Many SEO companies don’t give enough attention to development, even though development can be a big component of search engine optimization.
Granted, content as a component might be the biggest aspect of SEO, but there are still development-specific items that can improve a website’s organic footprint.
If your website is built on the BigCommerce platform, here are some of the BigCommerce development items that can improve SEO (and UX).
Custom Theme/Page Templating: Better UX
User experience is a big component of SEO, as time on page and the customer journey will influence Google’s perception of a website.
Coding and developing a custom website theme or just a product page template can help boost time on page, interaction with the webpage, and even conversion value.
When these things improve, Google will likely assign higher rankings.
Custom App Development: Better UX
Like a custom theme or product page template, a custom app can result in a better user experience, generating higher conversion value.
But, building apps that work as intended and then integrating them properly is no small matter. It can take a whole team of developers.
While there are countless (thousands, in fact) BigCommerce apps available in the ecosystem, often it is a custom app that provides a better experience.
Seamless Integrations: Better SEO
Integrations that are not performed properly and do not produce a quality interface can absolutely wreck SEO.
Not only will they ruin the UX, but they can badly compromise site speed. A shoddy integration can also open the door to site security issues which can also cripple SEO.
More often than not, third-party apps, especially those that have been specifically cultivated for BigCommerce, will fully integrate with a few clicks.
That’s not always the case, though. Fortunately, BigCommerce development partners can perform complex integrations.
Site Speed Optimization: Better SEO
This is one of the more important, and salient items, that a BigCommerce development partner can see to for most any website.
There are all sorts of things that can be slowing down an eCommerce website, built on BigCommerce or otherwise.
Image file sizes or video files that are too large, when integrated with a web page, can slow things down. Poor integrations, lack of a quality CDN, and excess code can all slow down a website.
Slow websites don’t just adversely impact UX. They also directly impact SEO. BigCommerce development partners can remove excess code, improve a CDN, solve integration issues, trim file sizes, and provide valuable consulting for their partners to improve site speed.
Mobile BigCommerce Development: Better SEO and UX
Mobile development can make or break any BigCommerce website, especially at this critical junction in time in which we are poised to see more than half of all online shoppers accessing websites through their mobile devices.
Leave alone the fact that Google has been mobile-first indexing for more than 4 years. With the majority of your shoppers accessing your website through a phone, you had better prioritize mobile experience.
BigCommerce is compatible with a wide variety of themes that are both SEO and mobile-friendly, with quality responsive designs – but if you’re using one that doesn’t have a good mobile interface, get with a BigCommerce development partner right away to make that happen.
How to Choose a BigCommerce Development Partner
If you’re on the cusp of hiring a BigCommerce development partner, don’t gamble. Check out the BigCommerce partner directory and choose one with a history of success. Look into projects they’ve handled and go with one that works in your vertical. If all else is equal, choose a BigCommerce partner in a higher tier, but remember, the partner tier is awarded by age and size, and does not always correlate directly with the quality of work furnished.
