| Getting
Your Site Somewhere or Everywhere
Read through the hundreds of forums and bulletin
boards on the internet and you will find dozens
of threads centering on the lack of web site traffïc.
All the other remaining threads bemoan the difficulty
of getting visitors to return long enough to buy
something. Then there are the threads about the
complexity of getting listed and ranked well in
important search engines.
All of these dilemmas have the same cure - CONTENT.
Content that is pertinent to the subject of a
website and updated regularly makes a site "sticky."
Sticky sites drive and keep occupied all the visitors
you could possibly handle. Search engines drink
from the fountain of fresh and interesting content
provided by savvy webmasters who enjoy increased
rankings and sales.
You too can enjoy these benefits with just a
little effort and a small budget if you create
or find content appropriate to your topic. Add
some or all of the following types of content
to your site and your traffïc will increase
and visitors will return often.
Articles - There is no doubt that free
reprint articles are the best way to populate
websites. You can maximize the benefits of articles
by writing them yourself or by offering a small
fee to writers for customized versions of their
popular articles.
Quotes - An interesting set of quotes
on topic will help motivate and inspire visitors.
Add and delete quotes regularly to keep your site
fresh. Find quotes at Annabelle.net and BrainyQuote.com.
Puzzles - People love games and puzzles.
Appeal to the child that exists inside all of
your visitors and they will reward you with their
time and attention. One place to get a new monthly
puzzle is http://tinyurl.com/6spgk. Consider investing
a small sum to have a custom crossword puzzle
developed for your site.
Forums - Follow in the footsteps of successful
websites by adding frëe forums to your site.
Look over the forum software at YabbForum.com
and PHPbb.com. Ask loyal visitors to serve as
moderators for specific topic threads.
Feedback/Guestbook - Allow visitors to
ask questïons or comment on an issue raised
by your site or your blog. Make this information
public (so long as it is in good taste) and searchable
by visitors.
Reviews - Unbiased reviews are universally
popular. Add reviews of books, software, hardware,
scripts, movies, television shows, schools or
spas to your site and visitors will return again
and again.
Case Studies/Success Stories - Everyone
loves a success story. Interview your best customers
and add their stories to your website to bolster
your credibility and satisfy your content needs.
Be careful to make the success story interesting
and motivational rather than commercial.
Jokes - A sense of humor is often lacking
on the internet. Imagine how impressed you would
be by an attorney who has such a good sense of
humor that he keeps all the best attorney jokes
on his website. Follow in the footsteps of that
attorney and visitors will look forward to visiting
your site.
Newsfeeds - Does your site cover a topic
that frequently generates breaking news? Add current
news to your site via feeds available at such
websites as News4Sites.com and enjoy a higher
rate of return visits from your readers.
Resource Directories - Instead of the
usual reciprocal link campaign consider adding
a resource directory to your site that actually
points your visitors to valuable sites that compliment
your own. List only the sites you choose and do
not incur search engine wrath by insisting upon
reciprocal links. All links in the directory should
open to a new browser window.
Newsletter & Archives - You don't
have to recreate the wheel and attempt to create
a huge list for your newsletter. Offer regular
updates by e-mail or blog to current and potential
clients and include links to pertinent articles
or resources. Keep archives publicly accessible
and search engines will visit often.
Blogs - Why should you jump on the current
trend of blogging? Search engines adore blogs
and visit them often because they tend to be updated
frequently. You can use a blog to replace your
e-mail newsletter and to feature your product
or service reviews and other bits of pertinent
information that do not merit a special e-mail
to your customers.
Job Listings - Consider adding fresh job
listings to your site that fit your topic. For
instance, you could feature telecommuting jobs
if your site topic is "work at home."
Make sure you have the permission of the employer
prior to posting their openings on your site.
Testïmonials - Request testïmonials
from current and past clients and sprinkle them
throughout your website. Remove outdated testïmonials
and add fresh ones on a regular basis. Give your
clients live links (opening in a new browser window)
to their website within the testimonial.
Please remember that you need permission to use
content created by someone else and at all times
follow the rules of the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act of 1998. You can read the full text of this
law at Thomas.loc.gov.
The internet was conceived as a method of sharing
information with people around the world. If we
all return to these roots by filling our websites
with topic appropriate content then we will be
rewarded by search engines. Forums complaining
about the lack of website traffïc will disappear
and be replaced by recommendations of interesting
websites to visit.
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