4 Effective Methods to Drive Web Traffic
Digital marketers constantly look for ways to increase traffic to their clients’ businesses. There are many ways to do this, and as an experienced online marketer, I love sharing a few tricks of my trade. Whether you’re just starting an e-commerce website or an established business wanting to up your game, here are a few easy ways to do it.
Social Media Advertising
First, you need to get noticed by the right audience and paid social media ads allow you to easily target your ideal customer. Demographic information is something every social media user must input, and regardless whether they choose to share it, these sites can still use that data to direct people likely to buy from you. Plus, direct social media advertising isn’t very expensive.
Facebook has the largest social platform in the world, and allows you to target consumers based on age, interests, search behavior (on-site and off), and much more. With Facebook’s Dynamic Ads, you can even focus advertising at customers who’ve already visited your website, featuring products they’ve already looked at to entice them to come back for more.
Instagram – owned by Facebook – is another powerful platform, though with users primarily between 15 – 35 years old. Millennials make up nearly three-quarters of its active users, so if your product is for younger users, spending on Instagram ads makes real sense. It’s expanding its business marketing tools, and in 2017 even surpassed Google and Twitter for mobile ad revenue. You might already have an Instagram account with plenty of followers, but utilizing their advertising platform will help you achieve more.
Twitter is an anomaly when compared to other social sites. It puts big brands and solo entrepreneurs on the same footing, with a simple account for everyone and a platform that limits your words. Twitter Ads allow you to grow without much effort, often just through promoting other people’s content that’s relevant to and attracts interest for your business and brand. Targeting a specific hash-tagged word or phrase that appeals to influencers can get your website tens of thousands of hits, and can specifically target individual accounts with whom you’ve engaged.
Content Marketing Using Videos
Everyone’s using content marketing these days. Because of this, effective content use requires creativity. Sure, you can write blog posts. It’s a tried and true way to get noticed, but when everyone’s doing something, it’s harder to attract attention. Videos have already been proven to get you noticed more quickly.
Video advertising is already one of the most popular ways to reach people online. A video clip that goes viral can reach hundreds of thousands, if not millions. It’s likely to dominate marketing content throughout the ‘20s, so it makes sense to start and perfect your video campaigns now before it becomes blasé.
Yet too much advertising using on-demand platforms like YouTube can easily turn people off. Digital marketers need to ensure their video content – just like other content – is genuinely relevant. And, while video has been considered more expensive to make, with the prevalence of powerful video-making tools on our smartphones, it’s become easier to produce.
While there have already been a number of free video editing applications such as GoPro Quikstories, Lightworks, and iMovie that help small businesses develop their own video clips. And there’s a new intuitive video editor, FilmForth, which came out in February 2020. Compatible with Windows 10 and higher, it allows people to edit movie and video clips, add soundtracks, and make professional transitions.
Do Your SEO Research: Long-Tail Keywords
SEO is not dead and keywords still matter, though working them into relevant content these days is what counts. One of my friends still insists the term “long-tail” comes from the long, narrow boats that navigate Thailand’s coastline, though it actually originates from a book called The Long Tail by Chris Anderson, a marketing book promoting the idea that there’s a market for nearly everything.
Niche markets come alive online, as people using search engines tend to search with longer phrases rather than single words. For example, when my friend from the East Coast of the United States visits and wants pizza, he types “best New York style pizza in Kuala Lumpur” and immediately finds Mikey's Original New York Pizza.
It’s easy to discover long-tail keyword variations by typing your primary keyword into Google’s search box, where Google makes suggestions for you. These are phrases others have searched before you, and though some may make you giggle, most steer you towards relevant topics. For example, when I type “best SEO” one of my first results is “plugin for WordPress 2020”.
Promotions on Shipping Labels
Most e-commerce websites that sell products online use shipping companies, so it’s natural that you’d want shipping labels to help market your company. After all, that “product packaging” in which your product arrives should be branded. You have to send your product in a box, so why not think outside it?
Visually-appealing packaging creates memorable connections between your company and customers. A package that says “Thank You!” or “From (your business) with love!” can make a once-off order into a life-long relationship. One label-making company, enKo Products, even makes labels that allow you to apply high-quality images. So along with packaging that protects your product during transit and provides detailed information for delivery, you also have a marketing tool!
Conclusion
With just a bit of online marketing wizardry, you too can join the successful online shopkeepers and tradespeople that inhabit the world wide web. And when you find success online, don’t forget to give me a shout out.