Archive for January, 2009
Thank a Plugin Developer Day
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009WordPress by itself is very simple — what makes it compelling for most of its users is the wide array of plugins (and themes) available for WP. The average WordPress blog has about 5 plugins installed! Today we just passed 4,000 plugins available in our plugin directory. (Which is also embedded into everyone’s WordPress 2.7 [...]
WordPress.tv
Saturday, January 17th, 2009Today we’ve switched on WordPress.tv, your visual resource for all things WordPress.
On WordPress.tv, you’ll find tutorials for both WordPress self-installs and WordPress.com to help you get blogging fast and hassle-free. We’ve kicked things off with the basics — now you can shape what comes next. Just drop us a line and let us know [...]
Your Way with Words is Key to Increased Website Traffic
Wednesday, January 14th, 2009You have to have a way with words in order to increase the traffic on your website. Sometimes, the most intelligent people in the world can have a problem communicating with others. When those intelligent people or great businesspersons develop a website that would blow your mind with great inspirations and benefits, they may not know exactly how to get across their message to their target audience.
Learning to communicate with the right words to get your point across clearly and without rambling is an important skill that takes some time to acquire. You can take the time to learn communication skills or you can hire a consultant to help you get your point across to others. Sometimes the simplest things are right in front of you.
When writing to produce more website traffic, you will want to make your website easy for others to read. It is better to write in laymen terms than in long scientific or technical mumbo jumbo. You want people to be able to read the pages on your website without getting a headache and without having to refer to a dictionary. Visitors should not have to learn how to translate your website in order to understand what you are trying to say. A hard to read or hard to understand website will be abandoned quickly.
When writing, be sure all content is relevant to your website. Only write the information that readers are looking for and that is relevant to your website and products. When you begin writing your first paragraph, try starting with paragraph with your conclusion. By getting to the point right off the bat, this could grab a reader’s attention and keep them reading. Keep your paragraphs and sentences short and to the point. Readers do not enjoy long, wordy web pages that take too much time to read through. Avoid writing in a passive voice. Readers want action words and a strong voice to tell them what to do. Keep your writing in a steady flow. Always read your writing aloud and listen to the flow. In addition, reading aloud can help catch those nasty little typos that will drive people away from your site. Proofread your writing before posting it to your website.
Understand that your website will be accessible to viewers all over the world. Although visitors from other countries may be able to view your website, they may not understand the language or the content. If your website is not for worldwide viewing, then you should specifically list the regions that can best view your website. You can add the intended region(s) in the page description or keywords. This way, if someone in Canada is looking for a veterinarian, he or she aren’t frustrated by looking through all the veterinarian web sites that only cater to pet owners in Paris, France.
Even some regional topics hold value to worldwide viewers. Perhaps a person in Italy will be visiting your hometown and would need to speak with a veterinarian about traveling with their pet. You may wish to provide general information on your website that will appeal to visitors outside your specified region.
Most of the websites on the Internet are in English, but that does not mean that English is a first language throughout the world, it just means it is easy to translate. Never use slang when writing on your website. Slang is not an internationally understood language and can be difficult when translating.
Also, take into consideration money and number conversions. If you are listing a price for services on your website, be sure to list the currency you will accept or will be using (USD, pounds, yen, etc.) The same goes if you are listing measurements or sizes. Always list the conversions or provide a link to a website for conversions. When in doubt, hire a professional translator.
Your goal is to increase the traffic to your website to benefit you or your business the most. By using the World Wide Web, you will be able to reach an audience of millions, all to your benefit. However, reaching all of these people, in the far reaches of the world requires good communication skills. You must be able to explain who you are and what you can do for the people. Tell them why they need your services above all the others. Be concise and to the point.
Write Positive Testimonials for other Websites and See Traffic Increase on Yours
Monday, January 12th, 2009Increasing traffic on your website is a smart thing to do. When trying to build a successful site, traffic increases are one thing to focus on. While there are several ways to increase traffic, it is most useful to utilize several methods to do so. Writing positive testimonials for other websites and including them on your website is a great thing to do. Not only is it a lovely way to give respect to sites you admire or utilize often, but it is also a great way to see traffic increase on yours.
When you use other website links and names in your website, you will be attracting their traffic as well. This occurs mostly due to search engine requests. When someone types in the website name used in your testimonial, to try to gain access to their site, it is likely your site will come up as well since you included their website name in your site content.
You can use their name on your site as a portal of sorts. They will in turn visit your site and mostly likely look around a bit before going on to the site they intended to visit. This may seem a little tricky, but it really is a great way to get more traffic on your site. This is especially true if you utilize popular website names in your testimonials. If you include a positive testimonial for a website that gets a large amount of traffic each day, it is only logical you will receive some of that traffic due to search engine requests.
After deciding to write positive testimonials for other websites and see traffic increase on yours, you will need to choose which sites are best for the task. Think about using sites that are highly used, but perhaps not too highly advertised. It can be challenging to get the right mix.
The idea is to find sites that are often requested on search engines. Sites that are highly advertised are usually easy to remember and web users will not use search engines to get to them. Sites that may contain tricky names, but are highly used may be better options because people are more likely to use search engines to get to them. Try adding different sites each month and research the sites that seem to bring more traffic to your site.
After choosing the sites, you will need to determine exactly what to say. Never write a testimonial before visiting the site yourself. You certainly don’t want to write positive testimonials about horrible sites, because they will only make your site look bad to viewers. Make sure you agree with everything that the site represents. Always keep the testimonials positive and encouraging.
You can write a synopsis of the site, review its services, review its customer service, or simply outline the business as a whole. No matter what you do, be sure to mention the website address as many times as possible in the testimonial. The more you mention the complete address, the more likely your site will pop up when someone does a search for that particular site on a search engine.
After completing the testimonial, be sure that the site’s address shows up in a different color than the rest of the text. You want to draw people into your site and if they are trying to get to another site, they need to see that your site offers a link to get there. They may bookmark the page and therefore use your site as a portal each time they want to get to the other site. This is great for your traffic statistics. Even if they don’t give your site a good look over the first few times they visit, it is likely they eventually will. If you make money off of each visitor to your site, then you likely don’t care whether he or she looks around or not, because you will collect just because they visit your site to get to the other site.
Writing positive testimonials for other websites is the perfect way to draw in more visitors to your site. Your website traffic will increase because of it and it won’t cost you anything but a little time to get it done. This is an inexpensive and effective way to help your site along. The more traffic your site receives, the better it will succeed. Trying methods such as this is a great way to do all you can do to make the success of your website a reality.
Works Well With Other Websites – Three Key Ways to Profit from Search Engines
Saturday, January 10th, 2009When most people go to the internet, they head directly for a search engine to type in the topic of their choice. If your business is not indexed by search engines, chances are good that you will never see the level of customers you might be able to with search engine traffic being directed your way. There are three fairly simple ways to increase your traffic and profit from search engines.
The first way to profit from search engines is through pay per click advertising. Pay per click advertising works through search engines that have an agreement with a business to place a small ad on the results page for certain key terms. The listing on the search engine page usually has a title, a short heading, and a short promotional wording blurb. Depending on the search engine, the advertiser may or may not get to control the text. The advertiser pays nothing to appear on the results page itself. He or she only pays a previously agreed upon amount to the search engine when a visitor clicks on the ad itself.
While it is true that pay per click advertising is only worth it if the sale gets from click to close, those businesses that do manage to close the sale have an excellent deal in their hands with pay per click. This means that customers are usually directed to their site for about five cents each, depending on the price of the key word. There are many different current companies that offer pay per click advertising.
Google's pay per click program is called AdWords. Google estimates that over eighty percent of internet users visit Google as a search engine. That results more customers seeing the ads than most businesses ever thought possible. Google allows you to create your own ads. They do, however, have a service that will design your ad for you if you choose. Yahoo is the other most popular pay per click program. Yahoo's Overture works through partner sites like MSN and Alta Vista. Through these many sites, they claim to allow you to reach over ninety percent of internet users.
The second way to profit from search engines is to increase your website content. When people surf the web, they are looking for content that is relevant to their purpose. They typically are not looking for marketing ploys. If internet searchers see relevant content on your site, they are more likely to read what you have to say. The more articles you have, the more chances you have that customers might see your site.
Many different people search for many different things. Many people search for multiple things in one internet session. As a result, if you have several key word articles, you have more chances that customers might see your articles and click on your site. Because content articles tend to be focused on a topic, and that focus leads to the repeated use of a keyword or phrase, that repeated use leads to higher and more search engine rankings. Increasing your website content will help you become one of those first ten articles. This means more people than you ever thought possible will be clicking on your site in no time simply based on your website content. Not only will you be closer to the top of the search engine with more content, you may also be indexed by more search engines. This could mean something like ninety percent of all internet users seeing your website in any one given internet session.
The final way to profit from search engines is to optimize your site using search engine oriented keywords. Using keywords can do a number of things for your site. First, and foremost, they increase your search engine ranking. Search engines index your pages based on location and frequency of key words on your page. The more key words on your page, the more likely you are to get a higher search engine ranking. The higher your search engine ranking, the more likely people are to click on your site. Research shows that typically, people only click on the first ten links with regard to search engine results. Therefore, if you land in those then, you are more likely to get more web traffic. Keywords also ensure that your pages will be indexed by more search engines. If you have more search engines indexing your pages, you will have more chances for customers to see and click on your site.
Profiting from search engines is not a difficult task if you try to use at least one, or preferably all three, of these methods.
Using Online Forums to Promote Website Traffic
Thursday, January 8th, 2009Many web users frequently involve themselves in at least one online forum. Online forums are a great way to connect with others on a more personal level. Some forums are very informal and involve discussion on everyday issues, while others are more informational. If you are trying to find free ways to advertise your own website, using online forums to promote website traffic is a great idea. There are several ways you can use online forums to promote website traffic. You should carefully consider the various different approaches and how you want your company to be viewed before using a forum as a means of advertising.
The easiest way you can use an online forum to promote your website, is by simply adding a link to your website in your forum “signature”. Many forums allow each member to create a “signature” that is added to the bottom of each of their posts. If you include your website address, it is likely that others you chat with in the forums will become more familiar with the website name and probably even check it out. This is one of the most reserved ways to promote website traffic in online forums. This is a great option for someone who does not want to be as pushy about the advertising aspect. You can be more natural with the ad delivery by using forums in this manner.
You can even begin visiting forums that you usually don’t, just to get your “signature” out there more frequently across the web. Many blogs also allow comment sections where you can leave your website in your “signature”, so take advantage of these avenues as well.
You can also simply post advertisements into online forums. This is a more direct way of reaching those that read the forum. It is free indeed, however you need to be aware of a few things before using this approach. First, some online forum moderators do not allow direct advertisements on their boards. They usually don’t do this to be mean or unreasonable; they do it to avoid the entire forum being filled with advertisements. It is possible that you may be able to sneak an advertisement in without being scolded, but it is better to follow the rules.
Another thing to consider when using direct advertisements in online forums is that the entire approach may seem a little pushy. Many people consider online forums as a place that is personal and free from annoying ads. Therefore, they may not respond well to a direct advertisement as they may see it as being made by an intruder that is not part of the normal forum “family”. Being bold enough to go this route however will most definitely give your site more traffic, because some of the readers will be prompted to check out more information from your post.
When deciding to use online forums to promote website traffic you need to consider what types of forums would be most appropriate for your posts. You can certainly use forums that you regularly comment within, even if they have nothing to do with your website. People who are use to seeing your comments will likely respond warmly to your website just because they consider you familiar. In addition to your regular forums, consider searching for forums that have some sort of a link to the content on your website.
For example, if you have a website about exercise, consider looking for a fitness forum to post within. After posting at the sites that are directly related to the content of your website, consider going to those that are somewhat related. Using the same example for the exercise website, consider also posting on sites that are about overall health or dieting. This will attract a broader audience.
Overall, the more people you reach with your use of online forums to promote website traffic, the more positive results you will see. Using forums are perfect for those on a tight budget who still want to promote their site. Just be sure to consider forum rules and choose an appropriate approach before posting. You don’t want to ruin your website’s reputation or even the reputation of your business.
Three Ways to Offer Free Services or Gifts to Promote Increase Website Traffic
Tuesday, January 6th, 2009Not all online marketing tactics work the same for all the different websites, but in order to increase the traffic to your website, you may have to offer free services or other promotional gifts. Offering free services or promotional gifts to the visitors of your website can mean all the difference in the world when converting a visitor into a customer. People like freebies, whether it is free shipping, a freebie, or buy one get one free offer. People like to know they are getting a great deal and they will often flock to the source to see what is available. Best of all, people always remember where they got their freebie from, especially if it is an item that can be used often.
There are literally thousands of ways to promote your website and to increase the traffic, but it is up to you to find the way that works best for your website. Here are the top three ways to offer free services or promotional gifts to increase your website traffic and to convert your mere visitors into loyal customers.
1. Contests
People love to enter and win contests. The thrill of competing with others for a grand prize or for numerous other prizes can be exhilarating. Contests work several ways: by the entrant deciding to opt-in for your website’s newsletter, completing a survey, or a number of other ways. Prizes could range from iPods, vehicles, DVDs, vacations and stereo systems to products and gift certificates from your website. The bigger the prize(s) or even the more prizes, the more entries will be received. You can choose from one entry per person or unlimited entries. You may also choose one entry per person plus one extra entry per referral. This option could generate more potential customers, which can lead to more sales and profits. Be sure you are following your state’s law regarding contests before posting the contest on your website and any rules and regulations.
2. Banner Advertising
This can work two ways. You can pay to have your website’s banner advertised on various other websites, directories and search engines or you can use banner exchanges. A banner exchange is agreeing to advertise other banner ads on your website free of charge while the website you are advertising for is posting your banner ad on their site, free of charge as well.
Hence the term banner exchanges. Buying banner ads can be a great advantage and done at an affordable price. If you choose to exchange banners, it is often at no cost, but you will have to remember that the more banner exchanges you do, that is more advertisements that appear on your website. Keep in mind that you do not want to clutter your website with other business advertisement banners. Select the sites you will be advertising on carefully. They should be in the general area of your business. For instance, if you are in business with selling dog toys, you will want to advertise with animal websites such as veterinarians, kennels and other related sites. You would not want to advertise dog toys on a construction equipment website.
3. Discounts
People love bargains. A great way to convert a visitor into a customer is by offering them special discounts and deals. Free shipping on the first order or on an order over $50 is sure to attract the attention of those bargain seekers. Buy one get one free or buy one, get one half off is a popular lure to entice customers to buy more products or services. You can also offer 10-20% off the second order, or a special discount when they refer you to a friend who makes a purchase. People flock to the twelve hours sales, especially around the holidays. The possibilities are endless. You want to make your customers think they are getting a great deal. Even a freebie with every order can be a great incentive to buy from your website.
Find your target audience and send them offers they cannot refuse. Free services and promotional gifts will not only increase the traffic to your website, it will practically guarantee loyal and repeating customers as well as an increase in sales and profits, which are just the right ingredients for running a successful website business.
Three Ways to Advance Your Search Engine Rankings
Sunday, January 4th, 2009Having a web site for your business is essential in today's online society. Customers expect to be able to find their favorite business online, and companies that refuse to use the technology available to them are often left in the dust. Simply having a web site, though, is often not enough. That website must be available to potential customers to be a valid source of advertising. The only way this can work is to have a high rank from search engines.
Search engine ranking gives internet users a way to determine if the page returned from the search they performed is of any value to them. The higher your search engine ranking, the more likely potential customers are to click on it. The lower your search engine ranking, the more likely customers are to never even find your website. There are three simple ways you can advance your search engine ranking and improve your business and your profits.
The first way to improve your search engine ranking is to pick your target key words carefully. When someone searches for something related to your business, you want your page to land in the top ten results offered by that search engine. Each page in your site should have more than one key word. Moreover, your site key words should be at least two words long. For example, instead of “stamps,” you might want to use “stamp collecting.” There are both free websites and pricey software that can offer you the best analysis of what key words you should use on your site. These can help you choose the right key words for your site.
Second, one of the main rules in search engine rankings is the frequency and location of key terms on your website. If the search term appears in your HTML tag, you are more likely to get a higher rating from a search engine. Moreover, search engines look for the key terms at the top of the page. Search engines are looking for the term in the headline or the first few paragraphs of the page. The nearer to the top, the more the search engine assumes the page is related to the topic the searcher is looking for. Another thing search engines look for is the frequency of the term. Search engines examine how frequently you use the term in relation to all of the other words on the website. They calculate the percentage and the higher the percentage, the higher your page ranking.
It is important to remember, though, that some search engines are built to detect spamming, or using the term too many times to direct searchers to an unrelated page. Sites that detect spamming will not only exclude your site in their results; they may also ban your site from their results on a permanent basis. Deliberately spamming can be a lot of work as well. You have to constantly battle to keep your key words at the level the rankings will require. Deliberate spamming is ethically wrong, and you should not resort to it to increase your page rankings. Paying attention to the location and frequency of the search terms on your website can greatly improve your search engine ranking.
Finally, build relevant content on your page. Be sure that your page reflects the key words. Using HTML text wherever you can will help both search engines and your visitors to determine the relevance of your site. Using large graphics means the search engine cannot read your site. While they may look nice, they will not improve your search engine rating. That relevant content should include building on your text references. If your key word is collecting, consider offering an alternate key word of collectors. This can keep your site from being eliminated by some engines as redundant.
Increasing your key word rankings can really help increase your business. It can direct more traffic to your website that you ever thought possible. Remember though; do not get tied up in your rankings. Even if you do not see an improvement in your rankings, you will at least know you should concentrate on something besides your page rank that will help you improve your site ranking.
Three Reasons Why Online Directories Could Work for You
Friday, January 2nd, 2009Online directories are typically places you can list your business and website for others to see. These directories are broken into different categories for easier navigation. If someone is looking for a stereo site for example, they can simply go to the electronic section and see a list of every site that deals with stereos listed. After choosing which site to proceed to, the viewer then simply clicks on the link provided and is lead right to that particular site. Online directories offer areas for any type of business you could imagine. They are a place where people can quickly come to get names of businesses and websites. Thousands of web users utilize online directories each day, making them a popular option for website operators and business owners. If you are considering placing your site on an online directory, consider these three reasons why online directories could work for you.
Exposure
Website success has many elements involved. One of the most important elements however is exposure. If your website never gets any type of exposure, then it is unlikely that it will ever become successful. For people to visit your website, they must be informed that it exists. This is an easy task for a large corporation who can advertise on television or large billboards. It can be extremely difficult for the smaller business however.
Online directories do however offer great exposure for your website and business. They allow you to post your information, such as your business name and website link, in places where people can actually look for you. Instead of you looking for people to invite to your site, they are basically searching you out. Just by placing your information in an online directory, your website traffic will increase dramatically. When you are putting your name and website out there, people are certainly more likely to find you.
Online directories usually offer different levels of exposure as well. You can usually choose between different levels of advertising. For example, one choice might be to simply add your name and website link to the main directory. Another choice however might be to add your name and website link to the main page of the appropriate area of the directory or to add “bold” text to your ad. These options are all beneficial and can help you get even more exposure.
Inexpensive
One reason online directories might be the perfect solution for you is that they are relatively inexpensive. If you are a small business owner, chances are there is not a lot of room in your budget for advertising. Advertising however is one of the key elements to the success of a business. Many online directories will offer a basic listing for free. This is a great opportunity to allow businesses with no advertising budget to advertise. These listings are usually very simple and contain “no frills”, but they are useful indeed. You can always get your information added to several online directories for free and cover more ground than you thought possible. If you are looking for an inexpensive way to advertise online, online directories are a great option.
Professionalism
If you want your business and website to look as professional as possible, online directories can help. By simply placing your information in an online directory, you can look very professional in the eyes on consumers. Basically, when a consumer looks through an online directory, they consider every listing to be one of a professional business. Although this is not always the case, it certainly does not harm valid professional businesses to any degree. If you take the time to list your information, you are taking another step toward a higher level of professionalism. Therefore, online directories can help you develop or maintain the professionalism you seek.
Choosing to post your information in an online directory should not be a difficult decision. As you can see, there are many reasons why online directories could work for you. No matter if you are looking for more exposure, an inexpensive option, or for a higher level of professionalism, online directories can help you achieve your goals. Just be sure to do a little research and find online directories that will offer you what you need. The more you can post within, the more traffic your website is likely to have. So, go ahead and post in as many as possible!