More than half of the websites in the world are built using WordPress for their CMS. WordPress is popular because it is easy to use, install and customize. Unfortunately this popularity also makes it a target for cyber-attacks. According to a Sucuri report WordPress CMS infections rose from 74% in 2016 Q3 to a staggering 83% in 2017.

Brute force attacks are some of the lowest level attacks your site will face. Basically hackers use automated methods to try to gain access to a WordPress site by trying to login with commonly used usernames and passwords.

Attackers build a list of hundreds of commonly used usernames and passwords and try each one on your site. The attack script will do this over and over until it gains access or the list is exhausted.

Unless you have preventive measures in place it only takes minutes before attackers gain access. Here’s what you can do to prevent these types of attacks.

Change Login Page URL

Attackers gain access to your login page by trying the default settings first. For WordPress this means going to http://bit.ly/1eIDggx or /wp-login.

Thankfully WordPress is smarter than hackers because you can use a plugin called WPS Hide Login. It allows you to change your login URL to whatever you specify.

Use A Secure Web Host

Most website owners choose a host based on performance and cost. However, security also needs to be one of the determining factors when choosing. A reputable web host pays attention not only to strengthening internal solutions but in advising their customers as well.

A good web host deploys security and also helps clients resolve security issues when their sites are hacked. If you’re hesitating because changing hosts is a hassle, it’s easier than you think. Aside from security measures, many good hosting providers also help clients migrate websites for free.

Testing Website Regularly

Aside from putting up measures to prevent attacks, you should also test them regularly. Security experts and security audits are expensive but tools like WPScan is free and easy to use. A good alternative is Hacker Target, a vulnerability scanner.

Install Security Plugin

Security plugins like Malcare can provide against multiple types of attacks. This tool is very comprehensive and offers enterprise-grade features at affordable prices. It offers basic as well as brute force protection and enables you to carry out activities like IP blacklisting, website hardening, and firewall management.

Use Complex Passwords

Even after experts warn against using “username” as a username and “password” for a password, using them are still pretty common. Since hackers use commonly used passwords, it makes sense to make your passwords complex.

Ideally it’s best to have a complicated username and password. A mixture of uppercase, lowercase and special characters as well as numbers is advised.

Using 2-Factor Authentication

2-factor authentication or 2FA is a good and easy way to double security on your website. As the name implies, it requires users to checking login credentials twice.

For example after providing the correct username and password the system will send an authentication code to an email or cellular phone number that you will need to login.

This is a good way to prevent brute force attacks against your site.

Use reCaptcha

Using a reCaptcha is a good first line of defense against cyber-attacks. BestWebSoft is a good reCaptcha provider which makes sure that you’re human by asking you to perform additional tasks before you are allowed to login.

For instance it might ask you to type an image-based authentication code. This method is a good way of preventing automated script attacks.

Setting-up CloudFlare CDN

CloudFlare is a Content Distribution Network (CDN) that stores your site’s content from multiple servers. It has an interesting side effect against hackers because it makes your website more resilient against brute force attacks. It also has features like rate limiting which block users block users from sending too many login requests within a certain time frame.

WordPress security is often neglected before it’s too late. This is mainly because it is online and not physical so few owners see the need for additional security measures.

However, aside from potentially losing control of your site poor security can also lead to it being used against a tool against others. This means securing your website is your primary responsibility.

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Skilled programmers are some of the most sought after professionals in today’s market. If you’re a programmer or hope to become one these positions offer some of the best salaries according to the 2019 Robert Half Technology Salary Guide.

Mobile Applications Developer

Workers in this position code, test, debug, document and monitor mobile apps. Since more and more people use their phones not only to shop but to do research, more and more apps are being created to meet user demands especially when it comes to these skills:

• Objective C (for iOS) or Java (for Android)
• Graphic design
• User interface (UI) design
• Experience working with REST web services (for integrating with cloud services)

Midpoint salary for a mobile app developer is approximately $143,500.

App Architect

An app architect is responsible for creating a plan for technical implementation of a software project. Demand for the profession has been growing due to an increase in applications as they have become more critical to business and more complex to build.

To become an applications architect you need to have a deep knowledge in programming theory and a lot of hands-on experience. You also need a wide range of experience across a wide range of programming domain. They should also be able to communicate well with non-technical people in the organizations like business analysts. In most companies the app architect has the same role as the lead applications developer especially if the team is not big enough to hold both positions.

ERP Technical Developer

According to the Salary Guide, ERP technical developers have a salary midpoint of $114,500. ERPs are some of the largest, most expensive and time-consuming projects companies undertake. ERP developers are important because they are responsible for implementing and customizing ERP packages.

Knowledge in common business language like Java or C# and any other development languages relevant to the ERP they are working with is recommended as well as fluency in SQL and the ability to work with databases.

Lead Applications Developer

You can think of the lead applications developer as the mentor and leader of a development team. This position usually entails business leadership responsibilities like hiring other developers and scheduling delivery. In some teams the lead applications developer is also called the applications architect or vice versa.

Expected salary midpoint for a lead application developer is $125,000.

Business Systems Analyst

A business systems analyst’s role is to assess how automation can solve complex business problems. With an increase reliance on data and consumerization of IT the demand for this profession continues to increase. Salary midpoint is reportedly $93,250.

Business systems analysts have these responsibilities:

• Formulate and define objectives for business systems.
• Work with business managers and end users to gather data and determine needs.
• Provide IT support for regulatory and compliance services.
• Make hardware and software recommendations for business needs.

Cloud Computing Analyst

If you prefer to oversee cloud-related infrastructure, including applications, hardware and software, and they ensure the integrity of cloud-migrated data and files then be a cloud computing analyst. They are also in-charge of training staff and troubleshooting technical issues.

This field is relatively new so many employers are in need of good candidates. To become qualified you need to gain or have experience in the following:

• Virtualization experience
• LINUX/UNIX administration skills
• Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) skills

CRM Technical Developer

Required skills for a CRM Technical developer include:

• A bachelor’s degree in computer science
• At least one year of experience directly working with a CRM
• Programming experience with JavaScript, SQL and C#

The midpoint programming salary for a CRM technical developer is $107,250. People with advanced skills net more.

Developer/Programmer Analyst

The developer/programmer analyst is an important role. They evaluate business application requirements for various functional areas of a company, including finance, manufacturing, marketing and human resources. Analysts write, code, debug software, recommend changes, enhancements and document software changes.

Applicants need to understand and conceptualize applications from both technical and end-user pont of view. Analysts should also have the following:

• Strong programming abilities in common languages and frameworks, such as C#/C++, Java Enterprise Edition/AJAX and Microsoft.NET
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Good interpersonal and communication skills

The salary midpoint for a developer/programmer analyst is $104,500.

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Did you know that there are millions of apps uploaded on Play Store every day? However, very few manage to make an impression. This is usually because of their niche concept or complicated functionalities.

These e-commerce apps are some of the most successful among their users.

Amazon

Amazon is now known as the biggest online marketplace in the world. It provides exceptional shopping experience for their users thanks to their light app which allows you to search filter using various parameters with just a couple of clicks.

It also provides multiple payment options for easy checkout and up to the minute update on order status. The app has now gone local so users can access nearby local businesses.

eBay

The mobile app from eBay has allowed everybody in the world to bid on products that they want. The search option is streamlined to enhance buying and selling experience.

The app features barcode scanning for comparison, autocomplete searches, guest checkout, linking PayPal accounts with eBay account for easier transaction and many more.

Groupon

Coupon addicts have Groupon as their digital alternative. They offer “deal of the day” coupons for anything you might need like eating at a restaurant, enjoying a spa day or shopping designer brands.

The app sends promo sends codes or savings alert so that you can redeem or share with family and friends.

Grofers

Grofers is an on-demand delivery service you can use to pick up stuff from stores and have them deliver it to you within a time limit.

You can request groceries, meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, household supplies, pharmacy items, bakery, flowers etc. and have them delivered to you doorstep.

H&M

H&M’s app for Android and iOS users is beautifully designed with intuitive screen graphics and book style product menu.

Users can scan items using the barcode scanner and share on social media with friends. Users can also get timely sales alerts or search for stores near their location.

PayTm

PayTm is a mobile app for transactions in India. It works with popular telecom operators so that users can recharge mobile connections on the go.

They offer cashless transactions for mobile data cards, Metro cards and for payment of utility bills. PayTm can also be used to transfer and receive payments, pay for movie tickets, book hotels or use credits to shop from its catalogue.

Starbucks

The Starbucks app was primarily created so that users can receive rewards for purchases using their mobile device. You can also use the app to add funds to your loyalty card, buy drinks using your phone or tip baristas.

You can also use the app to download free music and games, find nearby stores and accumulate enough gold stars in exchange for free drinks or food.

Trivago

Trivago is an online travel app that lets you look for the best hotel deals. The site features price, availability, features, photos and reviews of a particular hotel. Once you make your selection you will be redirected to the hotel website where you can complete your booking.

Aside from hotels the app also provides interactive maps and displays accommodation relative to your location.

Uber

Uber is perhaps one of the most popular ride sharing apps in the world. This on-demand cab service connects passengers with drivers and uses GPS technology to monitor the progress of the cab. Best of all it allows users to compare price quotes for different vehicles and you can use your mobile wallet to pay for your fare.

Walmart

Shop at Walmart at home through the convenience of your mobile device. Browse and purchase products form Walmart.com.

Features include smart shopping lists with manufacturer’s coupon codes, QR code scanning, real time price calculations, as well as the ability to add items to the shopping lists either by speaking, typing or scanning bar codes.

The usage rise of smartphones has been a boon to businesses and developers. Hopefully these successful apps will give you inspiration for your next project.

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Choosing the right e-commerce platform is important. But instead of listing the different platforms available, let’s focus on Magento. This platform is one of the most popular systems in the world. It has a lot of options for customization and integration. It has the ability to make online shopping bigger, easier and better.

Released in 2008, Magento is an e-commerce platform that uses open source technology to provide merchants with a flexible shopping cart system. Aside from this, Magento is also capable of controlling the look, content and functionality of the online store. It also offers powerful search engine optimization, marketing and catalog management tools.

If you’re unsure about which e-commerce platform to use you know the benefits of using Magento.

Versatile Content Management

Magento uses a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor which makes it easy for everyone to use. It allows online store owners to customize their offerings on the fly. Thanks to WYSIWYG it can be used without coding knowledge.

Mobile Friendly

Shopping carts that use Magento are responsive. They are viewable on smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Mobile friendly configuration is very important because many shoppers tend to use their smartphones for online shopping.

Advanced SEO

Magento can do a good job of opening and improving traffic flow. This platform has built in SEO efficiency in mind. This means that your products have a better chance of appearing on Google, Bing and other search engines. There is also plenty of room for SEO customization.

Powerful With Lots Of Space

Magento has room for over 500,000 products on your site and can handle 80,000 orders per hour. This means a lot of space for future growth. However, due to its size and complexity Magento requires special hosting needs for speed and performance. Make sure that you’re prepared for extra hosting costs.

Built-in Upsells and Cross-sells

It’s easy to add prompts that allow shoppers to browse related products and checkout pages can enhance user experience and increase sales potential.

Easy Third-Party Integration

Integrate easily with eBay, PayPal, Mail Chimp, Google Shopping, QuickBooks, and more. Magento also allows you to add Google Analytics and other third-party integration for easy data analysis.

Customize Security Permission

Keep website safe and manage internal access with options to customize different levels of security. PCI Data Security comes standard, login screens are CAPTCHA-equipped, and a secondary password prompt includes extra defense against unwanted breaches.

Intelligent Filtered Search

Magento lets users filter searches using different parameters for better user experience. There are product tag filters, search term cloud, product reviews, recently compared and viewed products and the ability to configure search with auto-suggested terms.

Magento is so popular. According to studies over 240,000 businesses use Magento. There are also hundreds of Magento developers in 35 countries giving newcomers a solid backbone of support, opportunities and connections.

Because Magento is open-source there is an expansive library of custom extensions developed by the worldwide community of users. This means you will be able to share tools with other Magento users to save yourself the trouble of building from scratch. You can also build and manage multiple online stores using ne instance of Magento. This means savings not only in terms of time but also money.

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Keeping customers engaged is one of the top priorities for online marketers. One of the best ways to do this is by sending newsletters. When executed correctly newsletters can provide information, delight customers, spark excitement and create anticipation.

Many people think that emailing newsletters is an ancient marketing method. However, email marketing stays relevant even to this day. In fact, according to a report by OptinMonster.com, 91% of people use email daily compared to 57% for Facebook and 14% for Twitter.

Newsletters have the potential to boost traffic, increase sales and connect with customers.

What is Email Open Rate?

The email open rate is basically the amount of emails opened or viewed within a specific campaign.

Using email providers like Constant Contact and Mail Chimp will let you measure email open rate easily.  Aside from this, they can also provide metrics for:

• Click rate
• Delivery rate
• Time spent reading
• Unsubscribes and opt outs
• Bounce rate
• Spam reports
• Forwards Conversions

According to Mail Chimp, a good open rate is 20.81% across all industries. However, rates can still vary depending on your industry.

Be aware of your industry’s open rate if you really want to improve your open rate. Focus on tracking metrics for your newsletter to find out what’s been working or failing so that you can notice trends and adjust accordingly.

Marketers spend a lot of time and effort creating newsletters to make sure people actually open them. Here are some ways you can increase your open rate.

Split Test Subject Line

If you have a decent amount of contact, you can find out which subject line gets more opens through split testing. This allows you to send subject line variations so you can see which of them have more impact.

The power of a good subject line is more powerful than you think. Data gathered by OptinMonster reports that 69% of email recipients will report an email as spam based on the subject line alone. You can avoid this by creating engaging subject lines.

Follow these tips when thinking about a subject.

• Keep the recipients in mind. What is their age? What will catch their attention and what will turn them away?
• Make the subject line descriptive so the recipient will have motivation to open the email. However don’t make it too long. Lengthy subject lines get ignored. A line of around 50 characters is good.
• Don’t overthink. Less is more is best when it comes to subject lines.

Find Out The Right Time To Send

Do research on the right time to send newsletters. There is a lot of data on the right time to send on the internet but there is no one-size-fits-all best time.

Instead of wondering about the best time to send, check out your data or experiment so that you can find the optimal time based on this. Your email list and newsletter is unique to other businesses so the best time to send will differ from others.

Keep It Personal

It’s natural to think that a lot of people will open and read a newsletter from your company. However, it is best to keep the content personal. It is more effective to write as if you’re writing to just one person.

If you have a contacts list you can try adding their names to the subject line. According to Campaign Monitor, personalizing your newsletters will help it avoid the “promotions tab”. Personalized emails have 26% more chance of being opened.

Email marketing is here to stay and remains relevant with your audience. Giving your email marketing more effort can result in good results for your business.

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Many brick and mortar businesses as well as online stores have a blog. In fact, it is a popular way for many businesses to engage their customers. However, many businesses are still wondering if they need a blog for their business and if it’s worth their time.

Basically, a business blog is a marketing tactic used to help your business gain more visibility. It is different from regular blogging because content for business blogs are about a particular subject matter related to the business.

Now that we know what business blogging is let’s move on to why you should use this as a marketing tactic.

Drives Traffic

According to recent surveys there are over 1 billion websites on the internet today and all of them want traffic. So how do you get attention? You can:

• Have people type your address on their search engine but this is for people who already know that you exist.
• Pay for traffic through buying an email list blast them and hope that some of them click your link. However, this is expensive and illegal.
• Pay for traffic by placing tons of ads. This isn’t illegal but very expensive though.

So how can you get traffic? Through:

• Blogging
• Social media presence
• Search engines

Here’s how it works.

Think about how many pages your website has – your probably have a lot – then think about how many times you update them – probably not very often. Blogging helps you solve this problem.

Every time you upload a blog post, it is indexed on your website giving you the opportunity to show up on search engines which in turn drives traffic through organic search. It’s like a cue for Google and other search engines to index your to see if new content surfaces.

It also helps you get discovered through social media. Every blog post you write can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media networks. This makes it easier for your business to be discovered by new people.

Blogging is a good way to keep your social media presence strong. Instead of having your or your social media manager come up with new content, your blog can serve as a repository of content. Blogging can expand social media reach and drive traffic to your website.

Convert Traffic To Leads

Now that you have traffic coming in to your site, you want to convert it into leads. You can do this by adding lead generating call-to-action (CTA) to your posts.

Most of the time these CTA lead to free ebooks, fact sheets, webinars, trials and other content asset where someone would be willing to exchange their information.

If you’re unfamiliar with traffic-to-lead conversions, it works like this:

• Visitor comes to your website.
• Sees your CTA and clicks.
• Gets into a landing page where there is a form to fill-up with their information.
• Visitor submits their info.
• Gets freebies.

According to research approximately 99% of blog posts have CTA. This is how blogs turn traffic into leads for your sales team.

Establishes Authority

A good business blog answers questions their leads and customers pose. If you are consistently posting content that is helpful to your audience, it will establish you as an authority in their eyes. Just imagine the impact of an educational blog on a confused customer. How many more deals can a salesperson close if their customer discovered a blog they had written?

Establishing content is not a metric that can be established like traffic and leads. However, it is just as powerful because it enables sales. This is what business blogging is all about: enabling opportunities to convert.

Drives Long-Term Results

Blogging drives long-term results through the search engines.

Let’s say that you created and published a blog post today and the post garnered 100 views and 10 leads. The next day you get another 50 views and 5 leads and a few more on social media. After the fanfare has died down you got 150 views and 15 leads. Not bad.

But it doesn’t stop there.

That blog post is now ranking on search engines and will rank for days and even months and years to come. You can continue to get traffic and leads through that post. So while it may feel like an ordinary post to you, in reality it looks like this:

This means that your blog post is continuing to generate traffic and leads even if you’re sleeping, on vacation or taking care of other business matters. Blogging can greatly affect the scalability of your business. While you might not see immediate results, a blog can continue to generate traffic and leads without additional investment.

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The end of January saw Google releasing a set of best practices for Google Ads users to help improve their optimization score.

Optimization score refers to the metric used to tell how well a Google Ads campaign is optimized. It was introduced in August of last year. Scores range from 0 to 100% where 100% means that your ad is performing at its fullest potential.

Optimization score can be found in the “recommendation” section in Google Ads:

How To Optimize Optimization Score

Here are the 3 best practices to optimize your score:

Efficient Account Management

Mange Google ads more efficiently by prioritizing which actions have the highest potential to improve optimization score. Google makes this easy by recommending most impactful actions for your account.

Optimization score is based on historical data, performance, auction simulations and machine learning to make recommendations.

Apply Recommendations To Support Business Goals  

Google also recommends that users check their recommendations regularly. Google Ads provides new recommendations based on real-time data. Stay on top of recommendations by checking at least once a week.

However, it is best to focus on recommendations hat support your business goals and dismiss those that are not aligned with your goals.

Analyze Recommendations Based On Your Terms

According to Google, users can filter recommendations using these 4 sections:

• Ads & Extensions
• Bids & Budgets
• Keywords & Targeting
• Repairs

The good news is that recommendations can be downloaded for offline analysis.

Optimization score evaluates how well search campaigns are set up. Display, video, ad campaign and shopping will be added in the future.

Hopefully these tips can help you tap into your Google Ads’ maximum potential to improve ad performance and help you stop wasting time on underperforming ones.

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CMS providers like WordPress are well optimized for SEO out of the box, but it is not perfect. In fact there are many onsite SEO mistakes that users make especially in WordPress.

The bottom line is that you are responsible for a well-optimized website. if you’re not following SEO fundamentals any plugins and widgets you installed are basically worthless. With this in mind we have a list of common onsite WordPress SEO mistakes you need to check out to see if you’re guilty of any of these.

Not Optimizing Permalink

The permalink is important because:

• It gives visitors an indication of what a page is about.
• Indicates relevancy to search engines.

This is why you should ensure that your permalink is defined correctly. Go to settings>permalink

As you can see permalinks are given the post or page name. This format is recommended but you can also add a date especially if content is date relevant (like news articles). However, blogs can forgo the date for their permalink.

Once you get the permalink structure correctly make sure that they are well optimized for keywords that you’re targeting.

Poor Image Optimization

One of the most common WordPress SEO mistakes is poor image optimization. Search engines do not see text in images so they need a guiding hand when it comes to this medium. This is where the title tags come in handy as seen in this example:

Fill in both the alt and title tags. When it comes to tags focus on both SEO and usability.

Not Providing XML Sitemap

An XML sitemap is not necessary. However, not providing one for search engines is the equivalent of telling them how to get to your house verbally rather than telling them your address. An XML sitemap tells search engines what should be indexed. This way search engines like Google and Bing which of your indexed pages are important.

Providing an XML sitemap is easy to do. If you have the Yoast SEO plugin installed just go to SEO > General > Features and toggle On the XML sitemap functionality:

Poorly Structured Headers

HTML headers (e.g. the <h1> tag) give Google an insight to the relevancy of your website. Words placed on the header weigh more significantly compared to what’s written in the content of your site. This is why it is important to include specific keywords within the headers as much as possible. It is also important that your header tags are structured correctly.  Check if you’re following the best practice:

• On your home page, the <h1> tag should be the name of your site
• On all other pages, the <h1> tag should be the headline (i.e. of the post/page)

This way your homepage has the best chance of ranking for your site’s name and the other pages will have the best ranking for whatever they are covering.

Not Optimizing For Speed

Loading speed for your website is very important. People hate sites that are slow to load and so does Google and other search engines. This means that the loading speed of your website impacts your rankings.

Luckily there are many guides on how you can speed up WordPress and there are also caching plugins that you can use to help.

Not Optimizing For Social Media

Your WordPress site should be optimized for social media whether you like it or not. Make sure that your profiles are correctly set up using Open Graph and Twitter Cards. Yoast SEO has a social setting built into their plugin:

Correctly linking your website to your social media profile will make your posts more “sharable”.

Errors like those mentioned above can have serious ramifications on your website. if you find that your site is a victim of these mistakes, rectifying them will can have a dramatic difference on how search engines view your site.

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Did you know that millennials can influence your website’s revenue? Generally speaking, millennials are people aged between 18-38 years old and social media has a big influence on this group. According to a study conducted by eMarketer, 39.8% of them rank social sources (social media, family and friends) as their top three sources for picking up ideas for products to buy. This is not surprising since this group grew up watching unboxing videos on YouTube and grew up with Amazon at their beck and call.

This means that peer recommendations and social media carry a lot of weight when it comes to shopping.

Here are some ways small businesses can capitalize from these millennial characteristics to help generate sales.

Millenials Are Mobile

An eMarketer research also found out that 46% of young millennials (ages 18-23) and 67% of older millennials (ages 24-38) say they prefer to shop on a smartphone or tablet, compared to an average of 42% across all age groups.

However there are still many small businesses that do not optimize their online stores for mobile use. Since millennials prefer to do their shopping online and via their gadgets, providing them a mobile optimized shop can help you see significant conversions.

Millenials Love To Share

Millennials count their family and friends as the biggest influence when it comes to finding inspiration for product recommendations. Their recommendations are so significant that their interest in a brand could cause a spike in awareness. So make sure that your website has sharing buttons for popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for easy sharing of your product or brand.

Millenials Like Venmo

Venmo is similar to PayPal but it also allows users to share their purchase in their social feed. It is essentially a digital wallet that lets you share payment with friends. Since millennials like to share, this payment option is popular among their group.

Venmo is popular among millennials because they can post their purchases on their feed and begin discussions with their friends. In a way they can also become brand ambassadors for your product and help you generate buzz.

There are many purchases that are social. Chipping in for a gift for a friend or buying tickets for an event. Venmo has cultivated a forum where it is natural for friends and family to talk about where they got that vintage record or their latest OOTD. Behind every purchase in Venmo is a network of friends and family who view, like or comment which can potentially provide brand exposure for you.

Venmo and PayPal and other payment options are easy to set up in WordPress. Depending on your extension it is easy to display options such as PayPal, Venmo, PayPal Credit or other local payment options in a single stack, so customers choose how to pay without needing to leave your website.

Millennials are a big group of people who love to stay connected and shop online. If you find that your website is not millennial friendly you could be missing out on a big opportunity.

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During the early days of SEO, web directories were the bomb. In the early days Google algorithm was easy to play so if your site was listed on a ton of web directories, your chances of ranking high was guaranteed.

The number of directory links you had influenced how well your site ranked on Google. However, online marketers caught on and littered Google with links to their own site.

Today, Google’s algorithm is more sophisticated. While links are still one of the best signals, Google does not view all links equally. Links from directory listings are now less valuable compared to contextual links coming from a high-authority site in your niche.

But this does not mean to say that web directories are worthless. According to MOZ research, web directories and local citations still have a small ranking factor especially for businesses. In fact, Google’s John Mueller has said that directory links “generally” don’t help with SEO.

Therefore, marketers should move beyond seeing directories as a source of links. They should instead view directories as a source of traffic and trust.

If you’re a business looking to boost sales and traffic don’t just put your listings on the first web directory you see. Consider these listings before signing up:

• Is this site reputable? Ask yourself if a customer sees your business on this site, will they view my business as legitimate?
• Is my target audience likely to come to this website? If the answer is no, it’s probably not worth listing your business.

Here are some web directories that are still relevant in 2019.

To remain relevant many online directories transitioned into review sites. This is a list of web directories with real traffic that can translate to real value for your website.

Best of the Web

Best of the Web (or BOTW for short) has been around since 1994 and is still a trusted online directory for 16 million businesses. A lifetime listing (with a followed link) costs $299.

AboutUs

AboutUs was originally a business domain directory but transitioned to allowing all kinds of websites to be submitted.

Spoke.com

If you want to find or discuss business people, companies, news and other business related stuff, you can do that in Spoke.com. The site allows you to add a web listing for a business or a person.

For Blogs Only

Blogarama

Blogarama is one of the web’s oldest blog directories. It features over 143,000 blog listings that are being actively updated by admins. The site has over 230,000 visitors monthly and offers premium and business packages.

For Local Business

Google My Business

You can say that Google My Business is the grandfather of web directories. Many SEO professionals are familiar with the benefits of submitting your site to this directory. Google My Business continues to be relevant in terms of local SEO and it’s also worth mentioning that Google is the world’s largest search engine. Therefore listing your business on this directory is not just a good idea but also good marketing sense.

Bing Places

Bing Places is Google My Business Equivalent in the world’s second most popular search engine. Even though only 4% of the world uses Bing for searches, it is important to note that this is the default search engine for Internet Explorer and Edge and Microsoft still dominates the world’s desktop market.

Yahoo

Yep, Yahoo is still relevant and is the 3^rd most popular search engine. Adding your business to Yahoo Local (and 6 other daughter directories) cost $8.25 a month.

Yelp

Yelp is still the place to go for online reviews for local businesses. If you want your customers to find you, you have to be on Yelp and get positive reviews.

Foursquare

Foursquare is not as popular as Yelp but it provides listings for all types of businesses.

Yellow Pages

The company that used to print huge yellow books has gone online. Claiming your business is free although you will be pestered into signing up for their advertising options.

YP is still relevant because it provides listing to all types of industries, offers coupons and regularly posts blog content to drive internal link equity back to their directory pages. The site also converts. When people go to Yellow Pages, they’re looking for contact information. 60 million people go to YP.com every month and 91% make contact within 24 hours.

Chamber of Commerce

ChamberOfCommerce.com is the online version of your local Chamber of Commerce. It boasts a robust listing of small business online and also serves as a small business owner resource center.

Merchant Circle

Merchant Circle’s mission is simple: “find the best local merchants.”

You can find all kinds of businesses, merchants, industries, contractors and professionals on Merchant Circle. It has a listing of around 2 million and gets approximately 340,000 monthly visits.

Better Business Bureau

The BBB remains a major trust signal to consumers. If your business has a BBB accreditation, customers can visit the site to verify you’re a business they can trust.

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