Most people think of LinkedIn as the ultimate 21st century professional networking opportunity, and they are right about that. But it also does something else that business owners should leverage to increase website traffic: a chance to connect with thousands of people who are interested in your industry or line of business.

Increase Website Traffic

This is especially important for small businesses looking to stretch a dollar. LinkedIn gives them instant access to many potential clients and customers. And the cost is simply working harder and smarter than competitors.

But it has to be done correctly. Consider the following list as a good starting point for those who want to make the most of what LinkedIn has to offer in terms of driving traffic to their website.

Take Time On Profile

LinkedIn begins and ends with a great profile. Take the time to craft something that emphasizes professional talents. Now is the time to sell your qualifications and what your business and website can do for customers and clients. Think of it as a resume that potentially thousands will see.

Work on Connections

Set time aside each week to build connections within your business niche. Find influencers who can lead hundreds of others to your LinkedIn page as well as to your website. The old adage about “tell me about your friends and I will tell you about you” applies here like no other place. The people you connect with are the people others will associate with you. They also are the ones who can connect you with potential clients and customers.

Find Niche Groups

This goes hand-in-hand with working on connections. LinkedIn provides the chance to create groups on any kind of topic. There are groups based on profession, skill sets and areas of interest, among other topics. Find a group involved with your area of business. Some of these groups have hundreds of thousands of members. There is no other place where you can find that number of people interested in what you have to offer.

If no group exists that suits your needs, then consider creating your own group. That way they can be reached easily with links to resources on your website. Over time, you can set yourself up as a resource that is worth checking out weekly or even daily for information. That will lead to higher traffic.

Use The Blog App

LinkedIn provides users with the chance to display the latest entry from your blog directly on your LinkedIn home page. This helps you establish yourself as an authoritative resource on a topic, as well as providing a link back to your site.

Remain Active

People won’t go to your site via links on LinkedIn if there is not routinely updated content. Set a schedule and then stick to it. People want quality content, but they also want it to appear with some frequency. Also, if you don’t have new content to link to on your blog or website, link to other interesting news. Encourage people to consider you as a one-stop shop to read about your niche and industry.

These are some of the way LinkedIn can help increase website traffic. Put them into play and the site can become a free resource that works wonders on your traffic numbers.