Do tradesmen really need a website? That is an interesting question for any website designer. I’d say around 99.9% of web developers will say an absolutely resounding yes to this question. However, to be totally honest with you, I will say no they don’t need a website.
Not everyone needs an online presence, especially if their “word of mouth” game works well for them. However, does having an online website which is geared for SEO have an advantage? I’ll repeat this question again, for those in the back row who never heard it…
Does having a website which is geared for SEO, give your business an advantage?
Truth be told, only you can answer that question. You can lie to whoever you like, but you cannot lie to yourself. I don’t think every tradesman need a website at all because many trades have been successful before the internet boom arrived. However, I do believe that your competitors will have traffic converting websites which are stealing your potential customers away from you.
So if your rivals are benefitting from web traffic, then why aren’t you? If they have websites which are converting visitors to paying customers then surely they must be doing something right. Using social media platforms to drive traffic to your website isn’t easy for every tradesman to achieve. However, it isn’t rocket science to someone who knows about digital marketing in general.
Back in the 1970s before we had internet, word of mouth was one of the best forms of cost effective marketing. Fast forward to 2021 where your potential customers are looking for your services online, having a website can only add value to your business. If people are talking about you, they will also talk about your website IF they find your website useful. In other words, give your “word of mothers” something else to talk about which is positive. If your website solves their problems then hopefully you can see how people talking about it can benefit your business.
How to drive crazy traffic to your website
Owning a website which solves problems for your visitors 24/7 is a very powerful thing to have. No matter what your trade or profession is, a website can only bring value and help establish your company as an authoritative voice within your industry. If you don’t have any desire to be that voice then don’t bother invest in a website because this blog post isn’t for you. My target market is aimed at businesses who desire to reach their full potential.
So your website is finally completed and contains all the information your visitors are looking for. Now that it’s launched how are you going to drive traffic to it? We do this by implementing these five digital marketing techniques.
- Write valuable blogs
- Create valuable social media content
- Blast your website out there
- Collect reviews and referrals
- Keep your website up to date
So now we are going to look at each one in turn.
1. Why should I write blog posts?
It’s good to write helpful blog posts because it’s a great way for you to become a knowledgeable source. Having a well written blog on your website works wonders for SEO ranking and search engines will see you as an expert in your industry. If you’re not any good at writing then you can invite guest bloggers to write for your website’s blog. There are also some very good content writers out there who will write 1000 word blog posts for tradesmen for around £50 upwards. If going down this route, make sure they understand keyword research and SEO as well as writing good content.
2. What is “valuable social media content”?
Have you ever seen something on social media that you thought was amazing? It could have been a helpful YouTube video that has solved a problem with your car for example. Or an infographic on Twitter laying out the most effective ways of removing a bee’s nest from your loft. Having helpful, original posts like this on your social media pages will make you look like the “go to guy” for guidance within your industry.
Valuable social media content is more than just “buy my stuff” posts. Your visitors don’t want to see you posting about how great you are or how cheap your stuff is. Remember, they might have landed on your page looking for help as well as researching you before making a decision to buy. Because of this, you will want to give your viewers valuable information which they will struggle to find elsewhere. One in every five of your social media posts should be a promotional post. All the other posts should either solve problems, tell a great story or enhance an emotion.
3. Highly effective ways of getting your website out there
Getting your website out to your target market is an ongoing thing and requires several methods. Having business cards, flyers and posters with your website address on is an obvious one. You’ve seen tradesmen with their logo and website on their work vehicles too. We’ve all had a free pen in the post with the company’s website on. All these are offline marketing methods which are still highly effective.
Whenever you make a social media post (and you should be doing this daily, but not too often) include your website. Creating a Google My Business account with your website attached is also another effective method. Share buttons on blog posts make it easy for people to share your useful content. Ensuring key phrases are used in your digital content increases the chances of your content being shared if it’s valuable, helpful or funny. Effective SEO online marketing needs to be done consistently so that your website will become popular.
4. How powerful are reviews and testimonials?
When people research your product, having past customers rave about your company can only do more good than harm. This is great because you can include on your website some reviews and testimonials from your “word of mouth” patrons. All you need to do is pick the best ones and display them on your home page. It can be shown on your website 24/7, acting as your sales agent whilst you work, rest and play. Things like this will become a deciding factor for visitors to your site looking to make a purchase. Think of past clients who love you the most and tell your visitors why they love you.
5. How can I keep my website updated?
Honestly, with WordPress websites these days, updating your web content is ever so easy. If you can log onto your email account, then you can log onto the content management system (CMS) of a WordPress website. There are literally 100s of YouTube tutorials on this.
When I launch a website for a client, I include a short video showing them exactly how to log on to the back end. I also explain in the video how to change content, how to post blogs, how to contact me should they need any web assistance etc. However, if you still struggle to do all this, or simply don’t have the time, a good digital marketer will solve these solutions for you.
So there you have it.
Five doable digital marketing methods to drive crazy traffic to your website. By consistently repeating steps 1 to 5 will guarantee to give your new killer website the visitors you crave for. For more free updated marketing tips, be sure to follow Logo St. Marketing on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
