Over 75 percent of the world’s population uses the internet every day. This creates a massive opportunity for small business owners.

Even if your target customer is local, with such a large pool to swim in, there are hundreds of viable strategies to funnel new leads through your website.

Getting new leads doesn’t have to break the bank. Consider these free traffic sources to help make your website profitable.

List Your Business

One of the fastest and simplest free traffic sources is submitting your business to an online directory. Start with a free Google My Business listing to encourage more website traffic.

The listing is a great first step for any business not ready to begin a paid advertising campaign.

Google’s November 2019 algorithm update came with better local search options that provide more opportunities for customers to find small businesses. When someone searches your business category in the city, your website is more likely to come up as long as you have a quality site.

Get Reviews

Don’t just list your website in directories. Ask customers to write reviews about their experiences.

Reviews boost a company’s rankings in search engines. A popular business is more likely to make it to the top of local search results because it is considered more relevant than others with no customer interaction.

Link to Social

Create social media pages for your business and link back to your website. Social media pages are another place where customers can leave feedback.

Facebook offers a star rating system to business pages where customers can rank their experience with your company. Your social media pages will show up in search engines so be sure to keep them current with any deals or promotions you are running.

Start the conversation on social, but link to a page on your website where customers can get more information or get access to a coupon code.

Offer Free Stuff

Free reports and white papers are a strong marketing solution for business-to-business marketing. But any free resource that helps solve a customer’s problem will increase the number of qualified leads to your website.

Qualified leads include anyone who has a definite interest in what you offer. Always cross-promote on social media to attract attention to your free giveaways.

There’s a ready audience on social media waiting to engage with content they find interesting.

Cross-Promote

Partner with a business in your community that has a substantial following and cross-promote your services. This is one of the fastest free traffic sources that can actually lead to a sale.

Having another credible business refer you to its customers means you get access to relationships it may have taken the business years to build. In just one promotional tweet or post, customers believe you have the same great quality product or service by association.

Free Traffic Sources

Free traffic sources can help businesses get visibility. But generating more traffic does raise new questions.

Can your website handle a sudden boost of users all at once? Does the site load quickly enough to keep visitors once they arrive on the website?

These are questions that can make or break your ability to keep the traffic once you get it. For more information on building a strong online marketing strategy, check our blog for updates.