Below are some of ideas you can use to hook readers so they won’t want to leave your website.

1. Website Search Box

Your website may have a wealth of quality content, but this will not be appreciated by your visitors if they get lost in a pile of articles. Once that happens, they probably won’t come back.

Let your clients navigate your website easily by putting up a search box where they can look for certain content using keywords.

2. Social Media Buttons

You’ve probably encountered an article, photo or video that’s just so funny, inspirational or informative, you couldn’t help sharing it with everyone you know. Your site visitors just might be experiencing the same thing when going over your content, so help them out by having “like,” “share,” “tweet,” “reblog,” or other social media buttons on your pages at the ready.

3. Comment Platforms

If an article strikes a chord somewhere in your audience’s hearts and/or minds, they will most probably post their thoughts about it right after reading. Indulge your visitors by activating a comment platform at the bottom of your article. Placing it at the bottom will encourage them to finish reading.

This is also one way to generate forums and discussions. Take the time to join the conversation, answer questions or simply talk to your readers to get to know them better.

4. Videos

Sometimes, even your most loyal clients want to take a break from online reading and commenting. This is when they start looking for something different. To meet the need, upload videos that are consistent with your brand and relevant to your clients. You also have to make sure your videos are enjoyable to watch and, if possible, educational.

5. Popular Posts Widget

Assuming that your website’s content is of good quality, you can expect clients will visit regularly, looking for more. The question is how do you engage those who are new to your domain? One way to guide them around your website is by posting a popular posts widget.

This will direct clients to the posts that have the most views and reactions from fellow readers. When your clients see that your articles get a lot of love from other readers, it is likely they will spend time reading them too.

6. Related Content Plugin

Similar to the popular posts widget, the related content plugin will direct your readers to your website’s other content. The only difference is that this particular plugin is not limited to listing your website’s most popular posts, it also includes related articles via categories and tags.

Run this plugin to help your clients read more about a specific topic they need without having to leave your website.

7. Color Palettes

Even before your visitors get to read the articles you worked hard on, they will first judge your website’s appearance.

It is not enough to have a website that looks good; it is also crucial your website complements your brand and the services you offer. Make sure your readers have a good user experience when going through your pages. You also have to take into consideration the colors, layout and even fonts that will appeal to your target market. After all, they are the ones who will spend the most time on your website.

Click here to check out this website and get some great ideas for color palettes.

8. Lists, Tips and Advice

Publishing quality articles is good, but not all readers have a ton of time to read. Casual browsers or even avid readers will definitely ignore chunks of text unless they’re actually following your posts.

What you can do is offer these readers some lists, tips and advice written and formatted in a way that is easy to read and understand. Put them up on spaces of your website where they will neither be ignored nor seen as a nuisance when reading the longer articles.

9. E-mail Opt-in Box

For clients who check their e-mail regularly, it could be more convenient to receive alerts in their inbox rather than check various sites everyday. Accommodate this demand by placing an e-mail opt-in box on your website. This way, your readers can still be updated on what’s new even if they don’t get to access the website directly.

10. Surveys

Surveys are among the tried and tested methods as far as research and data gathering is concerned. Every once in a while, release either a poll or a set of questions that is relevant to your clients and to the services you provide.

Doing so will not only allow you to get to know your clients better, you can also serve them better once you know what best tickles their fancy. You can also give away freebies to those who take the time to answer your surveys. Fun isn’t it?

Having an online business will urge you to try different things until you find a formula that works for you and your clients. These tips are sure to help you increase engagement on your website, but always remember to strike a balance. While it is perfectly normal to want a visually remarkable website, make sure you don’t compromise efficiency and quality for beauty.
 

As a blogger, I’ve been through the daunting task of making a name for myself in an already crowded blogosphere. Based on my experience and research, here are the 10 most effective strategies I personally used to drive traffic to my once brand new blog.

1. Writing Remarkable Content

The saying “content is king” might not be absolutely accurate these days, but it still holds enough weight to matter. SEO techniques, social media and all forms of Internet marketing attract visitors, but good content turns those visitors into loyal followers.

Focus first on creating unique and well-written content readers won’t find anywhere else. That will give them a reason not only to keep coming back, but also to share what they’ve read with others, effectively growing your audience.

2. Commenting on Other Blogs

The Internet was made to connect people so, once in a while, leave the confines of your blog and enter discussions on other blogs. Leaving a comment of praise or gratitude is good, but starting a conversation with meaningful questions or overlooked insights is better.

Most comment sections allow linking to your own website and/or e-mail so make use of that feature to let bloggers know where to find you. If bloggers find your content interesting, they may send their own set of readers to your blog. Don’t, however, spam the comment section of each of their posts with your own blog.

3. Connecting with Similar Blogs

In relation to the previous tip, try to build relationships with bloggers in the same niche as yours. Posting a well-thought-out comment on a tech blog and expecting that blogger to link to your blog about pets isn’t very clever.

Join a community of like-minded bloggers through message boards or social media groups – and be active. There are plenty of experienced website owners who are more than willing to help out
beginners.

4. Linking to Other Blogs

Being part of a blog network is a give-and-take relationship. In exchange for getting invaluable advice from other bloggers, show your appreciation by linking to their blogs on your own website.

You can also take the initiative by linking to them first – they’ll be sure to notice. Whether it’s through your blog roll on the sidebar or through direct links in your own articles, bloggers will be grateful for the exposure.

5. Joining Blogging Directories

Blogging directories provide plenty of exposure. In addition to making your blog visible to new audiences, such directories are also targeted markets because the people who visit them actively search for blogs to read.

Make sure to list your blog in appropriate directories and avoid link farms.

6. Sharing Content in Social Bookmarking Sites

Having your content on the front page of a site like “Delicious.” gives it a stamp of quality because it shows there are plenty of people who have read your blog and appreciated it enough to bookmark it.

The number of saves next to the link will also pique the interest of potential readers due to the social proof phenomenon. This, in turn, will lead to more traffic for your blog. Digg and StumbleUpon follow the same concept and are worthy alternatives.

7. Guest Posting

As part of connecting with another blog, guest posting is a major step up. Bloggers will not trust you with space on their website if they do not believe in the quality of your content, so this opportunity does not come right away.

If you’ve fostered a good relationship with another blogger, give the suggestion politely. You will be opening up your own blog to a whole new audience while establishing your credibility in the niche you’re in.

8. Accepting Guest Posts

Leverage the trust you’ve built with other bloggers by asking them to write for you. The inverse also works to your advantage as their followers will find their way onto your blog in search of their favored blogger’s content.

Once this new batch of people has landed on your site, many of them will check out the other posts on your blog. Before long, they will be part of your own growing audience.

9. Integrate Blog with Social Media

The power of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter cannot be understated. Content on social media sites has the potential to go viral. Free blog hosting sites like WordPress have built-in social media sharing capabilities.

It is also important to know when to post your content to optimize traffic. For Twitter, 1-3 p.m. on a Monday is the best time to share, while 3 p.m. on Wednesdays is the best time for Facebook.

10. Learning SEO

When people want to look for something, they go to Google or another search engine. Search engine optimization (SEO) will make your blog more visible to the rest of the world because it will appear higher in search results.

Start with the basics such as inserting simple keywords in your posts and linking to the other pages on your own website. Work your way toward more advanced practices once you understand these foundational concepts.

By making use of these strategies, I established a respectable following on my own blog while earning the trust of my fellow bloggers. If you’ve already tried these 10 strategies and found them lacking, here are five more tips that are guaranteed to boost your traffic.

1. Create “how to” articles. There is never a shortage of people using the Internet looking for instructions.

2. Add share buttons. These little social media buttons make it much more convenient for your readers to spread your content.

3. Make sure your code validates. This is just one form of advanced SEO that ensures a better ranking for your blog on search engines. There are plenty of sites that offer well-designed codes and layouts for a price.

4. Start contests with prizes. You can hold these in comment sections or through social media, and the increased activity will attract attention. You don’t have to offer expensive prices as long as you make the contest engaging and useful.

5. Be consistent. Create a publishing calendar and commit to it. This assures readers not only that your content is fresh, but also that you care about your blog and your audience.

Employing all of these tips and strategies requires hard work, but don’t expect results immediately. Patience is a necessity. You will be rewarded for your efforts in time with an ever-growing community of readers and colleagues.