Looking to increase traffic to your website?
There are several easy and effective things you can do to start driving more people to your website. In this article we will go over some of the ways you can enhance your message and increase traffic to your website or blog.
For a long time “if you build it, they will come” was an Internet meme. It was a sarcastic twist on the idea that many folks had (and still have today) that if you build a website and put it up on the Internet, people will come and buy your products and services.
But that’s just not how it works.
At Liquis Design, we focus on building awesome websites for small businesses and we find that there’s still a bit of “if you build it, they will come” mentality floating around.
Building a great website that gets attention, helps visitors navigate your products and services, has the right flow, and the right call-to-action elements is critical.
[Tweet “Effective websites: get attention, help visitors navigate, and have the right call to actions.”]
But it’s simply not enough.
Thinking about what your customers want and need before they get to your site is an important part of building a website that keeps customers engaged.
First, here are 3 things you can do to improve your message for your target audience:
You might also like: 10 ways to fix your website and grow your business
1. Discover your perfect customer.
Knowing who you are selling to and narrowing that focus to specific types of buyers or visitors will help shape the content and images on your website.
Understanding your perfect customer will also help guide your marketing efforts.
If you are struggling with this then it’s time to get some help or feedback. Not targeting a perfect customer in every aspect of your website, means your online asset isn’t doing its best work for you.
Here is a great tool for creating your customer personas: xtensio
2. Discover who you are.
As important as it is to know your customer, it is equally important to know your own business.
What do you stand for? What are your values? How do they translate on your website?
When a visitor comes to your website they are looking to solve a problem or answer a question. It’s important to have the solutions and answers, but how you present that information is also a key factor.
We, as consumers, want to buy from people and businesses we like and trust. Beyond that we look for places that match our needs.
[Tweet “We, as consumers, like to buy from people and businesses we like and trust.”]
You can buy diamond earrings at a Zales in the local mall or you can buy diamond earrings at one of those “by appointment only” places where the parking lot is filled with Bentleys. But unless the tone, content, and imagery support the brand, you might show up in your Bentley at Zales or you might show up in your Pinto at Tiffany’s.
Consumers look for clues to guide them. Most consumers want to be at a place that understands their specific needs, which could include style or price.
3. Discover your message.
Your tagline isn’t enough to let visitors know what you are about.
Visit the Zales’ website and then the Tiffany’s website and you’ll get a feel for the difference in message.
Knowing who your customer is, and who you are, will guide the look and feel of your website as well as the content and tone. So how are you communicating with your visitors? This is critical if you hope to keep visitors on your site and engaged.
Knowing what you want to say and how you want to say it requires attention, especially when all we have at our disposal are text and images to make a great impression.
Now that we’ve figured out the presentation part, how do we get them to come to the site? Putting up an epic website simply isn’t enough.
Here are 3 ways to start driving more traffic to your website:
1. SEO – Search Engine Optimization is a must-have for your website.
SEO helps people find you when they searching Google or another search engine. When it comes to SEO, there are general tactics and local tactics.
Many brick-and-mortar style businesses need local customers. The whole world isn’t a customer for them, so having a great local SEO plan in place will make it easier for people in their area to find them.
You’ve probably got several sitting in your in-box. Sending email messages to your customers and visitors is a great way to keep your products and services top-of-mind.
Even if a prospective customer doesn’t have time to visit your site every day or week, they can stay engaged with specials, sales, or product content.
An email newsletter can be easy to implement and doesn’t need to be filled to the brim with new content every time. Introducing a new product, sharing a great article, announcing an event, or showing pictures of your last event are great ways to keep in touch.
We recommend free newsletter systems like MailChimp to our clients. It’s easy to setup, comes with user-friendly templates, and embeddable forms you can put right on your website tostart building that list.
Don’t forget to check out our post on “Email Marketing Hack [E-Newsletters]“, and download our free Ebook – “22 Must-Have Newsletter Strategies” for more e-newsletter tips.
3. Snail-Mail – The digital age has created lots of ways to keep in touch with your customers and the cost can be very low.
But don’t discount good old-fashioned snail-mail.
Sending a catalog, postcard, flyer, or card may be thrown into the junk mail pile, especially around the holidays.
The best way to stand out when sending physical mail is to send personalized cards. Sending a personal note now and again to your best customers with relevant information will set you apart and deepen your relationship with them. You can also raise interest with a bright envelope or bulk to peek interest of what’s inside.
Pro Tip: QR Codes are making a comeback this year! This is a great way to blend the nostalgia of a handwritten note with the modern world. Our favorite online printer offers unique mini cards or stickers that you can print special QR codes that link to offer a discount, download, or anything that fits your marketing strategy!
We’ve covered three ways to enhance your message + three ways to get traffic to your website.
Tackling each one is a good way to start your business building plans for 2017.
Make 2017 epic! Stay tuned for our “more complete” repeatable 4 step process to driving more traffic to your website.
Have anything to add to this post? Tell us in the comments.
