Colorado Web Solutions

Yahoo Store Redesign

Posted on July 1st, 2015 by Brent Carey

Yahoo Store Redesign of Promomento.com

We’re excited to showcase a new Yahoo store redesign collaboration between Promomento.com and Colorado Web Solutions. Promomento.com has been a long time client. In fact, we designed our client’s first site almost 9 years ago. Recently they decided it was time to make their site responsive due to Google’s new push towards having all sites mobile friendly.

In the initial review of their site, it was determined that the coding structure was quite antiquated and a full redesign would be required in order to implement a fully responsive design. Together with the client, we determined the design direction and feature implementation needed. The result of our combined efforts is a fantastic visual transformation. The resolution, font size, spacing and image sizing were all quite small on the old site. The original site had been designed with smaller monitors in mind. Additionally, in the years since the site was launched, our client has added new programs, features and categories. In order to get the content on the page, we embedded content blocks where ever we could find space within the existing structure. This ultimately led to a fairly packed homepage with a lot of information making navigation that much more difficult.

Here’s an example of what the homepage looked like previously:

As you see, the old design tried to pack a lot of information into a narrow area. As more programs and features were added to the site, the more crammed each section became. Additionally, the original site did not incorporate Cascading Menus. With so many categories and sub-categories, a lot of clicking was required to drill down into the many sub-categories present.

Below you’ll see the newly redesigned store. Rather than using blue for a background, white is used. This gives the impression of a lot more white space between elements and it allows each content block to really pop. The full screen is used which allows for the same number of elements to be spread out over the entire screen. Again, making it easier for the eye to catch different blocks of content. Cascading Menus/Mega Menus have also been installed. The result is customers can easily drill down to the specific sub-category they’re interested in. Also, the new design is fully responsive. No need to worry about Google dinging the site’s search engine placement.

A redesign can do a lot to increase conversions. It can also greatly help to better showcase new features, products, categories and content. In todays competitive market it’s imperative to keep your site up-to-date with a contemporary look and feel. If you haven’t redesigned your Yahoo store in the last few years, it’s time to start thinking about it. With over 11 years of Yahoo design experience, Colorado Web Solutions can help. If you’re interested in having your Yahoo store redesigned or interested in converting your store to a responsive design, please contact Colorado Web Solutions for more information. We can be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm MST at 303-482-2080 or via our contact form.

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Colorado Web Solutions introduces new WordPress Development Site

Posted on October 21st, 2014 by Brent Carey

Colorado Web Solutions is excited to announce the launch of our newest endeavor, ColoradoWPsolutions.com. Our new website and refined approach will focus on delivering WordPress site designs and solutions to our growing client base. For many years our core has been designing and developing Yahoo ecommerce stores. While we will continue to support the Yahoo platform, we have decided to widen our focus with the expansion and acceleration of our WordPress related services. In order to accentuate and facilitate this new array of services, we have created a WordPress specific site, ColoradoWPsolutions.com.

We are offering a host of WordPress related services from simple installs, to theme modifications, to fully customized multi-site builds. We believe WordPress is the perfect platform for those interested in creating a first-time presence or for those with antiquated sites needing a fresh updated look and functionality. WordPress can effectively be used for a multitude of site builds. For more information, please contact us at: design@coloradowpsolutions.com.

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WordPress Theme Modifications and Customizations

Posted on June 19th, 2014 by Brent Carey

WordPress theme modifications and customizations are a popular service that Colorado Web Solutions offers. We offer a variety of WordPress packages ranging from minimal theme installs to completely customized WordPress integrations. Our most sought after package is the WordPress Progressive Install. This service is ideal for clients looking for a website with a professional and unique look, without the considerable fees involved in a fully customized site. Wordpress theme modifications are the ideal solution for:

1. Updating older WordPress sites
2. Creating a first-time web presence
3. For clients wanting to move from a poorly performing platform, which lacks the function or design capabilities that WordPress offers.

What really makes WordPress stand out from other web platforms is a well thought out Content Management System (CMS), as well as a host of Plugins which can add literally hundreds of features and functionality to your site. To top off an already feature-packed platform – WordPress is likely the premier blogging platform available today.

A perfect case study of a theme modification would be Serenity Salon in Aravda Colorado. Serenity came to Colorado Web Solutions with the intention of replacing their older, less functional WordPress theme. After an exhaustive search we decided upon the Spa Treats theme.

The new theme offered Serenity a clean, fresh appearance coupled with an intuitive backend giving our client the ability to update their site without using HTML/CSS. While the new theme was well suited for a company in the holistic industry, it lacked design points and branding to match our client’s needs. That’s where our theme customization began. We modified the colors, page structure and images to create a new look unique to Serenity. In all, the new design and theme implementation was completed in a little more than a week.

There are a few key points to keep in mind when considering a WordPress theme customization or modification:

• Move your site to the WordPress platform and receive the benefits of a self-managed site with an enhanced visual appearance offering a full range of functionality.
• Obtain a professional looking site for less money than a fully customized site.
• Upgrade an older WordPress theme for increased functionality with a clean, fresh appearance.

For more information on WordPress theme customization and modification packages that Colorado Web Solutions offers, as well as what makes WordPress unique among web platforms, please visit our WordPress Website Development page: http://www.coloradowebsolutions.com/wordpress-development.html.

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Colorado Web Solutions now offering WordPress Integrations

Posted on February 25th, 2014 by Brent Carey

Colorado Web Solutions is excited to announce that we are now officially offering WordPress integrations. For many years, we’ve been working with the WordPress platform, using it for our own blogging needs. We’ve also been heavily involved with WordPress Multi-sites, as we have used this platform to create a one-of-a-kind PTA management system called Digital PTO. In the past couple of years we’ve also created many informational-based sites for clients using WordPress.

Today we’re officially announcing our offering of various WordPress services. From simple site setups, to complex custom integrations to full multi-site build outs – we’re offering a little bit of everything.

If you’re interested in an informational based website, WordPress is the ideal candidate. WordPress started as a blogging system and has evolved into a full content management system, which utilizes thousands of plugins, widgets and themes, giving users ultimate control while providing clean and contemporary designs. For more information please have a look at our WordPress services.

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Redesigning Your Yahoo Store

Posted on July 9th, 2013 by Brent Carey

Redesigning a Yahoo store is a key factor in taking both your sales and your customers’ experience to the next level. A redesign can completely change the landscape of your site and in doing so can reinvent your brand image and showcase your products in a completely fresh – and competitive manner.

While is it relatively easy for anyone to purchase a domain and Yahoo store, throw up a few banners, add some products and images and get the site live – it’s much more difficult to differentiate your site from your competitors without hiring an authorized Yahoo developer to customize the look and feel. Without a developer not only will the overall look of your site likely suffer,  it is also much more difficult to get the proper exposure and conversion rates with self-managed Yahoo stores. As the market intensifies with more competition – the need for attractive, well laid out and highly functional stores has become not only more prevalent, but a prerequisite for any successful online store.

That’s where a company like Colorado Web Solutions comes in. There are currently a handful of Authorized Yahoo store developers out there. Each developer can bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to any small to mid-size business looking to improve the experience associated with their store and product line. Here at Colorado Web Solutions our primary specialty is in designing attractive Yahoo stores or re-designing existing Yahoo stores. As our portfolio grows – so does our list of successful clients.

I can’t say enough about the benefits of taking a slow to convert, self-designed Yahoo store and transforming it into a professional site laid out in a manner consistent with the buyer’s preconceived notions of how a website should function and what a “real” website should look like. Here at Colorado Web Solutions we’ve seen store re-designs double and even triple existing conversion rates within months. Some of the benefits can include; highly customized product detail pages that accurately and professionally present your products, a fresh and contemporary feel to the overall site experience, professional branding throughout the site, new feature sets, seamless transitions from store, to cart, to blog and so much more.

The need for a Yahoo store developer like Colorado Web Solutions in redesigning your site cannot be underestimated. In todays marketplace, it’s imperative to showcase your products as professionally as possible and this is often not possible without using a development service that will take your store beyond your expectations.

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Yahoo Releasing New SEO Feature

Posted on July 2nd, 2013 by Brent Carey

On July 8, 2013 and over the course of the next several weeks, Yahoo will be releasing a new feature for all Yahoo Merchant Solutions stores. The new feature will be directed at creating more SEO friendly image URL’s. The feature will be released in two stages. With each release, store owners will receive a notice in Store Manager indicating the feature is now live.

Yahoo is releasing this new SEO-friendly feature as a way of strengthening the URL’s that are associated with store images. The first phase of this new feature will create SEO-friendly Static URL’s for any new image uploads. Existing image URL’s will stay as they are until the second phase of the rollout. Why are static URL’s good for your images?

• Static URL’s will help ensure that images are not broken when appearing in directories.
• Static URL’s do not change. This creates consistency in your SEO efforts.
• Static URL’s that are descriptive will boost SEO.

To learn more about how you can edit/change image names using the new feature, please have a look at this page.

The first release will focus only on new image uploads, the second phase will give ALL of your existing product images SEO-friendly URL’s. There are some specifics Yahoo is outlining in their post regarding the new Image Upload feature. For more information please see this page.

This is an exciting new feature from Yahoo and we’re sure store owners will find tremendous benefit in its usage. If you have questions about how we can assist, certainly let us know.

Thanks –

CWS Staff

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Yahoo Planned System Maintenance

Posted on February 27th, 2013 by Brent Carey

A reminder for all Yahoo merchants that Yahoo is performing their second planned system maintenance this evening from 7:30 PM PST until 7:30 AM PST on the 28th of February. Yahoo suggests having any publishes completed and any work in Order Manager finished before this period.

For a detailed list of the interruptions that may occur during this period, please see Yahoo’s Help Page.

– CWS Staff

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Yahoo Small Business Shipping Rate Change

Posted on February 12th, 2013 by Brent Carey

All Yahoo store owners need to remember that the United States Postal Service has recently updated their shipping rates. If your Yahoo store is currently offering USPS and  you are using a Rate Table, chances are you’ll need to update your rates. Yahoo has provided some good links for review if you plan on updating your Shipping Manager.

• How To Create a Flat Rate Shipping Rule
• Creating a Table-based Shipping Rate
• Setting Up Shipping Rates and Rules

If Yahoo’s current shipping module doesn’t meet your needs, you might consider an upgrade to a 3rd party shipping module. For more information please see this page:

Yahoo Advanced Shipping Manager

If you have questions – don’t hesitate to contact us here

Thanks –

CWS staff

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When should you Redesign your Yahoo Store?

Posted on September 26th, 2012 by Brent Carey

When should you redesign your Yahoo store? It is a question all Yahoo store owners will be confronted with at some point. Change to any site shouldn’t be made just for the sake of change but in today’s market it is important to stay ahead of the competition. It may be that a redesign is what takes your store to that next level. Many marketing companies will tell you a redesign should be undertaken every one to three years just to keep things fresh.While this notion may be true in a generalized sense, each store is unique and the decision to overhaul the look and functionality of a site can’t be made in a vacuum. That said, chances are that if your Yahoo store is going to continue to be successful or if you want to take your sales beyond their current levels, you might need to consider revamping. Prior to beginning your research into whether a redesign is in your best interest, there are a few questions that may help in your initial decision making process:

Does your site accurately reflect the buying patterns of your key customer base?

Many Yahoo store owners open their store without intimate knowledge of who their target customer really is. They have a product or products they want to sell with little insight into the eventual buying behaviors of their customer base. Over time the store will attract a certain segment of customers which will have distinct buying patterns. At that point you’ll have to ask yourself if the site you started out with still effectively caters to the core crowd? Often times, a redesign may be needed to better position the content and/or functionality of the site with the 20% of your customers making up your main buying group.

Is your website conveying your product and branding message as well as it should be?

Over time you will get to know your products better than most. As you get a good feel for what your customers are like, the question needs to be asked, “Is my site accurately portraying the product and branding message I should be conveying?” It’s a legitimate question and one that far too many owners fail to ask themselves. The best stores have a consistent brand message which is in sync with the products being sold. Successful stores create a community, and have a clear message that directly relates to the product line. Are you doing this with your store? If not, it may be time to consider a new design.

Was SEO a consideration in your first site design?

Often stores are first created on a shoe-string budget or without considering best practices when it comes to optimizing the coding structure for search engines. Fast forward a couple of years and if your store is now making a little money, a redesign may increase the exposure it is currently receiving from the engines. Proper coding can go a long way toward improving a sites indexing potential. Rather than dumping money into Adwords, a redesign can greatly enhance SEO.

Does your site have a fresh and attractive look?

If your site has experienced a dip in traffic or if your store is doing ok but you feel the look is antiquated, it might be time to consider a redesign. Today’s well performing sites are unique in appearance, clean – and flow well using a clear navigational structure. The cream of the crop have a contemporary look and feel to match the products being offered. If your store looks old, out of date or simply doesn’t have the most attractive look, it might be time for a redesign.

If a redesign sounds like something you might be interested in, please fill out a quote request. Mention FALLREDESIGN in your inquiry to receive a 10% discount on your project total*. For a case study of a previous redesign Colorado Web Solutions did with very successful results, please see: coffeecakes.

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Writing Product Descriptions for your Yahoo Store

Posted on September 13th, 2012 by Brent Carey

Writing a good product description is an often overlooked step in promoting rich search engine indexing. As we like to say here at Colorado Web Solutions, content is king. While many Yahoo store owners will focus their new content initiatives on homepage text, category headers or associated articles, many overlook or undervalue the words within the product description. Some clients, pushed for time or having a large product line, will opt to take their product descriptions directly from vendors. While this is a short term solution – it is imperative at some point to enhance vendor descriptions with your own unique text. Search engines love fresh and distinctive copy. More and more engines are devaluing duplicate content, even if that content appears on unrelated sites. We advise all clients to take the time to write their own content, it will pay off!

There are some key points to consider before you start the laborious process of writing your own descriptions:

The copy should be original, persuasive and informative

You are the salesmen and you have one chance to explain to your customer why they want to purchase the product from your store. The product description should reflect that. In your own words, tell your customer the reasons this particular product stands above other options available. If written correctly, the description should sound like a sales pitch from your top salesman! It will make leaving that page that much harder.

Make sure your descriptions are written in a concise and professional manner

The better you’re able to articulate to your customer what the product is intended for, what benefit it has and why it’s the product for them – the more likely they’ll purchase. The best way to accomplish this is to write with correct sentence structure and do it in as few words as possible. Long descriptions which don’t get to the point will end up losing the customer’s interest. The same can be said for poorly written content. People will be turned off if they can’t understand what you’re trying to convey.

Your descriptions should contain keywords that directly relate to the product in question

Most product descriptions will be in the range of 50-70 words. When you think about it, that’s not a lot of room to adequately get your point across, let alone fit in product specific keywords. However, it’s your job to find a way to incorporate at least a couple of pertinent keywords into the copy. Ideally those keywords should be repeated within the description at least twice.

Know your Audience

This may sound silly – but far too many store owners don’t take the time to really know who they’re speaking to. This of course will depend on the products you sell, the markets your products reach, the type of store you’re running, etc. Your product description should directly speak to the persuasions of your intended customer. For example, if you’re marketing to teens, be sure to use their language – if you’re writing to techies, use good technical terms – if you’re speaking to stay at home moms, write in a way they will relate to, etc. Once the customer has read your description, they should feel as though a friend just told them why they need the product. Your description should connect with the buyer on as many levels as possible.

Associated Links:

http://www.coloradowebsolutions.com/rtml-product-detail-tabs.html

http://www.coloradowebsolutions.com/rtml-product-feature-tables.html

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