Why Should I Visit Your Website?

If we can't attract visitors to our websites there's little point in having them in the first place. But with millions of sites already available and thousands of new sites being launched daily, ask yourself why would anybody want to visit your site?

To find the answer to that question, turn it around and ask yourself why you choose to visit the sites you visit. Of those same millions of sites, only a tiny percentage will ever be graced by your clicks. Why? What made you land on those and not others?

Here are my 10 reasons for visiting websites.

1. I did a Google search.

Google is without doubt the world's most popular search engine. Make sure your site's listed and learn as much as you can about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so that your site stands a good chance of getting to the top of the search results list.

After all, if somebody searches for "Green Bananas Rock Group" and that's what your site's about, you don't want to be listed on page 17 do you? Absolutely nobody is going to browse that far to find what they're after.

2. I followed a link from another site.

Contact webmasters of sites that are somehow relevant to yours without being actual competitors and ask to swap reciprocal links.

For the sake of that all important Google placement it would be nice to get one-way links coming into your site without needing to reciprocate but you can hardly ask for those and any link is better than no link at all.

3. I was looking for information

Everybody's heard that "content is king" and as cliché-ed as it's become, it's still very true.

Let's say you have a site that sells underwear. Add some articles about the history of different types of underwear, how they're made, any anecdotes involving undies and anything else you can think of. No matter what your subject is there's always something that can be written about it.

If you can't write yourself you can always find a freelancer and have them either write a few articles for you. Remember, sloppy writing will give a negative impression of your service so make sure anything you write is correctly spelled and punctuated.

4. To meet friends

Discussion forums are great places for people to 'hang out' in and extremely popular.

If the "Green Banana Rockers" have a decent sized following, why not create a forum where their fans can discuss their career, ask questions and just have fun?

Whether you want to host your own forum or use one of the free remotely hosted forums is up to you. Either way there's some great software available.

5. Because I wanted to buy something

If you're selling something, make sure it's easy to find and order. Too many sites make the ordering process more complicated than it ought to be and lose customers simply because they don't want to have to keep clicking.

One click to the product list, one click to the product, one click to put product in basket and one to check out. Possibly one more to go to the secure payment if your payment system is offsite but that's it.

Some webmasters expect visitors go click 4-5 times just to check out AFTER adding their products to the basket. That's just too much to expect. There's always a competitor ready to grab your customers away from you so design YOUR site to be the one that's most attractive to use.

6. A friend recommended the site

Make sure you have a way of letting visitors recommend your site to others.

There are lots of free scripts available that will do the job and most are very simple to set up.

7. I received an e-card

Having attractive e-cards on your site that are somehow related to the subject matter is always a good idea.

A dozen or so pictures of the "Green Bananas" that visitors can send to their fellow fans would go down a treat and drive more traffic your way.

8. I fell for the lure of a freebie

Sad, but true - it's amazing how a freebie can draw a crowd. It doesn't have to be something super-duper out of this world fantabadistic, either.

If you're knowledgeable on a particular subject you could write an e-book to give away. E-books have the added advantage of being advertisements for your site so whoever gets the freebie isn't going to forget where it came from.

As long as you have a service visitors would normally need to pay for, free membership is another good give-away.

9. I entered a competition

Everybody likes to be a winner so why not give you visitors the chance to be one?

If your site is aimed at the local community you could contact local businesses and ask for them to sponsor a prize. If your target visitors are the Internet community you could do the same thing but contact net shops.

If you can't get a sponsor you could offer an Amazon voucher or similar as the prize. In all probability what the voucher costs you will be a very cheap form of advertising when seen in relation to the increased visitor numbers thanks to the competition.

10. Because I had it in my bookmarks

If your site's regularly updated with fresh, interesting content and/or new products, has a lively discussion forum or gives visitors something else they want, they'll keep coming back for more.

Try running the occasional survey to find out what your visitors want. That way you'll know what you need to improve, what to add more of, what you can forget and concentrate of fine tuning your site to knock spots off the competition.

Very few websites are overnight successes, and those that are have huge corporations behind them ploughing vast amounts of money into advertising.

Average Joe, however, will need to use every trick available to make sure his site's found so please don't ever let anybody tell you it's just a matter of designing a site, putting it on the web and then sitting back waiting for things to happen. It really isn't that easy. BUT don't be put off, either. Driving traffic can be fun and fulfilling and watching your site grow and thrive makes it all worth it.

__________

About the Author

Sharon Jacobsen is a freelance writer living in South Cheshire, England. She's been designing and running websites since 1994 when she made her very first site, all about dogs. The site was very basic compared to what we see these days but then the web was a very different place back then. To contact Sharon or to learn more about her work, please visit http://www.sharon-jacobsen.co.uk

---

The Relation Between Internet Marketing Education and Profits

Many people join internet business opportunities online blindly. By this... Read More

Boost Your Sales Copy With One Simple Tweak

Do you want an amazingly simple trick to move far... Read More

X-Ray Specs, Turning 30 and Achieving Website Success

I was writing the final chapter of my book on... Read More

The New Marketing Landscape

Many of us in the marketing services and/or agency business... Read More

3 Steps To Effectively Increase Your Marketing Response

It's well known that internet marketers are in the business... Read More

10 Things You Should Try To Barter For Before Buying

1. Information Products - it could be ebooks, "how to"... Read More

Trust, the Key to Success

Not everyone is comfortable putting their personal information online. It... Read More

Does Your Internet Marketing Pull?

"Pull Marketing" has always been, and will continue to be... Read More

Internet Marketing Strategies

The right strategies to win a share of the Internet... Read More

Internet Marketing Basics

Almost all of the articles on Internet marketing lacks coverage... Read More

A Tip to the Beginning Entrepreneur: Know What Marketing Means

Internet Marketing has been a buzzword for over a decade... Read More

Free For All Sites: How They Can Actually Help Your Business

Anyone whose been marketing online knows that generating leads can... Read More

How to Make Money from People Who Type the Wrong Web Address

How many people visit your web site but type in... Read More

What to Sell on the Internet?

The phenomenal growth of ecommerce lures more and more people... Read More

The Numbers Dont Lie!

It's true. They don't.That's why you should look at the... Read More

The Fun and Ease of Online Shopping vs. The Brick and Mortar Option

When my sister and discussed our shopping plans this year... Read More

Niche Marketing, Niching Niches for the Ultimate Payoff

Niche Marketing, in simple terms is all about targeting hot... Read More

Targeting Online Customers

Although generating online traffic is an important goal of any... Read More

8 Must Know Tips I Wish I Had Known a Year Ago, About Internet Marketing Online

Are you considering working from home. I have been self-teaching... Read More

What Big Pharma Can Teach You About Niche Marketing

A recent newspaper review of a new book, Selling Sickness,... Read More

Develop Enormous Recurring Income Online Starting Today

If you're like me, you'd rather work smarter than harder.... Read More

Ways That You Can Make Money From Your Online Business Model

If you are convinced by now that you wish to... Read More

8 Myths About Online Marketing

These myths about online marketing. Seasoned marketers and beginners alike... Read More

Why Niche Marketing Yields Good Profits

Have you ever been told to find your niche? In... Read More

Secrets of Successful Advertising

Here I will explain precisely how to advertise effectively, including:1.... Read More

Road Map to Internet Marketing Success

Today, the internet has become part of our life. We... Read More

The Power Of Cross Promoting

Cross promotion is, without doubt, a powerful technique used by... Read More

See Abundance In Your Prospects

I was privileged to have a good friend and great... Read More

FFA Links and Free Classified Ads Dont Work

There are many ways to initiate traffic to your website,... Read More

Implementing an SMS Marketing Campaign

SMS Marketing can be used to acquire customers, strengthen existing... Read More

The Fatal Attraction of Online Marketers

Suppose you were offered 263 links coming into your website... Read More

5 Keys To Making Money Online

Would you believe there are tens of thousands of people... Read More

An Internet Marketing Solutions Company Confesses

a) An internet marketing solutions company tells you that they're... Read More