For years now, having an online presence has been essential when it comes to succeeding in business. But as digital media advances—especially in terms of search engine algorithms and social media restrictions targeting advertising and spam—tempting visitors to visit your website is an ever-evolving battle. How can companies attract attention without tricking the system? Two local businesses offer best practices to get more visitors to your website and convert them into dollars.
1. Understand different types of traffic.
Web traffic comes from five different channels: organic, direct, referral, paid, and social. When you understand those, notes Jared Broussard, founder and CEO of BlinkJar Media, marketing becomes more streamlined.”
According to Broussard, organic traffic is derived from any search engines. Direct is defined as those visitors who type in an entity’s Web address and visit the site directly. Referrals come from another website other than a search engine that links to your site. Paid traffic is that which originates from a banner ad or Google AdWords. And finally, social traffic is that which comes from any social media channel.
“You take all of that, and you look at each sector and figure out how you can improve each traffic channel,” Broussard says. “All of the channels work together.”
2. Create content.
David Maples, CEO of Catapult Creative Media Inc., says businesses can drive a significant amount of traffic by creating original content. One often-used method of doing so is a blog.
“Blogging is great because it does multiple things,” Maples says. “Blog posts aren’t necessarily sales pieces, but they increase your expertise in your industry.”
A blog is different from a Web page, in that its tone is typically less formal. If a company posts on a relevant time frame—at least one blog post per week—and meets other standards, Google will index those blogs as a news site, which could mean improved accessibility.
Blogs can serve multiple purposes. Longer articles, for example, can be repurposed into a white paper, or reworked into a brochure.
Broussard emphasizes the importance of creating original content. “Google rewards websites that have more index pages,” he says. “The more high quality content you create, the more visitors you get, because the more people share the content.” For variety, bring in guest bloggers and influencers to produce original content.
3. Be real.
Readers know, Maples says, when they’re getting a real connection or being sold a marketing pitch. The more human your content is, the more traction it will gain.
“Be authentic—they can smell a fake, and you will get found out,” he says. “Be human: It’s the one thing that unites us. Be human about your brand; talk about what’s important to you. Be funny when you can. Provide information of real value to people; make sure there is a takeaway. Be kind. Kindness goes further than cleverness. If your employees do something kind, share it.”
And if a reader feedback isn’t positive, don’t go for the delete key. “Do not delete that bad comment; embrace it,” Maples says. “Someone gave you feedback, this is your chance to be a hero.”
4. Share your stuff.
Broussard says it’s critical to promote your content via social media. Don’t rule out the paid options like Facebook advertising—it could be a low-cost but effective investment. Broussard suggest creating what he dubs “lovable content.”
“The more remarkable your content, the more people are going to link back to it, so if you’re creating thought leadership in your sector, share your own content,” he says. “Don’t go overboard with it, but don’t just hope that people stumble upon it—it can’t hurt to push it out there.”
Don’t quit there. Once you’ve shared your content, it’s important to monitor it and engage with your audience through continued conversation. Using hashtags helps.
5. Track the numbers.
Broussard strongly recommends tracking URLs for everything you do in your traditional marketing, using Google analytics or another service to track sources of Web traffic, the amount of time a visitor spends on your site and where they are going once they leave your content. “Where are they coming from? How did they get there? When you see what’s working, you can do more of it,” he says. Then, experiment to see what marketing efforts work best. “Instead of directing visitors to the homepage, why not link them to a specific landing page for that campaign or message—one with a tracking URL, so you can track how the direct traffic is coming to the site.”
Marketing without measuring results, Broussard says, is like “driving asleep at the wheel. Do you know where you’re going?”
6. Remember old techniques, too.
Maples suggests businesses look into their current database of clients, and figure out ways to get them to visit the website, including direct email marketing. “They have a book of business,” Maples says. “It’s not about selling more.”
Maples urges business owners to resist the temptation to write articles that are blatantly intended to sell a product. “It’s about reflective light,” he explains. “Talk about benefits, supporting the local community, and the email article is the teaser. Want to read more? Click to the blog that’s on the website.”
He insists that marketing to your existing database can result in as many as 20% to 30% percent more sales.
7. Don’t do everything yourself.
Executives should consider tasking an expert or a freelance or contract writer to take on the effort. “The biggest mistake you can make is trying to do everything yourself,” Maples says. “Business owners and entrepreneurs are good at their business. They’ve got so many things going on, keeping up with a blog or keeping track of analytics would be too much.”
