Any help with Traffic please

[minniebell]

Hello I am new to this site, I have my own Greetings Cards web site, ts greetings cards selling Dog Greetings Cards, the cartoon cards are all hand drawn, I will be adding a new design soon and adding other products, but can I pick all your brains, after setting up my web site I need to advertise it and get people to come and buy, I have had a few features written about my cards in magazines, and I am on a few forums, does anyone know of any retailers that might be interested in my designs or any dog lovers out their. I need some idea's please for advertising. Any idea's or leads very welcome. It is hard to get started when you are up against the big boys. I am only a Little fish in a big big sea. Thank you in advance!

 

[Mike W]

Maybe being a little fish in a world of dogs isn't the right 'plaice' for you.

Joking aside, have you tried targeting kennels, dog breeders, vets etc? If not, you could test by calling some, visiting others and writing/emailing too. If the feedback is promising you can then look to widen your scope.

When you say you're 'on forums', are you active on them or just perusing? Being active will make you more visible.

 

[thomascostello]

Hi there, I was reading your post and thought that I might be able to help. Localising your content is a great way of of gaining extra traffic to your website.

Here are a few simple tips to optimise your online business for local search rankings and attract local customers:

1. Claim your profile
This is the first step and it’s very simple. You only need to log into Google Places or Bing Local and go through a few verification steps to validate your business.

2. Upload images
These local sites usually provide pictures of businesses and this is beneficial for when a visitor wants to find out more information about your business, see how your headquarter or how your products look like. These pictures will represent your business so ensure they are high quality and send a message.

3. Ask for reviews
Ask your customers to review your business and share their feedback for other interested people to read. You can use your site’s contact form, an invoice or any other method that comes to mind to redirect them to Google/ Bing Local and encourage them to write a review.

4. Add local phone number
Be sure to include a local number, preferably in text rather than image. It’s fine if you have an 800 number but this doesn’t give any kind of location indication, so it’s best to include a local number.

5. Include full physical mailing address
Aside from the e-mail address, also add your mailing address to reinforce your geographic location.

6. Consider the right keywords for customers to find you
Rather than including popular or general keywords, consider adding long-tail keywords that describe your business. Unlike popular keywords where the competition is fierce, long-tail keywords are more personalised and there is a higher possibility of making sales because customers will find you easier.

 

[ecigsUK]

Hi I ran your URL through woo rank and there is definitely some work to be done. Run it through an Seo checking site like woo rank or powermapper this will give you a good head start for getting your google rank up, don't get me wrong this isn't an easy task, like you say there is strong competition but still it's a start. Get people to interact with you on social media. Starting a blog can be the best way to get activity on your URL if the content is good but beware blogging can be very time consuming. Get your link on as many sites as you can as this will help you rank higher, but make sure everything is clean you need to get yourself known the right way for instance ramming your site with H1 headers but hiding them will be picked up by Google and you will be down ranked for it so take your time and do it right. Do your research or pay a good Seo firm. Good luck.

 

[Peanut Butter Man]

As your cards are designed by you have you thought of selling on the likes of Etsy?

As Mike says, be active in the forums, don't spam but get into the conversations that you design cards... Look for threads that are maybe like 'Looking for a gift idea' and as we all do here, get your name into the signature.. people do follow and you will see this with your Google stats (which Im sure you have set up

 

[TimDLM]

Get engaging on a daily basis with your social media followers, get their trust, get to know them (those that interact back) and they will take the time to get to know your products. Post pictures of your best products too.

 

[OlegLola]

Get the benefits of Pinterest, that's exactly what you need!

 

[Bobadob]

Can you sell cards on "notonthehighstreet"? I have no idea but worth a look.
I also saw some really niche dog food companies this morning - lilys kitchen/ lu and trixiebell (or something like that).
it is a case of buddying up with similar niche pet companies.
Good on you and good luck