by Aaron Hollobaugh, VP of Marketing & Communications at Hostway Corporation
Search Engine Optimization is the primary plan for helping draw people to a website, but if every business is doing it, is the playing field really tilting in anyone’s favor?
Here are some more suggestions for making a website site more attractive:
Social Media, Used Strategically.
Building an online audience is only part of the traffic-driving puzzle. A common tactic is combining that with linking up with an influential social media site or personality for additional promotion.
Build A Mobile Site.
Visitors on the go appreciate sites that give them a version that’s simple to navigate via phone and provides the most essential information in an easy-access manner.
Compile a Newsletter Audience.
One-time visitors can’t be counted on to return; newsletters find them instead. Strong newsletter material serves as a reminder of why a website was valuable in the first place.
Start a Loyalty, Referral or Brand Ambassador Program.
Within those newsletters, companies will often offer incentives for continuing to patronize their business. It makes customers feel valued and rewarded.
Try PPC Campaigns.
Pay-per-click advertising can be cost-effective for companies that bid well. They get top placement on search pages so that they’re seen first. With the right key phrases, the paid visitors will roll in.
Conduct a Webinar.
Offer a free instructional session to display your expertise. It doesn’t have to be too involved; many webinars are now built around the idea of attending during part of your lunch break.
Better, More Interactive Content.
No simpler advice exists than constantly improving. Consider creating a series of brief instructional videos to promote via email. More reasons to visit means more visitors. Every little bit helps, but what helps most is excellent information in your specialty. The best websites produce valuable insights, and write it well, bringing people useful data.
Make Your Case (with Case Studies).
Pick a satisfied customer using the product you want to promote the most, and co-author a story about your business relationship and how you help them succeed. Co-market white papers or webinars with partners who build complementary products.
Post Reviews Prominently.
Consider placing customer reviews on your product pages, letting your users speak for your product. It’s good to present a seemingly less biased voice.
Hostway Add-Ons.
We’ve built utilities that help websites grow: Newsletter Broadcast gets email marketing up and running, Website Builder can handle mobile and social presences, and more.
The best strategies are likely to mix in several of the ideas above as businesses see what works best in their individual cases. As long as they stay vigilant – always doing something to bring in more visitors – viewership should keep rising.
Aaron Hollobaugh is VP of Marketing & Communications at cloud computing service provider Hostway Corporation, specializes in developing and leading marketing teams in high tech and cloud computing-focused firms. He has extensive experience in building brand identities that resonate with targeted audiences; creating, executing and measuring high-touch, multi-pronged marketing campaigns; developing thought-leadership content based on user feedback; and developing holistic marketing approaches with measurable results.
