Making money basics: traffic

Just as there are three major ways to earn money on the internet, there are also three ways to get lots of visitors to your website:


1. Advertise
2. Advertise
3. Advertise

This is not meant to be insulting to you; it is meant to focus your attention.

How many ways are there to advertise? A heck of a lot more than three. A heck of a lot more than Google Adwords.

In short, pretty much every single thing you can think of to do which will somehow serve to publicize your website falls under the general category of advertising. A lot of the things on the following list are things you very likely do already. Maybe you just haven’t thought of them as being “advertising.”

Adwords bidding (I didn’t say not to do it, just that it isn’t the only way to advertise.)

Visiting other websites and commenting.

Syndicating your content.

Creating a topical and informative newsletter.

Forcing yourself to join some social networking websites.

Making a list of relevant forums and being a regular contributor.

Pay for advertising space on popular websites, at least as popular as you can afford.

Write free PDF downloadable informational ebooks.

Be a teacher. Set yourself up as an authority on something. (You are, you know.)

Finally, make sure your website is attractive, informative, entertaining, and fun to visit. Unless you are selling used cars, respect your audience by leaving out the audio, the popups, and the unutterably despicable sticky regenerating exit windows. If you happen to be selling cars, new or used, then the above is ok, because you don’t respect your audience anyway.

Are there more? I haven’t even scratched the surface. Use these to jog your thinking about more.

More importantly, DO them.

Go out and get them!

I know you’re a good writer. Your blog is beautiful and well-laid-out. It is interesting and entertaining. You’ve got something to say, and it shows! Your blog is clear and properly monetized. So what’s the problem?

The problem is you are all alone.

You are writing classic stuff for nobody but yourself. No traffic. No visitors. No readers. Nada. No wonder you’re discouraged. Who needs this? You can walk downtown and get ignored with less work.

Psst. Listen.

GO OUT AND GET THEM! Stop sitting there staring at the screen and waiting for them to show up. DO SOMETHING! Hello?

Let me be more specific. Search the web for people who are interested in the niche subject you are blogging about. There are hundreds and hundreds of “communites” out there. Forums. Chat rooms. Kindred blogs. More than you could ever peruse and exhaust in a lifetime.

GO GET INVOLVED! Yes. I’m shouting at you. It’s called “networking.” It’s like asking someone to dance instead of just sitting there at the party. Get out there and expose yourself to your fellow bloggers. No, not that way. I mean get out there and talk to them. Ask questions. Answer questions. Make comments. Get a virtual life. Invite people home (to your website, that is.)

The choice is yours. You can continue blogging to the wind, or you can get out there and start dragging them back to your site! Why not?

Why not today?