Amy Isaman
In order to get your website to work to build your business, you’ve got to get potential clients TO your website.
This is all about the math. If you have more visitors to your site and those visitors are clearly targeted, you’ll have more conversions which means you’ll convert more people to clients.
Unfortunately, when it comes to websites, the whole idea of “build it and they will come” is a myth.
Your website will work as hard as you do WHEN it gets the traffic it needs to work. You can have the most amazing gorgeous website in the world, but if you’re not out there marketing it and driving traffic to it, consistently, your website won’t convert…because there’s nobody to convert.
It’s up to YOU to get people there.
So, what can you do to increase your traffic?
1) Add content to your website regularly
I’ve found, after having a personal blog for 6+ years, a teen writer community website, and now Entwine Web Design, that the key to growth online is one-word CONSISTENCY.
You can be consistent in a variety of ways and on a variety of platforms, show up and show up regularly.
What does this look like in my business?
- 2-4 blog posts a month that are optimized and shared on Pinterest, FB, and Instagram
- monthly free calls/tutorials – Take Action Tutorials on the last Thursday of every month
- this has been the BEST way I’ve found for growing my list
To drive traffic to this content, I send out a weekly newsletter to my list with links to blog posts, helpful info, and sometimes a pitch for my services (custom web design, coaching programs, or strategy sessions). This goes out on Saturday morning and I usually take holiday weekends off
Now, don’t look at this and panic. It has taken quite a while to get this all set up.
I started with the blog posts because I like to write. You don’t have to blog, but I highly encourage it. Or, add videos to your blog. Google likes dynamic sites that have content added regularly.
I also started with a monthly newsletter because I started blogging monthly. I’ve now gotten much more frequent with my blog posts and my newsletters.
Again, find a schedule that works for you whether it’s monthly, 2x monthly, or weekly, but whatever it is BE CONSISTENT. There are actually quite a few benefits to blogging consistently.
2) Optimize your posts and pages with SEO
This is a BIG topic, but it’s actually not that hard to do once you understand the basics of SEO. If you need some help, I’ve got an SEO Basics course to walk you through the basic steps of optimizing your pages and posts to get the targeted traffic you want.
3) Share your new content, website, and offerings on social media
Even if you’re an introvert, you’ve gotta get social when it comes to your business and your website.
Social media can be a key driver of traffic. Social media consistently drives 20-30% of my total site traffic which is a significant chunk.
Like blogging, social media takes some commitment and consistency to begin to see results. Some of you might already have your social media game drilled down – but if you don’t, no worries. You can start now.
Choose one platform and begin posting consistently and engaging. Then, choose another. Track your Google Analytics to see if your social media efforts are working. Last month, Facebook drove 80% more traffic than Pinterest and Instagram combined. This month, I upped my Instagram game, and traffic is about 50/50 which is super interesting.
Here’s my current weekly social media schedule:
- 3-4 posts a week on my FB page – some pre-scheduled
- 4-6 posts on my Instagram account – most pre-scheduled with Planoly
- 50+ pins per week on Pinterest – pre-scheduled using Tailwind
I have another client who has the exact opposite results. Her Instagram and Pinterest drive FAR more traffic than Facebook, so that is where she has begun focusing her social media efforts.
Again, whatever platforms you use, be consistent there. That’s when growth and engagement happen.
4) Provide value on social media
Participate in groups on social media and answer questions when people ask about your area of expertise. Don’t just drop a link to schedule a call, actually answer questions and serve others. Be a resource.
Sure, share your website, but on this one, focus on being helpful first and sharing your offerings second. This WILL help drive traffic to your website as you can also share links to helpful blog posts.
It’s also a great way to make connections and get referrals.
5) Offer free calls and classes
These are often called webinars and they often have a sales pitch at the end, but that’s not necessary. I do a monthly Take Action Tutorial on the last Thursday of the month. I teach some website strategy, and it goes for about 20 minutes. This has been a great source of traffic to my website and it’s also been helpful in growing my list.
6) Guest blog or get on podcasts as a guest
This is a strategy I haven’t used much, but it can be highly effective for driving traffic to your site if you’re posting on sites where your target market hangs out. And again, this is a strategy that can take some time to find the right sites and podcasts, pitch them, and then actually create the content, but it’s worth it.
Some of my clients have had fabulous success with this strategy.
7) Get out and actually BE social
Local networking groups or even conferences that you travel to can be GREAT places to find clients and get traffic to your site.
Laughing and having a ton of fun with my fav MOB’s (mom-owned business owners) – networking CAN be so much fun! In some way or another, all of these women have supported each other in business either as clients/customers or through referrals & collaborations.
I’m a member of the Mob Nation which is a networking group for Mom-Owned Businesses, and I love the monthly meetups. They get me out of the house, off my computer and actually interacting with other human beings face to face, not over a Zoom call. They’re energizing and it’s a great opportunity to connect and share my business.
The other bonus is that when I tell people what I do, they’ll often tell me what they struggle with or their frustrations with their website which is such a win. I can help them out and provide support and I also get to hear first hand what small business owners struggle with when it comes to tech.
Attending live networking events is a strategy that I think fell out of favor when the internet blossomed, but live networking opportunities are becoming more and more popular as entrepreneurs realize the value in making those in-person connections.
They’re also great for extroverts like me! It can get a little lonely sitting behind my computer all day.
Conclusion
This post is really all about marketing, and even though I don’t consider myself a “marketer,” if you’ve got a business online, you’re a marketer, too. Or you need to become one for your business if you want it to succeed.
You’ve GOT to share your website and your business, over and over and over. If I’ve learned one thing about running a business for the past two years, it’s that.
Outreach and networking and putting myself out there, no matter HOW uncomfortable it feels, is THE key to growing a successful business.
If any of these steps scare you, start with one. Write a blog post and hit publish. Share your post on one social media platform.
Or, optimize the main pages of your website with some targeted keywords and SEO strategies.
Take baby steps and work through the fear. As you take one step, the next one becomes a little bit easier.
xo,
Amy
PS – some of the links in this post are affiliate links which means I’ll make a small, much appreciated, commission if you choose to purchase the product after clicking the link. I only recommend products that I use and love!
Amy Isaman
