The Straight Goods on Traffic-Generating Programs

By Angela Wu
Posted Sunday, July 11, 2004

It's no wonder that there are so many programs meant to help the online business owner drive traffic to their websites. With billions of web pages on all topics imaginable, most of our sites are just a tiny "blip" on the Internet radar.

Doing business online is to some extent a numbers game... but to just seek traffic for the sake of it? In my experience, it's usually a waste of time.

Let's use spam as an example - you know the type: they solicit you for all sorts of things, from printer cartridges to porn, from "free" vacations to weight loss supplements. Most people simply get annoyed and delete the email. But out of all the hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people who received the email, there's bound to be a few people who buy.

The same concept applies to many of the "traffic-generating" programs found far and wide on the 'net. These programs typically claim to send a "flood" of visitors to your site -- and many of them do exactly that.

So what's the problem? It's simply that most traffic- generating programs aren't targeted to your audience. They're meant to do one thing: send you *traffic*. That could mean that your "makeup tips" site is receiving hits from people looking for pet supplies, automotive tips, or work-at-home jobs. These visitors are generally uninterested in what you have to offer, and are far less likely to make a purchase.

When you consider using a traffic-generating program, ask yourself some pointed questions. For example:

= Can you select targeted traffic that will fit with your site?

= How is the traffic sent to you? This can make a big difference; if a visitor is sent unwillingly to your site (for example, through a pop-under window from another site), he or she may be less inclined to do business with you.

There's no doubt that getting traffic to your site is hard work. Traffic-generating programs aren't the only answer; there are also the usual "tried-and-true" methods such as the search engines, newsletter advertising, targeted link exchanges, joint ventures, press releases, various offline methods, and many more.

It's easy to fall for promises of lots of traffic, fast... but remember that it's not how much traffic you get that's important; it's how much of the RIGHT traffic you get. In other words, you want *quality* over *quantity*.

Does this mean that all traffic-generation programs are useless? No. As a business owner, you're always on the lookout for new tools and services that can help you to produce better profits. Experiment and track the results... then use the methods that give you the results you want.

About the Author
Angela Wu is the editor of Online Business Basics, an exclusive newsletter for eBusiness beginners. Visit (http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/) for tips on building a business on the web.