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Increase Site Traffic Easily And Affordably
By Giorgos Kontopoulos
Expert Author
Article Date: 2008-11-10
Many people doing business online have great websites but don't seem to be selling anything. Their products or services are top-notch, and their looks both professional and unique. So why aren't they making any money? The issue is that it really doesn't matter how amazing your website is if no one ever sees it.
Here are 45 ways you can increase your website traffic easily and affordably.1. Create your site with search engines in mind. Most people who look up something on the internet do so by using a search engine. Use words and phrases related to your business throughout your site.
2. Blog about your site. Even if you don't have a dedicated blog for your website, mention it in your personal blog. You might even make multiple blogs-a personal one, a business one, etc.
3. Update these blogs on a regular basis (at least once a week).
4. Tag your blogs on sites like http://del.icio.us and www.technorati.com.
5. Use social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook to advertise your website.
6. Put your website address in your email signature.
7. Put your website in the signature area of any forum you post on regularly, especially if the forum is related to your service or product.
8. Add an RSS feed to your website news section or your website blog.
9. Watch for any grammar/spelling errors on your website. No one will stick around your site if it has obvious (and avoidable) errors on it. Proofread!
10. Likewise, make certain all the links on your website work.
11. Look at what kind of navigation tools you are using on your site. Some may not work with every web browser.
12. Write good articles and press releases about your website. The goal here is to get keywords into the article that will send people to your site.
13. List your website at DMOZ (http://dmoz.org).
14. Review products on epinion.com and other review sites that are similar to yours.
15. Post comments on other blogs and websites that discuss products or services similar to yours. Be sure to include your website if there is space for a URL.
16. Put up business-related photos on sites like Flickr and tag them with your website address.
17. Make comments on blogs related to your website, and encourage people to comment on your blog.
18. If you sell products or services to multiple cities, make a separate entry page for each city. If you deliver flowers to locations in Dallas and Fort Worth, you might make three intro pages: one for Dallas, one for Fort Worth, and one for the Dallas/Fort Worth area. This way, no matter which term someone uses, your site should still come up.
19. Likewise, if you anticipate selling products internationally, translate your site into different languages and offer users the option of switching languages.
20. Include your website on your fliers, business cards, receipts, and other promotional materials.
21. You could even special order pens, pencils, t-shirts, or other unique marketing pieces that include your site URL.
22. Create a custom error page that links back to your main page. This way, even if users try to go to a page that you've moved, they will still get something useful.
23. Create a logo for your website and be consistent with the color and font for your company name on your site, blogs, and promotional material. This will create a visual identity for your site
24. Hold a contest for site visitors. This might be nothing more than having a drawing.
25. Create a mailing list, but don't overuse it.
26. Look for websites that focus on stores in your area (like the chamber of commerce) and ask if they will link to your site.
27. Include a link to your website everywhere you possibly can, including online profiles and biographies.
28. Use alt tags for images that include keywords.
29. Create an easy to remember website name. People will recall www.boatsforsale.com much more easily than something like www.webhostname.com/user32.
30. If you have a little spare money in your budget, buy the .com, .net, and .biz versions of your domain name.
31. See where you're getting most of your web traffic from (most web hosting services offer this information for free). This will give you an idea of which marketing strategies are working for you.
32. Try to get your site listed on directory sites or on sites that mention websites similar to yours.
33. Post blogs and forum messages that are informative and helpful.
34. Keep on top of the news, especially the news in your niche market. Blogging about relevant topics will get people reading your articles.
35. Create videos or podcasts and upload them to YouTube and other sites. Be sure to include the relevant keywords and links.
36. People are exposed to dozens (if not hundreds) of websites a day. They'll remember yours if you do something a little off the wall and creative.
37. Create an account on Yahoo! Answers and answer some questions. This will help establish you as an authority in your market.
38. Start a group on Yahoo! or Google Groups related to your website.
39. Put an ad in the yellow pages that includes your website URL.
40. Make certain your web host offers enough bandwidth to handle your traffic.
41. Make your website engaging and informative.
42. Invite bloggers and other professionals to review your products and services. This will not only get your more traffic but also influence buyers.
43. Ask visitors to leave feedback on your site. Real life user testimonials about your products and services are worth much more than descriptions of what you offer.
44. Make it easy for your customers to purchase items and contact you. A great website that is simple and secure will result in word-of-mouth recommendations from your customers.
45. Buy advertising space on other sites.
Comments
About the Author:
Giorgos Kontopoulos is a web consultant from Greece. He is one of the authors of GeoLand.org where he can often be found blogging about issues related to web development and search engine optimization.
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