Editors Note: If you
have a website, you built it for one reason and that is to bring
in qualified leads. So is your website getting the leads
that you expected? If not, determine if you are getting a
reasonable amount of traffic before you do anything else.
You can have the greatest website in the world, but unless people
find you, it's completely useless.
Building website
traffic is simply marketing your website so that it can market for
you. Increasing your website traffic isn't going to happen
overnight, but with consistent work and dedication to the basic
principles of website marketing, you should see traffic slowly
improve over time.
11 Quick Tips To Drive More
Return Traffic To Your Business Website
by: Christoph Puetz
Sometimes you need a kick start
to get of the ground when promoting your new business website. Use
these 11 tips to get started. A combination of several tips will
most likely guarantee return visitors on your website. Return
visitors most likely mean more sales.
1. Build a solid business
foundation before starting. Create a business plan (this should be
document revisited every quarter), marketing plan, client profile,
and a site map for your web site.
2. Be very consistent. Brand your
company and stick to it.
3. Create acceptable and easy to
understand policies the build trust: Customer Service, Code of
Ethics and a Privacy Policy.
4. Network locally to bring
people to your site. Start with the local chamber of commerce as
an example.
5. Place your website's URL
address on all your printed business literature -- business cards,
brochures, newsletters, letterhead, invoices, ads, etc.!
6. Offer added values that are
related to your business and the ideal client (target group). A
solid resource database helping clients getting most out of your
services could be a good start. Maybe offer products. A FTP
software for a web hosting client makes perfect sense as they can
use it to conveniently upload their files to the hosting web
server.
7. Add a "Recommend This
Site to a friend" script on your site. If someone visits your
site and knows someone else who may appreciate it, this feature
will email the page's link to the recipient. Easy access to a tool
like this could increase 'word of mouth' advertising.
8. Setup monthly chats about
related topics or install bulletin boards (forums) to build a
relationships and community. This will attach customers to your
business. Invite industry specific folks to a chat so that they
can answer customer questions. This is a perk nobody can resist.
9. Teach classes in colleges or
schools or speak to groups about subjects relating to your
products and services. Students suddenly turn into customers
and/or spread the word ....
10. Conduct periodic contests and
announce the winners on your site. As a web host you could have
contest for who has the best web design on your servers. People
like to show off. Use this behavior to attract new clients.
11.
Participate in online forums as an expert. Do not SPAM the forums
with your advertising messages. Use the signature to quietly
promote your services. Once people see you as a valuable member
with lots of information and start trusting you, they will start
trusting you their business.
