- August 22nd 2019
- SEO News
The Quickest Ways to Get People to your Website
Search engine optimisation techniques usually take a while to kick in but there are several quick and easy ways to attract people to your website and I‘m sharing a few ideas in this blog post.
Before you do anything your website has to be created in the appropriate format. By this I mean
…is your website mobile friendly?
Apparently there are now more mobile phones in the world than there are people who own a toothbrush. How amazing is that? And, according to a 2018 Ofcom report 73% of UK based mobile phone users are using them to access the internet for more than 3 hours a day. No wonder smartphones have been described as “digital companions”!
The same Ofcom report reveals that 27% of mobile phone activity is about browsing and 24% about online shopping
So that’s great news for your website – if it is mobile responsive
Test this by looking at your own website on your smartphone. You will have problems if:
- Your website is slow to load
- The text is too small
- You are using Flash
- It is difficult to navigate around your site
- Your buttons are too small or too close together for touch screens
There’s a very handy Google tool to check your website. To use it just click here
Now let’s take a closer look at several marketing methods available to you. The main thing to remember is that your objective in undertaking these activities is to drive potential clients and customers to your website where they can find out more about how you can help them with any challenges. So…
- …have you taken full advantage of Google My Business?
It may be stating the obvious but you need to be where your potential customer is looking. There’s an old marketing rhyme about this “If you want to sell what Bill Smith buys you must look at the world through Bill Smith’s eyes”
And where is Bill Smith looking? Well, online!
And which businesses will catch Bill Smith’s eyes? Those on page one of his preferred search engine!
One way of getting on page one of a search is to list your company within Google My Business. According to a recent article by Social Media Today
- 4 out of 5 customers use search engines for local information
- 70% of customers visit a store or make a purchase after a search
- 85% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
It’s nice and easy to get onto Google My Business – you just need to sign into that area of Google and follow the instructions about creating a full profile which can include a description of your business; products and services; specific attributes and your website address.
I would then encourage you to post small articles regularly and certainly develop a process which encourages your happy customers to leave a review on there.
2. Are you using the social media platform you like or the one where your customers are?
Social Media marketing has been dubbed “networking on speed” so you have the potential to quickly reach out far and wide but you can waste an awful lot of time and effort if you’re using the wrong platform to reach your target. So it’s important to do some research on this in terms of demographics and sector
Generally
- Facebook is best for business to consumer (b2c) and business to women. However Facebook has made it very challenging for businesses to organically reach their potential customers on here unless they advertise.
- LinkedIn is best for business to business (b2b)
- Twitter is good for both b2c and b2b but requires A LOT of posting so if you are selling low cost items this platform is likely to cost you more in hourly rates than you can generate.
- Instagram works for both but has a younger overall demographic – mostly 15 to 35 year olds – and is easier to populate if you are in a visual sector.
Also don’t forget – your business hours may be 9.00am to 5.00pm but your potential clients and customers are often surfing first thing in the morning and last thing at night. So again make sure you are posting to suit them NOT to suit you and don’t forget to include a link to your website in your posts.
3. Have you remembered WIIFM?
WIIFM?
This stands for “What’s in it for me?” and this is what your customer thinks at all times. “What’s in it for me to follow this business?” “What’s in it for me to read this newsletter?” and – highly relevant to this post – “What’s in it for me to click this link to that website?”
Normally this relates to the content marketing activities with which you are supporting your website. So what bait are you dangling from your website? And are you mentioning that bait regularly in your posts?
This could be happy customer testimonials or case studies or informative downloads or special offers or competitions or training videos. It could be your helpful blog posts – check out my earlier post Why your website needs a blog
4. Have you mentioned your website everywhere? No I mean EVERYWHERE
Are you putting a clickable link to your latest blog post on your e-mail signature? Are you sharing your website address on your business cards; your compliment slips; your handouts; your adverts; your social media bios; and, where relevant, on a display board in your premises?
It’s just as important to keep your antennae up for opportunities to covertly leaving a link to your website. For example you could comment on a post within a LinkedIn Group with a link which leads to helpful content on your website. This must be genuinely helpful otherwise it will just come across as spam and other group members will make sure not to engage with you.
5. Have you taken advantage of online directories?
Is there a digital platform for local companies or businesses in a particular sector? Get listed with a hypertext link to your website but don’t forget to write your entry mindful of WIIFM as mentioned above. Little bonus tip – speak in the first person – “we help you” not “we help company owners” as this is much more impactful and engaging.
6. Have you checked out to see if there are any local Parish Magazines?
These are the typically A5 magazines that are put through doors on a monthly basis. Check out to see if you have one within the area where you are trying to reach your target market. If they look totally unappealing – old fashioned, black and white, only ads and not useful content forget it. The litmus test is would YOU read it?
7. Are you working with affiliates?
- Could you appear in their newsletter with a link to your website?
- Could you write a guest post in their blog which includes a link to your website
- Could you share a stand or a stall where you could display your website address?
- Could you host a joint promotion on your website?
8. Have you thought about doing a talk?
Local business groups often like to have a speaker share expertise with their members and of course business sectors have their own seminars and conferences. Just make sure you make the most of such an opportunity by taking along a pop up banner which displays your key marketing phrase and, of course, your contact details.
P
hew – you’re certainly going to be busy! I hope this has given you food for thought about the many marketing methods that are complementary to SEO.
- 8 Solid Gold Marketing Tips to Increase your Conversion Rate - September 10th 2019
- The Quickest Ways to Get People to your Website - August 22nd 2019
- The Importance of Mobile Optimisation - July 31st 2019
