Wondering why your website is not getting many visitors?
After procrastinating for awhile, you finally had a professional website designed and uploaded, but now you’re asking “Why is my website not getting many visitors?” It’s probably because you forgot to promote it! It’s important to boost traffic to your new website!
Just because you have a great design and lots of useful content or unique products and services, don’t assume you’ll automatically have visitors to your website. Online marketing has become so competitive that, even with the best SEO implemented, online advertising is not enough. You need to promote your website offline as well.
This is particularly true if you are a new business. If no one has heard of you, you need to let them know you exist. Even if you are an established business, if your regular customers don’t know you now have a web presence, you need to let them know.
Used effectively, traditional methods of advertising should drive traffic to your new website and continued offline advertising will remind previous customers to revisit your site.
Below are 10 offline marketing tools to boost traffic to your new website
1. Correspondence
Make sure you include your web address in all correspondence. Your web address can be added in the header or footer of a letter and on the back or at the bottom of a thank you note. If you create your own stationery, and you’ve just launched a new website, don’t forget to add your web address to the header and/or footer. If you use printed stationery or thank you notes, don’t forget to add your web address before the next print run. In the meantime, add your new web address under your signature.
2. Packaging
If you are a retailer, always include your web address on your packaging, shipping note and/or invoice. Previous customers who buy from your store, may not know your company has a new website. When shipping items, labels that include your company’s website address are a great investment.
3. Business Cards
Be sure to give your business card to anyone you meet and if shipping goods, include your business card in the shipment. If you’ve just launched your website and don’t have your company’s web address on your old card, it’s worth investing in new business cards that include your web address. Don’t just write or stick a label on the card. It does not look professional! Give your new card to all your previous customers when you see them and ask them to discard your old business card.
4. Targeted Print Material
Use targeted print material, such as newspaper and magazine ads, direct mailed post cards, brochures and flyers, to promote your website even if you are an established business. Now that you have a website ensure your web address is included prominently on all your print material. Encourage customers to visit your site by including a discount code for online purchases or letting them know about a printable online coupon. Nothing tempts people online faster than a discount!
5. Presentations/Handouts
If you hold a presentation, adding your web address to each page of the presentation or seminar handouts will help reinforce your company brand and web address. Add it to the template in the footer and be sure to include it again on the last page along with your contact information.
6. Promotional Materials
Promotional materials and freebies are effective advertising media as they have a long shelf life. Branding them with your web address, as well as your logo and company name, will, in time, bring traffic to your website.
7. Submit an Article
Contact your local newspaper, consumer magazine or publication in your industry, and ask to submit an article. If you are a new business, most local newspapers offer free business profiles for start-ups. Newspapers, magazines and other publications are always looking for free articles as long as they provide useful information or are of interest to their readers. Make sure you list your website with your article.
8. Vehicle Display
If you own a company vehicle make sure your web address appears prominently. If you’re leasing a vehicle or have a tight budget, use a clear decal on your back windscreen instead of a custom paint wrap or magnet. Not only are they an affordable way to display your web address, they are easy to remove without damaging paintwork. Use an easy-to-read and well-proportioned font so that the text is readable from a distance.
9. Help Wanted Ads
When looking for new staff, include your web address in any employment ads.
10. Uniforms/Clothing
Reinforce your online presence by including your web address in any branded clothing or uniform worn by your staff or employees.
And, here’s a bonus: don’t forget to network, network, network
Even if you don’t have a website, networking is a very important means of letting people in your community know your new business exists. Attend networking events at every opportunity. If you sell products or provide creative services, arrange to have a table top display at trade shows to showcase samples of your products or previous work. Make sure your web address appears prominently on your signage and hand out as many brochures, business cards, coupons or other promotional material as possible. Wherever you go, even if it’s not an official networking event, park your company vehicle in a high-visibility area, wear your company uniform and mention your website to all new contacts you meet.
Need help with effective offline promotion of your website? Contact Kaz Design Works now!
TIDBITS
Tip 1: Add a signature to your emails that not only includes your phone and fax numbers, but also your website address.
Tip 2: Instead of using your Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail email address use an email@yourdomainname.com. It’s not only more professional, but it will indicate that you have a website.
Tip 3: Sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring won’t bring in the customers. Attend local networking events and hand out your business card as often as possible.
Tip 4: Now that you have a website you can reduce the size of print ads and flyers by enticing readers to visit your website for more information.
Tip 5: If you submit an article to an online publication, request the publication lists your web address with a hyperlink.
