I think most of us will agree that a good website is an important part of a business these days.

If you don’t have a website, your prospects may not feel that you are a real business.

However, there seems to be a misconception that a good website will be a lead magnet and do your marketing for you without any ongoing effort on your part. This is simply not true.

If you build it, they won’t come (most likely).

And, if nobody sees your website, it won’t do much for your business.

You need to drive traffic to your website. And you need to do this consistently.

Post Fresh Content

It’s important to post fresh content periodically and get the word out about it via social media, your newsletter, carrier pigeon, etc.

The link to your fresh content leads readers to your blog or other web page, and hopefully while they are there, they’ll click on something else.

If your website is written for your ideal client, they should feel understood and supported. Hopefully, they’ll want to schedule a conversation with you or buy something.

Pay to Promote Content

Unless you’re an influencer, not many people will see your posts from your business FB page unless you pay. Yes, even if they have liked your page, it won’t show up in their feed unless they have specifically marked your page as something they want to see.

When you pay even a small amount (like $5 or $10) significantly more people will see your post.

You can target people with specific interests, or who follow a page that is similar to yours.

As an example, when I pay to promote content to entrepreneurs who might want to transition to corporate jobs, I target people who have liked any of the following: Entrepreneur Magazine, Carol Roth, Tony Robbins, or Tim Ferris.

Ask Colleagues, Friends, and Family to Share Your Content

Selectively, and if something is really good, you might want to reach out to people individually and ask them if they would share your content. This also can get you in front of people who might not be familiar with you.

Target Key Words in Your Content

This is a strategy that works over time. As you get to know your ideal clients and what they search for online, you can start using appropriate key words in your content to boost your site in search results.

My ah-ha moment was early on in my business when I realized that “job search” was the wrong term and hard to rank for, while “career transition” was the right one to target.

Over time, prospects did start finding me through search.

Patience, grasshopper.

Write Content to Answer Specific Questions

What pain are your prospective customers looking for help with? Think carefully about the questions they would be typing in online. Start developing content targeted to answer those questions.

For me, someone might ask:

  • Can I get a corporate job after being an entrepreneur?
  • Do companies hire former entrepreneurs?
  • How do I transition from entrepreneur to employee?

Get inside the head of your prospect. Figure out how they think, and you’ll be able to leave breadcrumbs so they find you and your fabulous website.

Play the Long Game

If there was an easy way, everyone would do it. The best designed and prettiest website won’t magically bring you customers: You have to entice people to visit.

Please think of this as a long game and keep sharing content across all channels to drive traffic. Only then will your website work for you and help you grow your business.