Launching a website is a lot of work, but it doesn’t go anywhere without people visiting. In order for a site to be successful, users need to know it exists, then bring them to the site, and keep them coming back. This is called driving traffic. It involves getting customers involved. This can be done by catching their eye online, giving incentives to join, and so much more. So, you want more clicks? Here’s how.
1. Use social media
One of the most popular ways to promote a website or product is on social media. 4.9 billion people use social media sites, most of them interacting on multiple different platforms. Whether it’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other option, posting can help drive people to a site.
It can be as simple as posting a promotion for a new webpage or paying for an advertisement campaign. A simple post can reach more people than you think. Algorithms drive users to content they would be interested in, and your account could be included.
Dicks Sporting Goods is an example of a website that uses social media to drive people to their page.
Since they are a large corporation, they are able to pay for an ad campaign with Instagram. Posts like this show up on a users feed who may be interested in Dicks, or someone who has been on their website recently. There is a link to “Shop Now,” taking users to their website to see what they are selling. Thousands of companies use ad campaigns so more people see their posts, therefore bringing more users to their site.
Dicks also partners with brands and athletes. This is an example of an Instagram Reel with Dicks, Nike, and Women’s World Cup player Alex Morgan. These partnerships bring users from other accounts, like Nike and Alex Morgan, to the Dicks page. The goal is for those users to go down the rabbit hole and buy something. Including celebrities and influencers on posts drives their fans to your content as well. More on that later.
It’s also important to engage with other users on social media. Replying back to comments or answering questions shows users that you care and want to create a community.
There are ways to track how many people are going to your website through social media. If you link your site to your page, you can see analytics showing how many people used the link.
2. Influencers can help
Influencers have taken over social media. These platforms have allowed people from all over the world to gain a following and share their voices. Followers tend to be loyal and will do what an influencer says. This applies for any influencers, celebrities, or athletes. Their fans trust them and want to be like them. So if someone with a lot of followers talks about your website, it’s sure to gain traction.
Companies can use these famous influencers to promote their products. Bloom Nutrition is a business that has blown up, all because of TikTok. They have partnered with hundreds of influencers who post videos with the product or talking about it. A short positive review can go a long way, all because users trust what a celebrity is saying. They all use the hashtag #bloompartner, which brings users to other similar videos.
You can see examples of three huge TikTok stars that have posted with Bloom products. They all cover different topics, including a simple video talking about the benefits to a skit, to ranking the flavors.
Other companies, particularly clothing brands, send free products for influencers to review for their followers. If they say positive things and show they like a product, users will be more likely to buy it.
Brands that partner with influencers can track who is buying by using promo codes or links. It will show a website or company how many people used the code or link, and then may reward an influencer more for the traffic they brought.
3. Send reminders
We’ve all visited a site and gotten a prompt to give our email. This allows websites to reach out and remind you to come back for more. Companies can use emails, phone numbers, and even addresses to get their visitors more involved.
Garage is a clothing brand that has an email subscription service. It sends coupons and reminders of sales, all to drag a previous customer back to their site. Here you can see an email from Garage promoting a sale. It works because it shows the receiver a positive benefit that would make them shop.
A website can see how many people sign up for their emails or promotions. They can also ask for information about the person to send them ads that they’d be interested in. Once a user is signed up, companies can see if they open a link through the email sent.
4. Give rewards
Everyone loves to win. Or get something for free. Both of those can be used to your advantage when creating rewards for visiting your site. This can include coupons, giveaways, contests, sweepstakes, and competitions. They’re all done to bring people to your site. Hopefully they like what they see, and come back again.
Urban Outfitters push users to leave reviews by rewarding them with the chance to win a gift card. This drives customers to buy something, try it out, and share their opinion with others, all to gain something for themselves. This benefits the clothing company, while only one or a few reviewers will win.
Giveaways and contests also a popular way to get people to your site. They are often used on social media. When users start following certain accounts, commenting, or re-posting, companies are getting more views. When users share the information for a campaign like this, their friends are likely to participate too. It all draws in new customers who may have never visited your website before.
5. Take it offline
It’s all about going back to the basics with this method. Some people don’t use social media or go online often. Even the people that do scroll endlessly go outside or drive and see billboards with advertisements.
Offline advertising, like billboards, posters, and ads in magazines or newspapers can still bring people to your site. This was the method used for years before social media and the web came around, and it still works.
Covid Clinic used billboards like this during the heart of the pandemic to bring people to their site. It can easily be seen from far away and has the website in big letters. Their hope was to bring people into their offices and testing locations.
This method is hard to track because you can’t know how many people that visit your site actually viewed your advertisement. You can get some clues by finding out if people who live near it engage.
No matter what method you choose to direct people to your site, it should be done in a strategical way. Use a method that appeals to your target audience, and hopefully that audience will find themselves in the palm of your hand.
Katie Coen 
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