Believe it or not, fewer than half of small businesses have a website, so starting one is a great way to make the next step forward for your company! Unfortunately, it can be hard to figure out how to drive more local visits. People need to get to your website to learn about your company, but if they don’t already know about your company, how do you get them to your website? It feels like a catch-22.
Here are the top ways to lead locals to your URL! A mix of all of these can allow you to improve traffic and gain far more buyers.
List Your Website On Google Maps
One of the first things you should do when you start a business that has a physical location while you’re setting up an online presence is to make sure that you appear on Google Maps.
After you verify this business is yours, you can add your website, including information on your hours and how to contact the shop, and anything else you want to include.
Learn How to Use SEO
The use of SEO can completely change how many people find your website. The right SEO marketing agency can turn your company around by creating countless ways that people can search for your company without realizing it.
Although it can take some time to set this up, good use of SEO will boost where your company appears in search results and will allow you to grow and increase business.
Add ‘Alt Text’ to Images
This should be paired with SEO because it follows the same idea. Not only does alt text (descriptive text that explains what’s in an image) allow your site to be used by a larger audience, it creates text that will enable more people to find your site.
Please don’t lie about what’s in an image, but describe it in a way that increases traffic. If you post a picture of a water bottle, describe it! Instead of just saying ‘image of water bottle,’ you can go into depth and say something like ‘image of sturdy metal water bottle with sleek design’ to boost interest and searchability.
Encourage Customers to Post Reviews
Reviews are one of the best ways to gain more customers. Not only do reviews tell potential buyers what to expect, but it also improves how often you’ll show up in search results. Eventually, if someone searches for something like ‘taco shop near me’ and you own a taco shop within fifteen miles, your shop may be one of the first that pops up.
The more reviews you have, the higher the risk of fake reviews or poor reviews that need to be explained, so pay attention to this portion of your site or social media.
Use Social Media to Lead Back To It
If you have a good social media presence: you can do anything. Use Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook to lead back to your company. Make fun posts about your product or service, and include items like coupons or other items in links that lead back to the company.
These links and the frequent clicks can allow your website to go higher in search results.