Insight Into Your Website

Part 4, Generating Traffic

When Silver Oaks consults with clients on building websites and generating traffic we remind them that just having a great website is not enough; visitors must be able to find it. Successful sites build links, optimize their sites for the search engines, build partnerships online and use all other means available to extend their reach. These sites generate more traffic, leads, sales and create greater exposure.

While there are literally dozens of options for getting in front of your ideal visitor, part 4 of Insight Into Your Website covers some key web marketing techniques to promote and drive traffic to your site. In some cases you will be pulling traffic in from search engines and ads; in some cases you are pushing your site out to new audiences.

SEO (search engine optimization)

Optimizing your site for the search engines is the key to grabbing the lion’s share of visitors from the natural search traffic. Search engines use many factors when deciding where a site ranks. Still, the best first step to any successful SEO campaign is to identify the search terms / phrases that you wish your site pages to be found in the search engines. Once you have a well researched list of keywords and an SEO plan worked out, start the optimization process by applying them to the following site elements:

• Write compelling Title tags for each page.
• Place the most important keywords within META tags (description, keywords tags).
• Develop keyword-rich Alt attributes for images.
• Define page headings that include important keywords.
• Create keyword-rich anchor text for links.
• Optimize page copy.
• Clean up HTML coding errors.

PPC (pay per click)

PPC refers to a site’s paid listings in the sponsored results of the search engines. Pay-per-click advertising works by charging you each time someone clicks on your listing. When a user searches for a particular keyword, site ads are displayed according to how much they bid on that particular word or phrase. The beauty of PPC advertising is that you only pay when someone clicks through to your site.

PPC campaigns can be set up and begin generating traffic in less than 24 hours, but can be complicated, competitive and require constant monitoring. Competition for position and keywords drives click prices up. PPC is not for every business, Silver Oaks can help you determine how PPC fits into your overall marketing campaign and combine it with SEO or other online marketing techniques to drive targeted traffic to your site.

Directory Listings

There are thousands of online business directories where you can submit your site. Backlinks from directories are very important, helping drive traffic to the site and helping to improve a site’s status in the search engines. Directories fall under two cateogories: general directories which provide general authoritative information about sites, and topic specific directories that target specific interests and industries. Find the most appropriate directories that relate your industry and get listed.

Email Marketing

Email can be a very cost effective tool for promoting your business. Because the nature of email marketing is immediate, a message can be tracked within hours of a campaign being launched. A monthly newsletter, weekly product or promotional update to your clients or prospective customers will generate return traffic, as well as enhance the relationship between you and your visitors.

Additional Traffic – building techniques:

• Write and submit authoritative articles about your products or services.
• Research content related sites to place ads on that will bring your site additional traffic.
• Begin a business blog that positions your business as the expert in your industry.
• Advertise your site in free and paid classified sites.
• Include your site’s URL on all online and offline business materials.
• Join online forums that are related to your industry.
• Create a custom advergame highlighting your brand or product.

By using the techniques and methods outlined here you can get the ball rolling and begin experiencing growth online. Which option you choose depends on your own marketing goals. Let Silver Oaks work with you in developing a custom marketing mix that’s right for your business plan. To learn more about Silver Oaks web development services and how our team of web marketing professionals can help grow your business online please contact info@silveroaks.com.