Looking to increase website traffic for your business? This post will have some value for you.
You use your business website to generate leads for your business. (You should do this if you’re not already, hint hint). Lately, have you noticed that it’s getting harder and harder to get anyone to visit your business website? Sometimes it feels like your website might as well be on the moon.
There are many reasons for that…competition is higher than ever before, your online presence might be pretty new, and the networks are increasingly taking a “pay to play” approach to web traffic. Ranking in the top one or two search results on Google will undoubtedly get you more traffic, but that’s a hard feat to achieve, especially if you’re just starting out.
It used to be that you could post some well-written articles on your website and they’d be found by web searchers interested in what you wrote about. You would build links to your website to gain “authority” with Google. You may have even paid for Facebook or Google ads to drive visitors to your site.
Life in 2018 was good. Hell, even 2019. Let’s not talk about 2020 😆
In 2023 those methods of getting people to your website are still viable and totally necessary, but you have to do more. That’s why you need social media traffic as well…Instagram traffic!
But wait, don’t people spend hours on Instagram because they love looking at pictures? How can I possibly get them to visit my website?
It can totally be done, and it’s not outside your skillset. Free traffic and leads from Instagram? Count me in!
Instagram is quickly becoming the number one social media platform in the world. It’s built with a “local” audience in mind, which means it’s a no-brainer for all local businesses to have some sort of presence. If you’re not on Instagram now, get on it. Already have a profile? Good! You’ll need it to increase website traffic, so read on!
Why Instagram Kicks Ass For Local Businesses
For local businesses of all kinds, Instagram is a goldmine. It’s one of the most effective social media networks with an audience that’s ready to engage. Instagram also happens to be pretty big across the globe. It has over 1.4 billion users worldwide, making it the fourth more popular social media platform in the UNIVERSE.
We’ve been told for years that Facebook is king, but recent studies have shown that people tend to spend more time on Instagram than on other networks.
Instagram’s focus on local audiences considerably levels the playing field for small businesses, enabling new and established local businesses to tap into an audience actively looking to find new content that makes them feel closer to their community.
Such an engaged audience can be hard to come by on other social networks and this is precisely why Instagram is such an important tool to use when trying to increase website traffic for your business.
How Instagram Makes Things Hard Sometimes
Facebook makes it easy to send people away from the app to all sorts of different websites. Instagram does not. They’ve made a conscious decision to not make it too easy for brands to send people off the app – they don’t allow clickable links in posts.
No matter how much engagement your posts get, the caption can’t include a clickable link. This makes it difficult even for people who want to visit your website, since it requires a bit of manual work from them, and that’s one of the easiest ways to make potential visitors lose interest.
Fortunately, there are several different ways through which you can use Instagram to direct traffic to your website. Fear not!
5 Steps To Increase Website Traffic From Instagram Right Now
Make The Most Of The Link In Your Bio
You’ve probably heard your favorite Instagram influencer mention this multiple times. Instagram allows users to add just one external link in the bio on their profile page. So it’s insanely crucial that you make the most of this gracious Instagram gift.
Think of the link in your Bio as the prime real estate on your Instagram profile.
It’s a great place for a link to your website here, or if you’d like to have multiple links, use one of the many “Link in Bio” tools available to create a landing page that includes a whole bunch of links.
Since your bio link is a treasured commodity, be sure your link takes visitors to a page on your website that’s set up to capture leads. Offering an incentive in exchange for an email address is probably the number one way to do that right now.
Remind Viewers You Have an Awesome Bio Link
Remember, there are no clickable links in Instagram posts, and simply adding a link in your Bio isn’t always enough. Take the time to remind your audience that they need to click on the link in your bio, and remind them that all the cool people are doing it 🙂
You can end your post by reminding viewers to check out the link in your bio, or if you’re a video creator, add that line right into your video. You’ll be surprised how effective it really is.
The good news is that the far majority of Instagram users are very familiar with the link in Bio featured. It’s widely used across the entire platform so there’s not going to be a learning curve here for them. They know exactly where to find it and how to use it.
Instagram Stories Is A Small Business Goldmine
Instagram may not have invented the “Stories” format, but it has surely made it its own. Shoppable stories are particularly useful if you’re in the eCommerce business, as you can send visitors directly to a product page.
A shoppable story has a “swipe up” link, so viewers only need to swipe up on the content in the story to be taken to that page. If they’re even remotely interested in your product, chances are they will swipe up. Try it, it’s fun!
This is a simple yet powerful way of bringing more organic visitors to increase website traffic to your business website. Your Instagram followers will likely check out the stories that you’re posting if they’re already interested and engaged with your content. This simple strategy could end up giving you a HUGE boost in traffic, so don’t overlook it.
Use A Smart Call to Action With Every Post
A call to action is one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal. It sounds very simple – just telling people what you want them to do, but you’d be surprised just how effective it is online.
So whether you’re posting just an image, a video, or a story, be sure to include a call to action that invites people to check out your website. The golden rule here is that your call to action shouldn’t appear to be pushing a sale. Rather, you’re just guiding them to what you’d like them to see next.
The best call to action is a suggestion to take the next natural action…such as “Learn More” or “Get More Details.” You know, something like that.
Optimize your website for mobile
You want to increase website traffic, but your site isn’t mobile optimized. You’re missing out on over half of the traffic that you should have, according to Google. This is a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how often this gets overlooked when you’re looking to increase website traffic.
Think about it. People use Instagram on their mobile devices. When you send them to your website, they’ll still be on their smartphone. If your website is not properly optimized for mobile viewing, they’re more likely to leave it without seeing what you offer.
So while you focus your efforts on trying to get more people from Instagram to your website, make sure your website is optimized for mobile. Otherwise, all those efforts will have been for nothing.
Maybe this should have been the first point on this list! After all, according to Google, 63% of smartphone users are more likely to purchase from companies whose mobile sites or apps offer them relevant recommendations on products they may be interested in.
Make Instagram An Important Part Of Your Marketing Plan To Increase Website Traffic
Instagram is a target-rich environment full of local members of your community just waiting to connect with you. Make it part of your marketing routine.
One last tip – Instagram is a social media platform, and it’s called “social media” for a reason. It needs to be social to be effective! Like the comments on your posts and interact with your followers. Your followers will start to know, like, and trust you…and then buy from you!
Using Instagram to increase website traffic for your business is totally 2022!
