Originally published by The Pomerado Newsgroup

How can I generate more web site traffic?

W. L. Harvey, Rancho Bernardo

Before addressing your question, I should share my web site development philosophy with you.

For years I’ve witnessed many poorly developed web sites that either don’t change content or don’t consider the user’s needs. Both are critical mistakes!

Web sites are usually online brochures, and the owner receives a small percentage of the site’s value. This owner spends lots of money and energy driving traffic to the site, but fails to invite further interaction (call or visit us), doesn’t ask for the order, or doesn’t provide compelling reasons to revisit.

Consider web sites you visit repeatedly. Those changing regularly attract your attention and prompt return visits. Those remaining static get fewer visits because you know nothing changes.

Understand you have effectively given birth to a living creature. It should be fed regularly (with new content), cleaned of old pages, periodically given new clothes (a fresh look) and helped to look like a family member (with your firm’s branding, colors and fonts). Love it, and it will return the love.

You’re not convinced – I can tell. Okay, look at it this way, then. Your son Eric balances a ball on his nose in the front yard. You send out publicity releases, post signs in your yard, and place ads in the newspaper. Your neighbors come to see what all the fuss is about.

Today 100 people are in your front yard. Tomorrow, when he hasn’t moved, 50 people show up. In a week only 10 people want to see him, and others occasionally walk by just to see if he’s still doing it. When nothing’s changed two months later, the neighbors’ attention gets drawn elsewhere. In three months, although he’s your son and you love him, even you’re not looking at him much.

After six months Eric balances a chair on his nose. You again send out press releases, place ads and put up signs to draw attention to him. Some of your original visitors return to see what Eric’s now doing.

A week later, Eric balances a bicycle atop the chair, and a week after that he places an elephant atop the bicycle. Each week Eric balances something new on top of what he’s already holding. In three months he’s got 100,000 people standing in the yard applauding his every move. A vendor now pays Eric royalties for every hot dog sold to the crowd.

Recognize that your web site will never be “done”. Which is why, when Eric did the same thing for months, he lost everyone’s interest – even yours. Yet changing his “act” each week – even slightly – made his popularity increase tremendously.

Your web site’s critical to your marketing mix, though it’s not a silver bullet. Today’s marketplace has changed significantly from 20 years ago. Now, just about any type of business can benefit from having a site providing case histories, profiles and credibility. Realtors, for example, used to personally show every house to make a sale. Now, 80% of homebuyers review possible home purchases online before ever setting foot in the neighborhood.

Since changing web sites is so easy, use press, brochures, coffee mugs and other media to guide interested parties there. Use the technology to your advantage to quickly show new products, personnel and new directions the company’s taking.

My marketing agency, the MarketBuilding Team, sends out a free monthly electronic newsletter. We regularly change the contents while using online links, press releases and public presentations to drive traffic to our web site. We combine all that with the new content to generate a huge regular surge of site traffic.

Your web site should get similar responses. It should take orders and be a sales tool when you’re not in the room. It should ease communications and improve customer service. And it should be your showroom to 6.5 billion sales prospects worldwide.

Review other sites for ideas on improving yours. Keep key words current. Consider making your site multilingual. And don’t believe that it’s good just because you wrote or designed it. Get site feedback from customers and revise your content to suit those comments. Finally, constantly check your email to if you have sales prospects taking the bait.

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

Mr. Marketing would appreciate some extra traffic at his web site – www.askmrmarketing.com. Come visit him NOW!