Driving qualified traffic to a website is the most challenging and crucial aspect of owning one. Small businesses often lack the funds for large paid marketing campaigns and must adhere to a tight budget. Regardless of the budget, a good return on investment (ROI) is anticipated from the website considering the significant investment made, likely amounting to thousands of dollars.
In order to see any return on investment from your website, it is necessary to have a steady flow of visitors. Without regular traffic, websites simply serve as fancy business cards. The real worth of a site lies in its capacity to attract and engage consumers, as well as assist the business in achieving conversions. In simpler terms, your website should either be conducting transactions or persuading potential customers to reach out.
Increasing website traffic is essential for any small business. Fortunately, there are multiple cost-effective methods to achieve this. Here, we will discuss several ways to drive traffic to your site.
1. Become a content publisher
Content is essential for effective marketing, whether it is used online or offline. In order to boost incoming traffic from various sources such as search engines and social media, it is important to have high-quality content on your website. There are three main types of content: visuals (including images and videos), text, and audio. It is crucial to utilize these forms of content in a way that best suits your business situation.
Some examples of high performing content on the web include, but are not restricted to, the following:
When writing articles or blog content, it is important to think step by step, ensuring that the information is rephrased while the meaning remains unchanged.
The video provides information, entertainment, and other things.
Please rephrase the text below while keeping the same meaning and structure. Infographics are visual representations of information or data displayed in a concise and engaging manner. They are used to simplify complex information and enhance the understanding of the audience. Infographics are designed to be visually appealing, incorporating elements such as charts, graphs, icons, and images. They are widely utilized in various fields including marketing, education, journalism, and social media, as they are effective tools for conveying information quickly and effectively.
A podcast is a digital audio or video file that is available for streaming or downloading online.
eBooks can be rephrased to “Digital books” or “Books in digital format”.
In one of its SEO Mythbusting episodes, Google once again emphasized the significance of high-quality content to marketers.
According to Martin Splitt, a Webmaster Trends Analyst at Google, in order to have really good content, it is crucial to provide content that serves a purpose for the users. This means that the content should fulfill the needs and desires of the users, ideally addressing both.
Many people find creating content to be easy. Professional content writers or creators can be hired by any small business. However, the important part is to utilize this content to attract website traffic. Hence, it is crucial to collaborate with a content team that possesses the knowledge of optimizing content for search engines.
2. Pick a few channels and get social
While there are various ways to utilize social media for business expansion, our main focus will be on boosting website traffic. By sharing captivating content from your site, such as articles, you can attract pertinent traffic from social platforms. Just remember to keep the ultimate objective in mind, which is increasing traffic in this situation.
Small businesses often make the mistake of depending too much on social networks as their sole means of developing their company. Consequently, numerous businesses neglect the essential task of actively managing and expanding their website, which is a platform they have complete control over. In fact, some businesses do not even possess a website of their own.
It does not mean that small businesses cannot be highly active on social networks; they should. However, it is crucial to always keep in mind that the ultimate objective is to utilize social media as a means of drawing people towards your website. Additionally, if feasible, make the most of both paid and organic promotion on social networks.
The cost of advertising on platforms such as Facebook can be as little as one dollar per day.
3. Add your business to GMB, Bing Places, etc.
Every day, individuals search for companies on platforms such as Google My Business (GMB), Bing Places, and other business directories. By creating and optimizing your business listing on these sites, you can enhance the amount of traffic coming to your website. It is advisable to prioritize GMB and Bing Places as they are the most significant platforms. Once your business is listed, you will have the opportunity to appear in search results when consumers make location-specific queries like “bakery near me.”
It is a quick process that can be done by any business. All you have to do is go to each website, sign up your company, and choose how you want to verify the business. Ensure that your website’s address is included in the business listing. Additionally, remember that the directories only accept companies with a physical address.
Utilizing other business directories such as Yelp can also contribute to increasing website traffic. All directories offer two main benefits to your business. Firstly, they enhance relevancy, thereby strengthening your online presence and improving search engine rankings. Secondly, by capitalizing on the existing traffic on business directories, you can positively impact your own website’s visibility.
4. Start a link building campaign
Link building is the action of acquiring backlinks to your website from other websites. Backlinks are also known as links that direct to your site. The most effective method of obtaining backlinks is by connecting genuine business activities with link building. A prime illustration of this is guest contributing articles to popular websites that cater to a portion of your desired audience. This proves to be a clever marketing strategy, as the backlink becomes a valuable extra advantage.
Some additional link building strategies include, but are not restricted to, the following:
Request individuals you are acquainted with to mention your website on their own.
Promote content to the audiences that are most probable to create a link to it.
Establish connections and cultivate partnerships with other brands.
Have you ever used and enjoyed a product? Provide the business with a testimonial that they can feature on their website.
Include your company in credible and reliable business directories.
Create valuable products for consumers and advertise them to the target audience that is most likely to share it.
Be creative because there are numerous ways to acquire backlinks, limited only by one’s imagination.
5. Utilize digital channels
In order for your retail store to succeed, it is essential to include social media as a marketing strategy. Using social media is an effective method to engage with your customers and ensure that your store remains memorable to them.
There are different ways you can do this, such as sharing behind-the-scenes photos and videos or organizing contests and giveaways. Additionally, it is important to consistently promote your products as studies indicate that 56% of customers follow brands on social media specifically to explore the company’s offerings.
6. Improve your curb appeal
Improving the curb appeal is one of the simplest methods to attract more customers to your store. Ensure that the front entrance is well-landscaped and easily accessible for customers.
To enhance the appearance of your store’s entrance, consider incorporating attractive and visually appealing ornaments, such as vibrant flower pots during spring and summer, or thematic and cheerful decorations throughout autumn and winter seasons.
7. Claim your google business listing
Firstly, you must claim your Google Business listing for driving local traffic to your store effectively. By doing so, your store will appear in the search results when local customers search for a business similar to yours on Google.
8. Offer discounts and rewards
To entice customers to visit your store, offering a time-limited promotion is an excellent strategy as everybody appreciates a good discount. Inform customers about the promotion via email and social media, emphasizing that they can avail the discount in-store.
9. Encourage customers to buy gift cards
With the holidays approaching rapidly, it is a perfect opportunity to start urging your customers to buy gift cards for their loved ones. Gift cards are commonly given during the holidays, and this presents an excellent chance to connect with new potential customers who may be unfamiliar with your store.
10. Let customers buy online and pick up in-store
The majority of customers enjoy online shopping, but are not fond of paying for shipping. A helpful solution to this issue is to offer customers the choice to buy items online and collect them from the store. According to a survey, 57% of customers would opt for this service to evade shipping charges.
If you choose to provide this service, ensure a smooth experience for your customers by making it effortless. Prepare the merchandise in advance for immediate delivery upon their arrival and provide your staff with adequate training to manage any rare instances of returns.
11. Host an event
Encouraging customers to visit your store can be effectively achieved by organizing special events. For instance, if you specialize in selling workout clothes, consider arranging free in-store yoga classes. Lululemon regularly adopts this strategy to motivate customers to visit their various store branches.
By collaborating with nearby businesses, you can also organize joint events. The main objective remains to create an enjoyable and welcoming atmosphere in your store that entices customers to eagerly come and visit.
12. Promote your website offline
There are only a few people who take into account offline promotion for their website, but it presents a tremendous opportunity. Here are a few methods to demonstrate this:
One option for promoting your small business website is to distribute custom-made business cards. A possible approach is to emphasize the website address in bold letters, while providing additional details in smaller font above or below the card. This method is likely to pique interest and entice potential customers to visit your website. The use of business cards for promotion is cost-effective, making it accessible to all small businesses.
To ensure consumer visibility, it is recommended to subtly and tastefully incorporate your website address onto various items, including work uniforms. The key is to draw consumers’ attention to the website address effectively.
By following these straightforward and practical tactics, you can establish the mentality needed to promote your small business website offline.
