We all know this to be fact - without traffic, we have no
business. Naturally, a good product and a sound business plan
are essential for success, but assuming these to be in place,
getting traffic to your site is probably the number one issue
facing most online businesses. So let's get down to the 'ins'
and 'outs' of how to increase traffic flow.
1. Write some good, useful, inspirational articles to direct
traffic to your site
Do your research, See what information people are searching for,
both through the search engines and in the forums. Submit these
articles to article directories, ezines and to other sites who
are in a similar market to your own.
Always, include your details and the all important URL of your
site, in the resource box. Try not to make the article appear as
an obvious advertisement of your product or business , but as a
source of valuable information which others will find of use.
This way, you will be respected for your knowledge and promote
interest in both you and what you're involved with. People will
want to check you out!
2. Spend a little money and start some good advertising
campaigns
This is by far the fastest and most effective way of directing
targeted traffic to your site. Both Goggles' Adwords and Yahoos'
Overture are the indisputable leaders in this field. An ad with
either of these guys will give you immediate exposure to a
waiting world of budding customers. Just follow the simple rules
and guidelines laid down for each and you could soon be
receiving a vast return on your initial investment. Start slowly
with a small daily budget and 'tweek' as your campaign unfolds.
3. Optimize your web pages
Again, do your research and make sure that you have the best
keywords on your pages. Search engines look for these keywords
and with them, determine your sites' ranking in their lists. The
right words in the right place can shoot you to the higher
listings and get you seen more easily when people search.
There' s lots of information on the web on how to achieve this
if you want to do it for yourself. Alternatively, you may wish
to use a paid service for even better results.
4. Trading Links with other sites
By getting your site listed on another person's site you are
multiplying your exposure in an instant. Any visitor to either
site is immediately presented with the other persons' URL after
just one search. Each sites efforts have a double effect by
generating potential traffic to either site. Apply this across a
few sites and you can see how dramatic the effect can be.
5. Start Some Viral Marketing
As the name suggests, this is all about starting a virus,
spreading from person to person, site to site - only, you are
the source of the virus and it has your name on it! Write a
report, ebook, article or whatever and give it away for free.
Just ensure that your link is on or within the report, etc. so
that all people who have access to it are directed back to your
site. This can be one of the most effective free
traffic-generating methods available to you. Be creative, send
it out and wait for the results.
6. Start An Ezine or Online Newsletter
Once you begin to tell people about yourself, they soon begin to
develop a relationship with you and feel that they can trust
you. Keeping people informed through a newsletter will depend
this relationship, create long-standing customers for you and
will encourage these customers to tell others about you,
bringing further traffic to your site.
7. Participating In Forums
Forums or online communities are places where people of a
similar nature and interest come together to share news and
exchange ideas. In these places, it is possible for you to show
your expertise and skills and establish yourself as someone
worth listening to. People start to trust you and look to you
for some of the answers to their needs. Through this, traffic to
your site will naturally occur. Again, be yourself, do not try
to sell in these places simply allow others to seek you out.
8. Offline Advertising
Often overlooked by web-based businesses, this can be a highly
effective way of boosting your traffic. Bumper stickers,
business cards, ads in shops, fliers are but a few ways of
getting your word out. Be creative and let people know you are
in business.
9. Email Signatures.
Every time you send an email you are contacting a potential
customer, whether they know it or not. By placing a simple one
line ad with your URL at then end of every email you are
projecting your existence to anyone curious to find out more.
Don't miss out on this simple but powerful free tool.
Getting traffic to your site does not have to be an expensive
business. With consistency and patience, using just a few of the
above techniques can have traffic knocking at your door in no
time at all. Structure your approach and follow a plan, learn
from your efforts and reap the rewards.
