By
Matthew Henderson
There are 3 main ways to improve website traffic. They are:
Visibility, accessibility, maintenance. Each of these brings something
to the tally, but when combined, they provide a website owner with about
the best net he can cast in the world of potential site visitors.
How do these aspects work and how do they work together to improve website traffic? Well, it all rests upon a simple premise:
A
website doesn't exist suspended in a vacuum. Websites are part of a
dynamic and trend-changing world.
The biggest mistake site owners make
is that they leave the site to fend off for itself once they have
created it.
How is this bad? Look at it this way.
Sites need
to be visible, accessible, and well maintained. And most important, a
website needs traffic to make sales. By not updating your site and by
leaving it to 'die' a slow death in the back alleys of cyberspace, you
aren't doing anything to improve website traffic and to help your site
survive.
Your site needs to be visible in search engine pages; it
needs to be easily accessed; and it needs to be maintained to provide a
contributive experience for the visitor.
Think of it as a garden.
If you don't prune and weed (i.e., maintenance), the road to the garden
will be overgrown and no one will be able to get into the garden (i.e.,
accessibility).
Once your entry path has disappeared behind a maze
of plants and weeds, nobody will even see it and everyone will bypass
it without even knowing it is there (visibility).
With these 3
aspects in mind, here are a few tips and pointers as to how you can
maintain the accessibility and visibility of your website in cyberspace
and improve website traffic to make sure that you are getting traffic
and visitors regularly.
- Keywords
Choosing the correct keywords are vital in order to improve website
traffic. It pays to choose keywords carefully, because it is based on
those same keywords that your site may or may not come up listed in a
search engine page.
Figure out which keywords are best associated
with your website. You also need to think of how people may think of
your site, and thus decide which keywords they are most apt to use.
Next,
run the keywords in a search engine to decide if they are good or not
(based on the results you get).
Find out the ones that are most relevant
and apply them to your website.
- Directories
A lot of people underestimate the traffic-sending power of Internet
directories. While not as popular as search engines, this is a sure way
to improve website traffic.
Furthermore, being listed in
directories help to boost your search engine result placement, which
will definitely improve website traffic.
- SEO optimization
There are many ways to make sure that your website is optimized for
search engines, too many to be listed here as a matter of fact. But
through properly optimizing your website you are sure to improve website
traffic.
- Pages
Make sure your pages are good and ready to be viewed. This is as
simple but many times overlooked way to improve website traffic. A good
tip where pages are concerned is to title each page separately. Adding
unique descriptions for each page also helps here, as then the site is
not seen as a big bundle of same titled and described pages.
-Open Directory Project
The Open Directory Project is a place that a lot of people don't
deign to pay attention to. However this can be a good way to improve
website traffic by increasing your visibility.
- Yahoo directory
The Yahoo directory is another good directory that is sure to
improve your website traffic. destination many surfers check, so being
placed there is always good.
- PPC search engine advertising
If you are looking for traffic, then ppc advertising is a sure fire
way to improve website traffic fast. Just make sure you study up a
little about it before you jump in.
- Provide good content
People usually search for information. Try to satisfy this need and
you could win much traffic. Aim for unique, relevant content.
- Update content regularly
Keep content fresh and always try to have something new, even if
just a little tidbit, for your visitors. The search engines love fresh
new content and the reward you with increased traffic to your website.
- Have a blog and update regularly
The easiest way to improve website traffic is to have a blog and to
update it regularly. Making use of the RSS feed will also encourage
people to remain in touch with your site and ultimately to come back
again and again.
- Use appropriate keywords for images
If you are using graphics, make sure to label them with an
appropriate keyword or name. A lot of people use Google images and an
image can thus lead a visitor to your site. This is not a big traffic
getter, but making use of every little thing will definitely improve
website traffic.
- Check your pages on engines regularly
Do a check on yourself periodically. This way you will know if viewers are getting the same thing you are trying to convey.
- Banner ads optimize traffic
Many people see banner advertising as dead, but not so. The biggest
hurdle is that most website owners don't know how to devise a good
banner. Many wise marketers are still using banner ads to effectively
improve website traffic.
- Build a list
Once you get someone to visit your site, try to ensure that the
visitor comes back again in the future. You can do this by collecting
the visitors name and email address so you can stay in touch and send
them future offers. This is one of the most effective ways to not only
improve website traffic, but also to maximize your income.
- Link exchange
Exchange links for more visibility, gain credibility and naturally to improve your website traffic.
- Email signatures
Make use of your email signature to spread the word about your site.
It is also a very good opportunity to brand yourself, giving people a
glimpse of what they'd see at your site.
- Write articles
Another way to improve website traffic is to write and submit
newsletters and articles. These will always provide you with a way of
linking back to your site as well as a window where you can promote your
website in a nutshell.
- Press Releases
Many webmasters still have not figured out the importance of press
releases and how they can improve website traffic. By writing one or two
effective press releases per month you can definitely improve your
websites visibility in ways that you just cannot accomplish otherwise.
Keep
in mind, you can't just build a site and walk away. Traffic is
necessary for sales and these are all very effective ways to improve
website traffic. Naturally, the more you do the more results you will
see.
