Driving site traffic is the number one challenge facing online business owners. While people have no problem turning a profit on Amazon or eBay, attracting visitors to their website seems to be an ongoing issue. 

There are many ways to increase traffic on your site, and today we’re going to talk about a few of them. The following methods are proven to help you increase sales and brand recognition.

1. Submit your site

The first step in ranking on Google is to submit your site. Search Engines may naturally find your website in two days or two years, but this is not something you want to leave to chance. If you submit your site, fulfilling all the requirements, you stand a better chance of making the first page of search results.
• For Google, go to www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl
• For Yahoo! Search, go to http://submit.search.yahoo.com

2. Focus on Keywords

The top two Google Search results get almost 50% of the traffic, with a 36.4% Click Through Rate for the number one ranked site, and a 12.5% Click Through Rate for the number two ranked site. I cannot stress the importance of ranking high for your primary keywords. It is the best way to drive traffic to your site. 

How to choose your keywords:

1. FREE Web analytics

Google Analytics allows you to identify which organic search terms are already driving traffic to your website. These keywords will provide a good baseline of keywords. Strong keywords should answer the following questions. What good or service are you providing? What would a customer naturally search when looking to purchase your products?

2. Google Adwords

Google Adwords is a great tool for researching keywords. Submit multiple keywords or even your website address, and Google will provide you with a list of related keywords. Each keyword displays a search volume and metrics to gauge the competition.

If you’re just starting off, it may be beneficial to incorporate high commercial intent or popular keywords as part of your paid search strategies. While the competition for these search terms can be fierce (and expensive), the payoff can be worth it.

Alternatively, you can use long-tail keywords that include all the relevant terms related to your topic. These keywords get less traffic than more generic terms, but they are associated with more qualified traffic. The key is to be specific. For example, instead of “realtor closing gifts” use “novel realtor closing gifts Los Angeles.” For more information, check out How to Find LSI (Long Tail) Keywords Once You’ve Identified Your Primary Keywords.

3. Get cheap traffic quickly with PPC advertising

PPC stands for pay-per-click, a model of internet marketing in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. Search engine advertising is by far the most popular form of PPC.
There are a ton of PPC search engines out there, but the two best ones to get started with are:
• Google AdWords
• Yahoo! Search Marketing
• MIVA

4. Use display advertising for successful retargeting

Think of it this way. You just found a gorgeous pair of shoes online, but you decided to show some restraint. Days later, you see the item is on sale in a display ad on the side of your screen. Just like that, a purchase is made. Display Ads – or banner ads on websites – may not convert your target market the first time around. However, display advertising is a great way to re-target customers and increase brand recognition.

5. Social Media Advertising.

With the ability to target based on location, gender, and interests, Social Media Advertising is worth looking into.

6. Develop Strong Headlines

Hook them with your headline. Headlines are the first thing a reader sees, and the only thing they see if the article is shared. Never underestimate the power of a good headline. A headline can dramatically increase your views when shared on a social network.

7. Stay focused

Good sites address a particular niche or audience and then dominate it. Make your brand synonymous with a product. The way handmade is Etsy and electronics is Best Buy. Let your product be your trigger word. That is how you become truly successful.

8. Make sure your site is responsive

Today, 76% of people own a smartphone, and 15% make mobile purchases at least once a month. Browsing the web is now the fifth top usage for mobile phones – calling is third. If you want to capture mobile sales, ensure that your website is accessible and comfortably viewable across a range of devices. Asking visitors to pinch and scroll around your site is basically telling them to go elsewhere.

Also read: How to Use Yandex Webmaster Tools to Submit Your Website
How to Rank High on Bing Search Engine: 15 Bing SEO Tips 

9. Give your site a facelift

A beautiful and intuitive website is now a sign of legitimacy. People expect any business worth its salt to have a clean and up to date site. Aside from enhancing trust, a user-friendly site helps customers quickly find what they’re looking for. This improves their overall customer experience translating into more sales.

10. Allow customers to review your products

The modern online customer lives by reviews. Unable to see or touch items, reviews help fill the information gap while maintaining the convenience of online shopping. They also help generate trust in your brand and enhance customer loyalty.