Building a website from the ground up is no easy task. It takes some time to establish a regular stream of website traffic. In today’s environment, there are many more people all trying to do the same. Working to find an audience for their new site. Because of this, you need to be extra diligent in your efforts.
To get one step ahead of the competition, we have come with a shortlist of some of the most effective ways of getting traffic on a new website. Each step is pretty easy, and only requires a bit of time invested, but no specialized skills or knowledge.
1. Come Up with a Launch Plan
One of the best things you can do is come up with a plan before starting your website. You could just launch immediately and slowly add content. It’s possible to gain some attention this way. But really, we want to start off strong, and build web traffic early on.
Before the website launch, advertise what you have coming up. You can have a placeholder page to let people know who you are, but be sure to include “a coming soon” tag, or something similar. The goal is to start targeting your potential audience. You want to get them enticed, and to start thinking about what you have to offer.
Once you get to the point where you are ready to start the website, launch with some content ready to go. Not only should you have something to post day one, but at least a week or so out. This way you can keep up a steady stream of traffic by providing your audience some consistent quality. It is especially important early on because if you advertised well before launch you can capitalize on the early excitement. People love to see new things, so don’t let that potential go to waste.
Plus, if you preplan content, it will give some time to work on more for later. You can’t always predict how busy you’ll be. For the unforeseen circumstances, having ready to go back up content will be a lifesaver. A good planning phase will save you a lot of work down the road, and get your traffic numbers up quicker than a “soft launch.”
2. Start Building Social Media
Social media is one of the most powerful tools for marketing you have access to. At the same time, you are starting to build your website, don’t overlook social media. You may not have a ton of content to share right away but that is okay. Focus on letting your audience know who you are and what you have come. Advertise what you offer on your website. Talk about upcoming events or promotions. And of course, post original content that they won’t find anywhere else.
In the early stages of your website, social media will be an invaluable supplement. It provides access to thousands of potential followers. If your content on both platforms is good, you can get exponential results. Each one driving traffic to the other. It is also a great way to get an endorsement. A recommendation by an account with a large following could be the big break you need to up your web traffic.
Plus, most of the world is on social media and actively engaging there. The user base is already established. To not take advantage of this is a big mistake. You’re essentially missing out on free marketing and opportunities to develop branding. If people like what the see on your social media posts, they’ll know that your website content must be good too. Build that credibility early on, and watch your numbers go up.
Organic traffic is hard to capture. Use social media as the extra help you need to start ranking high in the search results.
3. Start Guest Posting
Reach out to already establish blogs and websites and ask to do a guest post. This is a great way to do some networking and show what you have to offer. As we mentioned before, establishing credibility is important. Guest posts are a great way to help show people you have some credibility with an already well-known website.
If your content is related to the site you want to guest on, even better. This will give you a chance to show their audience that you have something of value to offer to them as well. Sometimes a recommendation is all someone needs to be convinced to start following your content.
Be sure to put your best effort into your guest post. You might only have one chance to show off your work, so make it count. Many websites also have specific guidelines and requirements for what you can include in your content. Be respectful of their rules. Forming relationships is one of the biggest aspects to good business. Once you start to develop a network of peers, you can help each other grow. Potentially doubling your audience and the reach you have access to.
Also, don’t turn down offers to write something for free. You’ll need to work extra hard to get that early traffic. A few free guest posts here and there can pay off much more in the long run. If you do find paid opportunities that is great. But every once and awhile you may have to pay to be a guest contributor. Make those investments count!
4. Engage with the Audience
One of the worst things you can do is forget to engage with your early followers. Not everyone takes the time to respond to individual comments. If you do, that is a great way to set yourself apart from the competition. Your audience will also be much more encouraged to come back and visit your site if they know you care. Take the time to engage and build a community around your work. This will help build a foundation you can rely on to get web traffic in the future.
The same goes for you social media and other online accounts. Try to be present everywhere you can. At least with as much as you can handle. Many major companies hire social media assistants whose whole job is solely focused on posting content and engaging with the audience. At first, you’ll have to balance these responsibilities by yourself. But the effort will be well worth it.
The last thing you want to do is post content and walk away. Even when providing some of the best content, you can only get so far without creating a community. Your community of followers will be the ones who promote you to others and keep your traffic consistent. Always be engaging with them. Show them that you value their engagement by spending time interacting on a personal level. Not only is it strategic, but it will make the whole experience more fun as well!
5. Keep Content Focused and Scheduled
When starting a brand-new website, try to keep the content as focused as possible. Trying to go for broad appeal might seem like a good tactic, but if you cover too much at once it will get confusing. Most new websites do much better focusing on a niche subject. This way you can build your audience around an exact need and bring some value to the readers.
As you progress, you can begin to open up on more subjects. But keep it simple in the beginning. The key is to make sure your content has real value. It needs to address a certain problem, skill, or topic. Then provide a solution in the form of a product, knowledge, or form of discussion.
Once you focus your content, be sure to stick to a regular schedule of updates. More content is of course key to getting better web traffic. However, if your audience gets into a routine of knowing when you post things, it helps ensure they will come back more regularly. It is much easier for readers if they can expect content. Rather than having to remember to come and check at random times.
6. Understand SEO and Use Experts
There is still no way around it, SEO is still a fundamental part of building a new website from the start. You’ll need to spend some time getting used to the basics of SEO. Try to understand how to use keywords, media, and business profiles effectively. These are the things that can often be the difference in becoming a top search result, and never being discovered by users.
If you don’t have what it takes to be an SEO expert, that is okay. There are plenty of professional SEO services available to help do all the major work. SEO is a complicated subject, and there are many technical factors that go into it. This includes strong web design and goes beyond that into the internal aspects of web programming. Important factors include security software, metatags, and search engine crawl software.
If that sounds like a lot, then consider making an investment in professional services. It takes a long time to learn everything about SEO. Your best option could be relying on the experts.
Summary:
If you take everything into account on this list, you will have a way better chance of seeing success on your new website. You have to put in the work, but the results will be well worth it!
Author Bio:
Ravi Sharma, CEO of Webomaze is a highly enthusiastic entrepreneur. His love for making every business reach the greatest heights in their industry made him establish his Web Development & Digital Marketing Company delivering the best eCommerce development & SEO services. He has got a great grip on the idea of effective eCommerce Strategies, SEO processes, and tactics which are vital for virtual exposure. He is a fun-loving person and a keen traveler who always hunts to find adventure in new places.