Re: On sources of traffic

From: Don Lokke, Jr. <info_at_net5000.com>
Date: Wed 11 Apr 2001 10:15:13 -0600

Warning don't rely on search engines

You can forget it all, link popularity, keywords,
doorway pages, meta tages, keyword usage formulas, spiders,
etc.... You have to change the basis for your traffic.
You have to regain control of your web site traffic
without relying on search engines, directories, links
or other schemes... It all goes back to sound marketing.

I had a client that got top listings in most of the search
engines by working all the details.... His results were
14 uniques/day. Here the problem was the selection of
keywords. Select the wrong keywords and you can get top
listings but no traffic.

I had another client that had great placement but then
came the mergers...most of his listings were dropped and
he lost the corresponding traffic when the search engines
and directories merged. The latest dot.com failures of
directories and search engines are a big factor too.

Imagine building too many pages on the same domain. Then
the search engines drop you for a "spamming" strategy
that you never imagined. It's true. You can get dropped
for not revising your pages frequently enough.

Site reviewers are another story. You wouldn't believe
the petty fights over minor details that keep sites out
of search engines and directories. I was a GO.com
"Guide". I saw sites rejected because they didn't have
a link back to the home page, the graphics were to bright,
the quality was too polished....

The lesson? Don't rely on the search engines as the
primary source for your traffic. You have to understand
that you use search engines, banner ads, pay-per-click
links, and sponsorships to prospect. For those that
aren't schooled in sales, "prospecting" is finding new
customers. The trick to long term traffic is never losing
a visitor. Buying traffic is a misnomer. Real traffic
is traffic you own not traffic you borrow, rent or buy.
If you are going to spend to generate site traffic you
better have a strategy to keep some of it.

So what's a winning strategy? If you really want to
regain control of your web site traffic you have to use
tools to generate multiple visits to your site by each
visitor. Return visits represent in the web world what
customer retention is in brick and mortar business. You
can't spend all your money or time on prospecting. You
have to build a customer based and build relationships.

Finding tools and time to do this can be tough. Some of
the more common tools include:
Opt-in email lists
eZines
Coupons
Specials
eCRM
Portals
Content

There are other tools too but the point is to build a
strategy that uses some of these techniques to take
control of your traffic. Relying on search engines has
some real pitfalls ahead. Because ISP's are focusing on
their own portals and browsers are incorporating some if
not all of the search functions, dependence on search
engines could be a fatal decision for your long term
economic wellbeing. There should be a movement among web
developers to protect their clients from the obvious.

Understanding the range of internet tools and how
they can be used to take control of your traffic is
going to be key to long term success. We all need to
spend more time on traffic options that make sense.
Rather than quick solutions that leave us vulnerable to
changes in the industry.

Don Lokke Jr CEO
LokkeAdvertising
http://www.usa5.com
http://www.popontop.com



Received on Wed Apr 11 2001 - 11:15:13 CDT