Sometimes running a website with a catchy domain name, visually pleasing layout, and high-quality content is not enough to drive traffic to it.
You can have the most attractive website in the world but still suffer in terms of web performance. Even if you publish valuable and well-researched articles, it won’t matter if no one sees them.
After creating a website and its content, work doesn’t stop there – it’s necessary to learn how to drive traffic to it. After all, the more people visit the site, the more you will earn.
If you want to learn more about the various ways to increase website traffic, this article is for you. We will explain 20 of the best free and paid ways to drive traffic to your website.
Organic Search Traffic vs Paid Traffic
There are two main types of website traffic – organic and paid. Organic traffic refers to site visitors coming from search engines like Google or Bing.
On the other hand, paid traffic lands on your site through advertisements such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, promoted links, and other paid methods.
Research has proven that 53.3% of all website traffic is organic. This number has many site owners racing to improve their websites’ search engine optimization (SEO).
Organic traffic, also known as free website traffic, is a long-term investment. Getting a site to rank on the first page of search engine results pages (SERPs) is not instant. You might not see significant results for months, especially if your site’s niche is crowded.
If you want to see immediate results, aim for paid traffic. You can set it up within minutes and receive more visitors on the same day.
Tons of advertisement services also offer various targeting options, letting users choose who sees their ads based on criteria such as location, age, and sex.
Although having instant results sounds nice, prepare to spend a lot of money on paid ads, particularly in competitive markets.
If you want to know how your website is performing, use a site traffic checker to gain more insights into which strategies work best.
Pro Tip
If you are not sure whether you need to upgrade your web hosting plan to handle more traffic, don’t worry. Hostinger users can test a better plan without any commitment.
All you have to do is activate the Plan Boosting feature from your hPanel and enjoy your new plan for free for 24 hours.
20 Best Ways to Drive Website Traffic
With enough effort and the right methods, your website won’t suffer from a lack of traffic anymore.
Let’s discuss both organic and paid ways to drive traffic to your website.
1. Optimize Your Website for Search Engines
Improving a website’s SEO means making the site is optimized for search engines to get more visitors to your site. Well-implemented SEO best practices will help your website rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) and drive organic traffic to your website.
A simple start to optimizing a website involves doing keyword research for its content.
Through research, learn how many people search for specific keywords and how fierce the competition is. Determine which keywords to use to rank high among search results. Include long-tail keywords as they are usually used by people who know exactly what they want.
There are many keyword research tools, the most popular being Google Keyword Planner. Find keyword ideas or check historical metrics such as average monthly search volume and competition.
12. Create a YouTube Channel
Youtube is the most popular video hosting platform, with approximately 2 billion active users per month. Such a large audience makes Youtube an excellent avenue for driving traffic to your website.
After creating a channel on Youtube, post videos on various topics relevant to your industry. Promote your site in the videos, encouraging viewers to visit the site and explain the benefits they will get.
Here are some Youtube best practices to help drive traffic to your site:
- Use videos as teasers for site content. Don’t give out all of your site content in the Youtube videos. Instead, use them as teasers featuring a compressed version of the site content. Tell viewers to check out your site for more details.
- Optimize videos for search engines. Use tools such as the Ahrefs Youtube Keyword Tool to perform keyword research. Create videos focused on popular keywords and work the words into the video title and description.
- Write informative video descriptions. The description should summarize what is discussed in the video and display important links, such as links to your site and social media profiles. You can also include timestamps and hashtags related to the video.
- Include a signature call-to-action. For example, your call-to-action can remind viewers to click the subscribe button and visit your site for more details. You can say this at the beginning or end of every video.
- Feature cards on the end screen. Youtube cards are clickable elements typically shown at the end-screen of a video. They are a great way to feature links, playlists, or other videos and channels right within the video instead of just in the description.
- Interact with commenters. Engagement is an important part of building a community and fostering loyalty. Like, pin, and reply to comments to show viewers you care about their opinion.
The following is an example of one of our Hostinger Academy videos on Youtube – a tutorial on how to create a WordPress site in 10 minutes.
Instagram is another social media site popular for digital marketing. It is best suited for those targeting young audiences as more than half of its users are under 35.
As this social platform is owned by Facebook, Instagram Ads is similar to Facebook Ads.
Identify your objectives and use many targeting options, including age, gender, language, and country, through the manager. In addition, adjust the campaign budget, schedule, and placements.
There are many types of Instagram ads, including image, video, story, and IGTV ads. Because Instagram is a visual platform, creating visually-appealing campaigns is essential.
Post visual elements such as short informative videos, funny pictures, and useful infographics. Explore all the options and create an ad that genuinely represents your website.
Here are some Instagram Ads best practices to help bring traffic to your site:
- Optimize ads for mobile devices. This should be a priority as most Instagram users access the platform via their phones. Film videos in the portrait format, use eye-catching colors and graphics, and keep text to a minimum.
- Prepare ads for consumption with no sound. Not everyone navigates Instagram with the sound on. Try to deliver ads mainly using visual elements understandable even without sound and use captions for voiceovers.
- Keep ads short and direct. Keep videos short and jump right into the key message to grab people’s attention before they scroll away.
14. Try Out Influencer Marketing
Social media has changed the way people look for what they need. Nowadays, they put a lot of trust into the recommendations given by their favorite influencers. Luckily, you can use it to your advantage.
Just like with affiliate marketing, contact influencers and ask them to promote your products or services to their followers in exchange for a commission.
The difference lies in the content type. Affiliate marketing tends to focus more on written content, while social media influencers usually employ visually captivating content such as images or videos.
In addition, affiliates are typically paid according to the number of sales or the amount of referral traffic, while influencers usually receive a fixed amount of money regardless of sales or traffic.
It is important to note that money is not the only option for compensation. Some merchants give out free products instead of or in addition to a fee. As long as everything is previously agreed upon, there should be no problem.
Here are some tips to help establish your influencer marketing channels and drive referral traffic:
- Select influencers based on the platform used. Find influencers popular on platforms used by your target audience. For example, if most of your audience uses Instagram, it would be best to work with an Instagram influencer instead of a Youtuber.
- Choose respected influencers in your niche. Make sure to select influencers who are experts in your industry and whose content is received well by the platform’s community. Find someone with a good public image to promote your products or services.
- Don’t be too controlling. Be patient and trust the influencers. Establish clear guidelines and expectations, but give them the freedom to promote products in their style. After all, they know how to communicate with their followers better.
15. Display QR Codes
Another way to drive traffic to your website is by advertising the site via QR codes. They are images consisting of black and white squares readable by machines.
QR codes are a mix of online and offline marketing. Advertisers typically put up QR codes in public places. Like promotional posters or billboards, the more people see the codes, the better. You can also put QR codes on physical products and printed publications.
People can scan the code using their mobile devices and be immediately directed to your site’s homepage. This eliminates the need to type the site’s domain name in their browser.
In addition to leading people to a particular page, QR codes can also be used to show people business details or contact information, send promotional messages or emails, display business locations on a map, and provide promotional discounts.
As QR codes work similarly to call-to-action buttons, they have to be accompanied by eye-catching visual elements and enticing copywriting to encourage people to scan them.
After all, people won’t scan a random QR code without context or one that doesn’t seem appealing.
Consider the following factors before putting up a QR code:
- Target audience. Make sure they know how to scan QR codes. If most of your target market doesn’t carry mobile devices, it will be pointless to set up QR codes.
- Responsive site design. The page the QR code leads to must be mobile-optimized, as the image will be primarily scanned using phones.
- Location. Avoid placing the codes on websites or emails as people opening the site or email on their phones will have no tool to scan them with.
- Size. Make sure the QR codes are printed in the correct size. A good rule of thumb is to use the 10:1 distance-to-size ratio. This means whatever the picture width is, the optimal scanning distance would be it multiplied by 10.
16. Use LinkedIn
After signing up, complete your LinkedIn profile. Make sure to provide all the information needed to increase credibility. Don’t forget to provide the link to your website and personalize your profile while keeping it professional.
Just like on other social media sites, the more active you are on LinkedIn, the better. Create insightful and valuable organic social media content and make sure to incorporate natural anchor text for the link to your site.
In addition to making posts, join relevant groups and answer people’s questions. Remember that the more popular you become on the platform, the more traffic your website will experience.
Another way to drive traffic to your site on LinkedIn is by running ad campaigns. Using its Campaign Manager, users can set up four different types of campaigns: Sponsored Content, Sponsored Messaging, Lead Gen Forms, and Text and Dynamic Ads.
Choose from three categories of objectives:
- Awareness. Increase people’s awareness of your brand.
- Consideration. Focus on increasing engagement level as well as the number of website visits and video views.
- Conversion. Improve the rate of website conversions, lead generation, and the number of job applicants and talent leads.
You can also use LinkedIn’s targeting tools to reach various audiences using categories such as company name, member schools, member interests, skills, and job title.
Set the campaign budget and schedule. Don’t forget to track the campaign click-through rate, using the data for future campaign optimization.
17. Publish Guest Posts
Guest posting or guest blogging is a good way to increase referral traffic as it helps expose you to a large group of readers whose interests are related to your niche.
Guest blogging on reputable sites also helps establish your authority and credibility to search engines and readers. In exchange for your guest post, the website you write for will typically allow some backlinks to your own site inserted within the guest blog article.
The backlinks may increase your website’s ranking on SERPs. In addition, if people like your writing, they will be inclined to visit your site by clicking on the links in the guest posts.
Here are some tips related to guest posting to increase referral traffic to your site:
- Know who and where the target audience is. Figure out your target demographic and which relevant websites they visit. Try guest blogging for those sites to increase the likelihood of your guest posts being seen by the right people.
- Build relationships. Be active in communities or attend events related to your site’s niche. Make friends with people in the same industry. The more people you know, the more relevant sites you can offer guest posting services to.
- Write valuable content. Make sure your guest article is of great quality and provides value to the readers. Do proper research before guest blogging and proofread your writing. Provide a comprehensive blog post answering frequently asked questions or solving problems.
18. Conduct Webinars
A webinar is an online event, usually conducted as s a live video stream to a virtual audience. It will typically have a host and some panelists discussing and sharing knowledge on a particular topic.
Webinars may bring more traffic to your website for free. This is because they can improve brand awareness and social media presence. Promote your webinar through various channels and engage social media followers, encouraging them to generate a buzz about the event.
The interactive nature of webinars also means you get to build trust directly with your audience. For example, you can set up a webinar with a live Q&A session, accepting questions from the audience and inviting them to participate in the discussion.
A high-quality webinar can also increase brand authority and credibility. If the event provides valuable information and features well-known industry experts, people will be more inclined to visit and engage with your site.
In addition, after the webinar ends, you can use the recording of the session to generate website traffic for free. Upload the videos on your site or turn them into other types of content pieces for marketing your site, such as social media or blog posts.
For example, Hostinger frequently conducts webinars with experts in the IT industry. Examples of the topics include WordPress SEO essentials and how to use social media to grow your business. All of the webinars are recorded, and videos of past webinars are available on our official website.
Take the following factors into account when preparing a webinar:
- Topic. Try coming up with topics that would be useful and relevant to your audience’s interests and needs.
- Format. Decide how you would like the webinar to be conducted. Examples of webinar formats include Q&A sessions, speaker presentations, panel discussions, product demos, and interviews.
- Speakers. Choose panelists who will be featured in the webinar. Examples include industry experts, influencers, or even experts from your team. The more high-profile the speakers are, the more publicity they can bring to the event.
- Tools and materials. Conduct proper research, prepare data, and formulate questions if you’re doing interviews. Plan out the structure of the event, create a rundown, and prepare visual aids. Don’t forget to check the availability of tools such as a camera, a microphone, a stable Internet connection, and a reliable video conferencing solution.
- Promotion. Prepare materials to advertise the webinar. This may be in the form of automated reminder emails to people on your mailing lists, social media posts, or pop-ups on your website.
19. Promote on Online Communities
Online communities refer to groups of people with shared interests gathering on social media platforms or niche websites. They exchange stories, ask and answer questions, and engage in various discussions. There is at least one for virtually any topic imaginable.
Participating in relevant online communities may help boost organic traffic to your website since you will get exposed to your target market. You can find people who are already interested in your site niche and will be more inclined to visit your site.
When promoting your site on online communities, you must only do so after establishing a strong relationship and trust with fellow community members.
Advertising a site or an online business immediately after joining the community will make you seem too much of a salesman, leading people to dislike or distrust you.
Approach the community with sincerity, showing you want to truly become a community member and not just promote your site. Join discussions, ask for advice, answer people’s questions, and help them solve problems. After successfully establishing rapport with people, they will be more likely to listen to and care about what you say and offer.
Find various online communities in LinkedIn groups, Facebook groups, Reddit, Quora, or even standalone websites and forums on Google.
There are numerous online communities on various topics, so it is crucial to find one that truly fits your niche. For example, Stack Overflow is a forum dedicated to programming, while Warrior Forum is the one dedicated to Internet marketing.
Before sharing content, take a good look at the community and decide if it is the right place to promote your site. Find out if the kind of content similar to yours has been discussed before and observe people’s engagement and reception to it.
After promoting content, don’t forget to track the performance and measure how much traffic you get using tools such as Google Analytics to see which communities provide the most value to your website and engagement.
20. Publish Content on Medium
You can bring more traffic to your site by publishing relevant blog content on Medium, a popular blogging platform, and inserting links to your site in the posts.
As people write about any topic imaginable on Medium, you will likely find some people within your target market on the platform, regardless of your industry. Many businesses use Medium to provide content and spread brand awareness to potential customers.
An added benefit to using Medium is that you can make money blogging by writing blog posts on the website. The more time people spend reading your article, the higher your compensation will be.
Here are some helpful tips on driving traffic to your website via Medium:
- Republish site content on Medium. Besides publishing new content on Medium, you can also use its import feature to republish content from your site.
- Submit blog content to Medium Publications. These are shared spaces run by editorial teams with multiple authors writing articles on a specific topic. If a team accepts and publishes your submission, you get to expose your blog post to the publication’s many followers.
- Build relationships with Medium writers. Follow influential authors in your industry and develop relationships with them by engaging with their content. Leave thoughtful comments on their articles and, with their permission, mention them and their content in your articles.
- Take advantage of social media. Crosspost your Medium posts to social media sites, letting more people see the content. You can also find fellow Medium content creators on social media and engage with their posts to build rapport.
- Track performance. Don’t forget to track the number of people visiting your site from Medium and how each post is performing. Use the data to determine the kind of content you should stop or continue posting on the platform.
Conclusion
If you are a webmaster, learning how to drive traffic to your website is a must. There are two kinds of it – organic traffic, or free website traffic, which refers to people accessing your site from search engines. On the other hand, paid traffic refers to people visiting your site after seeing advertisements for it.
We have shared some of the best free and paid methods to drive traffic to your website. If you are confused about where to start, we recommend using the following strategies:
- Optimize your website’s SEO. Help search engines crawl your site by promoting the site and modifying its content and elements. The higher your site’s position on the search results is, the more organic traffic it will experience.
- Stay active on social media pages. Crosspost site content on social media sites regularly. Engage with your followers by responding to their comments to entice people to visit your site.
- Hire affiliate marketers. Pay people to write reviews of your products and encourage their readers to make purchases by clicking unique links leading to your site.
- Work with influencers. Contact influential people on social media and offer them a deal to promote your products to their followers in exchange for free products or a commission.
- Use Facebook Ads. Promote your site to all kinds of people by putting up an ad on one of the biggest social media platforms. Make sure the Facebook ad has an enticing description and attractive visual elements.
By following our tips, you no need to think about buying organic traffic to your site. Make sure to be consistent and have patience. In time, you will see more traffic to your site. Good luck.
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