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Round'em Up: 15 Inexpensive Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Site
Taken From Digital River Review
Issue: Jan-Feb 1999
You have your software product. You've built a killer Web site. Now all you need is people. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars just to drive traffic to your site. Take a look at the following 15 different ways to drive those much needed people to your site and ultimately, your product.
Sprinkle URL's Liberally
Your Web site is essentially a doorway through which your customers gain access to your product or service so it's important to make sure they know where to go. It's critical to include your URL and e-mail address on all printed materials including brochures, direct mail, business cards, invoices, letterheads, POS displays, etc. To keep 'em coming back, put your URL on the boxed and electronic versions of your software. This encourages repeat business as well as interest in your site.
Always Use an E-mail Signature File
Think about how many e-mails you receive in one day. Why not use even informational e-mails as sales tools by including a brief signature file at the end of all e-mails you send out. In addition to your name and company name, be sure to include a clickable URL and e-mail, fax, phone, and cellular numbers as well as one phrase or sentence that quickly and succinctly describes your business.
Try Targeted Newsletters
Wonder where this one came from? Yes, the Digital River Review is exactly what we're talking about. Creating your own newsletter can help to generate repeat business and leverage your own virtual community. The key is to make sure your newsletter strikes a balance between promoting your company and providing valuable information. Subscribing to newsletters that attract your intended audience keeps you one step ahead of what your customers are reading and talking about. Send e-mails to the editors about your product or technology when relevant but be careful not to over promote yourself.
Search Engines!
48% of Web site owners generate most of their traffic through search engines. The initial step L, to submit your site by HAND to top search engines, then use a service or software to submit your site to as many search engines and Internet directories as possible. After that, make sure to closely monitor your position in top search engines.
Use Keywords
This step takes a little bit of detective work. Approach keywords from the searcher's perspective. What types of ideas or phrases do your customers use to find what they want on the net? What words does your competition use on their site? One way accomplish this is to technically analyze referring URL logs. Once you've done your research, include them in URL's, title tag i body copy, and Meta tags.
Let the Free Online Guides Know About You
Introduce yourself. Send an invitation to the editors of various online guides such as NetGuide, The Mining Company, and Suite 101 to visit your site. Some sites even let you apply for an award. Impress the editors with you site and get a permanent link in that section!
Discussion Lists, Chat Rooms, Bulletin Boards and Newsgroups
Get involved with those groups that are relevant to yore business. Share your knowledge of the industry and talk casually about your business or product when you understand the particular etiquette of the group. Be careful not to SPAM them.
Banner Exchanges
If you already have traffic and want to increase it, consider using banner exchange companies like LinkExchange, BannerSwap and SmartClicks. They provide one banner impression for every two that you provide. So, if you h a banner ad of another product on your site that gets 10,000 impressions a day, you receive 5,000 impressions your ad on other sites for free. Be careful to monitor your traffic to make sure that you are not losing more visitors than you are attracting.
Barter for Reciprocal Links
Locate complementary sites or products using a search engine and ask if you can trade links or include editorials with the products in newsletters. Leverage relationships you already have and set up reciprocal links. Digital River brokers these relationships between complimentary clients. For example, two music software companies can link to each other because of complimentary products and promote those products on their site and in e-mail campaigns.
Shareware Sites and Editorials
Consider shareware for your product. Shareware sites such as jumbo.com, winfiles.com and winsite.com all feature reviews of popular shareware titles.
Look Beyond Your Own Site
Create an associates program with other sites where you can advertise for free in return for a percentage of the sales that result from a specific ad. Choose sites that complement or are related to your product.
Generate Repeat Purchases
Turn your one-time buyers into repeat buyers by giving them a reason to come back to your site. Offering special deals on upgrades or coupons to come back to your site again are ways to encourage your customers to shop with you again. Update your site often to ensure that it has current information at all times.
Buy Smart
Try buying your banner ad space in bulk quantities or buy remnant space. Both methods can save you money and still give you the exposure you're looking for. Be sure to test your banner ads before you commit substantial expense. Your account development manager can help here as well, since Digital River has extensive experience in online banner advertising.
Don't Forget Traditional Media
"...the frequency of Web site visits - and subsequently, sales and profits - is directly related to the amount of traditional advertising and sales promotion aimed at guiding traffic to the Web site." - USA Chicago Inc. Newspapers, magazines, mail and radio are still effective forms of advertising and help remind consumers to visit your site.
Be Opportunistic
Discover new ways to put your site out in the forefront. Include your URL in presentations, promotional materials, etc. Be creative.
Turning Online Browsers into Online Buyers
Over the past year, 16.8 million Americans have purchased at least one product or service online according to a report released by eMarketer, www. emarketer. com, an authority on online business. However, retailers should note that number is only half of the 33.1 million who are "window shopping" browsing, researching and comparison shopping.
What factors turn online shoppers into buyers. According to the January 1999 eMarketer' eCommerce: Retail Shopping Report, the top five factors that motivate consumers to make a buy decision online are as follows:
Convenience- Site is well laid out and easy to navigate.
- All the necessary product, sales and policy information is available and accessible.
- Check-out/payment process is fast and all final costs are clearly identified.
Security- Credit card transactions must be secure.
- The use of personal information is clearly stated.
- Merchant identity in real-space is disclosed and highlighted.
Customer Service- Access to customer service representatives is easy and timely.
- Multiple access methods are available (e-mail, toll-free phone, tax).
- Return, warranty and service policies are detailed up front.
Variety- Wide variety of products and services are offered within the site.
According to the report, the convenience factor is based primarily on how well the retailer's Web site is laid out so that people can find exactly what they are looking for quickly.
The report also emphasized the importance of customer service, that must be implemented not only via technology but through the use of live representatives.
The 75 page Retail Shopping Report and its companion, The eCommerce Business Report, can be purchased at the eMarketer Web site. http://www.emarketer.com
Need Help?
Remember, NorthStar Hosting and Internet Services account development managers are here to help you with any of these items. We'll help you maximize your traffic and close ratios.
For questions or comments regarding this newsletter, please contact NorthStar Hosting and Internet Services, General Manager, at info@northstarhosting.com
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