How to increase traffic to your website
Picture this: you enlist the help of a web designer to create a beautiful new website for your business. You then hire a copywriter to make it sound great, followed closely by a product photographer to make it look great. And then you launch it out into the world to the unrelenting sound of crickets. So you’ve spent all that time and money for a sum total of 2 people to see (one of which is probably your mom and the other is your best friend).
If this story hits a little too close to home, here are some strategies to help you increase traffic to your website:
OPTIMISE FOR SEARCH ENGINES (SEO)
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is really the first step in increasing website traffic. By optimising your site for search engines like Google, you improve its chances of ranking higher in search results. Start by conducting keyword research to identify relevant terms and phrases your target audience is searching for: what words or phrases are they using to find businesses just like yours? Incorporate these keywords naturally into your content, titles, and meta descriptions.
INCREASE DWELL TIME
Content is king when it comes to attracting and retaining website visitors. Aim to keep your audience engaged (and thus spending a good amount of time on your website) by giving them diverse content types, including blog posts, infographics, videos, and podcasts.
Regularly updating your blog with fresh and relevant content not only helps with SEO but also keeps your audience engaged. Share actionable insights, industry trends, and how-to guides to provide real value to your readers. Don't forget to include strong calls-to-action (CTAs) to encourage further engagement.
REDUCE PAGE LOADING SPEED
Focus on on-page SEO factors like optimising page load speed, creating user-friendly navigation, and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly. Make the images on your website web-ready (i.e. they have a smaller file size and resolution than high-resolution images, making them easier to load and display on websites, social media platforms, and email newsletters). Ensure that your images have alt tags (this refers to the copy that appears in place of an image on a webpage if the image fails to load on a user's screen) as this text allows search engines to better crawl and rank your website.
BUILD BACKLINKS
Off-page SEO, such as building quality backlinks from reputable sites, also plays a crucial role in improving your site's authority and ranking. Guest posting on key industry websites with links back to your website is a great strategy. Where fitting, create infographics that are interesting and shareable, as the more people share your infographics, the more website backlinks you’ll build up.
LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media platforms are powerful tools for driving traffic to your website. By sharing your content and engaging with your audience on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest, you can increase your site's visibility and attract new visitors.
Consider running targeted ads or sponsored posts to reach a broader audience. Regularly interacting with your followers, responding to comments, and participating in relevant conversations can also help build a loyal community around your brand.
USE EMAIL MARKETING
Email marketing remains one of the most effective methods for driving traffic to your website. Building an email list allows you to communicate directly with your audience and keep them informed about new content, promotions, or updates. Create compelling email campaigns that offer value, such as exclusive content, discounts, or special offers. You can also include direct links to drive traffic to certain parts of your website, making it quick and easy for your audience to interact with your site.
Personalize your emails and segment your list to ensure that your messages are relevant to each subscriber. Regularly track email performance metrics like open rates and click-through rates to refine your strategy and improve engagement.
ANALYSE AND ADAPT
Finally, regularly monitor your website's performance using tools like Google Analytics. Analysing traffic sources, user behaviour, keywords and other key metrics will help you understand what’s working and what needs improvement. Use these insights to refine your strategies and adapt to changing trends and audience preferences.
Need help with your website? We have a dedicated web designer on staff to help you with your website needs. Our graphic designer and team of photographers and videographers are also on hand to enhance the visual aspects of your site. Keen to learn more? Book your FREE 30 minute discovery call:
