James Gurd

Background in marketing & business development, working in both IT services & consumer retail. Expertise is in developing & implementing eCommerce strategies for SME's within retail - Robert Dyas & Betterware.

Following nearly 2 years as an Ecommerce Consultant at EIBDigital, a UK ecommerce agency, I now run Digital Juggler, an ecommerce and digital marketing consultancy. I specialise in planning, implementing and managing commercially sustainable ecommerce programmes. I am also experienced in people management, both teams I have directly managed and business partners/agencies.

I am a guest blogger for Econsultancy and Postcode Anywhere and Expert Editor for Smart Insights. I'm also the co-host of #ecomchat - a weekly industry Twitter chat for ecommerce professionals that takes place every Monday.

Using a framework to manage your website optimisation

It’s essential to understand what influences website visibility in search engine results. Algorithms update frequently and strive to provide the best customer experience, so the demands on website owners to match this aspiration has increased accordingly.

Site optimisation is more than pure SEO: it is a blend of technical, marketing and customer service skills that aim to satisfy the demands of search engines and customers.

by James Gurd 09 August 2010 11:47am 0 comments

6 questions to ask when choosing CMS for your e-commerce platform

A CMS is just about content so it doesn’t need much attention, right? Wrong. In an e-commerce environment CMS means so much more than being able to edit and publish content.

E-commerce pages have dynamic content served by code and this content can change depending on the visitor session; given such variation, how can you weave static content into dynamic pages without screwing the display?

As the sophistication of consumers and online technology has risen, so have the demands on e-commerce managers to understand which tools are the best-fit for the business. Having worked on many CMS implementations and seen the pitfalls, I thought I’d share some advice on what questions you need to be asking.

by James Gurd 07 July 2010 10:12am 8 comments

How do you get the biggest bang for your content buck?

Producing relevant content is important for site optimisation, both for pure SEO benefit and to improve the user experience and drive conversion.

This post looks at how you can make the most of four types of web content (information pages, images, videos and blogs) and move away from a flat view where content is isolated in one place.

Much of this is common sense but I know many web teams who don’t fully appreciate the value of their content.

by James Gurd 02 June 2010 09:54am 3 comments

How do you write good copy for your website?

Copy, copy, copy. Not a Labour Party election slogan but an ode to the all important words that help elevate your website above the masses and improve on-page engagement and conversion.

Website copy plays a crucial role in informing your visitors, presenting your values and directing people to take actions, not to mention giving a boost to your SEO efforts.

But what is good copy? Is it copy that raises your search engine visibility? Or words that extol your virtues as the next laureate?

In my latest attempt to open myself to professional and personal slaughter, this blog explores the qualities of good web copy, linking to useful articles written by respected copywriters. I don't claim it to be definitive but the intention is to open a discussion about what good copy really is.

by James Gurd 04 May 2010 10:13am 15 comments

Six things you can do in-house to improve your SEO

I believe in encouraging people to do things for themselves. SEO is a vital part of evolving a website yet many businesses struggle to understand what SEO means and how they can get to grips with it.

SEO is not a dark art, it is an incredibly intuitive process that encompasses many disciplines, from research to writing content and building social media presence. Nobody is a master of all of them but you can take control of key components of your SEO strategy, helping you focus spend on areas where you need the greatest help.

That's not to say that investing in the services of a dedicated SEO partner (freelance or agency) isn't a good thing - if you don't have the resource or inclination to do this properly, then paying a specialist can be a commercially sound decision. SEO is a long-term commitment, you can't treat it like a toy to be played with for a few months, then thrown to the back of the cupboard.

This post outlines the top six things that you can do in-house to improve your website optimisation with links to free online tools to help you on your journey.

by James Gurd 15 April 2010 10:51am 51 comments

Can Augmented Reality be a commercial success for e-commerce?

Augmented Reality (AR) is the next keyword wet dream for the online industry buzz word bingo enthusiasts. As social media becomes more ingrained in commercial planning and the excitement fades into practical solutions, it’s inevitable that the new kid on the block will start to make headlines.

I think AR is an exciting development. However, behind the pomp that surrounds another buzz word, is there a commercial model that could make AR a practical tool in the e-commerce armoury?

I’m going to stick my neck on the line and say yes....

by James Gurd 24 March 2010 09:40am 9 comments

Food for thought: driving demand and innovation through Twitter

There are still a lot of sceptics out there who consider Twitter overblown with hype and offering no tangible commercial value. I can understand that point of view but it often comes from a lack of vision regarding the role social media can play in customer communication and engagement.

This week I came across a truly innovative way that Twitter is being used in the US to generate demand and tap into a social vibe. Food trucks are cruising the streets of the US, using social media channels like Twitter to reach their audience and drive local street level activity.

The net result is queues of hungry punters lining up to savour their delicacy of choice, coverage in mass media and a whole lot of love and money. Who says Twitter is hot air?

by James Gurd 15 March 2010 11:30am 6 comments

Top 20 SEO requirements for scoping your eCommerce platform

Having spent the last 6 years Client side as Head of eCommerce and agency side managing digital marketing teams, one constant has been confusion in new platform builds over what a “search engine friendly” website actually is.

eCommerce solution providers advertise optimised platforms and Clients demand search engine friendly sites; do both mean the same thing? Rarely. Client side eCommerce managers can confuse technical and content optimisation, leading to miss-matches between expectation and delivery. A technically optimised web platform does not necessarily mean that keyword planning and meta content optimisation have been carried out.

This blog provides a tick list of the core elements that you should specify in any RFP or ITT when scoping a new eCommerce platform. They act as a starting point for SEO dialogue, enabling you to push vendors on specific areas of optimisation expertise. Please note the list is not in any order of priority.

by James Gurd 05 March 2010 11:33am 30 comments

Five easy ways to maximise your social media content

According to a recent dotCommerce report, over 70% of brands with social media presence fail to publicise this on their website.
For many retailers there are quick wins for content aggregation that are seemingly untapped. It costs time and money to build social profiles and generate compelling content, so why do so few companies ensure it has the biggest possible impact?
You don’t have to pay for the simple ideas. This blog looks at five quick wins for content integration, giving you easy to follow advice to increase the reach and impact of your content.

by James Gurd 22 February 2010 12:09pm 11 comments

Ten tips for scoping your e-commerce platform

If the last five years have taught me anything about e-commerce platform selection, it’s that the devil is in the scoping detail.

I’ve had project headaches and budget creep because I’ve not understood all the touch points of an e-commerce solution. I’ve seen vendors underestimate time and cost because they’ve not had enough detail to understand requirements.

I’ve learned that the cost (time and resource) of managing a comprehensive project scoping phase prior to going to market is the best investment you can make. Regardless of your knowledge base, you need to understand what you want to achieve with your e-commerce platform, who it affects and how you will evaluate available solutions.

This is my take on the top ten project elements you should include in your scoping phase before you write an ITT...

by James Gurd 01 February 2010 13:29pm 11 comments