DIY Website Traffic Ideas for Small Businesses
By Lisa Burden, J.D. | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq. | Last reviewed June 06, 2024
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If you've already built your small business website, you may think you've gotten past the hard part. But simply having a website is a given in today's business environment. In fact, not having a website will hamper your ability to find customers and establish your brand.
Once your site is up and running, the most important question is: "How do I drive traffic to my business website?" Below are some tips on digital marketing that you can use to build website traffic and create brand awareness.
See FindLaw's Internet and E-Commerce section for related articles, including Payment Card Security: PCI Standards and Protect Your Business From Cyber Attacks.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an important digital marketing strategy. It aims to improve a website's position in search engine results pages (SERPs) without resorting to paid marketing campaigns. Effective SEO strategy ensures that your website ranks high in the search results for the keywords or phrases relevant to your business.
Google, Yahoo, and Bing are the top search engines. They use algorithms to match the search terms that consumers type into a search bar with the best information for the query. They rank web pages based on the relevance and quality of the content in relation to the search terms.
For instance, if a consumer searches for “crab cakes in Baltimore," search engines will display websites and ads optimized for those keywords.
SEO experts aim for “page one" positioning in search results. This rank is crucial because high visibility in search results can significantly increase website traffic. Showing up in the first position on a Google search garners about 33% of Google search traffic.
Second-page results are pretty much ignored. More than 90% of people don't click on the second page of Google search results. Sound use of SEO concepts means that your site will be among the top results for your target keywords.
Website traffic generated through search engine queries is called “organic traffic" or “organic search results."
SEO tools can help you in your keyword research. Keyword research involves identifying the relevant words and phrases, including long-tail keywords, that your target audience uses when searching for products, services, and content.
Long-tail keywords are phrases that are longer and more specific than the shorter keyword phrases typically searched for by users in search engines. These keywords generally consist of three or more words. You can weave the words and phrases into your content as part of your website pages and blog.
SEO isn't only about making sure that content includes the proper keywords. Several elements of your website, such as the meta description, images, and URL structure, should be checked to make sure they are search engine friendly.
Content Marketing
One of the least expensive ways to achieve a high ranking in a Google, Yahoo, or Bing search is with high-quality content. Content marketing is 62% less expensive than other types of advertising. It also generates three times as many leads.
Posting great content on a regular basis is one of the most effective strategies for businesses looking to increase their online visibility without spending money on ads. Quality content is important for search engine ranking and establishing industry authority. Bloggers are at the forefront of this, producing helpful and informative content.
You can establish yourself as a blogger and expert in your field through your blog entries. For example, if your company sells equipment and supplies for brewing beer at home, you could write about the various techniques and issues that interest homebrewers. Many bloggers choose WordPress to publish their blogs.
Thus, content marketing can bring in new customers while also saving money on advertising expenses.
If your budget allows, you can also create website traffic by purchasing ads. Pay-per-click (PPC) is an online advertising model where advertisers pay a fee when a user clicks on their ad. Google Ads is the name of Google's pay-per-click platform.
Social Media
Social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter) can drive traffic to your website.
For example, many companies set up a Facebook page to engage with their audience through posts about new products or services and interactive content like polls and live videos. This activity can foster customer engagement and a sense of community for your brand. It also drives interested users to the website, potentially increasing sales.
X is good for sharing quick updates and company news. It's also good for engaging with customers through tweets and replies. Companies can also use X to share links to their website, blog posts, or specific landing pages. This makes it easier for followers to access more detailed information with just one click.
An integrated approach to social media marketing can significantly contribute to a company's digital marketing success. This means that businesses should:
- Maintain an active and consistent presence on these platforms
- Tailor content to fit each platform's unique audience and features
- Strategically use “calls to action" to encourage website visits
By using social media platforms, companies can enhance their online presence, engage with a broader audience, and drive more traffic to their website.
Podcasts
Many entrepreneurs and small business owners turn to podcasts to attract potential customers. A podcast can be a powerful marketing tool.
Podcasts are digital audio or video content on a specific theme distributed over the internet. For example, using the example of the homebrewing company, you could interview successful homebrewers for your broadcast production.
Podcasts are simple to create. You only need basic equipment to get started, such as a microphone and recording software.
After recording and editing, the digital content is shared with an audience. It can be posted on YouTube or a podcast hosting service or shared directly through your website.
The search engines display podcast episodes in search results.
Email Marketing
You can also bring traffic to your website with email campaigns. You can promote products and services and drive engagement through messages sent to your email list.
Building and maintaining an email list is an important aspect of your email marketing strategy. To develop the list, encourage your website visitors to provide their email addresses by offering something valuable in return. This can be a discount code or early access to new products and services, for example.
Maintaining an email list requires regular pruning. Inactive subscribers who haven't opened or responded to your emails over a certain period of time should be removed.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing can be a powerful tool for increasing website traffic. You provide samples of your products to those with a strong social media presence in exchange for reviews and online mentions.
When choosing an influencer, identify the right influencers for your brand. You should look for people whose content is a good match for your target audience and who have a large and relevant following.
Buzzsumo, a cloud-based content research tool, can help you to identify influencers for effective social media marketing.
Online Directories
Directory listings can help increase your online visibility and drive traffic to your website. Listing your business with a directory can make it easier for potential customers to find you online.
If your business involves legal services, FindLaw has a top 10 legal directory. Google and Bing also offer business directories.
Getting a link to your business from a directory is good for your backlink profile. A backlink is a link that points to your site from other websites. Getting a backlink from a directory is good SEO practice—they often have high domain authority.
Consider Getting Legal Help With Your Small Business
Sooner or later, you will run into one or more legal issues requiring the expertise of a legal professional. There are several laws and regulations addressing the internet and customers' personal data.
After you learn how to drive traffic to your business website, you might want to check with a business and commercial law attorney to make sure you're in compliance with all applicable laws.
Next Steps
Contact a qualified business attorney to help you address you business's operational needs.
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