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Top Traffic Tips
Most marketers quickly come to realise that Traffic is probably the most important part of a successful online business. Sure, good copy and good products are important - but without actual visitors to your site they won't get far.
Here we present the best traffic tips from recent times.
1. List Builders, mainly ListDotCom
Many List Builders have been released, with perhaps the best presented being Mike Filsaimes "List Dot Com". I was really impressed with the thought put into this and all the finishing touches that just increase the appeal of an already great system.
Mike himself has been a success story seemingly creating sites all through the year to offer mostly free services to fellow marketers. Some are new ideas, others are old ideas with a new `polish`.
ListDotCom lets you create your own list, but it's power lies in it's `Random Emails` feature. You can email a random number of people in the system equal to the amount of signups you have. And with a 15 level downline filling rapidly believe me, this soon ads up!
Other ListDotCom features like a universal Brander, the "ViPorts", the FlyIn Ads Creator and more help you build downlines you've never been able to build in other programs. Those wishing a shortcut can immediately purchase a Diamond Membership and you can e-mail a random 5,000 people sample every two days!
Top marks for this one.
Visit http://www.listdotcom.com to join
Alternatives: Bulletproof List Builder - works with Opportunity.com to build a list, so you can use a random-email feature with this too. Get it from: http://www.netpreneurnow.com/instantlist
2. Instant Buzz
Mike Chen originally released this with a bit of help from his buddy Mark Joyner. Since then it was purchased and is now run by Mike Filsaime.
Instant Buzz installs as a small toolbar in your browser that displays simple one-line ads. But you can climb up the ranks to leverage the power of your downline - to infinity - and build a truly astonishing amount of credits without much effort.
Early beta testers reported some great click-through rates with this. It's free, easy and quick to setup. Other features like inbuilt training and motivation should help your downlines build their downlines - all good news for you!
Join at:
http://www.instantbuzz.com/essjayar
But, it's more than likely the `open` registration period has already ended for Instant Buzz. If this is so, I can still "personally" invite you. Send your request to:
mailto:webmaster@netpreneurnow.com?subject=InstantBuzzInvite
3. Blogs
Although Blogs have been around a while this year they really took off - in a marketing sense. Google took over Blogger.com, other systems were launched, and various ad solutions suitable for Blogs became useful.
But perhaps the most useful aspect of a Blog is that it can automatically provide a RSS/Atom/XML feed that can be syndicated (see below). Blogs can be subscribed to, and you can update it with a quick click from an Internet Explorer toolbar, such as Googles.
Visit Netpreneur Now's Blog at:
http://netpreneurnow.blogspot.com
4. Yahoo `RSS` Backdoor
Many people found out about this via the Tinu Abayomi-Paul article. If there's a technology that has taken off this year - it's feeds, whether RSS, XML, Atom, or a host of other systems. Whichever one you use it's an easy way to syndicate your content to other sites.
Yahoo recently added a beta feed service to its "My Yahoo" page. Basically, create your own "My Yahoo" if you don't already have one - then add your own feed. It seems Yahoo spiders the feed and the links they lead to very quickly, and you can have your site in the database *and* ranked well relatively easily.
5. The Death of PopUps
PopUps have dwindled in effectiveness over a number of years now but with the latest update to Internet Explorer they have been extinguished, but it's not all doom and gloom. "Floatable Layers" still have a chance!
Whatever you call them, "Fly In" ads - or whatever - show instantly with some neat techniques. When they first came to the mass market you had to pay for expensive software, but now there's many solutions to make them quickly, easily, and freely.
There's a free Fly In Ad Creator you can get from:
http://www.memberssite.net/flyin.zip
6. Reduced reliance on SEO "Tricks"
A big Google update devastaded many, many, sites who relied on certain tricks to get high listings in Google. Relevant, Content rich pages rule, and anyone who thought they could get away with auto-generated pages forever were sadly mistaken. If there's an answer to SEO it's this: Pick a Niche, find content for this Niche, add some revenue streams, create a site.
Google launched onto the stockmarket this year in a typically Google-way, and they now have to work harder than ever to provide relevant results. This means the `spammy` pages that plague search engines MUST be removed.
And Google's long dominance of the Search Engines may be under attack over the next year or so, with Yahoo back on the rise (especially since Yahoo bought Overture, which in turn had Altavista and many other venerable engines) and Microsoft re-focusing their Internet efforts. In the future it may not be enough to JUST get into Google.
Search Engine Optimisation is still relevant, but it must be complimentary to content and not just provide portals.
And as for getting listed in the first place... the suggest-a-site box in most Search Engines is next to useless. Far better to get linked from an already listed site, and if that site is popular enough you can get a listing within a day! If you don't have any pre-existing sites try to get a link into a directory like l3xicon.com
7. Joint Venture Traffic Deals
When marketers join forces they create a considerable amount of traffic! Right up to the end of this year with "117 Christmas Gifts" and "12 Days Of Christmas" marketers have bunched together to release a storm of e-mails. Just witness the amazing amount of traffic and cash generated by John Reese's "Traffic Secrets"!
There's no denying the hefty affiliate commissions made that work so well. It also proved "big ticket" items could do extremely well. But it's the traffic we're interested in here.
Basically, give site owners, list owners, ezine publishers, developers, forum owners - you name it - a strong reason to send YOUR information and they will!
It's probably the most effective tip in this report. I've built a large, responsive list by giving away products in Joint Ventures
Click Here For The Current JV's You Can Join
8. The Slow Lingering Death of Email...
Ok. That's an exageration, but it's certain Email isn't the force it once was, at least for Marketers. Over exposure, Spam Complaints, International Law and big-time mass mailers are responsible for the trouble legitimate users face.
There is no real technology at the moment that will replace email. There are utilities that run in your system tray that monitor certain sites, and inform the user when your ezine or your next message is ready - but they haven't resulted in a big take-up and are not likely to.
The only thing to do is to make sure your Emails will beat the filters, but not at the expense of readibility. And make sure your subscribers are happy to be on your list, have a way to get off your list, and know who you are and what you do. You should also provide complimentary services to get your message out - just not at the expense of Email.
9. Pay Per Click
It's almost certain all Search Engines will offer some form of Pay Per Click, since basically it's one of the main revenue streams they have. Google rules here because their AdWords system is so flexible, and they are always hunting for more places to put these AdWords ads. Overture was the company that started this, but their prices are now out of the price range of most `home` marketers.
With AdWords appearing with Googles Gmail, and on partner sites that run the flip-side service "Ad Sense" that is probably the place to focus. There are many guides to using AdWords effectively, with "Google Cash" probably being the most impressive.
http://www.googlecash.info
10. Reciprocal Links
It's always good to have links to your site from other relevant sites, but the `link farming` that has taken place may actually harm your rankings - and Googles PageRank (the main reason for links back) is almost certain to develop to ensure true rankings.
Here's the best way to get links. First, try to get a link to your site from a *relevant* sites main page (not some obscure links page). Secondaly, make sure the link is created so the text is some strong keywords but the link is your homepage.
That's really all it is.
11. Article Writing
The short answer is: It's always worked, and will continue to :-) Articles get stored, archived, published, spread. With your link embedded a good article can drive traffic from a long time.
There are now so many sites and ezines around they are all starved for good content. If you can provide it regularly, you WILL benefit.
Lots of article submission sites at:
http://www.netpreneurnow.com/submit-article.shtml
Further Resources:
"50 Easy Ways To Promote Your Site"
Fr'ee eBook from: http://www.websitetrafficplan.com/ebook.htm
How To Use Hit Exchanges:
http://www.netpreneurnow.com/freetraffic
Top Traffic Tips
http://www.netpreneurnow.com/2traffic.shtml
Lots of fr'ee Traffic Ebooks and Tools in the Members Site:
http://www.memberssite.net
(C)2004/2005 Stuart Reid
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