Think Big Blog

The struggle for every web site is to increase web traffic and build their customer base so that they can ultimately find success in the online environment. There are many ways that web sites try to attract new business; just like traditional companies that pull out all the stops in terms of advertising and marketing.

But ultimately, the most effective way that web sites reach their target audience is through the search engines. Potential customers look for their products and services through the search engines where they can plug in their specific criteria. The job of the search engines is to deliver relevant search results – web sites that answer to the specific criteria that are set forth.

But it’s not enough that web sites make it to the search engine results. More than anything, placement on the search engines results is what can heavily sway the number of visitors that a web site is likely to get. The first couple of pages on search engine results are the places to be as it has been shown that users typically do not go past these pages in choosing a web site that will deliver them what they need.

So for web sites that want to increase web site traffic it’s all about finding their place at the top of the search engine results. In this way they can steadily reach their target audience and build their visitors and ultimately their customer base.

Through search engine optimization efforts such as utilizing keyword rich content on their site, as well as on third party sites that ultimately links back to them; as well as the use of strategic linking in general, web sites are able to move up the ranks of the search engine results organically and begin to increase web site traffic.

If you are in retail then you are currently getting ready for what is traditionally a busier than average time during your year. Even with the economy being what it is, businesses are still hoping to generate increased business over the next couple of months and business owners will go to great lengths to ensure they are primed and ready to receive this business. When a web site is in operation – to either support a bricks and mortar location or to serve as the business itself – there is still work to be done to ensure that the business is optimized for the holiday season; in this case this means making sure a web site is optimized in order to encourage more visitors and generate more business.

Subsequently, in preparation for the holiday season, web site owners will often work with a web site optimization firm to ensure that all elements are put in place to attract their target audience. The role of a web site optimization firm is to carefully investigate a web site – hunting those elements that will ultimately bring them success and putting those elements in place if they do not exist.

All of these elements together are what define search engine optimization – the process through which web sites make the effort to raise their rankings with the search engines. No matter what the season, search engines will always be the portal through which potential new business will travel to find particular web sites. Subsequently, web sites understand the necessity of appealing to the search engines throughout the year, but most especially prior to the holiday season when the site desires to increase web traffic.

To that end, a web site optimization firm will help their clients put important elements in place such as the inclusion of keyword infused content and inbound linking.

Video is all the rage these days. We used to be content with the level of convenience we received from the written word online but now it’s all about moving images. As we have become more adept – in the face of expanding technology – at uploading video, web sites have had to adjust in order to compete in the online arena. And so it has become that those web sites that are working to increase web traffic are looking to video to help them achieve their goals.

Just like any business, a web site can very quickly become out of date and out of touch. So in order to not only survive, but continue to thrive, web sites have had to learn to quickly adjust to the newest technology, the best methods of search engine optimization, and the things that an online audience wants to see when they logon.

Those web sites that are promoting a particular product or service can use video the same way that they use written content to draw the attention of the search engines and increase web traffic. Just as content has been successful, so too can video.

* SEO. Content has long been used to increase the page rankings of web sites. This has been done by including keyword rich content on the site itself, or on third party sites. Keywords can also be infused into the descriptive copy and tags of any videos that the web site includes and such content will work the same way to direct potential customers to the site and raise the site’s page rankings on the search engines.

* Value. Visitors will come back to a web site if they find information that is worthy of returning for – such as blogs, informative articles, forums, etc. Videos are another great way to add value to a site. By including relevant videos on the site you are giving your visitors another reason to logon.

The goal of any web site – like any other business – is to succeed through attracting their target audience and converting these potential customers into actual customers. And, like any other business, web sites face similar challenges in making sure the planets align and they are able to bring to the table what it is their audience is interested in and do so in a way that is engaging.

Web sites have certainly clued into the importance of search engine optimization. They understand that the work required to seduce and capture customers is on them; but these potential customers must first be directed to the site in the first place. Search engine optimization efforts – when done correctly – work to increase web traffic and ultimately bring potential customers in the door so that the company can then work to close the deal.

Those who have worked with a web site optimization firm understand the importance of content in its role in helping propel SEO efforts. Continually updated content that contains specifically chosen keywords and keyword phrases work to raise the visibility of the site with the search engines and ultimately increase the site’s page rankings with the search engines.

So too does the inclusion of links to and from other sites of relevance. These links act as a vote of confidence for a site and work also to increase their page rankings with the search engines.

But in working to increase web traffic through SEO efforts many web site owners tend to overlook their biggest advantage - their expertise. If the site in question is one that promotes a particular topic, those who work within the business are often more than qualified to write articles on their area of expertise; articles that can be submitted on a variety of sties and that will ultimately link back to the expert’s web site.

In the next post, we’ll continue to talk about how expertise online can increase web site traffic and grow a business.

In the last post we talked about how important it is to not only attract visitors to your web site through appropriate marketing and search engine optimization, but to give them what they want right away once they get there. Owning and running a web site is a competitive business; you never want your potential customers to get frustrated because they can’t find what it is they came there for in the first place, log off your site, and head to a competitor’s web site.

In order to make sure your visitors (and potential customers and clients) are properly welcomed, treat your web site like the destination that it is, and roll out the red carpet for those who make the effort to log on, including:

* Forget the bells and whistles and give them what they want. It’s great to have animation on your site but keep it as simple as possible. The more “stuff” you have, the slower the site takes to load, and the more time you are asking of someone who may be in need of something quickly.

* Follow the two click theory. A general rule of thumb is that visitors to a web site should be able to find what they need in two clicks. This means keeping the navigation plan on your site simple and user friendly. Don’t bury your products and services; these are what they came for in the first place.

* Add value with content. Including updated information on your site that is relevant to your industry is another way to increase web site traffic; there is value that is over and above your core products and services. Additionally, if you include well chosen keywords in your content you are simultaneously increasing your search engine optimization efforts and bolstering your web traffic.

So the summer is ending (quickly, we might add) and the kids are heading back to school. The summer schedule is now over, and businesses have begun to pick up their pace and get back into their steady groove. This means decision makers are back from their summer vacations, budgets are being finalized, and commerce as we know it is back on track. For many businesses this time of year represents a time during which to access the current state of the business and set out plans for the coming months. This self assessment is critical in order for a business to take stock of what is working and set goals for itself in terms of increasing efficiency and profit – even in this economy.

This same type of process is important for every business – whether it’s a small, privately owned business or a large publicly traded organization; and it even holds true for web sites.

Web sites may measure their success in different ways but the importance of taking a business’s temperature time to time is just as important if a business is traditional bricks and mortar or a virtual business. For web sites, this time of year may be a good time to:

* Look at the pattern of web traffic over the summer. Did it increase? Decrease? Stay the same? Were any of the changes seemingly connected to anything particular happening on the site? For instance, was there an increase in web site traffic during a promotion you were running? Did web traffic drop off when a sale ended?

* Identify what worked and what didn’t. Based on this information, it is important to set goals for the coming months in terms of planning for things that worked to increase web traffic and looking for new ways to bolster visitors to the site. Do you have a forum? A blog that you continually update? Are you giving your visitors a valuable experience?

* Determine if you would be well served by a professional web site optimization firm. When planning for a fall budget it may be wise to consider procuring the services of a professional web site optimization firm that can help your site raise its rankings on the search engines and ultimately increase web site traffic.

It’s no secret that the economy is in a bit of a struggle these days and the effects can be seen from the average American household to the large corporation. Businesses have had to make serious choices in order to help bolster their bottom line and this has impacted the jobs of many people around the country. While we may not automatically think of web sites as the average business, in reality they are more than average in today’s business environment. With more and more people working online, a web site has become tantamount to the corner store fifty years ago; everyone goes there for everything they need.

So how is this economy affecting web sites? With consumers in possession of less disposable income they are shopping less and less; certainly those web sites that are engaged in the sale of products and services have felt the pinch and have responded accordingly.

During economic downturns you will always see an increase in competition in the traditional world of business; just as animals will fight harder for the only available food during a famine. Consider for example the mortgage industry which is suffering tremendously at the moment. Just a few short years ago we were seeing a housing boom and the market was rich; there was more than enough business to go around and while competition is always alive and well in a capitalist society, the pressure was somewhat off because essentially everyone was fat and happy at the time. Today, of course, the housing market is much slower and mortgage companies are fighting for business – doing what they can to out step the competition.

This same philosophy holds true for web sites. When there are few people shopping there is less web site traffic. The pressure becomes to increase web site traffic in spite of the economy so that a web site can remain viable and ride out the current economic wave.

In the next post, we’ll talk about some of the ways in which web sites can remain profitable and increase web site traffic.

Right now retail businesses are feeling the crunch of the economy. This means that while stores may be receiving quite a bit of foot traffic, they are not seeing too much purchasing happening. These are difficult times but savvy businesses that keep their head understand that this foot traffic derived from browsing would-be customers will allow them to pick right back up where they left off when the economy gets back into swing. All businesses are wise to promote a fair amount of foot traffic as it keeps their company fresh in the minds of customers and viable even during a tough economic stretch. Web sites should be just as invested in making sure that their site is visited on a frequent basis even if people are not purchasing right off the bat. Keeping the foot traffic alive online involves making a commitment to search engine optimization to be sure; but it also involves making a commitment to giving customers what they want once they arrive on the site.

To this end, now may be a great time for web sites that are interested in keeping their business afloat to introduce a new product or service and promote it on their site (as well as on as many third party sites as they can find).

By promoting a particular product or service a web site is creating its own content essentially, making it much easier to yield comprehensive search engine optimization. By writing about the products and services a site is promoting they are creating a buzz and a buzz is always helpful in terms of increasing web traffic. But it’s not just about more web site traffic; creating a buzz about a product line is helpful in solidifying a company’s reputation and helping it weather this current economic climate.

In the last post we discussed the present state of affairs in terms of the economy and how it has affected individuals to businesses as we all struggle to make ends meet and make the most of our situation. For businesses, this is a particularly rocky time as there is little disposable income left over for those who would normally shop for goods and services that are over and above the bare essentials.

Businesses are suffering - traditional businesses especially - and doors are closing everywhere we look. Those businesses that operate online have a bit of a leg up on their traditional competition however; they are able to offer their customers alternative benefits as we all wait for the economy to improve.

For web sites to increase web traffic even in these tricky times they can look to provide the following for their visitors:

• Blog content that focuses on a particular topic or industry. If you can’t provide customers with products and services you can at least provide them with information – that which they will return again and again to read. And by keeping the content new and fresh web sites are able to maximize their opportunities to build a strong fan base that loyally returns.

• Contests and giveaways. Now, more than ever, consumers are looking for a deal. With periodic giveaways, web sites can ensure that they are offering something of value for those who will hang in there with them through the recession.

• Offer an opportunity for visitors to speak amongst themselves. Forums are a great way to draw a crowd and keep them coming back for more. If you are providing interesting information then readers may choose to comment and that is how a community is formed.

By employing unique methods of marketing during this time period a web site can be sure to increase web traffic even when business is slow and put themselves in a position to re-engage customers once they are back in the market to buy.

It may be mid-summer but most companies are already looking toward the fall in terms of setting their budget for marketing and making plans for controlled spending. Marketing dollars do not come easily – especially in this economy – and making a very specific budget is paramount for achieving marketing goals while still being mindful of the bottom line. Web sites are no different in this capacity than traditional businesses; the budget of a web site must be minded in order that owners do not put too much money towards something they are not absolutely sure will give them a return on their investment. This is especially critical during these rocky financial times.

Web site marketing, luckily, isn’t all about expenditures. It is also about hard work and good old fashioned elbow grease. It is just as important for web site owners to put the time and effort into optimizing their site for the search engines as it is to actually advertise that site through the myriad of opportunities in this regard.

First and foremost in any web marketing plan is search engine optimization. A web site must be found by the search engines in order to ultimately be found by potential customers. This may require on-site content – as well as content on third-party sites – that encompasses the use of specific keywords or keyword phrases that have been identified as being specific to the site itself. In other words, those search engine users that are in search of the products and services offered by the site in question may use particular keywords to find them; smart web site owners make sure those keywords are included on their site or in third-party locations that lead to the site.

Many web site owners find that a web site optimization firm is crucial in the role of search engine optimization and can help them put their marketing dollars to work in the most efficient way and ultimately increase web traffic considerably.