So you spent the time and money investing in an amazing website and you were so excited to launch and show it off to the world….but the launch day came and went and now you’re sitting here staring at your website wondering how the heck you’re going to get people to actually see it.

You have the awesome platform online to showcase your abilities and talents….but no one is seeing it. How can you target your ideal audience and help them reach their goals if they don’t even know you’re a thing?

You, my friend, are not alone.

I see so many business owners struggle to drive traffic to their website and it breaks my heart. Don’t get me wrong, it takes time to build up that momentum and brand awareness. However, there are things you can do today on your social media platforms to help increase your website traffic.

6 Social Media Tips That Will Increase Your Website Traffic

1. Be Consistent

Make sure that all of the social media platforms you use for business are on brand. Use the same brand colors and style on each one so they’re all consistent.

Consistency creates trust. Plain and simple. Being consistent on all of the platforms will also help create brand awareness so that when your audience starts to see your content pop up, they’ll instantly know it’s valuable because they’ll remember who wrote it.

Think not only colors but the tone of voice and personality. You don’t want to come across all dry and serious on one platform, then fun and bubbly on the other. These don’t match up and will raise a red flag with your followers.

Tip: Go view all of your social media accounts in an incognito tab so you can view them as a visitor would see them and make sure you’re coming across consistently on all of them.

2. Use Keywords in Your Bios

Each social media platform has a “Search” feature so when you use keywords that your target audience might be searching for, in your bio, you have a better chance of showing up in those search results.

Using keywords in your social media bio is also an awesome way to let people know who you are, what you do, who you help, and where you’re located at a SUPER quick glance. You don’t want them to get to your profile and get frustrated because they can’t figure out what you do…that never ends well.

Tip: Don’t just use keywords around your business name or job title, but include what you do and your location. Like for example: “Squarespace Web Designer,” “Newborn Photographer in Buffalo, NY,” “Social Media Manager + Blogger.”

3. Take Advantage of Call to Actions

Sometimes all our audience needs is a clear step to take. Don’t be afraid to say things like “Check out my blog post” or “Check out my website for more info” and link to your website. Sometimes all our followers need is a little nudge in the right direction.

Tip: Include a call to action in your next social media post, whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Post a little teaser blurb and have them click to your website for more information!

4. Link Your Business and Website URL on Your Personal Facebook Page

If you’re in Facebook groups or are engaging with potential customers/clients on Facebook with your personal account, you’ll want to give them easy access to your website. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come in contact with someone on Facebook, wanting to learn more about them and their business but I can’t find their website URL anywhere.

It’s also helpful for when your family and friends are recommending your services/products to people. They could point that potential customer/client over to your Facebook profile and then they can jump right onto your website.

Tip: Edit the information on your personal Facebook profile to include your job title, your business, and your website URL.

[RELATED: What Your 2017 Social Media Strategy Should Look Like]

5. Social Media Sharing Friendly

If you’re blogging and posting really helpful or interesting content, you’ll want to make sure that you make it easy for your website visitors to share.

If one person shares your blog post then all of their followers will be able to see it. Now if one of those followers share it, then the followers of that follower are able to see it too. This is how content goes viral…..all from a share. It’s a chain reaction.

Tip: Make sure you have social media sharing buttons on your website and that they’re very obvious. If your visitors have to take an extra minute to find your sharing buttons….forget it. They don’t have the patience to search for them if they’re not obvious. Ya gotta make it easy for them.

ALSO: If you can show “social proof” aka how many shares a post received even better. People are more likely to share content that other people deem “shareworthy.”

6. Join Facebook Groups + Pinterest Group Boards

Facebook groups are awesome for 2 things; connecting with your ideal audience and connecting with people in your industry. No matter how you look at it, Facebook opens the door to potential collaborations, projects, and….website traffic.

Tip for Facebook Groups: Go to Pinterest and type in “Facebook Groups.” You’ll be hit with a ton of articles outlining a ton of different group options. Read the descriptions of the groups and join a few that you would be interested in. Once you’re accepted into that group, read the rules, and if the rules allow….introduce yourself. You can also see if they have any promo threads where they allow you to link to your website and blog posts (Utilizing these threads have driven a ton of traffic to my website).

Pinterest Groups are perfect for getting your content in front of more people. When you’re part of a Pinterest Group Board not only do your followers see your pins but so do all the followers of that group board…..and some group boards have like, thousands of followers. The more eyes on your pins and your content, the more likely you’ll get clicks and traffic to your website.

Tip for Pinterest Groups: Go to PinGroupie and use their search tool to find active Pinterest group boards you can join. Go to that Group Board page and read the description. It will usually have directions on how to become a contributor.

Stay consistent, be social, combine these tips and you’ll be well on your way to increase your website traffic!