How to increase website traffic, the old-fashioned way

You just launched a beautiful new website. Everything is optimized, and metadata is in place. So now what? Just because it’s built, does not necessarily mean people will flock to it. To increase website traffic there are all sorts of SEO tips you can add if you are tech savvy, but I’d like to focus on some old-school, no budget tactics. These methods are tried and true and should be included in your online marketing plan. Think of your website as your ever-changing calling card and, in many cases, one of the reasons why your customers are working with you. Your website contains a wealth of information and visuals that illustrate who you are, what you do and what value you bring to your customers. That said, an ongoing plan to keep visitors engaged with your site is beneficial. Here are 10 ideas to help you increase website traffic, provide value and connect with your visitors.

Analyze content

People come to your site to learn about something, confirm something or reaffirm a decision. Pay attention to the search terms visitors use, monitor what pages they do (and more importantly, don’t) visit and begin to identify content that could add value to their user experience.

Let people know it exists

This is primarily for new sites, but all websites could benefit from this reminder. Make sure you add the site’s domain to your email signatures, business cards, letterhead, social media profiles, etc. Let potential visitors know the site is live and, if applicable, link to partners and request ways to obtain reciprocal links from their websites.

Give people a reason to return

Valuable content is the number one reason to return to a website. Become a news source for your business or industry. Add commentary, helpful tips, updates, opinions and general news affecting your business or industry to your website’s newsroom.

Share news on social media with links to the site. Look for opportunities to promote social media posts with links back to the site. These links are essentially doorways back to your site for visitors to learn more about your business.

Guest blog

Provide content to partnering organizations, associations, etc. for their newsroom regarding your expertise with inbound links to your web

Invite partners to blog

Seek out opportunities to provide valuable information on your site by engaging your network of contacts who are not your direct competition but can provide helpful insight for your site visitors. Inquire if these partners can share their knowledge on your site.

Create an email marketing program to share information with your database highlighting news/articles provided on the website.

Request member links

Are you part of a larger association or organization? Reach out to fellow members with a request to add a link to your site on their website.

Promote events

Does your company hold events or produce webinars? Do members of your C-Suite give interviews and keynotes? Ensure coverage of the events or engagements is available on the site.

Add more visuals

Most people love to see their picture. When attending or holding an event, take pictures and post a photo gallery with content coverage of what people missed. Better yet, if there’s a great speaker, take a video clip and share for those who were unable to attend. Images and videos are some of the most valuable content being shared online (make sure you have prior approval before posting). Don’t forget to tell event attendees to visit the site to see coverage of the event.

A website is an opportunity to connect and engage with your target audience over and over again. To increase website traffic, never underestimate its value in your marketing mix and always look for ways to enhance your users/visitors experience. Most important, provide a reason for them to return.