SEO Tips: Meta Description Tag

Even though the use of meta tags in determining ranking order by search engines has decreased in importance over the years, properly using the meta description tags is still a very good practice for a number of reasons.



The meta description, as highlighted above in orange, is located under the title tag on the search results page, and should appear between the tag in the HTML. A Meta Description Tag is important because it will describe your website in more detail than the title tag. It will appear on the search engine results pages (SERPs) of queried keywords so it is important to display them properly. Creating a well written description tag will help provide visitors information about your site and encourage them to click and explore for more details.

Tips for Meta Description Tags

• Keep Character Length in Mind - Just like title tags, search engines limit the number of characters that are displayed on the SERP. In the image above you will notice the description concludes with an ellipsis (...) suggesting there is more to the description that can't be displayed. It's generally recommended keeping character length between 140 - 160 characters to avoid having descriptive content that remains hidden.

• Use Keywords where Applicable - In addition, to correctly describing your page you want to make sure you are including keywords in appropriate places in the meta description tag. Taking the above snapshot from Dell as an example, the keywords laptops, desktops, monitors, and Dell are all used in the title tag and description tag.

• Provide a Summary of the Page's Content - Make sure that the meta description tags on each page properly describe the content that is located on that page. Content that is unrelated to what was described in the description will result in users exiting the page.

• Keep it Unique on Each Page - Similar to title tags, you want to make sure each page has a unique description so users are able to distinguish each page from one another. Avoid using one similar blanket description for each page.

To find out more SEO tips request Azox free SEO Guide.

Filter Capability with New Catalog Engine

Azox new catalog engine allows users to narrow down and filter their search results with greater detail. Users can find what they are looking for quicker and easier. Below are some of the new features.



- Selection box informs user which attributes have been
selected for which categories

- Search through multiple categories simultaneously

- Narrow results down faster and easier with greater detail

- Minimize and maximize categories by clicking them

- Shadowed boxes indicate which options are not available

Web Part Technology

Web parts, or also known as web widgets, are objects built on the ASP.NET framework that allows HTML elements to be added to particular zones of a page. This allows users to easily add, move and manipulate content on a page fast and easily. Many people are probably already familiar with Web Part technology if they have used Microsoft SharePoint. You can see in the screenshot below how SharePoint takes advantage of Web Part technology.



With eSource II, Azox’s latest E-Commerce engine, Web Part technology was implemented as a way for companies to create content and change the appearance on a webpage while minimizing the need to go into the source code. This also allows fewer IT resources to be used and can save time and expense. With web part technology, now less technically oriented staff can make changes and edits to a webpage without the need of a dedicated and experienced web designer on hand. Another advantage of web parts is that its modular and allows the web page to be broken up into sections, providing information on a webpage to be managed much easier than before.

With eSource II, there are many web parts that can be added to a page including social media functionality like blogs, RSS feeds, AddThis Integration and Chat. AddThis allows products on a consumer site to be shared across social media networks and bookmark sharing sites, providing a great way for customers to promote the products on a web store. Referencing the screenshot below you can see how items on a page can be dragged and dropped, much like using SharePoint. This facilitates the process of changing the layout of web elements and HTML on a page.

(Click Image to Enlarge)

Other benefits of web part technology include:

• Ease of upgrades and code updates. Changes made on a website will flow over from one update to the next. Custom web parts can also easily be built allowing for even greater customization and functionality.

• Greater security. Web parts can also be assigned specific role-based access privileges allowing for greater security control.

• Sharing of web part data. You also can have the ability for one web part to communicate with another. This allows data to be shared across different areas.

Utilizing web part technology in an E-Commerce environment can significantly help companies maintain a website easier and allow them to add the content that they want where they want. Web part technology is just one feature that Azox offers which aims at helping take businesses online. For more information, contact Azox at 734-928-6010 or sales@azox.com.

SEO Tips: The Title Tag

There is strong consensus that title tags play a huge role in having a properly optimized site. A title tag defines the title of a document and tells the user and search engines the topic of a particular page. Title tags also appear on the top of the browser and in opened tabs. Title tag should appear just after the tag of the html document.

Tips for Title Tags

• Reduce Character Length - It’s recommended you keep title tags to under 60 characters because many search engines will not display them properly. You can see below the Title Tag for Dell is fully displayed with nothing cut off. If you look at TigerDirect.com there is more description left that cannot be fully displayed as noted by the ellipsis.

• Use Title Tags within the Title Tag Appropriately - Placing keywords in the Title Tag that you use throughout your website is very important as well. But be careful not to over-stuff keywords in the title tag. Keyword stuffing is overloading keywords in a webpage or in this instance a single title tag with disregard for user readability and page relevance.
  
• Make Title Tags Unique and Related to Page Content - Make sure each title tag is different for each page and that it is correctly describing the content that is on that page. Title tags that are not in context with the particular page will not be search engine friendly.
• Use Proper Formatting - Use title casing and make sure important words are capitalized. Also make use of characters and dividers like hyphens “-“, arrows “>” and pipe bars “|”.

Stay tuned for more tips regarding SEO.

Streamline the Billing Process with Azox and Blue Moon

Azox and Blue Moon will be hosting a joint webinar that focuses on how Azox Credit Card Extension and Blue Moon's SOP Auto Invoice can work together to streamline the Sales Order Process in Microsoft Dynamics GP. With SOP Auto Invoice you can automatically transfer sales orders, print invoices and post within the Microsoft Dynamics GP SOP entry system. When combined with Azox Credit Card Extension you will have the ability to post-authorize the SOP invoice batch automatically before it gets posted in Dynamics GP. Join us for this free webinar Wednesday, July 21st and learn more about the features of Azox Credit Card Extension and Blue Moon's SOP Auto Invoice. Click here to register.

WPC Wrap Up

The Worldwide Partner Conference has come and gone, and one thought comes to mind following the WPC and that is Microsoft is serious about the Cloud. Over 9,500 partners gathered in Washington D.C. for the four day conference to network and learn more about Microsoft’s direction moving forward. Microsoft CEO Steven Ballmer & COO Kevin Turner pushed cloud-computing services very hard delivering keynotes focusing on Microsoft’s shift to the Windows Azure cloud computing platform. Corporate VP, Jon Roskill addressed channel partners stating, “Together we’re going to succeed in this transition to the cloud.”

It wasn’t all business as usual though as Microsoft also promoted their consumer products in a vision keynote on Tuesday focusing on everything from Windows Phone 7 to Kinetic for Xbox 360. Azox looks forward to focusing on the opportunities presented at the WPC and continuing to develop solutions that solve customer needs. Azox own Sales Director was there taking in the event and even published a short video on the Microsoft Partner Network YouTube channel.

Another big announcement was the official announcement of the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace that will go live in September, 2010. Azox looks forward to participating in the Microsoft Dynamics Market Place, which create a fully searchable and filterable online catalog that will allow users to discover solutions from Microsoft partners, as well as connect, review and download applications. As usual it was a very busy and exhausting WPC, but we can only hope to take what we have learned and continue delivering solid solutions for our customers.

Azox Helps Sell Vuvuzelas

Watch this comical video short of how Azox is able to provide a man with an E-Commerce solution to help sell thousands of vuvuzelas online. Watch the video below.