FAQ #10 - How do I drive more traffic to my website?

Aug 22nd, 2011 9:08 pm

If you build it, they won't come.

If building a website isn't hard enough, getting people to that website can feel like an even bigger challenge. But it doesn't have to be. With a little bit of elbow grease and some good marketing advice, your website should garner the attention it deserves!

Announce It: This may be an obvious one, but many people neglect to hand out their new website to people they know: clients, friends, family, etc. Even if you've owned your domain for years, sending out a newsletter to invite them to visit your newly created website will help jump-start traffic.
Put it Everywhere: Don't stop there! Your website should be on everything. Business cards, brochures, manuals, e-mail signatures, letterhead, promotional products. If it's good enough to have your logo on it, you should have your website on it, too.
Get Social: Social media sites are one of the best traffic generators for newer websites. If your company isn't on social media networks, you should probably start here. But for those of you who already have a well-established social media presence, get them to your site! Post your blog, your e-commerce store specials, or new articles that you publish with a link to your site. Make sure your website is prominent on your profiles.
Keep Them Coming Back: Getting people to your site is one thing, but having them come back is an entirely different beast. People in the business refer to this as a sites "stickiness" - or how often (and for how long) someone revisits to your site. Engaging your audience or creating some interactivity is key here. Blogs, articles, tools, applications, polls... the list goes on. Find something that works for your company and go with it. Don't give up if you're not getting immediate results.
You Get What You Pay For: Pay-Per-Click campaigns on sites like Google or Facebook are great at not only driving traffic, but also for getting people to know your brand. You can spend as much or as little as you want to here, but some strategic advertising here can help your business out in big ways.
Go Local: If you are a small business owner that would like some free publicity, try Google Places for Business. You will get a free listing for your company that includes your website, and will show up in local search results. This is a great tool for getting your website out there without spending a dime!

There are many more ways you can help drive traffic, but there are also some ways you can harm your chances for organic search results. Avoid link-trading services or schemes that seem too good to be true. Many times these companies are over-promising and under-delivering, or utilizing black hat SEO techniques that could get you permanently banned from search results. SEO is a process - it takes time, and with a little work you can be driving traffic to your site in your sleep.