generating programs , online business , business owner

By: Angela Wu

It's no wonder that there are so many programs meant to help

the online business owner drive traffic to their websites.

With billions of web pages on all topics imaginable, most

of our sites are just a tiny "blip" on the Internet radar.

Doing business online is to some extent a numbers game...

but to just seek traffic for the sake of it? In my

experience, it's usually a waste of time.

Let's use spam as an example - you know the type: they

solicit you for all sorts of things, from printer cartridges

to porn, from "free" vacations to weight loss supplements.

Most people simply get annoyed and delete the email. But

out of all the hundreds, thousands, or even millions of

people who received the email, there's bound to be a few

people who buy.

The same concept applies to many of the "traffic-generating"

programs found far and wide on the 'net. These programs

typically claim to send a "flood" of visitors to your site

-- and many of them do exactly that.

So what's the problem? It's simply that most traffic-

generating programs aren't targeted to your audience.

They're meant to do one thing: send you *traffic*.

That could mean that your "makeup tips" site is receiving

hits from people looking for pet supplies, automotive tips,

or work-at-home jobs. These visitors are generally

uninterested in what you have to offer, and are far

less likely to make a purchase.

When you consider using a traffic-generating program,

ask yourself some pointed questions. For example:

= Can you select targeted traffic that will fit with

your site?

= How is the traffic sent to you? This can make a big

difference; if a visitor is sent unwillingly to your

site (for example, through a pop-under window from

another site), he or she may be less inclined to do

business with you.

There's no doubt that getting traffic to your site is hard

work. Traffic-generating programs aren't the only answer;

there are also the usual "tried-and-true" methods such as

the search engines, newsletter advertising, targeted link

exchanges, joint ventures, press releases, various offline

methods, and many more.

It's easy to fall for promises of lots of traffic, fast...

but remember that it's not how much traffic you get that's

important; it's how much of the RIGHT traffic you get.

In other words, you want *quality* over *quantity*.

Does this mean that all traffic-generation programs are

useless? No. As a business owner, you're always on the

lookout for new tools and services that can help you to

produce better profits. Experiment and track the results...

then use the methods that give you the results you want.

Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical

guide to building a profitable Internet business on a

beginner's budget. Each issue is packed with valuable

tips and tools to help you to nurture your business to

success! For a series of 10 excellent free reports, send

a blank email to: mailto:businessbasics@workyourleads.com