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Increasing Traffic to Your Website : Understanding the Need for Dynamic Webpage Features

April 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Perhaps you’ve run across a truly static website while you’re searching the internet.  The content may be well written, but what are the chances that you will return to it once you’ve gathered the information you need?  If you like most internet users, the likelihood isn’t that great at all.  While static websites are wonderful for being found consistently for certain keywords, they certainly lack the thing that brings most people back for more- the idea of learning and gaining new information.   After all, humans are creatures that thrive on curiosity and learning new things.  Every day we adapt what we do to reflect what we have learned.  We may learn to walk a little differently, shop a little differently, even try new  cuisine if something piques our interest.  Why wouldn’t information provided from the internet have the same effect?

The trick is, of course to find a balance between keeping some of your website static so that the search engine tools have an easier time finding it, and providing content that is timely for the very human readers.  After all,  what good is a discount price, or a new shipment of material if your web based customers don’t know about it until after the promotion is over?

In a nutshell, dynamic content or features are those that can be regularly altered or changed without going in a reprograming the entire website.  These can include message boards, news feeds, even a regular blog post.  These things are designed not for the archives, but rather for the here and now, the point where you interact with your client, and learn what they need and want, and you can show them exactly what you can provide for them.  One way to think of it is an online version of a client presentation.

Another reason why having dynamic content is so important is that most people will only talk about your website to their friends if there is something to talk about.  Sure, your static web content if written well will start a few conversations here and there, but what about beyond that?  An active discussion board will help to encourage your loyal readers to share what they see as a good source for information to their friends, thereby growing your potential network of clients and content.

The truth is that making sure your website has dynamic features is a great way to get people talking about what you have to offer.  And the more people talk, the more chance there is that someone will stop to listen.

Dynamic means that it can change. When something is dynamic, it is possible to affect the outcome of it. So a dynamic web-site is a web-site where the content can be changed.

Now, when speaking of dynamic web-sites, it doesn’t just mean that you are going to update the content. No, it means that the user can interact with it. Most sites today are less or more dynamic. As an example, picture-hosting sites. There is millions of images up. You as a user get the option to sort them by tags, views, ratings, etc. That is dynamic.

Another example of a dynamic feature can be a news-box. While the user can’t affect this one, you can. By having one, you don’t need to redo your index-page and upload it again. You just log on to your own site and then type the news and click the submit-button. Makes life a lot easier.

If you create a image-gallery, you will only need to create one page, and then depending on the users selection, this page will reload but with the new image. A lot easier than creating a 100 different pages and linking back and forth, right?

Have Dynamic content on your site – Message Board, Links Directory, Guest Book, Online Search, Picture Gallery, Quote of the day, News items, Site Search, Links Engine … It all makes for a more enjoyable experience for your visitors … and interested visitors come back.

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Tips for Website Traffic: Remember that Quality Beats Quantity in the Long Run

April 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

One of the classic rules of thumb for increasing online traffic to your website is having your site submitted to as many search engines and directories as possible.  You want everyone to see what you have to offer, and if you list your website on every search engine directory under the sun, you’ll be set for life, right?

Not so fast.

While it is true that getting your website listed on many different search engines is important, you also have to remember that you are running a business, and trying to make it profitable.  The important thing is to look beyond the potential superhighways of website traffic to the true destination of what you want – a high conversion rate.  As a business owner, the whole purpose of increasing the traffic to your website is to gain more clients.  So the question becomes how to you balance broadcasting to millions of potential website users and focusing on the ones that may be interested in your business?  A scope that is too broad means that you are wasting your time and money.  On the other hand, focusing too narrowly means you may miss an opportunity just out of your focus area.

So what is a business owner to do?  In reality, it really is a balancing act, and one that takes a few tries to master, or the help of a professional.  The trick is to submit your website to both general search engines, and specialized directories, and do so at a cost effective way.  For example, if your website sells outdoor equipment, you probably don’t want to advertise on a directory that focuses on interior design.  However, a search engine devoted to travel may be just the ticket needed for piquing someone’s interest in your all-terrain hiking boots.

The next thing of course is taking the time to submit your website to all the different directories that would fit the bill.  If you choose to do it manually, prepare to spend a great deal of time on this project.  However, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that the directories that you are using will target your chosen audience to the best of their abilities.  It takes a little longer, but there is little wasted effort once you get the hang of it.

Of course, using a service to automatically submit your website to search engines and directories is another option, and one that many business owners utilize.  There are advantages, of course, including a decrease in the amount of time spent, and the overall number of website submittals versus the overall cost.  In many cases, website promotion professionals or automatic submittal programs have become quite adept at handling large volumes.  A word of caution, though – with higher submittal rates come the inherent risk that somewhere along the line your site will show up on a directory that simply doesn’t fit.  While one wrong directory submission in a great while might not seem like a bad thing, it can add up.  Also, remember that once your site is listed on that directory, it can be quite difficult to have it removed, as well as the impression that it has made on your potential customer.

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Using Audio to Promote Your Website

April 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you think about it, the internet has long been a place where people interact with each other and share information.  That’s one of the reasons why it can be such a boon for businesses.  After all, your local newspaper doesn’t have the same distribution, the local radio waves don’t have the breadth of availability, and even the local television station can’t reach the same number of potential clients like the internet.

So many companies, just like yours choose to use the internet to promote their businesses.  That means that in a very real sense, the only way to get your website noticed is to truly stand out, and the competition is certainly fierce.  One of the easiest ways to get more people to visit your website, and possibly become your clients is through the proper use of auditory material.
While we are visual creatures by nature, we also notice sounds quite easily.  In fact, some research would suggest that because we are so visually oriented, we use our hearing ability to notice new things.  A rustling in the leaves or a snippet of a news cast on the radio catches our attention, and we use our eyes to gain more detailed information.

Another reason why having audio files on your website is a great tactic for drawing traffic is because many search engines today are designed to not only highlight written content, but video and audio files as well.  How many times have you done a search for a product, and found videos relating to the subject matter at hand?  Well each one of those videos or podcasts relates back to a particular website, either through direct links or shared ones.  In essence, those websites have double or even triple the exposure than they would have with a static website itself.

Of course, if you chose to use audio files to make your website more interactive, you need to make sure that the website visitor can interact with the website.  The method of delivery of your audio content is extremely important, almost as important as the content.  If you can afford to, consider supplying your dedicated player instead of using YouTube or Google Video.  While both YouTube and Google Video are great ways to distribute to the masses, they are also maintained by outside entities, and problems with uploads, site crashes, and even just routine site maintenance have to be dealt with on a regular basis.  Also, having our own player on the website often provides a more professional appearance.

Remember, audio files will help enhance your viewer’s experience of your website, but only if used in a tasteful manner.  The last thing a potential client wants is to have their ears assaulted with noise – or sounds that are extremely jarring and unpleasant.  So if you chose to use audio files on your website, remember that they are a compliment to the content, not in competition with it.

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How Often Should You Produce New Content?

June 9, 2010 By 1 Comment

Producing quality web copy does take a bit of time and effort.  Most copywriters realize that well written material can greatly contribute to the effectiveness of their website, so they often change the copy on the sites to keep up with the changing demands of their target audience.  The question becomes, though, is how often should you produce new content for your site?

In reality, it depends on the type of content that you have, and how well it is bringing in new and repeat business.

Sales Copy Content

As the name implies, this type of content is greatly dependent on what you are offering your potential customer.  The main purpose of this type of content is to convince a potential client to buy what you are selling, and hopefully become a repeat customer.  As such, when your portfolio, offerings or specialized deals change, the sales copy needs to reflect those changes.

If your site offers something new, either a product, service or discount, changing your sales page can allow you promote it without changing the rest of your website. This will help your regular readers realize the changes, without being confused by a completely new face to your business.

Regular Website Content

If your website continues to bring in regular client and business, the content might not need to be updated as often as your sales page.  That being said, it is always a good idea to regularly alter your content to refresh it in the eyes of the search engines.  Many of the programs used by Google ® or Yahoo ® have ways to determine if the content is old or outdated.  Updating your content is a great way to bring your website back to the front of the pack and the top of the search engine lists.

If your website content is in the form of a blog, it is important that your readers have fresh content on a regular basis.  A blog is a place where readers come to learn from your insight and expertise.  If they are continuously learning new things, they’re more likely to return, and remember you when it comes time to search for a provider.  Therefore, updating your blog on a weekly or even daily basis can be a great way to expand your client list.

By updating the content on your website and sales pages, you’ll keep your business in the forefront of your readers’ minds, and at the top of the search engines.  It’s a simple step, but it can mean a greater piece of the pie.

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