Free online content to make your website sticky!

By Chuck McCullough
Posted Friday, December 3, 2004

Depending on what you are reading, most sources state that a person must see an offer somewhere between 3 and 10 times before he or she will actually purchase.

And unless you are a master copywriter with expertise in forcing the sale down your visitor's throats, chances are that you will need to figure out how to get them back to your site for another visit, or two, or three.

Of course, with the right targeting you can throw yourself in the path of those that are ready to buy, and get the sale. But what about converting those casual surfers into lifetime customers?

The best way to carry out this task is to figure out how to get your visitors to stay on your site longer, and hopefully return often. If they come back for future visits there will be a greater chance that they will actually purchase from you, or from the affiliate programs that you are promoting.

This requires a different set of skills. Skills that usually point to that dreaded four-letter word that we all hate...WORK!

Its work because one of the items required to bring users back is fresh, frequently updated content such as articles, reports, and tips. Finding and keeping updated content on your site can quickly become a dreaded chore.

In addition to fresh content on your site, you should produce a newsletter for your visitors. A newsletter can be a very powerful way to get your visitors to return to your site, and view your offers again. But, this also can be a time consuming venture.

How do you accomplish these tasks if you fall into the "no time" category?

You familiarize yourself with a concept known as "syndicated content!"

This has become a very popular means for website owners to offer fresh, up-to-date information for their visitors...with minimal effort.

Basically, you find places that allow you to publish their articles, reports, tips, etc. The usual exchange for this valuable content is that you include the authors information at the end of the article when you publish it.

Find a few decent sources and you can keep a newsletter going for a long time, without having to strain too many brain cells in the process.

Taking this a step further, you can now find "dynamically updating content." This is really neat because you put some code on one of your website pages, and the author automatically updates the displayed information periodically for you!

This is very popular with news, stock information, weather, and sports scores.

When your visitors know they can depend on you for new and updated information, they will return often. They might even tell their friends about you...which is even better!

Another necessary component of a website that brings visitors back is a sense of community.

Some popular forms of community are:

Discussion boards or forums Mailing lists
Free email
Chat
Polls

Finding these items can definitely be a chore, especially if you are on a tight budget and looking for low/no cost options.

To help you with these efforts I've created a comprehensive directory of the best sources of free or almost free website content.

In the directory you will find article resources, dynamic content, and much more.

I named the site FindSticky.com and you can visit it at (http://www.FindSticky.com/)

Why Sticky? Well, sticky is the Web term for a website's ability to keep visitors for longer than the typical 3 seconds, and its ability to bring the visitors back.

Make them STICK to your website!

To put it plainly, a sticky website sells!

And sales are what we all want, either of our own products, or those of your merchant partners.

Create a sticky website that brings your visitors back again and again so that you can show them your offers.

If you do this, chances are that somewhere between the third and tenth visit they will become your customers!

(http://www.FindSticky.com/)

About the Author
Chuck McCullough is the owner of (http://AffiliateMatch.com) offering FREE articles, tips, hints, and real-world advice on how to make money with your website. Visit his site or join his FREE newsletter, The AffiliateMatch Informer by sending a blank email to mailto:newsletter@affiliatematch.com.