Driving Traffic: Maximizing Your Website's Potential

We often discuss how clients can maximize the effectiveness of their websites. Some tips involve preparation prior to designing the site, while other tips emphasize ways to make good use of an existing site.

Today, let's talk about driving traffic to your site. Why would a user want to come to your site? Well, aside from a current need of one of your services, there are a couple of other reasons someone might surf in and take a look.

First, if you have a chance to send people via word of mouth, make them aware of content that may be useful to them. Are there coupons? Are there tutorials? Let people know. Face-to-face interaction is still as impactful as ever and more difficult to ignore.

Also, use blog posts and social media to send users back and forth. If they're on social media, make them aware of the blog on your website. Make topics interesting, and people will pay attention. Plus, once they're on the site, they'll see other parts that may otherwise go unnoticed.

If you have printed collateral, by all means make sure that your web address is mentioned. If someone takes home a brochure, you should give them some reason to visit the website, even if it´s just to find out more detailed information on your goods or services.

Finally, use email lists for newsletter circulation purposes. Obviously, you want to have newsletter content that references the website in some way and makes it easy to visit. Since (like social media) email newsletters involve an already-engaged online audience, it's pretty simple to link them into your site with either teased content or the promise of special offers.

The bottom line is to utilize the website as more than just a digital white page listing. While that aspect is important, websites can do so much more and offer an outstanding return on effort investment.

Try it and you'll notice the difference!