10 Tips To Keeping Your Visitors Around And Increasing Conversions

By Kaleb Brody

 

There are a number of ways to get visitors to your website but what can you do to keep them there? Below we are going to discuss 10 things you can implement to make your visitors stick around.

The number of visitors who land on a site and quickly move on is called the bounce rate. Most websites that have a high bounce rate are not currently using these techniques or have no clue as to what their market really wants and needs.

Here are 10 proven tips to keep visitors on your site longer.

1. Teach your visitors something. Visitors don't want loads of hype, they want to learn and increase their knowledge of your product or industry so they can make an informed decision. Provide informational content about your product or services. Teach your visitors and this will help them create a good opinion about your site.

2. Keep the navigation simple. Navigation links should be large and clearly labeled. Have you ever been to a cultural restaurant but couldn't tell the men's restroom from the women's? While you may think themed titles are cute, your visitors may become confused and end up leaving your website. If in doubt, always go with the more common title.

3. Keep your content updated. Try to update times, dates, and news articles as much as possible. You don't want your website to sound like it was published in the stone age do you? If you're running an information based site than it is important to consistently add fresh and unique content.

4. Add a blog. Blogs can be added to your site with a few clicks if your web host includes the option within your hosting package. If not, you can always start a free blog at Blogger.com or Wordpress.com and link it back to your website.

Blogs are an easy way to add new content. It's a great way to add user-generated content and it's a amazing way to build a dedicated group of visitors who visit your blog everyday. Since blogs create interaction with your visitors it also builds trust and creates the feel that there is actually someone on the other side of the website.

Blogs that offer quality content always carry a loyal group of followers and often create a hefty income.

5. List and describe product benefits. Most site owners describe the product's features, example: Rubber coated speaker, 2-ohm total impedance , etc., Your visitors don't purchase features, they purchase the benefits that the product or service will provide for them. Is your product a time saver? Is it easier to use than most competing products? Make sure you describe how the product will make the visitors life more productive, more fun, easier, or better.

6. Provide product pictures and related images. People like to visualize things. Ever wonder where day dreaming came from? Websites with relevant images help stimulate the visitors emotions and emotions drive sales. Remember a picture is worth 1,000 words.

7. Make sure your visitor knows their purchase is secure. More than one-half of all buyers won't buy online because they're afraid of getting scammed. Proudly display signs of trust like BBB Online and Verisign logos. Make sure your visitors know your site is secure or most will not feel comfortable making the purchase.

8. Make sure your informational content is accurate. Your visitors will stick around to read your message especially when you back it up with references and third party awards.

9. Ask for site feedback. Provide your visitor with a way of leaving feedback for you and other readers. Testimonials are a powerful tool because they give your product credibility from a third party. Testimonials can be a trust builder, especially if you provide a reference (phone number, email address, etc. ) for them to contact the user that gave the testimonial.

Most of the time your visitors will not contact the person that gave the testimonial but it helps build trust and provides an authentic feel. Only provide the reference if the person that sent you the testimonial gives you full permission to do so.

10. Test and Tweak. Not every site will be a home run the first time it steps to the plate. Use tools like Google Analytics to determine what makes your visitors stick around and what makes them "bounce". You then proceed to build on the good and drop the bad.

Tweaking your website will improve the performance of your sales funnel and link popularity over time. The difference between a site that generates 100% ROI (return-on-investment) and 500% ROI is usually a matter of split testing and tweaking.

Successful sites keep their visitors interested with easy-to-find information that fulfills the visitors wants and needs. That is what separates the beauty from the beast.

Kaleb Brody is a full time Internet marketer and web designer. If you're interested in learning about how you can quickly and easily build a professional website with no HTMLl skills, then be sure you go to SiteRubixOne.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kaleb_Brody

Link Building With Web Directories - Choose The Directories Wisely

By Jilia Gulevich

 

We all know that the more popular the site is, the more visitors it will receive. One best way of achieving such popularity is building back links by submitting the site to web directories.

First of all, let's shed some light on what a back link and a directory are. Back links are the incoming links to a website or webpage. They are also called inbound or inward links. The quantity and quality of back links determine the popularity of the website in many search engines like Google.

The are two main types of back links:

• One-way links. It is when someone's link is placed on the site with nothing in return.

• Reciprocal or exchanging links. It is when one site includes a link to another site and that site places a back link in return.

Directories are online catalogues that list other websites according to their contents.

You should submit your link to big directories like DMOZ, Yahoo, or Best of the Web. Various small free or paid directories are also worthy your attention.

Submitting your link to free directories is a must, except for those that require a reciprocal link for your site to be listed. Ultimately, it's about you to decide whether to give a reciprocal link or not. Just keep in mind that search engines will not penalize you because of your incoming links, but your outgoing links can do much harm to you. If you link from your site to a known spammer or so-called bad neighborhood, your position in the search engine result pages could suffer. Most of the directories that require a link back exist only to gain link weight for themselves and are not worth your time.

We also recommend that you avoid the directories which require a payment for a site to be included. Many paid directories are launched solely to make temporary money. Their owners will promote the directory and try to inflate its PageRank to attract submissions and then switch to yet another new directory using the same bait. Many also have been banned or penalized by search engines for the practice of selling links without editorial review.

A submission price in small directories can vary from a few dollars as a one-time fee, to as much as $50 annually. There are thousands of such directories out there. Choosing the right ones to submit your site can take some time, work and knowledge.

We recommend that you pay attention the following factors when considering a directory for your submission:

• The Google PageRank or Alexa Rating of the Directory. The higher the better. Never pay for a site submission if a directory has a Google PR of 0.
• Where are the back links of the directory from? Are those from real sites, or from other sites of the same company, or advertisements the company bought?
• Check how long the directory operates. You can check Whois.sc or Archive.org to get an idea. The longer the better.
• Look at other submissions in the directory and in particular in the category you will submit your link to. If you find spam sites or unrelated links, you do not want to be associated with it.
• If you know the name of the company that owns the directory, find more information about the company. If they don't tell you on the site, you can find it with Whois usually. Does the company maintain dozens of directories or just this one? You do not want to deal with the company that runs dozens of directories because they are obviously just out for your money.
• Price does always matter, so keep that in your mind as you make your decision.

As you see there is a thousand chances of getting listed, free, paid, or in exchange for a reciprocal link. Choose the directories wisely. Remember that it's not only the popularity that counts, but the quality as well.

I've just scratched the surface in the article presented. You can find a lot more valuable information about how to increase your site popularity by building quality one-way links here: Secret Tips For Building Quality and Natural Looking Links to Your Site

Author is a technical expert associated with development of one-way link building program: Fast Directory Submitter. Did you find those tips useful? Download a free report to learn more: Secret Tips For Building Quality and Natural Looking Links to Your Site. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jilia_Gulevich

Home Business Opportunity Seeker - The 3 Fatal Mistakes

By Vern How Chan

 

10 people decides to start a lemonade drink stall, after a week only 1 of them is really profiting

Why? The answer is simple. It is so simple I could tell you how similar it is a typical home business opportunity seeker. You see the trend and you decide that it is the way to go. After a few weeks or a month you find that it doesn't work then quit. Set up another business then quit again. Does this cycle sound familiar to you? If it is then learn to avoid future mistakes by learning what are they now.

Fatal Mistake #1: Getting In The "HOT" Trend

It is unavoidable. If you know any of your friend or family members (or even yourself!) as a trend based home business opportunity seeker you will notice a few things. It has to be new, recent and in the buzz. It has to be the thing that "everyone is doing". I got news for you. At 97% of the time it is not about the trend. You have to start cultivating the thought that you need to follow your passion and then comes the market demand. That's all.

Fatal Mistake #2: The Cheaper The Better!

Please do not be fooled by the "cheapness" of some programs. Yes, there are many legitimate ones but there are also many other "fly by night" programs out there. You can become a good home business opportunity seeker by doing a 30 minutes research online about that opportunity. Check the extra costs needed, the compensation plans and the credibility by going to certain discussion boards.

Fatal Mistake #3: You Got The Best One

You rarely find a home business opportunity seeker who is promoting his business by saying his own opportunity is a scam. This is a fact. Or else they would be losing their money and credibility. Likewise, you might think the business you are in is the best but in actual fact it is not. Sometimes, when you sense that it is time for a "change of direction" just follow your heart. Do it smoothly like 'moving up the income ladder' sort of thing.

The Heart Of A Home Business Opportunity Seeker

In the heart of every home business opportunity seeker, we have one goal which is to earn a good income either online or offline. However, if you have the iron willed desire to earn that income online then learning to market well online is a precious commodity. Start by equipping yourself with the right tools and knowledge to begin.

About The Author: This article is the property of http://www.Simple-Riches.com - you may freely publish it on a website as long as it is not modified in any way. It must include the author bylines; all hyperlinks and URLs must be made or remain active. Vern How has been earning online back in June 2006. He is a professional affiliate marketer who believes in giving back by helping others. To find out how Vern can help you work from home visit him today at Simple Riches For more information on a perfect wealth formula to profiting massively on the Internet, just check out some cool Home Business Opportunity Seeker Online Marketing Strategies ! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vern_How_Chan

Different Ways To Make Money Online - An Introduction

By Mike Anson

 

There are so many ways one can earn money online, but the most popular method is affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketers just have to worry about promoting the products or services they are marketing and not worry about the actual producing, storing, or delivering a product. They just make sure that the products they decide to market are of good quality, have a market and that they get a commission for each click earned through their website and advertisement. They ensure that their website is SEO and has informative keyword rich content that will lure targeted traffic to their sites improving the click through rate and their earnings.

One of the other popular ways of earning money online is by selling your services online. There are websites that let writers, website designers, programmers, SEO experts, Word Press experts, etc. advertise their services and seek employment. They mostly work from home and receive great pay. Writers can also make money not only by freelancing but also by writing informative e-Books.

Some people have been making a silent fortune using CPC advertising such as Google AdSense. They, however, spend considerable time researching ads that get the best click through rates and choose them. Some people create, design and produce their own unique products and use the net to market it to a global target market. Instead of a small town store, their reach potential over the internet is mind boggling. If they used SEO and marketed their sites well, they will have a booming business.

Selling information by buying reprint, resell and master rights is also getting to be a big money making scheme. You may also use blogs to make money online by displaying Google AdSense ads, RSS advertising, affiliate marketing, etc. Some people used the internet to establish themselves as experts in certain fields by providing people with accurate and highly informative views. This helped them get classified as consultants and guest speakers which helped them earn money online. People also earn money buy working from home as virtual assistants, and MT. Some get paid for reading e-mails, taking up paid surveys, data entering, selling their photographs among others.

There are just so many different ways to make money online that it can be rather confusing to choose one of them. Relax, identify which area or field you are knowledgeable in and confident about. Plan carefully, do extensive research and wish your every success in making money online!

Mike Anson is an expert Internet Marketer who has been training others on Internet Marketing for many years. Visit his latest site Affiliate Marketing for Free information on How to make Money Online. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Anson

Banner Advertising Post Y2k - Can it Still Build Web Site Traffic?

By Said Issilam

 

Banner advertising was first used in the early 90's as a means to increase web site traffic. Global Network Navigator (GNN), one of the first web sites in cyberspace, sold the very first clickable banner advertisement to a law firm in 1993. Within a very short time, Hotwired.com was selling banner advertising in large quantities. AT&T and Coors were the first big name corporate clients to buy into banner ads in 1994. For the record, Hotwired.com also coined the phrase "banner ad" and became the very first company to release click through reports to clients.

These types of sales became the primary tool behind any successful online advertising campaign. Sites fortunate enough to have considerable web site traffic were able to lure in advertising clients with the promise of high volume banner ad impressions on the most popular sites online. Sales reps were able to easily draw in new business despite the fact that banner advertising packages weren't necessarily a bargain. There was a demand. It was pretty much a given that people would pay a pretty penny to advertise on sites with a reputation for consistent web site traffic.

This approach to banner advertising sales worked like a charm, providing sites with plenty of revenue and an economic base for their web site. Sites had more money for design enhancements and advertising funds, which increased their web site traffic, guaranteeing them higher banner advertising sales. This fairytale built mansions for young entrepreneurs until 2000 when the dot com industry's bubble ruptured and banner advertising as we knew it literally crashed!

Banner advertising is still a practical modern day method of Internet marketing but the value of the ads are no longer what they were at the Internet's dot com peak. While this news may sound unwelcoming, the great news is the ad rates are no longer ridiculously overpriced and more people can actually afford banner advertising, reaping the rewards of increased web site traffic!

This is also a lot more visually stimulating than it was in the past and can be used in other ways besides increasing your presence on the web and your web site traffic. Not only can you profit from turning your web site traffic into paid subscribers, someone that buys your product, pays for your services, etc. but you can also build revenue by selling banner ad space on your own site or earn commission from a banner advertising affiliate program. This type of banner advertising will have you selling products and earning commission whenever a click through on your site turns into a purchase on the other site. We see this method of banner advertising everyday whenever we visit a web site and notice banner ads for books, DVD's or music available through Amazon.com or a similar site.

So, in closing, while the Internet bubble did indeed burst back in 2000, there are computers in more homes with more people online than ever before, meaning more web site traffic than ever before. Banner advertising is still a very effective way to boost your web site traffic and potentially make money as a result!

Said Issilam is the founder of http://www.topwebhit.com, a directory with a collection of web site traffic sources. We help webmasters and infopreneurs to boost web site traffic Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Said_Issilam

Blogging To Make Money Online

By Alejandro Leguizamon

 

If you can write, you can blog. And if you can blog, you can make money. It is really that simple.

Blogging is nothing more than keeping a web log, or a series of posts on absolutely any topic you like. The majority of bloggers are just personal blogger, writing about their daily life and experiences. These people tend to have a large following among family and friends, but not necessarily anyone else, unless they happen to have a fascinating life. Blogger.com is where you can start your project ,follows the steps ,is very easy and free. In order to earn money blogging, you need a topic that interests someone besides your mother. That doesn't mean choosing a technical or difficult subject, just one that will draw a crowd when you write something interesting about it. This could be anything from natural cosmetics to horror movies and anything in between.

Although some recommend choosing your niche based on things like high quality keywords, I personally believe that you are far better off selecting a subject that interests you. After all, you will have to write about it day in and day out for the next several years if all goes well! You ought to feel some passion for the topic.

Starting a blog is easy enough. Most people have plenty of ideas at the beginning. You can start off with a handful of articles on the basics of your topic and then post every day or every week, as you please, from then on. Keep your blogging posts on topic and full of interesting information to bring people back.

Now, just because you start blogging does not mean people will come flocking to read what you write. In fact, you will probably be dismally disappointed when you see the hits counter hasn't budged in a week. Once you have a few posts up, it is time to start promoting your blog. That means talking it up to friends and family, MSN contacts and adding your blogging URL to your signature line anywhere you can . . . in your email, forums and assorted message boards. These also count as backlinks which will eventually help you out in the search engines.

Earning with blogging can be done in several ways. For example, you can add ads to your blog. Adsense is a good one to start with, but there are plenty of alternatives. You can also take on a paid review ad from a website like Pay per Post or something similar, where you write a review of a product and post it on your blog and the site will pay you.

Affiliate marketing is another way to earn through blogging. Recommending a product and then offering your own affiliate link for buying it or signing up for a service is a good way to monetize your blog, I recommend thenewsroom.com,every time someone visits your blog you'll get paid.

You could also try selling your own products. These could be real life products that need to be shipped, print on demand products like from CafePress or Printfection, or information products like e-books. The idea is to turn blogging into a profitable venture.

Even after you start selling on your blogging site, remember to continue offering good solid information on your topic.

Alejandro Leguizamon is a marketer who works full time selling ebooks for about 5 years. http://profitpage.blogspot.com http://www.aljo777.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alejandro_Leguizamon

Affiliate Commissions - How To Stop Losing Them

By Robert E. Goyette

 

Do you recommend affiliate products to your web page visitors and email subscribers? It certainly is thrilling to make an affiliate sale. But do you ever wonder if maybe you are missing out on some sales? It's been estimated that as many as 35% of affiliate links either do not work or are somehow circumvented by the customer to rob you of the sale.

We won't go into the psychology of why someone would want to cut you out of the deal, But never fear, there is a way to fight back.

First, let's address the concept of links that don't work. If you're serious about selling affiliate products, you should be able to test your link. Contact the affiliate manager and ask if you can make a test purchase. If they say no, then it's time to find a new affiliate program. Some companies will tell you to make the purchase and then ask for a refund, while others will cancel your order before it is processed. Either is fine.

By the way, if you sell Clickbank products, it's easy to see if your affiliate link is working. Just start to order the product and on the payment information page, scroll to the bottom and it will tell you who the affiliate is.

Okay, so now we know your links will work. How do you protect yourself from customers cutting you out of the deal? There are a few ways.

1) Hide your affiliate link behind a URL redirect. Tinyurl.com has a great service for this.
2) Hide your affiliate link through a URL frame redirect. Your domain registrar can help you do this.
3) Change the text in the status bar of the browser to hide your affiliate link. The anchor text of the link shows the company's home page, the actual link is your affiliate link, and you use javascript to change the status bar text ( window.status=).
4) Add parameters to your affiliate link so that others are scared to mess with it. www.whateverprogram.com/?aff=you&freegift=true&verifylinkforgift=true
5) Offer a bonus if customers order through your link. Have them send proof of their order before you send their gift.

The above five tips should help you keep more of the affiliate commissions you deserve.

If you would like to know one more way to capture more affiliate sales (and it's more effective than the 5 other ways combined), you must have more than 5000 visitors per month, be ethical in your marketing, and be willing to spend some money on the solution. Email me if interested: MoreAffiliateSalesAtRobGoyette.Com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_E._Goyette

No Traffic, No Affiliate Income

By Andre Sanchez

 

There is a very simple truth about succeeding with affiliate programs. Without a reasonably high traffic moving in the direction of your affiliate web site, you will not make any money. It is really as simple as that.

Yet many folks continue to join affiliate programs and dream of making it big with measly traffic trickling in. This is just not possible.

It is therefore very important to establish how you will be generating traffic before joining any affiliate program. So any affiliate program that already has an established system for generating leads that includes effective methods for generating lots of traffic, naturally multiplies your chances of success long before you start working with them.

How Much Traffic Do You Need To Reach Your Targets?

In fact really successful affiliates will quite often do some very precise calculations on the amount of traffic that they require to reach their carefully thought out revenue targets.

For example the first thing they will do is find out how many unique visitors they need to arrive at their affiliate site before they can make a single sale. This is referred to as the response rate. Typically an affiliate may find that they need an average of 1,000 unique visitors to achieve a single sale. This means that for them to sell 100 units of their affiliate product they will require to direct 100,000 unique visitors to their affiliate site.

With this kind of approach success in affiliate marketing ceases to be guess work and becomes a highly scientific and quantifiable project where it is easy to focus on a precise number in terms of traffic required to reach one's goals, targets and objectives.

Not Just Any Traffic Will Do

It is critical to remember that just not any traffic will do. What is in fact required is highly targeted traffic. Online entrepreneur affiliates will quickly find that general traffic is almost useless because a very high number of hits will be required to make a single sale.

This is one reason why traffic from search engines is usually of great value to affiliates. Search engines are the most reliable source of targeted traffic in high volumes. This makes it extremely useful for an affiliate to understand search engine optimization or to possess SEO skills.

It is therefore hardly surprising that many affiliate programs give affiliates important keyword phrases to use for their marketing efforts in driving traffic to their affiliate sites.

Are you interested in checking out a high traffic affiliate program? - http://www.capitalistlifeonline.com This article was originally published at http://www.capitalistlife.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andre_Sanchez