What’s making the difference? A cleaner, more compelling interface and newly created content have led to more traffic and sales conversions. Here are six changes that have contributed to improved sales performance:

1. Longer, keyword-rich product descriptions increase visibility among search engines while capturing the brand’s irreverent style and voice.
2. More customization options and a user-friendly, graphic interface make it quick and easy for shoppers to navigate the site and design the products they want.
3. New product images feature real people wearing Strange Cargo’s merchandise, evoking the store’s sense of fun and community.
4. New product pages promote accessories and other items not previously available online.
5. A one-page checkout process streamlines purchasing, leading to greater sales conversions.
6. Newly added Facebook and Twitter buttons have increased social interaction and helped draw attention to social media promotions.

Curious about similar opportunities for your site? Let’s talk.

G+, the social network that Google launched last June, has grown to more than 62 million users in only six months. G+ allows users to connect over Google features like Stream (a newsfeed), Sparks (a recommendation engine), Hangouts (a video chat service), Circles (a friend management service), Games, and Photos. In November, Google rolled out “pages” for brands.

But given the ever-changing social media landscape, we’ve heard our clients say, “I have enough trouble staying up-to-date on Facebook, let alone Twitter. Does G+ even matter?” In short, yes, and here’s why:

Search

Much like Facebook “like” and Twitter buttons, Google’s +1 button allows users to endorse your content, which in turn can help drive traffic. For example, here’s what it looks like when I +1 the TOMS page:

While it’s currently unclear how much +1s will impact organic search rankings, since +1 data is integrated within Google Analytics, it’s likely we’ll see a correlation between +1 activity and traffic.

One of the most significant features of G+ is that it now enables “social search.” The new “Google Search Plus Your World” delivers personalized search results from Google+ friends and other public G+ content (like comments and photos) within traditional search results. So if someone who’s logged into G+ searches for your business, Google will give her customized results, including comments, pictures, or other content that people in her network have posted about your brand. It’s another way of garnering information from trusted sources.

Take, for example, my friend and colleague, Kat. She and I are connected through Google+ Circles. Now, when she’s logged on to G+ and searches TOMS, she’s alerted to “personal results”—demarcated by the little icon of a person—which include my recent endorsement.

We don’t know what’s on the horizon for Google+, but this is likely only the beginning, as opportunities to integrate with other Google properties emerge. But while most SEO experts agree that the new rollout is a big deal, it’s not without controversy.

According to Bill Ross, lead at Linchpin SEO, “As Google gets smarter at determining the value of +1′s, the integration points will continue to increase and influence their organic search results. The concerning part of this is that, much like selling links became popular (and manipulated) as soon as Google started valuing them as a key part of their ranking algorithm, +1’s (and Google+ communities) run the risk of falling victim to commoditization and manipulation once Google gives them more power.” We’ll be keeping an eye on this as new data surfaces.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

G+ also has an impact on SEM: The +1 button itself appears next to your headline on search ads, and personalized annotations show up beneath your URL so you can see how many of your friends “+1’d this.” Just like Facebook social ads, this can help boost click-through rates and conversions.

According to Robyn McCleary, Account Director at BeFound Online, “The recent integration of social and paid search is already having an effect on what paid search ads users are served and how they interact with the ads. Early adapters will be rewarded with an increased ad click-through rate, more engaged users, and targeting capabilities that, before social, were thought impossible.”

The line between search engine optimization and social media optimization is becoming increasingly blurred. Customer reviews and recommendations have always been invaluable to small businesses; now, by coupling these with recommendations from trusted social networks and a search platform as large as Google, G+ has the potential to be a very powerful tool. So give it a whirl: Add +1 to your site, measure it, and see how much traffic it drives.

How do you like G+? Want to know more about how you can optimize your site for social search? Shoot us an email or leave a comment below.

Managing a successful online store requires a different set of skills than running a brick-and-mortar operation, however. Long after a site launches, retailers face challenges like finding new customers in a crowded web space and tweaking their sites based on customer and market feedback.

According to The Wall Street Journal, retailers like Target, Kohl’s, and Coach are tackling these problems by hiring Chief E-Commerce Officers (CECOs) “who can build and manage websites, handle increasingly complex inventory management, and unsnarl the logistical problems that come with developing a new sales channel.” Unfortunately, CECOs don’t come cheap. “E-commerce heads—who a decade ago made $50,000 to $100,000 a year and lurked in the back offices of retailers’ catalog businesses or in tech support—have joined the C-suite. Their salaries now range between $300,000 and $500,000, on a par with heads of merchandise or marketing.”

At Table XI, we often play this role for mid-market companies desiring the expertise of, but lacking the budget for, a full-time CECO. If you ever want to talk with someone who knows as much about doing business online as you do about running your business offline, drop us a line. We’d love to chat about your needs.

You can keep up with the Baugues’ adventures by visiting their blog.

Good luck, Greg, and know that you’ll always have a seat at our table!

• Participated in band gigs, choir concerts, improv shows, 5k races, half marathons, and triathlons;
• Got married;
• Welcomed nieces and nephews into our families;
• Spoke at tech conferences and meet-ups in Chicago and Indiana;
• Recorded an album;
• Travelled to Canada, Mexico, Belize, Argentina, Uruguay, Switzerland, Turkey, and the Philippines;
• Won an award from the Illinois Women’s Press Association;
• Took classes in classical music history, persuasive communication, improv comedy, rock climbing, surfing, and Portuguese;
• Worked from all over the US and Canada, including Chicago, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, Austin, Minneapolis, and Toronto;
• Cooked Thanksgiving dinner in the kitchen of famed Chicago restaurant Next;
• Spent hundreds of hours volunteering for local organizations, including cooking for homeless shelters, tutoring students at the Metro Center for Girls, helping create mobile apps and strategies for the nonprofit Kids in Danger, and launching a community family movie night.

We can’t wait to see where people’s interests take them in 2012!

• Launched six new websites for Ebert Presents At the Movies, Facing Disability, Design Without Barriers, The Spice House, Old Town Oil, and Strange Cargo.
• Welcomed eleven new staffers: Micah Gates, Chris Stump, Kate Garmey, Tushar Samant, Alicia Drucker, Mark Rickmeier, Jon Fernandez, Jason Hanggi, Jason Pearl, Mike Laurence, and Dan Rench.
• Helped launch our sister company, Pegmo, a new social media portal that rewards members for using their favorite brands.
• Started working with new clients Noble Schools, PUSH Wellness, and GoldDigger—stay tuned for more on these projects in 2012.
• Took a company retreat to Kohler, Wisconsin, for some fun and strategic planning, and started prepping for our second company trip to Costa Rica in February, 2012.
• Moved into a new loft space to accommodate our growing team and celebrated with clients, families, and friends at an open house.
• Welcomed to our kitchen chef Aram Reed, who has joined Ellen Brast in cooking us delicious lunches a couple of days a week.
• Hosted our first “Lunch & Learn” meet-up focusing on social media tips and tricks. We’ll be organizing more of these next year, so let us know any topics you’d like us to cover!

In early November we rolled out a slew of new websites. Last on the docket: the relaunch of Strange Cargo.

Strange Cargo is your one-stop shop for Chicago-themed, sports, or funny and irreverent t-shirts and accessories. The t-shirt retailer has had a storefront home in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood since 1993, and they came to Table XI looking to update some features on their website. However, after a thorough analysis of the then-current site and what owner Jay Schwartz was looking for, we realized that the easier, more cost-effective solution was to rebuild everything from the ground up.

We embarked on a creative overhaul of the site, seeking a look and feel that mirrored Strange Cargo’s playful, colorful personality. ”T-shirts aren’t formal, so their website shouldn’t be either,” says TXI’s Daniel Strabley, who led creative direction. “They’re a fun, funky brand, and we wanted to translate that laid-back vibe of the store to the site.”

To involve the store’s avid community fanbase, we integrated Facebook and Twitter conversations on the contact page. Fans who “like” Strange Cargo can get “friends only” notifications of contests, coupons, news, and new merchandise.

New product pages better showcase Strange Cargo’s extensive custom t-shirt offerings, and a restructured design process makes it faster and simpler for customers to create the shirts they want online. We also added sections for custom-lettered shirts, children’s shirts, and accessories like hats and mugs. On the back end, a streamlined work flow helps Strange Cargo’s staff manage the site’s content more easily.

Jay was very happy with the results and that the site saw sales on the first day of the launch: “I love the way Table XI worked organically. The new site met the vision–it’s user-friendly, bigger, brighter, and better.”

Thanks for the good words, Jay!

Phase 1: Jordan began by projecting points on a grid on the wall in the design of the TXI logo. Then we hammered nails on the points to get the logo outline.
Phase 2: Next, we’ll add random nails surrounding the logo, the better to string up the wall.
Phase 3: After all the nails are in place, we’ll thread them in different patterns and a couple of shades of green. Voila! Homegrown wall art.

We’ll post more photos as the project progresses. For now, take a look at Jordan’s concept art and our intrepid (and highly skilled) company craftspeople:

Lobby Logo Phase 1

Lobby Logo Phase 1

Lobby Logo Phase 2

Lobby Logo Phase 3

Hammer Time

Hammer Time

Hammer Time

Hammer Time

Within the rustic, artisan shop of Old Town Oil, customers are encouraged to sample oils and vinegars from around the world. While on this tasting tour, shoppers learn about flavors, pairings, and relevant recipes from the store’s friendly and knowledgeable staff. In an effort to improve brand awareness and sales, Old Town Oil approached us looking for better ways to present their oils and vinegars online and evoke the experience of sampling these products in the store.

We worked with Old Town Oil to express and translate this in-store experience to the web, using extensive, specially shot photography, evocative tasting notes, and descriptions that educate customers and differentiate products.

Since online shoppers can’t taste flavor combinations in the store, Old Town Oil offers two- and four-bottle curated gift boxes that take the guesswork out of purchasing. Now a customer can easily see and buy popular oil and vinegar combinations or a sampling of the best extra virgin olive oils. Businesses can also work with Old Town Oil to create customized labels and bottles for corporate gifts.

“It’s been great working with Table XI and the new site looks awesome,” says Old Town Oil’s Matt Dine. “It’s simple and sleek, and now customers can order our products online.” With gift-giving season right around the corner, that’s great news for Old Town Oil and its patrons alike.

Since we helped relaunch their web presence in 2003, The Spice House has seen year-over-year growth in Internet sales, consistently ranked in the first page of Google search results for “spices” and other related terms, and received millions of visits from search engines each year. When we started planning a site update with the The Spice House, we didn’t want to fix what wasn’t broken; however, we did identify ways to enhance user experience and increase sales by improving navigation, simplifying the checkout process, and optimizing the site for new search terms.

Today The Spice House’s online hub has a bold, fresh new look and feel, just in time for holiday cooking. Check them out to find spices and recipes to complete your Thanksgiving meal!