Growing Your WordPress Website: Off-Site Activities to Increase Traffic and Sales
When it comes to growing your WordPress website, most people focus on on-site optimization and choosing the best themes. However, off-site activities can play a significant role in driving traffic, generating leads, and increasing sales. This is especially true if you have a brick-and-mortar business or a website that caters to the local community. In this article, we will explore various off-site activities that can help grow your WordPress website.
1. Attend Meetups in Your Local Area
Attending meetups in your local area is an excellent way to be visible offline and connect with like-minded people. Meetup is a website that helps people with similar interests or hobbies find each other and organize events. By attending meetups related to your niche or industry, you can generate discussions around your field of interest, meet new people, and promote your website.
If there are no meetups in your area catering to your niche, consider starting one. Chances are, there are people nearby who would like to join such a group. If you travel, try to incorporate Meetup events in different locations into your itinerary to raise your profile and grow your WordPress website.
2. Attend Conferences and Networking Events
Conferences and networking events are great opportunities to meet others in your industry and get your name out there. You may also gain valuable insights into what your competitors are doing and discover new opportunities for yourself.
Once you become a regular at events and know what they entail, ask if you can run a workshop or put yourself forward as a speaker. Doing so will help establish yourself as an authority in your area of expertise, raising awareness of your business and website in the process.
3. Advertise Locally
If you want to promote your website specifically to those in the local area, research local advertising options. Some potential options include:
– Local Radio: A radio advert can help spread the word about your WordPress website and create interest around it. However, this can be expensive, so it’s worth monitoring traffic to your site before and after the adverts air to see if they are cost-effective.
– Local Newspapers or Magazines: Local newspapers and magazines are still popular with many demographics and industries. Find a medium that appeals to your target audience and advertise there. The larger the advert, the better, so if your budget will stretch to it, opt for a full-page ad. It’s also worth spending money to get an eye-catching advert designed to stand out from the crowd and impress your audience.
– Sponsor a Local Sports Club, Event, or Cause: Sponsoring a local sports club, cause, or event can help raise the profile of your WordPress website. By becoming involved in local causes, you will become a valued member of the community and keep your business constantly in people’s minds. The more people hear about you, the more likely they are to remember you and visit your site instead of your competitors.
– Leaflets and Flyering: Creating leaflets to promote your business can be a successful off-site way to increase traffic to your WordPress website. Have your leaflet produced by a designer so that it looks professional. Think carefully about where you distribute your leaflets, as they need to reach your potential customers. Door-to-door flyering can be effective but is time-consuming. Leaving leaflets in key areas where your target audience hangs out, like coffee shops, can also be successful.
4. Publish an eBook on Amazon
Publishing an eBook on Amazon is an excellent off-site activity to grow your WordPress website. Don’t be put off by the idea of having to write an eBook. It doesn’t have to be too long, and you can incorporate content from your site. Hiring a ghostwriter is another option.
Make sure your eBook is relevant to your business to ensure that you are targeting the right audience. It’s also worth paying an editor to check it, as you want something that is high quality enough to impress readers and encourage them to visit your site.
When publishing your book on Amazon, don’t price it for more than a few dollars. The reason for listing the eBook on Amazon isn’t to make money from the sales. It’s to promote your personal brand and your website, helping to drive traffic. If you price your book too high, you will miss out on potential new customers.
5. Podcasting
Podcasts are a relatively easy and effective way to attract new visitors to your WordPress website. Many people don’t enjoy reading online but love to listen. By providing content in a dynamic podcast, you will tap into a new pool of potential followers.
A great way to get your podcasts shared with new listeners is to add your content to iTunes. By signing up for an account and submitting your podcasts, they have the possibility of being heard by millions of people. However, iTunes is quite particular about the podcasts they accept, so it’s worth reading up on podcasting best practices before you start.
As well as running your podcasts, you should also try and speak on other people’s podcasts. Find people in your industry that have their podcasts. These people will have the same target audience as you, who may well check out your site after they have heard you speak.
6. Other Online but Off-Site Activities
There are many online but off-site activities that can grow your WordPress website. Promoting your site on social media is one of the most effective ways to increase traffic to your site. Here are some other options:
– YouTube: Creating your own YouTube channel and videos can be an effective way to reach a new audience if it’s appropriate for your site.
– Guest Posting: Choose sites that are in the same industry as your business, even competitors’ sites, as these will have readers who are your target audience. Always produce high-quality guest posts that will interest and entice readers to click through to your website.
– Advertising: Advertising on Google or social media can grow your WordPress website quickly and dramatically. Google ads, Facebook ads, and Twitter ads are all popular and easy-to-use options that can help promote your site. Always make sure you track your site’s analytics to find out if your adverts are cost-effective.
Final Thoughts
All of the above are effective off-site options that will help grow your WordPress website. The activities you partake in will depend on the type of business you have.
Always consider your target audience. Where do they hang out, and what forms of marketing will they respond to? Also, monitor your site carefully so you know you are getting a return for your time and money.
What off-site activities have you tried to grow your WordPress website? Please share your successes or failures in the comments below.
