Turn One-Time "Hits" Into Repeat Visitors

Sep 8
21:00

2004

Jim Edwards

Jim Edwards

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Every website owner faces the same ... How to getmore traffic to their website. "Build it and they will come" worked for Kevin Costner in"Field of Dreams," but that approach leads to ...

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Every website owner faces the same challenge: How to get
more traffic to their website.

"Build it and they will come" worked for Kevin Costner in
"Field of Dreams," but that approach leads to bankruptcy and
a failed business when it comes to your website.

Any savvy website owner knows that it takes a lot of work,
time,Turn One-Time "Hits" Into Repeat Visitors Articles and money to bring a visitor to your site for the
first time.

Smart marketers also know that it rates a lot easier and
cheaper to get people to come back for a return visit than
to attract them for the first time.

The following tips will help any website owner convert more
one-time "lookers" into repeat visitors and customers.

** Surveys **

Hold an interactive poll or survey on your web site.

Ask your website visitors questions about a topic of intense
interest to them.

Not only do people enjoy giving their opinion, but they'll
also want to read the results as you compile them and update
them on your website over the next day or week.

One way to get their email address is to tell them you'll
email the final numbers once the results are compiled.

My favorite survey tool is www.oneminutepoll.com.

** Free Prizes **

If appropriate, hold an ongoing prize drawing on your web
site.

The prizes you give should fit with the interests of your
target audience and enable you to showcase what you offer
for sale from your website.

For example, if you sell computer cables, give away
something like Velcro cord ties with your web address on
them and avoid things like teddy bears or bumper stickers.

** Original / Hard-to-find Content **

People go online first and foremost to get specific,
relevant, timely information in areas that interest them.

For some that means news articles, for others sports scores,
and for others it means current prices for things like
stocks or commodities.

Whatever content they want, give it to people in a way they
can't find anywhere else (or at least not very easily) and
make it easy for them to see that your site rates a bookmark
in their browser so they can return often.

** Brain Teasers **

People love a challenge, especially in an
area that holds great professional or special interest for
them.

If you can provide a quiz, trivia questions, puzzles
or some other "brain teaser" for people, many will take up
the challenge.

You get them to return to your website by
posting the answers and making that the only way they can
see if they got it right.

** Breaking News **

People crave up-to-the-minute news on subjects about which
they feel very strongly.

Some investors, for example, spend hours combing the Web for
nuggets of information to help them evaluate specific
markets, companies, or stocks.

One way to make your site invaluable to your audience
members is to simply post a news bite, tip, or current
"nugget" of relevant information on your site daily.

(Gee, kind of sounds like a BLOG doesn't it?)

If the information you give makes people jump up and holler
"MORE! MORE!" then you can quickly build up a regular
following.

** Resource Directories **

Few things keep people coming back to a website more than a
constantly updated directory they can tap for industry-
specific resources any time they need them.

This technique works especially well if it's hard to locate
good resources related to your topic because people place a
higher value on hard-to-find information.