Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process that attempts to: Comply with Google's algorithms to ensure your website appears as high as possible in search results. This can lead to more visitors to your organization's website and, for businesses, more sales. Outsourcing SEO services can cost large companies anywhere from $1,000 to $40,000 per month, said David Wilson, executive vice president of digital marketing and analytics at Boston-based agency Zozimus. It is said that there is.
“This is a channel that offers the best.” [return on investment] It’s the same with anything you do,” Wilson said. “For small businesses, it is essential or important to invest or spend time on SEO.”
For Lady Black Tie, a prom dress store and e-commerce business in Hudson, SEO is a way of life.
Owner and founder Marissa Tilley said she learned how to optimize her store's search results through Reddit, not through classes or formal training. When she first opened her store in 2018, there were not many customers, so it took her some time to learn SEO through research.
She wrote the words on her website and Googled the terms she thought shoppers would search for, such as the names of specific designers whose dresses she carries. Next, we tweaked the wording to improve its ranking on the results page. Tilly also added details about the dresses to the Lady Black Tie site through YouTube videos, photos and descriptions to help it rank higher than other websites and increase the store's credibility in Google's eyes. Stated.
“It's like planting a lot of seeds and you might not see any growth for a while, but eventually after a few years you'll have a lot of fruit,” Tilley said. “SEO takes time”
As a result, the company sold more than 45,000 dresses in 2023, up from less than 6,000 in 2019. And she's on track to sell the same, she said. Tilley said the numbers for 2024 will be similar to last year. Prices for floor-length gowns at this store range from approximately $69 to $879.
Lady Black Tie also has a strong social media presence. His TikTok account for this store has amassed around 318,000 followers, and his Instagram account has amassed many followers. Over 153,000. The most viral TikTok videos include Showing off girls in the store with over 8 million views She is described as a “tomboy” who transforms from her everyday attire into a royal blue flowing prom dress “to slay prom.”
Tilley said the key to the store's marketing success is diversification across platforms. She expanded her marketing efforts to her Pinterest and her YouTube shorts to expand the store's reach.
“You just have to follow the market,” she said.
Knowing the market is also important. When it comes to dress trends, Tilley said New England girls have their own style in solid colors and form-fitting. Poofy dresses don't really stand out. A mermaid-cut dress with only the hem flared is most similar. It sells well here.
This year, bright colors such as neon and corset-style dresses are also appearing. But while flowy dresses with pastel floral prints, so-called “Easter” and “church” dresses, are trending online, demand for such styles is low here, Tilley said. . .
Another store, Alexandra's Boutique in Fall River; The company has also invested in SEO and digital marketing, with foot traffic up 10% this year compared to last year, which helped increase sales by “several percentage points,” Alexandra's Boutique owner Zachary said.・Mr. Leone said.
More than 8,000 people came to prom shop this year. Girls start shopping for dresses as early as January to choose the best one, he said.
“No one wants to wear the same dress,” Leone said. “People want as many options as possible and they want to get out of there as quickly as possible.”
In fact, Leone said some schools have set up Instagram pages where girls can submit their own prom dresses to ensure other students don't buy the same dress.
Leone said Alexandra's Boutique outsources digital marketing services to a company called Logical Position and uses social media to spread the word about the store. The multi-week Influencer Her program gives girls the chance to win a free prom dress when they post a photo. Advertising the store's dresses.
Mark Czarny, Logical Position's SEO account manager, said his company's efforts are paying dividends for the boutique, which has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram between its prom and bridal accounts. He said the success of online marketing depends on site credibility and keywords, and that Google will be able to best identify which store's website should appear first when a user searches for something. Ta.
“The good thing about SEO is that for Google, it is essentially a popularity contest,” Czarny says. “If you can build up enough exposure organically, Google likes it and it basically gives you more credibility and authority and helps you rank better in other marketing channels.”
Some of the keywords used in the text of the Alexandra's Boutique website, where the company also sells bridal and formal dresses, are: These include “Wedding Dress Boutique,” “Bridal Dress Boutique,” and “Massachusetts Bridal Shop,” Czarny said.
Amari Prom in Littleton said its social media channels are bringing in customers. Owner Kate Williams said the store has more than 1,000 followers on Instagram and spends money on Facebook ads in addition to traditional direct mail.
“We're very busy,” Williams said.
In an industry with a busy season, like prom dress retailers, it's important to work on SEO and other online techniques year-round, said Wilson, the digital marketing director.
“Prom is a very short time, just like Halloween,” Wilson said, adding, “For it to work, you have to prepare your SEO in advance.”
Esha Walia can be reached at esha.walia@globe.com.