Guest Writer by Pam Dyer

Every brand wants more website traffic.

3 ways to generate more website trafficAfter all, more traffic can improve sales and generate company growth. The key is to attract the “right” traffic. If you interact better with your audience, provide content that your visitors want to share, and help online shoppers make informed and satisfying purchase decisions, your website traffic will improve. If you have recently lost search traffic and are looking for new ways to attract relevant visitors, read on.
1. Enhance your content to make it shareable

High-quality shareable website content should be the foundation of of your site. It must consist of information that your visitors will want to pass on to others because this will:
◾Increase brand awareness
◾Improve relationships with your audience
◾Appear more in search engine results
◾Cultivate stronger trust from search engines
◾Build authority and thought leadership in your field
◾Reduce bounce rates and increase the amount of time visitors spend on your site

Did you know that content marketing creates 3 times more leads per dollar? Some other helpful metrics to consider:
◾Consumers spend 50% of their time online engaging with custom website content
◾61% if consumers say companies that deliver custom content make them feel good, and that they’re more likely to buy from them.
◾78% of consumers believe that organizations which offer custom content are more interested in building relationships with customers
◾Among business decision makers, 80% prefer to receive information via a series of articles instead of advertising

Readers share content that they connect with in a personal way. Your strategy should revolve around creating content that will generate sharing. Some tips::
◾Write about “human” topics. The most highly-shared content is about lifestyles, homes, food, home life, news, and business/technology.
◾Pay attention to words commonly used when people share content on social media sites. Check out this list to see which ones to incorporate in your messaging.

2. Generate engagement via comments and discussions

Your website content — articles, blog posts, images, etc. — should enable visitors to comment. This feature facilitates potentially valuable interaction and engagement with your target audience.

Your visitors will leave comments for 3 reasons:
◾They want to thank you for your post
◾They have a question that they hope you can answer
◾They may be trying to see how responsive and communicative you are

In the world of B2C marketing, it’s imperative to participate in these conversations. Leaving your audience hanging is a missed opportunity to generate traffic, good will, and sales. Your strategy should be to cultivate the discussion because:
◾Your topic is relevant to your visitors. The purpose of your website should be to share helpful information and stories that create value for your users.
◾You have authority. If you know your product inside and out, you’re in the best position to deliver what your audience wants or needs.
◾You have a community of interested people. The fact that someone takes the time to reach out to you is important — don’t let the opportunity pass you by.
◾Your conversations can drive more traffic. Search engines usually index comments and their keywords, which leads more people to your site, and most systems enable users to subscribe to discussions and track follow-up comments in each thread.

3. Optimize your e-commerce category pages

Category pages on e-commerce sites usually include only a couple of sentences or link to subcategories. Optimizing these pages can help them rank for short and mid-tail keyword phrases and drive more traffic. Your strategy should be to invest in a long-term SEO and content strategy.

Descriptive or introductory content on category pages should be optimized so they:
◾Help users understand what types of products are available within the category — and their benefits.
◾Assist visitors with website navigation
◾Build your brand’s credibility and strengthen buyer confidence

Interesting facts:
◾Mobile and YouTube are 2 of the fastest-growing traffic sources for e-commerce sites
◾65% of website traffic to stores in North America comes from iPhones and iPads, so it’s important to optimize for mobile
◾E-commerce marketing campaigns should be rolled out during the week when most people read their email

It’s important to focus your marketing efforts on returning traffic because returning visitors spend an average of 5 minutes and 31 seconds on e-commerce sites, while new visitors stick around for and average of 2 minutes 31 seconds.

Check out the other helpful information in the infographic below from SuperFastBusiness.

What have you done to generate more website traffic? Please share your strategies.

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