Everyone knows pay-per-click (PPC) ads are a great way to increase web traffic to your website. But what if you don’t want to shovel money at Google or Bing? In 2022, small- and medium-sized businesses are spending an average of $9,000–$10,000 per month on PPC, according to WebFX. That’s not chump change! Fortunately, you can boost your visitor numbers and keep people on your site longer in other ways. Here are 10 strategies you can test out now, to get results.
1. Join Social Media Groups.
A Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2021 found that 1 in 7 American adults use Facebook daily. No matter who your demographic is, they’re waiting for you! One easy way to reach them is by joining Facebook groups where they congregate. There, you can engage with them, build trust, and occasionally share links to your website. (Don’t spam, folks!) If you’re a dentist, look for mom groups, neighborhood groups, and health and fitness groups in your area. If you’re a family law attorney, look for divorce support groups, groups of hopeful adopters, and pages for social workers.
2. Start An Email Campaign.
Just how effective is email? According to “The Digital Marketing Handbook” by Robert Bly, very effective. He says, “Just a few years ago, the average ROI for email camÂpaigns was 4,300%.” Are you leveraging that by sending emails packed with readable content and links to your website? If not, start building your campaign today! Our team can help. Click here to learn about our digital newsletter campaigns and how they can increase web traffic on your homepage.
3. Guest-Star On A Podcast (Or Create Your Own).
A whopping 80 million Americans listen to podcasts every week, according to The Infinite Dial 2021 report. Again, your target audience is waiting for you! Do you have a friend, relative, or acquaintance who has a podcast? Ask to guest star on it, then share your website on the air. Can you do a quick Google search for podcasts your demographic loves? Email to see if they might be interested in interviewing you. If not, consider advertising with them (here’s a handy guide for tracking the success of those ads). You could even create your own podcast to speak directly to your prospects and customers.
4. Answer Online Questions.
Kinsta and Forbes agree: Posting on Reddit is a great way to drive people to your website. Don’t dismiss platforms like Quora and Facebook, either! To increase web traffic, spend time sharing there and crafting helpful answers to posted questions in your area of expertise. Don’t forget a sneaky link to your website, of course.
5. Try Affiliate Marketing.
Like the cheesy, classroom posters say, “Teamwork makes the dream work!” To increase engagement in your website, consider starting your own affiliate program. Then, swap the favor of promotion with another company your demographic would enjoy. According to “The Digital Marketing Handbook,” this is easier than you think. Simply set up a page on your website explaining the program. Include the sales cut that affiliates will get, the benefits of association, and a signup form, then share it with people and brands you’d like to work with. Soon, they’ll start sending traffic your way.
6. Leverage Your Content.
This is Newsletter Pro 101. The high-quality, engaging, educational content in your print newsletter will drive traffic to your website on its own. But you can also leverage that content elsewhere! Share your HTML newsletter with your email list, post your articles as blogs, and share them on social media. If you include a link, all of these options will increase web traffic to your site.
7. Offer A Blog Swap.
Podcasts aren’t the only format that welcomes guests. You can also guest-star on someone else’s blog by writing a post in your area of expertise. If you link it back to your website, then it’s an effective way to entice people to click. You leverage the power of quality content and affiliate marketing. To encourage companies and platforms to partner with you, offer a swap and let them guest-star on your blog, too.
8. Post A Tutorial On YouTube.
Creating a YouTube channel is free and easy. Since you’re the expert on your product/service, no one can put out a better tutorial than you! If you mention your website in both the video and description box, you’ll drive traffic straight there. You can also make the video even more effective by sending it to your email list. You should also post it on your website and share it on social media. Not sure where to start? Click here for the “Ultimate Guide.”
9. Ensure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly.
You don’t just want to get people to your website. You want them to stay, browse, and either buy your product or schedule a consultation for your service. The odds of that happening drop like a rock if your site isn’t mobile-friendly. According to Statista, in the first quarter of 2021, 54.8% of all web browsing was done on mobile devices. To discover 14 ways to make your site more mobile-friendly, click here.
10. Boost Your Loading Speed.
Content delivery networks (CDNs) and browser-caching tools will help your website load faster for visitors. This ensures they don’t click away in frustration. Forbes recommends Amazon Web Services (AWS), MaxCDN, W3 Total Cache, and WP Super Cache as good places to start.
With these 10 tips under your belt, you won’t have to rely exclusively on pay-per-click advertising for web traffic ever again. (Your bank account will thank you, too.)
