Establish Your Own Online Community To Increase Website Traffic

It's no secret that the web is a crowded place. In fact, if you're not paying attention to what your competition is doing, they'll beat you to the punch and then some. Everyday someone launches their new website and tell themselves "I'm going to be the next Pinterest." And they might too—if you don't stop them.

4 Reasons Why a Community is Your Web Strategy's Best Friend

1. A community is a great way to build ongoing relationships with your customers or clients.

2. It allows you to create and foster an online community around your brand and business, which will likely result in increased sales in the long run.

3. One-time clients are great, but if you can keep them coming back to your website over the years that's even better!

4. You'll have a chance to interact with your customers or clients and be part of their online experience, all while still being able to highlight your products and services and why they should buy from you instead of someone else.

How to Make Your Own Online Community

In this day and age it's important to have a strong online presence, but if you want your audience to stick around it's even more important to have an online community where your visitors can interact with each other as well. Just like having a package deal for an offline event will increase sales over just having the main attraction, creating an online environment that allows your users to go beyond just looking at your product pages will ultimately result in increased sales.

1. Turn Your Website Into a Social Media Hub

Just because you already have a website doesn't mean that you shouldn't take advantage of other sites in the social media realm. In fact, doing so will only make your website more powerful. You might think adding different social media profiles to your site is enough, but it's not.

2. Create a Blog and Make It About Your Website's Target Audience

A blog is basically a way to extend the conversation that people are having about your website onto the Internet and into cyberspace. Remember, keeping the conversation happening online is key to building an online community, so there's no point in shying away from it. Instead, embrace it!

3. Set Up Some Social Sharing Buttons and Place Them In Different Places For Different Channels

Social sharing buttons will allow visitors to comment or like your posts on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Don't forget Pinterest, too! Always remember, though–make sure the social sharing items are visible for everyone. You don't want the sharing buttons to only be viewable by your most loyal customers.

4. Add a Comment Section To Your Website

A comment section on your website is a great way to foster conversations and continue them online—or at least for people who're interested in staying virtual with you.

Conclusion

If you haven't figured it out already, social media is where people go to hang out these days. And if you want to foster real relationships with your clients and customers, then you're going to have to make online communities where you can interact with them for a long time.

5 Benefits of Using Online Communities in Your Business

1. Word-of-mouth marketing is the best form of marketing available on the Internet today. If users are willing to go online and tell everyone that they know about something, then they must really love it! As a result, you should get started on an online community right away!

2. You'll be able to expand your business in new markets without even leaving your home.