What makes your small business website traffic stand apart from competitors?
If you don’t know the answer to that question, perhaps it is time to do a little homework on your site, figuring out why your site is or is not driving more business your way.
When you do that, you can better comprehend the importance of taking the time and effort to build that awesome site.
Is Your Site Ready to Improve?
The first key in getting your website out of neutral and into full-speed ahead mode is giving it an overall review.
What makes your site tick? What is your site lacking that the competition does better? What kind of feedback do users of your site leave you? What would be the one thing you would change about your site if you could?
When you start to fill-in the answers to these questions, you gain a better understanding of how your website can be even better than it is now.
With your review in place, the next step is seeing where your site can improve.
Look to these areas first:
- Content – What kind of content is filling up your site’s pages? Is it useful content that makes you look informative and an expert in your respective niche? On the other hand, is it basically filler content to keep the pages looking filled? If it is the latter, change that as soon as possible. Not only are you not providing a service to your website traffic by simply putting filler content on your pages, you are also setting yourself up for potential Google issues when it comes to your site’s ranking. Place quality content on your site, content that you would be proud to have visitors not only read themselves, but pass along to other consumers;
- Flow – How well do the pages on your website flow? The goal of any good site is to have pages that flow naturally, leaving users void of having to jump through hoops to find the information they want. When you properly organize pages in an easy-to-read format like a trade bit or other such site, users have an easier time finding what they want. Organize your site from front to back with the most important details up front. That does not mean your “back pages” should be garbage; make sure you give users a quality experience on each and every page they land on. Part of that flow process is also making sure that any links on your site open in a simple and timely manner. Broken links can be a big detriment to your site, oftentimes leading to users not wanting to pay you another visit;
- Promotion – How much promotion are you giving your site? One way to enhance your levels of traffic is by making sure your site is seen by countless people. This means a good dose of social media promotion for starters. If you have not been already, make sure your site is getting promoted on social networking venues like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and more. Each of these sites can offer you invaluable promotional opportunities, so don’t miss out on them. Your marketing content, videos and more should all be receiving a heavy dose of promotions on social media. As in other instances, if your small business is tight on a budget, outsource your social media needs to professionals that do social networking for a living. You may argue that it is hard to find the true return on investment (ROI) when it comes to social media, but overall, the return is well worth your time;
- Contact – Do you know one of the biggest website gaffes made by small business owners? Not having their company’s contact information in a prime spot. It sounds like such a little thing on your strategy to-do list, but it can turn out to be problematic if visitors to your site have to wander around trying to reach you or a specific department etc. For those small businesses that have several departments (and heads in charge of them), clearly spell out how these employees can be reached. Instead of the generic company contact info, add the specific emails for each department and the person in charge. Not only will visitors to your site appreciate this, but it presents your brand overall in a more organized fashion.
If your small business website traffic has been stagnant for a period of time now, drive forward with these tips to get you and your brand on the move.
About the Author: Dave Thomas covers small business topics on the web.