Posted by on Nov 23, 2010 in Marketing, Social Media, Web Design | 0 comments

Scholars have argued this question for years: If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there, does it make a sound? While I am not sure I know the answers to that question, there is a variation for websites. If you build a website and no one comes, do you really have a website?

The answer … NO. Fundamentally, your website is a waste of time  if it has no traffic.  Today we will take a closer look at traffic measures and how to increase them.

  • Total Traffic – While this may increase or decrease because of external factors, you goal should be to move this measure in a generally upward trend. Your best traffic building tool: Fresh content, shared with a wide audience through social media. Catchy titles, properly tagged blog posts, distributed through promotion on twitter, linkedin, facebook or plaxo will catch the attention of human beings and search engines.  Well placed Google Ad words can drive new traffic.  But if you do, be sure you have a specific destination in mind, a custom landing page which delivers exactly what the visitor is hoping to find.
  • New Visitors – Typically new visitors comprise 75% of your total traffic – so the strategies outlined above will certainly help increase this measure.  Just remember, with so many new visitors, you need to be sure you cover the basics on every page.  It may seem silly to repeat content in blog posts, but for the majority of your visitors, it is their first time. Make sure you make them feel welcome.
  • Returning Visitors - While it is nice to have new visitors, the trick is to keep people coming back.  Social media,  RSS feeds, eMail signups all give you a chance to reach out and remind people of what you offer.   Encourage visitors to subscribe to feeds and newsletters on every page.  Use previews, and teasers to keep them coming back.  For example: Be sure to check back tomorrow when we take a closer look at measures evaluating traffic sources.

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