So you’ve just launched your new online store. Your products look amazing, the photographs are gorgeous, and the design extremely stylish and you’ve crafted all the descriptions. But how will anyone actually visit it?
In this post we look at some great ways to drive traffic to your website and start to grow your visitor numbers.
The more relevant traffic you can get to your site, the more chance you have of making a sale.
There are so many different ways you can market your website these days, so we’ve just picked a selection here. We’ve summarized each to give you a taste, and of course, if you need our help with any of these or have any other questions, and then just let us knows:
Get social
If you haven’t already, then get yourself set up on your preferred social media platforms. They all help (in their own different way).
Facebook is a good starting point as you’re likely to be familiar with this already, so create yourself a business page and invite all your friends to start with. Facebok also enables you to create highly targeted adverts, so it’s often the best social platform to start with.
But don’t forget about the others, Instagram is great at brand building, Pinterest the same, Twitter fab at quick conversations and LinkedIn good at raising your own profile and network.
Advertise with Google AdWords
A quick and convenient way to get yourself on the first page of Google. You’ll bid for the keywords you want to rank for and then only pay one someone clicks on your advert.
You should have £75 worth of free credit if you have a Shopify site and you can get set up in one time at all with AdWords Express. If you want to delve a little deeper and have more control, then you’ll want to go down the full Google AdWords route.
Whilst you’re looking at AdWords, why not consider Google shopping. This fits in perfectly with selling products as you’ll be appearing with all other shopping listings when people are looking for specific items. You create product feeds and again bid for position. Google’s own analysis of your site plays a part too.
And finally, don’t dismiss Google display network. These are select Google partners where your adverts can appear on blogs, news sites and other niche places on the web when people are talking about certain keywords or have clicked on different links. You can advertise with text only adverts, image ads or even video ads.
Get search engine optimized…. and keep it going
Organic search engine ranking is one of the best ways to generate traffic. Ranking for relevant search results on the first page of Google (and the other search engines), is a sure fire way of getting traffic. Successful SEO is no longer about having a specific keywords a large number of times on your website, its all about building up the authority of your brand across the web and being the go to company for all things related to your products.
But how? Well, with a careful mix of fresh content on your own site, quality sites linking back to yours with relevant keywords/content, onsite and offsite blogs and even social media content to drive more traffic back to your website.
Build Your Email List
Email subscribers are more responsive and have a stronger connection with your business. They’re also a great way to drive repeat traffic to you website and grow your brand through word of mouth referrals.
Encourage signs up to your list by offering a reason to subscribe, collect email addresses through social media, networking and general advertising, and communicating with your lists regularly to increase site visits.
Buy Banner Ads
Banner ads can work magic when it comes to selling products online, it just depends on how creative you are and where you place them. These tend to be bought in bulk on a variety of partner sites and will appear around existing content ready to attract attention and drive traffic through to landing pages or products.
Hand out flyers
An oldie, but still a goodie! Mass leafleting still has a place in the marketing mix. It’s a perfect way to get your product or service in front of a potential audience. While SEO and AdWords waits for your customers to come and find you, direct mail gets your business in a front of an audience.
Deliver your leaflets in person, using teams of professionals through solus, try Royal Mails door to door service or hire brand ambassadors to target the right kind of clients in high streets or shopping centres. But remember, make it memorable!
Use Print Ads
Print advertising still works. Yes, glossy magazines or national newspapers still charge through the roof, but local directories, business listings or specialist magazines and trade directories are much better value and the perfect mediums to help you stand out amongst other advertisers.
Outdoor and ambient advertising
There are a wealth of options available to generate brand awareness and get your products noticed whilst people are carrying out their ‘normal lives’. We consume a huge amount of media just on our daily commutes. You’ll drive past large billboards, AdShells (bus stop posters), the buses themselves (both t-sides and bus backs), train platform posters, public convenience displays and more. These can be bought in bulk and you can even pick specific locations for maximum exposure.
Ambient is the new way or getting customers to experience your brand, they range from leafleters with static or digital ‘sandwich boards’ on them, clean graffiti, pole people, pizza box advertising, AdBikes, AdVans and you can even pay people to shave your brand into their heads. The options are endless!
Generate word of mouth (and incentivize for it)
There’s nothing more powerful than a recommendation, so ask for testimonials and encourage referrals from like minded customers. Send out emails after purchase, pack cards with orders and offer discounts for any referrals.
Radio
Radio can help target a mass audience either through traditional spot adverts or event through programme sponsorship. Or perhaps one of the best options is to get the presenter to talk about your product – the perfect endorsement
In summary
These are just a selection of ways to generate traffic, so have fun, get creative and test, test, test to make sure you’re using the right mediums going forward.
In Part 2 we will look at some great ways to convert your visitors and make some sales.
