10 tips for more website traffic

A lot of people who start blogs or build websites these days do so with at least some intention of trying to make some extra money from them. Whether it's monetizing your site with AdSense or recommending some affiliate product, or even trying to compile a mailing list to build a customer base, the options you have to generate a bit of extra income are becoming easier to impliment. But planning and setting up your site and using these techniques is the easy part. But will they be successful? It's common knowledge that if you don't get enough visitors to your website it's very unlikely to generate much income. So if you really want to be successful at making your websites pay then you need to be able to generate lots of traffic.

With this in mind I would like to give you my top 10 tips on how to get more people to your website and make it profitable.

So here goes....

1. Link exchanges

By exchanging links with other website owners, particularly with websites similar to your own, you should be able to pick up some extra visitors. It may not be many, as it depends on how many sites you exchange links with, and how much traffic those sites receive, but every little bit helps. Unfortunately, recipricol links don't hold as much value these days in respect of helping your site rank well in the search engines. Ideally, one way backlinks to your site are better for this, hence the reason for my second suggestion....

2. Online directories

There are plenty of good directories on the internet where you can submit your site to get listed. This is particularly important if your website is used to promote your business. There's a lot of business directories around, including specialised directories that list specific types of business. Seek them out as they are a good source of targeted traffic. You should also consider submitting your website details to the more general directories, preferably ones which have a good page rank. Yahoo! and DMOZ should be at the top of your list.

3. Write articles

Writing articles and getting them published in article directories that provide free content for other webmasters is a good way to get more links to your site. This works well because each article that you write and publish can include a resource box at the end of the article which can contain one or two links back to one or more of your sites. If your articles are based on popular subjects, and the information provides genuine value to readers, then other content publishers will be more inclined to use them.

4. Provide unique content

As well as writing articles for other website publishers you should also concentrate on writing unique content that only you will have on your own website. This will help boost your ranking in the search engines, especially if you write about a niche subject with little competition. Getting your site listed on the first page of a major search engine for specific keyword phrases is a sure way of getting a lot more traffic to your site. It also helps if you......

5. Optimize your website

SEO (search engine optimization) is one of the main factors to consider if you want to get found in the search engines. This means you need to ensure that your keywords phrases are used properly in your web pages. This includes title tags, the headings used in your articles, and also placed within the main body text of your content. When planning your website and writing the information you want to provide your readers, making a list of keywords to use is an important step in the quest to attract visitors to your site. And in case you're not familiar with the term 'keywords' or 'keyword phrases' these are the words you would anticipate your targeted readership would type in when searching for information via a search engine. Once you master the technique of SEO you will vastly improve your chances of gaining more traffic this way.

6. Create a blog

Blogs are a good way to direct traffic to your main website. It's easy and free to set up a blog with Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. Again, good content is the key here. By providing useful information, even if it's just a simple review of a product, or the latest film release, or some other popular topic that readers would find interesting, you can attract visitors to your blog and using subtle methods, lead them to your site for more detailed information. A blog is ideal for keeping people up to date on what's new and what's happening on your websites.

7. RSS feeds

RSS feeds (Really Simple Syndication) are another way to keep people informed of anything new that's been added to your site. For example, readers can be notified as soon as new products are available, or new articles or reviews that have appear on your site. You can find more information about RSS feeds and a simple tutorial on how to use them here.... http://rss.softwaregarden.com/aboutrss.html

8. Hubs and lenses

In the same way that articles and blogs are used to get people interested in the information, products or services that you provide, community websites such as Squidoo and hubpages are good places to attract visitors in a similar way. By creating your own 'lens' at Squidoo, or 'hub' at Hubpages, the knowledge you impart to readers can help bring together the people who are willing to find out more about what you have to offer. Initially, perhaps this would be something that might help them improve their knowledge of a subject. By providing value and something benefiicial to others you can build a strong relationship with your readers which in turn will build up trust. This will lead to people telling others and gradually your readership will grow. However, be careful you're not over-promoting your website or products as this might contravene their rules. If you haven't done so already, you should also consider joining a few of the social network sites like Myspace and Facebook so you can start networking. There's plenty of these type of sites on the net, so it makes it worthwhile to join them and let everyone know about your site.

9. Create a viral 'buzz'

Anything that is out of the ordinary, whether it be amusing, shocking, or simply a fascinating piece of content, people will quickly spread the word and want to share it with others. I know this is not as easy as it sounds, but if you come up with something unusual and interesting, it's a great way to get shedloads of traffic to your site. You might come up with a brilliant idea for a video and placing it on YouTube. Or you could write a funny story or create a hilarious picture and email it to your friends. If it's unique enough and your friends and aquaintances think it's worthy of telling their circle of friends, the word will soon spread. All you need to do is add a link back to your site to grab some of those viewers. Offering something free is another way to get people telling others about what you have to offer. The more valuable your giveaway is perceived to be, the more visitors you're likely to get.

10. Publish a newsletter

Publishing a regular newsletter is a popular way of getting visitors to return to your website. It's a great way to build up a customer base if you have something to offer. It's especially powerful if your readers are wanting to accumulate more information, or something that will help them improve their knowledge or fulfil their needs and desires. For example, if you're involved in selling items that collectors often seek out, such as comics or dolls etc., providing a newsletter can be the best way to let your customers know of new items available. Even if you're simply providing new information about a subject they are interested in, for example, updates on financial investment advice, or some other field of expertise that lends itself to regular news updates, it's a good way to get them back to your website. Once there, they may be inclined to click on other information such as an affiliate link or an AdSense ad. It all counts. So if you want more people to visit your site and you want to make it pay, then use the methods outlined above and you should see some positive results.

Get more tips on how to monetize your website or blog with AdSense
http://hubpages.com/hub/improve-your-earnings-with-adsense