days, while complex white papers or user manuals could take several weeks. The extra time invested upfront typically results in content that needs fewer revisions and performs better with your target market.

How much do technical copywriters get paid?

According to Seek, the salary range for an in-house technical copywriter is between $95,000 and $115,000. That’s a pretty big jump from just standard copywriting, where the salary ranges from $70,000 to $90,000.

Freelance technical copywriters also charge higher rates. While standard copywriters might charge $50-80 per hour, technical copywriters typically ask for $80-150 per hour, depending on their experience and how complex the subject is. Specialised software, medical technology, and artificial intelligence all carry premiums for technical copywriting.

Project-based work varies widely, too. A simple product description might cost $200 to $500, while comprehensive white papers could range from $2,000 to $10,000 or more. The higher rates reflect the extra skill level required, the time needed for research, and the specialist knowledge these copywriters develop.

Is technical copywriting hard?

Technical copywriting is challenging, but not impossible to learn. The difficulty comes from balancing three different skills at once: understanding complex information, writing clearly, and persuading readers to take action.

The hardest part is often the research phase. You need to grasp technical concepts quickly without becoming an expert in the field. This means asking the right questions, reading dense documentation, and translating what you learn into language your audience will understand.

Writing technical copy also requires patience. You’ll spend more time researching and fact-checking than with standard copywriting. A single product description might involve reading user manuals, interviewing engineers, and testing the product yourself.

The good news is that technical copywriting builds on skills many writers already have. If you can write clearly and research well, you’ve got a strong foundation. The technical understanding develops with practice and experience.

Are technical copywriters in high demand?

Yes! As more businesses develop complex products and services, the need for people who can explain them will continue to grow.

The tech boom has created thousands of companies that need help communicating with non-technical audiences. Software companies, fintech startups, healthcare tech firms, and engineering businesses all struggle to explain their offerings in simple terms.

This demand extends beyond traditional tech companies, too. Manufacturing firms need copywriters who can explain industrial processes. Medical device companies require writers who can translate clinical benefits into patient-friendly language. Even traditional businesses adopting new technologies need help explaining these changes to their customers.

Lastly, while plenty of people can write well, fewer can combine strong writing with the ability to understand and explain technical concepts. This combination of skills puts technical copywriters in a strong position in the job market, and this isn’t changing anytime soon.

Is AI going to kill technical copywriting?

No. While AI can help with basic writing tasks, it struggles with the complex needs that make technical copywriting valuable.

Technical copywriting requires a level of accuracy and product knowledge that AI can’t provide. AI tools often create content that sounds right but contains factual errors or misses important details. When you’re explaining how medical devices work or describing software features, these mistakes can cause serious problems.

AI also can’t interview subject matter experts and ask follow-up questions. A lot of the best technical copy comes from conversations with engineers, doctors, or other specialists who understand the details of their products. AI can’t replace this human interaction.

The research skills that technical copywriters bring are hard to automate, too. Understanding which technical details matter to customers and which ones to leave out needs judgment that comes from experience with real audiences.

Ultimately, AI can be a useful tool for all copywriters. It can help with first drafts or suggest different ways to explain concepts. But the final product still needs human oversight to make sure it’s accurate, relevant, and persuasive.

If you want a new website, choosing which Content Management System (CMS) you’ll use to build and run it is the biggest decision you have to make. Security should always be a deciding factor.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear picture of WordPress security. We hope this helps you decide whether WordPress is the right CMS for you.

Before we get started: This article is about WordPress.org, not WordPress.com.

Understanding WordPress security

Since WordPress is the most popular CMS platform worldwide, it’s also the most popular target for hackers. According to a 2023 study from Astra Security, the WordPress CMS faces about 90,000 attacks per minute.

Don’t let this put you off – WordPress takes security measures seriously, and it’s easy to protect yourself from many of these threats by following best practices.

WordPress does have some security vulnerabilities. Knowing about these potential security risks makes it easy to protect yourself against them.

What WordPress security vulnerabilities are there?

A vulnerability is any weak point in your website that someone could exploit to gain access. These weak points can exist in three areas of your WordPress website:

• The core WordPress software (the basic program that runs your website)
• Themes (what controls how your website looks)
• Plugins (extra features you add to your website)

While the core WordPress software is secure, poorly made themes and plugins can create gaps in your website’s security.

How WordPress handles security measures

WordPress takes security seriously, and it has a dedicated security team that constantly monitors for threats to the core software. When they find a vulnerability, they release security updates quickly to patch any weak points.

These updates happen automatically for minor security fixes, but major updates need manual approval. It’s on you to keep an eye out for updates that need manual approval if you want to keep your site secure.

Most WordPress vulnerabilities come from third-party plugins

The 60,000 plugins available for WordPress are what make it our favourite CMS. WordPress plugins allow you to easily customise your website, and they’re often free.

However, about 90% of WordPress vulnerabilities come from plugins (Source: AIOSEO). Another 6% comes from themes, while only 4% of vulnerabilities come from the WordPress core software.

It goes to show that WordPress is highly secure, and it’s third-party installations that introduce potential security risks you have to worry about.

Only install reputable plugins and keep them up to date

This isn’t to say you should be worried about all plugins – in fact, some plugins (like WordFence) can be your best friend when it comes to keeping your WordPress site secure.

The key is to only install plugins or themes from the official WordPress Plugin Directory and regularly update them so you’re caught up with any security patches. By doing this, you’ve protected yourself from 96% of all WordPress security vulnerabilities.

Web hosting and server-level WordPress security

Your web hosting provider plays an essential role in your WordPress site’s security. While you can implement all the right security measures within WordPress itself, the server your website lives on forms your first line of defence against attacks.

How web hosting affects WordPress security

Your web host is responsible for:

• Server maintenance and updates: A good host regularly updates web server software to patch security vulnerabilities
• Network security: Protecting the server infrastructure from outside attacks
• Backup systems: Creating and storing reliable backups in case something goes wrong
• Malware scanning: Detecting malicious code before it can spread
• Firewall protection: Blocking suspicious traffic before it reaches your website

Which type of hosting is best for WordPress security?

Not all WordPress hosting is created equal when it comes to security:

Shared hosting puts your website on the same server as many other sites. While affordable, this means security problems with one site can potentially affect yours. It’s like living in an apartment building where one neighbour’s poor security habits could impact everyone.

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting gives you dedicated resources in an isolated environment, improving security. You get more control but also more responsibility for server maintenance.

Managed WordPress hosting is specifically optimised for WordPress websites and includes maintenance and advanced security features. These hosts typically include:

• Automatic WordPress updates
• Regular security scans
• WordPress-specific firewalls
• Expert support staff familiar with WordPress security issues

This type of hosting allows you to take a more hands-off approach to security.

Investing in quality hosting might cost more upfront, but it’s far less expensive than dealing with a hacked website later. Remember that even the most secure WordPress configuration can be compromised if your hosting environment isn’t equally secure.

WordPress is highly secure as long as you follow best practices

WordPress accounting for 90% of all hacking attempts sounds scary. However, that’s to be expected when you consider just how popular WordPress is.

As long as you implement a few security measures, choose a good hosting provider and familiarise yourself with how to keep WordPress secure, the answer is yes, WordPress can be incredibly secure! It’s used for 810 million websites for a reason (Source: Hostinger, 2025).

Ultimately, human error is the biggest risk

Despite all the security measures available for WordPress, most security breaches happen because of simple human mistakes.

Common mistakes that put WordPress sites at risk include:

• Using weak passwords like ‘admin123’ or ‘password’
• Forgetting to update WordPress core, themes, or plugins
• Installing plugins from untrusted sources
• Sharing admin login details with too many people
• Clicking suspicious links while logged into your WordPress dashboard
• Not backing up your website regularly

The good news is that these risks are easy to avoid once you’re aware of them. Simple practices like using a password manager, setting up automatic updates, and limiting admin access can help you avoid these mistakes.

Security isn’t a one-time setup but an ongoing process. Taking the time to train yourself and anyone else who has access to your WordPress dashboard about basic security practices is one of the most effective ways to keep your website safe.

Top WordPress security concerns

Here are the main security concerns that could affect your WordPress website:

• Stolen credentials and brute-force login attempts
• Malware installation
• Spam and phishing attempts

Stolen credentials and brute-force login attempts

The most common way hackers try to break in is through the WordPress login page. They do this in two ways: using stolen passwords or trying to guess them.

When hackers get hold of login details through data breaches or phishing scams, they can access your WordPress dashboard. Once they’re in, they can change your website’s content, steal customer data, or even lock you out of your own website.

Hackers also use automated tools to try thousands of username and password combinations until they find one that works. These ‘brute-force’ attacks are like someone trying every possible key until they find one that opens your front door.

Malware installation

Malware is malicious software that hackers can install on your website. Malware is malicious software that hackers can install on your website.

Attackers usually install malware through outdated plugins, themes with security vulnerabilities, or by gaining access to your WordPress dashboard through stolen login details.

Once installed, it can cause serious damage to your business by:

• Stealing customer information
• Damaging your reputation with Google
• Showing unwanted ads to your visitors
• Adding links to scam websites

If Google detects malware on your website, it’ll show warning messages to anyone trying to visit. This stops most people from accessing your website until you fix the security breach.

Spam and phishing attempts

Comment sections are a common target for people trying to cause trouble on WordPress websites. Some spam comments contain harmful links that can compromise your website’s security. While obvious spam is easy to spot, weeding through comments manually can be time-consuming.

Phishing is another major concern. Hackers can create fake login pages that look legitimate to trick people into entering their usernames and passwords. Once they have these details, they can access your website and cause damage.

Basic WordPress security measures you can take to keep your site secure

There are three main ways to protect your WordPress website’s core security:

• Keeping everything updated
• Using strong passwords
• Adding extra layers of protection

Let’s look at each of these in detail.

Update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins

WordPress updates aren’t just for getting new features. They’re essential for keeping your website secure. Every update includes fixes for security vulnerabilities that hackers might try to exploit.

WordPress automatically installs minor security updates, but you need to approve major updates manually. You should also regularly check for theme and plugin updates. Just logging into your WordPress dashboard once a week to check for updates can prevent most security issues.

Always use strong passwords

Strong passwords make it hard for attackers to break into your site using brute-force attempts. Make sure everyone with access to your website follows these password best practices:

• Use long passwords with a mix of letters, numbers and symbols
• Never reuse passwords across different websites
• Change passwords immediately if there’s any sign of a security breach

A password manager can help generate and store all your passwords. This takes the hassle out of using strong passwords while keeping your website secure.

Enable two-factor authentication (2fa)

Two-factor authentication (2fa) adds an extra security step when logging in. After entering their password, users need to provide a second form of verification – usually a code sent to their phone or email.

This extra step might seem inconvenient, but it’s worth it. Even if someone steals a password, they still can’t access your website without the second verification code.

You can set up 2fa using a WordPress security plugin. Many of these plugins also let you:

• Limit login attempts (i.e if a user tries to log in too many times, their IP is blocked)
• Block suspicious IP addresses
• Set up time-outs after failed login attempts

Extra things you can do to keep your site secure

The security methods we mentioned above will protect you from most threats, but there are a few extra things you can do to protect yourself from common WordPress security issues.

Installing the WordFence security plugin

WordFence is a widely used security plugin that we use ourselves and recommend to all our clients. It’s the most comprehensive security plugin available for WordPress and has a wide range of features, including:

• Regular security scans to check for malware
• 2fa to prevent unauthorised logins
• Captchas to stop automated login attempts
• A powerful firewall to block malicious traffic
• Automatic WordPress updates

Best of all, WordFence is easy to use and the free version is all most sites need.

Make sure your website has an SSL Certificate and uses HTTPS

An SSL certificate encrypts data that travels between your website and your visitors’ browsers. This encryption is essential if you collect any sensitive user data and you want to keep that data secure from bad actors.

Most web hosts offer free SSL certificates as part of their plans (including our web hosting service!). Once you’ve installed your SSL certificate, you need to update your WordPress settings to use HTTPS.

Change the WordPress login page URL

By default, anyone can find your login page by adding ‘/wp-admin’ or ‘/wp-login.php’ to your website address. This makes it easy for attackers to try breaking in. Changing this URL to something you and your team know adds an extra layer of security by making your login page harder to find.

Change the default WordPress admin username

Similarly, the default ‘admin’ username can be a target for brute force attacks by hackers. Here’s an example from our own website:

You’re better off changing it to something unique and harder to guess.

Advanced techniques to improve WordPress security

Once you’ve covered the basics, these advanced security techniques will help make your WordPress website even more secure.

Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A Web Application Firewall acts as a shield between your website and potential attackers. It analyses all incoming traffic and blocks anything suspicious before it can reach your website.

Most WordPress security plugins, like Wordfence, include WAF protection. These firewalls are designed to stop common WordPress attacks such as:

• SQL injection attempts
• Cross-site scripting (XSS)
• File inclusion exploits
• Malicious bots

The best part about using a plugin-based WAF is that it updates automatically to protect against new threats as they emerge. This keeps your site protected without requiring you to be a security expert.

Whitelist IP addresses that can access the dashboard

For WordPress sites with limited administrators, you can restrict dashboard access to specific IP addresses only. This means even if someone has valid login credentials, they can’t log in unless they’re connecting from an approved location.

Here’s how IP whitelisting works:

• You make a list of trusted IP addresses (like your office or home network)
• Only users connecting from these addresses can access the WordPress admin area
• Everyone else gets blocked, even if they have the right username and password

This is particularly useful for company websites where all administrators work from the same location or set of locations. Security plugins like Wordfence make setting this up straightforward with no technical knowledge needed.

Back up your website’s database and files

Regular backups are your safety net if something goes wrong. A good backup strategy includes:

• Automated backups of your entire website
• Storing backups in a location separate from your main hosting
• Testing your backups regularly to make sure they work

A good hosting provider will include regular backups as part of their service.

Futuretheory – Reliable and secure WordPress hosting and maintenance

Alongside our web design and development services, we offer premium web hosting and maintenance services to give our clients complete peace of mind.

WordPress security experts

When you choose Futuretheory for your WordPress website, you’re partnering with a team that understands security requires ongoing vigilance, regular updates, and expert oversight.

Our WordPress maintenance service includes regular core updates, theme and plugin updates (all tested before deployment), security monitoring, and secure backups stored in multiple locations.

Comprehensive hosting plans

Our Australian-based servers are specifically configured for WordPress with free SSL certificates, daily automated backups, malware scanning, and firewall protection as standard.

With our 99.9% uptime guarantee and unlimited bandwidth, you can be confident your website will be available when your customers need it.

Many of our clients have been with us for years because they know we take the time to understand their business needs. We actively prevent problems before they affect your website.

Want to learn more about how we can help keep your WordPress website secure? Get in touch or book a call.

The statuses we’ll go over today include:

• Alternate Page With Proper Canonical Tag
• Crawled – Currently Not Indexed
• Page With Redirect
• Blocked by Robots.txt
• Excluded by ‘noindex’ Tag
• Blocked Due to Access Forbidden (403)
• Duplicate, Google Chose Different Canonical Than User
• Duplicate Without User-Selected Canonical
• Discovered – Currently Not Indexed
• Not Found (404)
• Soft 404
• URL blocked Due to Other 4xx Issue
• Server error (5xx)

Why checking index status is important

You need to monitor your website’s index status regularly to maintain your presence on search. If Google hasn’t indexed your pages properly, they won’t appear in search results, no matter how much time you’ve spent on SEO.

Spot Google search results indexing issues early

Checking your index status helps you identify problems before they seriously impact your traffic. When Google can’t index your pages correctly, potential customers can’t find you. Regular checks mean you can spot and fix these issues quickly, minimising any negative effect on your business.

While it’s unrealistic to expect every single one of your web pages to be indexed on Google, it’s important to check that your most important web pages are indexed by checking Google Search Console. This tool allows you to check whether your pages are indexed or not and submit re-indexing requests if you think the Google algorithm and its crawl bots have made a mistake.

Track your website’s growth

Index reports give you insight into how your website is growing and changing over time. You can see how quickly Google crawls and processes new content, helping you understand if your site architecture supports efficient crawling.

Identify technical SEO problems

A lot of indexing issues come from technical problems you might not notice when browsing your own site as a visitor. These could include:

• Robots.txt errors blocking important pages
• Canonical issues creating duplicate content
• Server issues making pages inaccessible to Google
• Mobile usability issues affecting how Google indexes your site

Finding these problems early through index status reports lets you fix them before they harm your rankings.

Improve crawl budget efficiency

Google allocates a certain amount of resources to each website. This is known as a ‘crawl budget’. By checking which pages are being indexed and which aren’t, you can make informed decisions about how to use this budget effectively. This might mean removing low-value pages, improving internal linking, or updating your XML sitemap.

Confirm your website changes work

After making major changes to your website, like redesigning your site structure, implementing redirects, or launching new sections, index status reports help you confirm whether Google has properly processed these changes.

What is the page indexing report?

The page indexing report, formerly known as the index coverage report, is a tool in GSC that tells you which of your pages aren’t indexed in Google search results and why. It looks like this:

Reasons for unindexed pages

Underneath the graph of indexed vs non-indexed pages, you can see why Google hasn’t indexed certain pages. Understanding what these phrases mean is essential to fixing any underlying issues.

Disclaimer on indexing statuses

There is no comprehensive, reliable, or up-to-date list of all possible index statuses available online. We only have access to the list of indexing statuses we can see on the sites we manage and the ones we can verify as current and factual from other sites.

If you see an error in your Google Search Console page indexing report that we haven’t mentioned, let us know. We’ll research it and add it to this list.

Alright, that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get into what Google says about unindexed pages, what it means in plain English, and how to fix it:

Alternate page with proper canonical tag

Starting off with a relatively simple one. ‘Alternate page with canonical tag’ means that your website has duplicate pages. The one that has a canonical tag is indexed on Google.

Should you ignore ‘Alternate page with proper canonical tag’, or troubleshoot?

You should check that the page with the tag is the one you want to show on Google, and make sure you don’t want any of the pages in this group indexed on Google Search Results. If so, you can safely ignore this index status. It indicates that Google is showing the canonical page in search results, which is a good thing!

Crawled – currently not indexed

‘Crawled – not currently indexed’ means Google has found and read your page but decided not to add it to its search index yet. This status can be frustrating because Google acknowledges your page exists but chooses not to show it in search results, and you just don’t know why.

Google might not index your page for a few reasons:

• Your content is too similar to other pages
• Google thinks site-wide quality is too low
• The page has thin content with little value
• Your site has too many pages competing for Google’s crawl budget
• Google has temporarily placed the page in a queue to index later

Should you ignore ‘crawled – currently not indexed’, or troubleshoot?

This index status doesn’t always mean there’s a problem. New websites or pages often stay in this limbo state for a while as Google evaluates them. However, if important pages stay in this state for more than a few weeks, you should take action.

To improve your chances of getting these pages indexed:

• Add more unique, helpful content to the page
• Improve internal linking to these pages from your indexed content
• Check your page loads properly and quickly
• Make sure you haven’t accidentally blocked indexing with noindex tags

Page with redirect

When Google shows ‘Page with redirect’ in your index report, it means it found a non-canonical URL that redirects to another page. Google won’t include redirected URLs in search results because it prioritises showing the final destination page instead.

Redirects are a normal part of website management. You’ll often use them when:

• You’ve moved content to a new URL
• You’ve consolidated similar pages
• You’ve switched from HTTP to HTTPS
• You’re directing multiple domain names to one website

Should you ignore ‘page with redirect’, or troubleshoot?

This status usually isn’t a problem. It helps Google understand your site structure and follow your preferred paths through your website.

However, watch out for these common redirect issues:

• Redirect chains (where page A redirects to page B, which redirects to page C)
• Redirect loops (where pages redirect in a circle)
• Temporary (302) redirects used for permanent changes

To check your redirects, use a browser extension like Redirect Path or an online redirect checker like https.io. Make sure all redirects point directly to their final destination using the appropriate redirect type (301 for permanent, 302 for temporary).

Blocked by robots.txt

When you see ‘Blocked by robots.txt’ in your index report, it means Google found links to these pages but couldn’t crawl them because your robots.txt file blocked access.

Robots.txt files work like a set of instructions telling search engines which parts of your site they can and cannot visit. This is what it looks like in practice:

User Agent: ChatGPT-User

Disallow: /

Should you ignore ‘blocked by robots.txt’, or troubleshoot?

Unlike other indexing issues, ‘blocked by robots.txt’ often indicates an intentional choice. Common pages you might deliberately block include:

• Admin sections
• User account areas
• Shopping cart pages
• Staging environments

However, blocking pages through robots.txt doesn’t remove them from search results entirely. Google might still index the URL (without content) if enough sites link to it. If you don’t want a page to be indexed, you need to use the ‘noindex’ tag instead.

To check if you’re accidentally blocking important content:

1. Go to your website’s robots.txt file (yourwebsite.com.au/robots.txt)
2. Look for ‘Disallow:’ directives
3. Make sure they don’t include paths to pages you want indexed

If you find valuable content that’s blocked by Robots.txt and shouldn’t be, edit your robots.txt file to grant access to Google.

Excluded by ‘noindex’ tag

When your index report shows ‘URL marked ‘noindex’, it means Google found and crawled the page but won’t include it in search results because you’ve added a noindex tag. This tag explicitly informs Google not to show the page, even if they can access and read it.

Unlike robots.txt, which prevents pages from being crawled, noindex allows your page to be crawled but prevents indexing. You’ll typically add noindex to pages like:

• Thank you pages
• Login pages
• Internal search results
• Duplicate content pages
• Thin content pages that you still want users to access

Should you ignore ‘excluded by ‘noindex tag’, or troubleshoot?

This status usually indicates a deliberate choice rather than an error. However, check for these common mistakes:

• Noindex tags accidentally left on important pages
• Development or staging sites that moved to production with noindex still active
• Template settings that apply noindex too broadly

To fix accidental noindex issues, just remove the tag and wait for Google to recrawl the page.

Blocked due to access forbidden (403)

A blocked due to access forbidden (403) error on Google Search Console means Google tried to crawl a page on your site but was denied access.

Should you ignore ‘blocked due to access forbidden (403)’, or troubleshoot?

Unlike intentional blocking methods like robots.txt, 403 errors might be configuration issues rather than deliberate choices. Common causes include:

• Server security settings that block Google’s IP addresses
• Password-protected content without proper access provisions
• Overly restrictive firewall rules
• Misconfigured permission settings on files or directories

To check if a page is returning a 403 error:

1. Visit the URL directly in your browser
2. Use online tools like HTTP Status Code Checker
3. Check your server logs for 403 responses to Googlebot

To fix 403 errors affecting pages you want indexed, you need to talk to your web hosting provider. They should:

• Update your server security rules to allow Googlebot
• Check file and directory permissions
• Configure your firewall to recognise search engine crawlers

Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user

When you see ‘Duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user’ in your index report, it means Google has ignored your canonical suggestions and chosen a different URL as the main version of the page. This happens when Google thinks another page better represents the content.

Ultimately, Google takes canonical tags as suggestions, not directives. Google can override them when it finds contradicting signals like:

• Internal links pointing predominantly to a different version
• External links favouring another URL
• Redirects that conflict with your tags
• Stronger content on a similar page
• Inconsistent canonical tags across similar pages

Should you ignore ‘duplicate, Google chose different canonical than user’ or troubleshoot?

This status doesn’t always mean something is wrong, but it does indicate that Google disagrees with your preferred URL structure. To address this issue, you need to:

1. Check for mixed signals across your site
2. Make sure all versions of similar content consistently reference the same canonical URL
3. Align your internal linking with your canonical preferences
4. Consider using 301 redirects instead of relying solely on tags

Duplicate without user-selected canonical

‘Duplicate Without User-Selected Canonical’ means that you have two or more similar pages and haven’t chosen one as canonical, so Google automatically chooses which one to index.

Should you ignore ‘duplicate without user-selected canonical’, or troubleshoot?

You don’t want Google to make this decision for you, since it might not choose the right canonical version to index. You need to mark the most high-value page as canonical.

If you want multiple similar pages indexed, you need to further differentiate the pages from each other. Make sure the title tags, URL, metadescription and content are different enough from each other so that Google and users will be able to easily tell them apart.

Discovered – currently not indexed

When your index report shows ‘discovered – currently not indexed’, it means Google knows your page exists but hasn’t crawled it yet.

This differs from ‘crawled – not currently indexed’ because Google hasn’t even read the content yet. It’s simply aware of the URL through links.

This status commonly appears for:

• New pages Google hasn’t prioritised for crawling yet
• Pages deep within your site architecture
• Pages with few internal links pointing to them
• Content on new websites that are still building authority
• Pages on sites with crawl budget limitations

Google uses its crawl budget selectively, focusing on pages it considers most valuable. When Google discovers more URLs than it can crawl, it creates a queue and prioritises based on perceived importance.

Should you ignore ‘discovered – not currently indexed’, or troubleshoot?

Unlike some other indexing statuses, this one often resolves itself over time as Google continues to crawl your site.

However, if you have high-value pages that have had this index status for a long time, you should start to worry. Google might not consider them valuable enough to index.

To improve your chances of getting these pages crawled:

• Add more internal links to these pages from your important content
• Include the pages in your XML sitemap
• Improve page quality and uniqueness
• Share the URLs on social media or other external platforms
• Request indexing through Google Search Console (for your most important pages only)

Not gound (404)

When your index report shows ‘not found (404)’, it means Google tried to access a URL but your server responded with a 404 error, indicating the page doesn’t exist.

Common causes of 404 errors include:

• Pages you’ve deleted without setting up redirects
• URLs with typos or formatting errors
• Changed URL structures after a website redesign
• Content that moved to a new location
• Links pointing to pages that never existed

Should you ignore ‘not found (404)’, or troubleshoot?

Unlike other indexing issues, 404 errors need different approaches depending on the situation. For pages you meant to remove, you should let Google naturally drop them from the index over time or use Google Search Console’s URL removal tool for faster results.

For pages that should exist, you should:

• Restore the missing content
• Fix any broken URLs
• Check your CMS settings for accidental unpublishing

For pages that moved elsewhere, you should set up 301 redirects to point to the new locations and update internal links to prevent 404s in the first place.

Soft 404

When your index report shows ‘soft 404’, it means Google believes your page is an error page, even though your server returned a normal 200 (success) status code instead of a proper 404 error.

Why Google flags pages as soft 404s

Google typically identifies soft 404s when pages:

• Contain phrases like “not found”, “error”, or “no results”
• Return empty or extremely thin content
• Show a generic ‘no products found’ message or search results with zero matches
• Redirect to your homepage without explaining why the original content is missing

Unlike proper 404 errors that clearly tell both users and search engines a page doesn’t exist, soft 404s send mixed signals that can confuse Google.

How to fix soft 404 issues

For pages that genuinely don’t exist, configure your server to return 404 status codes rather than 200 codes with error messages. This sends clear signals to Google about the status of these pages.

For thin content pages you want to keep, improve them by adding a substantial amount of helpful content. Make sure search results pages with no matches offer helpful suggestions or alternative products rather than just empty results.

URL blocked due to other 4xx issue

When you see ‘URL blocked due to other 4xx issue’ in your index report, it means Google tried to access the page but encountered a client error response code other than 404. These 4xx errors tell visitors and search engines that the requested resource can’t be accessed due to a client-side problem.

Common 4xx errors besides 404 include:

• 401 (Unauthorised): The page requires login credentials
• 403 (Forbidden): The server refuses to grant access
• 410 (Gone): The page has been permanently removed
• 429 (Too Many Requests): Rate limiting has been triggered

Should you ignore ‘URL blocked due to other 4xx issue’, or troubleshoot?

Unlike 404 errors, which just mean a page wasn’t found, these other 4xx errors often indicate configuration issues with your website that need attention. They can prevent Google from indexing valuable content and frustrate users.

To fix these issues:

• Check server access permissions for 401/403 errors
• Check your rate-limiting settings if you see 429 errors
• Check authentication is working correctly
• Check important pages don’t accidentally require login

Use browser developer tools or online HTTP status checkers to identify exactly which 4xx error is occurring, because Google won’t tell you. Once you know the specific error, you can take targeted steps to resolve it.

Server error (5xx)

When your index report shows ‘server error (5xx)’, it means Google tried to access your page but your server failed to process the request properly.

The most common server errors include 500 (Internal Server Error), 503 (Service Unavailable), and 504 (Gateway Timeout). Each one indicates a different problem with your server’s ability to handle requests.

These errors typically stem from:

• Server resource limitations
• PHP or database errors,
• Plugin conflicts
• Server configuration issues
• Temporary hosting problems

They’re often intermittent, making them frustrating to diagnose.

Should you ignore ‘server error (5xx)’, or troubleshoot?

Don’t ignore 5xx errors in your indexing reports. Google will eventually stop trying to crawl pages that consistently return these error codes, severely handicapping your ability to show up in search.

Check your server logs to identify the specific error pattern, then test the affected URLs in your browser to see if the problem persists or only occurs for search engine crawlers.

If you can’t resolve the issue yourself, consult your web developer or hosting provider. They can help identify resource constraints or code issues causing the problems.

Using the URL inspection tool in Google Search Console

The URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console gives you detailed information about specific URLs on your site. It shows you exactly how Google views your pages and helps diagnose problems that might prevent proper indexing.

How to access the URL inspection tool

You’ll find the URL Inspection tool at the top of the Google Search Console interface. Enter the full URL you want to check into the search bar and click ‘Enter’. The tool immediately retrieves Google’s current information about that page.

What you can learn from the URL inspection tool

The URL inspection tool shows information like:

• Whether Google has indexed the page
• Any indexing or crawling errors Google encountered
• How the page appears in Google’s index
• When Google last crawled the page
• The canonical URL Google recognises for the page

You can also view the rendered version of your page as Googlebot sees it by clicking ‘View tested page’. This can help identify content that might be hidden from search engines because of JavaScript issues or mobile usability problems. You can also see how Google views a page in real-time by clicking ‘Test live URL’.

Taking action on indexing problems

For pages with indexing problems, you can request indexing directly through the tool. This feature is useful when you’ve fixed issues on critical pages and want Google to recrawl them quickly.

It’s important to note that Google limits how many URLs you can submit for indexing each day, so use this function selectively for your most important pages rather than submitting your entire site.

What percentage of your pages should be indexed?

Don’t worry about the ‘right’ percentage of pages Google should index. The truth is, there’s no magic number that applies to every site.

Rather than aiming for 100% indexing, which isn’t the case on any site, focus on having your most valuable pages indexed. Not every page on your website deserves to appear in search results. Admin pages or ones with thin content don’t serve any benefit to users on search and don’t need to be indexed.

Percentage of indexed pages varies from site to site

Some sites will naturally have a lot of pages that aren’t eligible for indexing. For example, eCommerce sites often have lower indexing rates because of:

• Filter pages creating multiple URL variations
• Product sorting pages with no unique content
• Out-of-stock product pages that may be temporarily de-indexed on purpose

Content-focused sites made up of mostly blog posts typically have higher indexing rates since most pages contain valuable information meant for public consumption.

Monitoring changes over time

Rather than fixating on a specific percentage, watch for sudden drops in your indexing rate. A sharp decline might be an indicator of technical issues that need your attention, while a gradual increase often shows Google finds more of your content valuable.

The most important question isn’t ‘how many’ but ‘which’ pages are indexed. Make sure your revenue-generating pages appear in Google’s index. These are the ones that truly matter to your business.

How long does Google’s indexing process take?

To use the favourite phrase of every SEO expert: It depends. Google’s indexing timeline varies based on a lot of factors, and there’s no guaranteed timeframe for when your pages will appear in search results.

For established websites with high authority, Google often crawls new pages within days and indexing might happen within a week.

For new websites or those with lower authority, the process can take much longer. It can take weeks or even months for Google to regularly crawl and index content.

Does ‘validate fix’ or ‘request indexing’ work?

Google Search Console offers two options that promise faster attention to your pages: ‘Validate Fix’ for resolving errors and ‘Request Indexing’ for getting pages in SERPs. But how well do they actually work?

Request indexing

The ‘Request Indexing’ feature does work, but with limitations:

• It places your URL in a priority crawl queue
• Google typically recrawls the page within a few days
• It doesn’t guarantee indexing, only recrawling

Even after requesting indexing, Google might still decide not to index your page if it finds quality issues or other problems. Think of this tool as asking Google to take another look, not demanding inclusion in search results.

Validate fix

When you fix issues reported in Google Search Console, the ‘Validate Fix’ button helps confirm your changes worked. It tells Google to check a sample of affected URLs, and then Google recrawls these pages to see if you’ve fixed the reported issues. The process can take days or weeks, depending on how many URLs need checking.

These tools work best when you’ve made real improvements to your pages. They can speed up the process of getting Google to notice your changes, but they can’t override Google’s fundamental quality standards.

You should use these options sparingly and only focus on your most important pages. Overusing them won’t help since Google limits how many URLs you can submit this way.

SEO takes time to pay off. Most people don’t realise just how long. High intent, high-volume organic traffic is a lofty goal but one well worth aiming for.

This article will give you a clear, honest picture of what to expect of the SEO process and explain why the results are worth wait.

How Long Does SEO Take: Key Points

• Timeframe: Most websites start seeing initial SEO results after 4-6 months, with more substantial improvements appearing around the 9-12 month mark
• Domain factors: New websites take longer to rank than established ones with existing authority
• Competition: Highly competitive industries like finance or legal services need more time and effort to achieve ranking improvements
• Compounding returns: Unlike ads that stop working when you stop paying, SEO results build on themselves over time, creating a snowball effect
• Business impact: The difference between page one and page two rankings can mean hundreds of additional leads per month for your business, so SEO is definitely worth the wait

Understanding the SEO Timeline

Most people don’t realise that SEO is a gradual process that needs consistency and persistence to see results. Unlike paid advertising, which delivers traffic immediately, organic search growth is gradual.

When you make changes to your content strategy and website structure or build new backlinks, search engines need time to:

1. Discover these changes through their crawling process
2. Process and understand what the changes mean
3. Evaluate how users respond to your site
4. Compare your site against competitors
5. Adjust your rankings accordingly

Factors Influencing SEO Timeline

Some websites will rank higher and faster on Google than others. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how long SEO takes to show results. Understanding the main factors that affect your timeline will help you set realistic expectations for your SEO.

Website History and Competition

Unless you’re starting SEO on a completely new website, you have your website’s entire history to contend with. Google knows all, and if your website has a history of dodgy SEO tactics, it might take a while for your reputation in the eyes of Google to bounce back.

You have to take into account:

• Your website’s domain age and authority,
• Your industry competition
• Any previous SEO work you’ve done
  

Domain age and authority

Older websites with established authority typically see SEO results faster than brand-new sites. If your website is new, expect a longer timeline. It’ll take a while for your domain to build trust with search engines.

Industry competition

Ranking for search queries in highly competitive industries like finance, insurance, or legal services takes much longer than in niche markets with less competition. The more websites competing for the same generic keywords, the more time and effort it takes to reach the top positions.

Previous SEO work

If your website has a history of poor SEO practices or penalties from Google, it will take longer to recover and start seeing positive results. On the flip side, websites with a clean history but no previous SEO work often see quicker initial improvements.

Resources Allocated for SEO

Time investment

The more consistent attention you give to your SEO strategy, the faster you’ll see results. Weekly content updates and regular technical improvements will show search engines that your site is active and valuable.

Budget

SEO requires investment, whether that’s your time or money. A larger budget will allow for more comprehensive keyword research, better content creation, and more effective link-building efforts. However, you can still achieve better search engine rankings with a small budget if you take targeted, strategic approaches.

Team expertise

Working with experienced SEO professionals or an SEO agency often leads to faster results. They can identify priorities, avoid common SEO mistakes, and implement best practices from the start. The backing of an SEO agency and their knowledge can help you focus on changes that will have the biggest impact on your search rankings.

Why SEO Results are Worth the Wait

SEO is still one of the most effective marketing strategies, even in the face of AI search tools. This isn’t changing any time soon, despite what LinkedIn alarmists might say. Google just had its most successful year yet and still holds 90.15% of the search market share, while ChatGPT is at 4%.

While the wait for SEO results can test your patience, the long-term rewards of sustainable, high-quality organic traffic make it one of the most worthwhile marketing investments you can make.

Organic Search Traffic is Priceless

Visitors who find your website through organic search are typically more valuable than those who arrive through paid advertising. This is because:

• They’re actively looking for information, products, or services related to what you offer
• They tend to trust organic results more than paid ads
• They often have a higher intent to engage with your business
• They come at no direct cost per click, unlike paid ads

While paid ads stop delivering traffic the moment you stop paying, SEO continues working for you around the clock.

SEO Results Compound Over Time

Unlike paid ads, which stop delivering traffic to your website the moment you stop paying, SEO efforts only compound. Here’s how it works:

• The content you create today can continue driving traffic for years
• As your website gains authority, new content tends to rank faster
• Higher rankings lead to more clicks, which can improve rankings further
• More organic traffic often leads to more backlinks, creating a positive feedback loop

So many marketing channels only offer diminishing returns. SEO, on the other hand, often becomes more valuable and efficient over time when maintained properly.

Website Traffic Can Be Make or Break for Business

Ranking on the first page of Google for relevant keywords can mean a lot more prospects for your business.

• Over 90% of clicks happen on the first page of Google results
• The top three positions in search results get 54% of all clicks
• Only 0.63% of Google searchers clicked on something from the second page

Source: Backlinko.com, 2023

This means the difference between appearing on page one versus page two can literally be hundreds of leads per month for your business. For smaller businesses in competitive industries, this visibility can be the deciding factor in whether you thrive or struggle.

Our SEO Timeline – Real Life Example

The best way to demonstrate both the value of SEO and how long it takes to show results is to show you our own results.

16 months ago, we started making a conscious effort to focus on our own SEO in between client work. This is a cursory summary of what we did:

• Consistently posting helpful content in our topic niche on our resources page
• Improving internal linking on our site
• Making our website faster
• Doing more to demonstrate E-E-A-T to Google

Substantial SEO Success Took 12 Months

Slowly but surely, we started to see success, and then that success started to compound. Here’s a screenshot from Google Search Console showing our organic search impressions over the past 16 months:

Impressions grew gradually throughout most of 2024 and began accelerating starting around September 2024, when daily impressions began consistently exceeding 8,000-9,000.

That brings us to now, March 2025, when daily search impressions are regularly in the 12,000-17,000 range. That’s an 849% increase in search impressions from when we started.

SEO Plan and Strategy

Now that you understand why SEO takes time and why it’s worth the wait, let’s look at how to create an effective SEO strategy that sets you up for success.

Creating a Well-Planned SEO Strategy

Forethought and data are the backbone of any good SEO strategy. Without proper planning, you might waste resources on activities that don’t move the needle for your business.

Your SEO strategy should:

• Connect directly to your business goals (whether that’s lead generation, sales, or brand awareness)
• Account for your website’s current state and competitive position
• Be tailored to your specific industry, audience, and resources
• Include measurable targets and regular review points
• Balance short-term wins with long-term growth

The most effective SEO strategies don’t try to rank for everything at once. Instead, they focus on the content and keywords that will have the biggest impact on your business.

Identifying Search Intent and Long-Tail Keywords

If you want to reach your potential customers, you need to understand what they’re actually searching for and why by doing keyword research.

This is essential to a strong SEO strategy – you should be less concerned about how long SEO efforts take to work and more concerned about whether you’re optimising for the right target keywords. This is what will drive real business value over time.

To get started, you need a working knowledge of search intent and long-tail keywords.

Understanding search intent

Search intent, also known as user intent, is what someone hopes to accomplish when they type a certain search query into Google or other search engines. There are four main types of search intent:

• Informational: Looking for information (‘how to fix a leaky tap’)
• Navigational: Looking for a specific website (‘XYZ Plumbing’)
• Commercial: Researching before buying (‘best plumbers in Canberra’)
• Transactional: Ready to buy (’emergency plumber near me’)

Long-tail keywords

These are longer, more specific phrases that visitors are more likely to use when they’re closer to making a purchase. While they have less search volume individually, they often convert better because they’re more specific. These are also generally low-competition keywords, so you have a higher chance of ranking.

To find the right keywords for your business:

1. Start with keyword research tools to identify terms related to your products or services
2. Check monthly search volumes to gauge potential traffic
3. Assess the competition to find opportunities where you can realistically rank higher
4. Group similar keywords by search intent
5. Prioritise keywords based on their potential value to your business

Creating content that matches search intent is far more effective than simply trying to stuff keywords into your pages. When you understand what your audiences want, you’re more likely to reach them.

What Your SEO Plan and Timeline Should Look Like in the First 6 Months

Let’s break down what your first six months of SEO work should look like for the best results.

Month 1-3: Setup and Foundation

The first three months of your SEO efforts should focus on building a solid foundation. This is when you’ll do the essential groundwork that sets you up for future success.

Month 1: Research and On-Page Basics

The first month is all about understanding where you stand and laying the groundwork:

• Complete thorough keyword research focusing on terms your audience uses
• Use an SEO tool to audit your existing content and identify gaps and opportunities
• Optimise title tags, meta descriptions, and headings on key pages
• Improve your site and URL structure to help search engines understand your content better
• Create an initial content calendar based on your keyword research

Month 2: Fixing Technical SEO Errors

• Fix technical issues like broken links, duplicate content, and crawl errors
• Improve page loading speed on mobile and desktop
• Set up proper redirects for any outdated pages
• Start implementing structured data (schema markup) where appropriate

Month 3: Creating High-Quality Content and Setting Up Analytics

• Publishing your first optimised content pieces
• Setting up Google Analytics so you can measure performance
• Creating a regular reporting system to track rankings, traffic, and conversions
• Finding and fixing any remaining technical issues

Month 4-6: Content Growth and Link Building

With your foundation in place, the next three months focus on building your site’s content and authority.

Month 4: Content Development

Your foundation is set, so now focus on building upon it:

• Ramp up your content production with blog posts, service pages, or resources
• Update and improve existing content that’s underperforming
• Add more depth to thin content pages
• Begin implementing a consistent publishing schedule
• Start promoting your content through social media and email

Month 5: Building Your Backlink Profile

Now it’s time to strengthen your site’s authority:

• Step up your link-building efforts with guest posting opportunities
• Look for unlinked mentions of your brand that can be converted to backlinks
• Improve internal linking between related content pieces
• Reach out to industry influencers to share your best content
• Consider collaborative content opportunities with complementary businesses

Month 6: Analysis and Strategy Refinement

At the six-month mark, take stock of progress and adjust:

• Do a comprehensive analysis of your ranking improvements
• Identify which content pieces and keywords are performing best
• Refine your keyword strategy based on data rather than assumptions
• Scale up efforts in areas showing the most promise
• Start planning more advanced content like guides, tools, or interactive resources

Where Should Your SEO Efforts Be at the 6-Month Mark?

At this point, you should begin seeing measurable improvements in rankings and organic traffic, though results will vary based on your industry, competition, and resources. Your most competitive target keywords might still be out of reach, but you should see movement for long-tail keywords and less competitive terms.

Remember that this six-month timeline is just the beginning. SEO is an ongoing process that continues to build momentum over time, with the most dramatic results often appearing after 9-12 months of consistent effort.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with a great SEO strategy in place, there are a few pitfalls that can completely derail your progress. Being aware of these common mistakes will help you stay on track and achieve better results.

Unrealistic Timelines and Upper Management Pressure

One of the biggest reasons SEO campaigns fail is unrealistic expectations about how long it takes to achieve SEO results.

When executives or managers expect immediate returns from SEO, it often leads to:

• Abandoning promising strategies before they’ve had time to work
• Jumping between tactics without giving any of them enough time
• Making hasty, potentially harmful changes to chase quick wins
• Giving up on SEO altogether and missing out on its long-term benefits

Before you even start SEO, you and your team need to understand that it typically takes at least four to six months to see meaningful results from your SEO efforts. Sometimes, especially in competitive industries, it can take even longer.

Here’s how to manage unrealistic expectations about SEO and get upper management on the same page:

• Set clear expectations with stakeholders from the beginning
• Share regular progress reports that highlight improvements in rankings, even if they haven’t reached page one yet
• Focus on metrics that show momentum, like a higher ratio of indexed pages or increases in organic impressions
• Educate your team about the long-term value of SEO compared to other marketing channels

Forgetting to Maintain and Improve Rankings

Another common mistake is thinking of SEO as a one-time project rather than an ongoing process. Don’t stop the moment you start to see SEO success. The race is never truly won.

Search engine algorithms are updated constantly, and your competitors might be running SEO campaigns as well, with the goal of outranking you. You need to stay on your game and keep putting effort in, otherwise your hard-won positions will eventually slip.

To maintain and improve your Google rankings over time:

• Keep a regular content calendar that includes both new content and updates to existing pages
• Monitor your SEO performance weekly. Look for patterns in any changes
• Stay current with algorithm updates, ranking factors and industry best practices
• Regularly conduct website audits for technical issues that might affect performance
• Continue strengthening your backlink profile from relevant, authoritative sites
• Look for ways to improve user experience based on analytics data

The most successful SEO strategies are those that adapt over time. What worked six months ago might not be as effective today, so being flexible and responsive to changes is essential.

Avoid SEO Experts Who Give Unrealistic Promises

Be wary of the many SEO firms that promise fast results or guaranteed rankings. These are red flags that often indicate questionable tactics that might work briefly but could harm your website’s SEO in the long run.

Watch out for these warning signs:

• Promises of ‘page one rankings in 30 days’
• Guarantees of specific ranking positions
• Vague explanations about their SEO tactics
• Unusually cheap packages compared to market rates
• Claims of ‘special relationships’ with Google

What to Look for in an SEO Team

Reputable SEO professionals will set realistic expectations and explain that SEO is a long-term investment. They’ll focus on sustainable growth through quality content, technical improvements, and ethical link-building strategies.

Remember that no one can promise specific rankings because search algorithms consider hundreds of factors and change regularly. A trustworthy SEO partner will educate you about the process, be transparent about their methods, and provide regular reports that track meaningful metrics beyond just rankings.

When choosing an SEO partner, look for case studies, client testimonials, and a willingness to explain their approach in clear terms. The right expert will help you build a sustainable SEO strategy that delivers lasting results, even if it takes longer to see the initial impact.

The SEO Payoff is Worth Every Minute of the Wait

SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. While it requires patience and consistent effort, the long-term rewards make it one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies available. Our own experience shows that with the right approach, you can achieve impressive growth in organic traffic over time.

The businesses that thrive online aren’t those looking for overnight results. They’re the ones committed to sustainable growth through proven SEO practices. The process might be longer than you initially hoped, but with each passing month, you’ll build momentum.

No two days will be the same. We work with a wide range of businesses, from small one-person businesses to large corporations. If you like variety, and enjoy diversity in the type of work you do – this is a great opportunity!

A little about you

• Great with people
• A keen eye for design with a strong portfolio to back it up. We aren’t worried about years of experience – we’re more interested in your eye for good design.
• A creative thinker who strives for novelty and innovation
• Passionate about the work you do and the outcomes you deliver
• It’s a bonus if you have interest and experience with other forms of media (videography, photography, animation, etc.)

Your responsibilities

• Design practical, user-centred websites using modern design principles
• Collaborate with designers, developers, copywriters, managers and clients
• Work closely with the Director and other team members on design.
• Develop brand guidelines and implement them
• Take responsibility and drive projects forward
• Collaborate and communicate with the team, taking opportunities to contribute to the development of others and get a taste for the other areas of what we do.

Requirements

• A portfolio of work demonstrating a keen eye for detail and a high level of understanding of design and UX fundamentals. Please include a link or document with your application.
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal.
• Ability to collaborate and work well within a team. The ability to give and take constructive feedback is important.
• Experience with modern design tools & techniques (Adobe XD, Figma, other Adobe Creative Cloud tools)

What to Expect at Futuretheory

• A small, friendly team who are passionate about what they do
• Comfortable modern office in Beard (a 5-minute drive from Fyshwick) – away from all the hustle and bustle
• Nearby free parking
• Access to modern software, tools and equipment

You must be legally eligible to work in Australia and be fluent in English.

This is not a remote role, but an in-house position at our office in Canberra.

Questions? Email hello@futuretheory.com.au

How to apply

Apply on our Careers page.

No two days will be the same. We work with a wide range of businesses, from small one-person businesses to large corporations. If you like variety, and enjoy diversity in the type of work you do – this is a great opportunity!

A little about you

• Great with people
• A keen eye for design with a strong portfolio to back it up. We aren’t worried about years of experience – we’re more interested in your eye for good design.
• A creative thinker who strives for novelty and innovation
• Passionate about the work you do and the outcomes you deliver
• It’s a bonus if you have interest and experience with other forms of media (videography, photography, animation, etc.)

Your responsibilities

• Design practical, user-centred websites using modern design principles
• Collaborate with designers, developers, copywriters, managers and clients
• Work closely with the Director and other team members on design.
• Develop brand guidelines and implement them
• Take responsibility and drive projects forward
• Collaborate and communicate with the team, taking opportunities to contribute to the development of others and get a taste for the other areas of what we do.

Requirements

• A portfolio of work demonstrating a keen eye for detail and a high level of understanding of design and UX fundamentals. Please include a link or document with your application.
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal.
• Ability to collaborate and work well within a team. The ability to give and take constructive feedback is important.
• Experience with modern design tools & techniques (Adobe XD, Figma, other Adobe Creative Cloud tools)

What to Expect at Futuretheory

• A small, friendly team who are passionate about what they do
• Comfortable modern office in Beard (a 5-minute drive from Fyshwick) – away from all the hustle and bustle
• Nearby free parking
• Access to modern software, tools and equipment

You must be legally eligible to work in Australia and be fluent in English.

This is not a remote role, but an in-house position at our office in Canberra.

Questions? Email hello@futuretheory.com.au

How to apply

Apply on our Careers page.

Why Making Your Website Accessible Matters

Your website needs to be accessible for many reasons, and not just because it’s good practice. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, over one-fifth of the Australian population (21%) has a disability and may find accessing certain web content challenging.

This number increases even further when you include temporary impairments like broken arms or situational limitations like bright sunlight on screens. If your website isn’t accessible, you’re potentially excluding millions of users from accessing your content or services.

Complying with Laws and Regulations

In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) requires equal access to information and services. This includes digital content, including any public-facing websites or web applications. By making your website accessible now, you’re protecting your business from potential legal issues.

Coles learnt this lesson the hard way in 2014. A visually impaired woman who uses a screen reader filed a complaint under the DDA because its eCommerce platform was not consistently accessible to her. After a lot of bad press, the case was settled only after Coles agreed to make improvements to its website.

Having an SEO-Friendly Website

Beyond legal compliance, accessible websites often rank better in search engines. Search engines favour websites that follow accessibility guidelines because many of these guidelines – like clear headings and alt text – align with SEO best practices. When you make sure your website is accessible, you’re also making it more discoverable online.

An Accessible Website Benefits Everyone

Making your website accessible to people with disabilities benefits all users, and you. For example:

• Clear navigation helps everyone find what they need faster. 
• Good colour contrast also helps people with low vision, making text easier to read in all situations, like using mobile devices outdoors.
• Captions don’t just help people who can’t hear – they’re useful for anyone watching videos in noisy places or quiet environments.
• Simple, logical layouts ensure your website is easy to use for everyone, whether they’re viewing it on a phone, tablet or desktop.

When you build accessibility into your website, you’re creating a better experience for every visitor. This leads to more engagement, longer visits, and higher conversion rates.

This improved user experience can translate into business success: According to The State of Web Accessibility in 2024, a research paper from Accessibility Checker, websites with an accessibility score of 75/100 or higher are shown to have higher levels of revenue.

Accessible Web Design Principles

Before we get into how (and how not) to meet web accessibility standards, you need to be familiar with cornerstones. These cornerstones were written by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) as part of their Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). 

WCAG is the international authority on web and digital accessibility. The WCAG principles are the clearest explanation of what an accessible website needs to be. Accessible web design principles are defined in the acronym P.O.R.E, which stands for:

• Perceivable
• Operable
• Understandable
• Robust

Perceivable

All the information on your website needs to be presented in ways that users can recognise with at least one of their senses. Content should be accessible whether someone can see, hear, or neither. Making content perceivable is vital because if users can’t detect your content through any of their senses, it’s completely inaccessible. 

Operable

All users need to be able to navigate and use your website regardless of how they interact with their devices. Your site should work with a mouse, keyboard, touch, or voice commands. If users can’t operate your website, they’ll get frustrated and leave without completing their goals.

Understandable

Your content and navigation need to be clear and straightforward. Users should be able to easily understand the information and how to use the website without any friction.  If users can’t understand your website, it doesn’t matter how accessible your features are – they won’t be able to use them.

Robust

Your content must be robust enough to work reliably across different web browsers, devices and assistive technologies. The website should remain accessible as technologies advance. If your code isn’t robust, your site might work for some users today but break for others tomorrow.

Tips to Improve Web Accessibility

• Write in plain English
• Use high-contrast colours
• Design, simple, navigable pages
• Use PDFs carefully 
• Add meaningful link text
• Make forms easy and clear
• Make everything keyboard-friendly
• Write helpful alt-text
• Don’t forget to make multi-media accessible

Write in Plain English

Your content should be easy to read and understand. Avoid complex language, technical jargon and long sentences. Break up text into short paragraphs and use headings to create clear sections. This helps users with cognitive disabilities, but it also makes your content more engaging for everyone. We wrote about this more extensively in our article ‘Writing for the Web – Content Guidelines for Better Engagement‘.

Use High Contrast Colours

Make your text stand out from its background. Good contrast helps users with visual impairments read your content, but it also helps all users read your website in bright sunlight or on dim screens. Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

Design Simple, Navigable Pages

Keep your page layouts consistent and logical. Place important information where users expect to find it, use clear headings to structure content, and make sure your navigation menu appears in the same place on every page. A well-organised website design helps everyone find what they need quickly.

Use PDFs Carefully

While PDFs are common, they’re often less accessible than web pages. If you must use PDFs, make sure they’re properly tagged for screen readers and include alt text for images. Better yet, consider putting the information directly on your website where possible.

Add Meaningful Link Text

Make your links descriptive. Avoid vague phrases like “click here” or “read more” – instead, use text that clearly explains where the link will take users. For example, “Download our 2024 price guide” works better than “Click here to download.” This helps screen reader users understand the content and where links lead before clicking them.

Make Forms Easy and Clear 

Create forms that everyone can use easily. Label all form fields clearly, mark required fields, and provide error messages that explain exactly what went wrong and how to fix it. Give users enough time to complete forms, and make sure people can navigate through fields using just their keyboard.

Make Everything Keyboard-Friendly

Not everyone can use a mouse. Make sure users can access all features using just a keyboard. This includes being able to navigate through menus, click buttons, fill in forms, and use interactive elements by pressing Tab, Enter and arrow keys. Test your website yourself by trying to use it without a mouse.

Write Helpful Alt Text

Every image on your website needs alt text that clearly describes what the image shows. Keep descriptions brief but informative – imagine explaining the image to someone over the phone. For decorative images that don’t add meaning, use empty alt text (alt=””) so screen readers skip them.

Make Multimedia Accessible

Add captions to videos and provide transcripts for audio content. Video players should work with keyboard controls, and important visual information should be described in audio. This helps users who can’t see or hear the content and also helps others who might be in noisy environments or using devices without sound.

Things to Avoid For an Accessible Website

• Forgetting to make your website accessible on mobile
• Going overboard with alt text 
• Solely relying on visual or audio elements
• Adding too many distractions for the user

Forgetting to Make Your Website Accessible on Mobile

Don’t assume everyone browses on a desktop computer. Your website should adapt smoothly to different screen sizes, with readable text, tappable buttons, and all features working well on touchscreens. Test your website thoroughly on mobile devices – if users need to zoom or scroll horizontally, your mobile design needs work.

Going Overboard with Alt Text

Don’t write unnecessarily detailed alt text for images. Keep descriptions relevant and concise. For example, if you have a photo of your team, you don’t need to describe what everyone is wearing. Just focus on what’s important. ‘The Futuretheory team at our 2024 Christmas party’ is better than a lengthy description of everyone’s appearance.

Solely Relying on Visual or Audio Elements

Don’t make any content available through only one of the senses. If you have important information in an image, include it as text content too. If you have audio content, provide a transcript. Always keep in mind that not everyone can see your visuals or hear your audio content, so always provide alternatives to non-text content to make sure that your website is inclusive and accessible.

Adding Too Many Distractions for the User

Don’t overwhelm users with animated content, pop-ups, or audio and video content that starts automatically. These can make it hard for people to focus on your content, especially users with cognitive disabilities. They can also trigger motion sickness or seizures in some users. Keep your design clean and let web users control any moving elements. You don’t want your website to feel like Times Square.

How To Check if Your Website is Accessible

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to check if your website is accessible. We recommend running accessibility tests every time you make big changes to your website. You can check if your website is accessible or not by:

• Using automated online testing
• Trying it yourself manually
• Conducting user testing

Use Automated Online Testing

Start with an online accessibility checker. They’re a quick way to spot basic issues yourself. Free tools like WAVE or Google Lighthouse scan your website and highlight problems like missing alt text, poor colour contrast, or incorrect heading structures. While these tools are helpful, they can’t catch every accessibility issue, so don’t rely on them alone.

Try It Yourself

We recommend you also take the time to test your website manually. Try navigating using only your keyboard – can you access every feature, and how easy is it? You should also turn on your device’s screen reader and listen to how your content sounds. View your site on different devices and browsers to check if everything works as it should. Disable images to see if your content makes sense without them.

Do User Testing

The best way to check your website’s accessibility is to have real users test it. Work with people who have different disabilities and use various assistive technologies. Watch how they interact with your website and listen to their feedback. Their experiences will highlight any accessibility barriers that automated tools might miss and give you valuable insights into how to improve your site’s accessibility.

Less is More When it Comes to Accessible Design

Making your website accessible doesn’t mean adding complex features, installing a bunch of accessibility plugins or complicated code. If anything, the opposite is true – the simpler and clearer your website is, the more accessible it becomes. Focus on clean design, clear navigation, and straightforward content. Remove unnecessary elements that might confuse or distract users. When you strip away the complexity and focus on what truly matters, you create a better website for everyone.

Key responsibilities/skills

• Develop WordPress child themes based on supplied website design 
• Write efficient, clean, low-maintenance PHP code and functions
• Utilise WordPress functions, hooks and filters to achieve desired layout/functionality
• Develop Gutenberg Blocks with Advanced Custom Fields using HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript, or React (no page builders ie. WPBakery Page Builder, Divi, Elementor, Visual Composer etc.)
• Setup/manage WordPress sites on cPanel hosting
• Familiar with modern css grid and flex layout
• Configure user friendly WordPress backend
• Add functionality to existing WordPress sites
• Troubleshoot website issues
• Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud applications to export assets for website development
• Communicate with non-technical designers, team members, clients and other stakeholders

Nice to have

• Interact/integrate with APIs to develop custom solutions with WordPress
• Experience configuring and managing DNS
• Experience with UI/UX and website design

Note: successful candidates will be asked to participate in a short coding test.

What to Expect at Futuretheory

• A small, friendly team who are passionate about what they do
• Comfortable modern office in Beard (a 5-minute drive from Fyshwick) – away from all the hustle and bustle
•  Nearby free parking
• Access to modern software, tools and equipment

You must be legally eligible to work in Australia and be fluent in English.

Please note: this is not a remote role. This is an in-house position; you will be working at our office in Canberra.

Questions? Email hello@futuretheory.com.au

How to apply

Apply on our Careers page.

Futuretheory Holiday Closure

The Futuretheory office will close for the holiday period at 5 pm on Friday, 20 December and reopen on Thursday, 2 January. While our office doors may be closed, we’re still here for support if needed. Please email support@futuretheory.co if you need help.

Reflecting on 2024

It’s been a big year, and we’re proud of all we’ve done. Over the past 12 months, we:

• Saw a 5x increase in search impressions
• Maintained a 98.46% client retention rate
• Added some new faces to the team
• Rebranded our studio, Offshoot
• Published 47 free resources

Working with clients like you is our favourite part of doing business. Happy holidays to you and yours, and thank you again for trusting us with your needs year after year.

1. What exactly is an SEO audit?
2. Does your website need one?
3. Can you do an SEO audit yourself?

What is an SEO Audit?

An SEO audit is a detailed analysis of your website to assess how it could perform better on search. It examines everything from how quickly your pages load to whether you’re targeting the right keywords.

A thorough SEO audit looks at three main areas:

• Technical performance, including website speed and site structure
• Content quality, including keyword usage and meta descriptions
• Off-site factors, like your backlink profile and social media presence 

Technical Performance

Your website’s technical performance plays a huge role in how well it ranks on search engines. A technical audit examines how fast your website loads, whether search engines can properly read and index your content, and whether your website works well on mobile devices. It also analyses how well your website is structured for both users and search engines to navigate.

Content Quality

The content on your site is what brings users from search, so making sure it’s SEO-friendly is one the most important parts of an SEO site audit.

This part of the audit examines whether your content matches what users are searching for, how often you use keywords, and whether your pages have proper meta descriptions and title tags.

It also looks at how you’re linking between pages across the site and whether your content is structured in a way that’s easy for readers and search engines to understand.

Off-Page SEO Factors

What happens off your website can be just as important as what happens on it. This part of the audit examines the links to your site from other sources (known as backlinks), how your brand is mentioned online, and how you compare to your competitors. 

Going Beyond Surface Level

The end result of an all-in-one SEO audit from a professional should be a clear, actionable report that outlines:

• What’s working well on your website
• What needs improvement
• Specific steps to fix any issues
• Priorities for implementing changes

Rather than just pointing out problems, a good SEO audit also provides practical advice on how to fix problems and helps you understand what changes will have the biggest impact on your search rankings.

Do You Need an SEO Website Audit?

As a stand-alone service from an external provider? No. While it’s well and good to know your website is a bit slow or some of your headings are missing keywords –  it’s another thing entirely to effectively fix those issues and develop a successful SEO strategy.

While service providers often offer free SEO audits as a lead-in to their services, you’re better off during your research and finding an SEO provider with a good reputation and a clear focus on strategy and going from there.

Rather than a list of technical SEO issues, what businesses actually need is a comprehensive SEO strategy that includes:

• Regular website monitoring and maintenance
• Consistent content optimisation
• Ongoing keyword research and implementation
• Continuous performance tracking
• Strategic adjustments based on results

Many businesses fall into the trap of paying for one-off audits and then struggling to implement the recommendations. Instead, look for an SEO provider who takes the time to understand your business goals first and then plans a concrete strategy to achieve them.

A good provider will naturally include an SEO audit as part of their ongoing service, using the findings to inform their strategy rather than treating the audit as an end in itself.

Performing an SEO Audit Yourself 

Running your own basic SEO audit is always a good idea before investing in professional services. It can help you identify simple improvements you can make yourself, and give you a clearer picture of whether you need expert help.

Free tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics are a great place to start. you can check: 

• Your current search performance – which search terms bring traffic to your website, how many clicks you get, and where your pages rank.
• Technical basics – whether your pages work properly on mobile devices, if Google can access all your content, and whether you have any broken links or pages.
• User behaviour – how long people stay on your pages, which pages they visit most, and at what point they leave your website.

For a bit of a deeper look, I also recommend using Ahref’s Site Audit tool. It’s free and will give you an SEO score that gives you an idea of where your website stands and a list of on-page SEO issues you can fix yourself, like slow page speeds or missing meta descriptions. 

If you’re looking for more free SEO tools, read our list of favourites.

Manual SEO Audit

You can also review your content manually by:

• Reading through your pages to check if your content is clear and helpful
• Making sure each page has proper titles and headings
• Checking whether you’re using relevant keywords naturally
• Looking for outdated or incorrect information

Small Changes That Can Make a Big Difference

These checks often show quick fixes you can make right away, like updating old posts, deleting duplicate content, adding alt text to images, or fixing broken links. These small changes can often go a long way to improve your website and your ranking in search results.

They also help you spot bigger issues with your website’s SEO health that might need professional help, like problems with your site architecture or trouble ranking for competitive search terms.

A self-audit won’t give you the full picture that a complete SEO audit from a professional can, but it will help you understand your website better and make basic improvements while you decide what to do next.

DIY SEO Audit Checklist

Search Console Health Checks

• Look in Google Search Console for any manual actions (penalties from Google)
• Check for errors that stop Google from crawling and indexing your website
• Review your mobile usability report
• See which of your pages Google has indexed – and which it hasn’t

Content Review

• Check all your pages have unique titles and descriptions
• Look for thin content (pages with very little text)
• Look for duplicate content
• Make sure your headings follow a logical structure (H1, H2, H3)
• Review how you link between pages on your site

Technical Checks

• Test your site speed using Google’s PageSpeed Insights
• Check if your website works properly on mobile phones
• Make sure you have an XML sitemap and you’ve submitted it to Google
• Check your SSL certificate is working (your website should start with ‘https://’)

User Experience

• Check if your menu makes sense for users and works properly
• Look for broken links using a tool like Screaming Frog
• Make sure your contact details are easy to find
• Test all your forms to make sure they work

Why SEO Takes More Than Just a Site Audit

Running your own SEO audit is a great way to get started, but getting your website to rank well on search engines takes ongoing work and expertise. 

Search engines update their algorithms constantly, meaning what works today might stop working tomorrow. You need someone to keep track of these changes and adjust your website accordingly.

On top of that, your competitors want to rank for the same search terms too. Without regular monitoring and updates to your strategy, you’ll likely lose ground to businesses that work actively on their search presence.

SEO also goes beyond fixing technical issues. You need a clear understanding of what your potential customers search for so you can tailor your website accordingly, giving visitors the answers they need. This takes ongoing keyword research, content updates, and performance tracking to help you attract visitors who become customers.

How We Can Help

Our SEO team goes beyond simple audits to build strategies that work long-term. Rather than just giving you a list of problems to fix, we:

• Find out which search terms will bring you valuable customers
• Fix technical issues that hold your website back
• Create content that ranks well and converts visitors
• Track what works and adjust our approach based on results

If you want your website to consistently bring in new customers through search, get in touch with our team. We’ll help you develop a strategy that drives real growth for your business.

In this article, we’ll talk about one of the biggest SEO red flags to avoid and why you should avoid it: Pay-for-performance SEO.

What is Pay-For-Performance SEO?

Pay-for-performance SEO, also known as pay-for-results or performance-based SEO, is a pricing model where clients only pay once the provider has delivered results. At first glance, this might sound promising – after all, who wouldn’t want to only pay for results?

For example, a provider might offer to get your website ranking for ‘plumber canberra’ and only charge you when your site ranks on the first page. Many providers even promise specific positions, like spots 1-3, with prices varying according to each position.

This SEO model differs from traditional SEO services, where you pay a monthly retainer for ongoing SEO, no matter how rankings change in the short term. While pay-for-performance might seem like a risk-free approach to SEO, the reality brings more complications – and potential harm to your business.

Why You Should Avoid Pay-For-Performance SEO Services

While the pay-for-performance pricing model seems like a great way to guarantee a good return on investment, the problem lies in the approach that these SEO companies take to deliver such unbelievable results quickly.

Shady Tactics of Pay-For-Performance SEO

To earn their payment faster, less reputable agencies often use black hat SEO tactics – shady methods that violate Google’s guidelines. Think of it this way: if a builder offered to construct your house for free and only charge you once it was standing, wouldn’t you question the quality of materials they might use to cut costs? The same principle applies here – getting to page one of Google takes time and careful work, and attempts to speed up this process often lead to corner-cutting that puts your website at risk.

The shady SEO tactics commonly used by pay-for-performance SEO agencies to look out for are: 

• Keyword stuffing
• Link farms
• Hidden text
• Scaled content abuse 
• Targeting zero-value keywords
• Dodgy performance metrics

Keyword Stuffing

Pay-for-performance providers often cram keywords into your website content unnaturally. They might use the same keyword over and over again to the point the content is unreadable, put keywords in invisible text or stuff them into meta descriptions. While this used to work in the 90s, Google’s spam detection has cottoned on and won’t tolerate it.

Here’s an example of keyword stuffing from Google’s SEO guidelines:

‘Unlimited app store credit. There are so many sites that claim to offer app store credit for $0, but they’re all fake and always mess up with users looking for unlimited app store credits. You can get limitless credits for app store right here on this website. Visit our unlimited app store credit page and get it today!’

Link Farms

These SEO service providers commonly use networks of low-quality websites to create artificial backlinks to your site. They might own hundreds of websites with no real content or value, using them solely to link back to their clients. While many SEO agencies promise this will deliver quick results without any risks, link farming goes against Google’s spam policies and can result in your website being banned from search results.

Hidden Text

This is the practice of placing white text on a white background (or similar schemes) to include extra keywords or links on a page for search engines while they remain invisible to users. Here’s the complete list of what Google defines as hidden text: 

• Using keywords in white text on a white background
• Hiding text behind an image
• Using CSS to position text off-screen
• Setting the font size or opacity to 0
• Hiding a link by only linking one small character, like a hyphen in the middle of a sentence

Scaled Content Abuse

To get quick results, some pay-for-performance SEO providers create large amounts of thin, duplicated content that adds no real value for users. They might spin one article into dozens of variations, create huge amounts of low-quality content using AI, or copy content from other websites with only slight changes. This floods your website with low-quality pages that add no value for your readers and risk Google penalties. 

Targeting Zero-Value, Low Volume Keywords

Another shady tactic involves ranking your website for keywords nobody searches for and then ask you to pay for that ‘performance’. They might get you to rank first for ’emergency plumber in Tuggeranong on Tuesdays’, but this brings little to no value to your business. They use these meaningless rankings to claim success while delivering no real benefit to your bottom line.

Dodgy Performance Metrics

Pay-for-performance providers often highlight impressive-looking SEO success metrics and KPIs that don’t translate to business growth. These are referred to as vanity metrics. These deceiving metrics might celebrate:

• Rankings for keywords nobody searches for
• Traffic spikes from irrelevant locations
• Backlinks from websites in different industries or countries
• High positions on search engines nobody uses
• Rankings that last for a day or two before dropping

While these metrics might look good at first glance in a report, they won’t bring you new customers or grow your business.

If you want to learn more about black hat SEO and how to avoid it, read our article White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO – Everything You Need to Know.

Search Engines are More Savvy Than Ever

The SEO landscape used to be drastically different than it is today. Google’s algorithms and spam protection have gotten better at detecting spamming tactics with every single update. Pay-for-performance SEO providers still try and use tricks and loopholes that might have worked a decade ago.

In recent years, Google has gotten a lot better at:

• Understanding user intent behind searches, not just keywords
• Detecting unnatural patterns in link-building
• Identifying low-quality content automatically
• Spotting keyword manipulation quickly
• Reading content like humans do, understanding context and meaning
• Tracking user behaviour to measure content quality
• Identifying geographical relevance for local searches

This means attempts to ‘game the system’ rarely work for long. Google might take a few weeks or months to catch manipulation, but when it does, the penalties hit hard. Many businesses working with pay-for-performance SEO find their initial ranking success vanishing overnight, often followed by their website dropping lower than where it started.

More importantly, while you might temporarily trick a search engine, you can’t trick your customers. Even if manipulative tactics get you to page one, poor quality content and a bad user experience will harm your brand’s reputation and send potential customers straight back to the search results – a behaviour Google tracks and factors into future rankings.

Sustainable, Long-Term SEO Takes Time

Good SEO doesn’t happen overnight. That’s exactly why pay-for-performance providers should raise red flags. Anyone who promises a dramatic rise in your search engine ranking is lying to you, or at the very least being dishonest about the real business value they’re providing.

Real SEO success comes from:

• Building high-quality, valuable content that answers your customers’ questions
• Earning authentic backlinks from relevant industry websites
• Creating an excellent user experience across all devices
• Developing a strong technical foundation for your website
• Understanding and meeting user search intent
• Building genuine local relevance and authority

SEO is a long-term strategy, and shortcuts won’t pay off in the long run. Think of SEO like building a reputation in your local community – you wouldn’t trust a business that appeared overnight claiming to be the best in Canberra. The same applies to SEO campaigns. Google wants to see consistently good content and genuine value for users.

SEO Isn’t a One-Off Project

The pay-for-performance model treats SEO like a single task: Get to the top of Google and the job is done. This fundamentally misunderstands how search engines and digital marketing work in practice.

SEO requires constant attention because:

• Your competitors are constantly refining their strategy to get ahead of you
• Google updates its algorithm regularly
• Search trends change with seasons and events
• New competitors enter the market
• Consumer behaviour shifts over time
• Technology and devices evolve
• Your business goals and services might change

The ongoing nature of SEO makes it plain why pay-for-performance pricing is inherently flawed – it ignores the rudimentary principles of SEO. It puts the wrong incentives at the forefront, focusing on short-lived rankings rather than long-term success.

What Good SEO Looks Like

A good SEO strategy typically takes 6-12 months to show substantial results and then requires consistent upkeep and tweaking. There’s a lot that needs to happen before you start to see positive results. This timeline reflects the natural process of:

1. Google discovering and indexing new content
2. Users finding and engaging with your website
3. Other websites naturally link to your content
4. Building trust with search engines
5. Establishing authority in your industry

Here’s an example from our own website: 16 months ago, we upped our SEO game by posting more regularly and improving our website’s performance. Slowly but steadily, it paid off. Our site was also unharmed by the Google Helpful Content Updates that saw many other sites crash and burn over the past year. 

This graph shows our organic search impressions over the past 16 months. It took time and a lot of hard work, but we started to see significant results around the 12-month mark.

Black Hat SEO – A Case Study

Now, let’s look at the inverse side of the coin. In October, Ahrefs released a report on the 25 Biggest Traffic Losers in SaaS in 2024 – and it was very telling.

Causal, a finance startup, lost a whopping 99.52% of its organic traffic after Google manually penalised its site in December 2023. This came after Causal gained infamy in the SEO community for pulling off what they called an ‘SEO Heist’ and bragging about it: 

Essentially, they used generative AI to copy their competitors’ title tags and sitemap and published thousands of unoriginal pages, like this:

While it did work for a while – they had almost 9000 keywords ranking in the top 3 on search results – Google soon caught on, and using shady SEO tactics like this is definitely in violation of Google’s Scaled Content Abuse and Scraping policies. Their site’s overall SEO health will probably take years to recover. Was it worth it? No!

Many shady pay-on-results SEO companies promise meteoric rises just like that of Causal. Just be prepared for the fall.

What Google Has to Say

Google has taken a clear stance on pay-for-performance SEO services. In their own SEO guidelines, they warn website owners against working with any company that:

• Claims to have a ‘special relationship’ with Google
• Promises guaranteed rankings or overnight success
• Offers to get you links from ‘high PageRank sites’
• Emails you out of the blue claiming they did an ‘audit’ on your site and have recommendations
• Won’t explain exactly what they plan to do to your site, leaving you confused about what your SEO provider is actually doing

Google actively encourages website owners to report SEO providers who send spam emails promising guaranteed rankings, showing just how seriously they take these deceptive practices. Here’s an example of a dodgy pay-for-performance SEO email we recently received. See how many red flags you can spot, now that you’re well-informed:

Green Flags to Look For When Choosing an SEO Agency 

If you’re on the hunt for the best SEO agency for your needs, certain positive signs tell you you’re dealing with professionals who practice properly implemented SEO and value long-term success over quick profits. Here’s what to look for:

Traditional SEO Pricing Models

SEO is a long-term investment, and reputable SEO agencies typically charge a monthly retainer for their services. While this is typically more expensive than what pay-for-performance SEO agencies charge, it reflects the ongoing nature of SEO work – from content creation and technical improvements to monitoring and adjusting strategies based on results. 

A transparent pricing structure where you know exactly what you’re paying for each month shows the agency values long-term relationships and long-term success.

No Promises That Seem Too Good To Be True

Look out for SEO agencies that speak honestly about timeframes and results. They’ll explain that rankings can fluctuate, that SEO takes time, and that no one can guarantee specific positions. Instead of making grand promises, they’ll discuss realistic goals based on your current position, market competition, and budget.

Clear Strategy and Reporting

Any reliable SEO agency will understand the importance of transparency and share their complete strategy with you. They should clearly explain:

• What work they’ll carry out each month
• Why they’ve chosen specific keywords and tactics
• What metrics they use to measure SEO success
• What changes they make and why
• Regular, honest reports about your website’s performance and SEO results

The best SEO experts never hide behind technical jargon or vague explanations. Instead, they’ll help you understand exactly what they’re doing to improve your website’s performance. If you want to learn more about how reputable SEO agencies do it, read our article ‘How We Measure SEO Campaigns‘.

Takes a Holistic Approach

Good SEO agencies look at the bigger picture to create custom SEO plans for each client. Rather than focusing solely on rankings, they consider:

• Your overall business goals
• User experience on your website
• Content quality and relevance
• Technical SEO, like your website loading times
• Local SEO factors, like your Google My Business page
• Attracting the right audience, not just anyone

They understand that sustainable SEO success comes from improving every aspect of your online presence, not just chasing fleeting rankings.

Futuretheory: Sustainable and Transparent SEO

At Futuretheory, we take pride in our strategic approach to SEO and our transparent communication with clients. We focus on data-driven decisions and real results, not empty promises and keep you in the loop every step of the way. Our 98.3% client retention rate speaks to the success of our methods and the trust our clients place in us.

In this article, we’ll break down what each of these design disciplines entails and how they work together to create effective, user-friendly websites.

What Is Web Design?

Web design is a broad term that covers the overall design of a website. It mainly focuses on the visual aspects of a website. Web designers closely collaborate with web developers, who bring their designs to life using code. Web designers work on:

• The layout of web pages
• Colour schemes and graphic design
• Typography and font choices
• Following responsive design principles (making sure the site works well on all devices)
• Basic functionality and interactivity

A web designer’s goal is to create a site that looks appealing, reflects the brand’s identity, and provides a good foundation for user interaction. A web designer might also have an understanding of coding languages and web development. While web design touches on aspects of both UX and UI design, it’s generally a more all-encompassing term that can include elements of both.

What Is UX Design?

UX design, short for User Experience design, solely focuses on how people interact with a product design, whether it’s a website, app or a piece of hardware. Unlike web design, UX designer goes beyond web browsers and websites. 

For UX designers who specialise in websites, the goal is to create a smooth, enjoyable experience for users as they navigate through a site. 

A UX designer considers the following and aims to:

• Understand user needs and behaviours
• Make websites easy and intuitive to use
• Solve problems users might face when using a site
• Create a positive overall experience that keeps users coming back

UX designers need to have a deep understanding of users. They develop this by conducting user research and testing, as well as creating user personas and journey maps. UX designers also refine the structure and flow of the site, continuously improving it based on user feedback.

A good UX designer looks to solve any problems the user might face. This includes making sure that users can easily find what they’re looking for, complete tasks without frustration, and leave the site feeling satisfied. Rather than just focusing on visual design, the goal of UX design is to make things work well for the people using them.

What is UI Design?

UI design, or User Interface design, focuses on individual visual elements.  While web design looks at the whole website, UI design zooms in on the specific parts users interact with. It’s like the difference between designing an entire car and focusing on making the dashboard easy to use. 

A UI designer considers:

• Designing buttons, icons and other interactive elements
• Choosing colour schemes and typography
• Creating layout grids and visual hierarchies
• Ensuring consistency across all pages and screens
• Making the interface visually appealing and on-brand

A UI designer typically:

• Creates visual mock-ups and prototypes
• Designs micro-interactions (like how a button changes when clicked)
• Considers visual accessibility (like colour contrast for readability)
• Works closely with UX designers to implement user-friendly designs

Good UI design makes a website easy to navigate and use. It translates the structure and functionality defined by UX design into a visually appealing and intuitive interface. While UX design focuses on the overall feel of the experience, UI design is about the look and interactivity of specific elements on the screen.

Web Designer vs UX Designer vs UI Designer

While the roles of a web designer, UX designer and UI designer often overlap, there are key differences in their focus and responsibilities. Think of creating a website like building a house:

Web Design is like being an architect. The architect designs the overall structure and appearance of the house, considering both form and function. They decide on the layout, the number of rooms, and the general style of the house. This is similar to how a web designer plans the overall structure and look of a website.

UX Design is like being an interior designer focused on flow and functionality. They decide how people will move through the house, where to place furniture for comfort and efficiency, and how to make each room serve its purpose well. Just like how a UX designer makes sure a website is intuitive and meets user needs, the interior designer makes sure the house is comfortable and usable for its inhabitants.

UI Design is like being an interior decorator. They choose the colours of the walls, the style of the furniture, and the placement of decorative elements. They make sure everything looks good and fits together visually. Similarly, a UI designer creates the visual elements of a website interface, ensuring it’s attractive and aligns with the brand.

In this metaphor, all three roles work together to create a house that’s structurally sound, functional, and visually appealing. In practice, these roles often blend. Many professionals have skills across all three areas, especially in smaller teams. The key is understanding that each aspect – web design, UX, and UI – plays an essential role in creating user-friendly websites.

Do You Need a Web Designer, UI Designer and a UX Designer for a New Website?

When planning a new website, you might wonder if you need to hire three different people for web design, UI design, and UX design. The answer depends on the size and complexity of your website, and your goals and budget.

For small, simple websites:

You don’t need separate designers. Many web designers have skills in all three areas and can handle the entire project. If you’re a small business or just want a personal website, this is the way to go.

For medium-sized projects:

You might benefit from having both a web designer and a UX designer. The web designer can handle the visual aspects and basic UI, while the human-focused strategy of UX design ensures the site works well for users.

For large, complex websites:

Having separate web, UI, and UX designers can be helpful. Each can focus on their area of expertise to create a more polished final product. This is often needed for websites with lots of different elements and functions, like eCommerce sites or large company websites.

Keep in mind that these roles can overlap, and some designers are skilled in multiple areas. Working with a web design agency (like Futuretheory) usually means that you don’t have to worry about the various skills you need to employ. An agency would handle everything on their end to ensure that your website project is a success and has the expertise and team that is required.

How Web Design and UX Design Impacts Business Success

Good design affects how well a business does online. Each type of design we’ve discussed helps a business in different ways.

Good web design creates a strong first impression and ensures overall cohesion. UI design makes the website easy to use, keeping visitors on the site longer. UX design aims to make the whole user experience positive, leading to happy customers who come back.

When these three types of design work well together, they can:

• Increase time spent on a website
• Improving your website’s conversion rate (turning more visitors into customers)
• Keep users from leaving the site because they can’t find what they’re looking for
• Build trust in the business
• Help strengthen your brand

Finding a balance between all three fields of design solutions matters. A website might look great but be hard to use, or work well but look unprofessional. The best websites do well in all three areas. At Futuretheory, we balance these elements in every web design project we work on. This allows us to consistently create websites that look good and help our clients succeed.

If you’re a business owner who has invested in copywriting, you naturally want to know if you’re getting your money’s worth. Making data-driven decisions about your expenditure is important – but to do that, you need a framework for KPIs.

What is a KPI?

KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. It’s a measurable value that shows how well a company achieves its main business objectives.

Tracking Key Performance Indicators is like keeping a scorecard for your business. They help you measure progress, identify areas for improvement, and optimise your content. Just as you’d use sales figures to gauge your business’s financial health, you can use KPIs to assess your marketing performance.

In the context of copywriting, KPIs should aim to answer questions like:

• Is our copy attracting attention?
• Are readers taking the actions we want them to take?
• Is our copy contributing to our business goals?

Why Measuring KPIs for Copy Isn’t Black and White

Measuring the success of copywriting isn’t straightforward. While the metrics we’ll go over can give valuable insights, no single metric can paint the full picture alone. Good copy might not always lead to immediate sales, but could build brand awareness or trust over time.

I was reminded of this recently as a consumer. For years, I’ve been seeing HiSmile ads – the Australian dental start-up – on my social media feeds. I’ve never clicked on them, but they stuck in my mind. When my toothpaste tube started to dry up, I thought of them. I looked for their brand in the supermarket and bought it. 

That kind of awareness-to-purchase funnel is hard to measure, but it’s impactful content that ultimately drove me to make a purchase.

It’s Hard to Directly Attribute Success

Copywriting aims to persuade, inform, and often, prompt action. But the path from reading to action isn’t always direct or immediate. A reader might see an ad today and make a purchase weeks later. How do we attribute that sale to the copy?

Ultimately, It’s Up to Your Good Judgement

While metrics and KPIs are useful tools, you might never be able to fully quantify the value of good content, and that’s okay. Often, copywriting serves a larger and more long-term goal: building a brand. Good copy can create a lasting impression, build trust, and shape how people see your business. These effects are hard to measure but can be incredibly valuable. 

Always trust your judgement. Consider how the copy fits with your brand voice, speaks to your audience, and supports your overall business goals. Sometimes the most valuable aspects of copywriting are the ones you can’t put a number on.

With that said, let’s get into some metrics that can help you measure the success of your copy.

Common KPIs to Measure Copywriting Success

KPIs people often use to measure the success of copywriting include:

1. Conversion rates
2. Click-through rates
3. On-site engagement metrics
4. Average sales price
5. SEO performance
6. A/B testing

Conversion Rates

Conversion rate is the percentage of people who take action after coming into contact with your business. This is one of the most important KPIs for digital marketing. Conversion rates are a direct measure of how well your online presence works to achieve your business goals.

However, it’s important to note that conversion rates can be influenced by other factors, not just the quality of the copy.

How to Calculate Conversion Rate

To calculate conversion rates, you first need to define a specific action you want readers to take. This could be:

• Making a purchase
• Signing up for a newsletter
• Downloading a resource
• Filling out a contact form

Next, you track how many people visit a webpage or open an email. You then track how many of those people complete the desired action.

The conversion rate is the number of people who completed the action divided by the total number who saw the copy, expressed as a percentage. For example, if 1000 unique visitors see your landing page and 50 make a purchase, the conversion rate of that landing page is 5%.

You can also use analytics tools like Google Analytics to automatically track conversion rates.

Does Conversion Accurately Represent the Effectiveness of Your Copy?

A higher conversion rate can mean your copywriting efforts are working. However, conversion rates don’t paint the full picture. Keep in mind that conversion rates can vary widely depending on your industry, product, and the specific action you’re tracking.

Other factors besides copy can influence conversion rates, like design, pricing, and the overall user experience your website provides. If your conversion rates are low, it doesn’t always mean the copy is poor. It might indicate issues with other aspects of your marketing or sales process.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of people who click on a specific link, search result or call to action in your copy. It’s often used to measure the effectiveness of email campaigns, online ads, web pages and blog posts.

How to Calculate CTR

To calculate CTR, you need to know the number of impressions your link or call-to-action has, and the number of times people clicked it.

The formula to calculate CTR is:

CTR = (Number of Clicks / Number of Impressions) x 100

For example, if your email was sent to 1000 people and 100 of them clicked on a link in the email, your CTR would be 10%.

Plenty of digital marketing platforms, like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and email marketing software automatically calculate CTR and email open rates for you.

Does CTR Accurately Represent the Effectiveness of Your Copy?

CTR can be an indicator of how good your copy is at encouraging immediate action. A high CTR suggests that your headline, call-to-action, or overall message is resonating with your audience and prompting them to engage further.

But CTR doesn’t tell you everything about your copy. It doesn’t show what happens after someone clicks. They might click but then leave quickly if they don’t find what they want.

Other things can affect CTR too, like how your ad looks, where you put the link, or when you send your message. A low CTR doesn’t always mean bad copy. It might mean you’re talking to the wrong people or your offer doesn’t interest them.

Sometimes, a lower click-through rate isn’t a cause for concern if the people who do click are more likely to buy. For example, if your copy helps reach and engage the best customers, you might get fewer clicks but more sales.

On-Site Engagement Metrics

On-site engagement metrics show how people interact with your website. These numbers can help you understand if your copy, and website as a whole, keeps visitors interested and encourages them to explore your site.

After experimenting with lots of tools over the years, Google Analytics is our preferred tool to measure on-site engagement metrics. Getting data straight from the source, and for free, is a huge pro.

Some Google Analytics metrics to track are:

1. Average Session Duration: This shows how long people usually stay on your site. A longer time often means your content is engaging.
2. Bounce Rate: This tells you how many people leave your site after viewing just one page. A high bounce rate might mean your copy doesn’t match what visitors expect or want.
3. Time on Page: This metric shows how long visitors spend on a specific page. More time usually means the content is interesting or useful to them.
4. Page Per Session: This tells you how many pages a visitor looks at during one visit. More page views might mean your copy encourages people to explore your site.
5. Scroll Depth: This shows how far down a page people scroll, and whether users are reading your whole page, stopping at a particular point, or just reading the start.

Do These Metrics Show How Good Your Copy Is?

These numbers can give you clues about how well your copy works, but on-site engagement metrics can be affected by a lot of other factors. For example, users spending a long time on your page could mean people find your content interesting – but it could also mean they’re having trouble finding what they need.

Similarly, a high bounce rate might mean your copy isn’t engaging – but it could also mean people found exactly what they wanted quickly and didn’t need to look further. A high bounce rate can also be completely unrelated to copywriting – it might be that your web pages take too long to load and users get impatient.

When you look at these numbers, think about what you want visitors to do on your site. Are you trying to give them quick information or do you want them to spend time reading in-depth content?

It’s also worth doing a site audit to assess the quality of your user experience and design on your website, including loading times and information hierarchy.

Average Sales Price

Average Sales Price (ASP) shows how much money people spend on average when they buy from you. For copywriters, this number can help show if their words are helping to sell higher-priced items or services.

To work out ASP, add up the total money from all sales and divide it by the number of sales. For example, if you made $1000 from 10 sales, your ASP would be $100.

Does ASP Show How Good Your Copy Is?

ASP can give you some ideas about how well your copy works, but it’s not a perfect measure.

If your ASP goes up after changing your copy, it might mean your new words are helping to sell more expensive items or that your copy is better at explaining the value of pricier products or services.

A higher or lower ASP might come from other things, like:

• Changes in your product range
• New pricing
• Different types of customers coming to your site

Sometimes good copy might even lower your ASP. For example, your copy might succeed at selling lower-priced items to new customers at a higher volume. This can be a great thing, even if the ASP goes down.

When you look at ASP to judge your copy, remember to think about your overall business goals. Are you trying to sell more expensive items, or do you want to bring in more customers with cheaper products? Your copy should match what you’re trying to do.

SEO Performance

SEO performance shows how well your website appears in search engine results. Good copy can improve your SEO by using relevant keywords naturally, keeping visitors on your site longer, and encouraging other sites to link to yours through informative content or thought leadership in your industry.

Common SEO Metrics

These metrics you need to track to measure your SEO performance:

• Organic Traffic: This counts how many people come to your site from search results, not including paid ads. More organic traffic often means your copy uses words people are looking for.
• Keyword Rankings: This shows where your pages appear in search results for specific queries. Higher rankings usually mean your copy matches what search engines think people want to see.
• Click-Through Rate in Search Results: This tells you how often people click on your site in search results. A higher rate might mean your page titles and meta descriptions are engaging.
• Backlinks: These are links to your site from other websites. Quality backlinks serve as an indicator to Google that your site is useful or interesting.

If you want to learn more about SEO metrics, read our guide to measuring SEO campaigns.

Does SEO Performance Show How Good Your Copy Is?

SEO metrics are a lot more well-defined than copywriting KPIs. If the main goal of your copywriting team is to increase search engine rankings rather than, say, building brand awareness, you have a much clearer framework for tracking success.

However, just basing copywriting KPIs on SEO success comes with caveats as well.

SEO isn’t just about keywords. Factors like internal linking, how fast your website loads, and how responsive it is across different also play a huge role in how well your pages rank on Google.

It’s also important to note that writing only for search engines can make your copy sound clunky or unnatural to real people. Even though you might rank higher, this can backfire and damage your brand’s reputation. The best copy balances using the right keywords and sounding natural. Good copy should not only bring people to your site but also help turn them into customers.

A/B Testing – Our Preferred Way to Measure the Effectiveness of Copy

A/B testing allows you to track the difference in performance between your original copy and new versions without so many other variables at play. This means you can quantify a copywriter’s impact while gaining valuable insights into audience preferences. For example, you might measure the percentage increase in conversions or click-through rates achieved by a new copy.

In A/B testing, you create two versions of your copy. Version A might be your current copy, while Version B has changes you want to test. You then show these versions to similar groups of people and measure which one achieves your goals better. This could mean comparing different email subject lines, landing page headlines, or product descriptions to see which leads to more opens, sign-ups, or sales.

Why A/B Testing Works for Copywriting

A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of something to determine which performs better. It involves showing two variants (A and B) to similar audiences and analysing which one produces better results based on a predetermined goal or metric.

What makes A/B testing so valuable for copywriting is its ability to isolate the impact of your words. A/B testing lets you change just the copy while keeping everything else the same. This means you can be confident that any difference in results comes directly from the words you’ve changed.

David Ogilvy, known as the ‘father of advertising’, was a big fan of A/B testing. He put it like this: “Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving.” 

A/B Testing as a KPI for Copywriters

You can use A/B testing a KPI for copywriters by measuring: 

• Improvement Rate: Track how often a copywriter’s new version outperforms the original. For example, if 7 out of 10 A/B tests show improvement, that’s a 70% improvement rate.
• Performance Lift: Measure the average percentage improvement in the desired action (clicks, conversions, etc.) across all A/B tests. A higher average lift indicates more effective copywriting.
• Consistency: Look at how consistently a copywriter produces winning variants. This shows their ability to consistently create effective copy.

How to Use A/B Testing for Copy

To do A/B testing for your copy, start by choosing what you want to measure and setting a clear goal. For example, you might aim to increase your email open rate by 5%. Create your two versions and split your audience randomly to show each version. After running the test, analyse the results to see which version performed better.

It’s important to test one change at a time. If you change multiple things at once, you won’t know which change led to the improvement. 

Audience Feedback and Surveys

Directly asking your audience what they think can give you useful insights into how well your copywriter is doing. It provides direct information from the people who interact with your copy.

What to Ask Your Audience

When you ask for feedback, focus on how clear the writing is, how it makes people feel, and what they do after reading it. You might ask readers to rate how easy the copy was to understand, what main points they remember, and what actions they took afterwards. This shows if your copywriter is getting your message across and making people want to act.

How to Gather Feedback

You can get feedback in a few different ways: Online surveys after people read your copy, emails asking for thoughts on recent messages, or short questions on your website can all work well. For more detailed insights, you might want to interview some customers over the phone. Each method can tell you different things about how your copywriter’s work is being received.

Using Feedback to Check Performance

To use feedback to measure your copywriter’s work, set some goals for each area you’re looking at. Keep track of the scores over time to see if your copy continuously gets better results.. You can also compare different pieces of writing or different copywriters. This helps you spot trends and areas where your copywriter might need to improve.

Qualitative Vs. Quantitative Data

Surveys and audience feedback give you qualitative data, not quantitative. This means they tell you about people’s opinions and feelings, not hard numbers. While this information is valuable, it has some drawbacks.

Qualitative data can be harder to measure and compare than numbers. People’s opinions can be influenced by many things, like their mood or recent experiences. This can make the feedback less reliable than data from things like A/B tests or sales figures.

Also, the people who respond to surveys might not represent all your customers. Often, it’s the people who really liked or disliked your copy who take the time to give feedback. This can skew your results.

That’s why it’s important to use feedback along with other ways of measuring your copywriter’s work. Look at things like how many people buy after reading the copy, or how it performs in A/B tests. This mix of qualitative and quantitative data gives you a more complete picture of how well your copywriter is doing.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Different Metrics

Each metric has its strengths and limitations. Conversion rates can show immediate impact but might miss long-term effects. A/B testing gives direct comparisons but can sometimes oversimplify complex messages. Audience feedback provides rich insights but can be subjective and unrepresentative. SEO performance shows visibility but not necessarily engagement or persuasion.

If all these metrics have their pitfalls, what should you do?

Take a Holistic Approach

The most effective way to measure copywriting success is to use a combination of metrics. Look at quantitative data like conversion rates and A/B test results alongside qualitative feedback from your audience. Take both short-term impacts and long-term trends into account.

Copywriting is both an art and a science. While we can and should measure its impact, we also need to acknowledge the intangible effects that might not show up in our metrics.

In this article, we’ll outline what photos you should include on your website that will help you strengthen your brand and put your best possible foot forward, whether you’re launching a new website or you’re trying to improve your existing site.

We recommend professional websites include:

• Team photos and headshots
• Product photography
• Office or workspace photos
• Action shots
• Graphics
• A hero image

Team Photos and Headshots

People like being able to put a face and a name to a business. Adding team photos and individual headshots to your website can help build trust and make your company more approachable. While you don’t necessarily need to include headshots of every single member of your team, it’s important to have photos of your senior team members and the business owner. Ideally, you’d have photos of customer-facing team members and management.

Product Photography

If you sell physical items, product photos are a must-have. They show customers exactly what you’re selling. Good product images can make the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity. They let people see the details and quality of your products, which helps them decide to buy.

Office or Workspace Photos

Photos of your office or workspace give visitors a peek into your company’s world. For potential clients, these images can build confidence in your professionalism. For job seekers, they offer a glimpse of what it might be like to work with you.

Action Shots

Action shots of your team at work or with clients are valuable because they show your business in motion. They demonstrate to website visitors that you’re active and experienced in your field. Action shots can also help potential customers picture what it would be like to work with you, making your services more tangible.

Graphics

Graphics are a great tool for explaining complex ideas in a simple way. If your product or service is non-physical or complicated, graphics are the way to go.

Selectively Chosen Stock Photos

Original photos are almost always better, but sometimes stock photos are just necessary.  They can help illustrate concepts or scenarios that you can’t capture with your own photography, or fill visual gaps. 

It’s important to be selective when choosing stock images. They can vary a lot in quality. Pick the ones that seem the most natural. You should also make sure they fit well with your brand’s style and message, otherwise, they’ll seem out of place with the other photos on your website.

Hero Image

A hero image is an eye-catching picture that usually sits at the top of your home page and takes up the width of the screen. It’s often the first impression visitors get of your business and it can set the mood for your whole website. A good hero image should be carefully chosen and high-quality. It needs to instantly capture attention and show what your business is about.

Final Thoughts

The photos on your website play a big role in how visitors see your business. Each type of image we’ve talked about helps tell your company’s story in a different way. Good quality, relevant images can make your website more effective at turning visitors into customers. Take time to choose the right photos for your site – it’s worth the effort.

This article will walk you through how to pick images that support your website’s goals, strengthen your brand, and help you stand out. 

Tips for Choosing the Best Images for Your Website:

When selecting images for your website, we recommend you:

1. Use original images wherever possible
2. Consider hiring a professional photographer
3. Be selective when using stock photos
4. Always opt for high-quality images
5. Optimise your images for performance 
6. Be consistent with a theme and a style
7. Use images to tell a story

1. Use Original Images Wherever Possible

Original images make your website more distinctive and build a real connection with your audience. When you use your own photos, graphics, or illustrations, you show visitors true examples of your products or services. Users can recognise original vs stock images pretty quickly, and they appreciate them. Not only do they serve to build your brand identity, they make your website more trustworthy.  People like being able to put faces to a business, and they value quality product photography before making a purchase.

By creating your own images, you gain complete control over how they match your brand’s look and message. You decide on the composition, lighting, and subjects, tailoring each image to fit your needs perfectly. This level of customisation helps build trust with your audience by showcasing real aspects of your business.

Original images also provide legal clarity. When you create your own visual content, you own the rights to it, sidestepping potential copyright issues that can arise from using stock photos or images from other sources.

While using only original images might not always be possible, include them as much as you can. They add authenticity to your website and help you forge stronger connections with your audience. Original images tell your unique story in a way that stock photos simply can’t.

Tips for Taking Original Images

Start by taking product images in a simple studio setup or taking pictures of your team at work to show real workplace scenes. If you’re selling a service or complex idea rather than a product, I’d recommend creating custom graphics that explain concepts visually, like this one from our Small Business SEO service:

Some other options for original images:

• If you offer digital products or services, take high-quality screenshots to showcase them in action.
• Show your office or work environment to give visitors a sense of place and authenticity. 
• Record company events, trade shows, or client meetings to demonstrate your business’s involvement in the industry.

Don’t overlook the power of detail. Focus on interesting aspects of your products or work processes with close-up shots. These can add visual interest to your site and highlight the quality of your product. Below is an example from our homepage. We took the time to ensure the room wasn’t cluttered, company branding was visible, and the whiteboard writing was contextually relevant.

Some final tips: Make sure to use good equipment and pay attention to lighting. Natural light often works well, but artificial lighting is more consistent. Keep backgrounds clean and uncluttered to help your subjects stand out. Maintain a consistent style across your images for a cohesive look on your website.

2. Consider Hiring a Professional Photographer

Taking your own website photos can be a lot of hassle, and unless you have professional equipment and prior experience, the pictures won’t be polished. For a professional website, polished is a necessity. Your website images can make or break the perception visitors have of your brand. Hiring a professional photographer can guarantee you put your best foot forward.

Why Hire a Professional?

Professional photographers bring technical expertise, high-quality equipment,  image editing expertise and a trained eye for composition and lighting. They can ensure your website, products, or services look their best.

Aligning With Your Brand

A professional photographer knows how to capture website imagery that aligns with your brand identity and appeal to your target audience. They can suggest poses, angles, and settings that you might not consider!

Equipment Matters

Professional photographers come equipped with high-quality cameras, lenses, and lighting equipment. This allows them to produce sharp, well-lit images no matter the environment. This is easier said than done.

Choosing the Right Photographer

Before hiring a photographer, take the time to go through their portfolio to ensure the images they take and their style matches your needs. Discuss your expectations clearly, including how you plan to use the images and any specific shots you need. 

3. Be Selective When Using Stock Photos

Sometimes, using royalty-free images is unavoidable. But be warned: poorly chosen images can make your website look generic and unprofessional. The key is to be selective and use stock photos sparingly. When you do use them, select images that align with your brand and don’t look too staged or artificial.

Choosing the Right Stock Photos

Look for images that feel natural and authentic. Avoid overly posed or cliché photos – you know the ones! Instead, go for candid-looking shots that could pass for original content rather than generic images. Here are two free stock photos I found from searching ‘office’ on a stock photo site – there’s a huge contrast between them. One is fine, and the other you should never, ever use!

The first one screams royalty-free image and might make website visitors distrust a professional website. The second one, on the other hand, feels a lot more natural. They look like real employees in a real office. 

Customise Where Possible

Don’t be afraid to edit photos to better fit your brand. This could mean cropping, adjusting colours, or even adding your own elements. Just make sure you’re allowed to modify the image under its license!

Quality Matters

Just because it’s a stock photo doesn’t mean it should be low quality. Always choose high-resolution images that won’t pixelate when resized. Remember, a blurry or pixelated image is worse than no image at all.

Consistency is Key

Make sure any photos you download match the style of your original images. This helps maintain a cohesive look across your website. Mixing vastly different styles can make your site look disjointed and unprofessional.

Avoid AI-Generated Images

The internet is becoming over-saturated with AI-generated content, resulting in two things: 1) People are becoming a lot better at recognising AI, and 2) People are getting sick of it. Even the most well-done photorealistic AI-generated images are still recognisable and slightly unsettling. It doesn’t invoke a feeling of trust and authenticity when coming from a business.

This is weird if you look at it for more than a second.

5. Always Opt For High-Quality Images

Low-quality images can ruin an otherwise great website design. They make your brand look unprofessional and can even drive visitors away. No matter where the images on your website come from – whether they’re original or stock – always prioritise quality. It’s better to have fewer high-quality images than lots of poor ones.

Always use high-resolution images. They should look crisp and clear on all devices, from smartphones to large desktop monitors. Blurry or pixelated images are a big no-no!

6. Optimise Your Images for Performance

Beautiful, high-quality images are great, but they can slow down your website if they’re not optimised properly. Slow loading times can frustrate visitors and hurt your search engine rankings. To keep your site speedy:

• Use image compression tools to shrink image files without compromising image quality.
• Make sure you choose the right image format (JPEG, PNG, or WebP)
• Check the image size before you upload them and resize if needed
• Use lazy loading for images further down the page

If you need more detailed advice on image optimisation, check out our article ‘Optimising Images For the Web‘.

7. Make Your Website Images Tell a Story

Don’t think of the pictures on your website as just decorative. Instead, they should be powerful storytelling tools.  If you choose right visuals for your website and place them thoughtfully, they can convey your brand’s message and values more effectively than words alone. 

Use images to illustrate your products in action or showcase your team at work, giving visitors a real sense of what you do and who you are. Find pictures that elicit the right emotional response from your audience and create a sense of flow throughout your content.

Most importantly, every image on your site should serve a purpose. If it doesn’t contribute to your story or add value for your visitors, it probably doesn’t need to be there.

8. Be Consistent With a Theme and Style

Consistency in your website’s images helps create a cohesive look and strengthens your brand identity. Choose a visual style that aligns with your brand’s personality and stick to it across all your images. This could mean using a consistent colour palette, similar lighting techniques, or a particular photographic style.

Consistency doesn’t mean all your images should look identical – variety is still important. However, they should feel like they belong together, like a well-curated photo album. This visual harmony looks professional and helps visitors navigate your site more intuitively. Users quickly learn to recognise and understand your visual language, improving their overall experience.

How Many Images Does Your Website Need?

There’s no magic number for how many images a successful website has. It all depends on your content, your audience, and your goals. As a rule of thumb, aim for at least one high-quality image per page. This could be a hero image, a product shot, or an illustration of a key concept.

For longer pages, adding an image every 300-400 words is a good guideline. This breaks up the text and keeps readers engaged. But don’t add images just for the sake of it – each one should add value to your content.

Quality trumps quantity. A few well-chosen images will serve you better than dozens of irrelevant or low-quality ones.  And always keep your page load times in mind – too many large images can slow down your site and frustrate visitors.

Ultimately, let your content guide you. If an image helps explain a concept, show off a product, or tell your story, include it. If not, you’re better off without it.

It’s Time to Add New Images to Your Website!

Picking the right photos for your website is one of the most important decisions you can make. Good images grab attention, tell your story, and keep visitors engaged. Bad ones can drive people away faster than you can say ‘stock photo’.

Your website is often the first impression people get of your business. Make it count with images that show who you are and what you do., throughout your website. Whether you decide to take your own photos or hiring a professional, focus on quality and authenticity.

Don’t let image selection be an afterthought. It’s just as important as your written content. So take the time to get it right. Your visitors (and your business) will thank you for it.

A little about you

• Great with people
• Fantastic communication skills
• Detail-oriented and conscientious

Your responsibilities

• Handling phone calls and welcoming visitors/clients.
• Assisting with bookings for Offshoot Studios.
• Ensuring the office environment is well-equipped.
• Creating, reconciling and following up accounts payable and receivable.
• Ensuring office supplies are in stock and ordering supplies as and when needed. 

Nice to have

• Experience in a similar role
• Experience working with accounts payable, accounting systems and related activities

Requirements

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to prioritise conflicting tasks. 
• Ability to work as part of a team and or autonomously.
• High level of computer literacy
• Ability to work occasional weekends when the studio is booked

What to Expect at Futuretheory

• A small, friendly team who are passionate about what they do
• Flexible working hours. This role is new and can be tailored to suit the candidate with the right skills, experience and attitude.
• Comfortable modern office in Beard (a 5-minute drive from Fyshwick) – away from all the hustle and bustle
•  Nearby free parking
• Access to modern software, tools and equipment

You must be legally eligible to work in Australia and be fluent in English.

Please note: this is not a remote role. This is an in-house position; you will be working at our office in Canberra.

How to apply

Apply on our Careers page.

Key responsibilities/skills

• Develop WordPress child themes based on supplied website design 
• Write efficient, clean, low-maintenance PHP code and functions
• Utilise WordPress functions, hooks and filters to achieve desired layout/functionality
• Develop Gutenberg Blocks with Advanced Custom Fields using HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript, or React (no page builders ie. WPBakery Page Builder, Divi, Elementor, Visual Composer etc.)
• Setup/manage WordPress sites on cPanel hosting
• Familiar with modern css grid and flex layout
• Configure user friendly WordPress backend
• Add functionality to existing WordPress sites
• Troubleshoot website issues
• Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud applications to export assets for website development
• Communicate with non-technical designers, team members, clients and other stakeholders

Nice to have

• Interact/integrate with APIs to develop custom solutions with WordPress
• Experience configuring and managing DNS
• Experience with UI/UX and website design

Note: successful candidates will be asked to participate in a short coding test.

What to Expect at Futuretheory

• A small, friendly team who are passionate about what they do
• Comfortable modern office in Beard (a 5-minute drive from Fyshwick) – away from all the hustle and bustle
•  Nearby free parking
• Access to modern software, tools and equipment

You must be legally eligible to work in Australia and be fluent in English.

Please note: this is not a remote role. This is an in-house position; you will be working at our office in Canberra.

Questions? Email hello@futuretheory.com.au

How to apply

Apply on our Careers page.

Why SEO is Important for eCommerce Websites

SEO is all-important for eCommerce websites because it directly impacts your store’s visibility and traffic. After all, 44% of people start their online shopping journey with a Google search (WifiTalents).

When your site ranks higher on search engines like Google, more potential customers can find your products. Increased visibility means more organic traffic and more new customers. Organic traffic, which comes from unpaid search results, is precious. It brings in visitors who are already genuinely interested in your products, leading to higher conversion rates. 

Focusing on increasing organic traffic with SEO also means a more cost-effective marketing strategy. Unlike paid search advertising, which works on a cost-per-click basis, SEO focuses on driving organic traffic. While SEO requires time and effort to show results, the long-term benefits often outweigh the effort required. With a good SEO strategy, you should eventually be able to taper off your paid ad spending and rely mostly on organic traffic from search results. We have a comprehensive article on how organic traffic compares to paid traffic if you want to learn more.

Lastly, one of the core focuses of SEO is improving your site’s user experience, which will have multiple positive knock-on effects. For example, improving your site’s user experience will make it easier for customers to navigate your website, find what they need, and ultimately make a purchase.  

SEO Competition in eCommerce

With thousands of online stores vying for the same customers, standing out in search engine results can be challenging. According to a 2022 study from Meteor Space, 23.6% of eCommerce orders are directly linked to organic traffic, so there’s a lot at stake. 

Larger retailers often dominate the top search results thanks to their established presence and extensive resources. However, this doesn’t mean smaller businesses can’t compete, especially in local searches and niches.
To succeed in eCommerce SEO, you need a well-planned strategy. You need to research and target the right keywords, publish high-quality content regularly, and commit to continuously optimising your site. Focusing on niche markets or specific product categories at first can also give you an advantage since you’re targeting less competitive keywords.

Understanding Your Target Audience for eCommerce

The first step to a strong eCommerce SEO campaign is developing a clear understanding of your target audience. Knowing who your customers are, what they need, and how they search for products can help you tailor your SEO strategy to meet their expectations.

Use tools like Google Analytics to gather data on your current visitors and identify trends. This information can help you understand what search queries your audience uses to find your site and what type of content they find most engaging.

Next, think about the specific problems your products solve. Customers often search for solutions rather than specific items, so incorporating these problem-solving keywords into your content can attract the right audience. For example, if you sell meal kits, focus on keywords related to easy dinner options.

You can also gather useful information by engaging with your customers through surveys and social media to gain insights into their preferences and feedback. This direct interaction can provide valuable information about their needs and how they perceive your brand. Use this feedback to refine your content strategy to more directly address their needs and concerns.

On-Page SEO Best Practices for eCommerce Sites

On-page SEO is a set of measures taken within a website to improve its search engine ranking. It’s one of the most fundamental forms of SEO and the first step in any strategy. For an eCommerce store, not only will optimising on-page elements increase the traffic to your website, but it’ll also increase your conversion rate. The better the experience your website offers, the more likely visitors are to go through with a purchase. Here are the basics:

Improving User Experience

Improving user experience (UX) is the main goal of on-page optimisation. A well-designed, user-friendly website will keep visitors engaged, signalling to search engines that your users find your site valuable. Most of all,  eCommerce websites need to be easy to navigate, with a clear menu structure and product categories and a search bar to help users find products quickly. While easy navigation is important for any website, it’s absolutely essential for eCommerce site architecture. eCommerce searches are often highly specific, looking for an exact product. If users can’t find the product they’re looking for quickly, they will click off and go to a competitor’s site. 

Improving Responsiveness

Having a mobile-friendly website is more important than ever. More customers shop on their phones now than ever. According to a 2020 study into Salesforce research from Statista, 64% of all eCommerce traffic comes from mobile devices. Unless you want to provide over half your visitors a subpar experience, you need to make sure your site is responsive across all devices, with a layout that adjusts seamlessly to different screen sizes.

Personalising Your Website’s Experience

Personalisation is a marketing strategy that uses data to show users content specific to them. It improves the user experience your site offers and, in turn, your site’s ranking. By tailoring content and recommendations to individual users, you can improve click-through rates, dwell time, bounce rate, and engagement. This will signal to Google that your website is valuable and meets user needs.

How to Implement Personalisation

Similar to creating customer personas, start by collecting data on your customers’ behaviour. You can use tools like Google Analytics to track which products they view on your website, what they search for, and their purchase history. This data helps you understand their preferences and tailor your content accordingly.

According to a study from WifiTalents, 67% of consumers prefer to purchase from eCommerce sites that offer personalised content based on purchasing history. For instance, if a customer regularly browses for running shoes, giving them a personalised customer journey by showing them related products or content about running can keep them engaged. 

Email Personalisation

Although we’re moving a little away from SEO here, we also recommend you use personalisation in your email marketing. Segment your email list based on customer data and send targeted emails that address their specific interests and needs. For example, send that aforementioned customer looking for running shoes an email with the subject line, ‘Hey John! Check out our new running shoes’. This will make your email campaigns a lot more effective. The 2022 Retail eCommerce Benchmark Report from Bluecore found personalised emails have a 139% increase in click-through rate (CTR). That’s all high-value traffic going back to your website.

Fixing Technical SEO Issues on eCommerce Sites

Technical eCommerce SEO is the process of improving your website’s performance. Technical SEO has two aspects: improving your Core Web Vitals, a Google ranking factor for SEO that measures your website’s speed and responsiveness, and ensuring that search engines can crawl and index your eCommerce site effectively. The basics of technical SEO are as follows:

• Optimise your site’s structure and sitemap
• Ensure your site is mobile-friendly
• Ensure your site runs fast
• Ensure your site is secure
• Conduct regular site audits

Optimise Your Site’s Structure and Sitemap

Start by optimising your site’s structure. Use a clear, logical hierarchy with clean URLs that include relevant keywords. For example, a URL like www.yoursite.com/category/product-name is more effective than www.yoursite.com/p12345. This structure helps search engines understand what each page is about, improving your chances of ranking for relevant searches. Once you’ve done this, submit your XML sitemap on Google Search Console. This is a guide to your website’s layout for search engines, making it easier for them to find and index all your pages.

Ensure Your Site is Mobile-Friendly

Google prioritises mobile-first indexing, so your site needs to perform well on mobile devices if you want to do well in search. Test your site on different devices and work with a professional web designer to provide a consistent experience across all platforms. You can learn more about this by reading our introduction to responsive web design.

Ensure Your eCommerce Site Runs Fast

Your site’s loading times also play a big role in SEO. Use Google’s Pagespeed Insights to see how fast your website loads for users. If it takes more than 5 seconds for a page to load, that’s a problem. There are a few simple things you can do to improve your site’s loading time. Compress images, leverage browser caching, and minimise JavaScript to improve loading times. A faster site not only improves user experience but also boosts your search rankings.

Make Sure Your Site is Secure

Security is also crucial for eCommerce sites, both in terms of user trust and Google rankings, because they process online payments and personal details. It’s essential that your site uses HTTPS to encrypt data and protect your customers’ information. You can tell if a website uses HTTPS by the prefix “https://” in the website’s URL. It’s usually accompanied by a padlock icon in the browser’s address bar, indicating that the website has an SSL certificate. 

Most reliable web hosting providers offer SSL certificates with their hosting plans. At Futuretheory, we offer secure web hosting plans starting at $20 a month, with enterprise-level security, free SSL certificates, a 99% uptime guarantee and unlimited bandwidth. This guarantees your eCommerce website is secure, fast, and reliable. 

Conduct Regular Site Audits 

Run a technical SEO audit regularly to uncover any user experience and performance issues. Look out for broken links – they can quickly frustrate users and hinder search engine crawling. This is important for all websites, but especially so for eCommerce sites where you might have many more pages and internal links than other sites. You should be using tools like Google Search Console to monitor your site’s health regularly and address any issues, like duplicate content, as soon as possible. Google Search Console is free and should be the number one tool in any website owner’s arsenal.

Off-Page SEO Tips for eCommerce Websites

Off-page SEO is any optimisation strategy that isn’t done directly on your website. The goal of off-page optimisation is to build trust and authority in Google’s eyes through external sources by building your reputation outside of your website.

Link Building for eCommerce SEO

The core of off-page SEO is building backlinks, which are links from other websites to yours. Backlinks to your eCommerce site act as votes of confidence from one site to another, signalling to search engines that your content is valuable and credible. The quality, relevance, and number of backlinks you have can significantly influence your site’s ranking. While you can purchase backlinks for a temporary boost in SEO, Google will recognise these links aren’t of high quality or relevance to your website.

Here are the strategies we recommend that eCommerce businesses implement to build a strong link profile: 

• Create great content
• Collaborate with influences
• Guest blog
• Participate in forums and communities
• Work with manufacturers and suppliers

Create Content Worth Sharing

Publish valuable content that people will naturally want to link to, like detailed guides, how-to articles, or insights about your products. For example, if you sell kitchen equipment, a well-researched guide on choosing the right kitchen tools can encourage food bloggers and culinary websites to link to your site, building up your backlink profile all while you gain exposure with the people most interested in your product.

Work With Influencers

Engage with bloggers and influencers within your industry by offering them a free sample of your product in exchange for an honest review. Ask them to link the product page on their blog or social media. This will drive traffic to your site and give your site an extra backlink.

Guest Blogging

Write articles for reputable sites related to your market. Make sure your contributions are highly relevant to both your products and the audience of the host site to guarantee engagement. For example, if you run a second-hand clothing brand, try guest posting on a website about sustainable fashion.

Participate in Forums and Communities

Actively participate in online forums and communities relevant to your products. Offer useful advice and solutions, and include links to relevant pages on your site when it feels appropriate and useful to the reader. This also has the add-on effect of helping build credibility in your sphere. 

Work with Manufacturers 

If you’re a retailer, ask manufacturers whose products you sell to feature your store on their ‘Where to Buy’ lists. These links are likely to be high-quality and can significantly bolster your site’s credibility and traffic.

Encourage Reviews and User-Generated Content from Your Customers

Reviews and user-generated content are fantastic for off-page SEO. They can be a marker of how reliable and respected your eCommerce site is, and search engines will recognise that. However, you need to actively encourage and facilitate your customers to post reviews. 

These are the best practices we recommend when getting customer reviews:

1. Simplify the Process: Make sure the review process on your website is straightforward. Offer clear, easily accessible prompts and a quick feedback mechanism like star ratings. The easier it is to leave a review, the more likely customers will engage.
2. Follow Up After Purchases: Send personalised emails after purchases thanking customers and inviting them to review the products. This shows appreciation and prompts them to share their experiences.
3. Highlight Reviews: Show off your reviews front and centre on your product pages and social media. This will boost consumer confidence in your products, encourage customers to post a review as well, and also signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy.
4. Respond to Reviews: Actively engage with all reviews, positive or negative. This interaction demonstrates that you value customer input and helps build a positive online reputation, encouraging more reviews.
5. Encourage Social Media Sharing: Motivate customers to share their experiences on social media using a brand-specific hashtag. This will boost your brand awareness outside of search engines, and you can repurpose this content across your own channels. Here’s a simple example: Ask customers to share the unique ways they use/style/love your product with a picture and your brand-specific hashtag for a 10% discount on their next order.

How To Write SEO-Friendly eCommerce Content

While having keyword-rich web pages will go a long way, regularly publishing optimised content through a blog is essential for long-term SEO success. It improves your chances of ranking for a wider range of search queries and increases your visibility to potential customers. According to HubSpot, companies that blog get 55% more website visitors than businesses that don’t. However, simply posting content with keywords won’t guarantee a higher SEO ranking. You need a clear content strategy backed by research and data. 

Here’s how to write SEO-friendly eCommerce content:

• Make your blogs product-centric
• Optimise titles and headings
• Write effective meta descriptions
• Ensure your content is as readable as possible
• Encourage interaction and conversion
• Keep your content fresh

Make Your Blog Posts Product-Centric

Focus your content on areas where you can provide deep value and insights, like detailed product reviews, comparisons, or usage tips. Let’s say your eCommerce site sells camping gear. A blog post called ‘How to Choose the Right Sleeping Bag for Cold Weather’ directly ties into selling sleeping bags while providing valuable information that your audience is searching for. Ranking highly for that query can help you reach customers directly interested in your product. Writing blog posts in your topic sphere will also help Google see you as more of an authority on the matter and might increase your overall ranking.

Optimise Titles and Headings

Make your titles and headings specific to the products you discuss. They should be clear, engaging, and include keywords that your target audience is likely to be searching for. The title should tell the reader that you can solve their query or offer valuable insight.

Effective Meta Descriptions

Good meta descriptions can result in a much higher click-through rate from Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Your meta descriptions need to serve as mini-ads for your content. Each description should include keywords and a compelling reason to click, like highlighting a unique benefit or offering a solution found within the article.

Ensure Content is as Readable as Possible

Every single one of your posts should be easy to navigate and easy to read. One of the best ways to do this is to make regular use of headings, subheadings, bullet points, and images to break up text and make information easier to absorb. Clear, well-structured content helps users find the information they need quickly, which will improve both user experience and SEO. If you want to learn more about how to write clear and engaging content for your blog, read our guide: ‘Writing For The Web – Content Guidelines For Better Engagement‘.

Encourage Interaction and Conversion

End each post with a call to action. Invite readers to leave a comment, subscribe to your newsletter, share your post on social media, or direct readers to your product pages for a purchase (preferably not all 4, as this might be overwhelming). Encouraging users to take further action can lead to higher dwell times and better conversion rates, both of which signal quality to search engines.

Keep Your Content Fresh

Keep your content marketing fresh by regularly updating popular posts and covering new trends in your market. This will ensure your blog maintains relevancy in the eyes of search engines and doesn’t drop in ranking over time. From a user perspective, regularly updating your content will ensure it continues to serve their needs as trends and user needs change.

How to Optimise eCommerce Product and Category Pages

Optimising product descriptions is vital for eCommerce SEO because it directly impacts how your products are indexed and ranked by search engines. Detailed and keyword-rich product descriptions help search engines understand what you’re selling so they can match your products to relevant customer searches.

Don’t neglect your category pages either. Well-structured categories improve site navigation and internal linking, making it easier for both search engines and customers to find products, which can significantly improve the user experience and boost your site’s SEO performance. 

Don’t Hesitate to be Descriptive and Detailed

The more detail you can provide in your product descriptions, the better. Detailed descriptions help your customers understand exactly what they’re about to buy and make it easier for search engines to match your products with the right searches.

Think about how you search for products online – you probably have a pretty clear idea of what you want, so you use specific terms and questions. When your product descriptions answer these queries with details like size, material, and other key features, it makes your products more likely to show up in search results. Customers will also be more likely to buy when they can make an informed decision.

Focus on what matters most to your customers. Describe the key benefits of your products clearly and simply. If it’s a camera, talk about what kind of photos it takes or how it performs in low light. Always include practical information like size and battery life, and be honest about what your product can do. This builds trust and helps avoid returns.

Adding Schema Markups to Your Pages

Links in SERPs aren’t the only way to increase your visibility on Google. Another big component of SEO for eCommerce sites is optimising your products to show up in the Google Shopping tab, like this:

To appear in results like the one above, you need to set up product schema mark-ups on your eCommerce product pages. Schema mark-ups are special codes that help search engines display useful information about your products directly in the search results as structured data or ‘rich results’ with useful details like price, availability, and customer reviews.

Adding schema to your product pages also means that when someone searches for something you sell, they can see important information like whether it’s in stock or on sale right from the search page like this:

This extra info can make someone more likely to click through to your site and buy something. Adding schema markups to your products is pretty simple, and well worth it considering how much it can help eCommerce SEO efforts.

Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper

This tool makes it easy to add schema to your site. You just put in your product page’s URL, and it lets you click on the parts of your page you want to describe with schema, like the price or the number of reviews. As you can see from this screenshot, it’s a pretty simple interface and process:

After you use the Markup Helper, you’ll get some HTML code that you need to put into your website. You might need to get a web developer involved if you’re not comfortable with HTML. Once you’ve done that, Google’s Rich Results Test lets you see if your new schema is set up right. Just plug in the URL of your page, and it’ll tell you if everything looks good or if there are errors you need to fix.

Add an FAQs at the Bottom of eCommerce Category Pages

When writing product descriptions, it’s important to find a balance between human readability and SEO-friendliness. This means it’s not the best place to go hard with too many SEP keywords if it comes at the cost of good writing and clarity about your products. Adding an F.A.Q section to the bottom of category and product pages can be a great opportunity to boost the word count, have more keyword opportunities and give more information to users.

How to Write Your FAQ Section:

Start by looking at the questions your customers often ask in emails or when they call customer support. These are the questions your FAQ should cover.
Once you start writing your FAQs, always remember to keep your answers easy to understand. No need for complicated words or to over explain – straightforward answers are best. Put similar questions together or sort them into categories. This makes it easier for customers to find what they need.

Lastly, remember to add new questions as they come up and update the answers if things change! An up-to-date FAQ is more useful to both your customers and your SEO.

How to Do eCommerce Keyword Research

Keyword research is a cornerstone of SEO. It helps you align your product listings and content with relevant search queries from your customers. Here’s a crash course on keyword research for eCommerce:

Start With Your Product Base

First, list out all your product categories and the products within each category. Describe each item with basic keywords that you think customers might use to find these products. Include variations in product types, materials, uses, and any problem-solving features. This list will serve as the base for your keyword research. 

Use Keyword Research Tools

Use SEO tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to expand on your initial list. Enter your basic keywords into these tools to discover related search terms, including synonyms and variations. These tools all provide valuable data like search volume (how many times a keyword is searched per month) and competition level (how many sites are competing for the same keyword). The perfect keyword to target when you’re starting your SEO strategy is one with a high search volume and low competition since this indicates a keyword is popular but not overly saturated.

Always Keep Search Intent in Mind

Not all keywords are created equal. Some keywords are used by people at the early stages of their buying journey, while others are used by those ready to purchase. For instance, someone searching for “what is the best material for outdoor tents?” is likely in the research phase, whereas someone searching for ‘buy lightweight camping tent online’ is ready to buy.

Targeting keywords according to customer intent helps you write content that meets users at the right stage of their journey, improving the chances of conversion.

Do Competitor Keyword Research

Look at your competitors’ websites and take note of which keywords they’re targeting. Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush can show you the keywords that drive traffic to their sites. This gives you insights into successful keywords in your industry and any potential gaps in your own keyword strategy.

Consider Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that have lower search volume but higher conversion rates. They’re less competitive and allow you to target niche demographics. They often reflect a higher intent to purchase and can drive more qualified traffic to your site.

Continuously Refine Your Strategy

Keyword trends can change based on new industry developments, seasonal influences, or changing consumer behaviours. Regularly revisiting and updating your keyword strategy is essential. Staying agile helps your eCommerce site remain competitive and relevant, maximising your SEO efforts over time.

Partnering With eCommerce SEO Experts

This is one of our longest articles, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to eCommerce SEO. It’s one of the most complex fields to navigate from an SEO perspective. It takes a high level of expertise and a lot of time to see results. Keeping up with the constant changes in search engine algorithms and consumer search habits is a challenge in itself.

At Futuretheory, we specialise in developing SEO strategies tailored to the specific needs of your eCommerce business. We have over 15 years of experience and can help with all the intricacies of SEO to help you achieve lasting success online – whether that’s by writing SEO-friendly content, improving the user experience of your website, or providing guidance for your marketing strategy.

Learn more about our SEO services or get in touch with us to discuss how we can help you stay competitive.

Why is SEO Important for Healthcare Providers?

The majority of patients start their search for healthcare services online and make their choice from there. According to one 2022 study (Patient Access Journey Report, Kyruus Heath), 70,000 healthcare searches are performed every minute in the US, and 75% of patients search online for doctors, dentists, medical care, and other healthcare providers.

If your website ranks higher, it is more likely to be seen by potential patients. Higher visibility can lead to increased website traffic, more patient enquiries, and more appointments. SEO also helps build trust and credibility: if your website appears at the top of search results, patients are more likely to view your practice as a reputable and reliable option.

SEO is also more cost-effective than other popular digital marketing tactics in the healthcare industry. Paid ads – which the healthcare industry in the US is expected to spend $19.6 billion on by the end of 2024 – will only get clicks as long as you’re paying to run the campaign. On the other hand, the benefits of SEO can be long-lasting. Once your website is optimised, it can continue to attract organic traffic without ongoing costs.

SEO Competition for Healthcare

SEO competition in the healthcare industry is intense. Many healthcare providers are striving to rank higher in search engine results, making it challenging to stand out. According to a 2019 WebFX survey, 95% of healthcare organisations use or plan to use content marketing, a key component of SEO. 

It’s also important to note that search engines regularly update their algorithms, affecting how websites rank, for better or worse. According to a 2023 survey from Tebra that analysed digital marketing trends in healthcare, about 66% of healthcare marketers have faced negative impacts from these updates, highlighting the ongoing challenge of keeping up with algorithm changes. It’s important to stay informed and adapt to these changes if you want to maintain or improve your online visibility.

Expertise, Experience, Authority and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) Is Vital

In healthcare SEO, showing Google you have Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)  is essential to ensuring your content is credible and reliable. These elements are particularly important for healthcare websites, where any information you provide can directly impact a person’s health and well-being. This applies to any website that mentions health or personal finance, which Google called Your Money Your Life (YMYL) topics. Google confirmed the importance of these ranking factors in its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, which were last updated in November 2023.

Expertise

Expertise refers to the level of knowledge and skill possessed by the content creators. In the healthcare field, this means ensuring that the information on your website is created or reviewed by qualified medical professionals. Highlighting the credentials of doctors, specialists, and healthcare providers who contribute to your content can significantly enhance your website’s credibility. For instance, including author bios that detail their medical qualifications, years of experience, and areas of expertise can help establish trust with your audience.

Experience

Experience goes hand-in-hand with expertise but focuses more on the practical application of knowledge. This can be demonstrated through case studies, patient testimonials, and detailed descriptions of past treatments and procedures. Showing real-world applications of your services and sharing success stories can help potential patients feel more confident in choosing your practice. Experience is not just about the length of time in practice but also about the depth and breadth of cases handled.

Authority

Authority is about being recognised as a leading source of information in your field. This can be achieved by obtaining backlinks from reputable websites, like academic journals, government health sites, and established medical organisations. Having references with outgoing links to well-respected sources within your content and participating in industry events or publications can also improve your authority. For example, linking to studies published on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website or articles from the Australian Medical Association can improve your site’s authority.

Trustworthiness

According to Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, Trust is the most important member of the E-E-A-T family because untrustworthy pages have low E-E-A-T no matter how Experienced, Expert, or Authoritative they may seem. Trustworthiness means creating accurate, transparent, and reliable content. Ensure your website clearly states who is responsible for the content and how it is reviewed. Transparency about your sources, regular updates to your content, and a clear privacy policy go a long way. Trustworthiness can also be demonstrated through patient reviews and testimonials, which provide social proof of your credibility and the quality of your services.

Understanding the Target Audience for Healthcare Professionals

Identifying your target audience is essential for any marketing strategy. It ensures your efforts are focused on reaching the people most likely to engage with your service. For healthcare providers, this means understanding who your patients are and what they need. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start by analysing your current patient base. Look at demographic information such as age, gender, location, and medical needs. This data helps you understand the types of patients who already use your services.
2. Next, consider the specific services you offer and who would benefit most from them. For example, if you specialise in paediatric care, your target audience includes parents of young children. If you provide geriatric care, your focus might be on older adults and their caregivers.
3. Conduct interviews with your current patients, either over the phone or through online forms. This will allow you to address and identify their specific wants and needs from the healthcare businesses they interact with.
4. Use online SEO tools to gather more information about your website visitors. These tools can show you which pages are most popular, how visitors find your site, and what search terms they use. We have a list of the Best Free SEO Tools, and any one of them will help your understand your audience better and kickstart your SEO efforts.

Knowing your target audience allows you to create tailored and relevant content that addresses their specific needs and concerns. This will improve your SEO by incorporating relevant keywords while also making your website more helpful and engaging for potential patients.

Focus Your Efforts on Local SEO

Local SEO is vital for healthcare providers and medical practices. Most patients search for services close to their location, so your practice needs to appear in local search results at a city and suburb level. According to a Google study from 2017, ‘Near me’ searches for healthcare services doubled between 2015 and 2017 alone, so local SEO can’t be overlooked. Here are the basics for local SEO:

1. Start by claiming and optimising your Google Business Profile. Ensure your practice name, address, and phone number are accurate and consistent across all online platforms. Add relevant information like your business hours, services offered, and high-quality photos of your practice. Doing this will make it a lot easier for both Google and users to recognise that you serve a specific area.
2. Encourage patients to leave positive reviews on Google. Reviews can boost your local search rankings and help build trust with potential patients. Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, shows that you value patient feedback and are committed to providing excellent care.
3. Use local keywords in your website content. Include the name of your city or suburb in titles, headings, and throughout your content. 
4. Create location-specific pages if your practice serves multiple areas, for example ‘General Practitioner Canberra’ and ‘General Practitioner Sydney’. 
5. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as many patients will search for healthcare services on their phones. A mobile-friendly site improves user experience and can positively impact your search rankings.

On-Page SEO Tips for Healthcare Websites

On-page SEO is a set of measures taken within a website to enhance its search engine ranking. On-page SEO is one of the most fundamental forms of SEO and the first step in any strategy. On-page SEO includes:

User Experience

User experience (UX) is crucial for SEO because it directly affects how users interact with your site. A positive UX keeps visitors on your site longer, reduces bounce rates, and encourages them to explore further, signalling to search engines that your site is valuable. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly, as many healthcare searches are conducted on mobile devices. A responsive design that works well on all screen sizes will improve user engagement and help your site rank higher. It’s also important to ensure your site loads quickly –  slow-loading pages can lead to high bounce rates. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix issues that might be slowing down your site.

UX is a big topic, but it’s essential to learn about if you’re a website owner. If you to learn more about how user experience and design impacts your performance online, read our article ‘Does Web Design Affect SEO?‘.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO involves optimising various behind-the-scenes elements of your website to improve search engine rankings. Ensure each page has a unique and descriptive title tag and meta description, which helps search engines understand your content. Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to structure your content, making it easier for users and search engines to navigate. It’s also important to add descriptive alt text to all images to improve accessibility and SEO. Ensure your website has a clear URL structure, uses SSL for security, and includes a sitemap to help search engines index your pages effectively.

High-Quality Content

Creating high-quality, informative content is key to engaging your audience and improving your search engine rankings. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify the terms your patients use when searching for healthcare services and integrate these keywords naturally into your content. Avoid keyword stuffing, as it can negatively impact readability and search rankings. Regularly update your content to keep it relevant and accurate, which not only helps with SEO but also establishes your website as a trusted source of valuable information. Write clear, concise, and valuable content that addresses the needs and concerns of your patients. We’ll go more in-depth on best practices for writing content down below.

Off-Page SEO Tips for Healthcare Providers

Off-page SEO includes actions taken outside of your website to improve its search engine rankings. The goal of off-page SEO is to improve your overall reputation and presence outside of your own website. This sends a signal to Google that your site is trustworthy and valuable. Here are some essential off-page SEO strategies:

Encourage Your Patients to Post Online Reviews

Online reviews can go a long way to improve your local SEO and build trust with potential patients. Positive reviews can build your practice’s reputation and improve your SEO at the same time. 

To build up positive reviews (apart from offering a consistently good service, of course), encourage satisfied patients to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and RateMDs. You can do this by sending follow-up emails after appointments, providing easy-to-follow instructions on how to leave a review, and even placing QR codes linked to Google Reviews in your reception. Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, shows that you value patient feedback and are committed to providing excellent care.

Post Listings on Online Directories

Listing your practice on online directories is crucial for improving your local SEO. Ensure your practice is listed on reputable healthcare directories like HealthDirect, HotDoc and WebMD, as well as general directories like Google My Business and Yelp. Consistency is key—make sure your practice name, address, phone number, and other details are accurate and consistent across all platforms. This helps search engines verify your practice’s information and improves your chances of appearing in local search results. Accurate directory listings can also increase your visibility to potential patients searching for healthcare services in your area.

Link Building

Link building involves acquiring high-quality backlinks from other websites to your own. Backlinks are links from one website to another, and they act as votes of confidence, signalling to search engines that your site is credible and trustworthy. Focus on obtaining backlinks from reputable sources like healthcare publications, local news websites, and professional associations. You can achieve this by writing guest posts, participating in interviews, or collaborating on content with other healthcare professionals. Avoid using black hat tactics like buying links, as these can lead to penalties from search engines and damage your site’s reputation.

How to Write Search Engine-Friendly Healthcare Content

Regularly publishing well-written, helpful content like blog posts is essential for improving your healthcare website’s visibility and attracting more patients. We have an in-depth article on writing for the web effectively if you’re interested, but here are some specific tips for writing healthcare content. You need to:

• Use clear and simple language
• Integrate keywords naturally
• Write compelling titles and meta descriptions
• Structure your content for readability
• Provide accurate and up-to-date information
• Include internal and external links

Understand Your Potential Patients

Start by understanding who your potential patients are and what they are looking for. Conduct thorough research to identify the common questions and concerns your patients have. Use tools like Google Analytics and keyword research tools to discover what terms and phrases people are searching for related to your services. This will help you create content that is relevant and valuable to your readers.

Use Clear and Simple Language

Healthcare topics and medical information can often be complex and filled with medical jargon. Aim to write in clear and simple language that your audience can easily understand. Avoid using technical terms unless it’s  absolutely necessary, and if you do, be sure to explain them in plain English. This makes your content more accessible and engaging for a broader audience, helping patients feel more comfortable and informed.

Integrate Keywords Naturally

Identify the primary keywords related to your topic and integrate them naturally throughout your content. Include these keywords in your titles, headings, and within the body of your text. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can make your content sound forced and may lead to penalties from search engines. Instead, focus on creating informative and valuable content that naturally incorporates relevant keywords specific to healthcare, like ‘paediatric care in Canberra’ or ‘best physiotherapist near me’.

Write Compelling Titles and Meta Descriptions

Your title and meta description are the first things potential patients see in search engine results. Make sure your titles are clear, concise, and include your primary keyword. Meta descriptions should provide a brief summary of the content and also include relevant keywords. Both should be enticing enough to encourage users to click through to your website. 

Structure Your Content for Readability

Organise your content with clear headings and subheadings to make it easier for readers to scan and find the information they need. Use bullet points and short paragraphs to break up the text and enhance readability. This not only improves the user experience but also helps search engines understand the structure and main points of your content. For instance, under a section about ‘Types of Healthcare Services,’ you can use subheadings like General Practitioners, Specialist Services, and Emergency Care.

Provide Accurate and Up-to-Date Information

Ensure your content is accurate and up-to-date. Inaccurate information can harm your credibility and trustworthiness. Regularly review and update your content to reflect the latest medical guidelines, research, and industry standards. This will help establish your website as a reliable source of information and improve your search engine rankings. For example, updating information about COVID-19 protocols or new treatment options can show your commitment to providing current and relevant information.

Include Internal and External Links

Use internal links to guide readers to related content on your website. This helps keep visitors on your site longer and improves navigation. Also, include external links to reputable sources that support your content. This can enhance the credibility of your information and provide additional value to your readers. For instance, linking to a reputable health organisation like the Australian Medical Association or specific medical studies can provide additional context and authority to your content.

How To Find The Right Keywords For Medical SEO

Choosing the right keywords is crucial for optimising your healthcare website. Keywords help search engines understand your content and match it with relevant searches. Here are some specific tips on choosing and using keywords effectively:

• Identify relevant keywords
• Use long-tail keywords
• Include location-based keywords
• Incorporate service-specific keywords
• Use keywords naturally
• Reguarly update and review keywords

Identify Relevant Keywords

Start by choosing keywords that match your services and what your patients might be searching for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find keywords related to your practice. Focus on terms specific to your services and location. For example, if you run a dental practice in Canberra, keywords like ‘Canberra dentist’, ‘teeth cleaning Canberra’, and ’emergency dental services Canberra’ would be relevant.

Use Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that potential patients might use when searching for healthcare services. These keywords often have lower search volume but higher conversion rates because they target more specific queries. Examples include “best paediatrician in Canberra” or “bulk billing GP near me.” Long-tail keywords help you capture highly targeted traffic and reduce competition from broader search terms.

Include Location-Based Keywords

Since healthcare services are often local, including location-based keywords is essential. These keywords help you rank for searches conducted by people in your area. Use the names of your city, suburb, or region in your keywords. For example, ‘Physiotherapist in North Canberra’ or ‘Canberra Medical Clinic’. This helps attract local patients who are more likely to visit your practice.

Incorporate Service-Specific Keywords

Make sure to include keywords that describe the specific services you offer. If you provide specialised treatments or have unique services, these should be part of your keyword strategy. For instance, if you offer cosmetic dentistry, include keywords like ‘cosmetic dentist Canberra’ or ‘dental implants Canberra’. Service-specific keywords ensure that your website appears in searches for the exact services you provide.

Use Keywords Naturally

Integrate your keywords into your content as naturally as possible. Avoid stuffing as many keywords into your content as possible at the cost of quality. Not only will this make your content sound unnatural, but it might lead to penalties from search engines. You should be placing keywords in strategic places like titles, headings, meta descriptions, and throughout the body text. Above all, make sure your content reads well and provides value to your patients while incorporating these keywords.

Regularly Update and Review Keywords

Search trends and patient needs can change over time, so it’s important to review and update your keyword strategy regularly. Use analytics tools to track which keywords are driving traffic to your site and which ones might need adjustment. Staying current with your keywords helps maintain and improve your search engine rankings.

Keep Your SEO Strategy Dynamic

The last tip we’ll leave you with is a big one: SEO isn’t a one-off task. If you want to keep rising in SERPs or even just maintain your position, your SEO needs regular tweaking to make sure we’ve still got the right strategy. The Google algorithm is complex and constantly evolving, which is why a static strategy or a formulaic approach from the internet won’t suffice. You should stay updated with the latest SEO trends, regularly check your analytics to see what is and isn’t working, and consistently produce quality content.

That said, maintaining a consistent SEO strategy takes time and might be difficult to find if you’re a medical professional or business owner with a lot on your plate already. At Futuretheory, we offer a comprehensive SEO with a high level of expertise helping clients across a wide range of industries. We’re dedicated to delivering our clients long-term results that help them reach the right people at the right time. If you’d like to learn more, read about our SEO service or book an intro call.

Why You Should Use An SEO Plugin

While they’re not a one-stop solution, SEO plugins should be installed on every WordPress site as a basic requirement. Popular SEO plugins, like Yoast SEO, All in One SEO Pack and Rank Math, are well worth installing if you use WordPress as your content management system (CMS). Having one of these SEO plugins installed is the bare minimum and ensures you have at least the foundation for good SEO on your website. These plugins are tried and tested, with very little risk to your website involved compared to lesser-known SEO plugins that can cause issues in your site, or worse, have vulnerabilities for hackers and security flaws. 

SEO plugins provide a lot of features like: 

• A recommended word count for your post
• A recommended number of links for your articles 
• Basic site ranking analytics 
• See how SEO-friendly your meta titles and meta descriptions are
• Add schema markups to your site.
• Get an estimated SEO score.

SEO plugins are a great starting point for any website owner and create a basis for further enhancing your website’s SEO. Overall, a free SEO plugin will do a great job of on-page SEO, and paid versions of these plugins will even help with more advanced SEO techniques – but they don’t have a massive impact when it comes to search engine rankings and overall SEO value.

Why WordPress SEO Plugins Aren’t a Substitute for an SEO Strategy

They offer basic guidance, but that’s it. WordPress SEO plugins rarely go beyond the absolute basics of on-page and technical SEO. A common question we get from clients is about all the fields within an SEO plugin. When they edit posts and pages and see a ‘score’ and a lot of green-coloured fields, they often believe that this high ‘score’ will lead to better SEO. In reality, the high ‘score’ is simply an attempt by SEO plugins to simplify SEO for the average person. However, achieving a high ‘score’ here will likely only lead to a 1% increase in SEO, if anything at all. We generally encourage clients and website owners to ignore this altogether.

SEO plugins mainly focus on things like meta tags and keywords. They don’t actually cover important areas like content quality, user intent, or competitor analysis. A good SEO strategy for your website needs a customised approach that fits your specific goals and audience, which plugins can’t provide.

Understanding how users interact with your website is a big part of improving SEO. Plugins don’t give detailed insights into user behaviour, such as click-through rates or bounce rates. These metrics are essential for refining your strategy and are just some of the metrics we use to measure the success of SEO campaigns. It’s also important to note that while plugins help with basic technical SEO tasks, they don’t handle everything. Complex issues like server configurations and the structure of your site need expert knowledge that plugins can’t offer.

SEO Plugins Don’t Do SEO For You

While WordPress SEO plugins can be helpful to make sure you follow the basic ‘rules’, like page title length, it’s still on you to do keyword research and write well-optimised content. SEO requires a deep understanding of your audience and their needs, which plugins can’t provide. You need to identify the right keywords to target and understand the intent behind those searches.

SEO plugins might suggest keyword placements and meta descriptions, but they can’t craft engaging, high-quality content for you. Writing well-optimised content means creating articles, blog posts, and web pages that are informative, valuable, and relevant to your audience. This requires time, effort, and a good understanding of your niche rather than just ticking the boxes.

Plugins often try to simplify SEO. They’re simply an SEO tool rather than something that educates you about all SEO elements or even how SEO works.

Technical Optimisation Isn’t All It Takes

SEO is about a lot more than just submitting sitemaps and ensuring you have metatags. SEO plugins can help with some technical optimisation tasks, but that’s just a tiny part of what you need for a successful SEO strategy. If you want to rise in search results, you will still have to put in the time and effort it takes to do that and do it well.

Plugins also don’t go far enough to ensure the technical aspects of your website are up to scratch. User experience is hugely important and things like checking page speed and for broken links won’t cut it. Web design also plays a huge role in SEO – If your site is hard to navigate or slow to load, visitors will leave quickly, hurting how Google ranks your website. Using SEO plugins for WordPress can help with site speed and structure, but they can’t design a user-friendly site or improve your overall user experience the way a clear SEO strategy and human expertise can.

Plugins Won’t Help You Create Quality Content

SEO plugins will not help you create quality content. It should go without saying that good content is more than just using the right keywords and following basic rules of optimising for search. It’s about providing value to your readers and addressing their needs in a meaningful way.

Plugins can suggest keywords and offer tips for readability, but they can’t understand your audience or create content that resonates with them. Quality content starts with knowing what your audience wants and needs. This requires research and a deep understanding of your market, which plugins can’t provide.

Writing engaging, optimised content also requires creativity and skill. You need to write in a way that grabs your reader’s attention and keeps them interested. This involves crafting compelling headlines, writing clear and concise text, and using visuals to enhance your message. SEO plugins can suggest improvements, but they can’t create this level of engagement for you. If you’re looking for guidance, read our article on how to write for the web and get better engagement from your audience.

Plugins Don’t Help With Off-Page SEO 

SEO plugins don’t help with off-page SEO tasks like building backlinks. Backlinks, especially from reputable and popular websites, signal to search engines that your content is authoritative and valuable. Getting quality backlinks requires a strategic approach that plugins can’t provide.

Building a strong backlink profile means reaching out to other websites, writing guest posts, and creating content that others want to link to. These activities require manual effort and strategic thinking. You need to identify relevant websites, build relationships with other content creators, build a strong brand, and create valuable content that people in your industry naturally want to link to. SEO plugins can’t do this. You need human interaction and a personal touch that plugins simply can’t replicate.

Off-page SEO also includes social media engagement, brand mentions, and online reputation management. These activities help build your site’s authority and drive traffic. Active participation in online communities, engaging with your audience on social media, and maintaining a positive online reputation require ongoing human effort.

Install an SEO Plugin – But Don’t Entirely Rely On It

Every WordPress website should have an SEO plugin, even if it only assists with establishing a foundation for good SEO. Even free SEO plugins work well and will provide some foundational SEO benefits. While how much they actually help improve SEO and traffic to your website is dubious, installing them certainly won’t hurt. I think they can be useful if you’re learning the absolute basic SEO practices. However, you shouldn’t think that an SEO plugin will do your job for you. As we’ve explained, there are still so many other elements of SEO that you will need to be mindful of. No single plugin or tool will do it all for you.

However, ensuring your website visitors can read your content no matter what their spoken language – and that content is translated accurately – means you have some choices to make. You can rely on Google Translate to automatically translate your content, or install a plugin if you’re using a WordPress site. One of the most popular and reputable plugins on the market is the WordPress Multilingual plugin (WPML).

While WPML is probably the most surefire way to ensure your website visitors get accurate translations, it can be costly to run. In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of both so you can decide which one suits your website best. 

Google Translate or WPML – Which is Right for You?

Choosing between Google Translate and WPML depends on your specific needs and priorities. As we’ll go over more in-depth below, both tools have their strengths, but they cater to different requirements. Here’s how to decide which one is right for you:

Use WPML If Accuracy Is Your Chief Concern

WPML is the ideal choice for those who prioritise accuracy and quality in translations. It allows for manual translations and integrates with professional translation services, ensuring that your content is accurately conveyed. This is essential for websites with specialised content, like legal or medical information, where precise language is necessary. WPML also gives you full control over the translations, allowing you to review and edit them to suit your brand’s tone and style. While WPML does require a financial investment, the benefits of having reliable and accurate translations are worth it if professionalism and detail is important.

Rely on Google Translate If Budget Is Your Chief Concern

Google Translate can be a useful tool if you’re looking for a budget-friendly solution. It’s free and provides quick, automated translations for a wide range of languages. However, Google Translate often lacks the accuracy and nuance needed for high-quality content. It might not handle complex or specialised terminology well, which can lead to misunderstandings. While it offers a convenient way to provide multilingual content, it doesn’t meet the standards users expect of serious or professional websites.

In summary, while Google Translate is a solid option if budget is the key deciding factor, WPML offers superior quality and control, making it the better choice for businesses that need accurate and polished translations. 

WPML vs Google Translate

Google Translate and WPML Features

The WPML plugin has an abundance of translation features, including: 

• Support for over 60 languages. You can also add your own language variants, like Canadian French, in their language editor.
• WPML works directly within your WordPress dashboard for straightforward content translation and translation management.
• WPML makes it easy to integrate with the WooCommerce plugin. You can translate your product descriptions and the checkout process if you run a WooCommerce store.
• One of WPML’s biggest pros is the wide range of manual translation options it offers. You can translate content yourself or use their third-party translation services.

Even though Google Translate has fewer features, it’s still a pretty amazing tool that has come a long way since it launched in 2006. Features include: 

• Google Translate supports over 200 languages, with more being added all the time. Just last month, on June 27, Google made an announcement that they’re adding another 110 languages.
• Visitors to your website can translate content almost instantly with a little translation banner that appears to the top right of their screen. 
• Enabling Google Translate on your site is simple. While you do need to change the code of your website, you shouldn’t need more than basic website knowledge to do it successfully.
• The translation process is entirely automated. The translations are machine-generated, so there’s no manual input required. 

Does Google Translate or WPML Provide More Accurate Translations?

When it comes to translation accuracy, there’s a pretty clear-cut winner between Google Translate and WPML:

Google Translate

Google Translate relies on machine learning algorithms. While it has made significant improvements over the years, it can still struggle with context, idioms, and specialised terminology like that of the medical or legal field. The result can be translations that are functional but lack nuance and cultural relevance. This is especially apparent when it tries to translate languages with complex grammar or those less supported by the system, meaning not all the language sit support will translate as well. For general content, Google Translate can be a quick and accessible tool, but it’s not ideal for content requiring high precision or a professional tone.

As a bit of an experiment, I used Google to translate our homepage from English which I’m fluent in. While the translations weren’t necessarily inaccurate, it certainly lost a lot of nuance and clarity after being translated. Overall, it was overly formal and didn’t sound natural at all. Our web design and web developer said the same thing after translating it into Mandarin and Malay. It seems to struggle especially with Mandarin. 

WPML

WPML, on the other hand, can give you more accurate translations by allowing for manual input and professional translation services. With WPML, you have more control over the translation process, meaning you can ensure that cultural nuances and specific terms are accurately conveyed. This is especially useful for websites that require precise language, such as legal, medical, or technical content. It’s powerful enough for corporate, business, or government websites.

Which is Easier to Set Up: Google Translate or WPML?

Google Translate Setup

Enabling Google Translate is easier than setting up WPML. The process involves adding a simple code snippet or using a plugin to integrate the Google Translate widget into your WordPress site. Once installed, users can select their preferred language from a dropdown menu, and the page content is automatically translated. The setup requires minimal technical knowledge, meaning you can probably do it yourself without any web development skills. It’s so easy to do that this short article from Dummies summarises it entirely.

WPML Setup

WPML has a more complicated setup process. After purchasing a licence and installing the plugin, you need to go through a setup wizard to configure your site’s default and additional languages. This involves selecting languages, configuring language switcher options (like where you want the language switcher in the navigation menu or foot), and potentially connecting to translation services. The process is still pretty straightforward but requires more steps and decisions compared to Google Translate.

Which is Easier to Use: Google Translate or WPML?

Google Translate is effortless to use. Once you’ve set up Google Translate, there’s nothing more to be done. However, as we said above, this does come at a cost of customisation, accuracy and natural-sounding language.

WPML, while offering more features, is also user-friendly but involves a bit more hands-on management. The plugin integrates with your WordPress dashboard, meaning you can manage everything in one place right on your website’s backend. You can manually edit and review translations, which can be more time-consuming but ensures higher accuracy and consistency. WPML plugin also allows you to work with professional translation services within your site, adding another layer of management but improving translation accuracy. These more detailed settings and options can seem overwhelming at first, but they’re worth it if flexibility and control are important to you.

Support

As a free tool, Google Translate offers limited direct support for users integrating the service into their websites.  You’ll have to rely on extensive online documentation and user communities for troubleshooting and guidance. While there are many resources available, including forums and help articles, the support is mostly self-service. This can be challenging if you encounter specific issues that aren’t well-documented or need personalised assistance.

WPML, as a premium plugin, has an extensive and well-reviewed support system. Aside from translation accuracy, this is one of their biggest selling points. WPML offers direct support through their dedicated support team, available via tickets and live chat. The team can help with any kind of technical issues, setup, and troubleshooting. WPML also has detailed documentation and a range of tutorials to help you get the most out of the plugin. This level of support ensures that you have access to expert help if you run into any problems or need specific guidance.

Cost

Google Translate is the clear winner in terms of cost since it’s free. On the other hand, costs can quickly run up using WPML if you want professional translation and access to the full suite of features. You have to pay for annually licensing costs, ranging between $39AUD and $329 a year depending on the features you want to include. Here’s what the WPML pricing structures (in euros) look like, as of July 2024: 

Once you’ve paid for the licensing fee, WPML uses a credit system for automatic translation. One word to translate to each language will cost you 1 credit. You can buy packages of prepaid credits, or sign up to pay-as-you-go, where you only pay for the credits you’ve used at the end of each month.

Translation Ownership

Google Translate doesn’t give you ownership or control over the translations it generates. The translations are automatic and can’t be edited. This means you’re stuck with any mistakes or awkward phrases it produces. Also, since the translations aren’t saved on your site, you can’t keep or reuse them if you stop using the service.

WPML allows you to fully own and control your translations. The translated content is stored directly on your website, so you can edit and update it as needed. This gives you the ability to ensure the translations are accurate and culturally appropriate. Because you own the translations, you can reuse or modify them whenever you want.

Compatibility

Google Translate is compatible with most websites, including WordPress. However, Google Translate might not work perfectly with all the elements on your website, especially dynamic content, which is content that changes based on user interactions or real-time data. For example, Google Translate might have trouble detecting and translating content loaded via JavaScript or AJAX. It’s also important to note that because Google Translate performs translations on the fly, it doesn’t store translated versions of your pages. This means visitors might experience delays as the translation is processed each time they load a page. 

WPML is specifically designed for WordPress and offers broad compatibility with a wide range of themes and plugins, including popular page builders, eCommerce WordPress plugins like WooCommerce, and SEO tools. WPML ensures that all parts of your website, including menus, widgets, and other custom elements, can be translated and displayed correctly. This level of integration helps maintain a consistent user experience across different languages and makes it easier to manage translations for more complex websites.

Benefits of a Multilingual Website

Creating a multilingual website can significantly improve your online presence and business reach, through:

• Wider audience reach
• Better user experience
• Competitive advantage
• Multilingual SEO

Wider Audience Reach: A multilingual website allows you to connect with a broader audience by providing content in multiple languages. This is particularly important if your business targets international markets or caters to diverse communities. By offering information in their native language, you make your site accessible to non-English speakers, increasing your potential customer base.

Better User Experience: Visitors are more likely to engage with content in their preferred language. A multilingual website can improve user satisfaction by making it easier for them to navigate, understand, and interact with your content. This leads to longer visit durations and higher conversion rates, as users feel more comfortable and confident when they can access information in their language.

Competitive Advantage: In many industries, having a multilingual website sets you apart from competitors who only offer content in one language. It demonstrates a commitment to serving a global audience and can make your business more appealing to international customers. This can give you a competitive edge in markets where language is a barrier to entry.

Multilingual SEO: A multilingual website can also improve your search engine rankings. By providing content in different languages, you can target specific keywords and phrases in those languages, increasing your visibility in international search results. This helps attract more organic traffic from users searching in their native language. It’s important to note that exclusively relying on Google Translate won’t make your pages indexable on search engines in different languages. Only WordPress Translation plugins can do that.

Cultural Relevance and Inclusivity: Offering content in multiple languages shows that you respect cultural diversity and value inclusivity. It helps build trust and rapport with your audience by acknowledging and catering to their language preferences. This can be particularly important for businesses operating in multicultural regions or serving global customers, or for public sector websites where you have to make information accessible to everyone it applies to.

Do You Need a Translation Plugin for WordPress?

Deciding if you need a translation plugin for your WordPress site depends on a few factors:

Who Your Audience Is: If your website attracts people who speak different languages, a translation plugin can help you communicate better with them. It allows you to provide your content in multiple languages, making it easier for more people to understand and use your site.

Type of Content: If your site includes detailed or specialised content, like technical guides or product descriptions, a translation plugin can ensure this information is accurately translated. This is important if you want to maintain the quality and clarity of your content in different languages.

Business Expansion: If you’re looking to expand your business internationally, a multilingual website can be a powerful tool. It helps you reach new markets and communicate more effectively with customers around the world. A translation plugin makes it easier to manage a multilingual site, so you can focus on growing your business.

The Benefits of a Well-Designed Homepage

Good website design, especially for home pages, goes far beyond just looking nice. Your homepage is undoubtedly one of the most important web pages on your website – ensuring it provides a positive user experience will make your website a more powerful tool for driving forward your goals, like:

• Increased website conversion rate
• Better SEO
• A stronger brand identity

All up, a great homepage can benefit your business by improving brand recall, increasing brand awareness, driving more website traffic, and leading to more revenue. It does this by incorporating your brand’s elements into the design, creating a positive first impression, and being engaging and user-friendly. Let’s dive further into why:

A well-designed homepage serves as the front door to your website and sets the tone for the entire user experience. It’s the first impression users have of your brand, making it essential to capture their interest and guide them towards making a purchase or booking a service.  A good homepage design balances aesthetics with functionality, ensuring visitors find it engaging, easy to navigate, and informative. In this article, we’ll go over what constitutes an effective homepage design and why it’s a design element of your website that should never be neglected. 

Increased Website Conversion Rate

A truly brilliant homepage instantly and clearly communicates what you offer to users and guides them to take further action, like signing up or making a purchase. A simple and clean design is one of the most surefire ways to do this, allowing your product or service to speak for itself. Intuitive navigation and highlighted calls to action (CTAs) will help boost your website’s conversion rate even further. 

Essentially, customer-centric design should always be the top priority when putting together a homepage. By immediately engaging users the moment they land on your website and providing a straightforward path to conversion, you’re more likely to ensure website visitors stay on your website and turn into customers instead of just casual browsers.

Better Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Improving your website’s homepage design to be more user-friendly can make a big difference when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Aside from just aesthetics, excellent homepage design digs deeper into your website performance metrics. Search engines like Google take into account things like loading times, mobile responsiveness, and navigation to gauge the user experience your website offers and rank your page on search results accordingly. An experienced web designer will consider these things when designing a website homepage to make your website as search engine friendly as possible, meaning more eyes on your business and higher ROI. 

If you want to learn more, check out our article about how web design affects SEO.

Builds a Stronger Brand Identity

There are some homepage designs that are seared into our collective consciousness – think Facebook’s OG homepage. Even if you’re not planning on building the next Facebook, a great homepage design can still go a long way to increase your memorability among your target audience. By consistently using your brand’s colours, fonts, and style, you create a visual language that speaks volumes about your brand’s character and values. This consistency not only reinforces brand recognition but also builds trust with your audience. 

What Makes a Great Homepage Design?

Now that you know just how important having a good homepage is, let’s go through some of the best practices of homepage design and web design principles you can follow to ensure your homepage gives users the right impression and encourages them to stay on your website and not navigate to your competitors.

1. Designed With Clarity In Mind
2. Intuitive And Easy To Use
3. Fully Responsive
4. Convincing Calls-To-Actions (CTAs)
5. Resonates With Your Target Audience 
6. Consistent Branding
7. Clear Visual Hierarchy
8. The ‘Less Is More’ Approach
9. High Quality, Relevant Images

1. Designed with Clarity in Mind

A homepage design should always be done with clarity to the user in mind. Often, a simple homepage design is the best way to do this rather than an overly ornate one with too much happening at once. The goal should be to make an immediate impact with a clear message about who you are and what you offer without overwhelming visitors with too much information upfront. This approach ensures users can quickly grasp the essence of your brand and what it stands for, leading them towards the actions you want them to take naturally.  

2. Intuitive and Easy to Use

A well-designed homepage ensures that visitors can navigate your website without confusion. You can make your homepage more easy to use and more intuitive by:

• Organising content logically in order of priority 
• Using clear, descriptive headings and a simple design and menu structure
• Ensure interactive elements like buttons and links are easy to identify and use
• Incorporating visual cues to guide users towards important sections or actions
• Streamline the design to reduce clutter, making it straightforward for users to focus on what’s important 

This approach helps users find what they’re looking for quickly, enhancing their overall experience on your site. By prioritising ease of use, you can encourage longer visit durations and deeper engagement with your content.

3. Fully Responsive

Mobile responsiveness is important across your entire website, but nowhere is it more important than your homepage. If your website isn’t responsive on mobile, the moment people land on it, they’re bound to click off. It’s imperative that your homepage looks and functions seamlessly on any device, from desktops to smartphones. This will do wonders to increase user satisfaction and engagement and improve your bounce rate and SEO.

Web designers ensure a homepage is fully responsive across all devices by using breakpoints, flexible grids and media queries to adjust the layout for different screen sizes. It’s important to test your website’s layout across different devices and browsers so you can fix any issues and ensure your homepage is accessible and user-friendly for every visitor. Check out our guide to responsive design if you want to learn more.

4. Convincing Calls-To-Actions (CTAs)

Strategically including Calls-To-Action (CTAs) on your homepage is vital to guide visitors towards desired actions like making a purchase. Prudently placed CTAs can significantly increase conversion rates by making it clear what steps users should take next. To maximise effectiveness, ensure your CTAs are visible, use compelling language that resonates with your audience, and position them in places where users are most likely to engage, such as near compelling content or at the end of an informative section.

5. Resonates With Your Target Audience

Your homepage needs to resonate with the people who matter most to be effective: your target audience. This means understanding and reflecting their needs, preferences, and pain points in your design and content. Tailoring your message to address your audience directly makes your website more relatable, informative and engaging. Use language, imagery, and offers that appeal specifically to the people you want to attract. This personal touch can significantly enhance user experience, making visitors feel understood and welcome, which in turn increases the likelihood of conversion and loyalty.

6. Consistent Branding

Consistent branding on your homepage solidifies your identity and makes your website memorable. You need to use consistent logos, colour schemes, fonts, and tone of voice that align with your brand across the entire homepage as well as all your pages and marketing materials. This consistency helps build trust with your audience, as they come to recognise and feel familiar with your brand. It also strengthens your professional image, setting a clear expectation of what visitors can expect from your business. 

7. Clear Visual Hierarchy

Establishing a clear visual hierarchy on your homepage is key to guiding visitors through your site effectively. This involves organising elements in a way that naturally draws attention to the most important information first. Use size, colour, and layout strategically to highlight key messages and calls to action. Larger fonts and contrasting colours can make headlines stand out, while a logical arrangement of content ensures a smooth, intuitive flow. 

8. The ‘Less Is More’ Approach

Embracing a ‘less is more’ approach in homepage design can improve user experience by reducing clutter and only focusing on key elements. This minimalistic strategy prioritises the content and features that matter most, making navigation simpler and improving site performance. It’s about using space effectively, choosing colours and fonts that don’t overwhelm, and presenting information in a clean, organised manner. This approach can make your message a lot clearer.

9. High-Quality, Relevant Images

It’s important that the pictures on your homepage aren’t there just for the sake of it. While images are great for breaking up written content, they need to tell a story in their own right. Your imagery needs to look professional and match your content and brand identity as much as possible. While stock images can be highly useful and have their place, it’s best to use them sparingly on your homepage, where branding and storytelling are most important. Consider using real images of your team or product instead. If you don’t have the budget for photography and have to use stock photos, make sure to really take the time to find the best ones and be selective with your choices.

What Content Should Your Home Page Include?

The goal of your homepage is to clearly define who you are and your value proposition to your target audience – any content on your homepage should directly serve that purpose. Start with a strong headline and short blurb that tells the audience who you are and what you have to offer. For the sake of clarity, this section needs to be as concise and sharp as possible. The next thing the user sees should be your most popular products or core services. Customer testimonials or case studies are also a great thing to include front and centre on your homepage – they offer users social proof and increase your credibility. 

To encourage users to take the next step, make sure you include CTAs between each large block of content, like a ‘Book Now’ or ‘Shop Here’ button. Compelling CTAs turn your homepage into an ongoing source of revenue rather than just a brochure. Lastly, make sure your contact information is easy to find if they want to get in touch!

Best Website Homepage Design Examples 

When designing homepages for our clients, these are the rules we follow at Futuretheory. Below are some examples to give you some design inspiration. If you’re looking for even more effective homepage design examples, take a look at our portfolio.

Angel Waste

Angel Waste is a Canberra skip-hire company we’ve been working with since 2021. Their homepage is a great example of web design done right. It’s clear, concise, and consistently branded. We instantly draw the users’ attention to Angel Waste’s value proposition – flexible hire and affordable pricing and made it as easy as possible to book.  The simple design and branding carry over across the rest of the homepage, where we added an easy-to-use booking form and client testimonials. The homepage includes exactly what potential clients need to know, no more and no less.

Natural Eclipse

 Natural Eclipse is an eCommerce store with a wide range of curly hair products. eCommerce stores often pose an extra challenge for web designers – finding a fine balance between simplicity and showing the full breadth of the product range isn’t always easy. eCommerce pages can very quickly become overwhelming if they try and do it all. To counteract this, we kept the colour scheme simple throughout the homepage, letting the imagery be the pop of colour. We also focused on ease of use with an intuitive navigation menu that makes it easy for customers to find what they need. 

Regional Aviation Association Of Australia (RAAA)

RA is a large-scale membership organisation. This homepage design balances showing off all the benefits of membership and website features with a modern, clean and simple design. This homepage demonstrates RAAA’s valuable hub for existing members while drawing in new ones and not overwhelming website visitors with information overload. 

Looking For Custom Web Design?

Futuretheory is a Canberra web design agency experienced in delivering countless website homepages that convert. We’re experts in striking the perfect balance between form and function when designing and developing websites. We have an extensive understanding of what makes a good homepage and a tried and true process that ensures that’s what we deliver to clients every single time. If you feel like your homepage needs an overhaul or you’re looking for an entirely new website, contact us today for a free quote or book an intro call. We also offer a whole range of other services, including marketing, SEO, and design. 

What is Inbound Marketing?

Inbound marketing is a strategy that aims to attract customers through valuable content and tailored experiences. Instead of pushing your message out to a broad audience, you draw your target audience in by providing solutions and information they actively seek.  By creating relevant and helpful content, you build trust and credibility with your audience, ultimately encouraging them to choose your products or services of their own accord. This is known as the ‘pull’ strategy rather than the push marketing of outbound strategies.

Types of inbound marketing strategies include:

• Content marketing
• Social media engagement
• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
• Email marketing
• Webinars
• eBooks and other downloadable informative content

What Is Outbound Marketing?

Outbound marketing relies on actively reaching out to potential customers to promote your products or services. Instead of waiting for customers to find you, outbound marketing pushes your message to a wide audience, aiming to capture their interest and drive immediate action. This method relies on more direct and interruptive techniques to generate leads and sales. It’s interruptive in the sense that people don’t have a choice to see it or not while they’re doing something unrelated to the marketing in front of them. 

Types of outbound strategies include:

• TV ads
• Radio ads
• YouTube ads
• Prints ads
• Cold calling
• Direct mail
• Online display ads 

The Differences Between Inbound and Outbound Marketing Strategies

Know that you have a clear understanding of what these terms mean, let’s get into the inbound vs outbound marketing debate by going over their pros and cons. We’ll start with inbound marketing:

Benefits of Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing tactics have a lot of things going for them. Here’s a closer look at how it can benefit you:

1. Cost-effective
2. Builds trust and credibility
3. Attracts quality leads
4. Long-term results
5. Improves customer relationships
6. Measurable results

1. Cost-Effective

Inbound marketing often costs less than traditional advertising methods in the long run. Creating content like blog posts, videos, and social media updates is usually more affordable than running paid ads. Over time, this content will continue to attract traffic without you needing to consistently invest more money like you would running advertising campaigns.

2. Builds Trust and Credibility

Inbound marketing focuses on consistently delivering helpful and relevant content, you position your business as an expert in your field. When potential customers see that you understand their problems and can offer solutions, they’re more likely to trust your brand and consider becoming a customer.

3. Attracts Quality Leads

Inbound marketing targets people who are already interested in what you offer. Techniques like SEO ensure your content appears when people search for topics related to your business, whereas most ads target people when they’re going about their business. This means the visitors you attract are more likely to be genuinely interested, resulting in higher-quality leads that are easier to convert into customers.

4. Long-Term Results

Another key advantage of inbound marketing is that the content you create has lasting value. Unlike a paid ad campaign that stops generating leads once the budget is exhausted, a well-optimised blog post or video can continue to attract visitors for months or even years. This provides ongoing traffic and lead generation, keeping your business visible and relevant.

5. Improves Customer Relationships

Engaging with your audience through personalised content, email newsletters, and social media interactions helps build stronger relationships. Responding to comments, answering questions, and providing tailored information shows that you value your customers. This personalised approach fosters loyalty and encourages repeat business.

6. Measurable Results

Inbound marketing tends to be easier to track and assess compared to outbound marketing. Tools like Google Analytics and social media insights provide detailed data on how your content is performing, who is engaging with it, and how it is driving traffic and leads. This helps you refine your strategy and focus on what works best for your audience.

Challenges of Inbound Marketing

While inbound marketing has plenty of advantages, it also comes with certain challenges:

1. Time-consuming
2. Needs consistency
3. Needs expertise
4. Content saturation
5. Slow ROI

1. Time-Consuming

Writing and publishing blog posts, recording and editing videos, and managing social media accounts takes a lot of time and effort. It might take a bit of trial and error to discover what works best for your target audience. The payoff of inbound marketing efforts isn’t immediate either, meaning patience is a virtue if you want them to work.

2. Needs Consistency

Search engines, social media algorithms, and audiences favour a consistent posting schedule. This means the success of your inbound marketing campaigns is highly dependent on your ability to produce and share content consistently. This can be demanding on you or your marketing team. 

3. Needs Expertise

For your inbound marketing to be effective, you need at least a basic understanding of SEO, as well as how to create engaging content and manage a social media account. You might need to invest in training or hire staff with expertise if you want it to work.

4. Content Saturation

The internet is flooded with content, and it can be difficult to stand out. Your content has to be unique, relevant, and high quality to capture your audience’s attention. This means you need to maintain a consistent level of creativity and innovation if you don’t want to get lost in the crowd. If you work in a particularly niche field, this can be extra difficult – there are only so many blog posts you can write about reusable sandwich bags, for instance.

5. Slow ROI

Building an audience and gaining traction through content can be a gradual process. Inbound marketing often takes longer to show a return on investment than traditional marketing techniques. This is one of the most significant differences between outbound and inbound marketing: inbound marketing takes time but delivers more sustained results, whereas outbound marketing, like running ads, has near-instant results but for only as long as you’re actively running campaigns.

Benefits of Outbound Marketing

Before the advent of the Internet, outbound marketing was pretty much the only option people had. Even though the focus has shifted to inbound marketing methods, outbound marketing definitely still has its place and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Outbound marketing has its own set of strengths that can effectively boost your business. Here are some of the main benefits:

1. Wider reach
2. Immediate results
3. Easier to control
4. Great for product launches

1. Wider Reach

Outbound marketing methods like TV, radio, and print ads can quickly reach a broad audience. These marketing channels have extensive coverage, meaning you can expose your brand to a large number of people in a short time. This is particularly useful for increasing brand awareness and establishing a presence in the market.

2. Immediate Results

Techniques like cold calling, direct mail, and display ads can generate quick responses. When you need to boost sales or promote a time-sensitive offer, outbound marketing can drive immediate action. For example, a limited-time discount promoted through direct mail can prompt quick purchases from targeted customers.

3. Easier to Control

With outbound marketing, you have more control over the timing and placement of your message. You can choose when and where your ads appear, so that they reach your intended audience at the right time. This precise targeting helps you focus on specific demographics, geographic areas, or customer segments, maximising the impact of your campaigns. For example, placing a billboard near your business is more direct than posting blogs than using your location as a keyword and waiting until it reaches the right people. 

4. Great for Product Launches

When launching a new product or entering a new market, outbound marketing can spread the word quicker than inbound methods like blogging. By using mass media channels, you can create an initial buzz that drives early sales and market penetration. This rapid exposure can help you establish your product in the minds of consumers sooner rather than later and encourage them to make a purchase.

Challenges of Outbound Marketing

Despite its benefits, outbound marketing also comes with several challenges that businesses need to consider. Here are some of the key challenges:

1. High costs
2. Interruptive 
3. Lower ROI
4. Harder to track success
5. Decreasing effectiveness
6. Less targeted
7. Customer resistance

1. High Costs

Outbound marketing methods like TV, radio, and print ads can be expensive. The costs of producing and distributing these ads add up quickly, especially if you aim for a wide reach. Small businesses may find these expenses challenging to justify.

2. Interruptive

Outbound marketing often interrupts the audience with unsolicited messages. This can lead to negative perceptions of your brand, as people generally prefer not to be interrupted by ads while watching TV or browsing online. The intrusiveness can make it harder to build a positive relationship with potential customers.

3. Lower ROI

Outbound marketing can have a lower return on investment than inbound marketing. The broad targeting approach may reach many uninterested individuals, resulting in lower conversion rates. You’re essentially trying to catch a few fish with a wide net. This makes it harder to justify the high costs associated with these campaigns.

4. Harder to Track Success

Inbound marketing can be difficult to track. Unlike digital marketing strategies, where you can easily measure clicks, views, and conversions, traditional methods like TV and print ads lack precise metrics. This makes it harder to assess the impact of your efforts and refine your strategy.

5. Decreasing Effectiveness

With the rise of digital media, traditional outbound marketing methods are becoming less effective. Audiences are shifting towards online content, and many people use ad-blockers or skip commercials, reducing the reach and impact of traditional ads on the internet. Staying relevant today means you have to adapt to these changes.

6. Less Targeted

Outbound marketing generally targets a broad audience, making it less precise than inbound marketing. This means your message may reach many people who are not interested in your products or services. Without the ability to target specific segments, your campaigns may be less efficient and cost-effective.

7. Customer Resistance

Modern consumers are increasingly resistant to traditional advertising. As of 2024, the average person sees around 10,000 ads per day, though only a quarter of that or less will be relevant (Siteefy). That’s a staggering number. This means it’s harder for ads to stand out and they less and less persuade people. This is referred to as ‘ad blindness’. According to a 2013 study by Infolinks, 86% of web users experience ad blindness with banners. That number is bound to be a lot higher today. To counteract this, there’s been a shift to more authentic and organic methods that inbound marketing favours.

What do the Stats Say?

The stats do not weigh in favour of the more traditional outbound marketing. According to a study from Invesp: and another study from WifiTalents:

• Inbound leads cost 61% less on average than outbound leads
• Inbound tactics, as opposed to outbound, generate three times more leads per dollar
• The average cost per lead drops 80% after 5 months of consistent inbound marketing
• Inbound marketers double the average site conversion rate, from 6% to 12% total
• Only 18% of marketers believe outbound marketing can produce high-quality leads

Cost Breakdown: Outbound Vs. Inbound Marketing

To understand the financial implications of outbound and inbound marketing, let’s compare two fictional companies with distinct strategies. This breakdown will conceptualise some of the costs involved and provide insight into the effectiveness of each approach. This is purely for illustrative purposes – the numbers are just approximations!

OutboundCo’s Strategy: Outbound Marketing

OutboundCo, a fictional company aiming for rapid brand awareness, invests heavily in traditional outbound marketing. Here’s a snapshot of their monthly expenses:

• TV Ads: With a prime-time slot costing $50,000 and 10 slots per month, OutboundCo spends $500,000 monthly on TV ads.
• Radio Ads: Each 30-second spot costs $1,500. OutboundCo runs 100 spots a month, totalling $150,000.
• Print Ads: Full-page ads in magazines and newspapers cost $10,000 each. Running 15 ads per month costs $150,000.
• Billboards: Each billboard costs $5,000. With 20 billboards, the monthly expense is $100,000.
• Direct Mail Campaign: Sending out 200,000 mail pieces at $1 each results in a monthly cost of $200,000.
• Cold Calling Campaign: At $2 per call, with 50,000 calls made, the monthly cost is $100,000.

Total Monthly Cost for Outbound Marketing: $1,200,000

InboundCo’s Strategy: Inbound Marketing

InboundCo, another fictional company, focuses on attracting customers through valuable content and organic engagement. Here’s how their monthly budget breaks down:

• Content Creation: 20 blog posts at $200 each cost $4,000, and 2 ebooks or whitepapers at $1,000 each cost $2,000.
• Social Media Management: Monthly social media management costs $5,000.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): Monthly SEO services cost $3,000.
• Email Marketing: Email marketing software costs $500 monthly, and 10 email campaigns at $100 each add up to $1,000.
• Video Marketing: Creating 5 videos at $1,500 each costs $7,500.
• Webinars: Hosting 2 webinars at $1,000 each costs $2,000.

Total Monthly Cost for Inbound Marketing: $24,500

Comparison and Analysis

OutboundCo spends a staggering $1.2 million monthly, going full throttle with outbound marketing efforts. This broad approach helps them reach a wide audience quickly through TV, radio, and print ads, billboards, direct mail, and cold calls. However, the high cost, combined with the interruptive nature of these methods, often results in lower engagement and ROI challenges. If they want to maintain those engagement rates, they have to keep spending at that rate.

In contrast, InboundCo spends $24,500 monthly on a comprehensive inbound marketing strategy. Their strategy focuses on creating valuable content, managing social media, optimising for search engines, and engaging through email and webinars. This approach targets a more interested audience, with efforts that continue to pay off long-term through sustained traffic and engagement. Over time, InboundCo is able to lower their monthly marketing spend and still sustain traffic thanks to their higher rank in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS) and the loyal audience base they’ve built.

Choosing between inbound and outbound marketing depends on your business goals, target audience, and resources. Here’s a guide to help you decide which strategy might be the best fit for you:

Inbound Or Outbound Marketing Strategies – Which Is Right For You?

Outbound Marketing is Right for You If…

• You Need Immediate Results: Outbound marketing can generate quick responses, making it ideal for time-sensitive campaigns or boosting short-term sales.
• You Have a Large Budget: Traditional advertising methods like TV, radio, and print ads can be expensive. If your business has the financial resources, outbound marketing can achieve broad reach.
• Your Audience is Broad: If your target market is large and not highly specialised, outbound marketing can effectively spread your message to a wide audience.
• You Want to Build Brand Awareness Quickly: Outbound marketing can help you rapidly increase visibility and brand recognition, especially in new markets or for new product launches.

Inbound Marketing is Right for You If…

• You Have a Limited Budget: Inbound marketing is generally more cost-effective. You can create valuable content and build organic reach on smaller budgets than outbound forms of marketing.
• You Aim for Long-Term Results: Inbound marketing focuses on building relationships and providing value over time, which can lead to sustained engagement and loyalty.
• Your Audience is Specific and Engaged: If you know your target audience’s interests and behaviours, inbound marketing allows you to tailor content that resonates with them and draws them in.
• You Prefer Measurable and Adjustable Strategies: Inbound marketing provides detailed analytics, allowing you to track performance and adjust your strategies based on what works best.

Both inbound and outbound marketing have strengths. The right choice depends on your specific needs and circumstances. Often, combining inbound and outbound methods is a good idea. It’s a balanced approach that leverages the immediate impact of outbound marketing with the sustained engagement of inbound marketing.

How To Make The Switch From Outbound to Inbound Marketing

Transitioning from outbound to inbound marketing means making a strategic shift in how you engage with your audience. The first step is to better understand your customers’ needs and preferences. Do research to identify the topics and issues that matter most to them. Use this information to create valuable content that addresses their questions and problems.

Next, you should focus on bolstering your online presence. Use SEO tools to optimise your website for search engines to ensure your content ranks well and attracts organic traffic. We have a list of some of the best free SEO tools to get you started. Create a marketing content calendar to regularly publish blog posts, videos, and social media updates. Consistency is key to keeping your audience engaged and building trust over time.

Engage with your audience through social media and email marketing. Respond to comments, answer questions, and provide personalised content that speaks directly to their interests. This helps build a community around your brand and fosters long-term relationships with your customers.

Invest in analytics tools and marketing software that allows you to measure the performance of your inbound marketing. Track metrics like website traffic, engagement rates, and lead conversions. Use this data to refine your strategies and focus on what works best for your audience.

Making the switch from outbound to inbound marketing is a gradual process that requires patience and persistence. However, the benefits of attracting and nurturing a loyal customer base through valuable content and engagement definitely make it a worthwhile investment.

1. Make sure you have created the user on MemNet first.
2. Find the user’s member code (and postcode if applicable) from MemNet
3. Register via the register link (usually yourwebsite.com/register-username), fill in all the required fields as well as the member code and click register/submit. 

Note: Do not directly create the user within WordPress. If you are registering the user on their behalf, ensure that you have logged out of the website before registering them.

Checking a WordPress User’s Details

1. Log in to the WordPress Dashboard
2. Go to the Users page
3. Search the user by email address or username
4. Hover the user and click edit

Resetting a User’s WordPress Password

Method 1

1. Go to the Users page
2. Find the relevant user and click ‘Edit’
3. Navigate to the Account Management section of the page
4. Click ‘set new password’
5. Click ‘update user’
6. This new password is now set and can be shared with the user

Method 2

1. Go to the Users page
2. Find the relevant user and click ‘Edit’
3. Navigate to the Account Management section of the page
4. Click send reset link, this will send the user a link to reset their password

Note: This will not change their password, nor will it force a change. It will simply email them with a link to reset their password.

Deleting a User on WordPress

1. Go to the WordPress Dashboard
2. Click Users to go to the user list page
3. Search the user by email address or username
4. Hover over the user and click delete

Resolving Issues With Users Logging in to the Website

1. Delete the user from WordPress
2. Re-register the user via the register link

This should resolve most log in issues with the website.

1. Entrepreneurs On Fire With John Lee Dumas

Entrepreneurs On Fire is a must-listen for anyone interested in building a business. Hosted by John Lee Dumas (or just JLD), this podcast features interviews with successful entrepreneurs who share their experiences and insights. Each episode covers a wide range of topics, from starting a business and scaling it to overcoming challenges and staying motivated.

John Lee Dumas is known for his engaging interview style and ability to draw actionable business advice from the business leaders that come on his podcast. Some notable names are GaryVee, Tony Robbins, and Tim Ferriss. The podcast offers practical tips and strategies that you can easily apply to your own business ventures.

With over 3,000 episodes and over 100 million monthly listens, Entrepreneurs On Fire has built a reputation for consistently delivering high-quality content. It’s the balance between personal stories and business wisdom that has made this podcast so successful. It’s entertaining while still providing valuable lessons throughout. 

2. My First Million with Sam Parr and Shaan Puri

My First Million, hosted by entrepreneurs Sam Parr and Shaan Puri, focuses on innovative business ideas and strategies for building wealth. Each episode discusses different business models, market opportunities, and practical ways to execute these ideas.

Sam and Shaan often brainstorm new business concepts, providing detailed explanations and real-life examples. This approach makes complex ideas accessible and actionable. They also bring in successful entrepreneurs and investors to share their experiences and advice, adding diverse perspectives to the podcast with firsthand stories of success and lessons learned.

My First Million has over 500,000 subscribers on YouTube and over 600 episodes. They each promise practical tips and business insights, along with some big ideas and laughs along the way. This podcast is perfect for anyone looking to discover new business opportunities and learn how to turn them into successful ventures.

3. The Tim Ferriss Show

Tim Ferriss is a successful entrepreneur, author, and early-stage investor. His twice-weekly podcast, the Tim Ferriss Show, features interviews with top performers from a wide range of fields, including business, sports, and entertainment. Tim’s goal is to uncover the tools, tactics, and routines that you can use to improve your own lives and businesses.

Each episode is a deep dive into the guest’s experiences, including their successes and failures. Tim is known for his thorough and thoughtful interviewing style, asking questions that reveal unique strategies. The podcast covers a variety of topics, such as productivity, personal development, and entrepreneurship.

We appreciate the wealth of knowledge and practical tips that Tim and his guests share. The show also includes Tim’s own reflections and experiments, providing a personal touch that resonates with the audience. His ability to break down complex ideas into digestible bites and manageable steps makes the content accessible and engaging. It’s this approach that has garnered the podcast so much success: The Tim Ferriss Show is the first business podcast to pass 100,000,000 downloads, and it has been selected as one of the “Best of” Apple Podcasts for three years running.

4. The Gary Vee Audio Experience

The GaryVee Audio Experience is hosted by Gary Vaynerchuk, a serial entrepreneur, author, and CEO of VaynerMedia. Known for his energetic style, Gary covers topics related to business, marketing, and personal development. This podcast includes keynote speeches, interviews and snippets from his popular #AskGaryVee Show.

Gary Vaynerchuk brings his unique perspective to each episode, often sharing his personal experiences and insights on entrepreneurship and business growth. He addresses practical issues that entrepreneurs face, from building a personal brand to leveraging social media for business success. 

One of the best elements of the GaryVee Audio Experience is Gary’s focus on the hustle and grind of entrepreneurship. He emphasises the importance of hard work, patience, and persistence. Gary also frequently interacts with his audience, answering their questions with personalised advice, which adds an interactive element to the podcast.

Gary is candid and motivational in all his 2,000 podcast episodes. His ability to break down complex marketing strategies into simple, understandable steps makes the podcast a valuable resource for anyone looking to grow their business and hone their entrepreneurial skills.

5. Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman

Masters Of Scale, hosted by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, is a podcast that explores the growth journeys of successful companies and the strategies that fuel their success. Each episode features business breakdowns and in-depth discussions with the best of the best, including iconic CEOs and leading thinkers in business from well-known companies. It provides insights into how these businesses scaled from startups to industry giants and how you can expand your business, too.

Reid Hoffman is known for his insightful questioning, drawing valuable lessons from his guests. The podcast discusses things like innovation, leadership, fundraising, and company culture. Reid connects the stories of his guests to broader business principles, making the content both informative and applicable.

Masters Of Scale blends storytelling with practical advice perfectly, with almost 500 episodes so far. The episodes are engaging, with an exceptionally high level of production and compelling narratives. Each interview is framed around a specific theme or concept, which Reid examines through his guests’ experiences.

We really appreciate the high-quality content and the depth of knowledge shared on Masters Of Scale. The show also incorporates Reid’s reflections and experiences as an entrepreneur and investor, adding another layer to the discussions. This combination of expert interviews and Reid’s commentary makes the podcast an invaluable resource if you want to scale your business faster.

6. Business Wars with David Brown

Business Wars, hosted by David Brown, covers the fierce competition between some of the world’s biggest companies. The podcast takes listeners through the dramatic and often intense rivalries that shape industries, providing a narrative-driven exploration of business conflicts.

Business Wars focuses on a specific corporate rivalry, such as Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi or Netflix vs. Blockbuster, often going in-depth over multiple episodes. David Brown narrates the historical context, strategic decisions, and the business hurdles that define these battles. The podcast, across 555 epsidoes so far, combines thorough research with compelling storytelling, making complex business dynamics accessible and engaging.

We’re drawn to Business Wars for its in-depth analysis and the way it brings business history to life in a way we can all learn from. The episodes highlight the corporate strategies but also the personalities and decisions that drive these companies. This approach can help you understand the broader implications of these business conflicts on the industry and consumers.

7. Startup Stories – Mixergy with Andrew Warner

Startup Stories, hosted by Andrew Warner, features interviews with entrepreneurs from various industries. Andrew Warner, an experienced entrepreneur himself, dives deep into the journeys of his guests, uncovering the lessons they’ve learned and the strategies they’ve employed to build their businesses.

Each episode provides a detailed account of the challenges and triumphs that entrepreneurs face. Andrew’s interviewing style is thorough and direct, often probing into the specifics of business tactics, funding strategies, and personal growth. This makes the podcast a treasure trove of practical advice.

One thing we really appreciate about Startup Stories is its focus on transparency. Guests share candid stories about their failures and successes, providing a realistic view of the entrepreneurial journey. This honesty helps demystify the process of starting and growing a business, making it more approachable for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Even though Startup Stories only has 14 episodes, the diversity of stories and the depth of insight shared on the podcast so far is great. The episodes cover a wide range of industries and business models, offering a broad perspective on what it takes to succeed. Andrew’s ability to extract valuable lessons and real-life examples makes the content highly informative.

8. Start Up For The Rest Of Us with Rob Welling

Start Up For The Rest Of Us, hosted by Rob Walling, is tailored for software developers, bootstrappers, and entrepreneurs looking to start and build a successful business without a lot of outside funding. Rob Walling, an experienced entrepreneur and investor, shares his knowledge and experiences, often accompanied by co-hosts and guest experts.

Each episode covers topics relevant to bootstrapped startups, including product development, marketing strategies, customer acquisition, and scaling a business. Rob’s practical approach and real-world examples make complex topics understandable and applicable. His focus on actionable steps and clear guidance resonates with anyone who’s in the early stages of their entrepreneurial journey or looking to refine their strategies.

Start Up For The Rest Of Us emphasises the unique challenges faced by bootstrapped businesses. Rob discusses the realities of building a business with limited resources and offers advice on how to effectively manage and grow with a lean budget. The podcast also explores personal development and work-life balance, recognising the holistic nature of entrepreneurship.

The content is honest and relatable. The discussions often include lessons learned from failures and successes, providing a balanced perspective. Rob’s ability to connect with his audience through his straightforward and insightful commentary makes the podcast a valuable resource for aspiring and current entrepreneurs alike. This style has earned them over 15 million downloads so far.

9. This Week in Startups with Jason Calacanis

This Week In Startups, hosted by Jason Calacanis, provides an insider’s view into the world of business and technology startups. Jason, a well-known entrepreneur and angel investor, brings his extensive business acumen to the podcast with a deep dive into the latest trends, new business ideas, challenges, and successes in the startup ecosystem. There are over 1,000 podcast episodes so far.

Each episode features interviews with founders, investors, and business executives, covering topics from fundraising and growth strategies to market analysis and technology innovations. Jason’s interviewing style is direct and engaging, often going into the specifics of how startups overcome obstacles and achieve success.

A key aspect of This Week In Startups is its focus on real-world startup stories and lessons. The podcast provides a platform for sharing firsthand experiences from the business world and the tech industry’s frontlines. Jason’s candid discussions with guests reveal the practical realities of building and scaling a startup, making the content both informative and relatable.

Overall, the podcast mixes the latest business news, expert insights, and entrepreneurial stories. It also includes segments where Jason shares his own perspectives and advice, drawing from his extensive background in the tech industry. This combination of guest interviews and host commentary provides a comprehensive view of the startup landscape.

10. How I Built This with Guy Raz

How I Built This, hosted by journalist and former NPR host Guy Raz, is a podcast with 630 episodes that explores the stories behind the people who created some of the world’s best-known companies. Guy Raz, an award-winning journalist, conducts in-depth interviews with founders, focusing on their journeys from the initial idea to building a successful business.

Each episode features a specific entrepreneur, detailing their path from the beginning to their achievements. Guy’s interviewing style is empathetic and thorough, often revealing personal anecdotes and critical decisions that shaped the company’s trajectory. The podcast covers various industries, providing a broad perspective on entrepreneurship.

A distinctive feature of How I Built This is its focus on the human side of business. Guy discusses the emotional and psychological aspects of starting and growing a company, talking about the challenges, failures, and triumphs experienced by the founders. This approach gives you a deeper understanding of what it takes to build a successful business from scratch.

We value the podcast’s rich storytelling and inspirational business narratives. The episodes highlight not only the successes but also the struggles and setbacks, providing a balanced view of the entrepreneurial journey. Guy’s ability to connect with his guests and draw out their stories makes the podcast both engaging and educational.

11. Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn

Smart Passive Income, hosted by entrepreneur and author Pat Flynn, focuses on strategies for building online businesses that generate passive income. He shares his own experiences and interviews other successful founders and entrepreneurs who have created income streams that work for them even when they’re not actively working.

Each of the 800 episodes covers specific methods for generating passive income, like affiliate marketing, blogging, podcasting, and creating online courses. Pat provides detailed tutorials and real-world examples from his own businesses, giving you a clear roadmap to follow. He also invites owners and entrepreneurs to come on the podcast and share their unique approaches and success stories.

One of the best things about Smart Passive Income is Pat’s commitment to transparency. He regularly shares income reports and case studies, detailing what works and what doesn’t. This level of openness allows you to learn from both his successes and mistakes, offering a realistic view of the entrepreneurial journey.

Pat’s content is relatable and easy to understand. His focus on breaking down complex strategies into simple, actionable steps makes the podcast particularly useful if you’re a beginner looking for the best ways to refine your online business strategies. The podcast also explores tools and resources that can help streamline the process of building passive income streams.

12. The Mind Your Business Podcast with James Wedmore

Mind Your Business, hosted by James Wedmore, focuses on the connection between entrepreneurship and mindset. James, a 7-figure online entrepreneur and business coach, offers insights into the mental and emotional aspects of running a business and provides advice that goes beyond traditional business strategies.

Each episode combines practical business lessons with personal development techniques. James discusses topics like overcoming self-doubt, building a success-oriented mindset, and making intuitive business decisions. This approach can help you improve your business skills and personal growth simultaneously.

Mind Your Business focuses on the psychological challenges that entrepreneurs often face. James talks about how to overcome limiting beliefs and develop a mindset that supports success. He also shares his own experiences and strategies for maintaining balance and wellbeing while pursuing business goals.

James’ holistic approach to entrepreneurship is refreshing. The podcast has 600 episodes so far and blends business advice with mindset coaching, offering a comprehensive guide to personal and professional development. James’s engaging style and practical advice make complex concepts easy to understand and apply.

13. The Side Hustle School with Chris Guillebeau

The Side Hustle School, hosted by Chris Guillebeau, is all about how to start and grow a side business while maintaining a regular job. Chris, an author and entrepreneur, shares his expertise through practical advice and real-life examples of successful side hustles.

Each daily, 6-minute episode (there are over 2,500 so far) features stories of business owners who have turned their ideas into profitable ventures. Chris highlights the steps they took, the obstacles they encountered, and the strategies that led to their success. The podcast explores a variety of side hustle ideas, from online businesses and freelancing to unique and creative projects.

Side Hustle School focuses on each entrepreneur’s journey from end to end. Chris provides detailed insights into how they identified opportunities, marketed their products or services, and managed their time. This podcast is particularly useful for those who are balancing a small business on the side of other commitments, offering realistic and relatable advice. Chris’s approachable style and clear explanations make the content accessible and motivating for anyone interested in starting a side hustle!

14. Working Hard, Hardly Working with Grace Beverly

Working Hard, Hardly Working, hosted by Grace Beverley, is a little different from most business podcasts. Grace, a successful entrepreneur and author, challenges the conventional notions of productivity and success. She primarily explores how to achieve a balanced approach to work and life without sacrificing ambition or wellbeing.

Each episode features interviews with a diverse range of guests, including plenty of business figures, creatives, and thought leaders. They discuss their personal experiences with productivity, work-life balance, and the pressures of modern work culture. Grace’s conversations focus on the practical strategies and mindset shifts that have helped her guests navigate their careers and personal lives.

What really differentiates Working Hard, Hardly Working is its focus on redefining success beyond traditional metrics. Grace and her guests explore topics like sustainable productivity, mental health, and the importance of rest and recovery to succeed in business. The podcast encourages you to rethink your approach to work, emphasising that hard work doesn’t have to mean burnout.

Listeners appreciate the honest and nuanced discussions that Grace fosters on her show. The episodes provide a mix of inspirational stories and practical advice, making it relevant for anyone looking to find a healthier balance between work and personal life. Grace’s insightful questions and the diverse perspectives of her guests offer valuable takeaways no matter what stage you’re at in your career. While this podcast doesn’t only focus on women in business, it does put more of a spotlight on female entrepreneurs, and we love that, too!

What Makes a Good Business Podcast

A good business podcast is defined by a few things. First, it offers practical and relevant content. This means sharing tips, real-life examples, and strategies that you can actually use in your business. The best podcasts keep up with current trends and issues, so the information is always fresh and useful.

Great storytelling is key as well. Hosts who tell interesting stories and get their guests to share personal experiences make the podcast engaging and relatable. It’s these personal anecdotes and insights that keep you hooked and inspired. Having expert guests is also important. A podcast that brings in knowledgeable guests gives you a variety of perspectives and deep dives into different topics. These guests share unique insights that add real value to the podcast.

Clarity and structure matter, too. Episodes that are well-organised and focused make it easy to follow along and understand the information. The best podcasts avoid jargon and keep things simple so that everyone can get something out of them.

Finally, a consistent schedule is a must. Regular episodes keep you coming back and build a loyal audience. It shows the host’s dedication and makes you trust that new content will keep coming. A weekly podcast schedule, at least, is the norm these days. Some of the podcasts on this list, like Side Hustle School with Chris Guillebeau and the GaryVee Audio Experience, even post daily. This means you always have something to listen to, and it also gives you more options to pick and choose episodes if a topic or guest doesn’t interest you.

Can Business Podcasts Really Help You Grow Your Business?

We find that business podcasts are a fantastic resource. No matter what stage you’re at on your journey as a business owner, there’s always more to learn. These podcasts offer a wealth of knowledge that can both inspire you and inform your strategies. Anything that helps you stay informed, motivated, and ahead in your business journey is definitely worth the time. A lot of these podcasts are pretty entertaining, too! 

1. Frontload Your Content

Frontloading your content means presenting the most important information first. This is essential today: If skim readers can’t find the information they need immediately, they’ll just click off. You need to grab their attention right away. Show them you have the info they want. This is also important since more users don’t read to the end. If there’s something you want them to know, say it up front!

To write an essay, you start with an introduction, and you gradually build up to your conclusion. To write effectively for the web, you need to do the opposite and come to the point immediately. Web content should use the ‘inverted pyramid’ style seen in news articles.

What is the Inverted Pyramid Style?

The inverted pyramid style is designed to prevent burying the lead. To use this style of writing, always start with the most compelling or essential information at the beginning. Follow it up with supporting details and finish off with any extra information. This structure means visitors can immediately grasp your main point at a glance without every section, which risks them losing patience.

Google Leak Reinforces the Need to Frontload Content

Aside from benefiting users, frontloading your content will also boost your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). You might have heard about the recent leak of Google Search’s internal documentation. It was full of interesting revelations, but there was one I that stood out to me: Google’s crawling tokens prioritise the first part of a blog. This reinforces the need to include essential information and keywords first. If you’re interested, you can read all about the technical side of this and more insights from the leak in iPullRank’s article, Secrets from the Algorithm.

2. Use Active Voice

Using active voice rather than passive makes your content easier to follow.  Active voice emphasises the subject performing the action, making sentences easier to read. For example, ‘The developer fixed the bug’ is more direct and easier to read than ‘The bug was fixed by the developer.’ 

Here’s a detailed look at why active voice is always better than passive voice when writing for the web:

• Clarity: Active voice provides clarity by clearly identifying who is doing what. For example, ‘The team completed the project’ is clearer than ‘The project was completed by the team.’
• Brevity: Active voice usually results in shorter sentences. This makes your writing more concise and easier to understand. For example, ‘She wrote the article’ is shorter and more direct than ‘The article was written by her.’
• Engagement: The active voice is more energetic and creates a stronger connection with the reader. It makes your writing more dynamic and interesting. For example, ‘The company launched a new product’ engages more than ‘A new product was launched by the company.’
• Authority: Using active voice makes your writing more authoritative and confident. It shows that you know what you’re talking about and helps establish credibility. For example, ‘We guarantee satisfaction’ sounds more confident than ‘Satisfaction is guaranteed by us.’

Less Passive Voice = Better SEO

As far as we know, Google doesn’t take passive voice into account when ranking websites. But, it’s a given that anything that makes your content less user-friendly will hurt your SEO.  Here’s how passive voice does that:

• Reduced Readability: Passive sentences are often longer and more complex, making them harder to read. This can cause users to leave your site, increasing bounce rates. Search engines notice this and may rank your page lower.
• Lower Engagement: Passive voice can lead to less engaging and less impactful writing. Lower engagement means readers are less likely to stay on your page, share your content, or link to it. These poor metrics signal to search engines that the content isn’t valuable and relevant.

3. Be Concise

Being concise is essential for effective web content. Web readers often skim, so getting to the point straight away helps keep visitors engaged. Here’s how to achieve conciseness:

1. Use Short Sentences: Break complex ideas into shorter sentences. This makes your content easier to read and understand.
   • Wordy: ‘Due to the fact that there was a large crowd, the event was postponed.’
   • Concise: ‘The event was postponed due to the large crowd.’
2. Avoid Unnecessary Words: Cut out filler words and phrases that don’t add value.
   • Wordy: ‘In order to improve your writing, you should practice regularly.’
   • Concise: ‘To improve your writing, practice regularly.’
3. Stick to the Point: Stay focused on the main idea and avoid tangents. Each sentence should support your main point.
4. Use Simple Language: Choose simple words over complex ones. For example, use ‘help’ instead of ‘assist’.

4. Break Up Ideas into Bite-Sized Chunks With Subheadings

Be sure to break up your content with plenty of subheadings. This will make it easier for readers to digest. Subheadings also make it a lot easier for readers to scan web pages as they scroll. Here’s how to do it effectively:

• Use Descriptive Subheadings: Your headings should be descriptive and informative, and give a clear idea of what each section is about. For example, instead of ‘Introduction,’ use ‘Why SEO Matters.’
• Keep Sections Short: Break long sections into short paragraphs. Avoid long sentences and walls of text. This improves readability and keeps readers engaged.
• Highlight Key Points: Use subheadings to highlight key points and make your content scannable. This helps readers quickly find information that’s the most critical.
• Maintain Consistency: Use a consistent format for your subheadings to give your content a cohesive look.

5. Write in Plain English

Plain English refers to clear, straightforward language that avoids complexity and jargon. This makes your content accessible to a broader audience and improves user experience.

To write content in plain English, use simple and familiar words. Write short and simple sentences, aiming for no more than 25 words. Avoid using technical terms and industry-specific jargon unless necessary. Be direct, stating your main point clearly without unnecessary words. Use active voice to make sentences more engaging and easier to understand. 

Practice Makes Perfect

When you start writing in plain English, it might be a bit jarring at first. It’s drastically different from much of the writing we learn in school, so it takes some getting used to. Once you get the hang of it, though, you’ll never turn back. Not only is it quicker to read, but it’s quicker to write. The Plain English Style Guide has been an invaluable resource for our team, and we highly recommend reading it. It’s from the Plain English Campaign, a training organisation trying to spearhead better web writing.

Here’s a great example of a before and after from the Plain English Campaign:

–Before: If there are any points on which you require explanation or further particulars we shall be glad to furnish such additional details as may be required by telephone.

– After: If you have any questions, please phone.

My guess is you could hardly get through the first sentence. Although it’s an extreme example of what not to do, that kind of writing is an easy trap to fall into when you’re trying to sound more formal or academic.

6. Know Your Audience and Speak Directly to Them

Understanding your audience is crucial for creating effective web content. Knowing your audience helps you tailor your message to their interests, needs, and language. Identify your audience by considering their demographics, interests, and level of expertise. Are they professionals, beginners, or experts? This will influence the language, tone, and complexity of your content.

Use a tone that matches your audience. For example, use a conversational tone for a general audience. Use a more formal tone for professionals. Address your audience’s needs by providing relevant information, solutions, and insights. This approach ensures your content is useful and engaging.

Engage your readers personally by using pronouns like ‘you’. This creates a connection and makes your content feel more direct and engaging. Know your audience. Speak to them directly. This creates content that resonates, engages, and holds their attention. It ensures your message is effective and impactful.

7. Follow Accessibility Guidelines

Following accessibility guidelines ensures your web content is usable by everyone. This includes people with disabilities. 

Use headers to organise your content. This makes it easy for users to navigate. Instead of a vague heading like ‘Introduction’, use ‘Understanding Solar Energy Benefits’. This helps all readers, including those using screen readers, to know what to expect.

Provide alt text for images. This allows screen readers to describe the images to visually impaired users. For example, instead of ‘Image1.jpg’, use ‘A family installing solar panels on their roof’. This provides context and understanding for those who cannot see the images.

Write in plain English to make your content accessible to those with cognitive disabilities. Simple language and short sentences help ensure that everyone can understand your message. For example, use ‘buy’ instead of ‘purchase’ and ‘use’ instead of ‘utilise’.

Ensure good contrast between text and background. This helps all readers, including those with visual impairments. For instance, black text on a white background is much easier to read than grey text on a light grey background.

Use clear, descriptive link text to help users understand where a link will take them. Instead of ‘click here’, use ‘read our solar energy guide’. This can help people using screen readers to navigate your site more effectively.

8. Use Numbered or Bulleted Lists

Using numbered or bulleted lists is important for web writing because it makes your content more readable and easier to scan. Readers often skim online content, so breaking up text into lists ensures users can find the information they need quickly while scanning pages on your website.

When to Use Numbered Lists: Numbered lists are ideal for items that follow a specific sequence or need to be prioritised. For example, step-by-step instructions, rankings, or ordered tasks benefit from numbered lists. They indicate a clear order of actions or importance, making it easier for readers to follow.

When to Use Bulleted Lists: Bulleted lists are perfect for items that don’t need a specific order. They work well for listing features, benefits, or options. For instance, when outlining a product’s features, a bulleted list provides a quick overview without implying a hierarchy.

Best Practices:

• Keep List Items Short: Each item should be brief and to the point, helping readers quickly grasp the information.
• Use Parallel Structure: Ensure each list item follows the same grammatical pattern. For example, start each item with a verb or noun for consistency and clarity. This helps readers process the information more efficiently.
• Be Clear and Concise: Avoid unnecessary words and focus on the main point of each list item. Clear and concise items improve readability and comprehension.

9. Self-Contained Paragraphs

When writing for the web, each paragraph should be self-contained. This means readers will understand what the paragraph is about even if they haven’t read the previous one.

Self-contained paragraphs ensure that readers can understand your content even if they only read parts of it. This improves comprehension and user experience, keeping readers engaged. It’s also beneficial for SEO as search engines value content that provides clear and complete answers to user queries, which can improve your page ranking and relevance.

Best Practices:

• Focus on One Idea: Each paragraph should cover a single idea or topic. This keeps your writing clear and focused.
• Use Clear Topic Sentences: Start with a topic sentence that summarises the main point of the paragraph. This helps readers quickly grasp the key idea.
• Be Concise: Keep paragraphs short, typically 2-4 sentences. This makes them easier to read and less daunting for skimmers.
• Provide Context: Ensure each paragraph can stand alone by providing enough context. Avoid assuming the reader has read previous paragraphs.

Web Writing Tools and Resources We Love

Writing for the web specifically and following all the above guidelines can be a bit of an adjustment. Having a good writing toolkit can make the process much easier. Here are the tools and resources I rely on time and time again:

Hemingway Editor: This tool is excellent for simplifying your writing. It highlights complex sentences, passive voice, and adverbs so you can eliminate them. It also gives you a readability score, so you can make sure your content is easy to understand. My one gripe about Hemingway is its grammar and spelling checker. It’s pretty basic and can make mistakes.

Grammarly: Even the best writers make mistakes, so editing and spell-checking is important. Grammarly is my preferred tool. It helps you catch mistakes, fix sentence structure, and keep your writing concise. It checks for spelling errors, grammatical issues, and some basic style suggestions.

A-Z of Alternative Words: Sometimes, you just know there’s a simpler way to phrase something, but nothing comes to mind. This resource from the previously mentioned Plain English Campaign is my answer. It helps you find simpler alternatives to complex words. For example, use “end” instead of “terminate” or “start” instead of “commence”. This ensures your content is easy to read and understand for a wider audience. You can find the full list at Plain English Campaign’s A-Z of Alternative Words. I have it bookmarked and refer to it regularly!

Style Guides: Style guides can improve the quality of your writing and help you stay consistent. One of my all-time favourites is ‘The Elements of Style’ by Strunk and White. Even though it’s over 100 years old, the advice it provides on writing clearly and concisely is timeless. You can read the PDF version of The Elements of Style for free online. The Economist also has one of the most respected style guides. It has hundreds of tips and rules to follow to become a clearer writer. You can read the truncated version of The Economist Style Guide for free online if you don’t want to buy the book.

The leak has been confirmed to be legitimate and includes information from as recently as March 2024.  There’s no mention of how each of these elements is weighted in the algorithm, and some elements may be experimental or not in use. While it isn’t a complete blueprint of the Google Ranking Algorithm, and there’s a lot of deduction involved, there’s still much to be gleaned from it.

In this article, I’ll discuss some of the leak’s biggest revelations and some of the insights I’ve gained as a content marketer, including:

• Increasing time on page
• Distinguishing your website as a business site
• Putting the most important content first
• Regularly updating pages and articles

Google Lies – DA and Click Data Are Ranking Factors

The first conclusion most people have drawn from this leak is one we’ve all suspected for a while: Google representatives do more than just omit information regarding ranking factors so SEOs can’t hack the system. They actively lie.

Google representatives have repeatedly stated that there’s no such thing as ‘Domain Authority’, a mythic ranking metric developed by Moz that shows the relevance of your site with respect to your industry or a specific topic. For years, Google has insisted there is no metric to measure a site’s authority. The leaked document says otherwise: 

Google has also repeatedly denied that clicks have anything to do with rankings – not the number, origin, or quality of the clicks. This statement has been met with disbelief for years, and lo and behold:

As you can see, Google not only refers to clicks but good clicks, long clicks, and bad clicks. We’ll get into what this means for you and your content strategy later. Right now, it just goes to show that just because Google denies something up and down doesn’t mean it’s not true. Rand Fishkin and Mike King, along with other prominent SEO experts, have been speculating about clicks and DA as ranking factors for years while Google essentially painted them as conspiracy theorists.

My takeaway: ‘Good clicks’ likely refers to users who spend a decent amount of time on your website after clicking on it rather than bouncing. This reiterates the need to make your pages as engaging as possible to keep people on them for longer. Consider incorporating video or interactive content, starting with your most high-value pages.

Germaine’s takeaway: While Google has actively denied and rejected much of this, I think they have historically been concerned that these particular elements are too easy to game, so they’ve played it down. It’s a fairly open secret that DA and click data are both important; link building as a practice wouldn’t otherwise exist. It’s nice to see some confirmation of the popular theory.

‘Small Personal Websites’ Are Flagged

The leak shows that Google has a flag for ‘small personal sites’. While the leak doesn’t indicate whether this is meant to rank small personal websites higher or lower, I’ve concluded that it’s lower, and so have many others. Ever since Google’s March 2023 Core Algorithm Update, there’s been an outcry from small businesses whose websites have tanked in the search ranking. We’ve seen this ourselves on some websites we own for SEO experimentation.

My takeaway: If you own a website for a small business, make sure you indicate that to Google as much as possible to distinguish yourself from a small personal site. Ensure your Google My Business page is up to date and that you have all your contact info and address on your website. This will help Google recognise you as a business.

Germaine’s takeaway: I can quite easily see the other side of the argument, especially with the rise of social media and other channels that allow people to disseminate information quickly. The argument is that small websites have less to lose, have less authority, and a well funded group could very quickly put together tens if not hundreds of small websites around a topic. Google is ultimately trying to give us the most accurate answer, and they don’t want to take any risks doing this, so they are attempting to ignore ‘small websites’.

Pages Are Only Allocated a Certain Number of Crawling Tokens

Google counts the number of tokens and the ratio of total words in the body to the number of unique tokens. The leak shows that there’s a maximum number of tokens per page.

My takeaway: Frontload your content with the most important information and keywords first. Don’t wait until the end of your article or page to answer the search query. The leak indicates Google doesn’t crawl that far.

Germaine’s takeaway: This is an interesting one because everyone, even Google, certainly does not have unlimited resources. We forget this, but crawling and analysing the whole internet would take a lot of effort (and money), so it makes sense. This limited number of tokens does go against the ‘skyscraper’ approach to content or long-form content altogether, which is interesting – but as Juliette says, frontloading content might be the way to go while still maintaining long-form content.

Content Freshness Really Matters

The leak indicates that content that isn’t frequently updated has the lowest storage priority for Google. Google’s index is stratified into tiers where the most important, regularly updated, and accessed content is stored in flash memory. Less important content is stored on solid-state drives, and irregularly updated content is stored on standard hard drives. 

The leak also shows that Google places huge value on dates, with three separate modules it uses to identify them. Google looks at dates in the byline (bylineDate), URL (syntacticDate) and on-page content (semanticDate).

My takeaway: Regularly review your existing content. Update it with new information, revise outdated sections, and ensure that all details are current. Lastly, make sure your website includes both the ‘published’ and ‘last updated’ date in the byline of articles!

Germaine’s takeaway: Like the previous finding, this has a lot to do with resources. I can see a not too distant future where websites manipulate dates to play with the system, and Google will likely then finetune their approach. But this is cat and mouse game to an extent, and it will likely never stop.

Final Thoughts

The Google Search algorithm leak confirms much of what SEO experts have suspected for a long time: Domain Authority is real, clicks affect ranking, and regularly updating content is important. These are things I, and many other people in the industry, already assumed to be true. 

There are a few insights I found particularly interesting that will impact my content strategy going forward: 

• I’m going to dedicate more time to updating all content and ensuring information is always as current as possible.
• I’m going to put more effort into frontloading my content so that crawlers don’t miss important information, context or keywords.
• To increase engagement and Time on Page, I’m going to prioritise more video content.

As always, the most important thing is to continue regularly creating helpful, high-quality content that serves users’ needs and answers your target search query as well as possible.

If you want to do a deep dive on the Google algorithm leak yourself, there are two articles you have to read. ‘Secrets from the Algorithm: Google Search’s Internal Engineering Documentation Has Leaked’ by Mike King and ‘An Anonymous Source Shared Thousands of Leaked Google Search API Documents with Me’ by Rand Fishkin. Fishkin originally published the leak. He and King have been working together to decipher tangible insights from it. Both articles are a bit dense and aren’t written for the average layperson, but they give a great overview of the leak.

Copyhackers

Posting frequency: Regularly 

Focus: Conversion copywriting

Copyhackers is a Canadian company that offers a copywriting course and training. If you don’t want to commit to one of their training courses, their blog is great as well! Founded by Joanna Wiebe, a hugely successful copywriter, it offers a wealth of knowledge on writing effective and persuasive copy for both beginners and copywriting veterans. It covers a wide range of topics, with a major focus on conversion copywriting, email marketing, and how to optimise landing pages.

One of the best things about the Copyhackers blog is its focus on data-driven writing. Joanna and her team provide detailed case studies and real-world examples to back up their advice. This practical approach helps you understand what to do and why it works. This is a great way to learn copywriting formulas in a way that’ll stick. Copyhacker will also help you stay with the times, with an entire section dedicated to artificial intelligence. It features some great prompts to help you create better content that will convert your target market into customers.

Articles we recommend:

• Copywriting for Startups: 7 Lessons To Drive Conversions
• How to use ChatGPT to write headlines based on pain points

Copyblogger

Posting frequency: Twice weekly

Focus: Persuasive sales copy and email campaigns 

Copyblogger has been a leader in the content marketing and copywriting world since 2006. Founded by Brian Clark and Jon Morrow (who are both influential in their own right), it quickly became a go-to resource for anyone looking to improve their online writing skills. Copyblogger focuses on content marketing, SEO, and, of course, copywriting. The articles are in-depth and provide timeless advice that, in my opinion, every copywriter needs to hear.

Copyblogger places a big emphasis on the intersection of copy and overarching marketing strategies. Brian and his team understand that great content alone isn’t enough – it needs to be strategically crafted and marketed to reach your target audience. After all, even the most fantastic copy serves no purpose unless the right people are reading it. To combat this, their blog offers insights into how to blend creativity with strategy to produce content that engages readers while actively supporting your business goals.

Apart from articles, they also offer a range of wonderful resources, including tutorials, eBooks, and webinars, with actionable advice to help content marketers of all levels. Their step-by-step guides break down complex topics like SEO copywriting and content strategy into easy-to-follow steps.

Articles we recommend: 

• 7 SEO Copywriting Tips To Engage Readers And Rank
• How To Write Emails: The Conversion Copywriter’s Approach

Neil Patel

Posting frequency: Almost every day!

Focus: Digital marketing strategies

If you’ve spent any amount of time reading about digital marketing, Neil Patel will be a familiar name to you. He’s the co-founder of several successful companies, including Crazy Egg, Hello Bar, and KISSmetrics. Neil has also worked with major brands like Amazon, Google, and NBC, helping them grow their online presence and reach their marketing goals.

Neil Patel’s blog, where he shares his extensive knowledge and experience, is a goldmine for anyone interested in digital marketing and copywriting. The blog covers a wide range of topics, including SEO, content marketing, social media strategies, and copywriting. 

What makes his blog unique is its practical, step-by-step guides with clear instructions and examples, making it easy for you to follow and implement.

In addition to written content, Neil also shares plenty of videos where he explains concepts in an engaging way, helping you grasp the information better. His blog also keeps you up-to-date with the latest trends, like new Google algorithm changes and emerging social media platforms so you can stay current. Neil’s blog also offers practical tools and resources, like downloadable templates and checklists. He often shares detailed case studies from real people and industry experts that provide insights into successful marketing campaigns, giving you a behind-the-scenes look at effective strategies.

Articles we recommend: 

• 5 Copywriting Strategies That Will Improve Your Conversion Rate by 113%
• 7 Copywriting Hacks Based in Psychology

Bob Bly 

Posting frequency: Stopped posting in 2018

Focus: Direct response copywriting and practical help

Bob Bly is a seasoned copywriter with decades of experience, and his blog is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their writing skills. Unfortunately, he stopped updating the blog in 2018, but it’s still worth reading. His advice is timeless, and there are plenty of posts between 2004 and 2018 to keep you busy. Bob covers a range of topics, from direct response copywriting to content marketing and email strategies. What makes Bob Bly’s blog unique is his practical advice rooted in decades of real-world experience. His posts often include top tips and techniques that he honed over his long career, and he’s not afraid to offer a unique perspective.

Bob also shares his insights on the business side of copywriting. If you’re an aspiring copywriter or freelancer, his advice on managing client relationships, setting fees, and marketing your services effectively is priceless. Bob’s no-nonsense writing style gets straight to the point, making it easy to grasp and apply his advice. Whether he’s discussing headline formulas or the importance of clarity in writing, Bob’s posts are always clear and practical. Bob’s style of writing alone should serve as inspiration for all content creators. He’s a fantastic example of great copywriting.

Articles we recommend: 

• The only 3 ways to become a better copywriter
• Avoid writing boring copy or being a bored copywriter

Contently

Posting frequency: Twice a week

Focus: Online content strategies 

Contently is a content marketing agency that helps brands create, manage, and measure content. Their blog, “The Content Strategist,” is a fantastic resource if you’re looking to master content marketing. The Content Strategist covers a wide range of topics, including the art of copywriting, brand storytelling, and the latest trends in writing copy.  You’ll find actionable advice on how to create engaging and effective content that truly resonates with your audience.

What I love about this blog is its focus on data-driven insights. If you’re ready to focus more on overall strategy than the nitty gritty of writing website copy, this is the blog for you. They often share research and case studies that highlight successful content strategies, giving you concrete examples to learn from. This means the advice is not just theoretical but also practical and proven. Contently also explores the impact of emerging technologies on content marketing. Posts on topics like AI in content creation and the future of digital storytelling keep you informed about the latest innovations and how to use them to your advantage. 

Articles we recommend:

• The Ultimate Guide to Repurposing Content
• Content Already Fuels Everything. Now Act Like It.

Persuasive and SEO-Friendly Copywriting Service

At Futuretheory, we have a deep understanding of what it takes to create good copy. Good copy does more than just convey information. It has to be persuasive, engaging, and tailored to your target audience, all while satisfying search engine algorithms. It’s a tricky balancing act, but we’ve mastered the art – our writing is clean and crisp while seamlessly incorporating the relevant keywords for your business. As a result, our skilled copywriters can deliver compelling written content in a wide range of formats and a vast array of industries. From website content to blog posts, email campaigns to social media updates, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today to see how our expert copywriting services can help you reach and connect with your target audience more effectively.

1. To delete a WordPress user, you need to first log in to the WordPress Dashboard
2. Then go to ‘Users’ in the side bar
3. Find the relevant user account and click ‘Delete’ which will appear under the user’s username when you hover over it

There you go! The WordPress user has been removed from the site.

What Image Optimisation Means

The larger the images are, the longer your web pages will take to load. Image optimisation is the process of reducing the file sizes of your images so they don’t slow down your site. The goal is to reduce the image file size without losing image quality visibility – it’s a fine balance to find. While smaller images are a great way to speed up your website, you don’t want pixelated, unattractive images on your site. By following the image optimisation practices outlined below, you can have the best of both worlds. There’s also some fantastic image optimisation plugins and tools to help you along.

Why it’s Important to Optimise Images

If you want your site to deliver the best results possible for your business, it needs to offer users a positive experience by following website performance best practices. Users expect a lot from websites today, especially those run by businesses – large, unoptimised images will slow down your load times and lead to more users clicking off before you get a chance to convert them to paying customers.

Moreover, search engines like Google use page load speed as a factor in ranking websites, making decreasing load times through tactics like image optimisation a core strategy of technical Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Faster websites offer better user experiences, leading to higher search engine rankings and more visibility to attract visitors.

Images are Likely Weighing Down Your Site

Images take up a huge amount of page weight. The heavier your web pages are, the longer they’ll take to load. According to a 2019 whitepaper from HTTP Archive, images make up 75% of a total webpage’s weight, on average. It goes to show that if your website loading times aren’t what you’d expect, unoptimised images should always be the first suspect.

Unoptimised images can also affect your website’s Search Engine optimisation (SEO). Aside from the fact that web page loading time is one of Google’s known search engine ranking factors, Google is likely to index your images in Google Images if they’re large files.

Learn How to Optimise Images for Better Web Performance

Now that you have a better understanding of why it’s important to optimise your images for the web let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to put that knowledge into practice.

1. Choose the Best Image File Type

If you want to optimise images for the web without sacrificing quality or slowing down your website too much, choosing the right file type (or image format) is important to strike that perfect balance. Here are the four file types you can use to format your images: 

JPEG Images

JPEGs, short for Joint Photographic Experts Group, are best for photographs and realistic images. They offer a good balance between quality and file size, making them suitable for web use where speed and bandwidth are important. JPEGs work well for detailed images where file size could become an issue. Product images are a great example – the images should have enough detail that users can zoom in and see details without issue, but as you might want to have many products displayed on one page, it’s important that the file sizes are as small as possible.

PNG Images

PNGs, short for Portable Network Graphics, are best for images requiring transparency or those with sharp lines and clear colours, such as logos or icons. PNG files typically have larger file sizes compared to JPEGs but provide a higher-quality image. You should upload images as PNGs when clarity is most important, though they might impact page load times more.

WebP Images

Developed by Google, WebP images are significantly smaller in file size compared to JPEGs and PNGs, with minimal loss in quality. This reduction in file size can lead to faster page loading times and improved website performance.

SVG Images

SVG, short for Scalable Vector Graphics, is based on vectors rather than pixels like JPEGs and PNGs. Vectors are lines and shapes defined by mathematical formulas. This means they can be scaled to any size without losing quality, making them ideal for logos, icons, and complex illustrations that need to look sharp at any size. 

Which is The Best Image Format for You?

When it comes to adding images to your websites, it’s essential to choose the right image format to ensure your site is fast-loading and visually appealing on all devices and web browsers. 

JPEG and WebP are great choices for detailed photos since we find they compress well, allowing your site to load quickly. For graphics like logos that require a clear background, PNG or WebP are the way to go since they support transparency while maintaining quality. And if you need high-quality images, SVG is the best option.

It’s important to ensure that your chosen image format works well across all web browsers and devices. While WebP offers excellent quality and file size, it’s not supported on all web browsers. Therefore, testing different formats and settings can help you find the best image setup. Don’t hesitate to try out a few options to see what works best for your site’s speed and looks.

2. Resizing Images Before You Upload Them

One of the simplest yet most effective ways to ensure your images are optimised is to resize the images before uploading them. Original images straight from cameras or stock photo sites often have a much higher resolution and image dimension than necessary for use on your website. This is especially true if you’re uploading raw files from a DSLR camera – unless you plan on blowing these images up and putting them in a gallery, all ultra large images will do is slow your website down. 

How to Resize Images

You can resize your images using Adobe Photoshop or free image resizing online tools like Adobe Express or ImageResizer.com. You can also use simple image editing tools on your computer, like Preview for Macs or Paint for Windows, to change image sizes.

How Big Should Your Images be for the Web?

The optimal size for website images depends on their purpose, but there are general guidelines to help ensure your images don’t unnecessarily slow down your page load times.

Background Images: Aim for a maximum of 1-2 MB for large background images. For full-screen backgrounds, 1920×1080 pixels is a common resolution that balances quality and file size.
Content Images: These include images used within articles, product pages, or galleries. A width of 800-1600 pixels is typically sufficient for most needs, with a file size aim of 500 KB or less.
Thumbnails and Icons: Keep these images small; a maximum width or height of 100-200 pixels should suffice, with file sizes ideally under 100 KB.
Hero Images: For large banners or hero images at the top of web pages, aim for a file size of around 1 MB or less, with a width of around 1920 pixels if they span the full screen.

3. Compressing Images

After you’ve chosen the right file type and resized your images, the next step is compression. This process reduces the file size even further without significantly affecting the visual quality. Compression is key to making your website load faster because it decreases the amount of data that needs to be transferred to the user’s browser.

How to Compress Images

You can compress images using software online tools. Our favourite tools are TinyPNG for PNGs and JPEG-Optimizer for JPEGs. These tools automatically adjust the compression level to reduce file size while maintaining acceptable image quality. If you’re using image editing software like Adobe Photoshop, it also offers options to adjust the quality level when saving images for the web, allowing you to find the right balance between quality and file size.

Do You Need to Compress Images?

Compression should be part of your workflow for all images on your website. Even resized images can often benefit from further compression. For example, a resized hero image might still be over 1MB, which can slow down your site. Compressing this image could reduce its size significantly, leading to better performance without noticeable quality loss to most users.

More Image Optimisation Tips

If your images are saved for the web in the correct format, resized and compressed, but you still find your website isn’t loading as it should, there are further steps you can take to improve website speed:

Avoid Animated Images

Animated images, like GIFs, are a great way to make your website more visually engaging. However, this does come at a cost: they can also cause your page to load slower due to their large file sizes. Each frame of a GIF is essentially a separate image, which means that GIFs with high frame rates or large dimensions can be very heavy files.

If you want your website to load quickly, it’s best to use them sparingly. Instead, consider using alternatives such as CSS animations or HTML5 videos, which can provide similar visual effects but are often more efficient in terms of file size and loading speed. CSS animations, for example, are rendered by the browser and can produce smooth animations without the need for large image files. HTML5 videos offer greater compression options and can be a more effective way to include motion on your site, with the added benefit of control over autoplay, looping, and loading behaviour.

If you’re really set on using GIFS, optimise them as much as possible. Limit the number of frames, use a reduced colour palette, and consider compressing them with tools designed for animated GIFs. 

Implement Lazy Loading

Lazy loading is a technique that loads images only when they’re about to enter the viewport, improving website loading times. It can reduce server load and improve user experience, making it particularly beneficial for sites with many images, like galleries or eCommerce sites. Implementing lazy loading is easy for WordPress users with plugins like WP Rocket or A3 Lazy Load. The downside of lazy loading, however, is that images might not load in time if a user scrolls quickly. 

Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) boosts your website’s speed by leveraging servers across the globe. When a user loads your page, it delivers images from the server closest to them rather than just one hosting location, reducing load times. Setting up a CDN involves choosing a provider and configuring your site to load images from the CDN. While it can have a big impact, it can also be costly – it also might not be necessary if you don’t have users from across the world rather than one localised area. 

Leverage Browser Caching

Browser caching speeds up your website for repeat visitors by storing parts of your site, like images, in their browser. When someone visits your site again, images load instantly because they’re pulled from the cache, not downloaded again, giving you leeway to use higher quality images. To enable this, set how long browsers should keep your images cached. This can significantly reduce load times and make your website faster for returning users. Implementing browser caching involves modifying your site’s HTTP headers, often through your web hosting settings or a plugin, making it an effective way to enhance your site’s performance with minimal effort.

Automatic Image Optimisation With WordPress Plugins

WordPress users can streamline image optimisation using plugins that automate the process. These plugins automatically compress images, resize them and sometimes even convert them to the most efficient formats upon upload. This ensures all images on your WordPress site are optimised for the web without manual intervention. Popular plugins like Smush, EWWW Image Optimizer, and ShortPixel can significantly reduce image file sizes, improve load times, and enhance your site’s SEO. They often offer bulk optimisation options for existing images, making it easy to optimise your entire media library. By installing an image optimisation plugin, you can maintain a fast, efficient website with minimal effort, ensuring a better experience for your visitors and higher search engine rankings.

Our Favourite Image Optimisation Tools

In most instances, we prefer JPEGs for photos on websites. For vector images (like logos), SVG is our preferred option. When it comes to displaying graphs or content that requires better legibility, PNG is our preferred format. JPEGs compress the best, but we have noticed that finer details can be lost. 

EWWW Image Optimizer and Short Pixel are two of our favourite WordPress image compression plugins. We have found that their optimisation results are comparable to each other.

We tend to turn off the WebP auto-conversion setting. We found that support for this file type is less comprehensive than for JPEGs and PNGs, meaning the images might not load for some users – which is less than ideal. The goal of good web design should always be to make your website’s user experience consistent for as many people as possible.

What Is Web Design?

Let’s start off by covering the basics. The term website design refers to creating a website’s visual aspects, known as the ‘front end’ of the site. The process includes planning the website layout by creating wireframes and sitemaps and then bringing it to life before passing it on to a web developer to be coded. Good web design is about using colours, fonts, images, and strategic layouts to create a site that’s easy to use, matches the brand, and is appealing to the target audience. It’s about crafting an online space that’s intuitive, accessible, and engaging for website visitors, ensuring they can find what they need and have a positive user experience on the site. 

On the other hand, web development is the process of building the behind-the-scenes of a website and the foundation that makes it functional. While some website designers know how to develop a website and some web developers know how to design, they’re two distinct elements of website creation. You can read our article about the key differences between website design and development if you want to learn more.

The Different Types Of Website Design 

Static Website Design

Static design involves creating websites that deliver the same website content to every visitor without any personalisation. These sites are made up of fixed HTML pages and display the same information to all website users every time. Statics websites with pre-set page dimensions that don’t alter based on the user’s device or different screen sizes.

Static websites are often faster to load and easier to create because they don’t require complex programming or database management. Static layouts work for businesses that only need a really simple website or only want to share specific information, like address and opening times, without the need for regular updates.

Although static sites are way less flexible than dynamic layouts,  static layouts are still an option if you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution for small projects like portfolio websites. However, updating content on a static website can be time-consuming, as it often requires web development skills to make changes to the HTML code directly.

Dynamic Website Design

Dynamic web design allows for more complex websites with interactive and tailored content for each visitor. These websites use server-side programming languages like PHP, JavaScript, or ASP.NET to fetch data from a database, offering a personalised experience based on user interactions. Dynamic website layouts support features like user profiles, comment sections, and content management systems, making it ideal for eCommerce websites, forums, or any site that needs regular updates and user engagement.

Dynamic website design also makes updating content straightforward, allowing website owners to make real-time changes without needing to alter the code directly. However, dynamic websites can be more complex and costly to develop.

Responsive Website Design

Responsive website design ensures that a website looks and works well on any device, from desktops to smartphones. By using flexible layouts, images, and cascading style sheets (CSS), a responsive design layout automatically adjusts to the screen size and orientation of the viewer’s device. This approach improves user experience, making it easier for visitors to navigate and interact with your site regardless of how they access it. With most internet traffic now coming from mobile devices, a responsive design is crucial for reaching a wider audience and boosting SEO rankings.

Adaptive Website Design

Adaptive website design creates multiple versions of a webpage to suit different screen sizes, potentially improving load times and the overall user experience on different devices. Unlike responsive design, which is one website layout that adapts based on the screen size, adaptive design detects the device and loads the right layout for it. While it’s great for providing a more customised user experience for specific devices, adaptive design requires more work upfront because you need to design layouts for various screen sizes. 

Liquid Website Design

Liquid design, also known as fluid design, allows a website’s layout to adapt to the user’s screen size by using percentages instead of fixed pixel widths responsive design uses known as ‘breakpoints. A liquid design layout ensures that the website looks good on any device, from mobile phones to large desktop monitors, by stretching or contracting the content to fill the available space. It’s particularly useful for creating responsive websites that provide a seamless experience across different devices, making navigation and reading easier for users. This design style is about flexibility and accessibility, ensuring content is always legible and usable, no matter the screen size.

Adaptive Design vs Responsive Design vs Liquid Design

Adaptive, responsive, and liquid designs are distinct web design approaches. Adaptive design uses static layouts based on breakpoints that don’t change once loaded. Responsive design behaves differently by changing at different breakpoints according to the browser’s size, offering greater flexibility. Liquid design allows elements to stretch or contract to fill the user’s screen, ensuring content looks consistent across devices. Each method has its benefits, with responsive design being the most flexible, adaptive offering tailored solutions, and liquid ensuring full use of screen real estate.

Single-Page Website Design

Single-page design focuses on delivering all the content on a single, long, scrollable page. This design is popular for its simplicity and ease of use, especially on mobile devices where scrolling is intuitive. It works well for websites that aim to tell a story or for those that want to provide a linear journey for the visitor. However, they wouldn’t work if you want anything more from your website than that. One major limitation is its potential impact on SEO; with all content on one page, it can be challenging to target multiple keywords effectively. This design style can also lead to longer loading times as all the content loads at once, which may affect the user experience negatively, especially if the website is image or animation-heavy. 

Multi-Page Website Design

Multi-page websites follow a traditional web design approach, spreading content across several pages to organise information effectively. This web design format allows for detailed exploration of topics, with each page dedicated to a specific aspect of a subject, service or product. Intuitive navigation and strategic visual hierarchy are important for multi-page websites, guiding users through their journey from the homepage to the information they seek as efficiently as possible. 

It’s important to design multi-page websites with logical page hierarchy, straightforward menus, and breadcrumbs to ensure visitors always know where they are and how to return to previously viewed content. This design approach is the most popular type of web design and suits businesses that offer a wide range of services or products, providing the space to cover topics in-depth.

eCommerce Website Design

eCommerce website design focuses on creating online stores that are easy to navigate and visually appealing with the goal of increasing sales. A well-designed eCommerce website prioritises user experience, ensuring customers can find what they’re looking for with minimal effort. Features like shopping carts and payment gateways need to be integrated seamlessly, making the buying process as straightforward as possible. 

User experience is particularly important for eCommerce and business websites – visitors clicking off because a poor experience translates to real dollars and cents more than any field of web design. This type of design requires careful consideration of layout, product display, checkout process, and security to ensure a safe and enjoyable shopping experience for users that actively encourages more purchases.

Minimalist Website Design

The minimalist web design style is based on the design principles of simplicity. It involves stripping away unnecessary elements and focusing only on what’s essential, improving ease of use and getting rid of any visual clutter. Minimalist web layouts often feature ample white space, limited colour palettes, and simplified navigation. The design and layout let content and imagery speak for themselves without the distraction of intricate graphics or text. It’s definitely a more modern website design style compared to the ‘more is more’ approach we saw on every website in the early days of the internet and even in the 2010s. Gone are the days of complicated colour palettes and GIFs. 

Parallax Website Design

Parallax web design involves a scrolling effect where background elements move slower than foreground content, creating depth and a dynamic visual experience. This technique can make a website stand out, offering an immersive user experience. However, it can impact website load times and ease of navigation, especially for users on mobile devices or those with slower internet connections. We recommend using parallax sparingly. Avoid overloading pages with motion and prioritise clear, intuitive navigation. This ensures your website is accessible and user-friendly to all your visitors.

Illustrative Website Design

Illustrative web design uses drawings and graphics to tell a story and convey the brand’s message, making websites more engaging and memorable. This website type involves striking a balance between visual elements and written content to ensure the site remains easy to navigate and the message is clear.

It’s a fine line to walk between visual interest and visual clutter, but when done right, it can be one of the most appealing types of website layouts. Best design practices include using illustrations that align with the brand’s identity, ensuring consistency across the site, and integrating visuals with content in a way that enhances the user experience without overwhelming it.

User Experience (UX) Design

User Experience (UX) design is crucial for making websites work perfectly and are easy to use. It focuses on understanding users’ needs to ensure the site is intuitive and offers a completely seamless experience. Core elements include usability, which ensures the site is easy to navigate, and interaction design, which looks at how users engage with website elements. Tools like user testing, surveys, and analytics play a key role in continually refining UX to increase user satisfaction and drive engagement.

User Interface (UI) Design

User Interface (UI) Design focuses on the visual components users interact with on a website, such as buttons, icons, spacing, and colour schemes. It plays a crucial role in the overall web design, influencing how users perceive and engage with a site. Effective UI design improves usability and aesthetic appeal when designing a website, contributing to a positive user experience. Trends in UI design evolve, with current emphasis on simplicity, intuitive interfaces, and immersive experiences that engage users without overwhelming them.

Although similar, UI and UX design are different web design strategies. UI refers to the look and feel of a web page and how users interact with it, while UX looks at a user’s overall experience on the website.

Scalable Website Design

Scalable design in web development ensures a website can grow and evolve with a business and accommodate more traffic, content, and functionality without losing performance or usability. This approach plans for future expansion by making it easier to add new features, adapt to new technology, and meet increasing user demands without re-coding the website too much. Scalable designs are built on flexible frameworks, allowing for enhancements without complete overhauls, ensuring longevity and cost-effectiveness for websites.

Why Understanding The Types Of Web Design Is Important

Good website design is crucial for meeting user needs and achieving business goals. First impressions matter, especially online when users can click away in a heartbeat. A clunky, outdated web design that isn’t responsive or offers a poor user experience never reflects well. If you’re working with a design agency or professional web designer to build a new website, this article should be able to set you on the right track. Knowing what to ask for and what you want in a website will lead to a better outcome. 

How To Pick The Right Website Layout And Design 

Each different type of web layout and design format we covered in this article has its place, but some are more essential than others – all business websites should be fully responsive at a minimum in 2024, for example. It’s also important to reiterate that most of these styles of web design aren’t mutually exclusive to each other. A website can be both responsive, scalable, and minimalist. The most important thing to remember when creating a website is to ensure that it aligns with your audience’s preferences and specific website objectives.

Why Website Backups Are Essential 

Website backup is the safety net you don’t want to take lightly, no matter how good your website security is. Imagine losing all your website content, customer data, and hard work in an instant—whether through a hacker’s malicious attack, a faulty update, or even a simple human mistake. The consequences can range from minor inconvenience to loss of business. Regular backups are an essential part of website maintenance that ensures you can quickly restore your website back to its original state if anything goes wrong, minimising downtime and keeping your operation running smoothly. 

What is Downtime and Why Does it Matter?

Website downtime is a business metric that tracks the amount of time a website is ‘down’ or inaccessible. The lower your downtime, the better for productivity, profits and your search engine ranking. You can read our article on why websites go down if you want a more comprehensive overview. If your website does go down, having a firm backup strategy and procedure in place means you can get your website back up and running again as quickly as possible.

How Often Should You Backup Your Website?

The frequency of your website backups depends on how often your site’s content changes. For most sites, a weekly backup is a good starting point. However, if you’re running an e-commerce site, a blog with daily posts, or a site with high user interaction, daily backups might be more appropriate. It’s about striking a balance between not losing too much data and not overloading your storage with too many backups. Small changes? Weekly or even monthly backups might be enough. Lots of daily updates? Consider daily backups.

Are Regular Backups Really Necessary?

For many websites, daily backups might seem like overkill. However, they can be a game-changer for sites with frequent updates or high transaction volumes. Daily backups reduce the risk of significant data loss, ensuring that you can restore the most recent version of your site with minimal disruption. Think of it as an insurance policy; it might feel unnecessary—until you need it. For sites where the content and data are static and don’t change often, less frequent backups might suffice. Assess your site’s activity and decide accordingly.

Types of Website Backup Strategies 

Full Website Backup

Full backups copy every file and database, taking a comprehensive snapshot of your entire website. This is the most thorough type of backup, and it makes restoring your site easy as you have all your website data ready to go. However, this does come at a cost – it requires more server storage space and takes longer to complete. Additionally, they only capture a moment in time on your website, so they have to be paired with incremental or differential backups.

Incremental Backups 

Incremental backups save only the changes made since the last backup. After an initial full backup, each subsequent partial backup will only include files that have been added or altered. This method saves time and storage space but requires a complete sequence of backups for a full restore. This means restoration can be slow, as you need to apply the full backup and then each incremental backup in sequence.

On-Demand Backup

On-demand, comprehensive backups are done whenever needed instead of on a set schedule. This might be done before major updates or changes to provide a safety net if anything goes wrong and your site breaks. The only downside to on-demand backups is that they can be forgotten or overlooked if you don’t have a set backup schedule, potentially leaving gaps in your backup coverage.

Real-Time Backups

Real-time backups are ideal for websites that handle constant changes or transactions. They capture data as it changes, ensuring that every transaction or update is immediately backed up. This method provides the highest level of data protection but can be resource-intensive.

Differential Backups

Similar to incremental backups, differential backups start with a full backup. Then, each differential backup includes all changes made since the initial full backup, not just since the last backup. This means differential backups grow larger over time but are quicker to restore than incremental backups, as you only need the full backup and the latest differential backup.

Cloud-Based Backups

Cloud backups mean backup files are stored online with a third-party provider. Cloud backup services like this offer flexibility, scalability, and ease of access from any location with internet access. Cloud backups are an effective off-site backup solution, though they depend on the reliability of the cloud provider and internet connectivity. Ongoing costs can also be higher in the longer than on-site backups, but you don’t have any upfront costs hardware or server costs.

Automatic Backups to Protect Your Website

Cloud-based, automated backups are widely agreed upon as the best practice in 2024. They allow you to regularly back up without manual intervention, minimising room for human error. The real advantage of automating your website backups lies in the peace of mind it offers. Once you’ve set up your preferred backup method, you won’t need to worry about remembering to back up your site—it will happen automatically, ensuring regular, consistent backups that greatly reduce the risk of significant data loss. This frees up your time for you to concentrate on running your business. 

How to Automate Website Backups

The easiest way to set up cloud-based automatic backups is through your web hosting provider. Most hosting providers offer tools for automated backups directly in the cPanel. These tools allow you to set the frequency and type of backups, such as daily or weekly, full or incremental, depending on your site’s needs and activity levels. Just make sure you do your research and choose a reliable hosting provider with a proven track record of limited downtime and a transparent backup service. 

WordPress Backup Plugins 

If your website is run on a CMS like WordPress, you can automate your backup process using a backup plugin. These plugins enable you to schedule backups, decide which parts of your site to back up and offer options like cloud services for off-site storage.

How to Backup Your Website Manually

Learning how to manually backup your website yourself is useful if you prefer a more hands-on approach to your website or just want to cover all your bases. To do a manual backup, log in to your web hosting account, find the directory where your website files are stored and use an FTP client to download the files to a safe location on your computer where you can easily access and restore backups. If you’ve got automatic cloud backups set up, this isn’t necessary – but it doesn’t hurt either if you want to make sure that your website is protected to the max and your backups are safe.

If you’re relying solely on manual backups, make sure you do a full database backup regularly! If anything happens to your website, you don’t want to be caught without a recent backup on hand, as you won’t be able to restore the latest version of your site.

How to Restore Your Website to its Previous State

Restoring your website to a previous state might seem complex, but it’s quite straightforward if you have a recent backup. Here’s how to do it:

1. Restore the Files: Use your FTP client to connect to your web server. Delete the current files (after ensuring you have a complete backup, just in case) and upload the files from your backup. Make sure you upload everything to the correct directory, often public_html.
2. Restore the Database: Log in to your hosting control panel and open phpMyAdmin. Select the database your website uses, and drop the existing tables (make sure you’ve backed these up before dropping them). Then, click on the ‘Import’ tab, choose your backup database file, and press ‘Go’. This will restore your website’s database and files to its previous state.
3. Check Your Website: After restoring both files and the database, visit your website to check everything is running as it should. Sometimes, you might need to clear your browser’s cache or adjust settings in your website’s backend to get everything working smoothly.

If you encounter any issues during the restoration process, don’t hesitate to contact your hosting provider’s support team. They can offer guidance and assistance to ensure your website is restored correctly.

Is the Classic 3-2-1 Backup Solution Still Necessary?

The 3-2-1 is a long-standing, popular site backup method that ensures that you have multiple layers of protection for your data, guaranteeing that you’ll be able to recover your information if something goes wrong. Here’s how it works:

• 3 copies of your data: one primary copy and two backups.
• 2 different media types for the backups, like an external hard drive and a cloud storage service. This reduces the risk of both backups failing.
• 1 off-site backup: one of the backups should be stored in a different location to protect against physical disasters like fire or theft.

While it is a highly reliable backup method, it is a lot more costly than just storing backups of your website through your hosting provider. There’s a lot of debate as to whether the 3-2-1 backup principle is still necessary in 2024 with all the advancements there have been to cloud technology since the 3-2-1 approach was first popularised in 2005 with the book Digital Asset Management for Photographers by Peter Krough. Cloud technology offers a more robust and reliable way to backup data than ever – if you really want to ensure your backup files are extra safe from data loss, just do a manual backup, too.

We’re an Experienced Web Hosting Provider 

As part of our web hosting service, we offer efficient and reliable cloud site backups at Futuretheory. Our web hosting and backup solutions are highly scalable, meaning we can backup your website as frequently as you need, depending on your needs, whether that’s hourly or daily, incremental or real-time.

Our web hosting service is comprehensive and makes use of enterprise-grade hardware for excellent performance and fast load times. To give you peace of mind, we guarantee an uptime of 99.9%, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business, knowing that your website is in capable hands. Our web hosting plans start at $20 a month. Contact us today if we sound like the right solution for you.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO tool that offers a great user interface and a generous feature set, even on its free plan. The free keyword research tools are particularly useful, including a free keyword generator with up to 150 free suggestions, complete with metrics such as search volume and keyword difficulty. While most free SEO tools offer these features to some extent, what sets Ahrefs apart are its tools for keyword research across niche search engines like Bing, YouTube, and Amazon. However, if you’re just getting started with your SEO efforts, I wouldn’t worry about these other search engines for a while. It’s best just to start with Google; otherwise, you’re at risk of spreading yourself too thin and falling short on all fronts.

Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is also great for conducting a detailed SEO audit and detecting common SEO issues like broken links, missing titles, and poor mobile usability. This tool also analyses backlinks and ranks keywords, providing website owners with a clear view of their site’s performance and areas for improvement. Additionally, we use Ahrefs to track ongoing SEO campaigns with their free SERP and rank tracking tools that give in-depth third-party insight into a website’s traffic volume and overall ranking on SERPs.

Overall, Ahrefs is an excellent free SEO tool for beginners, thanks to its user-friendly interface and simple approach to data. However, experienced SEO experts may find the free version of Ahrefs a bit limiting in terms of data depth. If you do find yourself wanting to upgrade to the paid version, it will cost $99 per month.

SemRush

If you’re looking for something with a bit more depth, SEMrush offers a wide range of free SEO tools that support both initial research and ongoing optimisation efforts. These tools enable users to perform detailed keyword research and monitor their site’s SEO health. With the free version, users can access limited but valuable data on keyword performance, including monthly search volume and keyword difficulty.

 SEMrush’s free tools also provide insights into competitors’ strategies, allowing users to identify gaps in their own SEO approach and find opportunities for growth. SEMrush’s free competitor analysis includes invaluable metrics like:

• How many and which keywords a domain rank for (in both paid and organic search)
• Positions distribution for these keywords
• Main competitors (in both Organic and Paid Search)
• Top keywords driving traffic
• Free backlink checker

One of SEMrush’s best SEO tools, however, is its site audit feature. You can check for common technical SEO issues, like slow page load times and missing meta descriptions, that could be hurting your performance in search engines. These functionalities make SEMrush’s free offerings a practical starting point for improving website visibility and performance. If you want to upgrade from a free account to the paid version of SEMrush, it’s one of the pricier options at $129 a month on their lower tier ‘pro’ plan.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) is an essential tool for any website owner and will continue to be so as long as Google has such search dominance. Integrating Google Search Console is always the first step to improving your website’s SEO. The best part is that, like the rest of Google’s suite of tools, it’s free and always will be.

GSC allows you to monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site’s presence in Google Search results with data straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. It provides valuable data on how Google views your site, including information on search traffic, mobile usability, and issues that might affect your site’s on-page SEO and performance in search results. Google also offers performance tracking metrics, such as the amount of traffic to your website, impressions, click-through rate, and your average position on search.

You can also use Google Search Console to submit sitemaps directly to Google. Sitemaps tell search engines about the hierarchy of your site, serving as a roadmap for crawlers to rank your pages accordingly.

Google Trends

Google Trends is a free tool that analyses the popularity of search queries across various regions and languages. It provides insights into search trends over time, which can be invaluable for performing keyword research, understanding search intent and generating topic ideas. You can type in a keyword to explore the relative search volume, compare it to other keywords, and identify seasonal trends or emerging topics in your industry. This information helps tailor content to current interests and forecast the demand for topics. Google Trends also offers related queries, which can inspire new keyword ideas or suggest additional long-tail keywords to target. For anyone looking to align their content with user interest and search behaviour, Google Trends is a useful resource.

I find Google Trends particularly useful for local SEO – its tool for finding local search trends allows me to post just the right content at just the right time. You can learn more about how to leverage Google Trends as part of your keyword toolkit with our introduction to Google Trends.

Bing Webmaster Tools

This is Bing’s answer to Google Search Console. It’s a free suite of services from Microsoft that provides insights and reports on your website’s performance in the Bing search engine. Much like Google Search Console, it enables site owners to submit their websites and sitemaps to Bing for indexing, helping to improve visibility. The tool offers data on search traffic, showing how users find your site, and provides diagnostic reports on website health, identifying issues like broken links or unindexed pages. It also features keyword research tools and SEO reports, which give recommendations on how to optimise your site for better rankings.

Due to Bing’s relatively low market share, this isn’t a tool I’d spend a lot of time on. According to a 2023 study from ROI, Google is by far the most used search engine in Australia, holding a market share of 94.56% as of May 2023, followed by Bing with 3.65%.

Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a free keyword tool offered within Google Ads that helps users research keywords for their search campaigns. It provides data on search volume, competition, and suggested bid prices for various target keywords. This tool is particularly useful for identifying relevant keywords for SEO and pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, allowing you to understand how often certain terms are searched and how those searches change over time. Keyword Planner can also help generate new keyword ideas based on seed keywords, helping to expand your keyword strategy. 

While Google Keyword Planner is aimed at people running Google Ads, you don’t have to run paid ads to use it. Its insights are still invaluable for anyone looking to enhance their website’s SEO by targeting the right keywords organically.

Moz

Moz is an SEO software that has a great selection of tools you can use for free and is perfect for beginners looking to delve a bit deeper into SEO. It allows you to track metrics all the classic metrics like keyword suggestions, search volume data, and keyword difficulty scores. Moz also provides a free domain analysis tool, giving users a quick overview of your site’s SEO health, including top pages by links, discovered and lost links, and keyword rankings.

What makes Moz different is its simple layout and clear display of data, making it a less overwhelming experience than more complex SEO tools like SEMrush without compromising too much on versatility. Another unique feature of Moz is its SEO toolbar, a free Chrome extension that allows you to SEO research as you browse the web age and see important SEO metrics like Page Authority, Domain Authority, and Spam Score of any site or page. You can also access and compare link metrics across pages while browsing any SERP.

To gain access to both the free and paid SEO tools from Moz, you’ll have to pay $99 a month for the basic plan. The most expensive, comprehensive plan is $600 a month, but you don’t need this unless you’re a large and established SEO agency.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a website crawler that helps you improve on-page SEO by performing an SEO analysis to reveal issues. We love this tool so much we pay for the full version, but the free version still has much of what makes the paid version so good. You can analyse over 500 URLs to find broken links, analyse page titles and metadata, generate sitemaps to submit to Google and other search engines, as well uncover any duplicate pages.

The paid version has over two dozen more features and integrations, but the free version is a great place to start if you want to better understand your site’s performance and positioning. If your SEO efforts scale up and you want to upgrade, it costs $391 annually.

Honourable Mentions

While the tools listed below aren’t solely for SEO, they can also be valuable assets for your overall digital marketing and website management strategy. These tools provide additional insights and capabilities that complement your main SEO tools, improving your website’s functionality and user experience.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a powerful tool that every website owner should use. It’s free and provides detailed information about who visits your website. You can see how many people visit, where they come from, and what they do on your site. It helps you understand your audience better and measure the impact of your SEO efforts. It’s essential for tracking your progress and making data-driven decisions to improve your site. Read our list of best free tools for checking website traffic if you want to learn more.

Pingdom 

Pingdom is a website speed and performance checker. A fast-loading site is important for good SEO and keeping your visitors happy. Pingdom lets you test how quickly your website loads and identifies what might be slowing it down. While there is a paid version that allows you to monitor an unlimited number of sites and access uptime monitoring, the free version is more than adequate for most needs.

WordPress Plugins 

If you use WordPress, there are plenty of free plugins that can help with SEO. Plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math simplify the process of optimising your content and improving your rankings. They help you add meta tags, generate sitemaps, and provide useful tips for making your posts more search engine-friendly. These tools are user-friendly, easy to install and perfect for beginners looking to improve their website’s SEO without technical expertise.

You Don’t Need Paid SEO Tools To Succeed

No matter the size of your business, SEO is a must if you want to keep attracting organic traffic. This article goes to show that you don’t need to have a million-dollar budget to improve your SEO performance. There are so many free SEO courses, tools, and software out there to help you get started. SEO will never provide instant results, but putting in the effort is well worth it in the long run – and essential to stay competitive. If you want to learn more about how we do it, read our article on How We Measure SEO Campaigns.

People use the term ‘White Hat SEO’ to refer to the ethical and legitimate tactics used to improve a website’s search engine rankings. This includes creating high-quality content, optimising website structure, and building backlinks through organic means. On the other hand, Black Hat SEO involves using deceptive and manipulative techniques to achieve quick results, like keyword stuff and cloaking.

Understanding the difference between White Hat and Black Hat SEO and the benefits and risks associated with each approach is key to choosing the best strategy to improve your online presence and drive traffic to your website. 

Not So Black And White

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of Black Hat SEO and White Hat SEO, it’s important to note there is no firm definition of either. In our experience, SEO techniques exist on a spectrum, and every SEO expert you talk to will have a different opinion. 

Further complicating matters, popular definitions can also change over time based on Google’s algorithms and stances. Google’s guidelines should be read and understood but not necessarily referenced as complete truths. Ultimately, their goal is to give us guidance rather than the exact rulebook—that would make it even easier for bad actors to trick the system. 

That being said, there is a clear consensus about the morality and effectiveness of some SEO strategies and places where Google has drawn a clear line about what is and isn’t acceptable. 

What Is White Hat SEO?

White Hat SEO uses ethical strategies that follow search engine guidelines to improve a website’s ranking. This approach prioritises providing genuine value to users, ensuring content is engaging and informative. It involves creating original content that meets your audience’s needs, incorporating keywords naturally without overdoing it, and improving the website’s on-page SEO and user experience by making it easy to navigate, fast to load, and mobile-friendly.

White Hat SEO also includes building a website’s reputation through legitimate links from reputable sites, known as link building. Although this method may take longer to produce results, it establishes a strong foundation for sustained success. It builds trust with audiences and search engines, leading to higher rankings, increased traffic, and better conversion rates in the long run.

What Is Black Hat SEO?

Black Hat SEO refers to manipulative tactics that violate search engine guidelines to improve a website’s ranking quickly, essentially cheating the system. Bad actors do this by exploiting loopholes in search engine algorithms to gain an unfair advantage, often at the expense of user experience. While Black Hat SEO might offer short-term gains, it poses significant risks, including penalties from search engines, which can lead to a drop in website traffic or even complete removal from search results. Ultimately, Black Hat SEO undermines a website’s trust and credibility, potentially causing long-term damage to a brand’s reputation and online presence.

Black Hat SEO Techniques

Below are some typical Black Hat SEO tactics to avoid as a rule of thumb if you don’t want to be penalised. There’s no room for debate on whether any of these examples are considered Black Hat SEO methods or not—Google made it very clear in their Spam Policies for search. While they don’t use the terms Black Hat and White Hat SEO directly, they explicitly warn against certain practices commonly used to improve SEO quickly.

These include:

• Keyword stuffing
• Cloaking
• Hidden text
• Doorway pages
• Link farms
• Scaled content abuse

Keyword Stuffing

Keyword stuffing is one of the most common black hat methods, as it requires little to no technical skill. It refers to the practice of overloading web pages with keywords. This often results in poor user experience and content that’s difficult or impossible to read. Here’s an example Google uses in their guidelines:

“Unlimited app store credit. There are so many sites that claim to offer app store credit for $0, but they’re all fake and always mess up with users looking for unlimited app store credits. You can get limitless credits for app store right here on this website. Visit our unlimited app store credit page and get it today!”

Cloaking

Cloaking is the practice of presenting different content or information to search engine crawlers than to human users. People do this to mislead search engines into ranking the site higher for certain keywords or phrases that might not actually be relevant to the user-visible content. Cloaking can also be used for more nefarious purposes, like hiding inappropriate or questionable content from crawlers. 

One example might be showing a page about travel destinations to search engines while showing users a page about discount drugs.

Hidden Text

This is the practice of placing white text on a white background (or similar schemes) to include extra keywords or links on a page for search engines while they remain invisible to users. Here’s the complete list of what Google defines as hidden text: 

• Using keywords in white text on a white background
• Hiding text behind an image
• Using CSS to position text off-screen
• Setting the font size or opacity to 0
• Hiding a link by only linking one small character, like a hyphen in the middle of a sentence

Doorway Pages

Doorways are low-quality web pages packed with keywords and phrases that rank high in search results and then redirect visitors to a different page. This bad SEO tactic aims to expand a website’s reach for any specific query without putting in the time and effort it takes to produce good content accordingly. One example is having multiple similar URLs like ‘web-design-canberra’, ‘canberra-web-design’, and ‘canberra-websites’ that, in fact, all redirect to one page that actually has valuable content. 

Link Farms

Link farms, or link schemes, refer to groups of websites that link to every other site within the network to increase their link count and, by extension, their ranking in search results. These artificial backlinks suggest the websites are more valuable and relevant than they actually are. Here’s an example:

Imagine a network of 50 websites covering lots of unrelated topics, from cooking recipes and fitness training to financial advice. Each site in this network links to every other site, regardless of the relevance or quality of the content. For instance, a site dedicated to pet care might include links to a financial advice site and vice versa, even though these sites have no logical connection. 

Scaled Content Abuse

Scaled content abuse refers to the practice of mass-producing content across many pages, often using automated tools like Chat GPT, with the primary goal of manipulating search engine algorithms rather than providing genuine value to users. This content is typically low quality and lacks substance and originality. Here’s an example:

A company creates hundreds of websites, each targeting specific keywords or phrases within a broad industry, such as “cheap home insurance in [city name]” for multiple cities around the country. To populate these sites, the company uses automated software to generate articles that superficially discuss home insurance in each location. These articles are often barely readable, stuffed with keywords, and offer little to no real information or advice that a person looking for home insurance would find useful.

Is Link Building Black Hat SEO?

Link building is not necessarily Black Hat SEO. It’s a big part of white hat SEO strategies when done correctly. The difference lies in how you obtain those links. White Hat SEO techniques include earning links through the quality of your content, products, or services. It’s about creating something valuable that other websites want to link to because it enhances their content and provides value to their audience. 

On the other hand, using Black Hat SEO techniques for link building involves:

• Manipulative tactics like buying links.
• Participating in link farms.
• Using automated programs to create links.

These practices aim to trick search engines into ranking a website higher than it deserves and can, when discovered, lead to penalties or a drop in rankings.

All in all, while link building is an essential and legitimate SEO technique, it’s the method of acquiring those links that determines whether it’s considered White Hat or Black Hat SEO. Ethical link-building focuses on quality and relevance, aiming for long-term benefits rather than quick, risky gains.

Is AI-Generated Content Considered Black Hat SEO?

With the rise of Chat GPT and other natural language processing models, AI-generated content is now at the centre of the Black Hat SEO debate. For the moment, Google doesn’t consider AI-generated content itself to be inherently black hat SEO. Just like link building, intent and strategy makes all the difference. The distinction lies in how and why the content is produced and used. AI can be a powerful tool for creating content, but its alignment with SEO ethics depends on the quality, relevance, and value it provides to users.

When AI-generated content enhances user experience by providing valuable, relevant information, it aligns with white hat SEO practices. This means the content must be well-researched, informative, and tailored to meet the audience’s needs. It should complement human creativity and insight, ensuring the final output is useful and engaging for readers. On the other hand, if you use AI-generated content to deceive search engine bots with no regard for user value by producing large volumes of low-quality, irrelevant, or spammy content, it would be considered a Black Hat SEO.

Grey Hat SEO – Murky Middle Ground

Grey Hat SEO is a technique that sits between White Hat and Black Hat SEO. It uses tactics that are not clearly defined by search engine guidelines as either acceptable or unacceptable. Grey Hat SEO is a blend of both, often employed to achieve quicker results than White Hat SEO but without the significant risks associated with Black Hat techniques. 

Some examples of Grey Hat SEO practices are slightly aggressive link building or creating content that is more focused on search engines than actual users, but not to the extent that it gets penalised for being spam. Grey Hat SEO may offer a temporary boost in rankings, but it comes with its risks. 

Search engines continually update their algorithms to provide the best results for users. What’s considered a grey area today might fall into black hat territory tomorrow, leading to penalties. Businesses using Grey Hat tactics need to be prepared to adjust their strategies frequently in line with algorithm updates and understand the potential for future consequences.

Here’s what Google Search Central (formerly Google Webmaster Guidelines) says about tactics that seem shifty but aren’t outright banned: ‘These quality guidelines cover the most common forms of deceptive or manipulative behaviour, but Google may respond negatively to other misleading practices not listed here.’

‘It’s not safe to assume that just because a specific deceptive technique isn’t included on this page, Google approves of it. Website owners who spend their energies upholding the spirit of the basic principles will provide a much better user experience and subsequently enjoy better ranking than those who spend their time looking for loopholes they can exploit.”

Black Hat SEO Practices – Case Study

Imagine a website called “QuickTechSolutions.com.au,” an online store selling tech gadgets. To quickly rank higher in search engine results, the website owner decides to use Black Hat SEO strategies. They stuff their web pages with an excessive amount of target keywords like “best cheap tech gadgets,” “buy tech online,” and “discount gadgets” to the point where the text becomes almost unreadable for visitors. They also engage in cloaking, showing search engines a different, keyword-rich version of their site, while users see a page filled with ads and minimal useful content. Additionally, QuickTechSolutions.com.au buys links from a network of unrelated sites, creating an artificial sense of authority and relevance.

Initially, these tactics might boost their rankings, and they see a surge in traffic. However, this success is short-lived. Users find the site difficult to use and the content irrelevant, leading to a high bounce rate and poor user engagement. Eventually, search engines catch on to QuickTechSolutions.com.au’s manipulative practices. The site gets hit with severe penalties and manual action from Google: their rankings plummet, and they virtually disappear from search results. The quick gains turn into long-term losses, damaging their online reputation and making it challenging to recover. The website loses significant traffic, and its sales drop drastically, serving as a cautionary tale against the use of Black Hat SEO.

White Hat Techniques – Case Study

Let’s imagine “GreenGardenGear.com.au,” a website selling sustainable gardening tools. They use White Hat practices to improve their ranking steadily. They regularly publish high-quality, informative articles on topics like “eco-friendly gardening tips” and “how to choose sustainable gardening tools,” using keywords naturally within the content. They ensure their website is user-friendly, with fast loading times, a mobile-responsive design, and a clear, easy-to-navigate layout. GreenGardenGear.com.au also engages in ethical link-building by creating content so valuable that other reputable gardening blogs and eco-conscious websites link to it without any solicitation.

Over time, these White Hat SEO practices lead to a slow and steady increase in their ranking on the search engine results page. The website starts appearing on the first page of search results for terms related to sustainable gardening tools. Because their site provides a good user experience and quality content, visitors spend more time on the site, reducing bounce rates and increasing the chances of making a purchase. Social media shares and natural backlinks from satisfied readers and respected sites in the gardening and environmental sectors further boost their visibility and authority.

As a result, GreenGardenGear.com.au builds a solid online reputation, enjoys sustained growth in organic traffic, and sees an increase in sales. Their commitment to White Hat SEO not only enhances their search engine rankings but also establishes their brand as a trustworthy source for sustainable gardening, leading to long-term success.

Real-Life Examples

Although the above case studies are fictional and only serve to illustrate a point, they’re an accurate reflection of what happens when you fall on the wrong side of the black hat vs white hat SEO battle.

JCPenney, an American department store similar to Target in Australia, is a real-life example of a business that suffered losses as a result of using Black Hat SEO practices. In 2011, an investigation by the New York Times found that the company was involved in an extensive link scheme. The subsequent article, ‘Dirty Secrets Of Search‘, revealed that JCPenney bought thousands of links from hundreds of websites, all pointing to their website, to boost their rankings in Google’s search results for a variety of keywords, from ‘dresses’ to ‘home decor’. 

Google uses links from other websites as a sign of trust and ranks sites higher accordingly. However, the backlinks that JCPenney purchased were from completely unrelated websites, such as gambling companies, and had no relevance to their products or services. The purpose of these links was to manipulate rankings in search results. 

Google reacted swiftly and severely to JCPenney’s unethical SEO practices by manually penalising the company. This penalty resulted in a significant drop in rankings for almost all of JC Penney’s keywords. The company was effectively erased from the top search results where it once dominated. This immediately and directly impacted the company’s online visibility, highlighting the real risks of engaging in Black Hat SEO. 

It goes to show that while practising Black Hat SEO tactics may result in short-term gain, the real difference between Black Hat SEO and White Hat SEO will become evident quickly when your website is penalised. Helpful content and a good user experience will always win in the end! Ethical SEO is effective SEO.

WordFence

Wordfence is a comprehensive WordPress security plugin. It offers a wide range of features designed to protect your site from threats and a user-friendly interface. The dashboard gives an overview of your site’s security, including notifications of potential security issues and recommended actions, so you can have more peace of mind and control of your website’s security. In our opinion, this is one of the most essential plugins to install. Security is always paramount!

Some consider Sucuri to be a great option as well, but we prefer WordFence for its user interface and functionality. We love that it’s suitable for both beginners and advanced users, and even the free plan provides extensive security features while remaining easy to set up and configure.

Key features of Wordfence include:

• Scheduled security scans 
• Intrusion alerts
• Login security with two-factor authentication and captchas 
• Industry-leading firewall protection
• Malware scanner

The free version of WordFence includes all the features above. The paid version, starting at $119 annually, includes a higher level of customer support, security audits, and 24/7 industry response. However, we find the free version of the plugin more than adequate for most websites.

RankMath

RankMath is a relatively new WordPress SEO plugin that competes with Yoast SEO. Yoast SEO is a much older SEO plugin for WordPress that has recently removed features and functionalities and moved them to premium or paid tiers. On the other hand, RankMath still offers many features and functionalities on its free tier. It’s packed with user-friendly features that make optimising your content straightforward, with an intuitive interface that guides you through the process of improving your SEO and ensuring your website follows SEO best practices. This level of guidance and clarity makes RankMath an excellent choice for both SEO beginners and seasoned marketers looking to streamline their workflow.

Key features of RankMath include:

• Advanced SEO analysis tool
• Bulk edit titles and descriptions
• Content analysis
• 404 monitoring
• Automatic site maps
• Integration with Google Analytics 4

Both the free and paid versions give you access to all those features. Upgrading to the paid version gives you the ability to run the plugin on 100 paid websites, track 10,000 keywords, and use their AI writing features. Plans run between $7.99 and $59.88 per month. We find that the free version is still great as you grow your business. Unless you run a large-scale SEO agency, the $59.99-a-month version definitely isn’t necessary.

Imsanity

Imsanity is a great option for automatically reducing image file sizes when uploading. Imsanity is short for ‘Image Sanity Limit’, meaning image sizes are automatically reduced whenever an editor tries to upload an image to the site that’s an ‘insane size’. This makes it ideal for websites with lots of editors where it’s hard to control the size of images that people upload. This can quickly get out of hand and lead to slower site speed. Imsanity is the perfect solution to that. The best part is that it requires no action on your part once the plugin is set up with your preferences.

• Automatic resizing according to chosen max dimensions
• Ability to retroactively resize existing images in your media library in bulk
• Optionally converts BMP and PNG files to JPG 
• Easy-to-navigate settings page where you can define maximum height, width, and quality for your images

The best part of all is that Imsanity is open source, meaning it’s a completely free WordPress plugin.

Site Kit by Google

Site Kit is Google’s official WordPress plugin. We love it because it serves as a one-stop solution for website owners looking to leverage Google’s tools to gain insights into their site’s performance. You can easily integrate and manage key Google services, such as Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, and PageSpeed Insights, all within your WordPress dashboard. Being able to see a comprehensive overview of your site’s traffic, performance, website visitor demographics, and monetisation all in one place is invaluable. Aside from saving time by integrating seamlessly with WordPress, it also gives you as broad a look as possible at your website analytics.

Site Kit, like Google’s other tools, is completely free and always will be.

WP-Optimize

WP-Optimize is the best WordPress plugin if you want to speed up your site with as little hassle as possible. It merges three performance optimisation features into a single, user-friendly plugin that cleans up your WordPress database, compresses your images, and caches your site. This multifunctional approach ensures your website operates smoothly, loads quicker, and delivers a better user experience.

Key features of WP-Optimize include:

• Automatic database cleaning
• Image compression
• Page caching
• Minifying code to reduce bloat

WP-Optimize provides both free and premium versions. The free plugin addresses the basic optimisation needs, while the premium version offers extra features such as lazy loading for images, advanced caching options, and more flexible cleanup schedules, providing even greater control over your site’s performance. The premium WordPress plugin starts at $49 a year. This is one of our must-have plugins, even if it’s just the free version.

Contact Form 7

Contact Form 7 is a contact form plugin for WordPress that allows you to create and manage multiple contact forms on your site. Its simplicity and flexibility make it a favourite among WordPress users seeking an effective solution for their communication needs. With Contact Form 7, you can customise form fields, appearance, and mail contents using simple markup directly from your WordPress dashboard. 

Key features of Contact Form 7 include:

• Customisable
• CAPTCHA and Akismet spam filtering
• Shortcode Integration
• Email Notifications

Like Imsanity, Contact Form 7 is open source and, therefore, entirely free. It’s reliable, highly useful, and straightforward like all the best plugins should be. If you need a WordPress form plugin, this is definitely the way to go.

Flamingo

Flamingo is another free WordPress plugin designed to work in conjunction with Contact Form 7. It addresses one of the few limitations of most form plugins: the ability to store submitted messages. Developed by the same team behind Contact Form 7, Flamingo acts as a message storage system, ensuring that no submitted forms are lost, even if email notifications fail to send. This plugin is a must-have for website owners who use Contact Form 7 and want to keep a reliable record of all interactions made through their site’s contact forms.

Key features of Flamingo include:

• Automatic message storage
• Straightforward interface to view, search, and manage saved message
• Integration with Contact Form 7’s spam protection features
• Stores contact information of those who have submitted forms, enabling you to build a contact list

Flamingo valuable functionality to Contact Form 7 to your site without adding complexity, enhancing the overall utility of Contact Form 7 by ensuring no message is ever missed due to email issues.

UpdraftPlus

UpdraftPlus is a highly regarded WordPress backup plugin that can give you peace of mind by securing your website data through reliable backup and restoration capabilities. It stands out for its ease of use and flexibility, allowing both novices and professionals to efficiently safeguard their site’s content, themes, plugins, and databases. UpdraftPlus simplifies the process of scheduling regular backups of your WordPress site and storing them in various remote locations such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon S3, and more, ensuring that your website can be restored quickly in case of any mishap.

Key features of UpdraftPlus include:

• Automated backup schedules
• Straightforward process for restoring your website from a backup
• Extensive options for remote storage
• Incremental backups, saving storage space

UpdraftPlus is available in both free and premium versions. The free version covers the essential needs for backups and restoration, making it suitable for personal blogs and small websites. The premium version extends the functionality with features like automatic backups before updates, more control over backup schedules and storage, as well as multisite compatibility. The paid version starts at $70, which allows you to install the plugin on up to 2 sites.

WP Super Cache

WP Super Cache is one of the best free WordPress plugins for speeding up your site. It works by creating static HTML files from your dynamic site. When visitors come to your site, WP Super Cache serves them these lighter HTML files instead of processing the heavier WordPress PHP scripts. This can significantly reduce your site’s loading time.

Key Features of WP Super Cache:

• Simplified caching process
• Customisable cache settings
• Content Delivery Network (CDN) support
• Advanced cache preloading

This is an invaluable plugin for us. Adding WP Super Cache to your WordPress site can immediately improve its speed, which means a better visitor experience and higher SEO rankings.

Duplicator

Duplicator is a powerful WordPress plugin that allows you to easily back up, copy, or move websites from one location to another. Our developers use it to migrate sites to a new host or domain and create backups for data protection purposes. However, Duplicator isn’t just for developers – it’s pretty easy to use and goes a long way to reduce the complexity of managing, moving, or backing up WordPress sites.

Key Features:

• Easy site migration
• Full site backups 
• Quick site setups

This popular WordPress plugin is available in both free and premium versions. The free version covers basic migration and backup needs, while the premium version offers additional features such as scheduled backups, cloud storage integration, and email notifications. The premium plans start at $49.50 a year for the ‘basic’ version that gives you access to unlimited backups and migrations for up to 2 sites.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce has long been considered one of the best WordPress plugins for eCommerce, and this is unlikely to change anytime soon. It’s a comprehensive eCommerce plugin that transforms WordPress websites so you can create custom storefronts, product pages, and optimised shopping carts. You can also track eCommerce performance metrics directly within the WooCommerce dashboard. All these features make it a one-stop shop for your online shop! Try saying that ten times over. 

What makes WooCommerce the best eCommerce plugin is its vast ecosystem of themes and extensions, which allow for extensive customisation of store design and functionality. There’s a huge community centred around WooCommerce and WordPress as a whole, meaning these WordPress themes and plugins are evolving constantly. Whether you need additional payment gateways, subscription management, or advanced product filtering, there’s likely a native extension available to meet your needs.

WooCommerce features include:

• Easy product management
• Supports multiple payment gateways 
• Shipping configuration based on locations, weights, and pricing.
• Allows customers to register, log in, and track their orders.
• Built-in analytics tools
• Easy SEO marketing tool integration

Woocommerce is an open-source plugin owned by Automattic, the owners of WordPress.com, so it’s free by nature. However, installing adjacent WooCommerce plugins and extensions for added functions and customisation often comes with a cost. 

How Many WordPress Plugins Are Too Many?

The question of how many WordPress plugins are too many doesn’t have a straightforward answer because there are lots of different factors involved. It largely depends on factors like your hosting capability, the quality of the plugins, and the complexity of your website. A key principle is to ensure that every plugin you use is well-coded and up-to-date. While adding plugins can extend your site’s functionality, each one potentially slows down your site, introduces security risks, and could lead to compatibility issues. 

High-quality web hosting and maintenance can mitigate some of these concerns by better handling the demands of multiple plugins, but it’s still important to prioritise plugin quality over quantity. Regularly reviewing your plugins to assess their impact on performance and security and considering custom development for specific needs can help maintain an optimal balance between functionality and website performance.

Updating plugins regularly is vital as well—otherwise, they can cause your site to break. This means the more plugins for WordPress you have installed, the more attention you have to pay to your website’s maintenance.  However, we strongly believe that the value of these plugins well outweighs the downsides. Some plugins, like WordFence, are absolutely essential to maintaining a healthy and secure site for example. If you’re running a simple site, there’s no need to invest in most premium WordPress plugins either – the free versions will more than often do. This makes plugins a cost-effective solution to so many problems. Well worth the extra maintenance!

Which Plugins Are You Using in 2024?

As of 2024, there are over 60,000 plugins on the WordPress Plugin Directory and that number is constantly growing. It’s an innovative space, and developers in the community are always finding new ways we can manage our website better. Staying informed and doing regular reviews of your plugin stack can help you ensure you’re website is functioning at its best whether it’s by improving SEO, site security, or optimising images. Let us know the plugins you find yourself relying on time and time again, or the ones you’ll be phasing out completely!

How To Improve User Experience With Lazy Loading

Using lazy loading enhances user experience in a few ways. The most valuable is that it speeds up page load times. When a website only loads images in view, it reduces the data the browser needs to process right away. This means users can start using the site sooner and won’t have to wait for it to load all at once. If you want to see an example of this in action, check out our resources page.

Lazy loading can also save on data. For users on limited data plans or with low bandwidth, loading only necessary images can cut data use a lot. This is especially important for mobile users who often rely on data connections.

Last but not least, it improves website engagement. Faster loading times and efficient data use make users more likely to stay on a website longer. Fast websites make users happy. This leads to better engagement and more conversions in the long run. 

Lazy Loading = Better SEO

The lazy loading of images can also lead to better SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Search engines like Google use page loading speed as a ranking factor. Faster websites rank higher, making them more visible to people searching online.

Lazy loading also reduces bounce rates. A bounce happens when someone leaves a website not longing after landing on it. One of the most common causes of this is frustration from slow page load times. If your website loads fast and keeps users engaged, they’re less likely to leave straight away.

It’s important to note that Bounce rate isn’t a confirmed ranking factor. But, a fast website makes visitors stay longer and explore more pages. This tells Google that your website has valuable content and a good user experience. And Google definitely cares about that.

Mobile loading speed, on the other hand, is a confirmed ranking factor. Lazy loading is great for mobile users, so it can definitely help boost your search ranking.

How To Implement Lazy Loading

You can implement lazy loading in a few different ways, depending on what you need for your website. Here are the main methods:

• Browser-Built-In Lazy Loading: Known as native lazy loading, this is the simplest way to start lazy loading. Many modern web browsers support it right out of the box. All you need to do is add loading=”lazy” to your image or iframe code. This tells the browser to wait to load the image until it’s about to come into view. This method is great because it’s easy to use and doesn’t need any extra tools or scripts.
• JavaScript Libraries: This can offer more control over lazy loading. They go beyond what the browser offers. These are bits of code that give you more flexibility with lazy loading. For example, you can decide when an image starts loading. You do this based on how close it is to being visible on the screen. Popular libraries include Lozad.js and LazySizes. They’re a bit more complex to set up but can handle more complicated needs.
• Custom JavaScript: If you want to integrate lazy loading in a more tailored way, this is the answer. Custom JavaScript means you or your developer will write the code from scratch. It will control how and when images load. This method is the most flexible. But, it needs JavaScript knowledge and takes more time to set up.
• CSS Tricks: CSS scripts aren’t a standalone method for lazy loading images. But you can use it with JavaScript to enhance the effect. It can also control the display of images before they load.
• WordPress Plugins: If you use WordPress, implementing lazy loading can be even simpler. Plugins can automatically apply lazy loading to your images. This means there’s no need to edit code. Plugins like ‘a3 Lazy Load’ and ‘Lazy Load by WP Rocket’ are popular choices. They offer easy installation and setup directly from your WordPress dashboard. Just install the plugin, activate it, and configure the settings according to your needs.

Are There Any Downsides To Lazy Loading Images?

Lazy loading is something that we implement all the time, but like any technique, it isn’t perfect and might not suit every situation. Here are a few downsides to keep in mind:

• SEO Implications: If not implemented right, lazy loading can hide content from search engines. Search engine bots might not scroll your page, meaning they don’t see or index the images when lazy loading is on. This is less of a problem now, as search engines have become smarter at recognising and indexing lazy-loaded content.
• User Experience: If your lazy loading is too slow or not fine-tuned, it can lead to a poor user experience. Visitors might see blank spaces where images should be. They might also have delays in loading content as they scroll. This can be frustrating and may deter people from using your site.
• Complexity: Adding lazy loading can make your website’s code more complex. This is especially true if you use custom JavaScript or libraries. If not done right, it might make your website harder to maintain and introduce bugs.
• Overhead: Adding JavaScript libraries adds more code that browsers have to load. If not managed well, this could cancel the benefits of lazy loading. It would do so by making your web pages larger.
• Incompatibility: Most modern browsers support lazy loading. But some older versions and certain browsers still don’t. This could lead to inconsistent experiences across different devices and browsers. It has potential downsides, but lazy loading is great when implemented with care. Consider your specific needs. Test your method well to be sure it helps users, not hurts them.

It has potential downsides, but lazy loading is great when implemented with care. Consider your specific needs. Test your method well to be sure it helps users, not hurts them.

Other Ways To Improve Load Times

Lazy loading is a popular choice to speed upwebsites but there are other strategies that can optimise loading times. Here are a few:

• Image Compression: Before your images even get to the web, you can make them smaller in size by compressing them. This means they take less time to load. There are many tools online that can do this without losing the quality of your images.
• Image Formats: Choosing the right format for your images can also speed up loading times. PNGs have the fastest loading times, but JPEGs preserve the most detail.
• Use a CDN (Content Delivery Network): A CDN stores copies of your site’s content on servers around the world. When someone visits your site, the CDN delivers the content from the closest server. This can speed up loading times because the data doesn’t have to travel as far.
• Prioritising Content: Decide what needs to load first on your website. Make sure essential content loads fast, and defer loading non-critical elements.
• Effective Use of Caching: When someone visits your website, you can save some of its data on their device. Next time they visit, your site can load faster because it remembers some of its content. This technique can greatly speed up loading for return visitors.

Lazy Loading vs Eager Loading

Eager Loading is the opposite of lazy loading. It means a website loads everything right when you open the page. Every picture and video is ready to view immediately.

We know that lazy loading makes websites faster to start and saves data. Eager loading might not seem as good, but it still has its uses. It makes sure everything on a website is ready to see from the start. This could be useful for smaller websites where you need to see everything right away.

The choice between lazy loading and eager loading depends on your website’s complexity and image count. If you have no issues with page load time leaving your site as is, lazy loading might not be as worthwile.

Conclusion

Like everything, lazy loading has its pros and cons. But ultimately, we recommend implementing it on all websites. Users today have very little patience for slow loading times. Quick load times are key to a good user experience, and they can greatly affect how long visitors stay on your site. Anything you can do to improve your page speed should be done.

There are different ways to do lazy loading and other options to consider. But the speed, ease and efficiency of lazy loading make it well worth trying. It’s a proven, straightforward solution to slow load times.  If you want to learn more about website speed and why it’s so important, read our article on Testing And Improving Website Load Times.

Top Job Sites In Australia For Employers

Here’s a detailed list of some of the most popular job search websites in Australia, with their pros and cons weighed. We hope you find exactly who you’re looking for!

Seek

Seek is Australia’s leading job site, with over 14 million candidate profiles. It also operates in Australia and New Zealand, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Brazil, and Mexico. If you’re hoping to attract many applicants, this is the place to be. It’s one of the most popular sites across a range of sectors, meaning you have a wide reach.

More candidates to wade through isn’t necessarily a good thing. It means you have to spend a lot more time finding the right one. To counteract this, Seek also provides an advanced job search engine and filter tools. You can use them to sort candidates based on specific criteria, making it easier to find the perfect fit for your business in less time. Here are some more of Seek’s best features: 

• Detailed job posts: You can include essential qualifications, experience requirements, and company information in your job advertisements.
• Candidate Management: You can use Seek’s tools to sort through candidates and schedule interviews directly through the platform.
• Company Profiles: Showcase your company culture, benefits, and job openings one one centralised profile.
• Market Insights: Data and analytics that covers market trends, salary benchmarks, and competitor analysis. This can help you ensure you have competitive offers, or at least in line with the Australian job market.

We’ve used Seek many times in the past, and it’s one of the best places to post job ads. The downside is that posting a job listing on Seek is one of the more expensive options, and there is no option for free job postings.

It’s hard to get a clear idea of the price for one job listing upfront. They don’t give you a cost estimation until you post the ad. Pricing varies from industry to industry and fluctuates depending on demand. You can save money by paying upfront for many job ads at once. As of April 2024, posting 2–3 job ads over 12 months costs $1,150.

Indeed

Indeed is a US-based job board with over 350 million monthly visitors from across the globe. Unlike Seek, indeed offers both free and paid listing options. This flexibility, along with its powerful search tools, makes it a great option. It’s easy for both employers and job seekers to navigate.

Here are some of the features that make Indeed so popular:

• Free Job Postings: You can post jobs for free. This is particularly beneficial for small businesses or those with frequent hiring needs.
• Sponsored Jobs: You can opt to sponsor posts if you need an extra visibility boost. This ensures your listings appear near the top of search results.
• Resume Search: Access to a vast database of resumes means you can proactively search for candidates who meet specific job requirements.
• Screening Questions: You can add customised screening questions to job postings to weed out unsuitable candidates.

Indeed’s huge reach and easy application process does have a downside. You might find yourself with lots of unsuitable candidates. This is why it’s important to use their custom screen question feature.

It’s also important to note free job listings run this risk of getting lost under sponsored posts. According to Indeed, employers are 4.5 times more likely to make a hire if they sponsor their job listings. 

Paying for sponsored posts also allows you to unlock the ‘Matched Candidates’ feature. This automatically creates a list of candidates whose resumes on Indeed fit your job description. You can then invite as many of these candidates as you’d like to apply. Sponsorship runs on a CPA (Cost Per Applicant) pricing model, and you set a daily budget. 

LinkedIn

We all know LinkedIn is a great professional networking platform. It also doubles as a recruitment tool, thanks to its comprehensive job board feature. It goes without saying LinkedIn’s focus is on professionalism. As a result, it tends to draw in more serious candidates for white-collar jobs and senior positions.

Another advantage of LinkedIn is that it’s easier to find passive candidates. These are people who may not be actively job hunting but might jump on the right opportunity. This can expand the pool of candidates and increase your chances of finding the right fit.

LinkedIn also allows you to see more detailed candidate info than other job sites. You can see their full list of skills, peer recommendations, and social posts. Deeper insight into your candidate like that means better hiring decisions.

Here are some of LinkedIns best features for employers on the lookout:

Features:

• Targeted Job Ads: You can use LinkedIn’s advanced targeting tools to post jobs to specific groups, like people in your industry with the right level of experience.
• InMail: This premium feature lets employers send personalised messages directly to potential candidates, including those not actively hoping to find a job. This helps you tap into the passive job seeker market.
• Company Pages: You can use your business profile to showcase your company culture, values, and employee testimonials. This will help candidates better understand your business and whether they’re a good cultural fit. Your company page might make them realise you’re offering their dream job!
• Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Integration: An ATS is a hiring software tool that helps employers manage candidate data. If you use an ATS, LinkedIn makes it easy to integrate. This helps you keep track of candidate data and track the recruitment process efficiently.
• Recruiter Profiles: As a recruiter, you can create a detailed profile. This makes you more visible and more credible to potential candidates.
• Analytics: LinkedIn provides detailed analytics on job post performance. This includes the number of views and applications for each post. It also includes the demographics of the applicants. This helps you tweak and further refine your job posts over time.

You can post jobs on LinkedIn for free, but you’ll have limited reach and fewer features. For starters, free job posts are only active for 21 days and have a cap on the number of applicants. Before that, the post drops down in search results every day that it’s up.

In contrast, paid ads always appear at the top of search results and can stay up as long as you want. You also gain access to the InMail tool we mentioned above and instant mobile job alerts to qualified candidates. Paid ads on LinkedIn run on a cost-per-click model, meaning you can set the budget to suit your needs.

CareerOne

CareerOne is a joint venture of NewsCorp Australia and Monster Jobs, a global job board. Its focus on AI features and career resources has made it one of the most popular job sites in Australia.

There’s one thing that makes it stand out on this list: The ability to post interactive multimedia job ads. You can post virtual office tours, pictures of your teams, and video job descriptions. This is great for getting candidates’ attention. It also gives them a better sense of your workplace. It’s great if you work in a creative field and want to show prospective candidates a bit of your style.

Here are some more of CareerOne’s best features:

• Match Score: CareerOne uses AI to assess how well a candidate suits your job listing. It provides a ‘Match Score’ out of 100 to reflect this. You can sort candidates by match score, from highest to lowest. This means less sifting through unsuitable candidates.
• Career Resources: CareerOne has a wealth of articles and tools to help job seekers improve their employment prospects. This also benefits employers by attracting more informed and prepared candidates.
• Customisable Search Filters: You can tailor your search for candidates using filters like location, industry, people looking for work from home jobs, and expected salary. This makes it easier to find the best matches for job openings.

The biggest downside to CareerOne is its limited reach, with a much smaller user base than global sites like LinkedIn or Indeed. Fewer applicants can limit your chances of finding just the right fit. On the flip side, it can also make your job listing stand out more among less competition.

CareerOne allows you to post either free or paid ads. The paid ads are a bit more affordable than other job platforms, starting at $185 for a 30-day ad. You can also try it free for a 14-day trial period.

Adzuna

Adzuna is a job search engine that compiles listings from multiple job sites in Australia to help job seekers find work. This gives a full view of the job market for job seekers and employers in Australia. Pulling many listings into one place has earned Adzuna quite the following. They get 155 million site visits each year and 1 billion job postings. Although Adzuna is more geared toward job seekers than employers, it’s still a great place to post if you want to cover all your bases. 

Features include:

• Smart Search Options: You can filter candidates based on specific criteria, like experience, location, and expected salary.
• Salary Stats: You can see current salaries from other companies in your sector and whether they offer flexible job opportunities. This allows you to gain a better understanding of industry standards and set competitive salaries that attract the right talent.
• Adzuna Connect: This feature allows employers to connect directly with potential candidates, making the recruitment process more direct and personal.
• ACM Coverage: Adzuna distributes all job ads to the regional Australian Community Media (ACM) job boards.

To maintain uniformity on the site, Adzuna standardises all listings. This means it offers a lot less customisation than other job search sites. There’s also no candidate management dashboard available. Lastly, there’s no free way to post jobs online with Adzuna – instead, it’s $199 per post.

ArtsHub

ArtsHub is a large membership organisation catering to creative professionals. One of their membership offerings is their industry job board. The ArtsHub job board gets 130,000 unique page views each month and 36,000 subscribers to its job newsletter. While not as large a viewer base as a more general job board, that’s nothing to sniff at. It’s the perfect place to help you find the right candidate if you want someone with plenty of experience in the creative industry.

Here are some of the best features of ArtsHub’s job portal:

• Industry-Specific Listings: ArtsHub connects job seekers with employers in the performing and visual arts, writing, publishing, film and music industries. This is a pretty wide scope for an industry job board, increasing the visibility of your job listing. 
• Networking Opportunities: The platform hosts industry events and news, providing a space for employers to connect with potential candidates and industry peers.
• Resource Centre: ArtsHub provides articles, career advice, and sector reports that help employers stay informed about industry trends and best practices.
• Targeted Audience: By catering to the arts community, your job posting can reach a relevant audience, ensuring better alignment with job seekers’ interests and qualifications.

You can’t post a job listing on ArtsHub for free. Instead, they have a tiered pricing system: Standard, Premium, and Featured. If you’re not already a member, only the Featured tier is available, which costs $825. Your ad remains active for 30 days, appears in two job newsletters, and shows on the homepage.

Conclusion

Choosing the right job site is essential to find the right candidate without too much hassle. Each platform we’ve discussed has different features that cater to different hiring needs. You have to decide what matters most to you. Is it reaching lots of candidates? Or only those with specialised skills? Do you need a cost-effective solution above all else? Knowing the features and drawbacks of each job site will help you make an informed decision.

For hard-to-fill roles, post your job on multiple job sites. This will maximise your reach and increase your chances of finding the right candidate. Remember, the goal is not just to fill a vacancy. It’s to find someone who will help your team and business thrive. If you can, take your time making a decision and trying different job boards!

Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) is a tool by Google that provides detailed information on your site’s traffic and search performance. There’s no better place to get this data than right from the source. It means you’re guaranteed to get accurate traffic data.

Aside from raw traffic metrics, you can see:

• total impressions,
• Google Search traffic,
• web traffic sources,
• your position search results,
• and your click-through rates.

Information is power when it comes to SEO and digital marketing. It should be the basis of any strategy, and GSC metrics can help with that. GSC also identifies any problems impacting your website’s performance. These might be poor mobile responsiveness or slow loading times. These features make GSC one of the best tools for checking website traffic metrics. Best of all, using the tool to track traffic for multiple websites is completely free and always will be. This is the case with any tool Google provides.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is another tool from Google that’s essential for website owners. This will be the case for as long as Google has such a huge search dominance. GA4 offers more detail on your website’s traffic than GSC. It shows where visitors come from and how they behave on your site. With GA4, you can track website traffic stats like:

• visitor numbers,
• how long people stay on your site,
• the pages they visit,
• and the actions they take.

Understanding your audience is the key to effective digital marketing. Google Analytics will go a long way to help you achieve this goal. You can see whether traffic is coming from search engines like Google, social media, direct links or paid ads. This lets you measure your ad campaigns’ effectiveness compared to SEO. You do this by measuring traffic from paid searches vs. organic searches. This means more informed marketing strategies and better resource allocation.

Use both Google Analytics. Also, use Google Search Console. Together, they’ll give you a full view of your website performance. You will be able to see exactly how users find you and what they do on your site. Since Google provides both these tools, you’re getting the traffic data directly from the source. 

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a popular third-party tool with both paid and free options. It differs from Google’s tools in that it also provides competitor insights. As well as tracking raw traffic, you can use the suite of SEO tools to:

• check your website ranking for specific keywords,
• estimated traffic these rankings bring,
• see the total number of backlinks pointing to your website,
• and analyse the quality of these backlinks.

One of Ahrefs’ standout features for traffic analysis is its Site Explorer. The free version has limited access – but it does let you see where your competitor’s traffic comes from. You can also see the keywords they rank for and how much traffic these keywords likely bring them. This info is vital for a competitive SEO strategy. Ahrefs can also give you a site health report that highlights any performance issues. Addressing these issues can help improve your rankings and increase your website traffic.

Ahrefs has both a free and paid version. The free plan isn’t as in-depth as the paid one, but it still provides a clear traffic overview and how you compare to competitors. We use the free version of Ahrefs all the time to track ongoing SEO campaigns and do keyword research. We love its simple interface and well-structured data. That said, the free version doesn’t provide as much depth as some other tools on this list.

Semrush

Semrush is a popular marketing tool and a huge name in the SEO space. They have a free tool that also gives you insights into your competitors’ traffic as well as your own. SEMrush has both a premium and a free version, but the free version still has plenty of useful features.

With Semrush, you can:

• track your website’s keyword rankings,
• traffic estimates for these keywords,
• view the source and quality of backlinks to your site,
• and conduct a competitive analysis to see where you stand in your industry.

Semrush’s free traffic analysis feature is more limited than the paid version. It still provides a good snapshot of performance and user engagement. You can benchmark your site against your competitors. You can find strategies to improve your traffic. It’s a good place to start.

We’re a big fan of their Site Audit Feature. It’s great at picking up technical SEO issues that damage search engine performance. Issues we often see using this tool are slow page load times and missing meta descriptions. Fixing technical issues like these is the basis of any good SEO strategy. If you’re looking to enhance your site’s performance, check out our guide to improving website load time.

Serpstat

Serpstat is a powerful SEO management platform. It also allows you to track both your website traffic over time and that of your competitors. Like SEMrush and Ahrefs, Serpstat has paid and free plans. The free one is a great start for those who are new to SEO or have limited resources.

With Serpstat, you can:

• check the ranking of your website for chosen keywords,
• get track estimation for different keywords,
• examine the sources and quality of your backlinks,
• and perform a competitive analysis to understand your position within your market.

Serpstat provides a full view of search analytics. This includes keyword research, competitor analysis, and backlink checking. These can help you identify any missed opportunities to attract more visitors. Serpstat also has a Site Audit feature, much like that from Semrush.

One of Serpstat’s biggest strengths is its competitor analysis tool. Even using the free version, it’s comprehensive. You can see who you share the most keywords with. You can also see the traffic metrics for any website. Best of all, you can see keywords that are driving the most traffic for your competitors. This allows you to capitalise on them as well.

Hotjar

Hotjar offers a different perspective on website traffic analysis. It focuses more on user behaviour and interaction than raw website site traffic stats and metrics. It doesn’t provide traditional SEO metrics, like keyword rankings or backlink analysis. Instead, you’ll gain insight into how visitors engage with your site.

Hotjar provides:

• Heatmaps. These show where users click, scroll, and spend time on your pages. This can highlight what captures attention and what gets overlooked.
• Visitor Recordings. These show real visitor interactions on your site. They offer a direct view of user experience obstacles and engagement patterns.
• Direct feedback options from users like polls and surveys. Theyse help you understand your visitors’ likes and pains.

Hotjar’s focus on user experience metrics complements more SEO-focused tools well. The better you understand your users, the better experience you can create. This will mean a lower bounce rate and better conversion rates. Always keep in mind that user experience is the key tenet of SEO. Google’s ultimate goal is to serve users with sites they will enjoy. The better your site, the more traffic you’ll get.

Why Website Traffic Analysis Is Important

You can’t improve something if you can’t measure it. This is nowhere more true than in the field of digital marketing. Analytics are everything. For a digital strategy to succeed, you need to back it up with data.

You need clear data on how many people visit your site, what they do when they’re there, and how they found you. Otherwise, you can’t know if your content hits the mark or if your ads are engaging enough. Knowing how much traffic you’re getting helps you see patterns. This can tell you what’s working and what isn’t. This can help you make better use of your budget and get a better return on investment. If you see a surge in traffic after a blog, keep up the content marketing. The same goes for ad campaigns, social media marketing, and email marketing.

Lastly, measuring your website traffic also shows you how visitors use your site. This can help you make it easier to use and more enjoyable, which keeps people coming back. Knowing what content your audience likes helps you create more of it, making your site more relevant to their needs.

Analysing metrics and traffic statistics isn’t everyone’s favourite activity. But it is a necessity. Measuring the amount of traffic your website gets and where it comes from is the only way to make informed decisions.

Why Check Competitor Website Traffic?

You know now that checking your website traffic analytics is crucial. So is keeping an eye on your competitors. It’s one of the best ways to benchmark your site’s performance in your industry.

Knowing your competitors’ traffic lets you gauge the size of your shared audience. This can highlight opportunities for growth. Is your competitor getting a lot of traffic from a specific social media platform? That’s where you need to be posting. Analysing your competitors’ website traffic also helps you spot trends in your industry. You might find that your competitor is getting traffic from certain keywords or topics. Those are the areas you need to focus on.

If their content or ads are bringing them success, understanding why can help you adapt. This doesn’t mean copying what they do – rather, learning from their successes and failures. Not doing so means missing out on opportunities to improve your own performance and get more traffic.

The Different Types Of Website Traffic

Each type of traffic has its own value. It tells you how well different aspects of your marketing are working. The two types of traffic you should focus on the most are organic and paid traffic. Here’s a breakdown of the various types of traffic and what they can tell you about your marketing:

• Organic traffic refers to users who discover your website through unpaid search results. These users must have intent related to your product or service. As a result, they are more likely to convert into customers.High organic traffic is one of the best indicators your site is well-optimised for search engines. Job well done – your content aligns well with what users search for.
• Paid traffic represents visitors who come to your site from paid ad campaigns. These could include Google Ads and sponsored social media posts. Tracking paid traffic is the best way to measure the success of your ads. It’s best not to rely on paid search traffic too much – you have to pay a few cents every time a user clicks on your ad. This can get costly over time.
• Direct Traffic is when visitors enter your website’s URL straight into their browser. It can suggest that people are actively seeking out your website. Note: Google often puts unattributed traffic in the direct category.
• Referral Traffic is when a user clicks on a link to your site from another site. Lots of referral traffic means you’re making good content and building strong backlinks.
• Social traffic comes from links shared on social media platforms. High social traffic represents engaging content a social media strategy that works.

For more details on boosting specific types of traffic, check out our article ‘What is Organic Traffic, and How Does it Compare to Paid and Direct Traffic?

Know Your Audience – Know How To Succeed

If you’re a business owner, your website is one of your biggest assets for getting new leads. Regularly checking your website’s traffic is integral to understanding whether it’s working for you as it should. This knowledge lets you make better decisions for your website and business. Let us know which tool works best for you!

As a website owner, you’ve probably spent a lot of time and resources developing your website and trying to ensure its success. However, increasing your website traffic through search engine optimisation or paid ads isn’t always enough to increase your revenue – a successful website encourages as many users as possible to carry out desired actions rather than just clicking on the home page and leaving.

Website Conversion Defined 

Website conversion is a key measure of how well your site turns visits into tangible results, whether that’s sales, leads, or any other action important to your business. Essentially, it’s about how effectively your site encourages visitors to do what you want them to do. This could mean anything from clicking a button to completing a purchase. Conversions are crucial because they’re a clear sign your site is not just attracting visitors, but also engaging them enough to take the next step in becoming customers or active members of your community.

Examples Of Websites Conversion

Some examples of successful conversions might be:

• Making a purchase
• Creating an account
• Booking an appointment
• Signing up for a newsletter
• Clicking the ‘contact’ button

 What Counts As A Conversion For Your Business?

Choosing the right action to measure for determining your website’s conversion rate depends on your business goals and what you consider a successful interaction with your site. Here are some steps to guide you:

• Identify Your Business Objectives: Start by defining what success looks like for your website. Is it selling products, generating leads, or perhaps increasing sign-ups for a newsletter?
• Understand Your Audience’s Journey: Consider the path you expect users to take on your website. Which actions are critical steps in this journey?
• Align with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Choose an action that aligns with your business’s KPIs. For an eCommerce site, this might be a sale, while for a B2B company, it could be a form submission or a download.
• Assess the Value of Different Actions: Not all actions contribute equally to your business objectives. Evaluate which actions lead to the most value, such as a direct purchase versus a newsletter sign-up.
• Consider the User Experience: Choose an action that is easily trackable and represents a clear intention or interest from the user. This could be as simple as clicking a ‘Contact Us’ button or as significant as completing a purchase.
• Review and Adapt: Your chosen action isn’t set in stone. Regularly review if this action still aligns with your business goals and adjust if needed, especially as your website and business evolve.

By selecting an action that closely aligns with your business objectives and customer journey, you can effectively measure and optimise your website’s conversion rate, ensuring it accurately reflects your site’s success in achieving your business goals.

How To Measure Your Website Conversion Rate

Tools like Google Analytics are indispensable when it comes to measuring your website’s conversion rate. They provide a comprehensive view of your website’s performance and key metrics by tracking user behaviour, traffic sources, and more. You can set up conversion goals in Google Analytics to track specific actions, like form submissions or product purchases. Additionally, consider using tools like Hotjar for visual insights like heatmaps, which can give you a deeper understanding of how visitors interact with your site. These tools, when combined, give you a well-rounded picture of your website’s effectiveness in converting visitors and can highlight areas that need improvement.

Calculating Your Website Conversion Rate

Calculating your conversion rate is a straightforward enough process, as well as being a vital Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to make sure you’re achieving your goals. To calculate the rate, divide the number of conversions by the total number of visitors to your website over the same period, and then multiply the result by 100 to get a percentage. For instance, if your site had 200 conversions from 5,000 visitors last month, your conversion rate would be (200/5000) * 100, equating to 4%.

Regularly tracking this metric allows you to understand how well your website engages visitors and prompts them to take action, providing a clear indicator of your site’s performance and areas that may need improvement.

What’s A Good Website Conversion Rate?

Understanding the average conversion rate for websites can be a helpful benchmark, but it’s important to remember that this rate highly depends on your industry and the specific conversion goal you’re aiming for. Generally, the average conversion rate varies widely across different industries, with some sectors seeing higher rates due to the nature of their business and target audience. You can also expect to see seasonal dips and peaks in your conversion rate.

A good conversion rate is often considered to be around 2-5%, but this can differ significantly. For instance, eCommerce sites might have different expectations compared to service-oriented B2B websites. A 2% conversion rate might be considered a high conversion rate for some businesses. It’s important to measure your industry standards and set realistic goals based on your industry averages to truly gauge how effective your website is at converting potential customers or clients. 

What Is Conversion Rate Optimisation 

Website Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) is the process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action on your website. It involves understanding how users interact with your site and adjusting elements to encourage more of them to take specific actions, like buying a product or service.

In the context of eCommerce, conversion rates are a vital metric that indicates how effective your website is in convincing visitors to make a transaction. By using CRO, businesses can more easily meet their website goals, whether it’s increasing sales, generating leads, or driving other forms of engagement. It’s about optimising the user experience to convert a higher proportion of the total number of website visitors into customers, thereby boosting overall business performance.

How To Increase Your Website Conversion Rate

If your website has a low conversion rate, don’t get discouraged – it doesn’t necessarily indicate failure. Instead, it’s an opportunity for you to optimise your website and adjust your strategy. Fortunately, there are some pretty steps you can take to increase your conversion rate – mostly centred around improving your overall website experience and following best practices when it comes to website design and website performance.  Here are 9 of the most fundamental steps to improving your conversion rate: 

• Identify friction points
• Ensure your Website is responsive
• Implement website personalisation
• Highlight your value proposition
• Simplify navigation 
• Add clear calls-to-action
• Streamline the checkout process
• Optimise web page speed
• Use trust signals

Identify Friction Points 

To boost your website’s conversion rate, start by pinpointing any friction points. These are areas of your website where users might be getting stuck or losing interest. Heatmaps are a great tool for this. They show where users are clicking and how they’re scrolling through your site through mouse tracking. By studying these patterns, you can find out where visitors might be dropping off or facing hurdles, like complicated navigation or unclear calls to action. Addressing these friction points makes for a smoother, more inviting user experience, encouraging more visitors to take the actions you want.

Ensure Your Website Is Responsive

As of December 2023, over 55% of website traffic comes from mobile devices, meaning responsive web design is imperative. Your website needs to look and work great, even on mobile devices. Websites that aren’t mobile-friendly can frustrate mobile users and push them away, harming your conversion rate.

A responsive design automatically adjusts to fit the screen it’s being viewed on, making your site accessible and user-friendly no matter how people access it. In 2024, most users expect a fully responsive design on mobile websites, and this is especially true for business websites. If you’d like to learn more, check out our article ‘What Is Responsive Design?‘.

Implement Website Personalisation 

Adding a personal touch to your website can significantly enhance the user experience and, in turn, your conversion rate. Personalisation could be as simple as showing relevant product recommendations based on browsing history or as complex as customised landing pages for different user segments. Tailoring the user experience to meet individual needs or interests makes your site more engaging and can encourage visitors to take the next step.

Highlight Your Value Proposition 

Your website should clearly communicate your value proposition through compelling website copy- what sets you apart from the competition and why visitors should choose you. This should be prominent on your site, ideally on the homepage and any landing pages. A strong, clear value proposition can resonate with your audience, giving them more reason to engage further with your site. Our guide to creating a marketing strategy can help you get a clear idea of your unique value proposition.

Simplify Navigation

Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of simple, intuitive navigation. Your website’s layout should make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for without getting lost or overwhelmed. Streamlined navigation helps guide visitors smoothly through your site, leading them towards taking the desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a service, or getting in touch. Making critical actions easier for people to find is one of the most fundamental ways to improve conversion rates.

Clear Calls To Action

Your website copy should have CTAs that are easy to spot and understand. They guide visitors on what to do next, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a service, or getting in touch. A good CTA can significantly influence a visitor’s decision to take action, meaning better results for your business. 

Streamline the Checkout Process

For online stores, the checkout process should be as smooth as possible. Minimising the number of steps to complete a purchase can lead to fewer abandoned carts and more completed transactions, increasing conversion.

Optimising Web Page Load Speed

A fast-loading website is crucial for keeping visitors engaged. By optimising elements like images and server response time, you can prevent potential customers from leaving your site due to slow load times. Unsure how fast your website loads or how to make improvements to your site that increase load time? Check out our guide to improving website load time.

Using Trust Signals

Trust signals like customer testimonials, SSL certificates, and industry accreditations can boost the credibility of your site. They reassure visitors that your site is trustworthy and that you’re a reliable business, meaning a higher percentage of people turn into paying customers.

Want To Increase Website Conversions?

At Futuretheory, we understand the importance of website conversion and how it can be a game-changer for your business. Our team focuses on creating and refining websites that not only attract visitors but effectively convert them into loyal customers or active community members with our bespoke web design.

If you’re looking to elevate your website’s performance and drive tangible results, we’re here to help. Our expertise in web design and development, combined with a keen understanding of digital marketing and what drives conversions, means the websites we create are powerful business assets for our clients. Contact us for a free quote to discuss how we can ensure your business is growing.   

To save you the legwork (or googling) of trying to find the perfect studio for you, we’ve compiled a list of the best dedicated studio spaces Canberra has to offer you and your crew.

What To Look For In A Canberra Studio Space

The first step to finding the perfect studio space in Canberra for you is to get a clear idea of what you need. Here’s what you need to consider:

• Natural vs controlled lighting: Natural light can be great if you’re after a more light and airy look – but it also means you’re at the mercy of the weather and have less control. Artificial studio lighting can be more reliable and can be manipulated in a studio setting to look like natural light.
• Size: Studios can vary greatly when it comes to size, from slightly bigger to the average bedroom to warehouse size. Make sure to consider the amount of space you need for lighting, audio, and videography and the number of people in your group. A cramped photography environment can be a lot harder to work in.
• Equipment: Some studios have extra equipment on hand available for us, like backdrops, lighting, and props. Other studios require you to hire it for an extra cost, while some require you to bring all your own equipment. Take stock of what you have in your personal arsenal and what you need for the shoot.
• Location: Choose a studio that’s easy to access. While there are options close to the CBD, quieter areas like Fyshwick, Beard, and Mitchell are also worth considering and generally cost less to hire.  Choose a studio with facilities to get changed, check hair and makeup, clean up or wash off if needed, cater or eat, and fulfil any other niche requirements for your project.
• Amenities: When you hire a studio, you’re often paying for the amenities available on-site as well. These might include access to kitchen appliances like a fridge or microwave, a changing room, refreshments, props, and furniture. 
• Parking: On shoot day, you want everything to go as smoothly as possible.  Showing up the morning of and finding out there’s no parking within a few hundred metres and you’ll have to haul your equipment up the road isn’t ideal. Make sure you check out the parking situation before you make a studio booking.

Offshoot Studio in Beard

Offshoot Studio, 15 minutes from the city centre. is definitely one of the biggest studios available for hire in Canberra. Their larger photography area, Space 1, is 126 square metres in size with 6-metre high ceilings, giving you all the space to create. At that size, the studio would also be suitable for large-scale workshops, video productions, or a whole range of production needs.

The studio is fully blacked out, giving you full, adjustable control over light during your shoot, although you can open the 3.6 metre-high roller door if you still want plenty of natural light and flexibility. The exposed concrete walls make the perfect blank canvas for portrait shoots, headshots, or fashion shoots. In terms of equipment, you’ll have items including a portable green screen, a variety of furniture, lighting options and backdrops.

Offshoot Studio also has a smaller studio for hire (15 square metres), Space 2, that’s ideal as a workspace for podcasts, webinars, small group meetings and recording sessions. This studio features access to podcast and live streaming equipment, including monitors, microphones, and a podcast recorder. It can also be used as a green room in conjunction with Space 1.

Amenities and facilities include:

• Bathroom with easy access and shower
• Common breakout and chill space with a lounge and a dining table
• Kitchenette with a refrigerator, dishwasher, and microwave
• Loading dock/area
• Optional add-on off-street parking
• Makeup station

Offshoot Studio Pricing

Space 1 has a $120 hourly rate on weekdays. A half day costs $410, and a full day $640. Space 2 will run you $ 50 per hour, $180 for a half day and $280 for a full day. They also accommodate weekend and public holiday bookings at a higher rate.

Lonsdale St. Studio in Braddon

Lonsdale St. Studio is 750 metres from the CBD in the Braddon neighbourhood, right next door to Civic Pub. They offer three different creative spaces available for hire, alongside a green room. All the spaces have been treated acoustically to ensure good audio quality and soundproofing – perfect for broadcasting. The sizes of the private spaces range from 19.5 square metres to 66 square metres. In terms of equipment, you get access to a range of colour backdrops, a cyclorama, lighting options, and photography and audio equipment that you can rent.

Amenities and facilities include: 

• Free NBN wifi for high-definition streaming
• Optional add-on green room with a small kitchen and makeup station
• Air conditioning 
• Accommodation and catering options

Lonsdale St. Studio Pricing 

Studio hire starts from $200 per hour or $795 for a half day for Studio A, which is their largest and most versatile space. Studio B is available from $150 per hour or $495 for a half day, while Studio C, suited for podcasting and audio recordings, starts from $95 per hour. If you need the Green Room, which provides a space to work or relax, it’s an add-on starting from $90. 

Studio Hire Options in Canberra

So there you go. These two studios are great options if you’re a photographer or videographer looking to hire a studio space in Canberra. If you know of other options, feel free to reach out to us and let us know. We’d love to include them on the list!

Benefits Of Using Breadcrumbs Navigation

Breadcrumbs navigation makes it easy for users to navigate around complicated websites. They improve the user experience by clearly showing the website’s structure, helping users understand their current location and how they can return to previous pages without relying on the back button. This feature is especially useful on complex websites with multiple levels of content. Secondly, breadcrumbs support better Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) by providing search engines with a clear view of the structure of a website, potentially boosting the site’s ranking in Google search results. 

Last but not least, they can help reduce bounce rates by encouraging users to explore the site more instead of leaving if they can’t find what they’re looking for immediately. Reduced bounce rates lead to better conversion rates: The longer someone spends exploring your site, the more likely they are to convert into a paying customer or client. Overall, integrating breadcrumbs is a straightforward way to make sites more user-friendly and search-engine-friendly.

Different Types Of Breadcrumb Navigation

There are three main types of breadcrumb navigation used in web design, each serving a unique purpose.  Each breadcrumb type enhances navigation in different ways, making it important to choose the right one for your site’s needs.

The most common types of website breadcrumbs are:

• Hierarchy-based breadcrumbs
• Attribute-based breadcrumbs
• Path-based breadcrumbs

Hierarchy-Based Breadcrumbs

Hierarchy-based breadcrumbs, otherwise known as location-based breadcrumb navigation, are the most possible breadcrumb path you’ll stumble across. Location-based breadcrumbs show the user their position within the website hierarchy, providing a clear path from the home page to the current page. Each part of the breadcrumb is usually separated by a “greater than” symbol (>) or similar divider, with the last item in the trail (the current page) often presented as plain text rather than a clickable link. This keeps the trail clear and easy to follow.

We use location-based breadcrumb navigation on our own website. For example, if you find yourself reading SEO articles on our website, you’ll see the breadcrumb trail Home > Resources> Search Engine Optimisation at the top left of the screen. Had enough of SEO? Users can quickly go back to the resources page and jump ship to read about website design instead or go back to the homepage.

Attribute-Based Breadcrumbs

Unlike location-based breadcrumbs that follow the site’s fixed hierarchy, attribute-based breadcrumbs are dynamic and change based on the attributes the user selects. This flexibility makes them particularly useful for navigating complex inventories or content libraries.  A mainstay of eCommerce websites, these breadcrumbs display the categories or attributes that the user has selected or that apply to the current product or page. Attributes can include things like brand, size, colour, or any other characteristic that helps define the item.

Path-Based Breadcrumbs

Path-based breadcrumbs, also known as history-based breadcrumbs, show the entire path a user took to get to the current page they’re on rather than just the attribute of that page of the site’s overall hierarchy. The breadcrumbs are unique to that user and their browsing session, providing a more personalised experience and allowing the user to retrace their steps more easily. The catch is that users don’t always browse in a logical way, often jumping around wildly instead, meaning path-based breadcrumbs can quickly become convoluted on large sites. They’re better suited for simple sites where users can only take so many paths, where the benefits to the user’s navigation experience outweigh the potential for confusion.

How To Add Breadcrumb Navigation To Your Website Design

Implementing breadcrumb navigation on your website is more of a necessity than an option if you have a large site and want to provide a positive user experience, especially for eCommerce. Fortunately, the process of including breadcrumbs on your website is straightforward enough. To get started, decide which type of breadcrumb suits your site best: location-based for hierarchical structures, path-based for tracking user navigation, or attribute-based for sites with filtering options. Once you have made your choice, follow these steps:

1. Map out your site’s structure: Understand and outline your website’s hierarchy or the paths users might take. This step is crucial for location-based and attribute-based breadcrumbs.
2. Design your breadcrumbs: Keep the design simple and intuitive. Breadcrumbs should be easy to read and click but shouldn’t overshadow the main content. Use arrows, chevrons, or slashes to indicate the path progression.
3. Place breadcrumbs consistently: Breadcrumbs are generally placed at the top of a page, below the navigation bar, but above the page title. Consistent placement helps users quickly find and use them.
4. Implement breadcrumbs in code: For location-based and attribute-based breadcrumbs, you can manually create links based on your site structure or use plugins that automatically generate breadcrumb trails. Popular SEO plugins for WordPress, like Rankmath and Yoast SEO, have built-in functionality that allows you to place breadcrumbs within a page. This might sometimes need tweaking but generally works quite well out of the box. For path-based breadcrumbs, consider using session or cookie data to track and display the user’s path.
5. Integrate with SEO: Use structured data markup, like Schema.org’s breadcrumb list, to help search engines understand and display your breadcrumbs in search results. This step is beneficial for improving your site’s SEO.
6. Test and refine: Once breadcrumbs are implemented, test them with real users. Look for any navigation issues or confusion and refine the design or placement as needed.

Breadcrumb Trail Best Practices

There are a few rules you should always follow if you want your breadcrumbs to be more of a help to users than a hindrance. Most importantly, your breadcrumbs should be intuitive and easy to understand. They should clearly indicate the user’s current location within the site’s hierarchy and provide a clear path back to previous pages. You can achieve this by using descriptive labels and a logical hierarchy of page links.

Secondly, ensure your breadcrumbs integrate seamlessly into your website’s overall design. They should be visually consistent with the rest of your site’s navigation and design elements and not be obtrusive or distracting to the user. Last but not least, it’s important to ensure that your breadcrumbs are always up-to-date and accurate. If a user clicks on a link in the breadcrumb trail and ends up on a different page than expected, it can be confusing and frustrating. Regularly review and update your breadcrumbs to ensure that they always provide accurate and helpful information to your users, especially if you frequently change your website’s site structure.

There are a few other things you need to cross off your checklist to design better breadcrumbs:

1. Keep It Simple: Breadcrumb menus should be straightforward, with concise text that clearly describes each page or category. Avoid using lengthy titles or complex jargon that could confuse users. 
2. Use a Logical Hierarchy: The breadcrumb trail must reflect a logical structure, aiding users in understanding your site’s layout. Each step should logically follow the previous one, providing a clear path back to the home page or main category.
3. Ensure Clickability: Breadcrumbs are links. Apart from the current page, every item in the breadcrumb trail should be clickable unless you want frustrated users.
4. Maintain Consistency: For the best user experience, place breadcrumbs consistently across pages and maintain uniform separators between levels. This consistency allow uses to find breadcrumbs and retrace their steps quickly.
5. Highlight the Current Page: Make sure to clearly indicate the current page within the breadcrumb trail. Typically, the current page is shown as non-clickable text and may be styled differently to emphasise that it’s the final point in the navigation path.
6. Don’t Use Breadcrumbs as the Primary Navigation Menu: Breadcrumbs should act as a secondary navigation scheme and never replace the main navigation bar at the top of the page. Your main navigation should remain clear and intuitive, with breadcrumbs providing additional guidance. 

Using Breadcrumb Navigation 

Using breadcrumb navigation isn’t always necessary. If they have no practical benefit to the user, they only risk overwhelming the user with too many navigation options. To strike the right balance, we prefer path-based breadcrumbs and ensure breadcrumbs appear when users are at least two clicks deep. Here’s an example of a website we decided where applying breadcrumb trails was unnecessary: https://curlycuts.com.au/

Ultimately, we make an educated call on how far into the website a user is and how likely they are to need context about their location on a website. The only way to do this accurately is to carefully consider the user’s needs and behaviour. This is always the key tenet of good web design, whether you’re developing an entire website or just implementing small features like breadcrumb navigation. It helps us create seamless and intuitive websites that never fail to deliver a positive user experience.

Light & Airy

You can give your photos a bright and softer look by lowering the contrast, increasing the exposure and using softer colour hues. This will make your pictures look a lot more dreamy, conveying a warm and romantic vibe.

Dark & Moody

Light & Airy not your thing? If you want to add a touch of drama and melancholy to your photos instead, this editing style is perfect for you. By upping shadows and contrast, you can create a strong visual impact. 

We also recommend controlling the light source, framing the subject in front of a dark background, and using props with darker shades. A studio with full natural light control is the perfect place to try this out. You can then apply this edit by boosting the subject’s brightness and bringing down the blacks and shadows in the background. 

Cinematic

Have you ever noticed that movies like Blade Runner, Fight Club, and In the Mood for Love all use specific colours and lighting to create certain emotions and draw your attention to details? For example, in Blade Runner, pink and purple hues give off the feeling of ambiguity and extravagance, while the red in In the Mood for Love creates a sensual atmosphere of love and hate.

The same method can be applied to photography as well. Just reduce the blacks and clarity and create an ‘S’ curve on the light and RGB channels. Then, you can tweak it until you get the look you want. Get inspired by your favourite movie and experiment! 

Earthy Travel

This editing style is great if you’re working with a wide range of colours. It subdues and saturates specific colours to bring out more details in your subject or landscape. You’ll often see cool colour combos like blue/orange and cyan/yellow, which can really make the blues in skies and lakes pop while complementing the orange/yellow hues found in sand, dirt, and stone. It’s super easy to achieve this look – just fiddle with the HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) dials in your photo editing software until you get the look you want.

Film Look

Analog cameras are making a comeback. Their unique colour grading brings back a sense of nostalgia that many photographers are now replicating in digital photos. To achieve this look, choose a film stock you want to emulate, like the popular Kodak Gold, and apply the appropriate HSL manipulation and grain effect. Remember that most film stocks are typically overexposed, less contrasted, and have a slight green-blue tint in the shadows.

Start Experimenting

It’s always good to master the fundamentals like white balance, tone, and HSL first. Making tiny adjustments can do wonders for your photography. 

Experimenting with presets is a great place to start. Here’s a Lightroom preset that we’ve made for you to experiment with: https://ftstudio.gumroad.com/l/xehwb. Presets can help you understand the ins and outs of Lightroom and the possibilities of each panel. Learn from photographers that you like and create presets that mimic their look. 

Remember, the key is to keep experimenting and learning new things. But don’t go overboard with editing – sometimes, less is more when it comes to photo editing!

Knowing how well our SEO efforts are working helps us determine what works and what needs tweaking, allowing us to deliver the best possible results. Regularly tracking SEO performance lets us make informed decisions based on real data, ensuring that our clients maximise their return on investment. Let’s unpack how we measure SEO performance and why regular, comprehensive SEO audits are important.

Why Measuring SEO Performance Is Important

Measuring SEO performance is important for a few reasons. Firstly, it lets us see if our SEO strategies are working as they should. By keeping an eye on how a website ranks and the amount of organic traffic it pulls in, we can quickly spot what’s doing well and what’s not. This insight is valuable because it means we can tweak our SEO strategy on the fly, ensuring our clients’ websites stay ahead of the competition.

Tracking SEO performance often is also important because a website’s ranking can change from one day to the next, and what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. Regularly checking our SEO performance helps us stay agile. We can adapt to algorithm changes, new trends, and shifts in what the target audience is looking for as soon as possible. This way, we can keep delivering the best results possible, keeping our clients’ websites visible and relevant.

Important SEO Metrics To Measure

There are a few key metrics we always keep our eyes on to gauge how well our strategies are performing. These metrics give us a clear picture of where our efforts are effective and where there’s room for improvement. These are the primary metrics we use to measure SEO:

• Keyword ranking
• Organic traffic
• Click-through-rate
• Backlinks
• Bounce rate

Let’s go through what these metrics mean and the value they provide.

Keyword Ranking

Keyword ranking refers to a website’s position in search results when someone searches for a specific keyword or phrase. It’s probably the most important metric to improve to increase site traffic. How often do you find yourself on the second page of search engine results or even scrolling halfway down the first page? Appearing higher in search engine results, ideally in the top 10 for the most relevant keyword, will result in much more organic traffic. Increasing keyword ranking and search visibility overall should be the primary goal when kicking off an SEO marketing strategy.

By monitoring how well our clients’ sites rank for specific keywords, we can also see how they stack up against competitors. This insight helps us make strategic decisions, like targeting less competitive keywords with a lower search volume where we can more easily secure a top spot or doubling down on efforts to outperform competitors in the most important areas.

Organic Traffic

Organic traffic refers to visitors who land on a website as a result of unpaid search results. Unlike paid traffic, which comes from ads, organic traffic is generated through search engines like Google when people search for keywords or phrases related to the content, products, or services a website displays. This type of traffic is considered highly valuable because it’s made up of individuals actively seeking what the website offers, making them more likely to engage.

Measuring organic traffic is essential for several reasons – Firstly, it provides a clear indicator of a website’s overall health and the effectiveness of an SEO strategy. An increase in organic traffic indicates that a site is becoming more visible and attractive to its target audience. Organic traffic can also offer hugely valuable insights into user behaviour and preferences, helping us further refine our SEO strategies. By understanding which keywords and topics drive the most traffic, we can tailor our efforts to capitalise on these areas and attract even more visitors.

Why Organic Traffic Is So Valuable

Of all these metrics mentioned, organic traffic is the biggest driver of business growth. Visitors who find a website through organic search are often further along in the buying process, having actively searched for relevant information or solutions. This means they’re more likely to convert into leads or customers than any other form of website traffic. 

Maintaining a strong flow of organic traffic can also reduce our reliance on paid search advertising, offering a cost-effective way to attract users over time. While paid search ad campaigns can boost visibility quickly, organic traffic builds a foundation of credibility and trust with users. You can read our guide to organic traffic and how to increase it if you want to learn more.

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click-Through Rate (CTR) measures the percentage of users who click on a website’s link after seeing it in search engine results. CTR is crucial because it tells us how relevant and appealing a website is to potential visitors as it appears in SERPs. If a CTR is high, it means it’s resonating with the target audience, suggesting that what we present in search results closely matches what users are searching for. It’s calculated by dividing the total number of clicks by the total number of impressions (how many times a website link is seen), then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage. Don’t worry if maths isn’t your strong point – there are many SEO tools that will measure CTR automatically. 

Monitoring CTR can help identify areas for improvement in our SEO strategy. For instance, if a website is ranking well but the CTR is low, the meta descriptions and page titles might need to be more compelling. On the other hand, a high CTR with lower rankings suggests the content resonates with users when they see it, indicating that we need to focus on other SEO aspects to increase visibility.

Backlinks

Backlinks, also known as inbound links, are links from one website to a page on another website. Backlinks are one of the most powerful SEO ranking factors – search engines like Google and Bing use them to gauge the authority and credibility of a website. The more backlinks a site has from other reputable websites, the more trustworthy search engines will deem it and the higher it will rank on SERPs. The process of gaining backlinks for the sake of SEO through content marketing or other means is known as link building.

Analysing the backlink profile can provide insights into a website’s performance and reputation. By examining the number and quality of backlinks, we can identify which aspects of the content or site are most valuable and attractive to other site owners. This information guides our content strategy and SEO strategy.

Bounce Rate

Bounce rate is a metric that measures how many people navigate away from a site after only viewing one page. The lower the bounce rate is, the better a website is at engaging and retaining visitors. While a bounce rate of about 40% is to be expected, anything higher indicates the website is failing to engage users or is taking so long to load that users lose patience and click away.

While bounce rate isn’t a recognised SEO ranking factor, and it’s hotly debated whether it directly impacts search engine rankings, it can still provide insight into SEO performance. A high bounce rate can say a lot about a site’s overall performance and its ability to engage users. The content might not be sufficiently engaging or clear enough to encourage users to stay on the site. Slow loading times, poor website design, confusing navigation, or a lack of mobile responsiveness might also be driving users away.

While Google might not directly take into account bounce rate when ranking websites, it certainly does factor in the quality of a site’s content and the user experience it provides. Fixing these issues will reduce the bounce rate and, in turn, improve SEO as well. 

External SEO Metrics

External metrics from third-party SEO tools like Moz and Ahrefs give us insight into how well a website is positioned in the broader digital ecosystem and the strength of its backlink profile. Here are four more ways to measure SEO results and gain a deeper understanding of how a website is positioned online:

Domain Authority

Domain Authority (DA) is a score developed by the SEO software Moz to predict how likely a website is to rank on search engine results pages (SERPs). It’s based on a scale from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating a greater ability to rank. The authority score takes into account the quality and quantity of backlinks, the age and history of the website’s domain name, and the quality of the content.

DA isn’t a Google ranking factor and has no effect on the SERPs, but it does help us understand the overall strength of a website compared to others. It also gives us a firm idea of a website’s starting point – the lower a site’s DA, the longer its SEO will take to provide results. Consequently, we can adjust our expectations and timeline accordingly.

Domain Rank

Domain Rank (DR), developed by Ahrefs, measures the importance of a website by taking into account the quality and quantity of links pointing to it. A higher domain rank can indicate a website is seen as more authoritative and influential. Like DA, DR has no effect on SEO, but it still has its place. We use DR to measure link-building value on other websites. Having a backlink from a website with a high DR will benefit a site’s SEO. 

Page Authority 

Page Authority (PA) is similar to Domain Authority but focuses on the predictive ranking strength of a single page rather than the entire domain. Each page on a website can have its own PA score, influencing how well that specific page is likely to rank on SERPs. We use PA to pinpoint which pages on our clients’ websites have the most potential to draw in traffic and then optimise those pages to maximise their impact.

Page Rank

Page Rank, originally developed by Google, measures the importance of webpage links. While Google no longer publicly shares Page Rank scores, the concept remains a fundamental part of how search engines evaluate links. A page with a high number of quality backlinks is considered more important and is more likely to rank well in search results. Understanding this helps us focus on acquiring high-quality links to improve the relevance and authority of our clients’ pages.

Tools We Use To Measure SEO Performance

We rely on a suite of powerful tools to measure and enhance the performance of our campaigns. These tools give us the insights we need to fine-tune our strategies, ensuring our clients’ websites rank higher and attract more organic traffic. Here are the key tools we use and how they help us achieve SEO success.

Fortunately, not all of them come at a cost – there are plenty of free tools like Google Search Console that make it easy to measure and improve SEO performance. Aside from providing insights into performance after SEO campaigns, these tools can help provide actionable insights over time to get better organic results and improve our SEO approach to keep in line with changes.

Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 is one of our primary SEO measurement tools. It’s the latest version of Google’s analytics platform, and it provides comprehensive insight into user behaviour. We use GA4 to track user interactions, website performance, and conversion rates. GA4 helps us understand a website’s users, recognise patterns, and optimise our clients’ websites for better engagement. It allows us to see which keywords and topics resonate with our audience, assess the quality of traffic, and how to optimise web pages to improve user experience for better on-page and technical SEO. 

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is another invaluable tool in our arsenal. Using Google Search Console provides insights into how the search giant ranks our clients’ websites, showing us the frequency of page appearances in search results, click-through rates, and average position for specific queries. This data helps us understand which keywords and queries draw traffic, allowing us to assess the impact of our keyword targeting and content strategies effectively.

Additionally, it offers performance data across different devices and countries, enabling us to tailor our SEO tactics to target audiences more accurately. By analysing this feedback from Google, we can refine our approaches to enhance site visibility and user engagement. Essentially, Google Search Console lets us measure our SEO success directly, allowing us to refine our strategies as we go.

If you want to cover your bases across multiple search engines, Bing Webmaster Tools has very similar functionality to Google Search Console to help measure SEO performance.

Pagespeed Insights

PageSpeed Insights is an essential tool for us, especially when evaluating the performance of SEO campaigns over time. It gives us a clear picture of how website speed and user experience metrics evolve following our optimisations. By regularly checking PageSpeed scores, we identify areas where a site’s performance might be lagging, directly impacting its SEO rankings.

This tool’s insights into loading times, interactivity, and visual stability metrics are invaluable for maintaining optimal website performance. High scores correlate with better user experiences, a key factor in Google’s ranking algorithms. Monitoring these metrics lets us ensure that our clients’ websites remain fast and responsive – which is vital for retaining high search engine rankings and improving overall SEO performance.

Nozzle

Nozzle plays a pivotal role in our strategy for tracking SEO performance when it comes to specific keywords. It allows us to track a website’s rankings across the board, providing a detailed view of how our clients’ positions in search results change over time. This tool’s depth, tracking not just the primary keywords but also long-tail phrases and variations, gives us a comprehensive understanding of search visibility.

By leveraging Nozzle, we’re better equipped to make data-driven decisions and tailor our ongoing SEO strategies to capitalise on emerging opportunities or to address any slips in rankings. Its detailed reporting helps us to pinpoint precisely where and how we can refine our efforts to ensure sustained improvement in SEO performance, keeping our clients’ websites competitive.

SE Ranking

SERanking offers a versatile set of valuable SEO tools that we use for keyword research, competitor analysis, and SEO auditing. Its comprehensive platform enables us to keep a pulse on our clients’ SEO performance and benchmark it against their competitors. The insights gained from SERanking help us craft strategies that push our clients ahead in the SERPs, focusing on the areas with the highest return on investment.

Website Auditor

For technical SEO issues, Website Auditor is our go-to tool. It does site audits to uncover issues that could be hindering our clients’ SEO performance, such as broken links, duplicate content, and on-page optimisation opportunities. It’s always important to ensure the technical foundation of our clients’ sites is solid before moving on to on-page SEO and content optimisation. TReducing any technical SEO errors, like broken links or slow loading times, paves the way for higher rankings and improved user experience from the get-go.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is essential for our link-building efforts and content marketing strategies. Its extensive backlink database and content analysis tools allow us to uncover link-building opportunities and track our clients’ backlink profiles – essential for increasing their DA and overall SERP rankings. Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer helps us find high-potential keywords to target with our content. 

How Long Does It Take To Achieve SEO Success? 

When we talk about achieving SEO success, it’s important to remember that it’s not an overnight process. We often get asked, “How long does SEO strategy take to show results like more traffic?” Our answer is that it varies, but generally, you can expect to start seeing improvements in 6 to 12 months. We always approach SEO as a marathon, not a sprint. It requires a multifaceted approach with varying individual timelines, including keyword research, on-page optimisation, content creation, and link building. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of what we do and how it impacts the timeline:

1. Initial Analysis and Strategy Planning: We start by understanding our client’s business, their target audience, and their competition. This phase helps us to craft a tailored SEO strategy. While this stage doesn’t produce immediate ranking improvements, it’s a necessary starting point for long-term success.
2. On-Page Optimisation: Next, we focus on optimising the website’s content and structure. This includes making sure the site is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and contains the right keywords. Improvements can start to show within a few months, but the full impact is often seen around the six-month mark.
3. Content Creation: We work on creating valuable, relevant content that resonates with the target audience. This helps improve rankings and establish the site as an authority. Depending on the competition, it might take a few months to a year to see significant movement in rankings from content creation alone.
4. Link Building: Establishing high-quality backlinks to the website from reputable sources is another critical component. This process can take time as we focus on building relationships and creating content worth linking to. The results from effective link-building generally become evident after several months.

We always make sure our clients understand that SEO is an investment in their future visibility and success online rather than a quick fix. While they might start noticing some positive changes in traffic and rankings in the short term, the most substantial and lasting results often become apparent after the first year.

The 2024 Canberra Day Appeal aims to raise $45,000 for their Advanced Puppy School. This fund will go towards training four new Labrador Assistance Pups, specially tailored to support individuals with PTSD. These dogs undergo an extensive 12-24 week training program designed to tune them to their owner’s specific triggers and provide unwavering support through the trauma and stresses of everyday life.

The value these service dogs provide cannot be overstated. They serve as a constant, reassuring presence for their owners and play a crucial role in managing symptoms of PTSD like night terrors and panic attacks. 

It’s community support and donations that enable ISDA to continue its invaluable work. During the 48-hour Give Where You Live campaign, every contribution, no matter the size, will be doubled in value through matched funding for the first $7,500. It’s a remarkable opportunity for the community to rally together and support a cause that offers a new lease on life to those who have served their country.

The campaign will run on 6 & 7 March 2024. Please donate at https://giving.handsacrosscanberra.org.au/event/integra-service-dogs-australia

However, deciding what kind of headshot you want, booking a photographer and knowing what to expect from your photo session can be a bit daunting, especially if you’ve never been in front of the camera before. In this article, we’ll give you the low-down on headshot photography services in Canberra. 

Why Choose Professional Headshot Photography?

Professional headshot photographers in Canberra do more than just take a photo – they capture your personal brand in a way that viewers can instantly understand. A polished headshot gives an impression of attention to detail and professionalism, setting a positive tone before you even meet someone. 

As your headshot is often the first impression people have of you and your brand, it’s crucial you take the time to decide on a headshot style and location and find a photographer who ticks all the boxes for you. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a professional in a corporate setting, or a creative individual, your headshots need to reflect your values, vision, and message. 

Choosing Your Headshot Style

Your headshot options go beyond just a shoulders-up picture against a white wall.  It’s important to be open to exploring creative or different solutions – making your headshot more memorable than the stock-standard ones you commonly see being used. Your options vary from the classic black-and-white headshot to a classic portrait style or duotone studio shots. The choice depends on what kind of industry you’re in and how you want to represent yourself online. 

We have a guide to some different headshot styles you might want to try to give you a headstart. 

Choosing The Right Photographer For Your Headshot

Once you’ve decided on a headshot style, you need a photographer with the right expertise to execute it. This is the most important step of all! No two photographers are the same – aside from having different styles, they might also have very different pricing and ways of working with their clients.  Here are the steps to take and what to look for:

1. Researching And Comparing Photographers’ Portfolios

Begin your search by exploring the portfolios of different headshot photographers in Canberra. Look for the style, quality, and variety of their work, and assess whether their aesthetic aligns with the image you wish to portray.

2. Reading Client Testimonials And Reviews

Client testimonials and reviews can provide valuable insights into the photographer’s professionalism, work ethic, and ability to deliver on their promises. Pay attention to the experiences of past clients to gauge the photographer’s reputation and reliability.

3. Experience And Portfolio

Look for a Canberra based photographer who specialises in business headshots or professional portraits in the style you want. A deep experience in headshot photography services will be a great advantage – they’ll be better equipped to coach you through your portrait session. Make sure you take the time to go through their gallery of images and assess whether their style of imagery matches what you’re looking for.

4. Comfort And Rapport

Make sure you read any client reviews or testimonials before you make a decision. One of the most important things to look for is a Canberra photographer that’s easy to work with, and that makes clients feel comfortable and relaxed. Being able to develop a good rapport with your photographer will result in a more enjoyable experience and can make a big difference to your expression and how relaxed and approachable you look in your headshots.

5. Good Communication Skills

‘Easy to communicate and collaborate with’ is also one of the biggest green flags to look for when you’re going through reviews! It’s important that your photographer is responsive and a good listener –  they need to develop a clear understanding of what you expect from your headshot shoot in terms of style, location, and editing. This will make the whole process as fuss-free as possible and give a better guarantee you get the results you’re looking for. 

6. Communicating Directly With The Photographer To Discuss Your Needs

Once you’ve shortlisted potential photographers, reach out to them to discuss your specific requirements. Communication is key to a successful collaboration, so ensure that the photographer understands your vision and makes you feel comfortable and confident in their ability.

The Importance of Location and Setting

Studio vs. Outdoor Shoots

Your options are almost limitless in terms of locations for headshots in Canberra, from dedicated headshot studio setups to natural outdoor backgrounds or iconic Canberra backdrops like the brutalist architecture of the National Gallery. Consider what backdrop best suits your image and the message you want to convey.

One benefit of choosing a photo studio rather than an outdoor location is that it allows for a more highly controlled, seamless photoshoot – the lighting can be perfectly tailored, and you don’t have to worry about background distractions or unpredictable Canberra weather. 

Whether you choose a studio or a more natural setting, make sure you consider how accessible and convenient the location is for you and the photographer, including parking and ease of getting to the venue.

The Corporate Headshot Session: What To Expect

A professional headshot photography session typically involves a few key stages, including consultation and planning, the session itself, as well as the review and selection of images.

Consultation and planning the session: Prior to the shoot, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss your requirements and preferences with the photographer. This may include the style of headshots, the background and lighting, and any professional retouching or editing requests for the final images. The more you plan and collaborate with your photographer, the more likely you are to nail your shoot!

The photography process and poses: During the session, the photographer will guide you through various poses and expressions to capture a range of images. They will direct and communicate with you to ensure that the shots reflect your personality and convey the professional image you seek to portray. Make sure to be punctual to get the most out of your shoot!

Reviewing and choosing your images: After the session, you’ll have the opportunity to review the images captured. The photographer might give a selection of proofs for you to curate, and you can discuss any additional editing or retouching requirements before the final images are delivered.

Depending on how many final images you choose and how much editing the images need, the turnaround could be anywhere from a day or two to a week – make sure you clarify your expectations with your photographer in advance and let them know if you have a time crunch.

Headshot Photography In Canberra: Pricing

Pricing for headshot photography in Canberra can vary based on the photographer’s experience, the length of your session, and any additional services, like studio hiring or having your pictures professionally retouched. It’s important to understand what’s included in the pricing, like the number of retouched images you’ll receive and what your usage rights are.

While pricing is an important consideration, remember that an exceptional headshot from a talented photographer is an investment in yourself and your personal image. Choosing a photographer whose style aligns with your brand and who can deliver quality results that reflect your standards will result in a better headshot and a higher return on your investment.

Branding Photography And Headshot Photography In Canberra

Futuretheory is a Canberra digital marketing agency specialising in websites, design, marketing and branding.  Whether you’re looking for an individual headshot or a branding session and corporate headshots for your whole team, we have the expertise and experience to help you present better online. We’ve been honing our craft since 2008 and have worked with clients across Australia. 

We’re happy to come to your office and capture you in your element, or you can choose to make use of our 126-square-metre studio in Canberra. Having such a large, fully equipped studio on hand means your options are limitless, and you can be as creative as you want when it comes to your business headshot, ensuring you stand out even more. Get in touch with us today if we sound like the right option for you. We’d be happy to provide an obligation-free quote and discuss your options with you.

Whether you’re a seasoned film user or just starting out in the world of analog film photography, having a convenient and reliable place to get your film developed is important. Fortunately, there are still some great options in Canberra that will bring your analog shots to life.

Canberra ProFrame (CanLab)

Canberra ProFrame – CanLab, a long-established name on City Walk, has been the go-to spot for film development for over 20 years. Their enduring presence alone speaks volumes about their dedication to film photography.

They also offer a range of other services, including high-quality printing and professional framing. Canlab has a strong reputation for reliability and exceptional service, and they’ve done well to earn the trust of both professional photographers and hobbyists in Canberra. 

Ted’s Cameras

If you’re looking for a reliable and convenient option for film development in Canberra, Ted’s Cameras is a great choice, with two locations in the city centre. Aside from their wide range of photography equipment and accessories, they also offer a high-quality film development service. They cater to both colour and black-and-white film and use the latest technology to ensure excellent results. 

The staff at Ted’s Cameras are known for their expertise and are always willing to help. They’re quick and efficient and pay attention to detail, so you can trust them to develop your film with care and precision. 

Photo Access

PhotoAccess in the Manuka Arts Centre is an ACT Government-sponsored organisation that offers photography workshops and film development. Their professional approach to film processing, combined with their educational and community activities, makes PhotoAccess well worth checking out if you’re passionate about film photography and want to further educate yourself on the process as well as get your film developed.

Ikigai Film Lab 

Ikigai Film Lab is a global company that develops 35mm and 120 C-41, black and white, and E-6 film all in-house. They have a slightly different approach to film development: While they don’t have physical storefronts, they’ve set up drop collection points across Australia, including a convenient spot in Canberra. 

You can drop off your film every Wednesday at The Cupping Room, a cafe in the city centre, making it easy and accessible for anyone in the area. What’s impressive about Ikigai is its quick turnaround time despite being a worldwide operation.

Keeping Film Photography Alive In Canberra

Film photography still holds a significant place in our culture, offering tangible textures and vintage aesthetics that many people find appealing. Shooting with film also challenges photographers to be more thoughtful and deliberate, leading to rewarding results.

As we’ve explored some of the best places in Canberra to get film developed, it’s clear that Canberra still harbours a growing community passionate about film photography. If you’re looking for some local inspiration, Thea Jade and Gabrielle Short are some great examples of photographers in Canberra still making the most of film.

Each time we choose to load a film camera, develop a roll, or print a photograph, we contribute to keeping the rich tradition of film photography alive. The continued existence of these film development services in Canberra is a testament to the enduring allure of film.

If you’ve got big dreams for your film photography shoot, we have just the place – Offshoot Studio. With 126 square metres of space to shoot, you’ll have all the room to bring your film photography dreams to life.

In this article, we’ll go over some of the most fundamental ways you can improve your membership website to reach its maximum potential and drive forward your organisation’s goals.

Regularly Upload Industry Relevant Content

To keep your website visitors engaged and coming back for more, it’s important to regularly update your site with industry-specific information, news, and articles. Doing so positions you as a reliable source of information and an authority in your industry, building trust and credibility with your audience.

Improved Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Uploading industry-centric content will also help improve your website’s authority in the eyes of Google, meaning your website will rank higher for relevant keywords. Making sure you post content regularly is essential as well – the more you post, the more SEO momentum you’ll build, making your website more discoverable for potential members. 

Streamline Sign-Up And Renewal Process

As a member organisation, your online sign-up and renewal pages are the most fundamental part of your site. Ensuring they’re easy to use and up-to-scratch in terms of performance is vital. If the process is complicated, time-consuming, or takes too long to load, it can be hugely frustrating for users and deter potential members. Streamlining the process makes joining and staying with your organisation more appealing, improving member acquisition and retention.