Promoting your website is an important marketing strategy if you need more than referrals to grow your business.
“If you’re actively looking for new clients,” says Loic Jeanjean, director of web marketing with Vancouver-based Advisor Websites, “you should promote your website because, ultimately, the website is the place that new prospects will learn about your business.”
Of course, before doing anything online, particularly in regards to social media, Jeanjean says, it’s important to check with your compliance department if it’s OK.
Otherwise, you should follow these tips to get more traffic directed to your website:
> Spread the word
Include the website address in all marketing materials to promote it at every opportunity.
“It’s still surprising to me,” says Jeanjean, “how many advisors don’t even have their website on their business card.”
At the very least, he says, your website address should be included in your email signature, marketing pieces, such as a newsletter, and, of course, your business card.
> Start linking
Connect your website to as many other websites as possible for a higher ranking on search engines such as Google.
You should also link your website to your social media profiles, such as LinkedIN, Facebook and Twitter, says Jeanjean. You can also add links to your local chambers of commerce and business directories as well as any organizations or charities that you volunteer with or donate to regularly.
> Link, Like and Tweet
Use social media to drive traffic to your website and help prospects find out more about your business.
Each time you write an update to promote a newsletter article or blog on a social media profile, says Jeanjean, you can re-direct people to your website.
> Grab attention with content
Get the word out about your website, and therefore your business, with some great
content.
Maintaining a blog with quality articles that are relevant to your target market, says Jeanjean, is a great way to grab the attention of the search engines and prospective clients.
“It’s that whole circle,” he says, “you write great content, people search, they find your website, they go to your website.”
> Use advertisements
Promote your website through advertising to gain new business.
You can buy space on a traditional website such as the Yellow Pages (www.yellowpages.ca), says Jeanjean, or you could focus your advertising money on search engines.
For example, Google offers AdWords (adwords.google.ca), he says. The way it works is that you pay for certain key words and your website will appear as an advertisement on the right hand side of the page whenever someone searches for those words.
Social media websites, he says, also offer advertising opportunities you can explore.