Engineering Copywriter Blog

The number of visitors a given website sees over a specific timeframe is referred to as “website traffic.” It is measured using various online tools including Kissmetric, Hubspot, Crazy Egg, and Google Analytics. Most websites aim to draw as many visitors as possible. When your engineering website gets thousands of visitors a day, it means that it is reaching the correct audience and that they are finding your content helpful and relevant. 

Higher traffic also means more opportunities for leads and sales. This is why the number of visitors is frequently linked to the website’s financial performance. Studying your website traffic allows your company to understand its customers better and create a comprehensive digital marketing strategy based on that understanding.

What are the types of website traffic?

Website traffic is divided into different types, categorized by source. To better understand your audience, it is important to know where they are coming from.

1. Direct traffic

Direct traffic refers to the people who visit your website directly rather than working through a search engine to find it. Google Analytics views these as having no source or data. Below are some instances where the analytics tool can’t recognize the source:

•      –  The user types your engineering website’s URL directly into their browser.
•      –  The URL is bookmarked.
•      –  The link is saved in an offline document such as PDF or MS Word.
•      –  The social media or desktop app the user clicked on does not include tracking or referral data.

The majority of direct traffic comes from returning users and existing customers who already know your brand. This makes direct traffic a valuable metric that you want to expand. It also means that, in order to improve your direct traffic, you have to create content that will keep people coming back. Aside from creating a user-friendly website, the following can also help increase your direct traffic:

•      –  Create a resource page that engineers can refer to whenever they want to clarify a technical term or a process. You can include ebooks, in-depth reviews, and tutorial videos.
•      –  Keep a regular blogging schedule so your readers will know when to expect new engineering content from you.
•      –  Create engaging visuals and infographics that will help readers remember your brand.
•      –  Provide useful tools that engineers can use (example: supplier directory and raw material database).

2. Referral Traffic

Referral traffic denotes visits to your engineering website through external links from other websites. These are often a result of extensive link-building strategies and high-quality content. When an engineering website gets a lot of referral traffic, it signals to search engines like Google that people are interested in linking to your content. Aside from this, referral traffic improves your brand recognition, SEO, and the development of networking opportunities and leads.

Below are some strategies you can employ to improve your referral traffic:

•      –  Guest blogging to relevant websites.
•      –  Sending press releases.
•      –  Strategic comments on other engineering blogs.
•      –  Publishing high-quality engineering content that makes other websites naturally link to you.

3. Social Traffic

Social traffic is those website visits that come from social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, among others. Modern industrial marketers have come to understand the importance of social media in all of their marketing efforts. This is evident in the number of official social media profiles for engineering firms and the amount of content they publish on these platforms.

Below are some strategies you can employ to improve social traffic:

•      –  Create profiles on various social media platforms with a consistent brand identity.
•      –  Optimize your social profiles by updating your bio with relevant information.
•      –  Publish social media posts at the right time (for example: when your target audience is most likely to be in front of their computers).
•      –  Engage with followers (respond to comments and queries).
•      –  Post content that has the potential to go viral. Take a look at previous posts and identify those that get the most engagement (likes, shares, and comments).

4. Organic Traffic

Organic traffic is the number of individuals who find your website through search engines without clicking on a paid advertisement. It is usually the result of a well-implemented SEO strategy that gives long-lasting results and better ROI. When aiming for more organic traffic, industrial marketers can focus on the following:

•      –  Conduct keyword research and content planning.
•      –  Use long-tail keywords.
•      –  Leverage on-page SEO.

Traffic metrics to monitor

When expanding your engineering website, it is important to take a look at the traffic data, interpret what you find, and make strategic decisions based on these results. Below are some of the metrics that you need to focus on:

     1. Bounce rate: The bounce rate is the number of visitors who visit a particular page on your website and leave without checking out other pages.

     2. Pageviews: The pageviews are the number of pages an individual visitor views on your website during your tracked time.

     3. Organic search traffic: This is the number of visitors who found your website using search engines and clicked on it.

     4. Conversions: Conversions are the number of visitors who accessed your website and took actions (for example: sending an email or downloading a lead magnet).

     5. Visits or sessions: A session is the visitor’s one-time journey through your website, beginning when he or she first visits it and ending when he or she leaves.

     6. The number of pages per visit: This is the total number of your website’s pages that one visitor views during a session.

Why does website traffic matter?

1. Reach new visitors

Your website can’t make an impact, generate leads, or form partnerships with people who don’t see it. The more people visit your website, the more prospective customers you’ll acquire. When it comes to improving your website traffic, the good news is that tools like Google Analytics let you look back and discover where these fresh visitors come from. The data you find there can be utilized to target new types of customers.

2. Increase the number of conversions

All digital sales begin with a single visit to your website. A visit that is converted into a sales lead improves the odds that the visitor will become an actual client. More website traffic equates to more eyes on your products, and thus more potential leads.

3. Increase the number of repeat customers

Engineers prefer to buy from firms they know and trust. A consistent output of content and an effective web traffic improvement plan will cement your brand in engineers’ minds. That makes them more likely to remember you when they need a new product or service.

4. Diversify your leads

By maintaining a powerful online presence and a consistent stream of website traffic, you can expand your sales leads. Diversify and develop your customer base by:

•      –  Utilizing traffic information to gain a better understanding of your competition and to exploit any market gaps.
•      –  Developing new products and services based on website queries.

5. Expand your company

High traffic stats mean real people are reading your engineering content. And with a solid following, you can introduce new branches to your business. This is easier to accomplish if you already offer quality products or services and deliver excellent customer service.

The importance of website traffic

Website traffic is an integral part of digital marketing strategies. The more visitors you have to your website, the more opportunities your company has to share your brand, form partnerships, and generate qualified leads. Drop us a line today if you need help generating website traffic.