How to Get More People to Visit Your Website
Your website is, without question, an absolutely imperative part of your business. It is where people go to check your legitimacy, get a feel for you, your brand, and what you offer, and yes, by golly, it is where you get leads that convert to customers. It is not a stretch to say it is THE most powerful tool in your business toolbox.
That’s why throughout the month, Spring Insight is going to share tips and techniques for getting the most out of your website with a firm focus on setting your business up for a strong finish to the year. (Huh? It’s still summertime, you say? We know. But the work you do now will pay dividends down the road, so we recommend hitting this hard in the 3rd quarter, which “Tada!” is officially underway.)
However, no matter how beautifully your website is designed and how well thought out the functional aspects of the site work, your site will not be able to do its all-important job of creating customers if you don’t have many people visiting it.
This is where you, the business owner, get to shine.
Increasing traffic to your website is directly correlated with business growth. Best of all, there are loads of ways to accomplish this! You get to pick and choose what works best for you, your brand, your image, and your business.
Online Options to Drive Traffic to Your Website
One Google search for “increasing traffic to your website” yields a staggering number of results. (647 million, to be precise!) It can be overwhelming, to say the least. We are going to pare that way, way down, opting to share three online strategies that are perennially effective.
Social Media
Are you on social media? That is frequently the first question potential clients will ask you about your business. The reason is simple. It’s super easy to find businesses on social media and following them helps potential clients see if the business is a good fit for them.
Here’s the rub, though. Business owners are sometimes misled into thinking that simply being on a variety of social media channels will somehow magically create customers. It does not work that way. Social media has to be used incredibly intentionally in order to achieve specific business outcomes.
In this case, your goal is to drive traffic to your website. Your posts need to be thoughtfully designed with a clear call to action directing the audience to go to your website. These are excellent opportunities to attract potential customers with a lead magnet that they hear about on your social channels but can only access on your website after providing their email address, of course!
Content Creation
Ever heard of a force multiplier? It has its roots in military science but is referenced in the business world as well. A force multiplier is a tool or strategy that allows you to get exponentially better results than you would without using it. Content creation can be a force multiplier for your website, especially when combined with social media.
Content comes in many forms. Many people equate blogging with content, but there’s more to it than that. Videos, social media posts, articles, blogs, webinars, case studies, emails, newsletters, and more are ALL considered content. But not all content is “good” content.
Content is created to engage your audience. They must find it valuable, or they will not consume it. Create engaging, valuable content and amplify the results by sharing it in a strategic way on your social media platforms of choice.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Another tried and true method for increasing your website traffic is to ensure your site is optimized for search engine results. Google is by far the leader in the search engine space so our recommendations are in line with getting your business to appear further up the list on searches that are relevant to your business.
This is accomplished by a wide variety of methods. One of the most effective methods is to do thorough keyword research to find what your audience is searching for online and to create high-quality content that answers their questions. You’ll also want to incorporate proven SEO strategies, like optimizing images and URLs, writing compelling title tags and meta descriptions, and using internal links. All of these strategies combined help your page rank higher in search engine results. The higher you are on those results, the more people will see your site as an option and ideally, visit it.
If you are reading all of this and thinking, that’s great and all but how does a business owner find the time to do this when they are, you know, running a business? Most of them don’t! We help our small business clients make the most of their websites by providing ongoing marketing support specifically designed to drive traffic to your website.
In-Person Options to Drive Traffic to Your Website
For those of you too young to remember a time without the internet, businesses did actually market themselves human-to-human. Crazy, right? Seriously though, business owners who have been there, done that know that there is no social media post or piece of content that can compare with a personal connection.
No matter what you do or who your clients are, getting out into your local area and building relationships in the real world is a proven path to building a business and creating new customers. And yes, you can intentionally increase website traffic through this “old-fashioned” means of promotion.
Networking
Your network is everyone and anyone you can contact. Building your network is a must for any and all business owners. Networking happens everywhere: at special events, when you are traveling the world when you stop in for a coffee, or at the neighborhood party down the street.
When you engage with others in this way, make sure you are ready to direct these new connections to your website. Have your web address or a QR code on your business card and tell them something specific they can get when they visit your website.
Speaking Engagements
Speaking to groups is a fantastic way to get your name and your business’s services out there. It improves your credibility and helps establish your brand and expertise. When you land an opportunity to speak to a group of people, don’t forget to tell them what you want them to do.
Offer the audience freebies or value-adds only available to them as audience members at this speaking engagement. But make them go to your website to get them. This will give you the opportunity to add them to your email list in order to get the free stuff and, most importantly, get them onto your website where they can learn just how amazing your business is.
Chamber of Commerce and other Associations
Are you a member of your local Chamber of Commerce? All business owners should be! There is power in community, and the Chamber is one of the longest-standing community-based organizations available to you. As a member, networking opportunities are baked into the experience.
On top of that, they offer resources and connections you won’t be able to access anywhere else. Become an active member of this and other associations, and you will have ample opportunities to get your website address out there to others like you.
Stay tuned as we continue exploring the theme of closing your year out strong! The next article in this series will focus on converting those website visitors into real customers.