Top Tech Blogs to Follow in 2024: 19 Essential Resources by Topic

Staying updated with the latest technological advancements is crucial, and tech blogs are an excellent way to achieve this. Each blog offers a unique perspective, so knowing the best resources ensures you get a comprehensive view of the tech world. Below, we’ve organized the top tech blogs of 2024 by topic, including general tech trends, the metaverse, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR).

The Importance of Technology in 2024

Understanding why technology is crucial can help underscore the need to follow top tech blogs. Technology integrates essential aspects of life and enhances both professional and personal experiences. It optimizes information exchange and offers solutions to various challenges. Keeping up with technological advancements is vital for improving the quality of life and staying informed about potential innovations.

Why You Should Stay Updated with Leading Tech Blogs

Staying abreast of the latest technological trends not only keeps you informed but can also benefit you personally and professionally. For those in leadership roles, understanding emerging technologies allows for strategic planning and enhances credibility. Knowing about future trends, such as those in the metaverse, helps you creatively anticipate changes and develop effective strategies before competitors. It also fosters networking opportunities with like-minded individuals, leading to professional and personal growth.

The 7 Best Tech Blogs Covering General Trends

The Verge The Verge offers a comprehensive look at the technology landscape, encompassing a wide array of topics from satellite launches to gaming and scientific advancements. Established to provide a broad view of the tech world, The Verge excels in delivering up-to-date news and in-depth analysis across various technological fields, making it a vital resource for tech enthusiasts.

Wired Wired stands as a seminal authority in the realm of technology, with its origins tracing back to a print magazine in 1993. It has evolved into a leading source of insights on computing, tech culture, and medical technology. Wired is renowned for its detailed reports and thought-provoking articles that delve into the latest tech trends and their implications on society.

VentureBeat VentureBeat offers a unique blend of news and analysis, focusing on the broader impact of technology on our lives. It combines explanatory and speculative journalism to explore the deeper implications of technological developments. The blog is known for its thoughtful examination of how emerging technologies are reshaping various aspects of life and business.

CNET CNET has been a trusted name in technology reporting since the 1990s. It provides extensive coverage of global tech news, including advancements in computers, smartphones, tech services, and entertainment. With its extensive network of experts and reporters, CNET delivers timely updates and thorough reviews on a wide range of technology topics.

Gizmodo Gizmodo focuses on the technology that influences our daily lives, from the latest gadgets and software to their broader impact on global events. The blog is known for its engaging content and insightful commentary on how technology intersects with everyday experiences, making it a valuable resource for staying informed about tech trends.

Digital Trends Digital Trends is dedicated to demystifying technology and highlighting its impact on daily life. The blog helps readers navigate the often complex world of tech discussions by focusing on practical applications and how technology enhances various aspects of everyday living. Its approachable style makes it a go-to source for understanding the relevance of tech innovations.

Mashable Mashable began as a passion project in 2005 and has since become a prominent tech blog known for its coverage of gadgets, tech trends, and even niche areas like pet technology. It provides a blend of news, reviews, and insights, catering to a broad audience interested in staying updated on the latest technological advancements.

The 4 Best Tech Blogs Reporting on the Metaverse

Building The Metaverse Blog Building The Metaverse Blog offers an in-depth exploration of the metaverse, focusing on its various layers and how they interconnect. John Radoff, the author, provides expert analysis on the complex aspects of the metaverse, making it an essential resource for understanding this emerging digital frontier.

Metamandrill.com Metamandrill.com tracks the evolution of the metaverse and its integration with both online and physical realms. The blog provides detailed explanations and updates on the metaverse’s progress, helping readers grasp its current state and future potential.

MatthewBall.vc MatthewBall.vc stands out for its expert opinions on the business and technological dimensions of the metaverse. Matthew Ball, with his extensive experience in venture funds and corporate advisory, offers valuable insights into the metaverse’s investment landscape and its broader implications for the tech industry.

Ryan Schultz Ryan Schultz provides a historical and future-focused perspective on the metaverse. With over 14 years of experience, starting from the early days of Second Life, Schultz offers a long-term view of the metaverse’s development, making his blog a valuable resource for understanding its evolution and future trends.

The 4 Best Tech Blogs Focused on Virtual Reality (VR)

Road to VR Road to VR is a leading tech blog dedicated to virtual reality, covering both hardware and software with a focus on consumer experiences. Established in 2011, it offers detailed analyses of VR technologies and their broader impact on society, making it a key resource for VR enthusiasts.

Upload VR Upload VR provides comprehensive coverage of virtual reality news and its cultural implications. The blog’s dedicated team of journalists delivers in-depth analysis and commentary on the latest VR developments, exploring how VR technology is shaping various aspects of modern life.

VR World VR World delivers thorough news and analysis on virtual reality, including coverage of trade shows, business trends, and social media discussions. The blog offers a deep dive into VR technologies, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the industry’s current state and future directions.

The Ghost Howls The Ghost Howls features insights from Tony, a VR expert with a background in development, startups, and full-body immersion technology. His blog offers a unique perspective on VR, drawing on his extensive experience to provide detailed analyses and updates on VR advancements and related technologies.

The 4 Best Tech Blogs Exploring Augmented Reality (AR)

Next Reality Next Reality explores innovations in augmented reality, mixed reality, and ambient computing. The blog emphasizes the importance of these technologies in the context of the metaverse and aims to accelerate public adoption by highlighting their significance and potential.

AR Post AR Post provides in-depth coverage of XR technology, including augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. The blog offers news, reviews, and opinions on the latest developments in AR and XR, making it a valuable resource for those interested in these rapidly evolving fields.

AR VR Magazine AR VR Magazine covers augmented and virtual reality through multiple formats, including written articles and podcasts. The blog focuses on immersive experiences and provides a diverse range of content to cater to different preferences, making it a comprehensive resource for AR and VR enthusiasts.

AR Insider AR Insider delivers augmented reality news with a visually engaging presentation that reflects high-quality magazine design. The blog covers AR, VR, and spatial computing, offering updates and insights through weekly newsletters and an immersive browsing experience.

Boost Your Brand with ChatGPT's Unique Business Name Generator - Find Yo...

Are you starting a new business or looking to rebrand your existing one? One of the most important decisions you'll make is choosing the right name for your brand. Your name sets the tone for your business and is often the first impression that potential customers have of you. So, how can you come up with a name that's both memorable and appropriate for your brand? Enter ChatGPT - an AI-powered language model that can generate unique and catchy names for your business.

ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI, and it's designed to analyze data from a variety of sources to generate human-like text. It uses a neural network to process natural language and can generate text in a variety of formats, including headlines, product descriptions, and even poetry. But one of the most useful applications of ChatGPT is in business naming.

With ChatGPT, you can input information about your business and the values you want to convey, and it will generate a list of potential names for your brand. You can input parameters like length, style, and tone to customize the output to your needs. And since ChatGPT is constantly learning from the data it processes, the names it generates are always unique and innovative.

So, what are some of the benefits of using ChatGPT for business naming?

First and foremost, it saves time and money. Traditionally, coming up with a name for your business involves hours of brainstorming, market research, and possibly hiring a marketing firm. With ChatGPT, you can generate a list of potential names in a matter of seconds, and at no cost.

Second, it can help you stand out in a crowded marketplace. With so many businesses competing for attention, having a unique and memorable name is essential. ChatGPT can help you come up with names that are both creative and appropriate for your brand, giving you an edge over your competitors.

But, like any tool, there are some do's and don'ts to keep in mind when using ChatGPT for business naming. Here are some tips to help you make the most of this powerful tool:

Do: Provide clear guidelines and parameters for ChatGPT to work with. This will ensure that the names it generates are appropriate and on-brand.

Don't: Blindly use the first name that ChatGPT generates. Take the time to review and analyze the options to ensure that they align with your brand's values and message.

Do: Use ChatGPT to explore creative and innovative options that you may not have thought of on your own.

Don't: Rely solely on ChatGPT to make the final decision. It's important to seek feedback from others and conduct market research before settling on a name.

Using ChatGPT for business naming can be a game-changer for entrepreneurs and business owners, as it can save both time and money. This AI-powered tool can analyze data from various sources to generate unique and memorable names for your brand, which can help you stand out in a crowded marketplace.

However, it's important to remember that ChatGPT is just one tool among many, and it should be used responsibly in conjunction with other research and feedback. It's always a good idea to seek the input of others and conduct your own research to ensure that the name you choose accurately reflects your brand identity and resonates with your target audience.

In today's technology-driven world, utilizing AI-powered tools like ChatGPT is becoming increasingly common, and it's important for business owners to stay up-to-date with the latest innovations. So, if you're struggling to come up with the perfect name for your business, why not give ChatGPT a try and see what unique options it can generate? It could be just the boost your brand needs to stand out and succeed.

Cannabis (Marijuana): How do people use it ?

Marijuana is the most often used illicit drug in the United States, and its usage is on the rise. Marijuana usage is increasing across all adult age groups, all sexes, and pregnant women. At the same time, people's perceptions of how dangerous marijuana usage may be are changing. Marijuana usage is no longer seen as a dangerous practice among today's youth.

However, there are actual concerns for marijuana users, particularly teenagers and young adults, as well as pregnant or nursing mothers. Marijuana today is more potent than ever. Marijuana addiction may and does occur.

The laws governing recreational marijuana usage differ by state or region.

About Marijuana 

The dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds of the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant are referred to as marijuana. Marijuana is a psychoactive narcotic that includes over 500 compounds, including THC, a mind-altering molecule with negative health consequences.

People consume marijuana via hand-rolled cigarettes, pipes or water pipes, blunts, and vaporizers that extract THC from marijuana. Marijuana may also be brewed as a tea or incorporated into sweets such as brownies, biscuits, and chocolates. People also smoke or consume various types of marijuana extracts, which have a high concentration of THC and may be more harmful.

How can marijuana become consumed?

Although marijuana is typically smoked as a cigarette or cigar, or put into edible goods such as cookies or brownies, it can also be brewed as a tea or infused into other liquids. Some marijuana users also "vape," which refers to inhaling dried cannabis vapours using a vaporizer or vaping equipment.

Some marijuana users also cook with it or make tea with it.

In jurisdictions where the selling of marijuana for recreational purposes is now legal, the marketing of edible items such as cookies, brownies, chocolates, and candies is popular among individuals who choose not to smoke the substance.

Edibles can take 30 minutes to an hour to produce a "high" that can persist for hours. Some people are unaware of this and may eat extra product at first, believing they have not taken enough.

This can result in high THC levels and undesirable adverse effects. Some folks have ended up in the ER after taking too many edibles.

Medical Marijuana's Legal Status

Medical marijuana is regulated at the state level in the United States. It is critical to remember that state medicinal and recreational marijuana legislation do not affect the reality that marijuana use remains illegal under federal law in the United States. Cannabis (marijuana, hashish) is classified as a schedule I substance under federal law.

The use of medicinal marijuana outside of state regulations for unlawful use or trafficking would be prohibited by both the state and federal governments.

In general, individuals must have a diagnosed illness that is on their state's list of qualified medical marijuana conditions and a medical referral from their doctor in order to qualify for legal medical marijuana.

When the medicine is abruptly stopped, withdrawal symptoms such as 

• anxiety, 
• agitation, 
• shaking, 
• and increase of vital indicators such as blood pressure 
• and heart rate might occur.
• insomnia \sirritability

Effects of marijuana on pregnancy and nursing

Marijuana is also the most often used illegal substance during pregnancy, with between 2% to 5% of women using it.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) study Marijuana Use Throughout Pregnancy and Lactation, 34% to 60% of marijuana users continue to use during pregnancy, with many women feeling that use is safe. These figures may climb if additional states legalize marijuana for medical or recreational uses. Because of the potential negative effects of marijuana on the baby, ACOG recommends that marijuana be avoided during pregnancy.

• Any drug of abuse can have a negative impact on a mother's health.
• Because women who use marijuana frequently use additional substances such as alcohol, nicotine, or drugs of abuse, 
• determining the impact of marijuana on a baby's health can be challenging.

Cannabis can be used for therapeutic purposes, such as chronic pain treatment, as well as for recreational purposes.

Cannabis refers to three psychotropic plants: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis.

When the blossoms of these plants are picked and dried, one of the most widely used medications in the world is produced. Some call it weed, some call it pot, and still others call it marijuana.

Names for marijuana are changing as it becomes legal in more places. Cannabis is increasingly being used to refer to marijuana.

Some think that it is a more appropriate name. Others believe it is more neutral than names like marijuana or pot, which some people connect with unlawful usage. In addition, due to its racial background, the name "marijuana" is losing acceptance.

In general, there is little distinction between marijuana and cannabis, and the two names are frequently used interchangeably to represent the same item.

Cannabis refers to cannabis products in general.

Marijuana refers to cannabis products manufactured from the dried flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds of the cannabis plant.

What are the active ingredients in cannabis?

Cannabis is made up of about 120 components known as cannabinoids. Experts are still unsure what each cannabinoid accomplishes, but they have a decent knowledge of two of them, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (THC).

Each has its own set of impacts and applications:

CBD. This is a psychoactive cannabinoid, but it is neither intoxicating or euphoric, thus it will not make you "high." It's frequently used to aid with inflammation and pain relief. It may also help with nausea, headaches, seizures, and anxiety. (Epidiolex is the first and only prescription medicine containing CBD that has been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. This drug is used to treat some types of epilepsy.) Researchers are still attempting to figure out how useful CBD is for medicinal purposes.

THC. This is the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. THC is the chemical that causes the "high" that most people associate with cannabis.

What are the immediate effects of cannabis?

Cannabis use can have a variety of short-term impacts. Some are helpful, while others are more troubling.

Some of the most beneficial short-term impacts are as follows:

• relaxation
• giddiness from being aware of things around you, such as sights and noises, increased hunger
• changed time and event perception
• concentration and imagination

Effects

There are several methods for using cannabis, and the manner can influence the drug's effects.

Inhaling or smoking: Elation can begin within minutes and peak within 10-30 minutes. The sensation usually fades after approximately 2 hours.

When a person takes cannabis-containing items by mouth, they normally experience the effects within 1 hour, and the feelings peak around 2.5-3.5 hours. According to one research, the type of consumable influences the time it takes to experience the impact, with hard candies acting faster.

What is a person's emotional state?

People who consume cannabis may have the following effects:

• a state of pleasure or ecstasy, 
• often described as a state of deep relaxation
• Changes in perception, such as color, time, and space, 
• as well as an increase in hunger
• feeling more chatty

Addiction

Long-term cannabis use can cause brain alterations that lead to problematic usage, or cannabis use disorder. According to the National Institute on Substance Abuse (NIDA)Trusted Source, this disease, in which a person feels withdrawal symptoms while not using the drug, may afflict up to 30% of cannabis users.

Approximately 9% of these people will develop an addiction. When a person is addicted, they are unable to quit taking a substance.

According to the NIDA, up to 17% of persons who begin using cannabis in their teens may become addicted to it.

Withdrawal From Cannabis

Quitting cannabis after being addicted is not dangerous, although it might be unpleasant.

• Irritability is one of the symptoms.
• alterations in mood
• insomnia \scravings
• restlessness
• reduced appetite
• general annoyance

Symptoms usually peak within the first week of discontinuing and might linger up to two weeks.

11 Proven Tips on How to Market an App

 

More than 6,000 applications, all created to aid merchants across the world in managing their companies as effectively as possible, may be found in the Shopify App Store. While having so many options is fantastic for consumers, it may be challenging for app developers to get their app in front of their target audience. The solution to this problem is to learn how to promote apps.

For their opinions on the best ways to sell an app, we consulted a variety of designers, developers, and app marketing specialists. This guidance can assist you in getting your app in the hands of people who require it as retailers get ready for BFCM. Here is what our professionals advise.

1. Write about what you’re building

The best method to advertise an app, according to Tracy Osborn, designer, developer, and author of Hello Web App, is to write about the:

• obstacles you encounter
• Solutions to issues you experience
• events you have been to (and lessons learned)
• Your registered programs, classes, and challenges (and, of course, lessons learned)
• What you've learnt and how you're using it in your app

Osborn argues, "This is marketing that doesn't seem like marketing. Since it doesn't seem like an obvious advertisement, it will be simpler for you and your readers to share and promote. It serves as a marketing Trojan Horse that will introduce your product to potential buyers.

This is advertising that doesn't appear to be advertising.

Tracy Osborn

Osborn admits that writing requires effort, but in her experience, the time spent on it has always paid off greatly in comparison to other, more conventional marketing initiatives.

It will be simpler to constantly post on social media, maintain your blog, and write articles about what you've discovered and what you can educate others once the habit is formed, she advises.

2. Set up automated marketing

In addition to designing, developing, and marketing each of her products, Osborn places a high value on automating as much of the marketing process as she can to free up her time to focus on the actual product.

"I usually spend my marketing time creating educational and enlightening blog entries, which I then manually publish on pertinent groups like particular Reddit subreddits, for instance. Following that, the blog article is immediately disseminated on specialized social networking sites.

For optimum interaction, Osborn advises incorporating an image in the blog post. Ideally, the blog post should also be syndicated on other writing sites like Medium or Dev Community to improve its visibility.

Take use of all the simple possibilities to distribute that content once it has been created, especially if it can be done automatically once it has been published. For example, if you have spent time writing an article to promote your app.

3. Write case studies and source testimonials

The Taproom Agency's creator and developer Kelly Vaughn asserts that the statistics speak for themselves.

She advises enlisting the aid of a few important users who would make fantastic case studies for your app, whether you're selling directly to the CEO or a technical decision maker finishing the installation.

She suggests "letting them beta test the software and gathering a few use case examples along with testimonials." "When your app is competing against a sea of possibly comparable apps that are currently on the market, an app with social proof is more desirable."

When your app is competing against a sea of possibly comparable apps that are currently on the market, an app with social proof is more appealing.

Kelly Vaughn, The Taproom Agency

Try sourcing testimonials using social media if you're unsure of who to contact for them (for example, Facebook groups and Twitter). In return for a review, describe your software and offer to help users test it.

Please be careful to abide by the rules outlined in the Partner Program Agreement while asking for evaluations since there are some things you are not allowed to do. Learn more about getting reviews for your Shopify applications in our guide.

4. Be prepared to pitch your value proposition by being aware of it.

Your app was created with a specific goal in mind. It may be a novel idea that has never been implemented before, or it might be a development over the applications that are already available on the market. Kelly Vaughn suggests making sure you can concisely describe what makes your software stand out from the competition, whatever the goal may be.

Ensure that your value proposition is well articulated and simple enough for any potential buyer to understand.

Kelly Vaughn, The Taproom Agency

Vaughn advises that you may only have 10 seconds to capture a potential customer's attention and that you only get one shot to make a solid first impression. "Make sure your value proposition is clearly articulated and can be understood by any potential consumer," says the author, "whether you're discussing your app with people or selling your app via Twitter."

5. Write clear and concise copy

For all the copy you write about your app, it's important to be really clear on what your product accomplishes. Andi Galpern, a product strategist, writer, and designer, advises communicating directly to your target market.

Make the advantages of using your app clear to encourage users to download it, she advises. Don't use too many complex terms, please. Use simple language to ensure that everyone understands the message. For instance, I frequently create and edit paragraphs using Hemingway, a straightforward online word processor. It assesses sentence readability and nudges writers toward using active voice.

6. Optimize the creative on your app’s product page

The founder of the digital and app marketing firm Orto Marketing, Ludo De Angelis, advises that simply optimizing the content on your product page is insufficient. He advises that the main focus should be on the visual media, such as videos and photos.

You you aware of the small "more" button that extends the text box on your listing [in the Apple App Store]? he inquires. Only 2% of visitors to a listing ever click on it to read the complete explanation of what the app does. They require information more quickly than conventional text can provide.

People want to see your app's appearance, functionality, and benefits as soon as possible, according to De Angelis.

The simplest method to communicate this information is through videos and photographs, and since customers are aware of this, they swipe through the images more quickly than you can say "curly bracket"! De Angelis makes a mention.

Videos and photos may be used in listings on the Shopify App Store, giving you the chance to make eye-catching assets that succinctly describe what your app does. In this article on increasing app downloads from the Shopify App Store, we go into greater detail on optimizing your video and graphic assets.

"Don't make someone ponder too much to download," is the name of the game in this situation. says De Angelis. “Good luck!”

7. Make it easy for merchants to find your listing on the app store

Shopify has discovered via research that before deciding to install your app, customers compare app listings side by side. According to Erin Marchak, an Engineering Director at Maple, optimizing your listing at this point in the merchant's journey can assist increase the conversion rate of your leads.

"You should organize the description of your app in a way that makes the value you're offering evident," she advises. You may truly highlight what you're giving in the Key Benefits part of your listing to get a merchant's attention right away.

Before deciding to install your app, customers evaluate app listings side by side. To increase the conversion rate of your leads, optimize your listing for this comparative stage of the buyer's journey.

"Before deciding to install your app, customers examine app listings side by side. To increase the conversion rate of your leads, optimize your listing for this comparative stage of the buyer's journey."

8. Create a beautiful and memorable app icon

It might be challenging to create that one unique visual design element that people will interact with each time they view your product. A stunning, recognisable, and memorable app icon may significantly affect an app's popularity and profitability, claims designer and businessman Michael Flarup. Therefore, putting in that time and effort might ultimately be quite beneficial.

According to Michael, "an app icon is kind of like a small visual anchor for your product that needs to do a variety of jobs." It must act as a potent and reliable branding element. It must be adaptable to various sizes and scalable. It must stand out and be different from other applications vying for users' attention, and it should ideally be aligned with the rest of your design language.

The following are the best techniques for creating app icons, according to Gabe Kwakyi, CEO of the mobile app development and marketing company Incipia:

• Text is processed more slowly than graphics. Users can quickly comprehend what your software performs by using visual clues. Chat applications employ a speech bubble, GPS apps use the world, and flight apps use airplanes. This is particularly crucial when your symbol is shown alongside diverse peers (such as in the Staff Picks section of the Shopify App Store), as opposed to just one specific use case (e.g. a keyword search).
• Icons have the ability to display greater polish on screens with high pixel counts. Users may be alerted to the professionalism and attention to detail of your software by the addition of a gradient or shadow. Having said that, take into account your target market. While certain cultures, like those in Japan and China, may value greater complexity, Western societies now favor simplicity.
• Make sure your emblem is noticeable among the throng. What makes one app different from another if they all employ the same level of polish and visual cues? Spend some time researching rival designs and creating something original.
• Make sure your icon's visual identity complies with your rules. Consistency is key to branding, and without it, you will not reap the rewards of your efforts in establishing your brand.

9. Build onboarding with longevity in mind

Krystal Higgins, an interaction designer, advises creating app onboarding that thinks beyond the initial experience since she has discovered that far too many apps fail to provide assistance after the initial use.

She says, "First impressions are crucial. But occasionally, we put so much effort into creating our applications' first-run experiences that we neglect to create an onboarding process that helps users as they develop. True onboarding is a process that leads customers through several events over time, utilizing various techniques for various circumstances. It is not a one-time, one-size-fits-all event. When done correctly, there is no obvious separation between onboarding and ongoing user education.

When done correctly, the transition from onboarding to ongoing user education is seamless.

Krystal Higgins

Higgins suggests determining what the successful end state looks like for your users in order to create an onboarding experience that integrates into everyday advice.

Higgins proposes providing scaffolding and direction for critical activities after they have been identified. This entails finding out how to start the action, lead users through it (and any problems they could run into), and end it in a way that encourages them to take the next step.

As you accomplish this, take into account the many contexts in which your users may find themselves if or when they come across your important activities. To meet people where they are, you might need to use a variety of approaches to your advice.

According to Krystal, "tying an onboarding experience to the intended end state of your customers guarantees that you develop onboarding to carry your users for the long run rather than just building onboarding that solves for the short term, like getting people to sign up."

10. Create marketing campaigns for retention and upsells

Ben Harper, CEO of market research firm Clarity Stack and inventor of Meet Hugo, believes that when you launch any sort of software and users start using it, one of the best ways to gradually increase your income is to make the most of your user base.

People have taken the time to test out your app, therefore it's crucial to provide them with the finest experience at every touchpoint to keep them interested in using it, according to him. Understanding your data and keeping a careful check on it are the first steps.

Clarity Stack uses Stripe to collect subscription payments for their online app Hugo. Stripe has a lot of built-in analytics that, for example, let the team monitor their churn rate and lifetime customer value.

According to when users joined up, Harper says, "We can view clients in various cohorts and understand when their anticipated drop off points may be." We can determine who is most likely to churn and re-engage them by overlaying that with login and usage statistics from within the app, as well as who our most devoted customers are who would be receptive to an upgraded package.

The outcome of analyzing all of this data is enhanced customer touchpoints, mostly through automated marketing funnels to check in with consumers, re-engage them, and remind them of what they're losing out on by not signing in.

By continuously adjusting and monitoring our customer touchpoints throughout the lifespan of a customer, Harper claims that "We've seen demonstrable gains across all categories." Make sure your app is configured so you can properly track what's occurring and that you have the time to act upon the patterns you notice forming.

11. Don't forget to market to technical decision makers

Because merchants ultimately bear the cost of your application, it makes sense to concentrate marketing efforts on them when creating an ecommerce software. The founder and CEO of Shopify Plus partner company Disco Labs, Gavin Ballard, advises expressing the problems you're resolving in terms of increasing income, saving time, or lowering expenses.

Remember that Shopify merchants frequently follow advice from technical professionals like freelance developers, companies they've hired, or their own internal development teams.

Gavin Ballard, Disco Labs

But keep in mind that Shopify merchants frequently follow the advice of technical professionals like independent developers, firms they've hired, or their own in-house development teams, says Ballard. "As a Shopify Plus Partner agency, we see this occurring all the time. The larger the retailer, the truer this gets."

Ballard advises Shopify app developers to include the following information in their documentation and marketing materials for technical partners:

• A detailed description of the modifications your program will make to a merchant's shop (e.g. theme files added, metafields managed, product tags added and removed). Technical stakeholders may then assess your app's compatibility with current applications and workflows and gauge the potential effects of its inclusion in the mix.
• Providing detailed technical instructions on how to customize your application (CSS classes used, JavaScript options that can be set). By doing this, technical partners may create a solution that is more customized for the merchant and improve client success rates.
• Putting code libraries, video walkthroughs, and code examples at the technical partners' disposal A technical stakeholder will be considerably more likely to suggest your solution if they can tell that you're devoted to helping them and easing their development experience.

Ballard advises, "I often just point to the runaway success of Stripe a company that built a $22B valuation in a competitive industry, primarily off the back of making dealing with payments a pleasurable developer experience, if you're on the fence about the value of optimizing for developer happiness.

How to market an app: focus on the fundamentals

An app may be promoted in a variety of ways. You don't need to have a huge marketing budget, as the aforementioned suggestions have proven. The promotion of your app will be greatly aided if you get the fundamentals right, such as fully understanding your unique value proposition, and apply them to the design and development of your app. Spend time on the app icon's design, the app description, and the way it appears on the Shopify App Store. After that, write about it and solicit app reviews.

These 11 pointers ought to assist you in getting your software in front of your target market. Good fortune!

SEO and Web Design: How to Build a Website That Ranks (2022)

 

Consumers and search engines are the two main factors to take into account while building a website.

For your website to appear on Google when customers search for your items, it must be SEC-compliant. But in order for customers to locate the products they want to buy, you also need an imaginative, user-friendly website.

The challenge for website owners becomes striking a balance between being user-friendly and SEO friendly, especially when there are hundreds of goods offered on the site. Many organizations have two independent teams for web development and SEO, which further complicates matters. Even if both teams are internal, it might be difficult to convince them to collaborate in order to create a stunning and profitable website. While the SEO team wants to make sure the site has enough information so Google can rank it well for user search queries, the development team will struggle to keep the visual and user aspects of the site as simple as possible.

So how do you strike a balance when each side is offering proposals that are in contradiction with one another?

In this post, we'll go into more detail about what SEO web design is, why it's significant, and the 10 things you should optimize to achieve both of these objectives.

Table of contents

---

• What is SEO web design?
• Why is SEO web design important?
• 10 things to optimize for web design and SEO
• Walking the line between SEO and web design

What is SEO web design?

The process of optimizing a website for search engines is known as SEO (search engine optimization). Designing a website and all of its pages is known as website design.

Put together, SEO web design refers to the planning and development of a website that is search engine friendly. It addresses the SEO recommended practices that website designers should adhere to.

Why is SEO web design important?

How will people find your website if it has a beautiful design but you can't get any of its web pages to rank in search engine results?

While social networking and PPC advertisements are excellent for boosting traffic, it's crucial to discover organic (i.e., free) strategies to do so and climb to page one of the SERPs (search engine result pages).

Here are some of the main advantages of SEO web design.

SEO web design increases organic traffic

Any search engine traffic to your website that is not the result of paid advertising is referred to as organic traffic. These are internet visitors who discovered your site after performing a Google search and perusing the suggested results.

To be more precise, the top search result receives almost 25% of all clicks, followed by the second by 15%, and then a sharp decline.

It is reasonable to infer that anything past page one has appalling organic traffic results since the 10th result receives 2.5 percent of the hits. For this reason, you should build and optimize your website as effectively as you can to improve your chances of appearing higher in SERPs.

SEO web design attracts high-intent traffic

When someone uses Google to search for anything, they usually have a specific question they're trying to get answers to. They'll click to your website when it appears at the top of the search results with that same response.

Even though they might not convert right away after finding your website, they now know they can contact you if they have any more inquiries. Due to the fact that they were looking for anything related to your sector, this top-of-mind brand awareness is excellent for boosting conversions.

Due to the fact that traffic with high intent is much more valuable than other types of traffic, it's critical to optimize your new website to improve search engine results.

SEO web design improves the user experience

UX has a 100 to 1 return on investment (9,900% ROI), but there are other advantages as well. Your website must be both user-friendly and SEO-optimized if you want to please Google's algorithm. Google has improved its standards so that data relating to the user experience count toward your rankings.

Based on studies done by Backlinko, some of these criteria include:

• Dwell time 
• Mobile usability 
• Bounce rate

Making your website better Any marketing approach must use SEO. It makes sure that your website functions properly and is simple for users to browse so they can locate the information they need.

To avoid having inferior websites affect its own user experience, Google only wants to rank the greatest websites. As a result, having a highly ranked website helps users locate what they're seeking for while also earning their confidence.

SEO web design gets the most from your marketing budget

Although the modifications are often free, implementing an SEO plan might take some time. With a little website expertise, many business owners can set up SEO settings themselves, or they may delegate it to someone on their staff.

The idea is that SEO is a low-cost tactic for assisting your website in achieving your marketing objectives and raising your total return on investment.

10 elements to improve for SEO in web design

Now that you are aware of the significance of SEO web design, let's discuss how to optimize your website. To make incorporating these 10 points as simple as possible, keep search engine optimization front of mind throughout the whole web design process.

After all, you don't want your web development team to spend all that time building the website just to have your SEO team dissect it and lengthen the process. Instead, having the two teams collaborate on each of them throughout the design stage speeds up the project as a whole.

To rank a webpage, Google's search algorithm considers more than 200 variables. One designer just cannot take into account everything. Instead, to raise the ranking of your sites, start by improving the following 10 elements:

• Mobile-friendliness
• Website speed
• Sitemaps
• Readability 
• Image file names
• Alt tags 
• Website navigation
• URL structure
• Metadata
• Indexable content

1. Mobile-friendliness

Mobile traffic accounted for 55% of all traffic in 2021 globally. Three-quarters of the globe is predicted to solely use smartphones to access the internet by 2025.

A responsive website guarantees your target audience has a smooth experience whether they are browsing your site from a computer or mobile device, which benefits your SEO.

Let's examine this webpage illustration from The Sill. For keywords like "plants," "home plants," and "where to buy house plants," they are ranked on page one.

The mobile version is still simple to use and follows the same path for finding items and finishing the checkout process, which is typical for an ecommerce website.

Make sure you or your development team tests that your website functions on both desktop and mobile as you are designing it. Because Google implemented a mobile-friendly tweak to their algorithm back in 2015 that favors responsive sites in search results, this is a crucial ranking element.

2. Website speed

As of 2018, Google's algorithm now takes into account the speed of your website. It seems reasonable that nobody wants to wait for a webpage to load. Google won't thus display it to them.

Your page speed may be affected by the following factors:

• Web hosting
• File sizes
• Plugins
• Coding/scripts
• Traffic volume

Fortunately, Google provides a free tool called PageSpeed Insights that allows you to enter the URL of your website and check where you stand.

In addition to several data to assist you identify where you can make improvements to your page speed and, consequently, your rankability, your website will receive a distinct score for desktop and mobile.

3. Sitemaps

Even if Google is highly intelligent, it's never a bad idea to provide a hand. And a sitemap is just what you need for that.

All of your website's web pages, files, videos, and other content are stored in a sitemap file. These are useful for websites having a variety of pages, especially if they aren't all linked to one another.

This makes it easier for Google to identify and crawl every page on your website so they can all be ranked. After all, a website won't receive any organic traffic if Google can't locate it.

4. Readability

Readability is a significant ranking element as well. Visitors to your website who are unable to read the material are not benefiting in any way from your company.

According to best standards, your website's headers and copy blocks should all utilize large, bold serif or sans serif fonts to make them easier to read.

Check out how simple it is to read the headline and website material on this strong, crisp website main page:

Users are able to understand Teachable's benefits right away. Additionally, using header tags to arrange your material helps Google recognize the key elements of each page, enhancing your SEO.

It's ideal to only utilize script typefaces as an accent font if you use them (i.e., if they're a part of your branding), as seen in the following example from Edloe Finch:

5. Image file names

Since image file names are so brief, you might not even notice them, yet they can really play a significant role in the SEO of your website. Consider your choices carefully before naming something home-page-header-final-2.jpg.

Instead, use terms and phrases that will help Google understand what the image is about.

For instance, picture file names in this area of the Method website can be:

• aluminum-hand-wash-bottle.jpg,
• refillable-soap-pouches.jpg,
• rainbow-cleaning-products.jpg.

6. Alt tags

Your photos must also include alt tags in a similar spirit. This is significant for several reasons.

One, for about 25% of Google searches, photos are returned. According to data, visual search capabilities are what younger searchers (62 percent) prefer over any other technology.

Google's algorithm can precisely understand what is happening in your photographs thanks to alt tags. Your image can appear in the search results if it corresponds to the user's query.

With a capital letter at the beginning and a period at the conclusion, your alt tag should be a full statement that precisely defines what is in your image.

Second, it increases your accessibility in general. The information in your photos can be understood by someone using a screen reader to view your website, ensuring that individuals who are blind or visually impaired still enjoy an excellent user experience.

7. Website navigation

The general appearance, feel, and user experience of a website are often the main concerns of web developers. The visual components of a page and user interaction with those components will be of interest to designers and developers. Given that customers using mobile devices now outnumber those using desktop or laptop computers, they frequently want to make things as simple as possible.

The most critical part of your website navigation, however, is the internal links it offers to the most crucial product or feature pages.

Take a look at this Visme illustration.

Dropdown menus in their navigation point to the most crucial sites on their website. This increases the amount of internal links for each of the navigation's pages. This is due to the fact that each page using this navigation counts as a separate internal link, which exponentially increases the total number of connections.

These subcategory sites should target the keywords they want to rank for in order to appear higher on SERPs.

The importance of site navigation increases when you take into account massive ecommerce sites with hundreds or thousands of goods.

The website of REI is a superb illustration of a site with SEO-friendly navigation since it has a very extensive navigation for each category. For instance, when you select the "Snow" category, a long list of subcategory sites appears.

As subcategory sites make up the majority of the organic search results, having a page specifically for this phrase is quite helpful from both a search and likely user viewpoint. When you Google "boy's corduroy pants" using the same method as previously, the majority of the pages ranking are product pages rather than subcategory pages. This indicates that you might be able to optimize a product for that keyword without creating a separate subcategory page.

When trying to optimize for both humans and search engines, additional factors to think about are as follows:

• The use of a content hierarchy: Through categories and subcategories, this arranges the pages of your website. Consider creating a subcategory page if you have more than a dozen goods on one page.
• Connection across pages crosswise: The creation of helpful blog articles, FAQs, and other material by SEO and content teams may increase traffic to product pages and vice versa. Horizontal linking helps customers find additional details about your goods and/or business and improves your SEO efforts.
• No thought is necessary: In the end, using your website shouldn't involve any mental effort. Your website should provide consumers with clear directions.

8. URL structure

Additionally, your SEO strategy should be included into your URL structure. The focus keyword from your web page or blog post should be the sole thing in each URL slug.

For each page you intend to include in your website design or website makeover when it launches, be sure to conduct keyword research. And repeat the process for each additional page you make along the way.

This keeps your pages available while assisting Google in determining the keyword(s) to rank your sites for. This makes sure that your URL slugs are simple to remember and put into a URL field if someone is seeking for a certain page because the majority of target keywords are simply a few words long.

9. Metadata

Your title tags and meta description are examples of your metadata (also known as meta tags). This information may be found in the Google search results. Make sure your metadata is optimized, since 36% of SEO professionals believe the title tag to be the most crucial SEO component.

The focus keyword for your website or article should be in the title tag and meta description to boost SEO. Your meta description can be 160 characters long, whereas the length of your title tag is limited to 60 characters.

10. Indexable content

The likelihood of the pages showing in the search engine results pages increases significantly if a search engine can easily crawl a site, exploring, reading, and comprehending the information on each page of the site. This is known as an SEO-friendly site.

The primary material on each page should be in HTML text format in order for the site to be crawlable because it is the simplest method for Google to grasp what the page is about.

"A website is deemed SEO-friendly if a search engine can easily crawl it, discovering, reading, and comprehending the information on each page of the website."

The usage of JavaScript vs. HTML is one of the greatest issues that web development and SEO teams encounter. Given that websites are created using a variety of JavaScript frameworks, like Angular, React, and others, HTML is excellent for Google but lacks the functionality that JavaScript adds. JavaScript is frequently used by developers to give websites a certain appearance and feel.

However, because of factors like code mistakes, client-side rendering, etc., all of these various JavaScript programs may provide problems for search engines. Google must spend a considerable amount of time downloading, rendering (parsing, compiling, and running JS code), fetching other resources, and finally indexing that data. The more additions you make to your JS library, the more time and resources Google needs to crawl and index that data. Given that all of this affects site loading times and Google's crawl budget, both teams need to be aware of this fact.

Additionally, you must constantly verify that Google can access your website's content in order to crawl and index it. Run a brief test to determine if the site content can be viewed.

If you copy and paste the text into Google and your site doesn't appear, you should investigate the JavaScript coding to uncover the source of the issue and collaborate with the development team to create a workable solution that enables Google to crawl and index your material.

In the end, visitors prefer a website that loads quickly. A website that takes longer than three seconds to load is likely to lose 40% of its visitors. A website that is attractive, has the data a user wants, and loads quickly is optimal for both parties.

Walking the line between SEO and design

In order to create a website that is both well-designed and SEO-friendly, web development and SEO must be integrated. To ensure that your website is thoroughly optimized for both SEO and usability, encourage your teams to collaborate from the outset.

Always keep in mind that the greatest approach to rank in search engines is to provide value to your customers. To enhance your search results, optimize the aforementioned factors, provide high-quality content, and develop exceptional user interfaces.