Getting Traffic
to Your Website
By
Tracey Allen
If
you run an Internet business, your marketing
plan should be developed in conjunction with
the development of your website, or prior to
developing your site. Although site development
and a marketing plan may seem like two separate
functions, and typically require two separate
consultants, they should ideally be done simultaneously.
Why?
Simply put, your website developer needs
to know how to design your website and
you need to decide how you want to use
your website. Some web developers may
or may not know search engine strategies
that need to be implemented when developing
your website, or traffic building strategies
such as, viral marketing to assist in
the online marketing of your business.
Whether you will target the world or the
local market is just one of many questions
you need to ask yourself.
For
those who have a website, should you just
sit and wait for the traffic to come to
your site? I like to explain online marketing
this way: compare it to what you know
- offline marketing. If you set up a store
in the physical world, will you do any
marketing? Of course you will. Your marketing
strategies may include announcing the
grand opening of your store, sponsoring
events, contests, advertising, or word
of mouth. Similarly, you must let people
know about your website.
Targeted
Website Traffic
Let's talk about traffic and what it means
to you as a business owner. We hear lots
of talk about the amount of traffic you
get to your website. More is better. Or
is it? Overall traffic isn't as important
as targeted traffic. There is no point
in having millions flock to your website
if your site and your products or services
are not what they are looking for. They
will merely clog your server (read crowd
your store) and don't buy anything. Keep
this in mind when you are designing your
online marketing and your website.
Traffic Analysis Tools
To evaluate anything you must first establish
a method of measurement. And if you want
value for your money then a system to
evaluate what promotions work is a must.
Dry but true! A traffic counter is an
ideal tool to use to see who is visiting
your website. Not perfect - but an inexpensive
start.
Traffic
analysis tools - http://webdesign.about.com/cs/traffictools/
Geographically,
whom are you targeting? Canada, the United
States, or the world? The traffic analyser
I use is the counter www.thecounter.com
and costs only $15 per year. I'm a budget
minded marketer! A very small sample of
the types of websites that visit my website
are listed in the graphic below:
Referral
links are especially important, as are
search engine listings. They will tell
you who and how people found your website.
Like
anything else, if you won't use it, don't
buy it. However, keep in mind that the
statistics can tell you more than just
who and how many are visiting your website
but also what type of browser, computer,
and screen size they are using. This information
will tell you how to design your website
in future, especially if you are going
to implement some newer technology, webcasting,
or streaming video etc. for maybe e-learning
for your customers.
Another
way to evaluate your marketing is to implement
tracking within your website and as a
part of any promotional campaign. Ask
your web developer for more information
on how to do this. Just remember to plan,
implement, and evaluate and your money
wouldn't be wasted.
Resources:
To learn more about the basics of online
marketing, take this FREE short online
marketing course at http://www.tallenassociates.com/MDC/index.htm
Tracey
Allen is a marketing/technology consultant
with her firm
T. Allen & Associates, Inc. based
in Charlottetown, PE and can be reached
at 902-628-1140 or tracey@tallenassociates.com
Website: www.tallenassociates.com
and www.biznetreview.com
