4 Great Tips to Get an Effective Domain Name for Your Website
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4 Great Tips to Get an Effective Domain Name for Your Website

The domain name is our identity on the internet just as our names are for us in the world we live in. Choosing the right domain name is the primary thing you need to consider when starting with a website.

However, it can be quite hectic to pick the right name for your website and it demands a good amount of brainstorming to get it right. Furthermore, you ought to be extra careful if your website is to serve a commercial purpose because it can make or mar your business. But don’t worry because here we bring you exclusive hacks to start your website with an effective domain name.

Get a regional domain

The .com might have been one of the most popular domain extensions but opting for a regional domain isn’t a bad option either. For instance, you can go for .in if your website is for the Indian audiences or .fr if your website targets France. This would make you local and thereby, bring in a considerable amount of credibility to your business.

However, getting a .com domain is the best thing to do in case you have an international requirement. There are numerous other extensions, which might seem appealing but are fraught with challenges.

Insert keywords in your domain name

Using keywords in your domain name will not only inform the search engines but also your audiences about your website. Therefore, inserting relevant keywords in your domain name will surely benefit your business.

Go for short, simple and memorable names

A domain name is responsible for the first impression of your website. Therefore, you should make sure that it is impactful. Here’s where short and simple domain names come into play. Besides, being easier to remember, short names will be free of typos and make for a lasting impression on your audiences.

Unique domain names rule

Unique names stand out in the world of domain names. They are much more brandable and promise an enviable brand recognition. Distinctive domain names also save you from getting mired in copyright issues.

Endnotes

Applying these hacks will undoubtedly help you come up with an amazing domain name for your website. However, if you want to build a quality website that is both attractive and marketable, you must consult the experts. Sprout Road is one of the best web development companies in Kolkata you can appoint as your official website builder.

Do you know why you need a blog for your website? If not, check here.

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Top5 Content Management Systems to choose from in 2020
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Top 5 Content Management Systems to choose from in 2020

Making a website of your own has become more exciting and easier than ever before because of the sheer number of Content Management Systems or CMSs available. A CMS is a web application that enables you to publish and manage content on the Internet.

While most think CMSs are meant for blogging, the truth is that CMSs today are highly customisable and can be used for absolutely any kind of project including ecommerce sites and private membership sites. Here is a list of top CMS platforms you can use to develop your website.

WordPress

This open source software is unarguably the most popular one today and it boasts the largest market share among competitors. It is ultra easy to use and navigate and it is highly customisable with a large database of themes to chose from.

Joomla!

This open source platform, like WordPress, has a large library of templates and extensions to choose from. But it is not advisable for beginners because of its complicated interface. It is a good option to build your ecommerce site on for it has extensions for this.

Drupal

This open source software powers some of the most prestigious websites out there including The Economist’s. Many universities use it too. It is suitable for developers to handle especially for websites that are very complicated and designed to manage a large amount of content.

Magento

This powerful open source ecommerce platform from the software giant Adobe is one of the most competent and customisable CMSs available. It is, however, on the expensive side of things and you need specialised developers to build your website for you.

Shopify

This is an all-in-one hosted CMS platform. You do not need to purchase hosting or manage updates and backups. It is a brilliant platform for setting up an ecommerce store with an easy drag-and-drop interface. You can accept both debit card and credit card payments through Shopify Payments.

There are many more CMSs out there in the market. We have covered only five. What we suggest you do is first identify the purpose of your website – will it be a blog or an ecommerce platform or a private membership website? And then proceed to research on the type of CMS you want to go for. Sprout Road, a premiere website development company in Kolkata, recommends WordPress for websites and Magento for ecommerce platforms.

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UX vs UI: What's the Difference in Web Design?
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UX vs UI: What’s the Difference in Web Design?

You must have heard technologically savvy persons discuss the “UX” of a product or how the “UI” of a certain website is not very appealing. And you were absolutely clueless about what they were discussing? Well, this article aims to demystify the terms for you so you know what to look out for when signing up for web designing services.

The Terms

These two terms actually refer to two different professions though they are often used interchangeably. UI design refers to ‘User Interface’ design whereas UX refers to ‘User Experience’ design.

User Experience design is a “human-first” approach to the design of a product and it involves designing products keeping in mind human experience. An example of UX is how smooth the checkout process is while shopping online through an e-Commerce store, for instance.

User Interface, on the other hand, is a strictly digital term that implies the point of interaction between a user and a device. An example of user interface is the buttons on the touchscreen of your phone. UI relates to the look, feel and interactivity of the product.

The Difference in UX and UI

Simply put, the UX of a product is the overall subjective feel of using it as felt by a user while UI is the physical interface look and design as conceptualised by a UI designer. Both go hand in hand.

To make a successful product, both the UI design and the UX design need to be optimal. A good UX without a counterbalanced UI is like a skeleton without flesh and organs. It is important to note that UX is not solely dependent on UI for its existence though UI is dependent on UX for its existence.

A better analogy would be to borrow Dain Miller’s example of a user riding a horse. The stirrups and the saddle make the UI while the feel a user gets while riding a horse is what is UX. A good UI design enhances UX.

So the next time you are opting for web design services, do not forget to ensure both UI and UX are super smooth and user friendly. For more on this, do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Sprout Road is a premiere web design company in Kolkata. Best, Sprout Road

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10 Free Tools To Help You Work From Home
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10 Free Tools To Help You Work From Home

Slowly coming to terms with the changes forced upon us by the spread of COVID-19? It is difficult, shifting work to your home premises. But it is not impossible.

Here is a list of some free tools that can make the transition to working from home smoother and hassle-free.

  • Slack – It is a great collaboration hub that allows you to share files and communicate in groups as well as on a one-on-one basis.

  • Google Hangouts –It brings to life conversations through texts, audio and video connections on a one-on-one basis and for groups.
  • Zoom–It is a platform that allows you to hold video meetings and host virtual presentations online. It offers real time chats and video recording features as well.
  • Skype–It is a free communications tool that helps you connect with as many as 50 people through audio or video conferencing. 
  • AirTable–This is a strong tool that helps manage data and inventory on visually appealing spreadsheets so you can keep track of what your team is doing.
  • Asana –It helps teams structure work and tasks and helps team leaders and team members track progress and completion of tasks.
  • GitHub–It is a crucial free tool used to facilitate design and development, used as it is for version control and viewing, sharing and collaborating on code developed by team members.
  • Chrome DevTools–It is used for web development and the software is built directly into the Google Chrome browser.
  • Grammarly– It is a great platform used for writing on and editing documents with.
  • Google Drive– It is best for sharing files and collaborating on them with remote team members.

Try these tools out, according to your needs and preferences. For more on the subject, check out our previous blog here – www.sproutroad.com/how-you-can-work-from-home-during-covid-19-some-free-tools.

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Four Reasons Why We Need To Do SEO in Times of COVID-19
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Four Reasons Why We Need To Do SEO in Times of COVID-19

You are probably reading this from your computer system at home, with most private and government institutions declaring work-from-home arrangements to be made in the wake of the deadly coronavirus pandemic. As of Thursday, March 19, the COVID-19 has affected over 220,000 people and caused the death of over 8,800 persons across the globe.

As a result of the pandemic, countries have suspended flights into their respective geographies and asked citizens to self-isolate in case they fall ill. Trade has been affected and businesses hit. In such times, it is best not to panic and instead think up ways to brace against the emergency upon all of us.

Keep Calm and Optimize

While it is true that businesses across the spectrum have taken a hit because of coronavirus, it is not wise to withdraw your contract and put a complete stop to marketing operations in what is best termed as a knee-jerk reaction to the crisis. The move will put your business in trouble and force it into an unnecessarily long term struggle to recover.

“Organic search is a zero-sum game” – your gains or losses are balanced by the gain or losses of other companies listed on SERPs (Search-engine Results Pages).  People might not be actively seeking to pay for as many products or services as they used to earlier, but they are certainly searching them online and it is best you be visible and up and running in the market to give a sense of normalcy than be off it.

Budgeting for Marketing & SEO

Around 7% to 8% of your gross revenue is the bare minimum you should spend on marketing and SEO activities, even in times of an epidemic like coronavirus. People are making purchases, despite the lockdown and you do not want to stay behind in terms of paid advertisements, especially on the internet.

If you cannot, however, afford it (because of employees staying back home or a slashing down of business operations), then cut on paid advertisement. But do not compromise on SEO and inbound marketing, both of which are long term plans.   You have taken months to build quality marketing strategies and a loyal customer base. Do not desert them in times of an emergency.

Four reasons why you must continue doing SEO in times of an epidemic

  • Those businesses that are cash rich are the ones that will survive this downturn. To stay ahead of the game, the best practice is to have a competent SEO strategy in place. And if you choose to go a step forward, you should generate Opt-in Emails for prospective clients. This depends on a robust SEO strategy which ensures customers, who are spending more and more time on their phones and computers because of the lockdown in their respective countries, take note of your products or services on the internet.

  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM) helps you reach customers with immediate buying intent, something that you would want to achieve in these times of a slowdown which has in all probability forced a budget crunch at your end. Moreover, SEM shows you whether or not your strategy is successful and effective. All you have to do is look up the sales or leads in your analytics. Since buyer behaviors is sure to undergo change in the next few weeks, it will become important for you to concentrate your services and advertisement strategy on the changes in buying patterns.

  • A scarcity of products has been reported from markets across cities with allegations of consumers hoarding essentials like toilet paper and sanitizer and even food items triggered by the scare caused by the pandemic. In such situations, more and more people are searching the internet for online purchases of essential items or important services. In case they cannot find those, they are searching for alternatives. But searches are going up for sure. So it is best you be visible on the internet in full force.

  • Even if people are self-isolating, it is only temporary and they will need products and services in the near future. Though things are looking bad currently, the situation is bound to improve in the future and we must be prepared for that and wait for things to get to normal. SEO is the most effective way to market your business in downtimes.

Hope this helped calm you and hope this finds you well. Best, Sprout Road.

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TikTok Augments Influencer Marketing Game
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TikTok Augments Influencer Marketing Game

India has more than 120 million active TikTok users. Though laden with legal challenges, the social media app has been an absolute favorite of brands and consumers alike.

Several bigwigs like Pepsi and Swiggy has started taking TikTok very seriously. With the help of influencers, these brands are running successful campaigns on the platform boosting sales. Of late, Tide Ultra and Idea too pushed campaigns asking the TikTok community to rap and dance, respectively. Even police departments are thinking of using TikTok as a powerful medium to reach out to more people and inspire citizens.

No wonder, TikTok harbors a lot of potentials when it comes content marketing.

Content Creation

Be it music, FMCG or tech/utility brands, TikTok is a great platform to amalgamate content. The fusion of brands and influencers is incredible.

“If you look at the brief history of brand campaigns on TikTok, the success stories are of those brands that have created platform-relevant content, paired it with the correct influencers and given them freedom while creating content,” says Prashant Sharma, CMO, Nofiltr Social.

Today, content marketing is the key. Brands need to consider the fact that audiences follow influencers to feed in content and reduce stress. In this digital era, content is all about being relatable, useful and entertaining. This is why a lot of content is available in vernacular languages on TikTok. It makes them more relatable and ignites instant user interest.

TikTok Influencer Marketing

In the last two years, the growth rate of TikTok influencers has been skyrocketing. Avneet Kaur with 16.2 M fans, Awez Darbar with 16.7 M fans and Ahsaas Channa with 3.5 M fans garnered phenomenal success in a very short span of time.

“Influencers can help create huge brand awareness by featuring the products or the store that has been launched recently,” says Hitesh Khubchandani, Founder of HDK Digital.

From a brand’s standpoint, the best is when you rope in influencers who have relevant audience-base in the locality you are about to target. Look for transformational videos and leverage them to feature your products if you hail from the beauty or fashion sector. As the festive season is right upon you, don’t forget to consider this option.

Few Tips and Suggestions

The founder of Mad Influence, Gautam Madhavan predicts that the next set of content on TikTok is going to be on education and motivational speeches. This would include cooking, dancing and photography tutorials. In essence, the format would simply define a problem and formulate its solution.

Below, we’ve shared a few TikTok marketing strategies that as an agency you should keep in mind:

  • Being a mass platform, TikTok should never be used for campaigns that are directed towards niche audiences.
  • Influencers are the lifeblood of the ecosystem. Support them and create the most immersive content.
  • Be clear. Make sure you know the objective of your campaign; while hashtag challenges can be used to create awareness, filters are great to drive engagement.

To know more about influencer marketing, contact us at Sprout Road. We would be happy to help you and your brand in the best way possible.

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In the Battle of Keywords, Short Tail or Long Tail?
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In the Battle of Keywords, Short Tail or Long Tail?

Keywords are the building blocks of Search Engine Optimization. The success and the failure of an SEO strategy are single-handedly decided by them.

Broadly speaking, keywords are of two types: Short tail and Long tail keywords. Now, let’s have a quick glimpse of what they are.

Short Tail Keywords

These are the smallest combination of words which might not make complete sense but apparently, makes some sense when typed on the internet. Most of the times short tail keywords are of 3 words or less.

They are not very specific but target a wide audience. For instance: “best smartphones”, “Vatican tour online”, “Chinese food delivery”, “temples” and so on. These keywords are basically the head terms out of the nascent idea, which first strikes our mind.

Vatican tours online

Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords can be defined as the mature version of the short-tail keywords. They are usually more than 3 words and make sense. Furthermore, they have specifications included which are tweaked according to the wants of the users. 

They are very specific and do not target a wide audience but the right audience. For example, “best psychedelic rock songs by Pink Floyd”, “TMT steel bars production in India”, “guitar tapping lesson by Guthrie Govan”, “credit risk modelling certification” and the likes.

credit risk modelling certification

Which one to go for? A Comparative Analysis

Speculations are always high when it comes to short-tail and long-tail keywords, with each having their own share of advantages and disadvantages. So, let’s dig deep into them:

Volume of Traffic

If you want to increase the volume of the searches, tirelessly, then you should desert your long-tail keywords and instead go for their shorter versions. So, opt for the short tail keywords and rank them first to get your website running with a good amount of organic traffic.

Thus, the short-tail keywords win it comfortably when it comes to Traffic Volume.

Competition

You would have to involve a large team or else you would need a while to rank your short tail keywords for sure. This is because the competition for the short tail keywords is extremely high.

This is quite obvious because the search volume for these keywords generally remains pretty high in contradiction to the long-tail keywords, which are easier to rank, with less competition and a low search volume.

Long-tail keywords score big in terms of Competition.

Focus

When it comes to short-tail keywords, as they are less specific, you would see irrelevant results popping up annoying you all the time. But, as far as the long-tail keywords are concerned, they are very much specific and adequately filtered to provide you with the results you want.

Thus, the long-tail keywords steal it from the short-tail keywords when Focus is concerned.

Cost-Effectiveness

Cost-effectiveness would depend completely on how experienced and efficient a person or his team is, in SEO. However, talking about the general expense, the short-tail keywords have a hell lot of money involved to get them going. Google AdWords would manage to squeeze a pretty large sum if you opt for the short-tail keywords. This is because of the higher volume of searches that they fetch. On the contrary, expenses are pretty less if you are looking for the long-tail keywords.

Therefore, if you have a limited budget, it is always recommended to get past the little amount of competition and rank your website on the long-tail keywords.

Conversions

If you look at the conversion rates, it is definitely high if you have the right traffic on your website. This is only possible with the long-tail keywords, which are pinpointed. The short tail keywords, on the other hand, will encourage huge traffic with a wee bit of conversions.

We hope this post has been helpful to you. In conclusion, you should be aware of everything and confident in your SEO strategies to rank your website. It doesn’t matter whether you use short tail or long-tail keywords and/or variations of them, but the keywords you choose and the niche of your website are paramount in importance. So, be focused and determined in the long run to succeed!

If you are interested in informative blogs similar to this, keep checking our website. You can also follow Sprout Road on Facebook and Instagram to get all the latest updates!


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Google’s Search Console Update 13/7/17: Why the Change Was So Drastic?

Soon after Google’s recent update about the manner in which impressions and average position are reported in the Google Search Console interface, seasoned webmasters had a trivial panic attack. Quite a handful number of clients at a renowned performance marketing agency saw drastic drops in average position after the update. Check this:

On July 13, 2017 Google confirmed the update:

An incremental improvement in Google’s logging system now provides better accounting for results in lower positions…

And included it in their Search Console Data Anomalies page.

Can you discern anything from the update? We guess not, because the update is quite vague, leaving a lot of room to search for answers about what really happened, what kind of changes took place and why the reports are so much different.

In this blog, we will formulate crucial insights based on a study conducted by a well-renowned research analyst firm pointing out why the change was so drastic and how the firm witnessed a significant increase in the total number of keywords reported per day.

What actually happened?

Owing to the limitations of regular GSC interface, the search engine experts resorted to the Search Analytics API to derive a complete data set in order to peep into from where the drop in average position was coming from. As they were already aware of all the standard engagement metrics of Impressions, CTR, Clicks, and Average Position, they decided to seek through another metric that might reveal them their desirable answers: the total number of unique queries pulled in with the API per day.

What the data revealed?

The highly skilled webmasters decided to select three sites from three different domains that were positioned closest to the median number of ranking queries per day across all the sites for which they stored Google Search Console (GSC) data.

Out of three, two sites witnessed a prominent and consistent increase in the number of ranking keywords dragged from the API per day. In the third site, the average number of ranking queries per day increased post update, but the increase was ambiguous.

Interestingly, the analysts saw a slight decrease in the number of keywords extracted by the API per day for tablet devices: which signifies that though the average percent change was higher than predicted, the total change might not be that remarkable.

So, based on the given information that Google shared, the web-experts were able to come to an assumption: Google is now tracking low ranking keywords more significantly- which eventually drags down average position throughout the site.

Curiously, their data reveals something else:

While there’s been a crisp increase in the number of queries with an average position across the first page of results, one may also see a notable increase in the number of queries reported with ranks in position 10 or better.

On an average, the number of queries ranked in position 10 or better spiked up post the update by around 7.1 percent. On the other hand, the fair number of keywords from position 11 or more increased by about 7.8 percent.

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Google Maps’ Ad Traffic Is Steadily Increasing, Here’s How

For the last two years, Google updates have been showing the company’s burgeoning focus on monetizing searches with navigational queries and local intent. Starting from local inventory ads to ads featured in the Local Pack, Google considers local searches to be the fertile ground where more ad conversations can be pinged into.

A similar strategy has been used for Google Maps, where ads generated from location extensions now occupy for searches. The popularity of these ads is immense, supported by a rise in the share of traffic, ascribed to the “Get location details” click type.

Rising ‘Get Location Details’ clicks

Google confirmed that mostly all traffic that is ascribed to the ‘Get Location Details’ is owing to the ads advertised on Maps. Particularly in phones, there’s been a surge in ‘Get Location Details’ traffic and Maps is undeniably becoming a part of a greater share of overall traffic.

Online Conversion Rate will suffer

The likelihood of Google Maps searchers to get converted is very less, as they are more likely to seek out to physical stores. The data says Online Conversation Rate for ‘Get location details’ is comparatively lower than overall conversation rates for branded keywords for an average advertiser.

CPC is likely to spike up

With respect to overall CPC, desktop CPC for ‘Get location details’ is lower. However, on phones, the CPC is 30% higher, and Tablet CPC is way too higher. Interestingly, we find it hard to explain the strange phenomena.

Last Thoughts

Google has kept a lot of things under its hood, for now. Google Maps has a terrific user base and traffic generation. Looking forward, Google is largely focusing on driving ad traffic from searches with local intent, with improved formats, like local inventory ads and Local Pack ads. Hopefully, in future owing to these latest developments, we are going to see some humongous growth associated with traffic share.