With so many websites out there and your competition at the door, your website must stand out. But how exactly do you do that? Everyone makes it sound so easy. Build it and they will come, as the iconic line from the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ says. It is more like build it, work it, work it some more, and they will trickle in.
Yet there are some key things you can do to get your site moving from a trickle to a full-on downpour of traffic. And most of them are not even that hard. Are you ready to get started? Let’s go:
Tip #1: Get in the directories & find site partners
New or redeveloped websites can take a while to build trust in the eyes of search engines such as Google or Bing. When the content is new on a site, the crawlers will find it. But that content coming from a site that has no backing does not mean much.
To solve this issue, you need to get links from other known sites. It is not easy to do, but once you have some good strong links on your side it becomes easier to show up in search engines. There are some easy links that you can gather, however. They might not be as strong as hand-picked one, but they will start the process.
The easy links that you can get to your website are all directories such as Google My Business, Bing Listings. These are commonly referred to as citations. Start with as many free ones that you can add your business website in. Then move on to paid ones if you can afford. Make sure that they are the best and relevant. They must be the most useful directories for your business. It is not a good use of resources for directories that do not get high traffic or are irrelevant to your field. Try to get in directories that your competition is already in.
You also don’t want to add your site to know bad players. Stick with well known and legit directories. Do not add your site to link farms or generic sites that have nothing to do with your site.
Site partners will take a lot more work. Research sites that have a good ranking, and are relevant to your niche. Once you have located a suitable site, reach out to the owner. See if they would consider trading links with your site. Make sure the link you are wanting to trade for is relevant to their site. It never hurts to ask.
Tip #2: Engage with your users
The amount of traffic your site will get affected by how engaging the content of your site is. If visitors are coming and going in an instant, less traffic will come your way. You need to write content that not only attracts but will be something visitors will want to read. All the flashy headlines in the world will not keep people, or get them to come back. Make it interesting and personal.
Tip #3: Get Social
Social media is a huge driving force in the world today. More people get news through social media than almost any other means. Take your ideal customer and think about what they would do on social media. Work to join the places that they like to hang out. Comment, tweet, ask questions, answer questions. Be a part of that community.
As you engage with the community, in time they will come to trust you. From there you can post links back to your site. You can also suggest topics or answers from your own database of posts that answer the needs of others. The more trust and relationship that you built will help to push traffic to your site.
Do not over spam people. That is the number one way to lose any kind of following to your site. You do not have to give your 2 cents on every single post. Pick and choose. Answer the questions that you are already an expert in. Do your research and suggest valuable information.
Tip #4: Add more content
Search engines love fresh content. Post to your site on a regular schedule. Update the main pages whenever anything changes. Change out text and photos from time to time. Make your site stand out with well written and formatted posts. Check your grammar and spelling. Do your research and know what you are talking about.
The more content your site has, the more likely it will rank. Each post or article you write could become the next big hit. It also helps to establish you as the authority on the topics you tend to write about. Do not forget to link the older content to the newer content. This will create pathways for the visitors to stay on your site longer.
It never hurts to revisit old blog articles and ensure they have the most relevant information. If they are out of date and need updating, either fix them or write a new article. This new article can be linked to from the old one listing the latest information.
Tip #5: Go offline
In the world of digital, it can be easy to forget about the offline world. Promote your website on your business cards. Add a link to emails. Tell people about it at network meetings. Get it on your car. Be creative about how you market it in the offline world. You need to get people to notice and show interest to pull out their phone and look it up. Pair it up with your name and what you do.
You never know when you may run across someone that will see your site on the rear window of your car. They may look you up and you may have the exact service they needed. The goal of the website is to drive leads, not to get traffic. It does not matter how you get them there, as long as you get them. Try sharing your website with friends over a cup of coffee. Ask them to tell their friends about your site.
The more you put your website out there the more traffic it can gather. More traffic will equal more business if the content is right, and given enough time. Work hard to keep your website aligned with the ideal customer that you want to do business with. Make your website the front portal that helps to filter the desired traffic from that which you do not want. With more traffic comes higher ranking. A higher ranking will have you overcoming your competition in no time.
That’s it. You now know the keys. It all comes down to you. Are you willing to put out the efforts to change your site, and push for the traffic you want? You must be willing to work hard. But hard efforts can pay off with big rewards in the end to those that press forward.
