| Website traffic is an issue that we all have to deal with for our websites one day ? and it?s not a small issue either. Traffic can spell the continuance or death of a website. A website, after all, will be nothing without visitors, and the more human, living, breathing visitors you have coming to your website, the better it will be for you in the long run. The more that your visitors translate their visits into sales, then the better it will be for you: this is especially true if you are selling products and services exclusively online and need every click to translate into sales. There are many ways that you can drive traffic to your website. People use search engine optimization, or the tinkering and tailoring of website content so that it fits the requirements of major search engines. This requires the work of writers called search engine optimization specialists, who specialize in turning ordinary articles into keyword or key-phrase-dense ones. Once the search engines pick up these keywords and key phrases, they can properly index the site under a word or phrase that an Internet user would use to search the site using the search engine. Other web designers and web developers are more interested in the profit side of web business, and they will usually stop at a single round of search engine optimization. Search engine optimization actually works on multiple rounds, because updates from other sites tend to swallow up old websites, changing rankings constantly. For those who do not update their sites too much, there is affiliate marketing, where web designers or web developers can earn commissions based on clicks of visitors on advertisements posted on their websites. Both methods, however, should not be used on their own ? in fact, the best web designers and web developers always consult with marketing strategists in order to provide the best service for the client. Web design is not enough to create a useful website: the best websites are those that cater to the needs of its market, which can change constantly. If you are hoping to meet your market?s needs, then why not create informational products, or infoproducts? Infoproducts can come in the form of software, graphics, videos, or electronic books. In whatever form or shape they come in, infoproducts are meant to educate people on different things. Hence, there is tutorial software for potential graphic designers, graphics or photos showing flowcharts that can help students better understand video editing techniques, videos showing how to publish electronically and how to market an electronic book, and electronic books that instruct people how to use a certain software. The list goes on and on and on. So how can you make an infoproduct for your website? First of all, look for something that you want to educate people on. This will help you select the best medium of instruction, whether you should use software, graphics, videos, or electronic books. It will also help you market the infoproduct, and help you streamline your budget for marketing, whether it be online, offline, or both ways. Next, look for potential sources for the infoproduct. Check at your local college or university if you are presenting something academic; many professors are willing to help for a minimal fee, or sometimes even for mere mention. Talk to your friends who are experts in certain topics. When you finally get the text or graphics or video together, get someone to critique it and see if it works. Marketing and pricing will be entirely up to you. What is important is that you identify something that your clients need. So ask around, send out emails, or hold a survey amongst your potential market members. Meet their needs, and you will earn. |