I know, sometimes we just need a kick in the pants to do the more chore-like parts of running a business. So how about, instead of a kick in the pants, I offer you some positive motivation? Follow the directions below and, I will add a month’s paid time to your store. I’ll give you a week: from now until midnight on 5/4. Enough time to do it, but not enough time to procrastinate too much.
So here’s what you need to do:
- For your overall store:
- Add keywords to your store in the Store Settings >> Profile Page >> Key Words field. Make these descriptive and specific to the products you make (for example, ‘hand made natural soap’, or ‘hand dyed merino wool’). This text won’t show up in your store, but it will show up in your meta-tags
- Add a description to your store in the Store Settings >> Profile page >> Store description field. Make it keyword rich (in other words, if you make pocket diapers, include that phrase a few times in your description text). This text won’t show up in your store, but it will show up in your meta-tags
- Add some text in the intro or footer section of your store that includes key words describing your products. It’s a good welcome message to have at the top of your store: “Welcome to ABC store. We offer hand dyed yarn, hand spun yarn, hand knit soakers, and knitting patterns. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.” You can also add some more information at the bottom of the page: “My hand dyed yarn is dyed in colorways inspired by nature. The yarn is organic Blue Faced Leicester from Scotland, etc. etc. etc.”
- Link to your store from some external site (your own website, your blog, your facebook page, etc.)
- For each listing:
- Make your title descriptive enough to be found via a google search. Too often, we use colorway names, or other names that are meaningful to us and our loyal customers, but don’t actually describe the item (is it a dress? is it yarn? is it a diaper? is it a napkin?) Whatever it is, make sure that word or phrase shows up in the title of your item
- Use specific key words in your description as well. Consider including several combinations of your key words (for example ‘natural soap’, ‘handmade soap,’ ‘all natural soap’
- Fill in your tags section with keywords. Include various combinations of your key words
- Don’t forget you can use the Batch Edit pages to make these changes more quickly and easily!
- Email me at hyenacart [at] gmail.com with
- A link to your store
- A link to the external site that links to your store (from the 4th bullet under the overall store instructions)
Why would you want to do all this work (other than getting a free month of paid time)? Well, consider this — the most trafficked stores on Hyena Cart get their traffic not only via the main site pages, but also via search engines, especially Google. Doing this work to SEO your store will increase your chances of being found via web searches, by new customers who are actively looking for products like yours!
What if you’ve already done all this? Send me your info anyway, and I’ll still give you a month’s paid time. You deserve it 🙂
Thanks everyone!
done 🙂
although I need to talk to the person who did my page on how to edit header/footer 🙂 but after that I’ve complied 🙂
What do you mean by the 4th bullet by the overall store instructions? I’m a little confused on that!
I did that this earlier week:0)
I started my store at the beginning of the month and have everything done from the beginning except the external link. I can’t figure out how to get the little facebook button (not the box, just the button). Do we still get a free month if we already had the stuff done before?
Woohoo! I’ve been working on this all day… still got more work to do on it though *sigh*
Great idea! I had most of this done already, so just tweaked it a bit!
Great idea, thanks! My shop was mostly updated, but changed and added a few!
Done for this store, need to go update stuff for my other one. Do I need to send you an email or is a comment here fine?
Updated my second store! I’m glad you pointed out that you can add text to the top and bottom, it motivated me to figure out how to add it. Thanks!
I did this back when you told us we could put keywords in :). I sent ya an email 🙂
how do i add inrto and footer?
Thanks!! 😀
done!
done!
updated, and sent my info last night. many thanks!
All done, I think-did send extra note to HC support-had some issues….still working on Logo…Also as noted above- I do not have Facebook tab either..not drop box info
Anyone know how long this will take to take effect? My week is up on the 1st and I was wondering if I should renew or if the free month will kick in by then.
Done! *happy dances*
Done too! Thank you 🙂
Does this offer apply to congos as well?
Done, I think!
I did it too! Thanks for sparking me to get stuff up 🙂
Has this worked right way for all of you? I haven’t received my free month yet and I am getting a little worried!
Jen — did you send an email? I am caught up to yesterday’s emails. It’s been taking me 24-48 hours to get through them. Everyone else — please email to hyenacart [at] gmail.com as requested in the post. Thanks!
I did send an e-mail so it must have not gone through. hyenacart@gmail.com?
Thanks for offering this. Being new, it was nice to have that list to follow.
I got it in under the wire last night!
Did you get my email?
Nevermind! I saw you did! Thanks.
Awe. I did this already, but didnt see this free month going on! Are you still doing it?
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for the FREE month! I wasn’t expecting that (I took “paid time” to mean advertising, which I wouldn’t likely have used).
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Hello there, is it an option for you to create and add RSS feeds for HC?
Warm regards,
Nadine:)
Gah! Wish I had seen this when it was still going on 🙁 Awesome of you guys to offer the tips and the free month!
Darn! I’m too late! I did everything and then noticed the date! Oh well, it can only help both me and HC!!! 🙂
Did this a while ago, thought it was a great idea! I have HC linked to my web site and will continue to sell through HC. Thank you!
Is this still active?? I was just linked to it. Thanks!!