if you build a website will they come?

So you have this beautiful, brand new website that you just launched. You are so excited. You have images of clients flocking to your site, just begging to buy your services or products. Money rolling in. Going from zero clients to being fully booked for six months.

Instead all you get is...

*crickets chirp*

You remember the line from the movie Field of Dreams where Ray Kinsella keeps hearing this voice telling him, “if you build it, he will come”? The idea is that if he stops growing corn on his farm and builds a baseball stadium instead, then people will come to watch the game, just because it is there.

Unfortunately it does not work that way.

The truth of the matter is...if you build it, they might come.

Just because you have a website then business will start to flow in, right?

Wrong.

The website is just the first step. A necessary step, but still just the first step.

You’ve got to get the word out.

You've got to give people a reason to go to your website and get them interested, even if they don't have an immediate need.

You’ve got to build an audience.

You’ve got to give your audience a reason to keep coming back to your website.

You’ve got to find a way to keep you in the forefront of your audience’s mind so that when they are ready to buy, you will be the first person they think of because you’ve proven to them that you are knowledgeable, caring and an expert in your field.

Lack of website traffic is one of the most common challenges I hear from business owners.

When the traffic does not come you blame it on the site design, the logo, the font, the layout.

What really happened is that you forgot to build your audience. Maybe you already had an audience and all you need to do is direct them to your website or maybe you have to start from scratch and build an audience.

The point is, that a website without an audience is just another website sitting out in cyberspace collecting dust.

Here are some ideas for creating an audience:

• Create high-quality content on a consistent basis on your website - content that provides value for your audience and keeps them coming back.
• Get involved in social media groups - offer valuable advice and info to build relationships and drive traffic to your site. Maybe start a Facebook group that drives traffic to your site.
• Stay visible and memorable by sharing valuable content to your email list.
• Make yourself visible by guest blogging, talk on podcasts, create a YouTube channel or series of videos that you share on social media.
• Build connections with others in your niche – building personal relationships with people in your niche will often result in links and referral traffic to your site.
• Make sure you have every relevant keyword you can think of on your site – Focus on basic SEO and and make sure you at least have the chance of being found for all your relevant keywords, no matter how obscure they might be.

I'm spinning my wheels and being pulled in all directions. How do I manage everything and do it all?

You can't!

You have to focus on a few things that work for you and things that you enjoy doing, and ditch the rest.

There are so many different strategies to grow your business but you can't try them all. Social media. Blogging. Videos. Writing books. Facebook Live. Instagram Stories. Email marketing. Networking. Webinars. The list goes on and on. If you jump from one thing to another without giving it consistent effort, you won't see results and you'll get burned out for nothing.

I deliberately focus on a few things that I love doing: blogging (I love writing!), email marketing and just one social media platform.

To move forward you need a narrow focus. So decide on a few things and do them consistently for 6 weeks to 3 months. Then look at the results, adjust and move on to another area when you feel ready.

You don't have to do what everyone else is doing. You don't have to be doing a million different things. Figure out what works for you.

I have a client who is an insightful Master Life Coach. She has a fantastic weekly radio show, Sunny in Seattle on 1150KKNW, that features features coaches, authors, and healers. She also hosts events, has a Meetup group and wrote a book for her niche market, people who are looking to unstick their bad marriage. All of these marketing funnels help her build an audience, make her visible, and send people her website. This might not be how other life coaches want to build an audience, but it sure works for Sunny.

Trust me, your people will come, but you have to go out there and find them. Make yourself visible. Build a relationship with your people, and they will keep coming back.

Remember, building an audience is an ongoing process. Refine it, tweak it, and adjust it as necessary.