Five Steps to Increased Traffic and Revenue

Anyone who has been in the online marketing business for some time now knows that the best techniques for making money online can change in an instant. While getting high volumes of unique web traffic was once the best way to increase your revenue, the best strategy today is to generate a devoted following of returning visitors. If your visitors come back, you will see an increase in overall traffic and revenue.

Daily deal sites such as Groupon and Woot are seeing fantastic success in today’s online market, thanks to their wide following of returning visitors.

Return traffic: the key to increased revenue and traffic

In an interview I recently did for my Coffee Talk series with Ryan Allis, co-founder and CEO of iContact, a leading provider of email marketing software boasting more than 700,000 users, he mentioned a mind-blowing statistic: you will never see a whopping 70 percent of your traffic ever again if you don’t get them on your list.

In order to be successful in your online business, you will have to focus on getting your visitors to return regularly. The more times a visitor is exposed to your product or service, the more likely they will be to make a purchase from you. On the other hand, you shouldn’t expect any conversions from visitors who visit your website once and never return.

In addition, it’s important to not forget about search engines.  Statistics such as the demographic of users to your site, how long your users stay, and how they got there are consistently monitored by search engines such as Google. Ranking high in Google for topics such as car insurance quotes, lift chairs, inflatable boats, router accessories, doll houses, and arc welders will require you to have your users stay on your site for extended periods of time, and have them come back regularly in the future.

Here are five steps that I regularly use to get my visitors to return to my website.

1) Send notifications and newsletters

All website owners wish that they could easily send out notifications and newsletters to their website visitors. However, the truth is that it simply isn’t easy to set up a newsletter system.

Fortunately, there is RSS to email.  This is a fantastic piece of email automation software that can allow you to inform your list members of the new content that you publish on your website. Best of all, you don’t have to lift a finger. Their automated features allow you to notify your list whenever you update your website with new content. With regular notifications, your visitors will be inclined to return to your website regularly to look at your new content.

Another great feature that this program offers is the scheduling tool.  I am a big fan of weekly newsletters, and RSS to email makes it incredibly easy to send one with little work on my part. The program runs only when you want, and it can gather content from several sites at once, conveniently compiling the content into a single newsletter. The program can even send you a proof of the newsletter, allowing you to preview the content before you approve it for sending.

2) Podcasting

Podcasts are truly incredible. Although not many people are using them today, they are without a doubt one of the greatest tools for engaging your visitors and getting them interested in the content on your website.

As the host of the longest running affiliate marketing podcast, The Affiliate Buzz, as well as the host of my own series, Coffee Talk with James Martell, I have effectively used podcasts to interest my visitors and convert them to devoted followers.

With modern audio technology, you could put together a half hour podcast in under 60 minutes.  With automation software, it becomes even easier, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your online marketing business.

3) Write comments on your own site

Getting your visitors involved in your website is one of the best ways to get them to return on a regular basis. By remaining engaged with your visitors as well as your own website, you will encourage your visitors to come back to your website. Replying to comments on your own website is a great way to do this.

Whenever someone writes a blog comment on your website, be sure to write a nice reply, even if it is short.

If your blog is run on the WordPress platform, you can use a great plug-in called “Subscribe To Comments” to send an email notification to those who comment on your blog when you or another visitor responds to their comment. This is one of the best ways to develop a sense of community on your website.

4) Post on chat forums

If you’ve ever posted on a chat forum, or bulletin board, on the Internet, you know just how valuable the community involvement could be for your website. Adding a chat forum to your website can get your visitors invested in your site. As well, it adds a useful means of communication between you and your visitors.

With my wife Arlene, I have seen firsthand just how effective chat forums can be for generating returning visitors.  On Arlene’s website, EpilepsyMoms.com, there are thousands of active members who regularly come online to discuss raising kids with Epilepsy.  These are some of the most energetic and receptive online community members I have ever seen. For this reason, adding a chat forum to your website might be a fantastic decision.

5) Strive for helpfulness

Although it is easy to quickly “churn” out low-quality content for your websites, this can be very unattractive to visitors, and it does not give them any incentive to return to your website.

Instead, strive for helpfulness when you write your websites content. Be helpful and informative as you help your users solve their problems, and be sure to offer advice that is tailored to your visitors.

Increase your traffic and revenue through returning visitors

Are you looking to increase your web traffic and search engine rankings for topics like car insurance quotes, lift chairs, inflatable boats, wood router bits, doll houses, or rocking chairs?  If so, it is advisable to change your focus from new traffic to returning visitors. With a steady stream of returning visitors, you will find your revenue increasing in no time.

About James Martell

James Martell is recognized as a leading expert in affiliate marketing trainings, is President of Net Guides Publishing Inc. and host of the “Affiliate Marketers SUPER BootCamp.” A sought-after speaker, James has presented at Commission Junction University, The System Seminar, Affiliate Summit, Digital River Lab, Pubcon, Affcon, and more. He is also the host the “Affiliate Buzz”, the 1st ever and longest running affiliate marketing podcast in the industry. James relies on outsourcing for the creation of his websites, graphics, articles, podcasts, and video in order to streamline his business, enabling him to break away from the daily grind.

Website: http://jamesmartell.com/