Congratulations on the creation of your new martial arts website! Are you wondering “I have a website, what now?”
Now that you’re up and running you need to start driving traffic to your new site so visitors can learn more about your school and turn into new members. Where do you start? How do you actually get new potential members to your site? It can all seem a bit overwhelming so we’ve put together a quick guide to help you get started and easily manage it all.
4 Sources for Getting More Traffic to Your Website
1. Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
The first step is getting your website and business to show up when people in your community are searching for a martial arts school. Long term, this is going to be your best traffic source because you will get the attention of people that are looking for martial arts.
Local SEO can get a bit complicated but you need to focus on a couple things to lay a solid foundation:
- Your website needs to be locally optimized
- You need to get your business and website listed on the top business directories to build authority for your business in the eyes of search engines and get in front of people that are searching those directories. The top directories include Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook, Yellowpages and more. We’ve created a simple guide to getting your business posted. Click here to get it!
- Try to get links from other local businesses and websites whenever you can. Examples include your local newspaper, Chamber of Commerce, and local sports clubs and events you sponsor.
- Get real reviews from your members. Ask them to post their review to Google and Yelp. Once you have 5-10 on each of those, then focus on getting reviews on Facebook, as well.
2. Social Media Marketing
It seems like almost everyone is on Facebook, Instagram, or some other form of social media. That is exactly why your business should be too. But, you don’t want to be on social media just to be on social media. It is important to have a plan of what you are going to post, what your message is going to be, what value you are going to offer, and how you are going to turn your audience into new members.
If you want your social content to drive traffic to your website, be sure to have a plan for creating new and fresh content. Use a mix of pictures, videos, educational content, motivational content, and sales content. Occasionally include links back to your site to slowly move your audience into new prospects.
Always keep in mind that social media means you have to be SOCIAL. Engage with your audience and with audiences on other pages. Find complementary local businesses (like the local library page or ballet/dance schools) and engage with their content. Like it, comment on it, and share it when you think your audience would like it.
3. Facebook Advertising
Facebook Ads are a great and inexpensive way to drive local traffic to your site. Facebook offers an ad type specifically focused on sending traffic to your website! You can send people to your homepage, a special sales page, an educational page (like a blog), or any other page on your site.
Facebook even offers ways to re-market to people that come to your website but don’t purchase.
4. Email Marketing
Email marketing is a great way to keep in touch with prospects that have requested more information on your website but haven’t signed up yet and also to maintain relationships with current customers. You can communicate directly with your customers and prospects by sending special offers, newsletters and updates, and other content that directly appeals to them.
It is also another great way to drive people to your website. Use your blog to provide compelling information that keeps prospects coming back to your website until they sign up.
It is important to note that you must organically capture your emails. You should not purchase or sign people up that did not opt-in.
Have questions or need help getting more traffic to your website? Contact us!
