Does your business have a website? If so, you’re on the right track. Nearly half of all small businesses don’t have any kind of website.
Before you get too excited, though, keep in mind that having a website is only half the battle. You also have to get people to visit that website on a consistent basis if you want to make sales and grow your business.
If you’ve been wondering how to increase traffic to your website, keep reading.
Listed below are lots of strategies you can implement to bring in new visitors and get them to stick around long-term.
Web Design: The Basics
There are lots of things you can do to increase website traffic. But, if your website is poorly designed, people aren’t going to stick around long. This, in turn, increases your bounce rate and can make it harder for new people to find your site.
So, before we get into specific, traffic-boosting strategies, let’s start with some basic web design tips you can implement to make a good impression on your visitors:
Make It Easy to Navigate
All of your most important information should be “above the fold.” Visitors don’t want to have to scroll to find what they’re looking for.
Make It Fast
The faster your website loads, the better. Remember, people have short attention spans. If your site doesn’t load within a few seconds, they’re going to navigate away and go somewhere else.
Keep It Simple
A busy, cluttered website is very off-putting. Keep things simple and minimalist — only include information and pictures that are absolutely necessary on your homepage.
Make sure people can easily read the information on your site, too. Use contrasting colors and easy-to-read fonts. The text should also be large enough for people to read without squinting at their screen.
Make It Mobile-Friendly
Your site should also be responsive and accessible from a range of devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Many people use these devices to search for businesses and products while they’re on-the-go. Make it easy for them to make purchases from you.
How to Increase Traffic to Your Website
Simply taking care of these issues with your website design can improve the quality of your website and significantly increase the number of visitors you get each month. But wait, there’s more!
Now that you’ve addressed the basics, it’s time to dig a little deeper. Here are some additional strategies that will increase your website traffic:
Vary Your Content
Provide your visitors with a variety of content, including short- and long-form blog posts and visual tools like video and data infographics.
Videos and infographics, in particular, can have a huge impact on the people visiting your site.
It’s often easier for people to take in and retain information when it’s presented to them in this format. This helps you make a great impression and provide value to your customers.
Use Social Media
A social media presence without a website isn’t particularly helpful, and the same can be said for a website without a social media presence.
Many people find their way over to particular websites from social media, so it pays to have a presence and be active on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Be sure to add relevant hashtags to your posts, too. That way, more people will be able to find them and learn about what you have to offer.
Optimize Your Site
Many business owners make the mistake over underestimating the power of search engine optimization, or SEO — don’t be one of them. On-page optimization is especially important.
The content on each page of your website should include relevant keywords and well-written meta descriptions. You also need to make sure you’re updating your content regularly to provide consistent value to your website visitors.
Give Guest-Blogging a Try
If you have a blog on your website, guest-blogging can be a great tool to bring in new visitors.
By writing a post on someone else’s website, you can reach their visitors and potentially bring them over to your site.
Having someone else post on your site is also helpful. They’re likely to share a link to the article with their followers, which brings them over to your site.
Pay Attention to Your Competition
Always pay attention to what your competition is doing.
What do their websites look like? How are they engaging with visitors? Are they offering something you’re not?
The goal is not to copy your competition, of course. But, it’s important to see what’s working for them and what isn’t. Then, you can adjust your own site accordingly.
Get Listed in Online Directories
Getting listed in online directories is very helpful, especially if you have a physical storefront as part of your business.
Getting listed makes it easy for people to find your business when they’re performing local searches. Keep these listings updated and encourage your customers to leave reviews to boost your website traffic even more.
Utilize Email Marketing
Email marketing helps you to stay in touch with your customers and keep them coming back to your website. It’s great to focus on bringing in new visitors, but don’t forget to nurture the relationship you already have.
Many people utilize email newsletters to provide helpful links and information about products or services. You can also send out exclusive offers to people on your email list.
Engage with Your Community
Finally, make sure you’re engaging with the community you’ve built. Respond to social media comments and comments on your blog posts or videos.
Let people know that you’re listening and are interested in what they have to say. If they feel they’ve connected with you on a personal level, they’re more likely to continue coming back to your site.
Need More Help Increasing Your Website Traffic?
These strategies will get you pretty far when it comes to figuring out how to increase traffic to your website. But, are you looking for even more guidance?
If so, we’re here to help at North Lake Digital today. We offer a variety of services, including web design, SEO, social media management, and blogging.
Contact us today to learn more about how our services can benefit you and your business.
