What Drives Traffic to a Website? How to Get More Visitors
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full affiliate disclosure for further information.
All About Website Traffic
Your website is where your brand meets potential customers, where first impressions are formed, and where business relationships begin. But what if your digital presence remains unnoticed, hidden in the vastness of the internet?
Even the most beautifully designed website can’t fulfill its purpose if no one visits it. Understanding where website traffic comes from and how to boost it is important if you’re looking to shine online, and this requires research, planning, and consistent effort on your part.
The oh so important goal of increasing website traffic isn’t about quick fixes or overnight successes. Instead, I’ll share a combination of tried-and-tested techniques, ranging from on-page optimizations to the smart use of social media and beyond. These sustainable strategies are designed to build a solid foundation for your website’s long-term growth.
7 Strategies to Increase Website Traffic
Craft Content That Captivates and Converts
If you want to bring people over to your website, you need to make sure the content you share really grabs your ideal audience’s attention, answering their questions and addressing their needs. When you’re creating content, ask yourself: Is this content engaging? Does it add value? Would I want to share it?
Strategies for Viral Content Creation
Viral content has the potential to dramatically increase your website traffic. To craft content that resonates and spreads like wildfire, focus on creativity, strategy, and a deep understanding of your target audience. Emotional connections, evergreen appeal, user-generated insights, educational value, and trending topics are key ingredients for creating share-worthy content.
Knowing your audience is crucial to creating content that not only attracts but retains visitors, driving more traffic to your site. Each piece of content should direct people to your website, which serves as your digital real estate. To get started on the right track with content creation and marketing, check out Tara Reid’s FREE content marketing mistakes guide.
Market on Social Media
Creating Impactful Branded Profiles on Social Platforms
Social media platforms are ideal for amplifying your brand’s reach. Properly curated profiles on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility and engagement.
Harnessing Social Media for SEO Benefits
Integrating a well-crafted social media strategy can elevate your overall search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, contributing to higher search engine rankings. Optimize your profiles with relevant keywords and regularly engage with your audience to build a strong, connected community. This not only fosters trust but also enhances your online visibility.
My favorite resource for combining share-worthy content creation with social media marketing for your business? The Audience Growth Academy from Ivory Mix. I actually joined Kayla Butler’s VIP membership (which comes with access to the Audience Growth Academy) for the use of unlimited beautiful stock photos in my business, but I’ve been so impressed with everything else inside the membership as well!
The Audience Growth Academy is a bundle of courses that teaches you how to use Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, email, blogging, SEO, and content repurposing to really help drive traffic to your website.
Encourage Organic Search Traffic
Mastering Keyword Research: Your Key to Relevant Queries
Your goal is to stand out to customers looking for precisely what you offer. This starts with keyword research—understanding the exact phrases your potential customers are typing into search engines.
Get started with keyword research using tools like Keywords Everywhere, so you can balance high-volume searches with more specific long-tail keywords. This blend not only attracts a wider audience but also targets those with specific intentions.
Essential On-Page SEO Tactics for Higher Rankings
Once you have your keywords, you’ve started to crack your customers’ language. Now, make sure your website speaks this language fluently. Optimize your on-page elements—from meta titles to image alt texts so that you can rank higher in search results.
If you’re looking for a great beginner-friendly resource on keyword research, on-page optimization, off-page SEO tips, and how to use Google Analytics and Google Search Console with your website, I highly recommend Tara Reid’s Easy SEO Course to break things down into actionable and effective steps in just over an hour.
Fine-Tuning Content for Maximum User Engagement
But what about the visitors? Creating content solely for search engines will only get you so far. Ensure your content strategy aligns with both user intent and search engine algorithms. Striking this balance means creating content that’s not only informative but also compelling enough to keep visitors engaged and coming back to your site for more.
Embrace the Power of Local SEO
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is quite the beast, and local SEO seems to have its own set of rules! But if you’re a local business, it’s absolutely worth understanding the power of local SEO.
Optimizing Your Google Business Profile for Local Reach
Your Google Business Profile is your digital storefront for local searches. Having an accurate and complete Google Business Profile signals to search engines that your business serves local customers. And of course sending your Google Business Profile visitors to your website with an easy link in your profile is a must!
It’s really important to make sure your content is up-to-date. This includes your contact details, business information, and services offered with the latest pricing. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been disappointed rocking up to a restaurant and every item on the menu is $3-$4 more expensive than what their Google Business Profile listed because they hadn’t updated that section.
You can also treat your Google Business Profile as a social media platform with extra SEO juice. Share posts about upcoming sales or new products, pictures from recent events, and any other content your audience is interested in. And that doesn’t even include my favorite and most-used Google Business Profile feature—customer reviews!
Encouraging Customer Reviews for Trust Building
Your customers’ words can be your strongest endorsements. Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews. Actively respond to all reviews, good or bad, to show you value feedback and engage with your community. This not only builds trust but also enhances your local search visibility.
Looking for more help with organizing reviews and responses? You can grab my Customer Review Management Tracker from my Butter Spreadsheets shop to make sure you’re on top of all your customer reviews.
Upping Your Email Marketing Game
I really didn’t see the connection between email marketing and website visitors at first, but Emilee Mason’s Index to Inbox Academy has helped me see the light! In her words, “SEO attracts interested visitors to your site + Email marketing captures and converts them into valuable subscribers.” Ah ha!
Growing Your Subscriber Base Effectively
The heart of successful email marketing is your subscriber list. It’s not just about sending emails; it’s about inviting website visitors to join a community. Integrate inviting opt-in forms on your site, offering valuable resources in exchange for your visitors’ email addresses, so you can start a conversation and build a relationship.
Launching Targeted Email Campaigns That Convert
Once you’ve welcomed subscribers to your list, the real magic begins. Regularly send them a mix of content—from insightful tips to special offers—that aligns with their interests and needs.
Tailor your messages to different segments of your audience to ensure that each email feels like it was written just for them. This approach not only keeps your audience engaged but also encourages them to revisit your site.
I have some other great recommendations for email marketing if you want to send me a message, but in terms of connecting email marketing and website traffic, you really can’t go wrong with the Index to Inbox Academy monthly membership!
Exploring the Potential of Paid Advertising
In all honesty, I don’t use paid ads in my business at this time, but I do know that it’s a strategy that works to drive more traffic to your website when used properly. For now, I’ll just share an overview of how paid ads can help. In the future, if I’m able to share personal experiences or recommended resources to learn more about these areas, I’ll come back and update this post.
Gaining Instant Visibility with Google Ads
Paid advertising, like Google Ads, might not be part of my current strategy, but I recognize its potential in driving immediate traffic to a website.
By targeting specific keywords and audiences that closely match your ideal customer, you can see a significant uptick in site visits. Just remember, the key to success with Google Ads is in the continual tweaking and testing to optimize for the best possible conversion rates.
Maximizing Reach with Facebook and Instagram Campaigns
Ads Manager for Facebook and Instagram can also be an effective channel for driving traffic to your site. These platforms allow you to craft visually appealing ads that speak directly to your audience’s interests and needs.
By directing these ads to well-designed landing pages on your website, you can significantly boost your online visibility and engagement. Remember, the beauty of social media ads lies in their detailed targeting options, allowing you to reach your audience precisely where they’re most active online.
Retargeting: Winning Back Past Visitors
Retargeting is a smart strategy in paid advertising, especially on platforms like Facebook and Google Ads. It involves targeting people who’ve visited your website but haven’t taken any further action.
When you use tailored ads with special offers or personalized content, you can effectively re-engage these potential customers. It’s a fantastic way to remind them of what they’re missing and nudge them back toward your website.
Elevating User Experience on Your Site
As a web designer, I can’t stress enough the importance of not just attracting visitors to your site, but also ensuring they stay, engage, and convert. Here are some key areas to focus on for enhancing user experience:
Ensuring Mobile Responsiveness for On-the-Go Users
With a majority of traffic coming from mobile these days, having a desktop-only site leads to frustrating user experience and amplified bounce rates. Check that your design adapts gracefully to various screen sizes, with navigation that’s easy to use on any device. This is more than convenience; it’s about providing a seamless experience that encourages mobile users to engage and convert.
Crafting Compelling Calls-to-Action for User Engagement
Your calls-to-action (CTAs) guide visitors on what to do next. They should be prominently placed and compelling enough to encourage clicks. Use action-oriented language, and ensure each CTA offers clear value—whether it’s accessing a free resource or signing up for a discount.
Well-placed CTAs can significantly enhance the user journey, gently nudging visitors down the conversion path.
Upgrading Hosting for Enhanced Site Performance
Don’t let slow loading times be the bottleneck of your site’s performance and the reason your web traffic leaves. Evaluating your current hosting plan is especially important when your traffic starts increasing. I use and recommend Pressable, BigScoots, and Flywheel for my own sites and clients’ sites for top-notch hosting and customer service.
Conducting a Comprehensive Page Speed Audit
Slow sites can deter visitors, increasing bounce rates and impacting your SEO efforts. Give tools like Google PageSpeed Insights a spin to conduct thorough audits on your site. Focus on actionable improvements, such as optimizing image sizes, reducing server response times, and streamlining code for a faster, more fluid user experience.
Remember, the goal is to not just bring visitors to your site, but to create an environment where they can interact easily and take the desired actions without friction.
Your Next Step in Mastering Website Traffic
There are a lot of ideas here, and I don’t want you to think you need to take all of these actions immediately to get more visitors to your website! As I mentioned, I have yet to try paid ads myself, and I continue to work on some of the other tips I’ve shared.
But starting with just one or two of these strategies can make a significant difference in overall website traffic, and more importantly, the actions people take once they visit your site.
If you’re unsure where to begin or need help prioritizing these strategies for your unique website, consider booking a call with me. A personalized website audit can provide you with a clear plan to increase your website traffic and ensure that it converts to meaningful engagement and business growth.
Ready to boost your digital presence? Contact E. Houston Studio today, and let’s start turning your website into a visitor magnet.
