Website traffic remains the lifeblood of any online business. Without enough web traffic, it’s impossible to sell anything online, let alone grow and develop your business into something more substantial than it already is.
While there are many methods out there to increase your website traffic, you may not know all of them – especially if you’re new to the world of e-commerce or digital marketing or if you simply want to see what other options are out there that you may not have tried yet.
Here are 10 proven ways to increase website traffic that you may not know about yet.
1) Tailor your website according to your target audience
The way your website looks and operates can determine whether people will stop by for a few minutes or stay for hours. If you have your own business, make sure your website is tailored according to your target audience’s wants and needs. An appealing design and intuitive navigation will keep visitors on your page longer.
2) Do not depend on search engines alone
If you depend on search engines alone, you will never get ranked higher than your direct competitors. If a website ranks #1 for Best Pizza in Denver and another site ranks #2 for Best Pizza in Denver chances are, they will both be getting about equal traffic from Google because of their proximity in ranking. That being said, there is more than one way to get organic visitors. Keep reading...
3) Promote your content on other platforms
Social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are some of your best sources for attracting new visitors. Make sure you have an active presence on each platform to spread your content effectively. Additionally, make sure your site is optimized with social sharing buttons so users can easily share your content with their own networks.
4) Content is still king
A quality website with an impressive design is definitely important, but there’s no getting around it: your website needs quality content. If a user can’t find information or doesn’t understand how your business works, you won’t convert them into paying customers. And of course, content is about more than just words on a page: if you have photos and video on your site, make sure they represent your brand in a positive light.
5) Create keyword-rich, compelling titles
If you want your page to show up for a certain keyword phrase, you should include it in your title. Keywords placed at the beginning of a title are considered more important than those found later on in a title, so if you want your content to rank highly, be sure that all of your pages’ titles include relevant keywords. Don’t overdo it though—keyword stuffing is more likely to hurt your rankings than help them.
6) Use new and trending search engine optimization strategies
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a critical aspect of getting traffic from your website. While there are many strategies you can use to optimize your site for search engines—for example, keyword stuffing and adding lots of links back to your site—there are some strategies that have been shown time and again to actually improve a website’s ranking in search results.
7) Optimize your website for local SEO
If you have a brick-and-mortar business, such as a restaurant or retail shop, local SEO could be a game-changer for your website traffic. Try creating new pages on your site like hours and contact to optimize your page for local searches. For example, if your address is 123 Main Street in Anytown, GA, make sure people can find out when you’re open and how they can contact you from these pages.
8) Educate yourself about social media marketing trends
Social media marketing is one of the best ways for online business owners to generate traffic for their websites. By keeping up with social media trends, you’ll be able to set yourself apart from other businesses and attract customers who are looking for your products or services.
As Facebook grows in popularity among its 2 billion-plus members—and as Google announces major changes to its algorithm—online entrepreneurs have even more reason to ensure they stay knowledgeable about new strategies and tactics for maximizing profits through their site’s social media presence.
9) Choose the right time for publishing
Although your content is king, it doesn’t mean you can hit publish every time. Your audience has different needs at different times, so you need to put yourself in their shoes and come up with relevant or customized content publishing time for them. For example, if your customer tends to be online in the late evening, then you should probably post your latest news there when they are on their devices. If most of your customers work in an office during the daytime, then posting in the morning or afternoon may be more suitable for them.
10) Add as much value as possible
Your content needs to be as useful as possible. It also has to relate directly or indirectly to your product or service. The idea is that visitors will continue coming back and learning more, so they’ll be more inclined to purchase your product when they need it.
This applies not only to written content but videos, infographics, eBooks, etc., anything you can create that attracts traffic. Asking yourself how it helps increase traffic is a good way of developing valuable content for your business.
Final Thoughts:
Businesses should take these steps to keep their site consistently engaging for visitors. Some of these methods will be noticeable right away be delivering an instant boost in website traffic, while others will take time and patience. Experimenting with a variety of techniques can help you produce long-term results.
