9 Ways of Getting Website Traffic

1. Search engine marketing. Google AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing and Microsoft adCenter on MSN and Bing search engines.

These are paid advertising venues where you pay based on when someone clicks on your ad. You create small, simple highly specific ads and your ads are displayed on search engine results based on the keywords you choose. These keywords are searched by your customers and your ads display for them. They click on your ad and go to your site.

You pay per click so you can set a budget. This is highly targeted advertising. Just make sure the ad relates to your keywords and also relate to your website. There is nothing worse then clicking on an ad expecting one thing then getting on the website that is completely unlike what was expected. Not to mention wasting your money on the ad.

2. Craigslist and other free sites.

There are many free advertising sites on the internet. Craigslist is one of the biggest. On these sites you place written and image ads in different categories like small business or want ads. You list your website in the ad for your customers to find you. You can also just list an 800# or email address. Other free sites include backpage.com and adlandpro.com. You can search on the internet for free advertising sites to get a complete list.

3. SEO – Search Engine Optimization

This is the process of improving your website to draw more of the natural or “un-paid” traffic. With this option on your website, people find you in the natural listing on search engines based on the keywords they enter. This is technical including programming in HTML. You will have to hire someone to do SEO to your website. Do your research and pick a reliable service as there are a lot of SEO scams out there.

4. Bandit signs or Yard signs

This is another very inexpensive advertising venue. You order the signs with your message on them. Keep it less then four lines and put both your website and 800# on it. Place 20-25 signs at a time in the area you want to market on a Friday night for best lead generation. Place the signs at busy intersections with stop lights so people have time to look at the signs. Also target expressway exits.

5. Put website on all your printed materials

Put your website on all your printed materials such as your business cards and marketing drop cards. Also brochures, flyers, newspaper ads, newsletters, magazines, direct mail, posters and more.

6. Add website to your email sig

One of the simplest ways to get your website out there is to add it to your email signature. That way you are connecting to your contacts already for other reasons and if they are interested in what you are doing they can click on your website. This way you are not selling them anything.

7. Write articles and link them to your site

This is another great free way of getting website traffic to your website. Write articles of about 500 – 700 words based on your keywords on your website. Write each article based on one keyword. Post the articles on the article submission sites and link each article to your website. Articles based on a specific keyword will show up higher in the search engine results.

8. Banner advertising

Banner advertising is those little banners on all the websites that have an ad on them and are clickable. People see your banner and click on it to be sent to your website. As you are browsing the internet and come across a site you like and want to advertise on with a banner you just click on the link at the bottom (usually) that says advertise. You will need to pay someone to make the banner itself and get it in the three or four standard sizes for placement on websites.

9. Content Content Content

The simplest way of getting website traffic is to list high up on the search engines in the natural (un-paid) listings. To move your website up in the natural search engine results you have to put compelling and unique content on your website. To write compelling content, just write about what is compelling to you so they will do what your most favored response is like filling in the contact form or signing up for your newsletter.

This is just nine ways of getting website traffic directed to your website. There are unlimited ways or driving traffic to your website. I recommend choosing four and learning them until you are an expert. If you want more then you can learn new ways as you have the time.

By: Joseph Mathys

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