Introduction to Generating Traffic
The key to getting traffic is consistency and patience. In our traffic training guides, we teach you the proven and reliable methods that we use to get traffic to our Fresh Stores.
Is Your Store Ready for Traffic?
A common mistake is generating traffic before your store is fully set up. Before you start generating traffic, we strongly recommend you visit the previous guides in the "Finding a Niche" and "Building a Fresh Store" sections.
Make sure you have added unique content, good quality products, some unique design and you have opened your Amazon and/or eBay accounts. Test your stores to make sure your Amazon and/or eBay affiliate tags are being used. It is also recommended to have a unique header or logo, and do not fill the store with distracting ads.
If your site is incomplete, the traffic will result in very low or even zero sales. When your site is complete and you get traffic, you will get a snowball because your visitors will be more likely to share your store and revisit later. Google will also recognise that your store has a low bounce rate and high retention rate, resulting in better Search Engine Rankings.
Where to get traffic
This is an overview of the traffic methods we recommend, and we go into more detail in later training guides.
Search engines, and especially Google, are a common way to get traffic to Fresh Stores. By adding keywords and targeting your niche with unique content, you’ll be able to reach customers and get them to come to your website. Good quality content is crucial to this traffic method.
Building backlinks is a part of Search Engine Optimisation but can also bring you traffic directly. Get in contact with other website owners and ask if they want to work with you. You can link back to each other’s websites or trade a social media promotion for a backlink. You can also comment on other websites about their posts and link back to your own website. Leave a valuable comment and it has a higher chance of being approved.
Social media pages are an easy and free way to increase your store traffic. Some options include a Facebook page, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram to market your website and niche. Don’t use your personal social accounts to target customers. Instead, create separate pages that are designed just for the site you are targeting. Be sure to be active on your social media pages. If someone asks a question or comments on something you posted, respond back within 24 hours. Don’t let the potential customer wait too long or dismiss their questions.
Email marketing is another way to target customers and create a following. You can collect emails from your store and social media pages. Then use the emails and offer customers helpful guides, content, or even a chance to win something like an Amazon gift card or a free product.
Paid Traffic is a great option but does come with the risk that you won't get a return on your investment. If you are new to paid traffic, start with low-risk options like running Facebook ads to get likes on your Facebook page. Also make sure you maximize any paid traffic by trying to capture email addresses with popups and building up a retargeting audience with a Facebook pixel.
Traffic from Different Countries
Remember to consider the country that your store is promoting to when you are generating traffic. For example, if you have a USA store then building a backlink from an Australian website won't bring you much benefit.
If you are running paid traffic, remember to limit the reach to the important countries. You can also target on a deeper regional/state/city level.
Playing the Long Term Game
When it comes to traffic, you want to get visitors who are with you for the long run. You want customers to come back to your website and to keep checking your social pages because you have the information they need.
You also want these customers to be around when you create your next website. In order to do this, you need to be reliable, helpful and offer them something that other websites are not. You can have live chat available for a few hours to help them decide on a product or offer a guide that will help them make their decisions.
The Right Traffic for Your Niche
All traffic is not the same and neither are niches. What worked for one website might not work for another. It’s a good idea to keep track of your store results and try to understand what is working well for you.
Using Google Analytics is a great way to understand what is working and what isn't.
Also, try to think logically about your niche and what traffic source will fit. For example, anything related to cooking, hobbies, fashion and travel will work very well on Pinterest. On the flip side, something that is not very visual like motorcycle parts will not perform well on Pinterest.
Traffic can be unpredictable and methods do change. Remember to be patient and don't give up if you don’t see any traffic in your first week.
Keep trying, be consistent, be creative and the results will come.