5 Pro Tips to Increase Traffic to your Website
It is every businesses aim to get more customers. Most of us are used to coming up with new and interesting ways to get people to buy our products and use our services. But most of these methods don’t apply in the digital arena. Here we are bombarded with confusing words such as SEO and Data Analytics. As a result many of us are failing to increase traffic to our websites that we should.
Luckily we at markITwrite are here to help. Just follow these 5 great tips to increase traffic to your website.
Write Blogs
Blogging is an excellent way to get people visiting, and more importantly returning, to your website. But, it is not as straightforward as writing the odd 500 word blog here and there. Your blog will need to engage and interest your readers if you want them to keep coming back. This may sound daunting but there are certain simple steps you can take to make your blog a step above the rest.
Ensure your blogs have a good headline, interesting image, and captivating lead-in. This is all potential readers will see when the content is shared on social media. This small section of information needs to entice them to click on the link and visit your site.
When you start blogging, you will need to keep it up. Aim to post content at least 6 times a week, readers will return if they know there will always be something new to read. But always remember, those readers will only come back if your content is worth reading. Your site will have to provide them with quality content that informs and entertains.
Research content on sites that see a lot of traffic, you will find that the posts tend to be longer, at least 1000 words, and that all the content is original and their own. Never, ever copy and paste text from another site. Google’s algorithms can recognise content that’s duplicated from elsewhere on the web and if you copy, your site could get hit with a penalty. If not, it’s still highly likely that it will drop down search placements considerably. If you can’t write, then invest in having it written for you by a professional agency such as markITwrite – it’s a marketing cost but will help your visibility improve online and is still generally cheaper than advertising in print publications.
Finally, take the time to properly tag and describe your blogs, doing this will improve the frequency at which they are seen in search engines. Think about which keywords readers would search for to find your content and integrate this subtly into the text.
Some tips for keywords:
- The keyword should appear in the title, the first paragraph and a sub header.
- Don’t overuse keywords, let them develop naturally in the text where possible, using too many will be counterproductive as it can be seen as keyword stuffing, which is frowned upon by the search engines.
- Do you synonyms, Google bots recognise similar words and phrases and use them for context.
- Ensure that the keywords are relevant to the post itself and your industry niche.
Search engine optimisation, or SEO, will help readers find your site through organic searches.
Be Social
Interacting with your websites viewers is one of the best ways to get them to share your content. People who take the time to read and comment on a blog are obviously interested in the resource you provide. Be sure to answer any questions they post to you, remember you’re presenting yourself as a resource. If you are seen as a comprehensive one, readers are more likely to share the link to your blog with their friends.
If you find that you aren’t getting the volume of comments you feel you could, present your readers with a call to action. Ask their opinions and offer to answer any questions. Linking to previous blogs or those of trusted resources (such as tier 1 publications such as Mashable, The BBC, etc.) will present you as a comprehensive source as well as improving your SEO.
Utilize all social networking avenues, doing so will help you to reach a wider demographic. Re-follow those users that are appropriate, but don’t go overboard, following too many people will prevent you from seeing the content that your followers would find interesting. Sharing and re-posting the blogs of others will not only ensure you are seen as a go-to resource, but it will also encourage your peers to share your content in return.
Do your research into the various social networks. Each can be beneficial in different ways. For example, Twitter is one of the better networks for sharing content; a post can be retweeted with a single click. Facebook tends to be better for obtaining opinions via polls and competitions, whereas Google+ is better for directly interacting with your audience (G+ also appears in search well so you should always share blogs on the network).
Advertise online
It can cost a bit of money but advertising is a key way to spread the knowledge of your website. The best way to do this will depend upon your demographic. Overall, advertising over social media is a great way to target a specific audience but can be pricey, especially if you don’t have a clear strategy. You can use it to set perimeters of who your advert is targeted at, ensuring that you aren’t wasting money on fruitless views.
When considering advertising it is easy to forget the old classics. Email marketing may have been around for quite a while but it is still highly effective. Unlike social media this method of marketing is about reminding subscribers of what you have to offer. Being a relatively cheap option, email newsletters and offers can be sent out as frequently as you like. Do make sure that you don’t over do it. With email marketing less is more, daily emails will result in your newsletters finding a new home in the junk folder.
Analyse Your Data
Google Analytics is an excellent free resource that lets you keep on top of every piece of data that relates to your site. It tells you which of your pages and posts are most viewed, enabling you to see which content your viewers find the most beneficial. Once you know what your audience really likes, you can create more content about those subjects.
This resource also helps you to see when, how, and where people are viewing your website. Using this information you can improve your SEO and post during prime times. The result will be more interaction and sharing, and therefore more traffic.
Focus on Design
You can have the best content and well thought out SEO in the world, but if your website is badly designed and impossible to navigate no one is going to share your content. Sometimes it’s hard to look at your website from a visitor’s point of view, so it is worth getting some trustworthy and honest friends to take a look.
If you want people to return to your site there are a few things you need to consider:
- Does your site look modern? If your website looks like it is from the early evolution of the internet people will assume the content is too.
- Is it easy to navigate? Not being able to find the information you want on a site is one of the primary reasons for website bounces.
- Do you have enough white space? A crowded page is going to look confusing and will hide important information.
- Are your images interesting? Most stock images can be spotted a mile off. Pick up a camera and take some high quality photographs of your own. Originality is key.
- Is there too much text? Some websites suffer because they are too text heavy. Try mixing it up by adding some infographics.
- Can it be viewed on every platform? In this age of smartphones it is vital that your site is viewable on every platform. Test it on various devices and straighten out any bugs.
- Does the site contain effective CTAs (calls to action)? Make sure that it’s clear where people sign up for newsletters, order products, contact you etc. You want to ensure that these areas draw the eye naturally.
The web is a highly competitive arena but it’s also a lucrative one if you can get your site right and use the digital marketing resources at your disposal. Use your content to ‘supercharge’ your website and you’ll find that the visits to your site will fly up. If you don’t know what you’re doing, then either learn or set aside some of your marketing budget for web and invest in professional services.
There are lots of content, social and SEO professionals to be found online, so look for those with a good reputation, study their work and statements from satisfied customers and get your site noticed.
Continue reading here: 5 Reasons your Site Needs a Professional Blogger Today
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