You Built It, and They Didn't Come. How To Drive Traffic to Your Website.

If you're looking for ways to drive traffic to your website, try using these five strategies.

If your website isn't the field of dreams that you imagined, here are five ways to drive traffic to your site.

You thought that if you built it, they would come, but it didn't turn out that way. Discouraging analytics can be a downer, but today’s disappointing numbers don’t have to be the end of the story. We've got five suggestions to start turning things around.

1. Get noticed by niche influencers.

There's no question that influencers are important in today's digital world. They amplify your message. However, not all influencers are equal.

Just as you target boaters, aim to get your product or service noticed by influencers whose audience matters most to you, even if their following is modest in numbers. In fact, sometimes these less-widely followed influencers—let's call them niche influencers—actually have a greater sway on the customers you really care about reaching.

And, don't forget that not all influencers are not online. Well-known local sailors, mariners, and anglers, authors of books, and marine publications, especially regional ones, are niche influencers. Aim to catch the attention of influencers that your customers trust, such as established content providers. 

2. Build your email list.

A regular newsletter with links to your website is a great way to stay in front of your audience. Instead of buying a list, build a permission-based inventory. Consistently informative and engaging content will inspire potential customers to opt-in or subscribe. Once you have a good following, you'll be ready to grow your list. Try using contests, social media promotions, and similar strategies.

3. Share and link.

Here's an easy one: grow trust with potential customers by linking to great content produced by others in your industry. This is a simple way to establish yourself as a hub for helpful information. Of course, this requires that you strike a thoughtful balance with internal links to your own site, which keep customers on your page longer. Finally, always make sure you're linking to credible sources.

4. Post quality, evergreen content.

When you’re holding yourself out as a topic expert, what you say and how you say it matters. Your site should be filled with relevant, up-to-date information. Posting evergreen content is reliable way to create an ever-relevant website that won't become obsolete. An example: If you sell boats, create blog posts about local cruising spots, boat-buying tips, or the joy of family boating. Such topics will hold their value over time, with minimal updating.

5. Take SEO seriously.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) really does count. Spending a few extra minutes on SEO will pay off in spades. One SEO suggestion: try using long tail keywords in the title, meta description, first 100 words of the copy, SEO description, URL, and image alt texts.

Looking for a friend to talk marketing with? Give us a shout at marketing@spf-360.com.

Want to learn more about driving traffic to your website? Here is an article we like:

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