5 Steps to Boost Web Traffic
You finally caught on and created a company Web site. The problem is, nobody knows about it. Mary Fastenau, president of StarrTech Interactive, explains how to drive more eyeballs to your Web site for little or no cost.
- OvercommunIcate your URL
Do everything short of putting it in lights. Put your company name and Web address on everything – hats, T-shirts, delivery trucks, ads, press releases, business cards and the signature of your e-mails. If there’s a blank space, stick your URL in it. “Repeat it so many times that people think of your company name and Web site address simultaneously,” Fastenau says.
- Link like crazy
Search engines will rank you higher if you are digitally popular, so invite your friends to visit your site often. Another easy way to boost your ranking is to increase the number of sites you link to. The bigger and more popular those sites are, the higher you will place with search engines. It’s even better when those sites link back. Fastenau says Alexa.com is a great place to check out your site’s popularity and inbound links.
- Content is king
Content is the most important thing when it comes to driving traffic to your site. Think of your site as a living, breathing animal that needs to be constantly updated. Businesses should also include all of their press releases and promotions. Blogging is another way to provide timely information and establish yourself as an industry leader.
- Invite search engines
Make it easy for search engines to navigate your site so they can gather content to include within their databases. Consider how you find information on the Internet. Be sure to include common key words and phrases in your site’s content so that others can easily find you. Two sites to help make your site more accessible are SearchEngineWatch.com and SearchEngineGuide.com.
- Push people to the site
“In July 2009, Netcraft (a company that provides research data and Internet analysis) reported activity from almost 240 million Web sites,” Fastenau says. “With that much competition for attention, the timid will not survive.” She suggests partnering with a likeminded, respected company and buying space on their outgoing e-mails to promote your Web site. Also, give social media a try. “A Twitter handle and Facebook fan page can do a lot to get your site noticed.” You might also consider a YouTube video.
