If you are reading this, you probably launched a business and you’re disappointed with the results you achieve in traffic to your website. Getting more traffic is the obvious first step in improving your market performance, whether you’re an online business or operate a physical location, as most purchase starts with an online search.
It is now time to grow your business; however, getting more people to visit your business is easier said than done. So how can you get more people to visit your business? The following are simple ways to drive more users to visit your business and help you grow it.
Getting more traffic
Getting more traffic to your website is the first step so we’ll start with online strategies for gaining traffic.
Notice in the image above, there are several traffic sources and each involves its own set of strategies to increase traffic. In addition to organic traffic that comes when users click a link showing up on search results, social traffic resulting from posts and advertising on social media platforms, and paid advertising on the Google Ads platform, you might gain traffic from:
- Affiliate marketing where you pay other businesses to send traffic to your website
- Referral traffic involving clicks from backlinks to your content on other websites
- Direct traffic from folks who are familiar with your brand and enter your URL directly into the search engine, such as entering Amazon.com to visit this online merchant.
In addition to these sources of traffic, you might use offline efforts to generate more visits to your website or physical location, which we’ll discuss next.
Optimize your business for local search
First, let’s talk about getting more traffic from organic sources, in general. SEO (search engine optimization) involves crafting unique, valuable content on a consistent basis to meet users’ needs. Although some elements of the complex algorithm Google and other search engines use to rank links appear related to other factors, the main impact on your rank comes directly or indirectly as a result of your content strategy.
If you have a local business, local SEO is essential to the company’s growth. Your business profile plays a significant role in highlighting the best features offered by your business and allows your customers to find you quickly, learn more about you, and engage with you. The best part is that it is entirely free to optimize your business for local search. All you have to do is have a Google My Business Optimization Checklist to start getting more traffic from local residents and visitors from listing like the one below that show up first in the search results.
Social media also plays a big part in gaining more traffic, as it sends visitors who view your links in the social feeds.
Use your current network
The best place to start building more traffic is through your existing network since they can help you get more people to your business through their recommendations either explicitly by posting reviews and suggestions or implicitly by sharing your content online. Therefore, it is essential to create a group of engaged users who refer your business; remember that referrals are powerful leads.
Make sure that your network reflects your niche to the extent possible. For instance, consider joining bike-related groups online and in the physical world if you operate in the bike industry. Also, focus on your existing customers, because satisfied customers are more likely to refer your company to other people.
Direct response marketing
The best way to reach out and meet your prospects is to use methods to motivate them to complete a particular action, like requesting more information or even opting into your email list. Learn to attract more people to your business by giving them something of value at a free or reduced cost to get them started in your marketing.
And if you are a new business owner, ensure you learn to use other tools of direct response marketing because this helps you focus on the results that matter the most to your business.
Take your time and create targeted messages that tell your potential customers why they should not only buy your products but engage with you over time. Show them that you understand their pain points and you have the solution to their problems.
Create strategic partnerships
You can create the synergy that helps build and grow your customer base by teaming up with other businesses that offer corresponding services. For example, if your company is all about SEO, consider teaming up with another business providing complementary services, such as website building and designing services.
You can significantly grow your customer base by nurturing these partnerships. Just focus on building human relationships. The stronger these relationships, the more likely their customers are to use your firm and refer your business to their friends and family.
Take part in community events
Contributing to your local community through humanitarian efforts does wonders for the world as well as your promoting your business, especially among Gen Z consumers for whom social responsibility determines their purchase choice. It doesn’t matter if your company is small or big; your business should play a vital role in shaping its communities.
It is important to note that charitable undertakings don’t necessarily revolve around monetary donations. Consider exploring various options available, such as donating products (for instance, Mcdonald’s provides products like hamburgers to certified charities to support their events), employee skills (for instance, law firms frequently require attorneys to perform a certain number of pro bono hours per month), or facilities (such as lending your warehouse for a charity function). The key is finding an appropriate fit for your business.
Remember that giving back to the community helps grow your customer base by increasing your exposure, helping you network with other people, and strengthening your community.
Provide discounts and incentives
Have you ever heard of introductory offers? An introductory offer helps bring in new customers with an incentive and allows your staff to establish relationships and engage with customers every day. So, an introductory offer is a pricing option designed to attract new customers to your business. Use this offer to get new customers, then use targeted messages to encourage or attract them to be buying your products or remaining after the introductory offer expires.
Conclusion
Regardless of your budget, there are many other options when it comes to increasing your customer base. However, it is essential to note that not every method works for every business. So, try to combine these strategies for getting more traffic and improve profits.
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Hausman and Associates, the publisher of MKT Maven, is a full-service marketing agency operating at the intersection of marketing and digital media. Check out our full range of services.
