New comment by mikael-tawkify in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (May 2024)"

Tawkify | Senior Software Engineer | Full-Time | REMOTE (US-only) | $150k–$190k + Equity

About us: Tawkify is a personalized matchmaking service that blends technology and human expertise to foster genuine relationships beyond traditional dating apps.

Challenges: Recent advances in LLMs create opportunities for us to (i) supercharge the tools used by our matchmakers, and (ii) create innovative new products. We’re expanding our engineering team to take advantage of those opportunities.

Stack: AWS, mostly Typescript (front and back), MySQL and Elasticsearch. We also have a react-native app close to first release, and maintain some legacy PHP.

Role: We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer who can not only code features and fix bugs, but also design architecture to lay the foundation for others’ work. If you like https://grugbrain.dev/ you may enjoy working with us and help share a culture of impact and simplicity.

Apply: Send your CV/résumé (*no cover letter please*) to careers_engineering@tawkify.com

New comment by plastikmissile in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (July 2023)"

Swyfft Holdings | Senior Software Developer | C# | Remote (US) | https://swyfft.bamboohr.com/careers/691

Key Responsibilities: (What you’ll be asked to do)

* Ability to write and review high-quality, well-architected code in our front end, back end and database technologies (C#, MSSQL, Typescript and React).

* Understand the software development lifecycle (SDLC) activities up to and including release planning, requirement gathering, design, configurations, sprint planning, creating and executing test cases and analyzing results.

* You understand how to take ownership of assigned features including shepherding through production release and working with QA and business stakeholders to ensure everything is correct.

* Communicate complex concepts and negotiate (nicely) with others to adopt and appreciate different points of view.

* Experience coaching, mentoring and developing fellow coders and less experienced team members.

WordPress Vs. Wix

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WordPress outshines Wix by allowing users to create sophisticated websites and customize them to their liking.

Wix doesn’t have as much design freedom as WordPress, but it is going to be way easier for beginners to use on day one.

With WordPress and Wix serving different users, the final decision ultimately depends on your experience level and purpose in launching a website. 

WordPress or Wix: Which is Better?

WordPress is a content management system best for those who value flexibility and versatility. It doesn’t come with great functionality right out of the box, but you can customize it through thousands of themes and plugins. Get your website idea off the ground using WordPress’ powerful, flexible platform. 

Wix is best for beginners who want to whip up a basic website that does not need advanced features. It’s an entry-level tool with an intuitive drag-and-drop editor so you can churn out a website in minutes without much technical know-how. Create your own website today and let Wix do the heavy lifting. 

A Review of The Best Website Builders

Website builders provide the tools you need to spin up basic or highly-versatile websites without touching any code. But it can be challenging to decide which website builder fits your needs if you’re clueless about what to look for. 

With years of experience under my belt, I’ve learned the key differentiators you should look for when shopping for a website builder. Using this in-depth review of the top four website builders, you’ll be able to zero in on the best platform that will set up your website for future success. Both WordPress and Wix made it into the top four.

WordPress Wins

Full data ownership: With WordPress being open-source software, nobody is holding you by the neck. Hence, transferring from one host to another isn’t complicated. You own all your files and can take them to any hosting provider that supports WordPress. 

Site transfers are facilitated by the built-in WordPress Import and Export tools, features you won’t find in Wix. In addition, Wix sites are hosted exclusively on Wix’s servers. Therefore, transferring your website files to a self-hosted WordPress requires a complex, cumbersome process. 

Limitless design options: WordPress is generous to a fault when giving users the power to design their websites. Free themes are available for starters, but if you’re looking for more functionality, you can choose from over 5,000 premium third-party themes that cost anywhere between $25 and $299. 

You can also hire a developer to create a custom theme with unconventional features to make your website stand out. The best part is you can easily switch from one theme to another, unlike Wix that doesn’t allow it once your site goes live. 

No WordPress-sponsored ads: WordPress is free, but you need to purchase a domain name and a hosting plan for it to work (here’s an easy step-by-step guide for getting those). But once your website is up and running, you’re free to monetize it any way you want. Meanwhile, Wix websites are free, and most basic plans are riddled with ads you don’t control. Wix only removes these ads once you upgrade to higher premium plans. 

Unmatched customizability: An open-source software, WordPress offers great flexibility right out of the box. If you’re a programmer or somebody who knows how to code, you can tweak WordPress’s underlying codes to create a website exactly as you envision it. Beginners can also customize their WordPress sites as they please. 

From switching templates after the website goes live to improving site security and adding forms to blog posts, WordPress allows you to modify your site in ways that are impossible with Wix. 

And even if you love Wix for its drag-and-drop builder, WordPress also offers something better with third-party page builder plugins like Elementor or Divi. 

Add plugins to WordPress for WordPress Vs Wix

Massive selection of plugins: WordPress beats Wix for having the most number of plugins to enhance your website’s functionality. Whether you want to add a table, collect your visitors’ emails, or create a landing page, there’s always a plugin that will match your needs. There are over 55,000 free and premium plugins to choose from, so it’s easy to beef up your website without manipulating any codes. 

Robust blogging platform: Even if it has evolved into a full-blown content management system, WordPress doesn’t forget its roots and continues to be the platform of choice for all things blog related. It offers the same blogging features as Wix but takes it up a notch with advanced features you’ll only find in WordPress. 

These include a native commenting section so you can manage your readers’ comments without the need for additional plugins. You also have complete control over posts and pages’ visibility as you can set them to public, private, or password-protected. 

The new Gutenberg editor has its flaws, but the ease of adding, dragging, and dropping different elements without the need for scrolling up or down is second to none. 

WordPress Gutenberg editor for WordPress Vs Wix

Better search visibility: WordPress gives you more control, so your website is more likely to rank on search engine results. Slow website? You can improve your site’s performance by applying speed-boosting strategies. 

WordPress users can also install Yoast, the world’s most popular SEO plugin. This tool helps over five million websites improve how their articles appear on search results, insert internal links, and redirect old pages to new ones, all of which help boost their rankings in the long run. 

Ahrefs, a leading all-around SEO tool, once analyzed 6.4 million websites, and the results show that WordPress sites have higher domain authority, backlinks, and traffic than their Wix counterparts. 

WooCommerce main page for WordPress Vs Wix

Scalable ecommerce functionality: WordPress lacks built-in ecommerce features, but you can easily integrate it with a powerful ecommerce solution like WooCommerce. 

Used by over 40% of ecommerce sites, this plugin can help you display products, fulfill orders, receive payments in multiple currencies, and automatically calculate tax by region. 

To further boost its functionality, you can also install additional WooCommerce plugins. For example, you can connect your store to a print-on-demand service that will process the orders on your behalf. 

There’s also the free HubSpot for ecommerce plugin that lets you track your visitors and lead them into your sales funnel. 

WordPress Losses

No phone support available: WordPress relies on its global community of volunteers. Hence, there’s no customer service hotline that you can turn to if you encounter technical hiccups. 

However, over 39% of websites in the world are powered by WordPress, so whatever issue you’re dealing with, chances are you’ll find a troubleshooting guide in support forums, Slack channels, or YouTube. But having to go looking for solutions is annoying.

The cost of creating and maintaining a website varies: WordPress is free to download. However, it can’t stand on its own, so you need to pay for a domain name and a hosting plan before you can start a website. 

A custom domain name starts at $10 per year, while a hosting plan can start as cheap as $2.95 a month. If your website gets a lot of traffic, you need to pay more for a hosting plan to avoid downtimes with each traffic spike. 

Additional expenses include premium themes and plugins to enhance the functionality of your site. In total, you might spend anywhere between $200 to a few thousand every year. 

Steep learning curve: WordPress is not the most intuitive, and it takes time to understand it. It doesn’t come with an official walkthrough, so you have to learn everything on your own. 

WordPress’s Gutenberg editor, for instance, is not as intuitive as Wix’s drag-and-drop editor. It lacks the what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSWYG) framework, so you need to preview the page you’re working on to see what it will look like once published. 

DIY security and maintenance: Website upkeep is not hands-off for WordPress users. The WordPress software itself rolls out updates every once in a while, and it’s your responsibility to ensure you’re using the latest version. 

You also need to manually update themes and plugins to fix bugs and prevent them from affecting site performance. 

As for backups and security, you can handle them yourself with the help of plugins. In exchange for fixed monthly fees, you can outsource all these to a WordPress maintenance service or choose a managed WordPress host to handle everything for you. 

Wix Wins

No upfront cost: Anybody can register and create a Wix website for free. If you want more functionality and to remove the Wix ads, you can upgrade to one of the Wix website plans or the business and ecommerce plans. 

Unlike WordPress, which is 100% free but comes with extra expenses, Wix’s pricing is much more straightforward. 

You don’t have to estimate anything as the pricing page has all the details. The Combo Plan starts at $14 per month and comes with everything you need to get started. You even get a free domain name for the first year, which you have to purchase on your own if you use WordPress.  

If you want more features like chatbots or event booking, you can also add Wix apps that are either free or premium with prices ranging from $3 to $20. 

Wix pricing page for WordPress Vs Wix

Effortless registration: Although the software itself is free, creating a website with WordPress requires the additional steps of domain registration and signing up to a hosting provider. With Wix, registration is as easy as signing up using your Facebook or Google account. Then, you can start building your website right away, either through the editor or with the help of an AI tool.

Wix signup page for WordPress Vs Wix

Intuitive drag-and-drop editor: Wix sacrifices flexibility so users can build websites fast with little to no learning curve. Beginners can easily customize their website templates with Wix’s drag-and-drop interface that lets you move things around and add as many features as you please. 

Unlike WordPress’s Gutenberg editor, Wix’s operates on a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSWYG) paradigm, so everything you see is exactly what will appear once the site goes live. 

Wix editor for WordPress Vs Wix

If you’re short on time, you can also let Wix’s Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) tool automatically create a website based on your answers to a series of questions. 

Wide selection of free templates: Wix offers the most free pre-made templates among all website builders. With over 500 templates to choose from, it’s easy to pick one that best aligns with your brand, whether you’re a non-profit organization, a photographer, a small business, or a school. 

Each template is packed with built-in elements that you can drag and drop wherever you want. The editor also gives you the freedom to change the background image into a video, select a different color palette, change the font, and tweak other elements that matter to you. 

Wix templates for WordPress Vs Wix

Handpicked in-house and third-party apps: Wix’s over 250 apps are the counterpart of WordPress’s plugins that enhance a website’s functionality. WordPress plugins may outnumber Wix’s, but you have to sift through piles of clunky ones before finding what you need. 

With Wix, however, quality matters more than quantity. Everything in the Wix App Market has already passed Wix’s guidelines, so you won’t have to perform a vetting process. In addition to that, all apps integrate well with Wix, so there’s no need to worry about incompatibility issues. 

Multiple customer support channels: Unlike WordPress that mainly relies on its support forums, Wix employs a more personal approach to customer service. 

Users can request a call-back through the Wix website so a company representative can talk to them directly. This way, they won’t have to waste time fixing the issue themselves and let a real person handle it.

If phone support is unavailable, Wix users can also reach out via email or search Wix’s online help center to find relevant articles and video tutorials. 

Easy WordPress-to-Wix migration: If you jumped on the bandwagon but soon found out that WordPress lacks the simplicity you’re looking for, Wix offers an easy way out. All you need to do is enter the WordPress blog URL in Wix’s blog import tool, and with one click, your WordPress blog will be converted into a Wix blog. 

With this import tool, you can choose only the blogs you want to move to Wix without building anything from scratch. 

Hands-off security and maintenance: The benefit of having your website hosted in a closed ecosystem like Wix is its technical team handles all maintenance and security. This means you won’t have to lift a finger to create backups, update apps, or fix security glitches. 

All updates are implemented and deployed by the in-house technical team, so you won’t even notice there’s an update taking place. In contrast, WordPress doesn’t handle any of these right out of the box, so you’re basically on your own. 

Plus, Wix sites pass the highest levels of industry security compliance, from PCI DSS for ecommerce payments to SOC Type 2, and ISO 27001, 27701, 27018, and 27017.

Managed infrastructure and site data backups: Wix also delivers even more helpful features for reliability that you don’t have to handle yourself. Their data center infrastructure is robust enough to keep your site always available, even during routine maintenance. Plus, autoscaling allows your site to handle traffic spikes without missing a beat.

And, your site data is always kept up-to-date and backed up with redundant copies kept across all of those Wix data centers. You’re never left worrying if your site is available to visitors or if you can restore it should something go terribly wrong.

Wix Losses

Pricing page lacks transparency: At first glance, Wix’s pricing page seems to show how much you’d pay for each premium plan every month. However, the prices are actually what each plan would cost if you avail of the annual subscription. 

If the Unlimited plan’s monthly cost is $12.50 per month, you’ll actually pay $150 upfront. If you opt for monthly payments, the cost is significantly higher. 

It wouldn’t have been an issue had Wix placed a toggle button through which users can compare the prices if billed monthly or annually. To be fair, there’s a disclaimer at the bottom saying that the prices displayed are for yearly subscriptions, but the text is so small you won’t notice it right away. 

Limited flexibility: Wix may be easier to use than WordPress, but that comes at the price of flexibility. 

For instance, the free templates have good enough designs for inexperienced builders but are limiting for more advanced website creators. Not to mention that you won’t be able to switch to a different template once the website goes live. 

Wix is also not open-source, so programmers and other tech-savvy users won’t be able to tinker with its underlying codes. Lastly, the over 250 apps inside its App Market can enhance the site functionality, but they pale in comparison to the thousands of WordPress plugins. 

Underwhelming blog features: Wix wasn’t created with bloggers in mind, so if written content is your website’s main attraction, choose WordPress instead. 

Although Wix offers basic blog features like categories, tagging, cover image, and post scheduling, it lacks other vital elements like native commenting. 

For readers’ comments, Wix only offers Facebook comments, which are much more vulnerable to a slew of spammers. Also, the Wix plain blog editor doesn’t have the drag-and-drop functionality of WordPress’ Gutenberg, so the formatting options are limited. 

Ad-free site not available in all plans: A free Wix website comes with Wix ads and a Wix subdomain. You won’t pay for anything, but it’s not good for branding. If you already have a custom domain, you can connect it to Wix for $4.50 a month (billed annually). However, the Wix ads remain at this level. You can only get rid of the Wix-sponsored ads if you upgrade to more expensive plans. 

Difficult to get out of: Wix websites are hosted in their infrastructure, so once you create a website with them, it’s stuck in their hosting for life. It also lacks the Import and Export function of WordPress, so moving your website files from Wix to WordPress is tricky. 

To give you an idea, your posts will be imported in the form of RSS files, while your images will need to be transferred manually. For most users, this complex procedure is enough to discourage them from making the switch. 

Inferior built-in SEO functionality: Wix is not a terrible choice if you only get direct or social media traffic on your site. But when it comes to search engine visibility, Wix lags behind WordPress. 

Wix is not up to snuff from a technical SEO standpoint as it relies on Javascript to display its URLs, making them more difficult to crawl. The Javascript also leads to code bloating, resulting in slower pages. 

Wix also doesn’t have the basic features to set up a website to SEO success like hreflang and AMP support. Users have limited control over redirects and are restricted from editing the site’s robots.txt and sitemap. Creating shorter URLs is also impossible, so you’ll be stuck with https://www.neilpatel.com/post/keyword instead of the more concise and user-friendly https://www.neilpatel.com/keyword.

Comparing The Top Website Builders

Whether you’re a tech-savvy geek or a technophobe who wants to take a stab at creating websites, there’s a website builder that meets your needs. Here are my top four recommendations: 

  1. Wix — Best for general use
  2. Weebly  — Best for beginners
  3. Web.com — Best for building landing pages
  4. Shopify — Best for ecommerce
  5. WordPress — Best for content management

In terms of Wix and WordPress, if you’re a novice who needs a leg up in creating your first website, Wix can get you online fast. The ease of its drag-and-drop editor is second to none, while its wide range of free templates can give you a professional-looking website without breaking the bank. 

For high-traffic websites that generate income from content, WordPress remains the best content management system.

Do You Want a Million Dollar Business Loan? Here’s What You Need to Know

What could your small business do with a million dollars? Most small business owners think getting a million dollar business loan is a dream come true. Yet, do you really know what it takes not just to get a business loan of that size, but to pay for it? How much does a million dollars cost? Here’s what you need to know. 

The First Step is Building a Fundable™ Foundation

Your small business needs a Fundable™Foundation to qualify for business loans. The foundation is how your business is set up.

A small business that isn’t set up to be Fundable™ will be hard pressed to get business loans of any type, especially traditional bank business loans.

For sure, a million dollar small business loan will be difficult to get. This is what sets your business apart from you as the owner. As a result, the foundation is the kick start to overall Fundability™.

What’s In a Fundable™ Foundation? 

A Fundable™ Foundation is necessary for any type of business loans. That means a small business loan, vendor credit, credit cards, or any other type of business funding. It includes the following. 

Business Name

First, your business name needs to be registered with the Secretary of State.  Furthermore, it should not include or allude to a high-risk or restricted industry. Lenders do not like risk, and most are not in the habit of making business loans to businesses in high-risk industries.

Consistency

Also, your business name has to be consistent everywhere you use it. If it changes, change it everywhere, and be sure it is the same.

Consider the following examples. 

“Bill & Tom’s Discount Fishing Lures, Inc.” 

“Bill and Tom’s Discount Fishing Lures”

“Bill’s and Tom’s Discount Fishing Lures”

Of course, they are similar. Yet, they are not the same. So, if you use one of these on your registration with the Secretary of State and one of the others on your million dollar loan application, you may not even make it to the underwriting process.

Likely, your application will be automatically denied for business loans due to fraud concerns. 

Business Address

This must be a deliverable physical address, never UPS box or a PO Box. It’s true, a virtual address can work.  Yet, we know of at least one credit provider that will not accept them. 

EIN

You can get an EIN, or Employer Identification Number, free at IRS.gov. Then, use it to open a bank account and to build a business credit profile.

Be sure to verify that all agencies, banks, and trade credit vendors have this number and associate it with your business .

Business Entity

Using a corporation or LLC structure gives you more credibility.  Better yet, it reduces your personal liability. 

Business Phone and 411 Listing

Remember, toll-free phone numbers are best.  Also, it should be listed in the 411 directory. 

Business Licenses

Always make sure you have the proper licensing. 

Web Domain and Professional Website

For many reasons, you need a professional website that is helpful. Lenders will research your business online, especially before lending a million or more. 

As a result, you should pay for web hosting. Unfortunately,  this is not the time to use a freebie. Also, the domain should be the business name, if possible.

In addition, you need a company email address. It should be the same domain as your website.  

Business Bank Account in the Business’s Name

Due to the fact that business banking history is vital to getting business financing, it is necessary to have a separate, dedicated business bank account.  Of course, the longer the bank history is, the better. 

Next Step is to Build Strong Business Credit

As you know, lenders like to see a strong business credit profile. As a result, while personal credit isn’t ignored, good business credit can soften the impact of a bad personal credit score. 

Nothing Replaces a Strong Business Plan

Without a strong business plan you won’t get business loan approval. Whether you are looking for a traditional loan, SBA loans, or working with online lenders, this is important. This is true even though online lenders tend to be less strict with business financing approvals, a strong business plan never hurts. The presentation should be professional in both appearance and content.

Business Plan Writing Resources

You can hire a business plan writer, or do it yourself, but use all available resources.  

The Small Business Administration offers helpful business plan writing resources, and not just for SBA loans.

The Small Business Development Centers have a number of helpful aids also. Check with local universities to find one near you.

The Major Clincher for a Million Dollar Business Loan is Revenue

Obviously, you can’t get funding without revenue. Of course, this is because business loan repayment comes from revenue, and lenders want to know they will be repaid.

But, exactly how much is the payment on a million dollar business loan? 

Example Monthly Payments on a Million Dollar Business Loan

Business loan terms and payment amounts are variable based on terms and rates. Consider a $1M loan with an interest rate of 4% fixed for 20 years. The monthly payments on that business loan would be $4,774.15.

Then, consider the same business loan with the same interest rate for 15 years.  The payment on that is $7,396.88 a month. 

A Word About Collateral

If you have a Fundable™ Foundation and strong business and personal credit, the next step to getting more funding is collateral. It allows for better loan terms, including more money with lower interest rates and better terms. Furthermore, many SBA loans require collateral anyway.

Types of Collateral

Collateral can be pretty much any valuable asset. These include:

  • Buildings
  • Equipment
  • Inventory
  • And more

What Does it Take to Get a Million Dollar Business Loan?

To get the most funding possible, whether through small business loans or other funding, you need: 

  • Fundable Foundation
  • Good business and personal credit score
  • Professional business plan
  • Collateral

Credit Suite Can Help

We can help with the Fundability and business credit. We know the secret sauce to get you started and help you grow in the most efficient way possible.

Then, you can get the funding you need, when you need it. With Credit Suite, you may be eligible for a million dollar loan sooner than you think.  

The post Do You Want a Million Dollar Business Loan? Here’s What You Need to Know appeared first on Credit Suite.

Apply for a Business Loan Without Getting Denied for Fraud Concerns

Many business owners apply for a business loan and end up being denied, never knowing why. Surprisingly, one of the most common reasons for denial has more to do with the actual application than the creditworthiness of the company. A lot of applicants never make it to the financial review process simply because their application triggers fraud concerns with the lender. 

Apply for a Business Loan Without Fraud Concerns: Consistency is Key

Discrepancies of any kind set off red flags for lenders. When something doesn’t add up, they don’t look too far for answers. In contrast, they simply deny. 

Application denials for this are common because inconsistencies reek of fraudulent activity. Just the appearance of fraud, any inkling, is enough for most lenders to deny. 

Consistent Business Information

Your business name and other information must be consistent. If you list it one way on your application and it is different anywhere else, denial is imminent. That means, even an ampersand in one place and the word “and” in another can mean denial.

Information Must Be Verifiable

When you apply for a loan, the information you put on it must be verifiable. Lenders might search with the Secretary of State to verify ownership. As you can imagine, if the business information on the application does not match the Ssecretary of Sstate records, they may very well deny it automatically. 

If they decide to investigate further, they may ask for tax returns, even if they already have financials. The catch is, even if they originally ask only to verify information, due diligence dictates that they look at all of it. This may not work in your favor. 

The more you make, the more you pay. As a result, businesses do not want to show they make money.  Yet, if your tax return shows a large loss, it results in a denial. If your information is verifiable in the first place, it may not be necessary to give lenders tax returns. 

Verifying Income

Do yourself a favor and don’t try to lie about income.  There are plenty of ways to verify, and credit providers will do that. You can be sure they can and will verify everything. Not just income either. The truth is, this goes for any information. That includes ownership percentage, date of opening, and of course financial information.

Personal Information Matters

Some are surprised to find out that personal information comes into play when you apply for a business loan. It has to be verifiable as well. Resist the thought that you may be able to fudge on personal information when you apply for a business loan. They will know. 

Do  Not Buy a Credit Privacy Number (CPN) to Try to Hide Bad Credit

A legitimate CPN is available by working with an attorney to file a claim with the Social Security Administration. That is, if you have a compelling claim. Bad credit is not a compelling claim. 

Some claim a CPN will offer fresh credit history. As a result, companies use sketchy ways to get numbers to sell. Unfortunately, these 9-digit numbers may be dormant social security numbers or numbers that belong to children. By purchasing one, you could unknowingly end up in an identity theft scam. 

Also, using any number other than a Social Security number where an SSN is called for is a violation of two federal laws.

Your best bet is to resist the temptation to use a CPN.

Apply For a Business Loan the Right Way

It’s not hard to avoid denial if you just apply for a business loan the right way. First, make sure all of your information is consistent everywhere. Then, ensure that when you provide information on a loan application, it is verifiable. Last, be honest. Don’t use numbers other than your Social Security Number or EIN. In the end, this is your best chance at getting your application through the initial process and to the financial review. The best part?  This is just one of the business loan secrets we can share with you. 

The post Apply for a Business Loan Without Getting Denied for Fraud Concerns appeared first on Credit Suite.

Secondary Goals: Track These GA Events If You’re Doing A/B Testing

A/B testing is brilliant. It lets you compare two or more versions of the same page element, paid ad, or another variable to see which one performs the best. In other words, it’s a key way to improve your content, increase user engagement, and boost conversion rates across your site. What’s not to like?

Additionally, with A/B testing, the results are clear and speak for themselves. For example, if you test two versions of a newsletter, it’ll be obvious from the results which version “worked” best based on the numbers.

How do you know why either version A or B performed best, though, and how do you gain deeper insight into your campaign performance?

This is where secondary goals can help you out. Let me show you why secondary goals matter in A/B testing, and how you can use them in your own marketing development.

Primary Vs. Secondary Goals in A/B Testing

Before we get started, let’s be clear on what’s meant by “primary” and “secondary” goals in A/B testing.

A primary goal is, quite simply, your main objective. It’s the priority goal of your campaign or the goal you’re hoping to achieve when you run an A/B test.

For example, say you’re a personal trainer. You have a notice on your landing page, encouraging people to sign up for a free sample week or taster session. Maybe it looks something like this from My Soul Sanctuary:

Secondary Goals in A/B Testing - Personal trainer example

Your primary goal might be identifying how many people click through to complete this form because you’re trying to increase your sign-up numbers.

Secondary goals, on the other hand, give you more insight into user behavior and how people interact with your website. They help you reach your primary goal by providing a detailed insight into your A/B test results.

For example, the personal trainer might also want to know how many people share their content on social media, or sign up for their newsletter while on their website:

Secondary Goals in A/B Testing - Personal trainer newsletter example

Knowing the answers to these questions offers additional insight into how well the content is performing—rather than tracking submission form sign-ups alone.

If you want to increase conversions, grow your business, and improve your ROI, you need to track primary and secondary goals. Otherwise, you only have half the data you need to market your business effectively.

7 Secondary Goals to Track in GA for A/B Testing

Ready to track some secondary goals? To help you get started, here are seven metrics I suggest you measure as part of your A/B testing.

1. Add-to-Cart Actions

Tracking the “add-to-cart” metric allows you to identify how often customers add items to their cart and which pages get the most traction. Knowing how many times the “add-to-cart” action is triggered lets you split your audience into two categories:

  • people who add items to their cart but remove them, i.e., shopping cart abandonment
  • those who view a product page but don’t add the item to their cart

You can use Google Tag Manager (GTM) to track cart actions. GA has detailed instructions for how to do this. Once you’re set up, you can run some different A/B tests. For example, you might test if more people proceed to checkout if there is a discount advertised for the product, and so on.

2. Interaction With Site Features

It sounds obvious, but it’s useful to track how often people interact with certain website features. Otherwise, it’s hard to tell whether your website offers visitors the great user experience they’re looking for.

From an A/B testing perspective, you might track features such as how many times users click CTA buttons, how many users engage with your live chat, and how many people click on your email address to contact you.

The exact features you track vary depending on your business goals. For example, Betterment, an investing website, has multiple different features, such as quizzes and investment calculators worth tracking:

Secondary Goals to Track in GA for A/B Testing - Interaction With Site Features

In the above example, you might be inclined to track if the calculator performs better if it’s placed higher on the page, or if different colors mean more clicks.

3. Rage Clicking on Page Features

If you’re unfamiliar with rage clicking, it’s basically when someone repeatedly clicks on a page element, but nothing happens. This typically occurs because a page element looks clickable even if when it’s not, or because a link on your page isn’t working.

With Google Analytics, you can track, for example, if there’s a single page generating a high amount of rage clicks. Or, you can see if there’s a certain type of page element which generates a lot of rage clicks e.g., a button, line of text, or image.

Rage clicking can frustrate your audience to the point where they lose trust in your business and leave your website, so it’s crucial to track the cause of these events. Again, you can track rage clicks in GA through Google Tag Manager by inserting the appropriate tags into the HTML where you want to start tracking.

4. Highlighting Page Text

Why does it matter if people highlight a portion of text on your page? Well, there are two reasons.

First, they might be highlighting the text so they can take action on it. For example, if lots of people highlight and copy your phone number, then maybe it needs a hyperlink.

On the other hand, people may highlight text to copy it into Google and search for related content. In which case, there’s a chance your website isn’t providing the answers they’re looking for. This last scenario is bad from a marketing perspective, obviously.

How do you track a secondary goal like this? Well, in the first scenario, you might run an A/B test to see if more people call you if you hyperlink your phone number. Compare the results in GA to check if it’s worth keeping the hyperlink or not.

5. Newsletter Sign-ups

Newsletters are a great way to expand your audience reach and deliver high-quality, informative content straight to your subscribers’ inboxes. First, though, you need people to sign up for your newsletter (which isn’t always easy.)

If you’re low on newsletter subscribers, there are a few variables you can play with during A/B testing. For example, you might track if people are more likely to subscribe to your newsletter during the checkout process or if a brighter, more colorful banner on your landing page results in more subscribers.

Newsletters and similar content like free guides and e-books can really help you build brand trust, so this definitely isn’t a secondary goal you should ignore. In fact, every marketer should have it near the top of their priority list.

6. Category and Subcategory Pageviews

Category and subcategory pageviews are equally important.

Your category page contains a list of related pages on your site, so it’s easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for.

Subcategory pages branch off from category pages and allow you to provide more structure to a customer’s web experience.

What should you be tracking on these pages? Well, you might track how many people click on certain subcategory pages, your bounce rate for various pages, and whether there’s a subcategory with very low engagement levels.

Then, you can play with optimizing the names of each page, changing the order of the categories, or making the subcategories clearer and more condensed. GA allows you to track both category and subcategory events, so make full use of the available features.

7. Social Media Sharing Buttons

It’s awesome when people share your content. Not only does it mean you’re resonating with your target audience, but it means they’re introducing other people to your brand. In other words, social media shares count as free marketing, which is always a bonus.

From an A/B testing perspective, you might want to track how many people are sharing your page content, and if there’s any platform outperforming the others. Perhaps no one shares your blogs, but you discover your videos are shared frequently, or maybe more people share your content on Instagram than elsewhere.

GA can help here to an extent, but it’d be worth checking out the analytics tools on your social media platforms, too.

How to Measure Your Secondary Goals for A/B Testing

OK, so you have some goals in mind. Now, you need a means of measuring these goals to see if you’re actually reaching your objectives.

First, you need to establish your baseline measurements. You need to know how your website and all its features are performing right now so you can set an appropriate end goal.

If you don’t already have your baseline measurements, go back and collate some data, and then you’ll be ready to track your progress.

Do you have a baseline? Great. Now let’s consider how Google Optimize can help you measure those all-important secondary goals.

Google Optimize is a GA extension. It allows you to run experiments and track different outcomes, and you can measure the results via Google Analytics. If you don’t already have a Google Optimize account, head to optimize.google.com and click the “Get Started” button.

After creating your profile, link it to your GA account. Google has some comprehensive instructions for this, so check them out if you get stuck.

Once you’re all set up, create an experiment within Google Optimize by heading to the “Experiments” page and clicking the “Create Experiment” option:

How to Measure Your Secondary Goals for A/B Testing - Create an Expirement with Google Optimize

Add your variables, configure your specific objectives, and let your experiment run. Once the experiment concludes, track your results by clicking the “Reporting” tab from the experiment’s page. Repeat the process if you want to try new variants.

To be clear, you’re not restricted to Google Optimize, though. You can also use data from sources like GA and even Facebook Analytics to build a comprehensive understanding of how your secondary goals are performing.

Frequently Asked Questions About Secondary Goals for A/B Testing

A/B testing can seem a little daunting, so here’s a quick recap of the main points I’ve covered to highlight the role of secondary goals in your A/B testing strategy.

What is A/B testing?

A/B testing, or split testing, allows marketers to test two versions of the same variable, such as paid ads or page elements, to identify which version performs better. The idea is to run both versions simultaneously to see which one has the highest impact.

What’s the difference between primary and secondary goals in A/B testing?

In A/B testing, the primary goals relate to the performance of each variable. In other words, primary goals allow you to track how tweaking a variable impacts visitors’ behavior.

Secondary goals, or metrics, give you further insight into how your visitors behave while they are on your website. Secondary goals matter because they help you improve the overall user experience on your site which, in turn, increases your conversions in the long run.

Which secondary goals should you track for A/B testing?

The secondary goals you should track vary depending on your unique goals. However, metrics you should focus on include newsletter signups, add-to-cart actions, and interactions with other site or page features. You might also track conversion rates, depending on your primary goal.

How do you measure secondary goals for A/B testing?

First, measure current performance so you have a benchmark to test against. Then, use analytics tools such as Google Optimize to measure each goal. Compile your results and devise a strategy based on your findings.

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Secondary Goals: Conclusion

When you perform A/B testing, don’t limit yourself to tracking primary goals and metrics. Instead, make sure you’re measuring those all-important secondary goals to gain crucial insight into how your website’s performing and whether the user experience is optimal.

The best part? You don’t need a host of complicated tools to measure secondary metrics. Simply track your analytics data in GA, or check out one or two other measuring tools to build a more comprehensive picture of your performance.

Are you tracking your A/B secondary goals? Which measuring tool do you find most effective?

How to Create a Wikipedia Page

Wikipedia is an ever-evolving, user-generated encyclopedia that allows users to add content, including pages, articles, and general knowledge. Topics span from pinball to Prometheus and everything in between. 

If you’re interested in creating a Wikipedia page for your business or marketing endeavors, you should know upfront that getting a page added to the encyclopedia is notoriously challenging. 

With a slew of rules that determine what content can be added to the site and the sheer effort of writing a highly-researched page about your business, creating a Wikipedia page is no easy feat.

To help guide what content does end up on the platform, Wikipedia has five pillars to guide creators as they build content for the platform:

  • Wikipedia is an encyclopedia.
  • Wikipedia is written from a neutral perspective.
  • Wikipedia is free, editable, usable, and distributable by all.
  • Respect and civility must guide interactions among Wikipedia editors.
  • The platform has no firm rules, only guidelines and policies. 

After a page is published, volunteer editors are deputized to edit and add to the page for the duration of its existence. 

Although those guidelines may seem daunting, there are big benefits for marketers and business owners who manage to make the encyclopedia work in their favor. 

The largest benefit of Wikipedia is its sheer size and reach. The encyclopedia averages over 2.5 billion unique visitors per month, earning it the title of one of the most visited sites in the world. 

In addition to the sheer magnitude of users, the platform offers other benefits to marketers and business owners:

  1. Earn traffic and drive backlinks to your site: When you become an active contributor on Wikipedia and start optimizing content, you can identify pages that are relevant to your audience. Search for relevant articles with broken links and those with missing citations, then use links to your site to update those pages. When you add appropriate links in the right spot, you’ll score backlinks and drive traffic to your website. 
  2. Guide to your services and offerings: Given the structure of a Wikipedia page, you can provide readers with basic information like your brand story, location, and executive list. You can also include numbered lists of your services and offerings that allow interested parties a top-of-funnel interaction with your products. Through direct linking, you can then drive to the respective pages on your website.
  3. Build credibility: While Wikipedia is not a valid source for scholarly research given its user-generated nature, there’s no denying that people flock to the platform for information. By building a page for your organization on the site, you can further develop your credibility as an established company.

As we’ve discussed, publishing your page on Wikipedia can be a complex process. However, the benefits far outweigh the challenges. 

In this post, we break down the ten steps on how to create a Wikipedia page. 

1. Create an Account 

The first step in your journey to creating a Wikipedia page is registering an account on the platform. 

While starting an account enables you to create pages, it has other benefits, including:

  • access a permanent user page where you can share a brief bio and a few photos
  • access a talk page where you can interact with other users
  • build your reputation as a Wikipedia author 
  • customize the ways your pages appear 

To register an account, complete this form

How to Create a Wikipedia Page - Create an Account

After you’ve completed this step, you’re on your way to your first Wikipedia page. 

2. Contribute to Existing Accounts 

While Wikipedia is home to exclusively user-generated content, to build credibility on the site, you should contribute to existing accounts and pages. 

You can do this by editing existing entries regularly for clarity, factuality, and reliability. To do so, you need to first create a user page. 

As you engage more with improving content, you can boost your credibility on the site, increasing the likelihood that, when the time comes, your page will stand a fighting chance of getting published. 

3. Verify a Page Doesn’t Already Exist

Perhaps you’re an expert on a particularly niche topic that you’re certain no one has tackled in the expansive landscape that is Wikipedia. 

Regardless of how unique you perceive your topic to be, you should still dig to determine whether someone has already staked their flag in your topic. 

Use the search bar to explore any pages that may be related to your intended topic. 

4. Check Your Topic’s Notability 

Unique to Wikipedia, notability is a test editors use to determine whether a topic is substantial or relevant enough to need a unique article.  

To earn this title of notable, the information on your page must use reliable, independent sources. In general, a topic needs to meet two specific qualifications to be deemed worthy of a stand-alone page: general notability and subject-specific notability.

If your topic meets these two guidelines, you’re a step closer to actually getting your Wikipedia page published. However, editors can still opt to merge related topics, eliminating the need for a stand-alone page. 

5. Research Your Topic and Gather Resources 

Before diving into writing your Wikipedia page, be sure to fully research your topic. Whether you’re building a page for your business or developing an adjacent industry topic, be sure to include both internal and external sources to ensure that you are solidifying your reliability and notability in your draft. 

6. Create an Outline

After you’ve gathered your research sources, build an outline for your page. Here, break your information into digestible sections that can be indexed through the site’s table of contents that accompany every page. 

How to Create a Wikipedia Page - Create an Outline

7. Write a Draft of Your Wikipedia Page 

Take your time as you write your Wikipedia page. You want your content to be thorough, thoughtful, and helpful, providing searchers with what they want to know. While Wikipedia pages can do a lot to benefit your marketing efforts, keep in mind that the true intent of the platform is encyclopedic and impartial.

8. Add Citations 

Incorporating citations into your Wikipedia page is vital to your page’s success. Citations are the vehicle that drives searchers to trust the information you share on your page. 

Before you start creating your page, Wikipedia shares the disclaimer that: “The topic of an article must already be covered in reliable sources that are independent of the subject. These include journals, books, newspapers, magazines, and websites with a reputation for fact-checking. Social media, press releases, or corporate/professional profiles do not qualify.”

We’ve talked a lot about credibility in this blog post—by using reliable citations, you can boost your overall credibility. 

9. Submit Your Article for Review 

After you’ve written and proofed your page, it’s time to submit your article to Wikipedia for review. This process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get the go-ahead from Wikipedia. 

As we mentioned earlier, publishing on Wikipedia is notoriously challenging; you may have your page or article rejected a few times for finally gaining approval. 

10. Continue Making Improvements 

Once you’ve completed your page and gained approval, it’s not time to rest on your laurels. As your page gains traction on Google, you must conduct regular updates to ensure it provides the most relevant information about your offerings. 

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Create a Wikipedia Page 

Should I Build a Wikipedia Page for My Business?

Yes, you should absolutely build a Wikipedia page for your business (or for a client’s business). When you build a page, you earn benefits that include a boost in both search and backlinks, increased credibility, and more traffic. 

In addition to these benefits, you can anticipate more exposure for your business given the sheer number of users searching Wikipedia daily. 

Is Creating a Wikipedia Article Challenging?

It can be, yes. Not only does your page have to adhere to a number of guidelines set by Wikipedia, but you also must write a comprehensive, research-driven article about your topic or business. 

How Can I Know If My Wikipedia Page Will Be Published?

If you adhere to the guidelines established by Wikipedia and ensure your content is not duplicative, you have a good chance of getting your page published. However, we will note that the creation of a Wikipedia page takes a lot of work. Essentially, you are creating a well-researched document that details your organization’s history, mission, and offerings. 

How Long Will My Wikipedia Article Be Under Review Before Publication?

While we wish there were a straightforward answer to this question, publication review time varies from page to page, spanning a couple of days to several weeks. 

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In addition to these benefits, you can anticipate more exposure for your business given the sheer number of users searching Wikipedia daily. 


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How to Create a Wikipedia Page: Conclusion 

Whether you’re looking to increase traffic to your website, improve your search engine optimization, or simply build credibility, Wikipedia is a great outlet. 

Through a number of strategies, marketers can make the user-generated encyclopedia work to their benefit, doing much more than simply providing information to interested parties. 

As you begin to learn how to create a Wikipedia page, keep in mind that the process may be complicated. For your page to be approved, you need reliable sources that stack up to imbue credibility in your page. 

However, regardless of how long the process takes, the end product will be well worth it.

What strategies have you used for marketing on Wikipedia?