| 7 Great Tips on Driving Targeted Traffic to your | | | | whatever business you're in, there will be one that's |
| Website | | | | suitable for you. Send out your 'invitations' and wait for |
| We all need traffic. It's the life-blood of an online | | | | your hit counter to melt. |
| business. But what are the best ways to drive | | | | 5. Referral marketing |
| targeted traffic directly to your website? Here are 7 | | | | This is a simple strategy of referring your own |
| great tips to help you decide. | | | | customers to a related but non-competitive website in |
| 1. Offline advertising = Online profits | | | | return for them doing the same for you. Let's say you |
| Whatever you're trying to sell online will most likely link | | | | are selling printers. Find some quality sites that sell |
| to a relevant or appropriate media section offline. For | | | | printer inks and contact the webmaster. Ask them if |
| example, if you're selling bicycles from your website, | | | | they would be willing to send their traffic to you in |
| there will undoubtedly be a suitable offline magazine, in | | | | return for you doing the same for them. Most will |
| which you can place an ad. The purpose of the ad is | | | | agree. Between you, you will have to decide whether |
| not to sell your products, but to get prospects to visit | | | | to display an ad on each other's site or go for a |
| your website. So your ad need only consist of a few | | | | written recommendation. |
| lines, which should work out to be quite inexpensive. | | | | Either way, it will increase the chances of you getting |
| Your bicycle ad could read like this: Looking for a new | | | | more traffic to your site because you have been |
| bicycle? We stock a huge range at discount prices | | | | recommended. You could seek out many related |
| and can deliver within 48 hours. To learn more visit our | | | | websites and have numerous streams of traffic |
| website. www. - Your ad could be placed in cycle | | | | coming directly to you. |
| mags, sports magazines or even national and local | | | | 6. Traffic merchants |
| newspapers. Wherever you think your most likely | | | | Paying a company to send traffic to your website is |
| prospects will look for your products or services offline | | | | an easy option, so long as the traffic is targeted. There |
| is a means to getting them to go online. | | | | are many companies who specialize in selling traffic. |
| 2. Press releases for the inquiring minds | | | | You could say they are traffic traffickers. They use all |
| Some people just have to know what's new, what's in | | | | forms of online advertising to get people to visit your |
| and what's out. To stay ahead in this information age, | | | | website and usually guarantee the numbers. At around |
| online and offline press releases can offer | | | | $20 for 10,000 visitors, it certainly looks tempting. |
| newsworthy titbits that could even be picked up by the | | | | Although there are many merchants to choose from, |
| national press. If you're just starting out in your online | | | | beware the scamsters operating in this market. Some |
| business, launching a new product or creating a new | | | | will take your money and put your ad on a Free For |
| service, people will want to know about it. | | | | All (FFA) website, leaving you to deal with hundreds or |
| If this is something you haven't done before, take a | | | | thousands of spam emails from everyone and their |
| look at some existing press releases by going to | | | | dog trying to sell you their products. A good place to |
| Google and typing 'press releases' into the search field. | | | | start would be They offer a variety of packages and |
| Once you get the idea, write out your press release, | | | | are very affordable. is another company offering this |
| including your contact details and website URL, then go | | | | service but charge a little more. However, they offer |
| back to Google and type in 'press agencies'. Most will | | | | tracking services, so you can see where the traffic |
| charge you for this service but your press release | | | | comes from. If you're into stats, you may find this |
| could get maximum coverage on and off the internet. | | | | service very useful. |
| 3. Opt-in mailing lists | | | | 7. Affiliate programs |
| Opt-in mailing lists can provide one of the most | | | | You just can't afford to ignore affiliate programs. |
| effective means of generating repeat business from | | | | Getting other people to sell your products for a |
| your existing customer base. If your customers have | | | | commission is a tried and tested, successful and very |
| bought from you once and that buying experience | | | | rewarding exercise. It doesn't work very well if you're |
| was satisfactory, there's a very good chance they will | | | | selling a service, but it's overwhelmingly awesome for |
| buy from you again because they trust you. Capture | | | | shifting your product range. The best part is, once set |
| emails by encouraging your customers to sign up for | | | | up it works on automatic pilot. All you have to do then |
| your newsletter or other promotional information. | | | | is monitor its success, because affiliates do all the |
| Alternatively, you could rent an opt-in email list. A | | | | work for you. They advertise your products and send |
| carefully worded e-mail message to people who have | | | | the traffic to your website to buy them. |
| expressed an interest in receiving further information | | | | Another thing is you don't have to pay your affiliates |
| about your products or services could lead to extra | | | | until you've been paid. Plus you save on advertising |
| sales, but be prepared to pay a princely sum. | | | | costs, and the increased activity to your website helps |
| 4. Getting your message delivered direct to your | | | | your search engine ranking. There's an array of affiliate |
| customers | | | | program tracking software available to track your |
| For as long as anyone can remember, direct mail has | | | | sales and commission payouts or if you prefer, you |
| been one of the most effective and profitable forms | | | | can hire a company to look after all that side of the |
| of marketing ever. Many people have made millions | | | | business for is one of the most well-known companies |
| from direct mail and it's still as successful today as it | | | | around, offering a complete affiliate management |
| was 50 years ago. It's also relatively easy and | | | | solution. If affiliates can earn hundreds of thousands of |
| inexpensive. First, create a single page introductory | | | | dollars in commissions, it's got to be a very worthwhile |
| sales letter or brochure, detailing you products or | | | | consideration for your business. |
| services and all the benefits. For maximum effect, | | | | There are many ways in which you can get others to |
| offer your new customers a discount or something for | | | | sell your products, and there are many ways of finding |
| free, when they first purchase from your website. | | | | willing affiliate partners. Affiliate marketing is fast |
| Don't forget, you want them to visit your website, so | | | | becoming a science. |
| give them more than a good reason to do so. Next, | | | | As you can see, targeted traffic isn't that hard to do |
| rent a targeted mailing list from a reputable list broker. | | | | but the rewards for your online business will show up |
| There are lists available, which cover every | | | | in the bank. |
| conceivable geographic and demographic statistic, so | | | | |