Why Improving The Quality of Your Website Traffic is Likely to Decrease Your Overall Traffic

Website traffic is a crucial metric that every website owner aims to increase. After all, more traffic often leads to more opportunities for engagement, conversions, and ultimately, success. However, an interesting phenomenon occurs when website owners start prioritising the quality of their traffic over sheer volume. Counterintuitively, they might experience a decrease in overall traffic numbers. In this blog post, we delve into the reasons why improving the quality of your website traffic is likely to result in a decrease in traffic, and why this can actually be a positive outcome for your online presence.

1. Defining Quality Website Traffic

Before delving into the reasons behind the decrease in overall traffic, let's first define what we mean by "quality" website traffic. Quality traffic refers to visitors who are genuinely interested in your website's content, products, or services. These visitors are more likely to engage with your site, spend more time exploring its pages, and convert into loyal customers or subscribers. On the other hand, low-quality traffic consists of visitors who are unlikely to engage or convert, such as those who stumble upon your site accidentally or are uninterested in your offerings.

2. Improved Targeting and Filtering

When you prioritise the quality of your website traffic, you begin to implement strategies to target and filter out visitors who are unlikely to engage or convert. This involves optimising your content, utilising specific keywords, refining your SEO strategies, and targeting your marketing efforts toward your ideal audience. By doing so, you start attracting visitors who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

3. Enhanced User Experience

Focusing on quality traffic leads to an improved user experience. When you tailor your content, design, and overall website experience to cater to your target audience, visitors are more likely to stay longer, explore more pages, and find value in what you provide. This improved user experience enhances engagement metrics, such as bounce rate, time on site, and pages per session. Consequently, while your overall traffic may decrease, the quality of interactions and conversions is likely to increase.

Industry expert Neil Patel says:

You have 0-8 seconds to make a compelling headline and landing page. After 8 seconds, the majority of visitors leave.

Approximately 96% of visitors that come to your website are not ready to buy.

The more landing pages you have, the more leads you are likely to get.

Product videos can increase purchases of the product by 144%.

A 1-second delay in your site speed can result in a 7% reduction in conversions.

A/B testing is becoming the preferred method that has brought a lot of companies the most success.
 

4. Increased Conversion Rates

One of the main benefits of attracting high-quality traffic is the potential for increased conversion rates. When your website attracts visitors who are genuinely interested in your offerings, they are more likely to take the desired actions, such as making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, or filling out a contact form. By prioritising quality over quantity, you can focus on nurturing these valuable leads and improving your overall conversion rates.

The graphic below from wordstream.com shows what conversion rate you could expect for your sector.

5. Better Return on Investment (ROI)

By targeting your marketing efforts towards your ideal audience and attracting high-quality traffic, you optimise your return on investment (ROI). Rather than spending resources on attracting a large number of low-quality visitors who have little interest in what you offer, you can allocate your budget and efforts to engage with a smaller but highly targeted audience. This focused approach not only leads to improved conversion rates but also maximises the value of each visitor, ultimately resulting in a better ROI.

Conclusion

While it may seem counterintuitive at first, improving the quality of your website traffic can actually lead to a decrease in overall traffic numbers. However, this decrease should be seen as a positive outcome, as it signifies that you are attracting a more targeted and engaged audience. By prioritising quality traffic, you create a positive user experience, increase conversion rates, and achieve a better return on investment. So, instead of solely focusing on increasing traffic volume, consider the long-term benefits of attracting high-quality visitors who are more likely to become loyal customers and advocates for your brand.

Do you know whether you are attracting the right traffic and how this is contributing to your business goals?
Find out by getting in touch for a free no obligation conversation today!