If you’re a fledgling Internet marketer with a new product or service, chances are that all you dream about is a top Google ranking and getting hordes of visitors to your site. The more traffic, the more conversions, and the more you earn, right?But let’s be honest here; for most business owners, exactly how to get those purchase-hungry prospects onto their landing page still remains a mystery. Sure, they’ve heard or read somewhere that after they launch their site it’ll somehow be absorbed into the Google rankings and as if by magic, the customers will come.
However, the truth is different.Experienced web masters know that getting to be top of Google doesn’t happen overnight. It can take anything from six months to a year for your site to pop up first on the search page.Of course, a good supply of fresh, valuable content helps. So does a well thought through SEO strategy. But if you’re new to the web then you’re going to face some tough opposition.Your competitors will already be ranking with your search engine keywords and they’ll have had time to tweak their content and tune their websites to optimise their search engine ranking positions.This doesn’t mean you should give up before even you start.By exploring and experimenting with alternative creative methods, the smart online marketeer can use those first few months to build a following based on any number of social channels, reaching out to potentially huge audiences and generating tons of genuine organic traffic.Plus, the first six months gives him enough time to create and develop an online presence which provides real, quality content and sparks off a wealth of interesting conversations around the web.
The Problem With High Bounce Rate
It’s worth remembering that even if your website is Google’s #1, it doesn’t necessarily mean all those Pay Per Clicks are giving the conversions you need. It’s estimated around 70% of visitors to your site will not be coming back. That’s an eye-watering fact that bears repeating; for every 10 potential customers who do find your landing page, 7 will never return.And it gets worse. If your website isn’t absolutely navigation-friendly, if it’s so confusing and overly cluttered your visitors can’t find what they’re searching for, they’ll simply leave without even attempting to click through to the money page.
In other words, they’ll hit your website and just BOUNCE off.But don’t confuse bounce rates with exit rates.Google Analytics describes Bounce Rate as:
”the percentage of single-page sessions — sessions in which the person left your site from the entrance page without interacting with the page”
Generally, customers will bounce once and then they’re gone forever. Which means that a high bounce rate can be a disaster for your business.
In the worst case scenario, you’ll forfeit your position as a ‘thought leader’ in your field and will no longer be considered a viable resource for your product or service—and it won’t matter one iota if Google lists your website at #1 or not.
The Key to a Profitable Business is a Great Website
Now we’ve established Google is not going to do your website any favors for at least six months, we can have a look at alternative methods of driving prospects to your site.First and foremost, your website has to be fit for purpose. Attracting people to a site that simply doesn’t work can do a lot more harm than attracting no visitors at all.
Increasing Organic Traffic To Optimize Conversions
Here are a few simple hacks that will improve your site and draw genuine organic traffic:
- Give-aways
- Get reviews
- Action calls
Give-Aways
When someone comes to your website, the last thing they need is to think they’ve wasted their precious time. Give them something of value they can take away with them. It will make the visitor feel good and ideally will get you their email address.
Videos, eBooks, reports and guides are popular freebies that can cause the visitor to bond with your website. Along with traditional SEO approaches, you can announce these giveaways in forums, or places like Quora where your prospects are likely to frequent. This practice will earn you more than a few links. It will earn you leads that are most likely to convert.
In this regards, it’s important that your offer has some kind of value, otherwise your potential customer will feel cheated. Services like MailChimp provide an automated response that makes signing up an easy and worry-free experience for you and your customer.
Get Reviews
A handful of positive reviews will add a stamp of credibility to your website. Start by steering family and friends to your site and ask for their honest opinions.You can take advantage of any well-meant criticism by fine tuning functionality, general appearance and ‘feel’ of the pages. Same way, you can branch out to places ( ideally forums as well as your company Facebook page) where these reviews can be published, as general feedback on your brand or services with a link back to your site.The practice will earn you visitors that are more likely to buy from you than just click through to your website.
On-site tweaks
Buttons and internal links are crucial for enticing visitors deeper into your website. This will help lower the dreaded Bounce Rate and direct them to the sign up section pages.Good headings and subheadings with related linkage are excellent eye-catchers that can move visitors gently towards the checkout button and increase conversion rates.While the tricks above may need not only experience but sound SEO and marketing knowledge, you may consult a SEO professional for guidance.
Ready, Steady, Go
Once we have these simple but effective tools in place we’re ready to go out and spread the word. But not just anywhere. Knowing your target audience and where to find them is essential to building real organic traffic that will end up scoring you those high conversion numbers.And you don’t have to blow your budget on PPC and SEO. Thousands of your target customers can found on blogs, Q+A websites, forums and much more.
