Creating a website with dazzling effects is only great if someone finds it, needs it and is compelled to take the next step with your company. Here are some quick tips to get boost your traffic, so your website starts working for you.
1. SEO: Be where your users are looking.
I love search engine optimization because it’s an easy way to talk with the people who are already interested in what you offer or at least interested enough to do some research on it. This way you’re not working with a completely cold lead.
SEO isn’t just about optimizing for your direct website. You can optimize map listings, images, and YouTube videos, all of which have an opportunity to show up on a search result page. Right now is an excellent time to work on this since not a lot of people have figured this out yet.
2. Reviews: Leverage other people’s opinions.
Google isn’t the only place people look for information. The opinions of other people (friends, family, or even complete strangers) are valuable when someone is trying to make a decision. Having an active presence and responding to people’s reviews shows that you care and you’re ready to make their experience special. It’s also pretty handy that all of these sites let you link back to your own website.
3. Advertising: Promote your content.
Paid advertisement is a quick way to get foot traffic to your website while you work on a long term SEO and social media plan. I have personally found that paid advertisements on Facebook are particularly effective if you’re promoting content on your website rather than just asking someone to buy something.
4. Social: Make a direct connection.
Think about how your experience with a restaurant, for example, would change if you Tweeted that you were looking for sushi and a sushi restaurant personally invited you to their restaurant (with a link to their menu on their website). A quick way to get someone’s attention is to reach out directly to them. It takes time to reach out to individuals, but that time is worth it.
5. Listings: Make use of online directories.
This is perhaps the most overlooked tip of all. Online directories not only lists names, addresses or phone numbers, they also list web addresses. Since the address is hyperlinked, the person viewing the information is able to click directly on it and go right to the website. Make use of this traffic generating tool by registering with these directories, just double and triple check your website's address (you don't want customers clicking a dead site). Some of these directories are free and others will charge you a membership revolving membership fee to remain in the directory. This may be a pain since it may cost a bit, but it's definitely worth it.
6. PR: Get someone else to link to you.
Get a Press Release or a mention in the news. Since both are online, you can take advantage of the extra attention by pursuing both venues with an interesting tidbit about your business. Are you taking your industry in a new direction? Are you offering a product that deserves more attention than just social media? Have you won any awards in your industry? If so, make sure people know about it.
7. Sharable: Keep your website active and full of interesting content.
Valuable content is what ties all of the previous points together. Which is why every blog, social media post, and mention is critical to driving traffic to your website and to gaining return traffic. My rule of thumb is that if I wouldn’t bookmark a page or share it, then the content isn’t good enough.
Launching your website is just the beginning. If you’re interested in leveraging any of these topics, please give me a shout on Twitter or call up the Mediacurrent office. I’ve got a lot more tips to share.
