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Whether you’re migrating to a new platform, building a new store, or simply upgrading the one you have, shifting ecommerce platforms or making changes to your current system could actually do your company more harm than good. Unfortunately, the little things have the potential to kill your current optimization strategy, and a big shift in your site could mean a shift in your ranking. What can you do to implement your changes while preserving your rank? These tips can help.

Keep an eye on the information architecture during migration as well as the URL structure.

If you have an established site, the search engines know what to expect. The better your information architecture and URL structure, the stronger your SEO program. That could change as you work on your store, so be aware of the fact that you don’t want your pages competing against each other and you want everything you do to strengthen your site as a whole.

Look out for duplicate content!

There is no faster way to get your site in trouble from an SEO perspective than to have duplicate content on the site. Proper planning on the part of absolutely everyone involved can help you avoid this problem, though.

Don’t lose sight of traditional SEO tactics.

Ignoring standard SEO simply because you’re dealing with ecommerce isn’t necessarily a good idea. While there are some practices that may not be perfect for those with an ecommerce site, others, like solid text, are just the gold standard no matter what kind of site you happen to have.

When you’re looking for help optimizing your business’s ecommerce platform, call Kinetik I.T. We can develop a customized solution without compromising your overall SEO efforts, ensuring you get the services you need without losing any page rank in the process.

Relational database. When you hear the words, you may notice your mind going blank and your eyes glazing over, thinking the term completely uninteresting or unrelated to your work. Dig in further, and you’ll find terms like normalization, entity and referential integrity, superkey and abstraction layer. Relational databases, however, play a huge role in our daily office activities, and even how we shop.

The relational (which refers to mathematical relations) database was created in 1970 by E.F. Codd, a researcher at IBM. At its core, the database is made up of a group of connected tables. With anywhere from 10 to more than 1,000 tables, a typical relational database contains a column or columns that other tables can key on to gather information from that table. Since its creation, databases have become a standard for most businesses and websites—Amazon’s site contains hundreds or thousands of tables all used together to quickly find the exact information needed at any given time—even deciding what products to suggest, based on the user’s activity and interests.

A relational database sorts and filters data, provides stronger security, ensures increased data integrity, and shares information.

Data Integrity

Data Integrity is the foundation of a solid and proper database design. A relational database is able to cross reference data.  The lack of data integrity will cause duplication of data, missing records, and orphaned database records.

Information Sharing

Another key aspect of a relational database is it gives the ability for users to share information simultaneously. The database automatically updates the system when information is deleted, added, or changed. Users are able to immediately access all changes.

Security

No data can be totally safe; still, a relational database allows for different access levels and password protection. Also, authentication steps can be set to ensure that users are only allowed to access information relevant to their job. Authentication steps can also produce a record of user access that can be used to determine access for different users.

While building a custom relational database may take time, its positive impact on a business can be tremendous. A relational database can quickly and efficiently compare information, allow access to vast amounts of information to numerous people at once, and keep information protected by the use of passwords authentication steps. If you are considering a relational database for your company, it is easy to see how important it could be to your business and your bottom line.

Statistics clearly state the case: nearly 100 million people use the mobile web daily, and smartphones are outselling PCs faster than ever. Transitioning to include your business site on the mobile web is a must.

So, how does your current website look on a mobile browser? If it’s not designed with optimized mobile settings, the aesthetic may not carry over well to a smaller, handheld device. Aside from a poor user experience, a sub-par mobile site can compromise the look, feel, and content of your company’s website, negating the time and money invested in developing thoughtful messaging and concise branding.

The simple fact is that, due to the limited amount of space and generally slower connection speeds, a mobile design needs to be both more simply designed and more task-based than the standard companion website.  Here are a few reasons to consider this shift to a mobile-optimized site – sooner rather than later:

1. Appearance: Your site’s design probably does not look as good as you think it does. Mobile web emulators abound online, offering an easy way to view your site across devices. Type in your URL for a glimpse at what potential customers see – does it offer the user experience you’d like customers to have? If not, it’s time to develop a mobile site.
2. Lagging behind: Chances are, your competitors already have a mobile site. Even if they were not early adopters, the biggest companies in every industry have a mobile site, and it’s a sure bet that your competitors are in that mix.
3. Increased traffic: Mobile sites mean better SEO. Google is bent on ensuring searchers have the best possible experience, and while no one is saying exactly what that entails, it’s certain that mobile sites for mobile users factor in somewhere, so capturing those who are looking may mean you have to go mobile.

You need only look around – to see the multitudes using phones to read, shop, and research – to understand how necessary a mobile website is for today’s business. Kinetik IT has been offering Phoenix businesses web and I.T. solutions, including mobile sites, that will enhance profitability for years to come. To learn more about services and products, visit www.Kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik on Facebook, LinkedInor Twitter.