3 Strategies to Increase Online Traffic (AdWords, Linkedin, FB Ads)

I say to our clients all the time: “When you increase online traffic, you increase foot traffic. When you increase foot traffic, you gain new customers.”

No matter what size of business you run, whether it’s a one-man/woman show or a 50-person strong operation, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a marketing investment you need to consider. Here are the three most important places to buy PPC ads and how each site works.

1. AdWords

Google’s AdWords program was not the first PPC advertising program, but it has certainly been the most prominent program to-date. As anyone who uses the Internet already knows, Google places small, unobtrusive text and image ads on its own search results page and on other sites around the Web.

AdWords is one way to get more local business for your small business. You can target only customers who live in your area so that you aren’t wasting your advertising dollars attracting website traffic from 1,000 miles away.

2. Facebook Ads

Facebook has so many users that if it were a country, it would be the third largest in the world. There’s a good chance that the people you want to target have Facebook accounts; therefore, a Facebook PPC campaign is well-worth the investment. While Google AdWords find people who might be interested in your product or services based upon search terms and context clues, Facebook uses profile information to decide which of its users would be most interested in your ad.

Facebook suggests certain filters, such as targeting everyone who likes gardening within a certain geographic region, to narrow down who sees your ad. Facebook ads will sometimes increase your social media traffic more than your website traffic, so be prepared to greet potential new clients with a professional business website besides your business Facebook page.

3. LinkedIn Ads

While Facebook is a generalized social media network that reaches nearly everyone, LinkedIn is targeted more towards working professionals. If you offer professional services, such as legal services or accounting services, or if your business is B2B, LinkedIn might be a better option for your business than Facebook.

Whereas Facebook suggests filters for your ad based on user Likes, LinkedIn allows you to target certain job titles or companies. For example, if you sell software you think every CFO and CIO should know about, your ad can target only those users who have listed those job titles. Like the other two PPC ads mentioned above, you can also narrow down who sees your ad based on geography.

This short post is just an introduction to the world of PPC advertising. If all these PPC options seem mind-boggling not to fret, we can help! With the assistance of our team of marketing experts, your business will definitely be able to use PPC to increase online traffic and get more local business. I encourage you to share your experiences below or feel free to contact our WordPress web design firm for more information!