Traffic is not typically something you want to encounter when you’re trying to get somewhere or accomplish anything within a specific time frame. When it comes to your company’s website, however, virtual traffic is something you want—the more, the better.
A consistent flow of traffic to your company’s site indicates people know your site is there as a representation of your company, and they are returning to learn more or conduct business with you.
Consider your site as the virtual front door to your business. If nobody ever comes through that door, it’s time to learn why and make some strategic changes.
Red Flags = Traffic Below Normal
Crickets...seriously, if nothing is happening, crickets may be the only sign of life.
Pay attention to these red flags that indicate your site’s traffic is below normal:
* Low pageviews;
* Low length of session—or how long people stay on your site before clicking away;
* Few, if any, posts or comments from visitors;
* Little, if any, ongoing or new business.
Perhaps your low traffic is due to some combination of the following reasons:
* Your content is poorly written or not updated in a timely fashion;
* Your site is outdated and you don’t know how to make any changes or improvements;
* You don’t use search engine optimization or search engine marketing;
* You don’t use website monitoring tools;
* You don’t interact with others online;
* You don’t make use of social media to promote your site.
Dangers of Minimal Traffic
So why is minimal traffic dangerous to your company?
With the popularity of social media, and the vast number of people who use the Internet to find information and conduct business, minimal traffic to your company’s site means your competition is probably winning over your current and potential future customers.
A company site that sees little traffic may indicate your "front door" is obstructed or even invisible to those searching for what your business offers, as well as invisible to search engines.
No traffic may also indicate that customers think you don’t keep up with the modern age or that you don’t care to accommodate them with a quick and easy way to keep in touch with you, your business, and what you have to offer.
Ways to Increase Traffic
If you want to increase traffic to your company’s site, and improve engagement with current and potential future customers, consider these key strategies:
* Provide quality content, free from spelling and grammatical errors;
* Provide easy navigation, working links, and an attractive site. Make it easy for people to follow your site, subscribe to your feed, sign up for newsletters, and otherwise keep informed and in touch;
* Join social media sites to promote your site; interact with other people—don’t just post a link to your site;
* Set up a Facebook fan page and promote it to direct people to your site;
* Set up a LinkedIn professional account, list your site, join groups within similar areas of interest, interact with others as you discuss and promote your business;
* Add social media buttons to your site, especially for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and possibly Pinterest;
* Connect with professionals who offer workshops on how to increase traffic to your company’s site;
* Consider hiring a social media expert to help promote your site and improve traffic.
Ready, set...go play in the traffic!