‘Rim Digest eZine’ featured article titled “2 Ways to Increase Website Traffic and Sales” is reprinted here. Click on More to read the article.


‘Rim Digest eZine’ featured article titled “2 Ways to Increase Website Traffic and Sales” is reprinted here.

2 Ways to Increase Website Traffic and Sales

Sometimes people seem to think that the only way to increase Website traffic is to advertise free internet games and free music downloads- anything free, actually. Perhaps it’s one way, but it’s certainly not the only way- or perhaps the best way.

There are many means to weave an online web that attracts and captures customers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (which I find knows a lot about a lot of things) lists an impressive number of ways to increase Website traffic.

And none of them include advertising free internet games or even funny videos on live web cams. Here are just some ways the USDA suggests for obtaining positive traffic information on your site. Use as many as you can.

Link up. Though it’s a fairly simple and often very effective method, website managers don’t always take full advantage of linking. Find businesses that compliment yours, and trade links with them. Find an association for your type of business, join it, and place your link on its site. Your local chamber of commerce is a good one. So is your local newspaper. Perhaps you can link up to some businesses that are in your area.

Then all of you can promote a “buy local” theme. You don’t even have to link up with business sites, either. Ask your friend to place a link to your site on his/her personal site. I imagine this would be a particularly good idea if your friend was an outstanding member of the community or who comes from a family that requires a football stadium to hold their reunions. If you build a strong, long chain, you may reel in the big numbers.

Broadcast your Website address in as many places as you can, both online and offline. Place ads on various Websites and get listed in online directories. Paint your URL on your car or truck. Hand out pens printed with your virtual address. Don’t underestimate the power of talk. Tell everyone you know about your site, and ask them to tell everyone they know. (Even if you don’t ask them to tell everyone, they probably will anyway. People-especially the gossipers among us –love to share news.)

Personalize your e-mail signature. Include your company name, Website address, e-mail address, and mailing address on all your e-mail. Okay, you probably already knew that. But have you thought of including your own unique catch phrase or slogan?

E-mail newsletters or short messages to notify customers about upcoming sales, about new items in stock, special events, etc. I would add value by including helpful tips and articles that would be of interest to them.

Send postcards (either electronic ones or traditional ones) to wish customers a happy birthday, a happy holiday, to announce a sale, or thank customers for their business. Your imagination is the limit. Make sure, as with all mailings, you include your URL.

Issue a press release in your local newspaper. Think of good “sound bites”-or “press bites,” perhaps I should say. (I would consider issuing a release online as well.) Human interest stories and news about your innovative products or services will provide you with free publicity. (Anything free gets my “best buy” award!)

Register with Web search engines. Since I assume you want to be listed at the top of search engines, you should try to utilize “Meta tags” to improve your placement.

Bid on keywords on internet search engines. You will have to pay the going rate, but if you’ve done your targeting homework, buying keywords can prove effective indeed.

Be discriminating in your Web content. Keep focused on what your past, current, and future customers like or might like to see on your site. Add content that will help visitors, such as answers to commonly asked questions and a “how-to” section. For example, if you sell plants, you could tell visitors how to care for certain plants.

Keep your content fresh. Make visitors want to visit your site regularly to see what’s new on it. If you keep them interested in your site, you’ll keep them interested in buying.

People love to look at pictures. Provide pictures of your store, your office, yourself, your employees, visitors, etc.

People love contests too. Promise entry into a raffle for the first fifty who sign up for an e-mail list, for example.

Check other Websites to determine what they are doing right. Did their striking graphics catch your eye? The way they presented their merchandise? Emulate them –without infringing on trademark, patent, or copyright laws, of course.

If you employ the above ideas-and others which are on the USDA Website listed below, you won’t need free music downloads to get high rankings on the search engines. As your mother probably taught you, you just need to be yourself and do your best. (Or else!)

Jan Tallent is the Marketing Warrioress and the editor of Rim Digest eZine, a six year old newsletter FOR internet marketers. See http://www.jantd.com for her marketing empire and Rim Digest eZine Latest Issue and Subscription Page

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*IMNewswatch would like to thank Jan Tallent Ed. Rim Digest eZine for granting permission to reprint the latest article.

 

 

 

 

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