How To Drive Targeted Traffic To Your Website

If you have a website, you know that traffic is essential, especially if you have something to sell. Not just any old traffic, though - you need targeted traffic. How is targeted traffic defined? When you receive website visitors who have a specific interest in the topic of the website, you would consider the traffic "targeted." For example, someone who is planning to buy a wedding ring would be interested in jewelry websites.

How do I get targeted traffic? Here are some effective techniques you can use:

Forums:

Whatever your topic, there's sure to be at least one forum about it. Subscribe to a couple of forums. Join in the discussions, answer questions, and ask pertinent questions yourself. Become known as an expert in the field. Then with each article reply you write, have a discreet link to your website in the signature file. What can be placed in your signature is often determined by the forum moderators. Do not spam the forum or you will be stopped from posting. You should be able to get a fair amount of traffic from a popular forum, and the people who click your link will already be familiar with your writing style.

Linking from and to other websites:

Look for websites which are similar to yours (but which do not compete directly). Ask the website owner for a reciprocal link. Be sure to pick link partners who match your customer profile. Try using a software program like Arelis to help you find link partners.

E-Zines:

Buy adverts in ezines that target your market. Perform a test to ensure that the return on your investment is enough to cover the cost of the adverts. You may save a considerable amount.

Newsletters:

Offer your visitors something of value, such as an eBook, in exchange for signing up for your newsletter. Write your newsletter so that it's tightly focused on your subject. You should publish your newsletter regularly, preferably once a week.

E-Books:

Write (or have written) a free informational eBook which you can give away to your clients and others. You can place links back to your website in the eBook.

Buy Expired Domain Traffic:

This may be the most expensive in terms of money, but also the cheapest in terms of time. You will usually get a traffic boost within a month. What is it that you're buying? You are buying traffic from a company which has invested in expired domain names.

They are domain names which are still registered on the search engines which get a certain amount of traffic. The previous domain name owners have not renewed the registration for whatever reason. The traffic from the expired domain name is redirected to your website. This is usually high quality traffic as only expired domains with relevant traffic is redirected to you. As always, you should undertake a test run to see if this traffic is suitable.

When you combine these techniques and apply them consistently over time you will find a rich source of targeted traffic coming to your website. This, combined with quality products will ensure the success of your online business.

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About the Author: Mike Devoran is the publisher of DJTraffic.com, a website devoted to improving your website traffic.

The Trouble With Duplicate Content

The debate is still raging with regard to duplicate content. From my perspective, you're best to avoid it. To succeed with content distribution, implement the following techniques when publishing on your website or for improving search engine optimization rankings.

1. Always publish original content on your website. Don't be caught using duplicate content unless you must. You control the content on your website so don't take this issue lightly. Use fresh, original content that appeals to your readers. If replicating content, change it up a bit or use an excerpt with a link to the full article.

2. When article marketing, include the article on your site first. If you're using article marketing to promote your website, publish the article on your site first. I suggest not distributing the article for at least 3 - 5 days. This gives the Google bot time to crawl the content and know its there (published by you).

3. Distribute your content to top article distribution sites first! When distributing your articles, target the largest article directories first (ezinearticles, goarticles, etc.). I would recommend changing the title, article description, intro paragraph, and last paragraph slightly from what you have posted on your site.

4. Complete your distribution to second and third tier article directories. At this point, the value gained is less than the primary article distribution sites. The true value of these sites is the possibility of a webmaster using the content on their own site complete with author box. Again, I would modify the article once prior to distributing to all of these sites, but don't spend a lot of time on it.

5. Update content on your site regularly. If you want to optimize the value of your content, be sure to update information regularly. This is not say that your content has to change daily, but new content should be added to position your site as a valuable source of information.

6. Offer an RSS feed. After your article has been published to your website, be sure to encourage users to access this content via an RSS feed. A feed allows users to get access to your content through a feeder or back link to your site. As a result, they are less likely to copy and post your content. Rather, they can provide an excerpt and link to the original content that is present on your website.

As always, you want to be cognizant of what Google is doing and how they are viewing content. To avoid being penalized, post content to your site first. After a short waiting time, modify the article slightly and post to the major article distribution sites. Then you're ready to distribute to second and third tier article distribution sites. Through this method you can enjoy the benefits of original content and all of the back links that come with it.

Keeping It Simple: The Online Buying Process

I was recently looking to buy tickets for a sporting event online. I knew exactly what event I wanted to attend, where the event was being held, and at what time. When I visited the particular site that listed the event, it didn't provide clear ordering instructions. After studying the site for a few minutes, I found a place to buy tickets. When I clicked to buy the tickets, I was taken to a completely different website.

But wait, this consumer buying experience gets even better. After visiting this website, I had some difficulty finding the tickets I wanted. In fact, after numerous clicks, I did reach a purchase page. However, it offered 3 options and I couldn't tell them apart. Other than the fact that the 3 options had different prices, I honestly didn't know what they meant. So, did I buy? No. I got frustrated and threw in the towel. I guess I'll just watch the event on TV.

I share this story because I'm not unique. Every day millions of consumers navigate away from websites for the very same reason. Many websites do a poor job of simplifying the purchase decision process. The result is often times a frustrated consumer and a lost sale. If you want to succeed online, make it easy for your customers to buy.

Not sure if your site does what it should? Gather a focus group, provide a discount for customer feedback, or test the complete purchase process on your own. Regardless of which method you use, make the purchase process simple and informative - you'll be glad you did.