For most business owners, their website is their baby. Whether it was completely custom-built, or a template-based site, you probably spent time, effort, and money getting your website up and running.
So now that your website is functional and live, what comes next? In your perfect world, there would be nonstop traffic to your site and your company would be selling almost as fast as you could handle. So how do you get there?
Well, there are lots of complexities when it comes to the internet. It is hard to definitively say what works and what doesn’t. Just because something worked for one business, it does not guarantee success for anyone else following that same model.
The most important thing to remember is that your site has to be visible and relevant. Without those factors, traffic will likely be minimal. So how do you keep your site relevant and visible? Here are our top suggestions.
Add Content
You probably already have all the content you currently need on your website. One of the things to keep in mind is that the seascape of the internet is going to change, so you need to change with it. On top of that, your business will change. You need to add content as needed.
One example is having a blog on your website. This allows you to have a section of valuable information for your current customers, as well as your target audience. This shows search engines that you are updating your website because no one wants to be directed to a site that has expired information.
Constant Upkeep
Something to be aware of when it comes to websites is that your site needs to be current and kept up. This entails making sure that all links are working, the site is running and loading quickly, and that your users have a good experience on your site.
Some fixes are easy and can be as simple as making sure that images are optimized. Other times you might need the help of a web developer to solve the issue. We have our team ready to help if someone calls in with a concern they don’t know how to resolve or don’t have time to deal with.
SEO
Once your website is loaded with quality content, one of the absolute best things to do is to get heavily involved with Search Engine Optimization. SEO is simply the method of building up your website to climb higher in search results on platforms like Google or Bing. There are literally hundreds of different factors for becoming the top result and they are in constant flux.
Some of the tried and true methods of SEO, however, are having backlinks to your website, citations, and site optimization. Backlinks are any link on another website that links back to your website, they are most effective in helping you show up for whatever words contain the link. Citations are essentially business listings; the more listings you have out there and the more accurate the information is, the more credible you look. Some tips for on-site optimization include making sure your meta titles and meta descriptions are optimized for searches you want to appear for.
SEO is the long game and you can’t expect to see immediate results. It can take months to begin showing up for certain keyword searches, but it is the most effective and reliable option.
Pay-Per-Click
While SEO is the long game, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is the short game. If you ever Google something and see some websites come up at the top with a tiny box next to it that says “Ad”, you are looking at Google Ads, one of the most popular PPC options out there.
Pay-per-click ads are run by going into a website dashboard and creating the ad content within a chosen budget. The budget is the maximum cost you want to spend on these ads. When you create an ad, you select and pay for a keyword that will generate your site to the top of the search. You will have to pay the engine for every time someone clicks on your ad until reaching your budget.
PPC ads are great to run short term. If you have a new product launch or do most of your business around Christmas, then PPC ads are a great way to be seen and drive traffic to your site.
Social Media
Social Media is one of the biggest platforms to be seen and heard. As a business owner, you should definitely have social media accounts for your business. This will allow you to be seen and to gain a following you may have missed out on otherwise.
Brand awareness is key to any business succeeding. If you want to have a constant flow of customers to your business, you need people to know who you are and what you do. Social media can help drive that awareness by providing a worldwide platform with which to spread your brand.
You can run ads on social media to help more people come in contact with your page. They are PPC type ads, and function much the same as Google Ads do, however, instead of appearing in search results, they show up on user’s social feeds.
Conclusion
Your website is looking great, but you need to make sure people can find it. Take to the internet and use the plethora of digital marketing tactics at your disposal to unleash your brand or business. We can assist in any of these functions and would be happy to teach you how to implement them. Whatever your strategy, make sure that you are getting as many eyes as possible on your website. If you do, success will follow.
