Key Achievements
From March 2019 to February 2020, I was hired by Green Gorilla, a CBD manufacturer and retailer, to fill their open ‘Website Manager’ position which included a large and comprehensive assortment of daily tasks and long-term projects requiring my talents in several different areas so that I could manage their website team including WordPress PHP development, e-commerce product SEO, and online advertising to name a few. The central objective of this work was to maintain and optimize several of their websites, with a core focus on the e-commerce optimization of their USDA-organic CBD products and accessories at ILoveGreenGorilla.com and the website for the company’s new subdivision, Gorilla Farm Co. My extensive role at Green Gorilla was critical to ensuring the company’s online platforms were not only functional but also strategically positioned for growth in a highly competitive digital market. The work I completed was a prime example of effective E-Commerce Website Management and E-Commerce Product Optimization.
The project had four main objectives that guided my work:
- E-Commerce Website Management – Maintain and enhance the functionality of all Green Gorilla websites, ensuring a secure and seamless user experience for customers.
- E-Commerce Product Optimization – Optimize all USDA-organic CBD product listings and accessories on ILoveGreenGorilla.com with a focus on improving search engine rankings and increasing organic traffic through strategic keyword implementation.
- Website Development and Maintenance – Serve as the lead developer for the websites, overseeing all technical aspects, including bug fixes, security updates, and new feature implementation to support business goals.
- SEO Expertise – Act as the SEO expert, conducting comprehensive keyword research and implementing on-page and technical SEO best practices to improve online visibility and user engagement.
The first phase of my work with Green Gorilla focused on a deep technical audit of the websites, identifying and resolving any performance issues, security vulnerabilities, and SEO gaps. I then transitioned into the second phase, where I focused heavily on e-commerce product optimization for the USDA-organic CBD products and accessories. This involved rewriting product descriptions, optimizing images, and implementing structured data to increase the products’ search rankings across major search platforms while simultaneously managing the ongoing maintenance and development of multiple websites.
The next phase was dedicated to creating an entirely new design and theme for Green Gorilla’s flagship website, utilizing the results from my e-commerce product optimization and SEO implementations. Using analytics to track keyword rankings, organic traffic, and conversion rates, I designed and implemented a new UI for the individual product pages to maximize conversion rates. Shortly after the successful completion of this new website design, our overall e-commerce conversions increased from 2.97% to 3.96%, demonstrating my ability to blend technical development skills with strategic marketing to deliver powerful results. For more information on E-Commerce Website Management, you can read my article explaining the important lessons I learned on the subject at SEOBestPractices.Quora.com/5-Extremely-Important-Lessons-in-eCommerce-that-I-Learned-the-Hard-Way.
A few of the most notable deliverables completed during my employment at Green Gorilla include a series of highly optimized websites (most importantly, ILoveGreenGorilla.com), a complete e-commerce product optimization for their CBD product line, and a comprehensive online marketing strategy, including PPC/PPM advertising campaigns that significantly improved their online visibility. The rise in many important sets of e-commerce data, especially the nearly 1% increase in Green Gorilla’s e-commerce conversion rate, is a testament to the power of combining e-commerce website management with a robust development and SEO strategy. The powerful results Green Gorilla witnessed by combining my e-commerce website management skills with a robust development and SEO strategy demonstrate my expertise in creating a powerful and effective online presence that drives increased sales and revenue. You can view the final product line on their website at ILoveGreenGorilla.com/products, or check out their range of CBD accessories at ILoveGreenGorilla.com/products/tools-accessories/. To see more of my portfolio, visit MatthewKlodt.com/portfolio, or read about my various service offerings at MatthewKlodt.com/website-services/.