Accelerating traffic to your site

Without following the rules for search engine optimisation, writing compelling content with appropriate marketing "squeeze" and having an attractive website to host it, then sites will not even get to first base. Unoptimised sites in my experience are those typically scratching-around for the 100 - 200 visitor a month mark. While 200 visitors may sound quite impressive, remember that most of that is likely to be search-bots, spam-bots, bored teenagers and SEO companies sniffing for business. Traffic at this level is an utter waste of time and conversion rates will likley be in the 100's to 1. (i.e. only one genuine "buyer" for several hundred visits).

Now, realise that by improving your searchability and marketing of course raises the levels of all the above visitors! However, it critically, raises the level of your intended visitors and it also improves your conversion ratio.

Equally, the process of getting to first base (good optimisation, compelling content and arresting look and feel) don't "finish" at that point - you always need to tune - but they do become more "maintenance" tasks.

Second base to my mind is definitely about getting your peripheral communications strategy around the website right and reacting to your stats. This activity inlcudes reflecting your URL on all materials you issue, as well as writing monthly newsletters and weekly blogs to "maintain interest" in the site. Monitoring and reacting to your stats is the activity that looks at the traffic you have and how they have behaved on your site (it is very easy to distinguish an automated visit from a human). At "Second base" you are learning how your market behaves and giving them what they want. This activity equally never dies away.

Third base is achieved by Link building and Pay-Per-click advertising. Neither should be overlooked. Google itself states that THE ONE activity to improve your website reputation is link building. It doesn't tell you HOW and it is definitely an art - not to say a study in patience. DO NOT subscribe to companies and schemes that promise you 1000 links in two weeks. The search engines expect relevant, quality links built organically over time. If you can add 10 - 20 a month, this is about right. I cannot stress strongly enough: link building WORKS. It is just a CHORE.

Pay per click advertising is essentially "purchased links" and obtaining the right keywords for the right price is again an art (unless you have deep pockets) and like your website, an asset that needs constant attention. However, if done right, PPC can dramatically improve your traffic and conversion rates (as my clients and I will attest) and if done badly, can be an expensive waste of money (like real world advertising).

Fourth base and Home runs really come from the Social aspect of search. Even before Social networking existed on the web, it existed by word of mouth. Obtaining this enduring and powerful element of traffic is in part an organic result of all previous activities (i.e. you are an established "brand") and more lately from savvy use of social networks on the web.

However "home runs" in the form of "Viral marketing" can take you right round the pitch with just a single hit. The viral concept is essentially that you launch a product, site, idea (whatever it is) with such a socially attractive hook, that everyone is desperate to talk about it, pass it to others etc. This is a marketer's dream of course. The "Hook" doesn't even have to be anything related to the product (tell me: how do space-hoppers sell telephones?) , it just has to satisfy peoples' desire to forward an item and talk about it. Things that work: jokes, humourous misfortune, freebies, free-entry parties, the right combination of function, price and attractiveness (like the iPOD).

About the Author: Richard Martin of Briquesetclics is a Certified Management Consultant and Accredited Internet Marketing Consultant of 20 years experience in IT. Briquesetclics offers exquisite eBusiness solutions, website design and Internet Marketing with English to French Translation to expat and French Comunities in Southwest France. He serves the Limousin, Poitou-Charentes and Aquitaine regions and the cities of Limoges, Poitiers, Bergerac, Perigueux, Angouleme, Cognac, Bordeaux, Niort.

Briquesetclics will help you market with eMail marketing. Find out more here.

We're always ready to talk to you. See our contact details.

Click below for APEX Pacific's PPC Software Solution "PPC Bid Maximiser"

Do you know, how much your competitors spend on AdWords? SEMRush.com will tell you!