Your website – the digital home base that you’ve spent countless hours, immeasurable efforts and sizeable budgets to make just right for the audiences that you wish to attract. So now that you’ve built it, how do you get those audiences to visit? Referrals make up one third of the website traffic trio that also includes direct traffic and organic search traffic. And, similar to a referral received from a customer, this type of traffic often arrives with a built-in trust which is a terrific way to start out a relationship. Another benefit (that I believe is the best benefit) of this traffic source, is that marketers can more quickly and effectively grow it than either of the other two sources (though smart marketers are adept at all three). Here are several ways that you can start boosting your referral traffic today!

• Digital Ad Placement – Select other websites on which to advertise according to your target audience. Whether you’re looking to increase trade or consumer traffic, there are sites ripe for referrals. For DMA and our clients, And Now U Know has proven to be a consistent and powerful referral source for qualified trade traffic. Seek to establish relationships with sites like this that reach your target audiences to keep referral traffic headed to your site again and again.
• Partner with Influencers – Establish and nurture relationships with bloggers, chefs and other influencers and reap the referral rewards. Send them your products to inspire creativity in their kitchens – and hopefully on the pages of their blogs, as well. Ask influencers to post your digital banner ads on their sites and to actively promote your messages. Measure the success of these partnerships just like you would digital ad performance on a traditional media website.
• Thought Leadership – While thought leadership comes in many forms, there are a few that are most effective in boosting referral visits. Speaking at events/conferences will increase your personal and company’s brand awareness and your hyperlinked presence on the organization’s website can certainly result in clicks. Similar efforts, but with far fewer airline miles, include being a guest contributor to others’ blogs and becoming a trusted resource in forums (ex: one of the many fresh produce discussion groups on LinkedIn).
• Social Media Marketing – This one may be listed last, but it is most definitely not least in terms of the amounts of referral traffic it can generate. Immediate ways to instigate more clicks to your website include pinning original images on Pinterest, incorporating links to specific pages on your blog/website into Facebook and Twitter posts, updating your “About” blurbs on all social platforms to include your URL, and many, many more.

Now that you’re outfitted with the tips above, all you need to do is act – Go get ‘em, fresh produce marketers and watch your referral traffic soar!