How to get even more traffic to your site?

So you've got a great web site and listed your site in the Search Engines and get many visitors each month. But how do you go about getting even more traffic?

These are just a few things you could consider doing:

Write a press release

Magazines are always on the look-out for content so you may just get some good publicity if you write a press release. Make sure your article is news worthy or has a good personal angle. And don't forget to mention the website address!

Operate your Own Affiliate Program

One of the most effective methods you can use to drive targeted traffic to your web site is your own affiliate program.

If you're selling your own products and/or services online, having your own affiliate program will not only assist you in making more sales, but it will also provide you with hundreds or even thousands of links pointing to your web site.

Offering a Free Service

Another great way to drive traffic to your site is by offering a free service. This can attract visitors after which they may use one of your paid services.

Paying for Traffic

Pay-per-click ads on Search Engines provide an effective means of obtaining highly targeted traffic to your website. The concept is simple. You bid on targeted keywords for as little as 5 cents per click and receive targeted traffic to your website.

The key to using this technique effectively is to focus on one specific product or service and select highly targeted keywords. This will help you to weed out all of the window shoppers and attract your specific target audience. (for more info see our article on selecting the right keywords)

Partnering/Reciprocal Linking

Create partnerships with sites similar to yours, but not in competition. You can promote one another, provide recommendations or exchange prominent links.

Be cautious when selecting your networking partners and making recommendations as your reputation is on the line. Only partner with individuals you have personally dealt with and you truly believe in.

Writing Articles

Write articles in the area of your expertise and submit them to websites your audience visits. E-zine publishers are continually in need of quality content.

When you write an article you are entitled to include some author bylines, promoting yourself. Have a look at ezineSource.com for a list of e-zines.

Writing and distributing free articles on the Internet is a very powerful promotion tool. Not only will it provide you with free publicity, but if your articles are good, you'll become a trusted professional in your area of expertise.

Contests

Contests provide a great way to drive traffic to your site. Not only will they bring traffic, but they will also enable you to develop a targeted list of potential customers.

Set up a form on your site for your visitors to fill out to register for a prize. You can obtain a variety of information by including questions that will help you determine their interests.

Offline Promotions

Put your web address on your vehicle. This can be a great way to continuously promote your web site.

And of course put your website address on all other correspondence that you send out.

Create a mailing list

Make it very easy for your visitors to join your mailing list on your site or offer a reward for joining the mailing list. You can use this to send newsletters or special announcements. For more information read our article on using a newsletter to promote your business.

Buy ads on other websites or e-zines

Many sites sell space on their websites where you can advertise. If you can find smaller sites that cater to your particular audience these ads can be quite cheap.