Jim’s top traffic tips
I just got back from an Internet marketing conference and I picked up some great ideas.
One of the presenters, Matt Bacak presented his top list of traffic generating ideas. It was quite informative.
I thought I’d pass along some of what he shared and also add in a couple of ideas that have worked very well for me.
I’ll present the ideas in reverse order…saving the best for last based on MY experience.
Let’s start with the weakest idea, but an idea that deserves addressing.
8. SEO
I have to mention SEO (search engine optimization) since I’m talking about traffic. I’ve benefited from SEO at times, but then all my hard work goes up in smoke a few months later. I’m not a big fan of following SEO trends.
Let’s just say there are TWO kinds of SEO experts. There are SEO experts who are using useless, outdated, irrelevant techniques, and then there are SEO experts whose ideas will soon be useless, outdated and irrelevant. In other words, what works today won’t work tomorrow GUARANTEED.
The best way to make sure you always rank well in the search engines is to provide original relevant content on your sites. That’s what all the search engines like to reward. You can only trick the search engine so long before you get caught and get dropped.
7. Blogging
I’m just starting to use some strategies that involve blogging, but it seems to be going well. I’ll fill you in later when I’m more confident in the strategies I’ve learned.
6. Press Releases
Forget the days of faxing press releases to all the major media outlets. Now you can go to prweb.com and FOR FREE you can submit an article or new release. The beauty of this strategy is that your article will be archived for a VERY long time and start showing up on search engines all over the web. This is a great free traffic tool. Matt suggested that you pay to be able to track your stats when using prweb.com. I’ve always just used the free version and have gotten good results.
5. Affiliates
I get a lot of traffic from AFFILIATES. I believe that every web site that sells a product should have an affiliate program. Reward your affiliates handsomely for sending you traffic. We pay our affiliates 50% of every sale. This link tells you how to join our affiliate program.
To tap into the power of eBay as a traffic generation machine check out my all time best seller “The Silent Sales Machine Hiding on eBay”. (Note: all customers who buy that book before the end of August 2006 will get my new eBook found at parttimeplan.com FREE). For details see ParrtTimePlan.com
4. Article submission
I’ve just begun using this strategy, but already I’m seeing HUGE results. ANYONE can write simple informative articles and submit them to article directories. The key is to include a “signature” line at the end of the article that points to your website. I’ve just added a new feature to my personal resource page that lists all the major article submission sites. You can also use this tool to blast your articles out to hundreds of article sites at once. Very cool stuff…and a ton of traffic!
(NOTE: Jim’s personal ”resource page” is available ONLY to customers who buy or have ever bought “The Silent Sales Machine” from SilentSalesMachine.com. There is a link inside that book that takes you to the “resource page”.)
3. Joint Ventures
A joint venture is how I had my first great sales day on the Internet. I had an eBook that I was trying to sell so I went looking for anyone with an email mailing list full of names of people interested in my topic. I offered a 50% split of every sale and gave the list owner a short article. She sent the article to her list and BAM $600 to her and $600 to me.
I’ve done countless JV’s since then. You can also buy paid advertising in many email newsletters as well. If you buy an ad spot you keep all the sales instead of splitting the sales. I talk more about how and where to find large mailing list owners who are willing to do JV’s or advertising in my book “The Silent Sales Machine”.
2. EBay traffic strategies
Since eBay is the MOST popular website in the world (behind a few search engines) you are CRAZY if you aren’t tapping into that source of traffic. That’s what my book “The Silent Sales Machine” is all about so I won’t hit this topic too hard, but doesn’t it make sense to try to do something with the 1,000 auction visitors that your eBay listings get besides sell just one item one time?
1. Have your own newsletter
There is one guaranteed way to get a SWARM of traffic ANYTIME you want. It’s not complicated at all. Start an opt-in mailing list and send your loyal customers (like I’m doing right now) information that they want and need. The favorite tool that I use to manage my lists is aweber.com. The larger your list and the stronger your credibility the more traffic you’ll get. Hint: I like to use the #2 idea to grow my #1 idea.
Send me your traffic tips and we’ll spread the word!
Jim Cockrum