Get your first 100 website visitors (no‑waffle plan for small businesses)
Practical, no‑jargon steps for UK small businesses to get your first 100 website visitors using local SEO, email and low‑cost promotions — do this in a few hours.
How to get your first 100 website visitors (without the waffle)
You’ve got a small business website. It looks alright. Now you need people to actually visit it. Getting your first 100 website visitors is less mysterious than most blog posts make out — and you don't need a magic budget or another meaningless strategy session.
This is a friendly, practical plan you can do in a few hours a week. Think of it like telling your mate where the best market stall is — honest, useful and no ~~~synergy~~~ ~~~growth hacking~~~ nonsense.
Before you start: make the basics work
- Make sure your site loads fast. If it takes longer than 3 seconds, people will leave. Use simple images, and ask whoever built your site (hello, Just Get Online) to check page speed.
- Have a clear headline on the homepage that says what you do and where. For example: "Sheffield bike repairs — same-day service".
- Add a visible contact method: phone number and email. Lots of visitors still prefer to call.
If your small business website looks like an empty shop window, visitors will walk past. Fix that first.
1) Tell the people who already know you
Your existing customers are the easiest visitors to get.
- Send a short email: no long newsletter nonsense. One sentence about your site and a link to a relevant page.
- Put the web address on receipts, business cards, and your shop door.
- Ask regulars to check it out and share: a polite "we're live with opening times here" goes a long way.
Why it works: these folks already trust you. A visit from them counts towards your first 100 website visitors and might turn into a sale.
2) Use local SEO — it’s simple and effective
Local SEO means people in your area finding you. It’s not mystical.
- Claim and tidy your Google Business Profile. Add photos, opening times, and a short description. Pick the right categories (don’t overthink it).
- Use your town or neighbourhood on key pages: "plumber in Sheffield" or "Sheffield florist".
- Write a short, useful page about a local topic (e.g. "How to choose flowers for Sheffield weddings").
Local searches often lead to immediate visits and calls. For most small shops, local SEO is the single best way to get website visitors quickly.
Keywords to mention naturally on your pages: first 100 website visitors, get website traffic, small business website, local SEO, website visitors.
3) Share on social as if you were chatting to mates
You don’t need a complicated social strategy. Post as if you were telling customers something they'd care about.
- Post a photo of what you do, a short line about it, and a link to the relevant page.
- Use local groups on Facebook — many towns have active community pages where people actually read posts.
- Spend a little time on one platform you enjoy. Consistency beats fancy techniques.
Tip: Don’t plaster every single product in a single post. Send people to a page that answers a question or shows what you’re proud of.
4) Use one sensible piece of content
You don’t need a blog full of fluff. One useful page can bring in visitors for months.
Ideas:
- A FAQs page that answers the things customers ask in-store.
- A short how-to guide ("How we restore old leather boots").
- A local resource page ("Best cycle routes around Sheffield — and how to kit up").
Make it helpful, clear, and link to it from your homepage and social posts. That content will help you get steady website visitors without constant effort.
5) Ask for reviews and use them
Reviews matter for local searches and trust.
- Ask happy customers for a Google review or a short quote you can put on the site.
- Share a review on social and link back to the page it’s on.
A few reviews can push people from curiosity to clicking through to your website.
6) Small paid push (only if you want it)
If you can spare £20–£50, you can buy a bit of attention quickly.
- Boost a Facebook post to local people, or run a small Google Ads campaign targeting your town and the service you offer.
- Keep it local and short-lived: a weekend boost pointing to a clear landing page works well.
This is a fast way to get to 100 visitors if other things are in place.
7) Measure and keep the things that work
- Use Google Analytics (or a simple stats tool) to see where visitors come from.
- If a post, a group, or a review brings in people, do more of that.
- If something doesn’t work after a couple of tries, stop wasting time on it.
Treat it like running a shop: you back what brings people through the door and bin what doesn’t.
Quick checklist (do these in a weekend)
- [ ] Fix page speed and contact info
- [ ] Claim Google Business Profile
- [ ] Send one short email to customers
- [ ] Post in a local Facebook group
- [ ] Publish one useful page or FAQ
- [ ] Ask 3–5 customers for reviews
- [ ] Optional: £20 social boost
If you do these things properly, your site should cruise past 100 visitors. It’s mostly about being visible where local people look and making it easy for them to click through.
At Just Get Online we build small business websites for Sheffield folks, and we see the same mistakes: lovely sites with no signpost for local customers. If you want a second pair of eyes to check the basics or tidy up your Google Business Profile, give us a shout — no jargon, no hard sell.
Good luck — shout if you want a hand getting those first 100 website visitors.
Take our 60-second website quiz or contact us to discuss your website.