Amplifying Your 'Start Page' Traffic
By Dale Sexton
Posted Thursday, October 14, 2004
'Start page' programs are the easiest way to get traffic to your website. Did you know you can amplify that traffic as much as four times with the same mouse clicks?
Amplifying your 'start page' traffic is crucial if your website gets few hits. Make a 'funnel page' and funnel traffic to your website.
Start with a doorway page, optimized for the search engines. It is not just a doorway page, because it will soon do more. It's going to funnel traffic to your website.
It needs a header in the visible top section of the browser so as to be seen as soon as the page comes up. Try to use the HTML H1 tag in this header. Like any ad, be gripping, catch the attention of the viewer.
Keep the body of your ad to about that 200 words. Link your 'funnel page' to the page your advertising. If the content is good enough to gain the attention of viewers, submit it to the search engines as well.
Your objective is to get the most hits out of your 'funnel page'. We will make additions to our page that will differentiate it from a doorway page.
Banners are declining in effectiveness, but a finely tuned creation can still get great success. Use different banner exchanges for best results, and no more than 4 banners on your 'funnel page'.
The more banners you use, the better your results will be, but the harder it is to make your page aesthetically correct. Play with arrangements to make it work for you.
Point your banners to the page your advertising, likely the same page your 'funnel page' points to. Try to use banners that will let you open up another window, so not to lose your visitor to another site.
(http://www.bcentral.com/services/bn/) (http://www.v3exchange.com/) (http://www.bannerexpose.com) (http://BannersGoMLM.com/cgi-bin/ref/index.cgi?dist=dsextonj)
Using MLM banners gives more amplification to your advertising. If you can find and use them instead of the run of the mill banners, do so.
We will further amplify hits from our 'funnel page' with 'pop under' ads. These are preferred over 'pop up' ads as they are not as intrusive. Point the 'pop under' ad to the page you wish to advertise. Using an MLM 'pop under' gives more leverage than other 'pop unders'. Remember, this is about amplifying and focusing.
(http://www.freehits2000.com/index.php?id=dsextonj)
Some 'start page' programs don't like 'pop up' ads. Pay attention to this when setting up your 'start page' programs.
Like a funnel, your website is the focusing end, and your 'funnel page', banners, and 'pop under' ads funneling to your website. Every time someone uses their 'start page' program and your 'funnel page' is seen, your banners and 'pop under' are seen elsewhere and shown, amplifying your hits.
Other tools that work well with your 'funnel page' are text ad exchanges and rotators.
Text Ad Exchanges act like banners, but are link exchanges instead. Like the banner ad, funnel it to your website.
(http://www.mlmads.com/index.cfm?id=dsextonj) (http://site.linkbuddies.com/lb/textex.php) (http://www.linbo.com/refer.cgi?id=1393) (http://www.exchangeomatic.com/refer.cgi?id=967">)
I haven't found a use for a rotator, but you may, and I don't want to leave this option out. If you use a rotator, you will add your 'funnel page' to the rotation, and have your 'start page' programs point to your rotator.
Your rotator will rotate your 'funnel page' with any other page you need seen... like another 'funnel page'!?! hmmm... I may have a use for that rotator.
(http://www.ebizrotator.com/goto/DS3003.htm)
When your done with your 'funnel page' you'll want to spend time with your 'start page' programs clicking through websites and advertising your 'funnel page'.
(http://www.startblaze.com/cgi-bin/intro.cgi?57064) (http://nomorehits.com/cgi-bin/redir.cgi?user=dsextonj) (http://www.clicksilo.com/referrals/info.asp?Agent=dsextonj) (http://www.viralvisitors.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?flag=8962) (http://www.hitpulse.com/cgi-bin/start/newuser.cgi?referer=dsextonj)
Look at what you see with new eyes. There are always ways to squeeze the most out of free advertising. It's a matter of having an open mind and being creative.
About the Author
Dale Sexton owns & operates 'PageCrafters.net', & publishes 'Small Business Tools magazine'. Both focus on tools & tips for small business. mailto:pagecrafters@pagecrafters.net Sign up for 'SBT magazine' at: (http://pagecrafters.net/newsletter.html) Need a 'Start Page' tool? Check out PageTool© (http://pagecrafters.net/pagetool.html)