If you're using a blog to market your online or offline business, you know that building traffic is a key element to making your venture successful. One mistake that many internet marketers make, though, is solely concentrating on getting traffic, rather than keeping the visitors they attract.

In order to keep your readers coming back for more, you have to engage them. This involves a lot more than simply putting out great content and hoping your visitors love it enough to come back.

Here are 5 simple ways you can engage your blog readers, so you can build a loyal fan base that will keep returning to your blog day after day:

• Respond to readers' comments. This sounds simple - and it is - but a surprising number of bloggers never bother to do this. When visitors take the time to comment on your posts, show them a little gratitude by responding to their comments. They'll feel like you actually value their opinions, so they'll be far more likely to visit your blog again... and subscribe to your email list.
• Ask visitors what they want to learn. How much time do you spend trying to figure out what to blog about? Ask your readers, and they will tell you. This not only lets visitors feel like they're being heard, but it also helps you tailor your content to meet their needs.
• Visit your readers' blogs. If responding to readers' comments is a token of goodwill, then visiting their blogs is a treasure trove. Comment on their blog posts, and you'll find that they'll quickly turn into loyal followers.
• Feature your readers in your blog posts. If a visitor makes a particularly compelling comment, or if you read something profound on a visitor's blog, don't hesitate to feature them in your blog posts. They'll appreciate the exposure (and the inbound links), and they'll keep coming back to your blog again and again.
• Invite your readers to connect with you via Twitter. Sure, the land of endless Tweets can suck up your time if you're not careful, but getting to know your readers via Twitter is well worth the effort. They'll feel like they know you on a personal level - this quickly builds trust... which makes it much more likely that they'll buy from you!