{"id":26127,"date":"2020-07-17T08:37:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-17T13:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=26127"},"modified":"2020-10-14T10:31:34","modified_gmt":"2020-10-14T15:31:34","slug":"boost-website-traffic-small-local-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/boost-website-traffic-small-local-business\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Easy Ways Small Local Businesses Can Drive More Website Traffic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Managing a website for your small or local business is one of the best things you can do for your business. Not only is it affordable and easy to build a website<\/a>, but it\u2019s also one of the best ways to acquire customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stats show that most Americans prefer to shop online, but websites aren\u2019t just beneficial for eCommerce stores. Websites are also integral when it comes to driving local businesses to your brick-and-mortar location. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, there has been a 900%<\/a> growth in 'near me tonight\/today'\u009d searches recently. Also, 72%<\/a> of people who conduct a local search will visit a store within 5 miles. Not to mention, 78%<\/a> of local mobile searches result in purchases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A website will boost your business, but to get the most out of your website, it\u2019s critical that you do everything you can to increase your online visibility. Here are five <\/strong>surefire ways you can drive more website traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Optimize your website for local search<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Did you know that nearly half of all searches on Google are local? This means people using Google are trying to find a product or service in their local area. Additionally, 88% of local business<\/a> searches via a mobile device will call or visit the business within 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you haven\u2019t optimized your website for local search and claimed your Google Business listing, it will be difficult for those active customers to find you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To claim your Google business, start by going to google.com\/business<\/a> and follow the steps to make a Google account for your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have a Google business listing, local searchers will be able to quickly find your business information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Invest in paid advertising on Google<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One in ten<\/a> SMBs doesn\u2019t invest in any type of digital marketing. This means if you do invest in digital marketing-like paid search<\/a>-you\u2019re one step ahead of your competitors when it comes to driving traffic to your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a quick review, paid ads take the top slots on the Google search engine results page (SERPs), and searchers know it\u2019s an advertisement because Google places a small text reading 'ad'\u009d before the search headline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Instead of relying on search engine optimization (SEO), SMBs can pay for a Google Ads advertisement, and the top bidder is rewarded with the highest paid listing slot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say you sell dog food. You can create an ad on Google Ads and bid on relevant keywords (e.g., 'dog food). Google will rank your ads based on how much you pay in relation to other advertisers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paid search is an excellent way to boost traffic to your small business website. This is especially true if your website is relatively new since it often takes a few months for new websites to rank in organic listings (SEO). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paid search works, too. Seventy-five percent of internet users<\/a> click on ads, and 49% of people are most likely to click on a text ad. Stats also show that paid search often results in higher conversions, as PPC (pay-per-click or paid search) visitors are 50% more likely to purchase something than organic visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Drive traffic to your small business website through email marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Email marketing <\/a>is one of the top marketing tools small businesses use to capture business. It makes sense that email marketing would be such a popular pick, considering email subscribers are among the most loyal followers, and a majority of consumers say permission-based email is the preferred way for you to communicate with them. Email marketing also has the highest ROI<\/a> out of any other digital marketing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, email marketing is most effective when used to drive traffic to your website. Some popular ways you can use email to drive people to your website include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n