How to Increase Traffic to Your Small Business Website

Having a professional online presence for your small business can help you attract more customers, retain existing customers, and build your brand image. Once your website has been set up, the next step is to start attracting the right type of traffic and leads to a contact page, sales page, or a landing page that describes what you have to offer. Whether you're a local construction company, a real estate agent, or a small retail store, there are several things you can do to increase traffic to your website and generate more sales.

Use these tips to increase traffic to your small business website:

Invest in a Pay-Per-Click Marketing (PPC) Campaign

Pay-per-click marketing campaigns can be a guaranteed way to drive traffic to your small business website. You'll need to use certain keywords and phrases to describe your services, and can attract very targeted traffic back to your site as a result. If you're a brand new business, pay-per-click could be the best way to generate a steady stream of customers right away.

Pay Attention to Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Make sure all of the pages of your site contain unique, keyword-rich content with information that will educate and entice your prospective customers. Make sure all of the links on each page are working correctly, and use hyperlinks for certain keywords to improve SEO. A website that contains specific and relevant information, without sounding "spammy" or with pages that are stuffed with keywords, can rank higher on the major search engines when customers do a basic online search.

Start Using Social Media Tools

Social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook can help to generate some "buzz" about your business and also help to direct traffic back to your site. Set up a Facebook Page and Twitter account, and make sure your updates include links to page on your website. Start interacting with your followers and fans, host a contest or post engaging news or information to generate traffic.

Create High-Quality Landing Pages

Whether your site has ten pages or over a hundred pages, you need to make sure visitors can access the main pages of your site and get the information they need. Focus on creating high-quality landing pages with images, well-formatted content and incentives to purchase a product or service on the spot. You can then link to these specific landing pages when promoting your site through social media, and also link to these pages with your PPC campaign.

Sources:

HubSpot Blog -- 10 Steps to Effective Online Marketing for Small Businesses

SugarRae.com -- SEO Checklist for Local Small Business Websites

TechieMania.com -- Three Basic Concepts of Online Small Business Marketing