Your website is your ‘storefront’ online and represents your business. Many entrepreneurs are now focusing on social media to connect with their audience. While this is a great marketing strategy, it’s important to remember that Facebook and Instagram are owned and managed by others. Do you really want your business to be controlled by Mark Zuckerberg?! I have no issues with Mr. Zuckerberg, but I prefer to be in charge of my own business!

Many entrepreneurs struggle with getting visitors to their website. It’s important to begin with a well-designed site and effective SEO practices. After you’ve covered the basics, these tips can help boost your website’s traffic.

  1. Blog Regularly – a study by Tech Client found that featuring a blog as a key part of your website will give you a 434% better chance of being ranked highly on search engines. Wow! That should get you blogging now! It’s important to be consistent because blogging is very much a numbers game. The more content you produce, the greater your results will be. That means setting—and sticking to—a content production schedule is a must. A weekly schedule is both attainable and sufficient to build a steady stream of traffic. (More on blogging in this post.)
  2. keywordsStudy Keywords – Keywords are what draws searchers to your site. When you use the right combination of keywords, you will find that your website visitors are actively searching for your services and will be interested in what it is you have to offer. Determining your keywords is not difficult if you follow a few simple guidelines.
  3. Start a Facebook Group – Make it open to the public, share all your blog posts to it, plus ask questions, answer questions and comment on other people’s discussions. Increase engagement in your group is through a community challenge. They are a proven way to increase interaction and get your group members involved. I have a planner that will walk you through planning and implementing a successful challenge step by step. You can learn more and get your copy here.
  4. Join Someone Else’s Facebook Group – Many groups cater to your ideal audience. Join them and become an important part of the community by interacting on a regular basis. Be helpful to other group members and remember to never promote without permission in someone else’s group.
  5. Start a LinkedIn Group – Yes, LinkedIn has groups too! You can learn more about starting a group here. If you take the time to create a great description, people are more likely to join. Make sure to share content regularly that links back to your website.
  6. Join Someone Else’s LinkedIn Group – Search for LinkedIn groups that interest your target audience. Join one or two at a time. Participate in the groups for a few weeks or months. Leave the groups that don’t suit your needs.
  7. Build Your Email List and Use Email Marketing – A study by Litmus found that email generates $42 for every $1 spent, which is an astounding 4,200% ROI, making it one of the most effective options available. When you have your readers and website visitors on your email list, you can invite them back to your site when you post a new blog or have a special offer.
  8. Join HARO – This is a handy website called Help a Reporter Out, that helps you find and become a source for journalists and other media outlets.
  9. guest bloggingGuest Blog – Find influential places that accept guest blog posts. Follow their guidelines for guest blogging and create a post exclusively for them. Include a topic related bio to help you build your reputation and get click-throughs.
  10. Start a YouTube.com Channel – YouTube is the second most popular search engine today and is a fabulous traffic generator! Be sure to include your URL in the video, in the description and even as a linkable comment.

How many of these are you doing and where can you do more? Make a plan today to implement a new tactic each week and track how your website traffic and ROI increases!