You’ve finally made the leap from DIY to a professionally designed and written website for your small business!
✔️ Gorgeous photos, check.
✔️ Conversion-driving copy, check.
✔️ Mobile-friendly, on-brand design, checkity-check-check.
Still, you may be forgetting one crucial piece of the successful website puzzle: a strategy for driving traffic to the site.
Even with the most gorgeous brand photos, thoughtful design, and strategic copywriting, your website won’t get the full potential of your site unless people see it!
This post dives into three ways to increase site traffic that don’t have to cost a thing—and why they can make all the difference in getting the most from your website.
First, let's talk about why increasing site traffic matters.
Three crucial things happen when you get more eyeballs on your website, and they're all related. High-quality site traffic boosts brand awareness, improves site credibility, and increases inquiries and sales.
Brand Awareness
When more people visit your site and find value there, they are more likely to return and remember you as a go-to resource in your field. Capturing this audience who may not be ready to buy but are prepared to engage, connect, and learn is crucial in building your marketing funnel.
Credibility
The higher the volume of site visitors, the more search engines will recognize your value and offer your site in the search results to people looking for what you offer.
Increased Inquiries and Sales
If you've invested in strategic copy, custom design, and professional brand photography, the people who end up on your site should be the ones you are most qualified to serve. This means they're more likely to book or buy!
Your web traffic strategy should go beyond SEO and paid ads.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential and can pay off in big ways for local businesses that can take advantage of highly targeted geo-specific keywords.
Basic SEO best practices for your site include ensuring mobile friendliness, optimizing media files, improving site speed, including proper on-page SEO and metadata, auditing your accessibility, and maximizing opportunities for internal links and high-quality backlinks. You should also claim your Google Business page and develop a system for asking customers for reviews.
Still, organic search only contributes to 17% of overall web traffic. Beyond SEO and paid ads (whether through Google or social platforms), there are digital strategies that you can put into motion with little to no budget.
Here are three things to consider that you can start doing now that don’t need to cost a dime.
Strategy 1: Create Audience-Serving, Brand-Aligned Content
Creating content that offers value to your target market is one of my favorite ways to boost site traffic.
According to Hubspot, businesses that blog see 55% more web traffic than those that don’t.
It makes sense because every blog post you publish accomplishes a number of important things.
From an SEO standpoint, every time you publish a post, it's one more indexed site page – in other words, one more chance for you to pop up in search results for the people who need your product or service. Blogs are the perfect place to use long-tail keywords that build authority and help search engines better understand your business so they can deliver better traffic.
From a human standpoint, blogs can help you teach, connect, offer value, and build trust with your audience. Each post gives people a reason to visit your site, and when you deliver something worth reading, they're more likely to remember it and share it.
Don't just blog for the sake of it—do it with intention. I advocate starting with one thoughtful, long-form post per month over short, bland, uninspired articles every week. If you need help with blogging strategy, check out my tips here.
If blogging isn't for you, consider other content you can post on your site, from embedded videos to podcasts to case studies. Updating your site regularly keeps it fresh and prompts people to visit it again and again.
Strategy 2: Use Your Content on Social Media and in Email Marketing
I'm all for efficiency, which is why blogging is brilliant. If you can publish one excellent post per month, you can use it to power your social media and email marketing and increase site traffic with every click.
Use your social platforms to build awareness and engagement by repurposing your blog content into short, sharable reels, carousels, and posts. Then, send traffic back to your website (your home online!) for the full read.
You can also use your social media channels to build awareness and connection, referring followers back to your site for details about services, offers, freebies, and more.
Speaking of freebies, a strategic lead magnet on your site is the perfect way to build your email list. Once your list is established, you can repurpose core content in your marketing emails with links to your site.
Strategy 3: Make a Name For Yourself
This strategy is the most time-intensive, but depending on your personality, it may be the most fun. It's all about connecting with other professionals in your field!
No matter your industry, there are businesses out there that offer complementary services or products. Find those people and figure out ways to collaborate to introduce new people to your business and increase the traffic to your website. While you’re at it, identify directories or other sites where you can add your business.
Here are some things to try when making a name for yourself digitally:
· Guest posting on another business’s blog
· Requesting link backs
· Guesting on podcasts
· Being featured in an article or interview for another business
· Adding your business to relevant directories
Remember, these are long-term strategies, so you'll need to stick with them consistently to see gains!
Of course, as you grow into your business, you may eventually want to outsource things like blogging, video creation, or even social media management. But for now, trust me when I say these entry-floor strategies are entirely within your reach.
If you’re ready to start creating content for your site, be sure to check out this article about getting the most from every post you write!
