Today, having a website for your business is an important (maybe the most important) piece of your marketing plan, both online and off. Over ninety percent of large businesses and forty percent of small businesses have a site. However, just having a site doesn’t guarantee success.
7 Ways to Gain Website Traffic
- Your Employees:Your website has to be on the top of everyone’s mind throughout your organization. Directing everyday inquiries to the website is the first step in gaining more usage to your website.
- Voice Mail: Use your “on hold” message to direct people to your website. This is extremely important when a user calls after hours or on weekends when you are running with a slimmed down, or no, staff. Ask all your employees to mention the website in their personal message also.
- Press Releases: Send out a traditional press release after your site is launched and then periodically throughout the year on new site features and/or services to continue generating awareness.
- Magazines and/or Newspapers: Submit articles to your local magazines and newspapers to get the word out about your website.
- Advertisements in Trade Publications: If the audience you are trying to reach is more business to business run ads in market specific trade publications
- Email Communications: Requesting all employees list the website address in their email signature will help keep the word out about the website as well as develop a stronger brand.
- Awards: Submit your website for various awards. There are numerous sites that make it easy for you to submit your website. With a little luck winning an award will enable you to generate more press opportunities.
If your website is going unused and unnoticed the amount of effort you’ve spent on determining the site goals, designing the site, planning the navigation and usability, etc. is going to be wasted.
Contact Small Farm Design to help develop a website promotion plan.