6 Guaranteed Ways
to Drive Traffic
to Your Website in 2023

So, you just designed your brand new website, you are proud of it and you are ready to start making money from it. Well, getting a website online is just the beginning. It amazes me how many of my clients think that simply having a website online will magically bring visitors to their website. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. In this blog, I will show you 6 guaranteed ways to promote your website in 2023.

There’s no way around it. Promoting your website takes hard work, strategizing, failing, trial and error and a will to persevere and stick to it until you find out what works.

So, let’s begin.

You need to start some form of blogging.

By blogging, I mean written, video, audio or better yet all of the above. When you start blogging, you need to also be consistent. Don’t just write one article, then abandon it for a few months. Remember, your blog is a way to target keywords and phrases, so that when potential clients search for it online, they will find your posts. So, set aside a schedule for posting content and try to stick to that schedule.

Once you’ve published your post, whether it be written, audio or video. You now have to promote it. How do you do this? The best and most effective way is through social media. Right now, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube are the best mediums to get your work out to a mass audience.

Here’s what you need to do.

Take some time to methodically promote your content. Without the right type of promotion, your content will just be one of the millions of webpages lost in cyberspace.

The method I use is, for every piece of content I create, I spend the next few days promoting it in various ways.

Creating content in part of your ROI (return on investment). You need to devote as much time as needed to get your content seen by the public.

Using local directories is a great place to start.

Many businesses tend to forget about this very important resource. But, they shouldn’t. In 2018, I believe these directories are very helpful for content promotion.

When you have a brand new website, you need to use every tool at your disposal. Don’t leave out local directories.

Schedule a day that you will devote to searching local directories and list your business on them. It is free, and will help you get your business online. You may think this doesn’t work. But, many people still search for services by using this method.

It’s hard work. You are going to wonder if this is worth all the time and effort, but it will help your website rank on Google by the Googlebots seeing pages link to your website.

The most successful online businesses use every way possible to market themselves.

Next, let’s talk Google Reviews.

Many people are unaware that Google reviews influence your search ranking.

Let me explain.

Often when you do a Google search, you’ll see paid advertisements, organic search results and for the top business, you’ll see reviews.

Even if your website is ranking outside of the first page of Google for specific keywords, you can still generate traffic to your website through Google Reviews.

So, don’t underestimate the value of Google Reviews. Take advantage of them.

What you can do, is simply ask satisfied clients to provide you with a Google Review. They will most likely say YES. Google makes it easy to send a client or customer a link so that they can leave a review.

Just a warning.

Make sure the reviews are real. Don’t try to fool Google with fake reviews from your friends or family or, worst of all, yourself. Google will see right through it.

Print Advertisements

Many people think print advertising is dead. Let me be very clear – IT’S NOT!

While digital advertising is the new norm, you need to remember that some people are old school. If you don’t use flyers, business cards and brochures, you are missing out on the segment of the market that likes paper ads that they can hold in their hands and read.

This is what I do.

I use a service such as VistaPrint and print out thousands of flyer and business cards. I then go all over Montreal and either distribute them by hand to people, or leave them in places that I know people are likely to see them and pick them up. Business conferences are a great place to do this. Seems like a lot of hard work, but believe me…it works!

It also gives you an opportunity to meet a potential client face-to-face. Statisitics show that an in person encounter is more likely to result in sales that one that is not in person.

But, be sure to do it the right way. If you are not a graphic designer, you should not be designing your own print material. Leave this task up to people who know great design and how make your print ad look amazing.

Creating an Email List

It doesn’t need to be said, but Email Marketing is KING. Unfortunately, so many businesses do it the wrong way.

You need to build a vast list, and then be sure to actually use it!

How many businesses build an enormous email list and never send out email blasts? To make sales, you have to actually network with your email list.

Don’t let forgetting about your list be your mistake.

Just be sure that you don’t overwhelm the people on your email list with a bunch of spammy emails. Create a monthly newsletter that keeps your customers updated and informed about your business.

The key to an email list is make sure that the majority of the people on the list are already part of your base of clients or potential clients.

Networking

If you are like me, and you are a bit of an introvert and shy, this can be a difficult thing to do. However, if you really want to promote your business or website, you have to be willing to meet with people and network.

Just make sure you do it the right way. Don’t go to networking events with the specific intent to sell people something like a used car salesman. Nobody likes that.

Instead, just introduce yourself. Tell people what you do. Ask them to tell you a little about them and start a friendly conversation. Then, before leaving, give them a business card.

Here’s the psychology behind it.

Most people don’t like being treated like they are stupid and can’t figure out that you are just trying to get their money. Would you much rather do business with someone who trust you, rather than someone you looks at you like a shady individual just looking to make money.

The way you successfully network is to be yourself and be an honest person. I got a lot of web development contracts by simply being myself and trying to let people know that I am there to help their business succeed. I let them get to know me and that I am a honest, trustworthy person.

Effective Cold Calling

This method may seem out-dated, but believe me…it still works wonders.

If you don’t try it, you won’t know if it works for you. If you want your business to succeed, sometimes you need to try all types of methods to get clients or customers. Believe it or not, many of the most successful businesses cold call all the time. Just look at the amount of telemarketers you get calling you in the evening while you are eating supper. Yes, you will get hung up on many times. But, just like with any form of advertising, a percentage of the people will end up becoming paying customers.

Remember, just because they said no, doesn’t mean they will not thinking about it and remember you when they do need your service. Always follow up on the ones that show even a little bit of interest, because you never know.

So, as you can see, promoting and generating traffic to your website takes time and hard work.

My web design business has taken 12 years to build up. It was not an overnight success by any means.

But, if you want your business to succeed, you need to persevere, stick to it and never give up. The amount of time and effort you put in to your business is an investment worth making.

Hope this brought some value to you. Thank you for your time. Take care.