Nowadays it’s not enough just to set up a website and sit back. A successful site requires dedication, time and persistence. Familiarizing yourself with the tools for generating traffic is important, but more important still is understanding the many strategies and tactics of attracting traffic. Do you know how to drive traffic to your website?
There are many different ways to go about getting traffic to your site. But beware – not all traffic is created equal! It’s important to understand where your traffic is coming from and to learn how to generate valuable traffic that will convert.
Together, we’ll examine the various forms of website traffic and discuss how to get both free and paid traffic to your site.
We’ll cover:
Not All Traffic is Equal – The Importance of Quality Traffic
There’s a difference between general site traffic and quality site traffic. Quality traffic ensures that site visitors will interact with your content, have a higher probability of converting into customers and will compound into a snow-ball effect which will drive even more traffic to your content.
Quality traffic refers to viewers who are coming to your site that are interested in what you have to offer. Low quality traffic, on the other hand, consists of empty clicks or people coming to your website that have no real interest in your product or service.
Due to the fact that quality traffic is made up of interested consumers, this type of traffic will lead to higher conversion rates, meaning more people will be likely to purchase what you are offering. Quality traffic also results in lower bounce rates, higher average viewing times on your site and an overall positive effect on your website metrics and SEO strategy.
Generating quality traffic doesn’t mean focusing on just one solid source of traffic. It’s important to diversify your traffic sources. This is important in order to establish a steady, reliable and sustainable flow of visitors to your website.
For example, if all of your traffic was coming from Google+, the shutdown of this social platform would mean that you have now lost all of the traffic you worked so hard to acquire.
Additionally, if you focus all of your efforts on getting organic traffic from search returns and for some reason Google bans you, your site will suddenly have no source of traffic, resulting in a detrimental hit to your business and sales.
Understanding The Different Channels of Traffic
By understanding different sources of website traffic you can better understand not only the audience you will be trying to reach but also the many opportunities for site traffic that are available today.
Here are some common sources of traffic:
Email traffic, or traffic that comes directly to your website from a link in an email, will be of high quality and value, especially if you have had previous interactions with the recipient – such as a repeat customer or someone inquiring about your business.
Sending out emails to a customer email list can be particularly helpful in acquiring quality traffic, as you already know which viewers are interested in your products or services
Social Media
Social traffic is website traffic that comes from social platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Social traffic can be the result of both earned media and owned media.
To learn more about these types of media, check out our posts: “What is Earned Media? A Guide to Expanding Your Reach” and “Why Owned Media Should Be Your Marketing Focus (and How to Develop a Solid Strategy)
Organic
Organic traffic is the result of click-throughs coming from organic search results on search engines like Google and Bing. As with traffic coming from social platforms, organic traffic can also be the result of earned or owned media.
Paid
Paid traffic, or paid media, comes from online advertisements that are purchased. This includes pay-per-click ads with Google and Bing. Paid traffic can also be of high quality due to the fact that advertisements can be targeted at specific groups and viewers.
Regardless of where your traffic is coming from, there are two general ways to get traffic to your site – through cost free methods or with paid marketing.
8 Ways of How to Drive Traffic to Your Website For Free
Traffic doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg! There are many ways to generate free traffic for your site. With some good old elbow grease, these free sources can bring quality traffic to your website:
1. Online listings
Directory listings, like Google My Business and online review site listings, are a great way to generate traffic. Create an optimized listing with a link to your website in order to get viewers to visit your site. Be sure to work hard at getting positive reviews for your review listings, as people are more likely to visit your website and interact with your business when it is recommended by others.
2. SEO
Developing and implementing a search engine optimization strategy can help you place higher in search engine returns. The closer you are to the top of the returns, the more traffic you’ll get!
Keep in mind that quality traffic is highly valuable – make sure to do your keyword research and target high quality keywords to drive the most traffic to your site.
Your strategy should include backlink building as well. When done properly, creating backlinks to your site can contribute to SEO strategy and help you gain trust and authority in your industry.
3. Email Campaigns
Developing a newsletter to email out to your customers is another great way to generate verified, quality traffic that is more likely to convert.
Consider sending out offers with a link to a landing page on your site, as well as educational emails with links to the area of your website where your customers can learn more. Simply including a link to your website in your email signature can also promote traffic.
Email marketing platforms such as MailChimp streamline the process with functions such as a/b testing and segmented email lists.
Please note: be sure to follow all local rules and regulations regarding spam (e.g. Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation) when reaching out to customers through email, to ensure you’re not putting yourself or your company at risk.
4. Social Media
Social media can also be a great source of traffic. By creating useful, intriguing and share-worthy content, you can attract visitors to your website.
Be sure to include links to your site in your profile and posts wherever possible and include relevant hashtags to get your content in front of as many viewers as possible.
5. Blogging
Social media can also be a great source of traffic. By creating useful, intriguing and share-worthy content, you can attract visitors to your website.
Be sure to include links to your site in your profile and posts wherever possible and include relevant hashtags to get your content in front of as many viewers as possible.
6. Online Engagement
Participating online draws attention to your profile and website. You can do this by engaging with customers’ posts on social media and participating in discussions in your industry.
Answering questions related to your product or service on forums and discussion sites is also a great way to interact with your audience.
However, it’s important that you aren’t coming across as “too spammy” – the goal of this interaction should be to engage with your audience and not to directly promote your website, product or service.
7. Free Online Courses and Webinars
Offering free educational content online is another great way to draw a crowd.
Traffic visiting your website to sign up for or attend an online course or webinar is of high quality and the type of traffic you should strive to attract.
If you are using a third-party platform to host your event, be sure to direct your attendees to your site for additional information and engagement after your hosted event ends.
8. Infographics
Infographics can directly draw people to your website to learn more. In addition, infographics that are eye-catching and educational can help to promote other sites and sources linking to your website.
Above, you’ll see Advesa’s infographic for using the hero’s journey to write an effective brand story.
In addition to these free options for generating traffic, paid options also exist.
7 Ways of How to Drive Traffic to Your Website With Paid Marketing
1. Google Ads
Pay-per-click advertising on Google means that you are able to target particular keywords and have your site come up at the top of Google’s search returns for that keyword.
When done well, pay-per-click ads can be highly profitable, bringing quality traffic that converts directly to your site.
2. Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads)
Microsoft ads are another option for promoting your site on search engines. Essentially, the higher your budget, the more traffic you can purchase.
3. Display Advertising
Display ads are ads for your website that are placed on relevant sites. These ads can be purchased through advertising platforms like Google Ads and can also be a source of highly quality traffic, as they can target a very specific audience.
4. Retargeting
Retargeting ads are ads that are shown to viewers who have previously visited your website. These types of ads can be placed on social media platforms, as display ads or on search engines.
This tactic is useful because you know the viewer has already been to your site and is already interested in your product or service – they just need that little push to in order to convert!
5. Social Media Ads
Digital ads on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and other relevant social platforms are extremely popular.
With the ability to target very specific audiences, these advertising platforms allow you to get your brand and website in front of the most relevant audiences.
6. Giveaways and contests
Investing some of your marketing budget towards hosting giveaway and creating a contest is a great way to both engage with your audience and drive traffic to your site.
Send viewers to your site to submit their entry or provide a link in your contest post to refer them.
Collaborating with local companies to create an even bigger prize can also work well and provide even wider reach.
7. Influencer & Affiliate Marketing
Investing in the help of an influencer can also be beneficial. Influencers have access to potentially millions of eyes. If you can find an influencer in your industry and collaborate with them, the content they create for your product or service can drive high volumes of quality traffic to your website.
Key Takeaways on How to Drive Traffic to Your Website
Regardless of the avenues you venture down to establish steady sources of traffic, it will take time to see the results.
When choosing your strategy, keep in mind the high-quality traffic that you’re striving for and choose the appropriate platforms to support that goal.
To summarize, here are a variety of options for you to choose from when looking to gain more traffic:
Free website traffic:
- Online listings – e.g. Google My Business
- SEO – develop and implement a solid search engine optimization strategy
- Email – send out offers and educational content to customers and interested parties
- Social Media – post helpful, entertaining and share-worthy content
- Blogging – create a source of information that customers can continually come back to
- Engagement – interact with your target audience online
- Courses and webinars – create valuable, educational courses for your audience
- Infographics – develop eye-catching and informative infographics
Increase website traffic with paid marketing through:
- Google Ads
- Microsoft Ads
- Display advertising (ads for your product or service that are placed on relevant websites)
- Retargeting (ads shown to viewers who have previously visited your site)
- Social media ads
- Giveaways and contests
- Influencers – hire an influencer to promote your business
With these tips, we hope we answered the question of “how to drive traffic to your website.”
Employ a variety of these techniques and you’ll experience an increase in website traffic like never before!
