Many small businesses may feel like they are playing at a disadvantage in the era of e-commerce, lagging behind the national giants who are further ahead in their technological infrastructure. However, the statistics reveal that there is much reason for optimism–some 70% of modern shoppers prefer to use online shopping as a way to support their local small businesses. To take advantage of this exciting trend and quickly get your business up-to-speed, keep reading for 5 ways for small businesses to increase website traffic.
Improve the Website UX
In the age of e-commerce, your website serves as your business’s storefront. As such, it must create a pleasant, intuitive shopping experience for visitors and seamlessly direct them along the path to a purchase. Some ways to improve the UX of your small business website include:
- Improving the loading speed of pages to reduce customer frustration
- Incorporating the latest store locator software so visitors can quickly identify your nearest vendors
- Allowing guest checkout that accepts multiple forms of payment
- Creatively using photos and fonts (especially on the homepage) to more effectively engage customers
By establishing a top-notch UX for your website, you are more likely to reduce bounce rate, increase time spent on pages, and increase the likelihood of return visits–all important traffic metrics that will eventually lead to compound growth over time.
Unify Your Marketing Campaigns
Despite the many advantages of digital marketing, one of the downfalls is that branding can become a bit watered down. Given the sheer volume of remote marketers and affiliates you will likely be partnering with, it makes it very easy for your marketing messages to deviate from its original intent as content proliferates across the internet.
With this in mind, it is a great idea for your business to invest in a marketing asset management tool to guarantee more consistent, cohesive marketing campaigns. The best marketing management tools provide a central digital repository for all types of marketing content, providing all team members with instant access to vital marketing materials. Digital asset management software also allows for real-time collaboration and communication as marketing campaigns unfold, guaranteeing that your entire team is on the same page for how to deploy content. By using a cutting-edge asset management program, your business guarantees that no money is wasted on marketing content that is not being used, strengthening your brand across all digital platforms to create an impactful message that will drive traffic back to your site.
Make Sure the Website Is Functioning Properly
Just as in-person shoppers would shy away from a small business with cracked windows, peeling paint, and a door that jams, so too will digital shoppers move on from a website that has its own construction issues. Therefore, it is critical that you regularly perform technical audits of your website and perform “renovations” as necessary. Some things to keep an eye on include:
- Make sure that your domain and hosting have not expired
- Scan for any 404 error pages
- Check that any new products added are live and not hidden from the public as drafts
- Updated any dead, broken, or suspicious links
- Discard any expired, seldom-used, or superfluous plugins from your site
At the end of the day, too many small business owners build their websites and forget about them. While it is true that your site can work for you around the clock, it is not an entirely passive asset and must be regularly maintained.
Create an Interactive Atmosphere
Online shopping will never be able to replace the experience of going into a store and holding a product in your hands, examining it from all angles. However, you can leverage the internet’s own unique advantages for creating an interactive shopping experience that leads to impulse buys. Some ideas include:
- Robust product images. There really can’t be too many. Try to include photos modeling the product in use and giving online shoppers a sense of scale.
- Prominently feature customer reviews and feedback. There is no denying the power of social proof in 2023.
- Provide multiple customer service outlets. Chatbots are obviously powerful to quickly appease customers with pressing questions, but also provide options for email and phone support for customers who prefer these methods.
It is also important to provide buttons to social media accounts. Younger customers famously spend hours each day scrolling social media, so giving them a chance to see your brand interacting with their preferred online community is a powerful way to pique continued interest.
Go Local With SEO
Not only does local SEO help narrow the playing field and segment the market for your small business, but it is more likely to introduce you to high-quality organic leads than more general SEO efforts. Statistics indicate that 88% of customers who perform a local search on their smartphone visit a store within a week, so be sure to tailor your SEO content for your local audience and use keywords that are trending in your area.
Get Creative and See Online Traffic Soar for Your Small Business
There are many reasons for small businesses to be excited in the era of e-commerce, as shoppers seem to love supporting local businesses online. Therefore, in order to get your small business in front of more eyes, consider the 5 pro tips listed above as surefire ways for increasing your small business’ website traffic!
George is a freelance writer that loves sharing his experience and knowledge on website development and SEO. His work can be found on Building Product Advisor, a new construction industry resource launching in the New Year.
