How to Increase Traffic to Your Online Business

There is a plethora of online businesses selling similar products and services to consumers on the world wide web to select from. Competition among online retailers is fierce because of easier startup requirements in comparison to having an actual physical presence such as a brick and mortar. Nonetheless, e-commerce is still serious business which needs constant attention and strategic implementation. If you own an online business it is absolutely necessary to increase your web traffic in order to generate sales. Ultimately, if you want regular traffic to your business website then you need to stay consistent in your efforts. Here are several ways you can increase traffic to your online business:

Target audience
Understanding your target audience is likely to have a profound effect on your online business success. When you know who your target audience is you will have a better comprehension on their interests, wants, likes, and spending habits. This will help with content creation because the web content on an online ladies’ boutique will not be the same for an online software business. The web content will be different in tone, voice, and style as these three elements will influence your brands’ personality. Depending on your products, services, and target audience your web content may require technical writing or may benefit using fewer formal words and phrases. The fundamental aspect of content marketing is knowing who you are relaying your business message to, in order to deliver it in the most effective manner.

High-quality content
If you want your online business to be taken seriously then you need to have an aesthetically attractive website that is user-friendly and responsive in design, so the quality is the same when viewed on a desktop, smart phone, or tablet. In addition, your website content needs to be professional and high-quality, not filled with grammar and spelling errors. If you sell products having good quality product descriptions is essential. Providing information about your products or services without a buyer having to ask you questions speeds up the purchasing decision and decreases shopping cart abandonment on your website. Product photos and website photos should also be looked at with a keen eye as you don’t want to use blurry, low-quality, or irrelevant images. Only high-resolution photos should be used on your business website. Consumers want to know exactly what they are spending their money on and if photos and web content is mediocre they will feel indifferent about buying from you. The great thing about having an online business is that there are no physical barriers and aren’t limited to a specific area, but it also means you have to provide content that resonates and persuades a call to action, whether it is a purchase or a phone call.

Fresh content
Search engines do not like obsolete, outdated, stale, less engaging website content. While new content will not automatically guarantee your website to have front page search engine rankings, it will increase its chances. Search engines may scan, crawl, and index a website based upon several algorithmic factors. This doesn’t necessarily mean you should update every day resulting in low-quality blog articles or filling your website with too many keywords (keyword stuffing), because you will get the opposite result and may be penalized. Fresh content can be posting a new blog article every few days, adding a new landing page, or polishing your product descriptions. When you update your website with reliable and informative new content you will increase your chances of search engines updating your website ranking. Most importantly focusing on quality over quantity will benefit your online business in the long-run.

Metadata
Your business website’s metadata shouldn’t be overlooked as it plays an important role in your SEO and SERP (search engine results page). Metadata are HTML elements that communicate website information to search engines. Metadata includes page titles, meta descriptions, and meta tags. Having unique page titles and meta descriptions for each web page or product will have a significant impact in search engine ranking. When used effectively, well-crafted metadata can significantly boost your website traffic.

AdWords
If you want to get traffic to your online business faster, then you can sign up for an AdWords account and pay for PPC advertising. Your ad will be shown on a SERP to people looking for what you have to offer. You only pay per clicks; in other words, you only pay when your ad is clicked on by an online user. High-traffic keywords are important for a successful PPC campaign because as an advertiser you are bidding for keywords. Enabling enhanced CPC will slightly modify your budget in order to utilize and optimize your ad. This will increase your ad’s visibility and improve conversion rate.

Social Media
Nowadays most people search social media for answers before making their purchasing decisions. Social media is an affordable way to build an online community, build an online presence, build a following, and retain loyal customers. Many online entrepreneurs who decide to take on their own social media management role will find out early that it’s harder than it looks. A social media business page takes a lot of time, engagement, high traffic hash tags, and creating quality content that will attract. In today’s social media age, your social media pages are a reflection of your business brand. If you are posting irrelevant posts, unattractive photos, or over-posting throughout the day, this will turn people off and away. Social media allows users to repost, retweet, or share to their friends, family, and followers acting as an online form of word-of-mouth benefiting the business, which is why your social media business profiles should be taken seriously and treated as such.

Influencer
Trust is an important factor in buying decisions so working with a trusted influencer with a large social media following or blog following will greatly help with your business visibility and business growth. The more influence an influencer has in the online community the more he or she can influence followers or readers to purchase your product or services. Please note that not all influencers are the same and you should choose an influencer that works with your brand image. For instance, if you have an online ladies’ boutique choose an influencer that focuses on ladies’ fashion. If you have an online décor store then choose an influencer that focuses on interior design. Some influencers require a payment, some ask for products, and some want both, so it all depends on your budget and your goal. The key is collaborating with an influencer within your niche, who has a positive image, strong influence, and has followers that you want to attract to your website.