Traffic Tactics Part 1

The fact is that nobody is going to find your website if you don’t promote it. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to accomplish this task and generate traffic to your site. If you already have a website, try using these tactics:

1. Get a memorable domain name. If people can remember the name
of your site without having to look it up, the chances of them
passing it on to others is greater.
2. Make the site easy to load. This is especially important if you plan
on marketing to segments of consumers who still get by with dialup
services.
3. Buy alternate domain names and point them to your home page.
The different domain names will increase the chances of someone
doing a search and having the domain show up on search engines.
4. Optimize your content. Search out keywords that are used to
search for the type of products you have to offer and work them
into the text on your site. This can help your standing on various
search engines.
5. Pick good meta tags for your content. You can get some good ideas
for metatags as you look for keywords and keyword phrases to
work into your text.
6. Use Alt Tags for Images. This is just as important as tagging the
text if you want search engines to notice you.
7. Put some thought into how you title your pages. As with the domain
name itself, make these as relevant and easy to remember as you
possibly can.
8. Change up your web content now and then. Adding a little
something here and there, tweaking the color scheme of the text,
and adding or exchanging images will keep your site looking fresh
and generate additional interest.
9. Watch your spelling and grammar. Nobody likes to see words that
are spelled incorrectly, or deal with sentences that are hard to
understand.
10. Submit to search engine directories. Don’t overlook the smaller
search engines; they may reach a niche market that is ideal for
what your site has to offer.
11. Set up a blog. Include a link or two in your blog text, making it
easy for readers to link to your site and possibly purchase
something in your product line. Just make sure your blog entry has
some relevance to the links, or you will lose your audience quickly.
12. Participate on message boards that allow links in your signature.
This is a subtle way of reaching audiences that may be interested in
your products without directly pitching them.
13. Include those links in any online profiles you have. Just make
sure that the site hosting those profiles has no problem with the
inclusion of business links.
14. Use article directories to promote your website. Anyone reading
the article will see the links you insert and possibly follow them to
your site, leading to a sale.
15. Involve others in your site content. The fact is that when people
feel included, they come back again and again, often bringing
people with them. Even a simple page where questions and
comments can be posted will make a big difference.
16. Offer a mini-course related to your products. It can be offered
free of charge. Use the mini-course to make it easy for people to
get to a page where they can order one or more of your products.
17. Put a link to your home page in your email signature. Another
subtle way of keeping your web site in front of everyone you
correspond with.
18. Do regular maintenance on your links. Nothing drives traffic
away like a broken link, as it tells consumers you are no longer in
business, and they forget about you quickly.
19. Use a reliable hosting company. It may cost a little more, but
use a host who is up for as close to a hundred percent of the time
as you can manage.
20. Make sure your host provides ample bandwidth. When a
customer experiences a time out when trying to load your page,
there is very little chance of them coming back for a second try.
21. Add a forum to your site. A forum will build up a nice social
community that will draw in a lot of support in terms of word of
mouth.
22. Print business cards with your web address included. Business
cards today are cheap. They are also portable; people can stick
them in their pockets for use later and pass them on to someone
who might be interested.
23. Use flyers. Many supermarkets and other stores have community
bulletin boards where customers can hang up information about
product offers. Most of the time, it’s free.
24. Go with low cost print advertising. Like the business cards and
flyers, it gets your web site in front of all sorts of people.
25. Get interviewed. A short interview in a local newspaper can
generate interest that can turn into sales.