Increase website traffic: first steps first

17 February, 2010

First impressions last. From your first glance when meeting someone new, through to the quality of conversation they hold with you during the first initial meeting, instantly you have already assessed this person and considered your opinion on various obvious and not-so-obvious areas.

Messy hair, unpressed clothes and dirty shoes = untidy, disorganised, lack of ambition.

Similarly, a slow, unimpressive and cluttered website, that in addition bores users with its long winded content all about them, and it's little wonder that things don't start off with a bang!

In order to establish and maintain an increase in website traffic, first steps first; a good website design with interesting content relevant to the people you are talking to is absolutely critical. If you have nothing impressive to present, why would anyone spread the word about your website, or follow a call to action?

Once your website has covered the basics, and presents to users confident messages of professionalism, trust and expertise, there are many other ways you can further attract new viewers.

Social Conversations

Join and participate in community conversations, in both the public domain and within your industry.

There are countless ways to engage with people online through these conversations, including Twitter, Facebook, blogs, forums and online communities. For more in depth information of which would suit you and your business, it is important to consider your time commitment, your target market as well as how and what messages you would like to send.

Search Engine Optimisation

Find out what your customers are typing into the search engine bar when looking for a business like yours. After conducting some keyword research and identifying the search terms or strings that will be most effective - remember it is not necessarily the most popular keywords you want to target - employ the expertise of an experienced copywriter to manipulate your content to included your keywords.

Event Coverage

Be the life of the party at your next popular industry event; record detailed notes, socialise with as many people as possible, take photos and videos, and let them know you'll have the coverage on your site in the next few days. SEOmoz suggests this tactic can drive thousands of people to your site depending on the size of the event and the people connections are formed with.

Links

Exchanging links, banners or ad space with other closely related websites can increase traffic. Choose your partners carefully, as their credibility can affect yours!

Also, don't forget the more traditional forms of promotion and advertising - business cards, message boards, signs and word of mouth to name a few.

If you would like any information on how Feedia can help you with some of the strategies I have mentioned in this post, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Blog post written by Michelle Jennins of Feedia - Web Design Brisbane