So far we've covered what it takes to get your site up and running and start capturing leads. However it's difficult to capture leads on your website if nobody actually comes to it. So here are 5 ways you can start getting people to come to your website.
1. Search engine optimization.
The best way to get found online is to get great search engine ranking. 85% of all people looking to buy a product or service now start by doing some form of research using Google and other search engines. Getting a first page ranking on Google is the fastest way to become an overnight success online. But don't except a first page ranking to come easy or cheap. Your competitors know how valuable these top ranked listing are and they're willing to go to great length to get them. It takes a massive effort to get on the first page of Google even for moderately competitive keywords. And know matter what it will take time for your website to work it's way to the first page.
Later on I'll be sharing with you loads of information on search engine optimization. It's part science, part art, and there is a lot you'll need to know and understand to become a master. Those who are able to master search engine optimization are usually highly rewarded for the effort. It's really the absolute best way to get web traffic.
2. Pay per click advertising.
If you don't have the patience for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) then pay per click is a good alternative. Pay per click advertising allows you to pay for advertising only when someone is actually sent to your web page. This is probably the most efficient form of advertising ever invented and ranks behind only email ad the most effective form of advertising.
The best place to pay for PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising is Google. Google has a program called Adwords that will let you buy a sponsored listing that shows up amongst it's regular search results. Many people can't tell the difference between these ads and Google's regular search results so they get clicked frequently. One thing that is nice about PPC advertising on search engines is the fact you can alter or control what you want your ad to say. Where as if you're relying soley on what's called organic search results you will not always be able to control what's being displayed for your search engine listing.
Pay per click advertising is something all businesses should do in order to supplement their organic search engine listings. It will give you a chance to refine which keywords you should be targeting. You can start getting targeted traffic instantly since you're essentially buying your way to the top of the search engine. Once you have real traffic you'll be in a better position to tweak your landing pages, checkout process, and so on. If you rely soley on organic traffic it could take months before you start seeing any significant traffic from your targeted keywords and phrases.
One thing that's nice about WebStarts is that we give you $300 worth of vouchers to major PPC search engines like Google Adwords, Yahoo, Facebook, and Bing. Those vouchers will give you a chance to drive some traffic to your site and start refining your online sales strategy right away.
3. Press releases and blogs.
Another way you can get traffic to your website is to contact bloggers and news outlets. If you have a really exciting product or service and an interesting story to go along with it you'll be in a great position to get some free publicity. Contacting these people can be very time consuming and you'll have to create a truly intriguing story to get picked up. You can use WebStarts to help you create a press release that will be sent to thousands of news outlets across the country. This could result in your website receiving news articles both on and offline. In additon anytime a blogger or a news site writes about your company chances are they'll include a valuable backlink to your site which will vastly improve your chances of getting a first page ranking on Google.
4. TV and Radio.
Even though we're living in the internet age most of us continue to watch TV and listen to the radio. These are old standbye's when it comes to advertising and they can still help drive traffic to your website today. They're typically not as effective as pay per click search engines but they can still help drive significant traffic to your site.
TV and radio give you a sense of legitimacy you cannot get on the internet. If you're running these campaigns always remember to make the focus to drive people to your website. When running a TV ad be sure to show the website address on the screen during the whole commercial. If your're running radio make sure to mention that web address at least three times in the spot and don't be afraid to spell it out.
5. Print media.
It's not as exciting as some of the other ways of getting web traffic but it's going to be one of the easiest and best places for you to start. Putting your web address on your business cards, flyers, and brochures is one of the most basic things you can do to start getting traffic to your webiste. Of course you'll have to actually get those promotional materials into someone's hand in order for them to see it. A lot of time the best advertisment you'll have for your business will be yourself and so people you hand a business card to are more likely to stop by your website for a visit.
By focusing on these 5 ways to drive traffic to your website you're sure to start seeing some visitors. Coming up I'll go in depth on search engine optimization. Search engine optimization is really the pillar to the rest of your online marketing efforts. Don't make the mistake of building a website on a platform that's not searche engine friendly. WebStarts was designed from the ground up to get your the best possible search engine ranking. That's why so many of your clients are listed on the first page of Google. If you haven't already created a website with WebStarts.com click on this link to set one up for free now.