Bulk Traffic = Junk Traffic?

By Stuart Reid
Posted Thursday, December 9, 2004

How to effectively use Bulk Traffic, and why it isn't necessarily Junk Traffic.

Before we get into details, yes and no.

It depends what you want to use it for. If you need qualified visitors then yes of course, its junk. If you need traffic for traffics sake (not as silly as it sounds) then no - it `aint`.

First, lets define a Hit. A Hit is a request for information delivered to your web server for your web page. Even any kind of link delivered from your page (including a banner) could trigger a Hit. A Hit is not necessarily a Visitor!

However nearly all ranking services count Hits as opposed to Visitors and there is no accurate way to determine which is which.

Content and Traffic are the lifeblood of your Web Site. You need both. Content can be created in your own time and left there - but traffic must constantly be generated. Search Engines were the traditional way, along with word of mouth and other `viral` methods. A unique site will always get traffic but sales sites do not unless they work at it.

Bulk Traffic is traffic that is re-sold from the people who generate it. Usually it's from Pop-Windows of some sort delivered from a third-party site or from the new breed of `Traffic Exchanges`. This kind of traffic is very rarely targeted and is only there for the purpose of delivering the traffic you have earned or bought. Most of the people who view it only do so in order to earn hits themselves.

It's the percentages here that are important. Because of the big numbers involved only a small percent of your hits need to be viewed.

Lets say you get 1% response from 200,000 Hits. That equates to 2000 Page Views. If say 50% of those people who viewed that site signed up to your newsletter then that's 1000 new subscribers. Something I'm sure you'd agree is a good result! A well designed sign-up page could achieve that kind of response.

Earlier I said bulk traffic isn't targeted. That's not strictly true - you are of course targeting those seeking Traffic! Traffic Exchanges are a great place to offer traffic services :-)

One last way bulk traffic can help you is with sites such as Alexa. This is a famous Ranking service that counts hits and links to your site. It's as accurate as these things can be, but a lot of bulk traffic will definitely drive you up their list. This in turn builds credibility and makes your site itself (or your advertising services) much more saleable.

In short Bulk Traffic is best used to pre-sell, or to build interest, awareness and credibility. Ensure any logos and your site name are shown prominently followed by strong headlines and benefits. Treat bulk traffic as you would any untested medium and build pages specifically for it.

Bulk Traffic IS NOT Junk Traffic. It depends how you use it!

(C)2003 Stuart Reid, Netpreneur News. Join us for great offers and our free eZine, as well as a 70+ Marketing Library, Tools, Resources and more! Visit us for `Ultimate Traffic`, a surefire way to grab 260,000 Hits to your site for only $10!
(http://www.netpreneurnow.com/traffic)

About the Author
Stuart Reid is publisher of Netpreneur News and webmaster of various sites including NetpreneurNow.com, all specialising in Internet Marketing. He writes with a strict "No Bull" policy - and aims to provide the Truth at all times!