How and why having a strong purpose leads to significant website growth
Websites are funny things, when you think about it.
They're a little slice of the internet than anyone can claim and there are literally a million and one topics covered out there. Whether your website is a personal blog or is intended to support your business, there's room for everyone online.
But, as the saying goes, not all websites are created equally.
I've written before about how it's not as easy as cranking out some text, slapping a few pictures up and calling it a day. A good website requires thoughtful content, intentional design, and a clear intention. That's what sets the winners apart : they aren't satisfied with simply being "there". Instead, their owners/managers are always pushing the sites to grow and expand their reach.
As a web designer/developer, I work on my own website(s) every day as well as those of my clients. I've honestly seen it all and can pinpoint from the start which websites will see significant growth - and which ones will not.
Luckily, my friends, a successful website is NOT rocket science! It does, however, take time and effort to execute correctly.
You could spend your time Googling every tip & trick out there, or throwing method after method at the wall hoping something sticks. Eventually, something will work but you'll be exhausted and will probably hate yourself.
Alternatively, I've shared what I know works for me and my clients, and you can apply my pointers on your own websites.
As you grow your website, you'll want to track your progress. You've heard the saying "what gets measured gets managed" which is why it is so important to know your current stats and how they improve over time. This is why I created a free 3 month growth tracker worksheet to go along with this article. Simply enter your email address below and you'll get that free worksheet delivered directly to your inbox.
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Start tracking your website growth today
Use this free worksheet to track your website stats and online growth!
Let's get started.
Start from where you are
Don't panic if your left scratching your head because your daily page visits aren't where you want them to be! Just because your website stats are low today, they don't have to stay that way.
Here's some real talk for you: when I first started out with this website, I was hovering at around 40 page views per day for a long time. I wasn't particularly worried because I mostly used my website as a place to direct potential clients that I already knew through word of mouth. My website wasn't a "lead generator" so the low page views weren't an issue. Fast forward to now and my website strategy has changed significantly. Since my website goals are so different, I knew I needed to see major growth in order to get the results I wanted.
I'm happy to say that my page views have snowballed and that has had a direct affect on my business as a result!
Here's how you can do the same:
Increase the number of visits to website > grow online network and digital reach > improve business
Establish a focus for your website
Establishing a focus for your website can either be incredibly simple or extremely challenging, and it all depends on what type of website you're working with.
For example, if you're creating or working with a business website (e.g., one that supports your business), the scope is very clear and targeted from the beginning. On the flip side, establishing a focus for your website will be harder if your website is a personal or lifestyle blog because you could cover a myriad of topics!
When it comes to this website (www.charlotteohara.ca), my focus is to be the go-to destination for guides and resources on how to create & run a professional website using Squarespace.
Grab a pen and paper (or a blank Google Doc) and write out your website's focus. It should be clear, concise, and easy to describe in one sentence or less.
Know your audience
Once you've outlined the focus for your website, it's time to take a look at your audience. Your audience right now could be different from your ideal audience, the one that will help you reach your goals. That's okay! While you might lose a few followers as you pivot your website, know that you will attract the right people moving forward who will support your website growth and any products/services you chose to offer.
When evaluating your audience, consider who your ideal readers are or what type of people you want to work with or attract to your site.
My website targets and attracts professional business owners, or people who want to leverage their website to support their businesses. My audience is people who either already have a website but want to improve it, OR want to start a website but don't know where to start. Either way, they want a website that looks good, functions well and supports their business growth and goals.
Support that audience
Now that you know who your audience is (whether that's your current or target audience), the next step is to figure out what they need and how you can help them.
In my case, my audience needs a website and once they have one, it needs to function correctly and support their businesses. They are usually stuck on the same (common) problems and are looking for ways to solve them.
This is where I come in, since I offer free resources and paid services to support my audience. I create free resources (like this), tutorials (like this), a weekly newsletter that is helpful and entertaining, online workshops, etc. to support my audience and that has directly lead to my website's growth.
When people understand that you are speaking to them, they'll stick around and listen.
Think about your website's audience and what you can do to support them right now. If you want to attract clients to your business, what can you offer them today that will warm them to you?
Create meaningful website content
Now's the time to get strategic with your website content: it should always support your growth goal and business interests. It's important to be consistent with the content you create which means that you can (and should!) take time to review what is and isn't working, what's popular, etc. Squarespace analytics is a great place to see these insights.
Every website needs a blog and when you commit to it, they can directly grow your website. There are two things that an effective blog has:
- focused content that is carved out in distinctive categories
- editorial calendar that keeps content structured and outlined in advance
When creating website content, stay within the confines of your established focus so that your audience knows what to expect. Not only will this grow your authority, it will also suck people into your content. By creating a lot of relevant & related content for your audience, it's not uncommon to see people "binge" on your work by powering through articles, videos, etc. This is GOOD since it deepens their relationship with you and your brand indirectly.
Related : Check out the articles in my Squarespace SEO Series to make sure your (amazing) content is seen!
Present website content intentionally
The next step is rolling your content across your entire online platform. Website growth happens because of your efforts across multiple platforms and everything you do online should lead back to your website.
I focused on two areas to grow my website:
Social media
My website is supported by social media, notably Twitter, Pinterest and Youtube. The aim is always to drive traffic back to my website no matter the social media platform so be sure to do the same! Be sure to share all your blog posts, any freebies or resources you've created, reminders to sign up for your newsletter, etc. Also, if anyone shares your content on social media, be sure to thank them or shout them out because the'll be more likely to do it again if you give them a little recognition!
Related : How I plan to revamp my Twitter strategy in 2017 // 3 strategic ways to drive traffic from social media to your website
Branded graphics
By consistently branding website graphics with your brand colours, typography, site URL, etc., your collateral becomes distinctive and easily recognizable. This way, even if people find your content outside of your website (e.g., they see your pin on Pinterest) they'll know it's YOURS and how to return to your "digital home". Every blog post you have should have a dedicated Pinterest image, in addition to any photos, graphics, illustrations, whatever that make up the actual post content.
Purpose leads to results for your website
There are literally millions (maybe billions?) of websites out there and the successful ones are able to make their mark by being thoughtful and intentional. If you want your website to grow and support your business, a focused strategy is going to get the results you want to see. Website growth is strong marketing for your business / brand and is worth the time and effort. Here's the formula you can follow:
Attract and drive traffic to your website > get visitors onto your email list > convert into clients / customers
Now that you know what to do and how to do it, you'll see results in no time!
Final Thoughts
It is totally possible to grow your website so long as you focus your attention on what matters and leads to growth. By being intentional with your website's purpose, you business and brand will be supported online and you'll see growth as a result. Making these changes will take some time and you won't see results overnight BUT you're playing the long game and it'll pay off.
Shameless plug: If you're ready to get serious about your website, book a strategy & consulting session with me today. There's a full description of my services on that page but you can always email me with any questions you might have!
If you haven't already, be sure to grab the free 3 month website growth worksheet I created that goes along with this article. You can get this in the box below. Feel free to print out the workbook, write down your notes and brainstorming ideas, and come back it it at any time when you need a little extra motivation.
Start tracking your website growth today
Use this free worksheet to track your website stats and online growth!
Now it's your turn to tell me, how do you plan to grow your website this year? Are there any strategies you've used that are mentioned above? What are you focused on today and how is that different from the past? I'd love to know so leave me a note in the comments!
Interested in learning more about what it takes to get a website up and running? My free 7 day e-course will walk you through everything you need to know. Sign up for it today!