Learn how to increase website traffic with our proven strategies. Gain more traffic on your website and increase website views to grow your online presence. With social media seemingly taking over the internet, you may be asking yourself, “Do I need a website? The answer is yes. Here is why:
In the year 2022, 70–80% of people were doing their research online before visiting or buying from a business. Small businesses without a website could lose the same percentage of customers. And when, the following year, the world suddenly demanded more online presence than real-life presence, it became even more important to have a website.
Creating a website is one of the most important steps towards small business success in today’s world. It’s the foundation that allows you to build an online presence and grow your business.
After all, you can learn a great deal about the people who visit your website, and, with the right tools, you can turn them into advocates, partners, or customers. If that happens, you’ve won. So how do you get people to visit your website?
It’s no secret that every business needs a successful website, but today’s art of generating traffic and building a loyal audience is more nuanced. The saturation of the internet with content and websites has made it harder to stand out from the crowd. The race to get to the top of Google’s first page of search results is more complicated than ever.
There are a lot of factors that you need to take into consideration to make sure that you are doing everything you can to increase traffic to your website. From website speed optimization to content cleanliness, many variables can affect your website’s traffic.
Improve your website’s organic traffic.
Organic traffic signifies brand credibility and trust. Websites with high rankings are more trustworthy and have more authority in their niche. Understanding this helps to build a strong online reputation.
As the owner of an e-commerce business, you know how difficult it can be to drive traffic to your website. To get your target customers to visit your eCommerce site, you need to create compelling content, run ads, and optimize your website.
A website’s ranking can be improved by SEO traffic. SEO is what makes your website more visible in search engine results pages (SERPs). It signals to Google that your site is more relevant and popular than others when a visitor clicks on a link to your site from a SERP. This means that when users search for related terms, it is more likely to appear higher in the SERPs. Organic rankings can also be improved by increasing click-through rates (CTRs).
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your content for the keywords that are relevant to your business. Many business relationships are formed after someone types a word or phrase into a search engine to find a website.
Knowing the search terms people are using to find your site makes it easier to attract more visitors. Some terms may be specific to you, such as a brand or product name. Or they can be attributes or benefits such as ‘natural’, ‘free delivery’ or anything else that makes you stand out.
You can maximize your SEO efforts with the following tips:
With Google Analytics, you can see what terms your website visitors have used to find you in the past. You can use these keywords to help you optimize your website content. Looking at the terms your competitors use on their websites, social media, or emails is also a good idea.
Google Search Console is another free tool you can use to see how often your site appears in search results, which keywords drive traffic, and how many people click through to your website.
- Make your website easy to find. Make sure your website has thorough descriptions of what you have to offer and its benefits. Search engines like Google and Bing will be able to find it. To help more people find you, create a descriptive SEO title for your website. An SEO title can be part of the process when you are building your website.
- Leverage your website content. Improve your search rankings and drive traffic to your website with blog posts, articles, audience testimonials, and other content.
- Optimize your visuals. Search engines are much better at indexing words than visual elements. However, images and videos can help boost your Google ranking if they’re optimized for mobile devices. If you’re using images on your site, make sure each image has a short alt text that describes the image or graphic. This gives the search engine an alternative text to interpret.
What is website traffic?
Website traffic refers to the number of users visiting a website. The number of visitors to a website is dependent on the purpose of the site, the visitors’ objectives, and how they have found the website. Traffic refers to users visiting a website over a measurable period. It is measured as ‘visits’ or ‘sessions’. Web traffic is an essential part of digital marketing.
Why is that? Because it’s the only way you can measure how many people are visiting your website. You also need people to visit your site before they take any other action, such as making a purchase.
Servers monitor website activity and register each time a page receives a visitor (called a “hit”). A visit to a website is called a session. It may involve browsing several pages and taking action.
Traffic is considered crucial to the success of a website. The assumption is that someone who creates a website as a personal hobby (e.g., a blogger sharing their travel experiences) may not consider their traffic to be important. Understanding website traffic and identifying ways to improve it is fundamental to the continued growth of any business or organization.
Why is traffic to my website important?
- Website traffic results in conversions. Attracting a qualified audience and converting them into sales is the goal of effective Internet marketing strategies. To increase your sales potential, you want high conversion rates.
- Build loyal customers with repeat visitors. Buyers often stick with brands they know and trust. Keep these loyal customers informed of your offers and remind them to buy from you.
- Qualified traffic versus random traffic. In 2014, bots accounted for 56% of all online traffic. For smaller websites, this figure can rise to 80% of website traffic. There are many methods you can use to increase the number of visitors to your website, but if this traffic isn’t qualified, you’re likely to see a sharp drop in your conversion rates. To attract qualified traffic that matches your customers’ intentions, you need an internet marketing plan.
Website traffic, in simple terms, refers to the number of visitors to your website, usually calculated over a certain period. But this is more than just a key performance indicator. One of the reasons why most websites aim to attract as many visitors as possible is that website traffic can indicate potential customers.
Think of it as a shop. You won’t make any sales if your company has a beautiful shop but no one goes in. Similarly, you won’t make any sales if you have a beautiful website but no one visits it. Not if you’re not harnessing the power of digital marketing.
But if your website gets thousands of hits a day, it means you’re reaching the right audience—one that finds your content helpful and relevant. And you can turn them into opportunities to generate leads and sales with the right calls to action.
The different types of website traffic
- Organic traffic. The number of users who visit a website after performing a search on Google or any other search engine and clicking on the link of the website on the results page of the search engine.
- Direct traffic. These are people who came directly to your website by typing the URL into the search bar or bookmarking it.
- Referral traffic. Referral traffic is generated by people linking to your website from another website, such as a forum or blog.
- Email marketing. This is done using programmes that provide you with different types of information about the traffic generated, such as the opening rate, clicks on links, unique clicks, total clicks, delivery rate, etc.
- Social networks. This refers to any traffic that is generated by visitors who come to your website as a result of posts on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram.
- Paid social media ads. This is the traffic that is generated by pay-per-click ads on social media networks.
- Paid search. This includes all traffic from PPC platforms like Google Ads. These are different types of ads from the ads that appear on social media.
How do you measure website traffic?
There are many ways to measure website traffic, including;
- Session numbers. This is used to assess how effective traffic generation initiatives (SEO, PPC, etc.) have been since implementation by looking at the number of visits the website receives over a given period (a week, a month, etc.).
- Purchase percentage. Online businesses that sell products through their websites depend on sales for success. The number of visitors who make a purchase is an indicator of how effective the site is at encouraging people to make a purchase.
- Channels. Finding out which channels traffic comes from, such as email, organic search, and so on, is another way to measure website traffic.
- Bounce rate. The bounce rate is a measure of the number of visitors who leave the site after viewing only one page; this should be as low as possible.
How to increase website traffic
Increase traffic to your website:
- Be more active on social media. Engage your followers with quality content that encourages them to click through to your website.
- Increase visibility by creating video content for YouTube and social media.
- Improve your SEO campaign to help you rank higher and attract more visitors.
- Target your contacts with discounts and offers that can drive traffic to your website using automated email marketing software.
Other ways to drive traffic to your website
Create targeted landing pages.
You can help a website visitor engage with your website and ultimately your business by directing them to a dedicated landing page that shows them exactly what they’re interested in. Use website analytics to create pages that highlight content tailored to the website visitors’ priorities. It could be a special promotion, based on posts someone has read or updates on new features of a product they’ve been researching.
You can incorporate this personalized messaging into your ongoing marketing. Simply create tags for your contacts. A tag is a label for a contact. It can inform the content you’re serving when they visit to make sure it’s relevant.
Create captivating, high-quality content
If you’re wondering how to drive traffic to your website, one of the best ways to do it is to create engaging, high-quality content that answers a question or provides a solution to a specific problem. This can help build the authority of your website and position your business as an industry leader.
You can also help your SEO efforts by creating unique, interesting, and helpful content. The higher your site ranks in search engine results pages (SERPs), the more you optimize your content and the more traffic you get. You can also increase the likelihood of repeat visitors by publishing informative and valuable content. This is because readers know that your content is helpful and reliable.
Make sure it’s easy to read and follow when creating content. For example, a website subheading helps readers find the information they want quickly.
Promote your website with paid ads.
From online courses to sunglasses, you’ve seen them all over the internet. Designed to drive traffic to a website or campaign-specific landing page, these ads are called digital or banner ads. These types of ads work because they can be placed on websites or blogs that attract a specific audience, such as those looking to DIY or enjoy the outdoors.
Digital ads can be targeted at very specific groups and broken down by age, gender, interests, or education level on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The data you have about what people are doing on your website—such as which pages or products they looked at and when—can help you easily create and manage ads to target people who want what you sell.
To develop a paid media strategy and decide where to place your ads and how long to run them, you may want to work with a consultant or agency. An expert will also be able to help you understand what results to expect from a campaign and how to improve performance over time.
Enhance your local search reputation.
Google’s local algorithm returns local results. Make sure you use this to your website’s advantage. Local rankings enable your website to be found when someone searches for localized services in their area. For example, if you need air conditioning repair in Chicago, you might type “air conditioning repair Chicago” into a search engine.
You can win local business from people in neighbouring areas through the improvement of your local search reputation. Customers can also add credibility to your business by submitting a testimonial online about their positive experience with your brand.
Send emails with a link back to your website.
One of the tried and tested ways to generate traffic is through email. Email can be a powerful outreach tool to target and inform your audience. It can also drive people to specific pages on your website.
Email promotions are of 2 main types:
- Useful information and promotions, such as sales or events, can be included in email newsletters. They can direct people to your site to read an article or take up an offer you’ve made. Although they may not generate many new website visitors, they are a powerful way to generate visits and sales from your best audience—those who already know you.
- Specific sales or events can be highlighted in promotional emails. For example, you could promote an in-store wine tasting or trunk show. Promotional emails can also be a great way to showcase new products, services, or videos that you’ve posted.
In both cases, you can segment your email audience based on data. You can then send tailored versions of your newsletter or offer to the most receptive segments. You may wonder why you didn’t implement an email campaign earlier when your target audience sees the value you can bring to their organization.
Increase the number of backlinks from trusted sources.
Backlinks, or inbound links, are links from other websites to a specific page on your website. You can rank higher in search engines the more quality backlinks you get. This is because backlinks tell search engines how popular your website is with users. They also increase your website’s authority. Backlinking needs to come from a reputable website; otherwise, this can backfire.
Here are a few more reasons why you need to be backlinked:
- The more visitors your site attracts, the higher you rank in the search engines.
- Backlinks are the building blocks of consumer trust and confidence.
- Backlinking can make people more aware that your brand exists.
Social media engagement with your target audience.
You can use social media to post some of the same content as your website, such as articles, photos, or promotions. Did you know that in addition to the amplification of your message, social media can be a driver of website traffic? For example, you can use social media to promote a sale and drive traffic to your website if it supports e-commerce.
The key is to choose the social channel that works best for your message. And that you can manage effectively. This will be a function of your business model and your target audience. For example, LinkedIn is a good choice if you want to promote a white paper or webinar to a professional audience. Instagram is more suitable for visuals, such as product images.
You can easily use that content in social posts you create and publish on the platform if you build and maintain your website.
Wherever you’re posting, make sure you’re directing people to targeted pages so that there’s a clear link between what they’ve seen in the social post and the link they’re clicking on. Be specific with your landing pages, as your homepage is designed for a broad audience.
So if you’re at a loss for ways to increase traffic to your website, the answer is to boost your social media presence.
Collaboration with influencers.
Building relationships with industry influencers is one of the best things you can do for your business. This can be done in several different ways:
- Use public relations to introduce them to your company.
- Ask for their opinion on a new process, product, or service.
- Under their byline or your own, with links to your website, suggest topics you can write about.
- This can help your business gain credibility and convert website visitors into customers, as many consumers follow certain influencers.
Engage with your community.
Interaction with your community of customers, influencers, other brands, and industry experts can increase your brand’s visibility online. As a result, people may be more inclined to have a look at your website.
You can go a long way towards defining your brand by sharing an influencer’s LinkedIn post or replying to a review on Yelp. So don’t forget to add engagement to your strategy when it comes to driving website traffic.
Many companies also run surveys or giveaways as a way of engaging with their community both online and on the ground.
Public relations enhancement.
Have you ever had the question, “How can I increase my website traffic? Well, one easy way to increase web traffic to your website is to develop a strategic public relations campaign. This will put your company in front of new prospects and partners.
Issuing a press release, appearing on TV, talking on the radio, or being featured in an article can build credibility and increase brand awareness. What’s more, to further drive traffic, many of these PR campaigns can be shared on social media.
Tips for increasing website traffic from social media
Any strategy that increases your social media reach, engagement, and (quality) followers will also increase your posts, profile visibility, and brand awareness. This should increase your social referral traffic.
In 2022, for example, Social Media Today tested whether memes, which are known to drive engagement and, in turn, reach on social media, could also help to drive traffic to websites.
They saw a 12% increase in website sessions and a 16% increase in website users from social media after integrating memes into their social media strategy for one month. This was only a small test. However, it suggests that engaging content can also drive traffic to a website.
So making sure you’re already following general social media best practices to increase reach and engagement is our very first tip. Use the best practices that are most relevant to your brand and audience—from posting regularly and interacting with your followers to creating timely content with eye-catching visuals—to boost your social media metrics.
However, in addition to the general best practices for using social media, there are many tactics that you can use to specifically drive traffic to your website through social media.
Focus on the social media platforms that are driving the most traffic.
Choosing the best social media platform(s) for the job is a good place to start if your goal is to increase your social media traffic. What is the best social media platform for driving website traffic?
According to Search Engine Journal, GrowthBadger, and The Economist, Facebook is the best platform for social media referrals. As Facebook remains the most popular social media network, this isn’t surprising. Twitter can also be hugely influential when tweets go viral, resulting in high traffic volumes.
On the other hand, the study found that Instagram and Pinterest are some of the social media networks that drive the least amount of traffic to external websites. However, the data varies widely by industry. An understanding of the best social media channel for your brand and audience is also key to driving the most traffic to your website.
Include referral links on your social media profiles
Every social media profile has a small area reserved for presenting yourself to your followers. Whether it’s called a “bio” (on Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram) or an “about section” (on LinkedIn, Facebook, or YouTube), here you can include a link(s) to your website. This way, users know where to go if they want to see more from you, helping you easily direct this traffic from social media to your website.
Often, you can put more than one link in your bio. This offers your followers a greater variety of options, helping them find what’s relevant to them and reducing any friction in their journey to find out more information.
However, this is not possible on all social media platforms. For example, some only allow you to add 1 or another limited number of links. A solution to this problem can be to link to a dedicated landing page, where you can list several useful links. This service is offered by platforms such as Linktree, Later’s Linkin.bio, and Taplink. Or you can simply create your landing page on your website.
FAQs on improving website traffic
How can I see your website traffic?
Monitoring and evaluating your website traffic can be a daunting process, but there are some great tools out there designed to make it easier. The most well-known is probably Google Analytics. This offers crucial information on traffic, such as the number of page views, session lengths, average time spent on the page, bounce rates, etc.
Google Analytics also presents traffic data in a simplified, streamlined format. This makes it accessible to users of all experience levels. Better still, the standard version is free.
How can I find out how much traffic a website receives?
There are several tools you can use to see how much traffic your site is generating.
- One is the Alexa ranking. This is a system that ranks millions of websites according to their popularity. This is measured by average daily unique visitors and page views over three months.
- Ahrefs is a tracking tool that shows which pages get the most traffic, which domains send the most traffic and more.
- SEMRush is another option. It covers traffic generated by backlinks and paid ads, as well as traffic ratings for different keywords.
How do you measure website traffic?
You can use a free or paid online tool to check a website’s traffic. Most of these tools are easy to use. All you have to do is type the URL of the website into the search bar. You’ll get all the metrics you need.
What is good website traffic?
It’s hard to say exactly what constitutes ‘good’ or ‘bad’ website traffic, but generally, 50% is considered good and anything below 30% is below average.
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