It’s more crucial than ever to draw in high-potential website visitors as customers shop online more frequently than ever before—39% of consumers report doing more online shopping this year. This traffic may encourage purchases from potential customers and boost sales from current clients.

Of course, increasing website traffic is only a portion of the solution, according to Deana Thornton, Director of Commerce Marketing at Mailchimp. The ultimate objective is conversion.

“Increase traffic from those who are interested in buying what you have to offer if you want to generate conversions,” she advises. “To accomplish this, you must first find a suitable audience and then persuade them to attend”.

Efficiency and website optimization are key to maximizing conversions and turning the people you brought to your site into customers. Knowing your customers, your competitors, and your industry is key, and you should use this knowledge to your advantage whenever and wherever you can.

1. Optimize your website for organic search

Search is a crucial tool for attracting interested customers to your website because it is the most popular way for both consumers and businesses to learn about new goods and services. This means that search engine optimization (SEO) is essential if you want to ensure that search engines recognize your website and get the appropriate audience to it. Your pages will rank better on Google and other search engines when users type in relevant, targeted searches thanks to SEO, the process of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to websites. Understanding the criteria that search engines use to rank webpages is the first step in maximizing your use of search.

Relevant keywords—the terms people are most likely to use when they search for your product or service—should be featured in all areas of your website in a natural way. Make sure they’re used in headlines, product copy, subheads, title tags, meta descriptions, URLs, and alt text for images.

2. Invest in paid search

Sponsored listings on search engines—where businesses pay to be featured in search results—are a great way to raise visibility and drive high-value traffic to your website. Be sure to track the return on investment (ROI) to verify that the results are worth it. Do your research, and align your keyword spend to when it makes the most sense for your marketing strategy, advises Sonaly Patel, Senior Commerce Marketing Manager at Mailchimp. “This might be during a season when there’s a high demand for what you offer, or when you have a big promotion scheduled.”

3. Engage in social channels

You can easily create and schedule posts within Mailchimp for all of the major social media platforms. These posts can help you boost qualified traffic to your website, both from existing customers and new prospects with similar interests. Paid social ads on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram can also drive traffic and encourage followers to sign up for your contact list, which opens another avenue of communication.

Read Also: Which is The Most Popular Ecommerce Store in The US?

Sonaly suggests monitoring your social channels regularly for opportunities to post or respond. “Be active, and respond to comments and feedback as quickly as possible, so there’s a human element in your social strategy,” she says. “And don’t be shy about asking customers to share your posts, which will boost your reach.”

4. Work with influencers

Find social influencers and bloggers who have sizable audiences in your target demographic. Posts shared by influencers can help boost awareness and your SEO value if they feature your products in an authentic way. “If someone is influential in your target demographic, relationships with them can really drive behavior with your target customers—and direct traffic back to your website,” says Deana. Influencers will be interested in you if you have something that appeals to their audience. Work in partnership with them to offer content of value to their audiences, such as behind-the-scenes information, contests, or giveaways.

5. Write blogs or articles

Publishing original content, either on your own blog or on industry websites, can position you as a thought leader. When you are considered a go-to, knowledgeable source of information, buyers will come to your website when it’s time to buy too. Articles that provide how-to advice and education as opposed to a sales pitch will show customers that you can be a trusted source of information. If you’re struggling to figure out what to write about, consider sharing best practices or tips that will help your audience solve their most pressing problems. Once you’ve created this content be sure to share and promote it through your social media channels and via email messages.

6. Drive awareness with public relations (PR)

There are several affordable PR strategies you may use, whether you work alone, with a small firm, or as a freelancer. A proposal to the editors of regional magazines and websites can result in amazing exposure and high-potential website traffic. Local media and websites are constantly looking for fresh topics. Research the website or newspaper you’re pitching to in order to present editors with a suggestion that will be valuable to their readership or community. This will boost your chances of success. You can suggest a human interest angle for coverage of your business, for instance, if your online store is collaborating with a nearby elementary school to deliver supplies to pupils taking lessons remotely.

7. Use retargeting display ads

Customers that visit your website but leave without buying something can be attracted via retargeting. With the help of these advertisements, you have the opportunity to re-engage with customers who have already visited or added items to your store. Retargeting advertisements, which re-engage customers on social media or other websites after they leave your website, are simple to build and implement with Mailchimp. When a visitor comes to your website but doesn’t buy, you’re “leaving sales on the table,” claims Sonaly. Just keep in mind that retargeting may get pricey; therefore, make sure to only utilize budget where it will have the most impact.

8. Make the most of email

Many consumers still prefer email for contact, and it can increase traffic from your current audience. You may easily automate emails that contact with customers at various points in their customer journey, freeing up your time for other crucial activities. These include emails that welcome new customers to your company, messages that highlight your best-selling products, emails that remind people to finish their shopping carts, and more. Automations don’t require much effort once they are put up, and they can branch out in numerous directions based on the behaviors of your consumers to entice visitors to return to your website, according to Sonaly.