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What Types of traffic are there?

So you have the best website money can buy you are immensely proud of your finished product but still no-one is buying. Why?

Your final profit is simple to calculate it is a factor of number of visitors * conversion rate * profit per visitor. The third factor, profit per visitor is usually where people focus their resources. It is a known quantity and easy to manipulate by simply charging the right price.

But the killer question is always how much traffic am I getting? And further are they the sort of visitors who will buy my wares?

With that simple statement in mind let's have a look at the main sources of traffic on the internet today.

Search Engine Traffic

The best because it's free. The worst because it is easily taken away. SE traffic is risky. It is easily acquired for relatively low competitive keywords with a simple knowledge of search engine optimization best practice.

Each search engine orders websites for any given term according to it's own proprietary algorithm. This algorithm usually is based upon the various factors detailed in the SEO checklist, however the weighting applied will differ for each.

There are currently 3 major search engines being:- Google, Yahoo and MSN. Google is by far the most popularly used search tool.

For more competitive terms the SEO checklist is still applicable however will require additional effort in the key areas of the same key factors. You can investigate competition via these useful tools.

Directory Listings

These are not the massive source of traffic they once were. Submission to a directory is now more use to substantiate your link popularity, a key factor in search engine positioning. The most popular free and paid directories are included within our directory listings.

Paid Advertising

Once banner advertising reigned supreme, however today it is generally recognised that most website visitors suffer heavily from 'banner blindness'. Visitors have seen so many banners over the years that they are now subconsciously tuned out when looking at the website.

Much more effective in today's market place is the basic text link. Not surprisingly a link which is text only! These form the basis of advertising in many a Pay-Per-Click advertising campaign. Pay Per Click is the notion of paying only for visitors to a website that click on your link. Hence you will only pay for visitors to you website and not each time your banner or text link is displayed.

The two largest PPC engines are Google's Adwords and Yahoo's Overture services. PPC allows you to instantly drive traffic to your site without having to weight for your search engine optimization skills to be appreciated by the search engines.

Guaranteed traffic is a term used for relatively cheap traffic, usually purchased in bulk. The traffic is usually generated by a popup or popunder on another site, and in my experience has not proven very effective.

Traffic Exchanges

These tend to fall into 2 general styles. The first, ad exchanges are a reciprocal agreement, usually via a co-operative site to add a piece of code to your page(s) which displays adverts on your site. In return your site will be displayed on other members websites according to the individual co-operatives weighting factors.

The second, traffic exchanges, require you to browse websites presented on a central site. You are awarded points according to how many sites you have browsed and in turn these credits may be spent by promoting your site in the same way to other browsers.

Repeat Vistors

So often overlooked. You have done the hard work in getting a first time visitor to you site now get him to stay and later to return for more. There are various methods for making your site 'sticky' these include:- including a newsletter and appropriate sign up form, supplying good content, either written by yourself or sourced from the abundance of free information on the net.

Such simple things as including contact details and appropriate use of autoresponders can make all the difference.

Viral Marketing

A rather flash title for a collection of techniques which are common sense but often forgotten. Such examples include:- writing your own articles, building communities via forums, offering free items/bonuses/competitions, producing your own e-book and issuing press releases.

If you are marketing your own product one of the most successful methods will undoubtedly be starting your own affiliate program and getting others to sell for you.

Competition

Not really a traffic category as such however careful analysis of your competition's website, traffic, links and ad placement can all be obtained if you are diligent. This market intelligence will in turn lead to further opportunities to drive visitors to your site.

After a while it all becomes just good fun!