If you’re looking to increase your online sales, one of the first thing you’ll look at is how to increase your website traffic (e.g. more website visitors). What are the best ways to increase your website traffic?

Here are three tips to consider when developing your traffic strategy:

1) Improve what’s already working

For example, let’s say you’re getting some traffic from search engine optimization (SEO). If you’re on the 2nd page, you can likely increase some of those ranking to the 1st page. Or, if you’re in the #10 position, you can try to climb up to #5. Often you can do this just by getting some more links from other websites, or even by adding some internal links on your own page.

2) Leverage one traffic source into another

If pay per click (PPC) advertising is working for you, then you can target those keywords in your SEO campaigns.  That way, you know you’re targeting keywords that will convert. This is a very smart thing to do, and it still surprises me that more businesses don’t do this.  If you don’t test keywords first with PPC,  you risk wasting time, effort and resources.

3) Diversify, diversify, diversify

This is more of a principle than a specific strategy or tactic, but it’s incredibly healthy for the long-term health and security of your online business. If you’re overly dependent on one source for your website traffic and new customers, you’re putting yourself in a very unstable position.

For example, if most of your traffic currently comes from Google rankings, you can lose much of that traffic in the next Google algorithm update. You don’t want to have all of your eggs in one basket – especially a basket you don’t fully control!

So, if you’re currently only doing SEO, then consider investing in PPC, which is at least a bit more consistent and predictable than SEO.

One of the best ways to diversify your traffic is by recruiting joint venture (JV) partners and affiliates who can sell your products for you. JV/affiliate traffic is the highest quality traffic because it’s “endorsed” and therefore most likely to convert. It can take time (months, even years) to develop to a significant level, but it’s also consistent.

If you want the maximum level of stability in your business, you should focus on building traffic that you totally control. What kind of traffic is this? Traffic from your own email list of customers and prospects, which is typically the most valuable traffic you can possibly develop, because it’s completely under your own control.

Here’s some action steps to get you started:

1. Review your current sources of traffic.

What’s working for you?

Can you expand what’s working now?

2. Consider adding new traffic sources

Here’s a short list of traffic sources you might consider:

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising: including search, display, banner ads, Google, Facebook, etc
  • Email advertising
  • Affiliate and Joint Venture Promotions
  • Social media

Do any of your existing traffic sources flow naturally into a new traffic source? For example, if you’re currently advertising in Google AdWords, perhaps you can supplement that with Yahoo or MSN/Bing advertising.

3. Get an expert perspective

If you have questions about how to generate more website traffic, leave a comment below.

Or, if you’d like to speak with us about your website traffic strategy, contact us for a free 15 minute consultation.