How to Increase Return Site Visitors
As we mentioned in the previous blog, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) isn’t one and done and needs to be frequently updated to maintain your website’s credibility and ranking. Search engines view repeat site visitors as a sign that your site provides valuable, trustworthy information. So, how do you increase return visitors to your website?
Identify Why People Should Come to Your Website
Answering the question of why people should come back to your site will help you pinpoint the site’s features you can enhance or move directly to your home page for easier navigation. At 5 Horizons, we work with clients from a variety of industries but want to provide a few examples for some of our most prominent ones.
Senior Living
People visiting the websites of senior living communities are most likely interested in the services and resources the community provides, as well as interacting with chatbots, reviewing the updated activities and events schedule, and searching for contact information.
Higher Education
Similarly, visitors tend to go to higher education websites to find resources for current, future, or returning students, look for upcoming events and contact information for various departments and offices.
Other
As the examples above indicate, the visitors’ intent is frequently similar throughout various industries. Some other reasons why people might visit your website include making a purchase, leaving a review, and using features such as a customer portal or an FAQ page.
Four Ways to Increase Return Site Visitors
With the reasons people come to your website in mind, consider implementing the following four steps into your online presence.
1. Optimize Your Visitors’ Favorite Landing Pages
This includes improving the user experience by putting the most important information on each page front and center, making the page layout intuitive and efficient, and the content easy to follow and understand. Optimizing your entire website’s navigation can also increase visits—utilize your menu bar to funnel visitors to the most important areas of your site.
2. Start an Email Newsletter
Email is a great way of engaging with your audience and connecting them to more of your content. The newsletter can link to website blogs and social media content, allowing you to repurpose the already existing content into micro-content shared across platforms.
3. Create a Customer Loyalty Program
Customer Loyalty Programs are a great way of encouraging loyal visitors to return to your website again and again. By offering an incentive in the form of discounts or other perks, you make people feel appreciated and motivate them to not only come back to your site but also to spread the word about your services.
4. Retargeting Ads
Running retargeting ads can help remind the people who previously interacted with your website to visit it again. This type of advertising also works by displaying ads to someone who engaged with your social media pages, watched a video, or connected with your brand at some point in time. You can place these ads through Google or Facebook, using them as reminders for your visitors.
There are more strategies for increasing your site visitors out there, but these four offer a solid starting point for any community, school, or business.
Follow our Demystifying SEO series to learn how SEO is more than just content, how it requires a thorough strategy and involves intent-focused keyword research. Or contact us to discuss conducting an SEO audit to help your business thrive.