Getting Traffic: It's More Than Just Opening a Door & Letting Them In
by Kath Blackwell
Imagine this... You build a site, open the doors, and the surfers just start to pour in. You've got a lot of traffic, but not a lot of conversions. So you try other forms of traffic. You experiment with search engines, paid directory listings, link lists, TGPs - maybe even a link exchange here and there. Your traffic is steady and predictable, but still, your conversions are low. Your webmaster's dream has just turned into a nightmare! It's time to reassess your situation, take a long hard look at your traffic, the market you are trying to reach and identify what it is that your surfer's want, so you can successfully meet their needs.
FIND OUT WHAT THEY WANT...
"You need to let your market identify you," suggests Samuel Agboola, representative for Danni's Hard Drive (www.danni.com) and speaker in the "Targeted Marketing" roundtable workshop, at the 2002 summer Internext Expo. "Spend your time listening... We present things that we think are good ideas. Lots of people fall in love with an idea, and try to push it through, and then wonder why people don't get it." According to Agboola, it's the Web site owners that don't get it. You have to know what your market wants, allow your market to tell you what it wants - and then actually listen to and act upon that feedback. A lot of webmasters take feedback for granted. It just "goes by the wayside" like yesterday's news or last week's garbage. But feedback is an awesome tool - if you take advantage of it and use it to improve your site and your relationship with your surfers.
Simon S. Ays of Fetish Club (www.fetishclub.com), who has more experience with marketing and niche targeting than most people in this business, says, "We started a sub-site, an information site [on niches], and while you're there all you can do is read. There's a comment card on the bottom of every page so we can target what they want." Consumer feedback is the #1 resource for sites who want to be successful both in their day to day business - and successful as a reputable, knowledgeable resource within the market you're aiming to serve. Your reputation is golden, especially in the niche communities. If you get a reputation as a site that really "gets it," then virtually by word of mouth you will become a success overnight. But reputation is a double-edged sword. If your reputation isn't a good one - like not understanding the niche, using the wrong slang or terminology - even generalizing the important nuances of the niche, you could be out of business before you really get started.
GETTING TARGETED TRAFFIC...
So what's the best way to get pre-targeted traffic to your site? What types of marketing or traffic generation are best for niche-specific traffic? Among the favorites of the big guys - the ones who've been around the longest - search engines, directories, news groups [for stories] and bulletin boards. "If all they're looking for is images, it's hard [because of all the free stuff on the 'Net], but if they are also looking for information, then that's what we want."
But, there are other ways to reach your audience - if you know how. Farrell Timlake, owner of Home Grown Videos since 1992, and now developer of HomeGrownVideo.com, HomeGrownContent.com and other amateur ventures, knows how. He is not only a major force driving the amateur community, but is an expert "media hound" as well, taking full advantage of all the press time he can grab. "The best traffic we get," he explains, "Is from non-Internet sources where people aren't looking for stuff for free." Mainstream media attention, trailers on Home Grown Videos and other non-traditional [to the Internet] means. "You'd be surprised at the press you can get from your local media," laughs Timlake.
Agboola from Danni's Hard Drive agrees, and says he spends a lot of his time on getting the attention of the media. The amount of time he spends on performance-based media is small and traditional-based media work is zero - his most productive work is accomplished through press releases, public announcements and appearances.
DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF YOUR TRAFFIC...
So you've got the attention of the media and finally good, quality traffic begins to stream through your site. Now what? Let's say about half of that quality traffic is converting, but the other half still isn't buying. Do you panic? Start over again? Here are some tips on understanding and utilizing your traffic to it's fullest potential, from the experts on the Internext panel:
- "If you're not listening to your customers, they won't be your customers for long." - Samuel Agboola, Danni's Hard Drive
- "If they're not becoming paying members on your site, that's still not as important as getting solid market feedback." - Farrell Timlake, Home Grown Video
- "Remember, traffic goes way down when something is happening on CNN - you need to remember that other things are happening and not be so hard on your new tour or new banners." - Simon S. Ays, FetishClub.com
- "It takes a few months to figure out what's going on with your stats." - YNOT Bob, YNOTMasters.com
So you take the feedback and information that you get from your visitors, either from a "suggestions here" e-mail link, feedback form or a personalized comment card at the end of the tour - or on the cancellation page. You use this feedback to reshape and remold your tour, the content in your members' area, and better target your niche-specific customers. Your conversions improve, but you're still not satisfied. You've targeted, refined, listened, re-designed...what's left?
USE WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE...
HomeGrown's Timlake, still maintains that non-converting traffic is good traffic. In fact, he feels that those who surf your site for long periods of time can eventually become your longest retained members. "With a community of targeted traffic you can take your time on the conversions," he explains, "They DO pass through the board often and they DO click on banners... over a period of time they do consider membership and maybe take a trial." Because these long-time browsers take so much time to consider, re-consider and then finally decide to join, they are more satisfied than the typical "impulse shopper" that signs up, looks through the material during the free trial period and then cancels. Those who research, browse and consider all of their options tend to be happier with their decisions, tell their friends about your program as well, and pay off longer than those quick converters.
So how do you find - and keep - these long-recurring surfers? What type of free content holds their interest and keeps them coming back for more? Remember the information site that Ays from FetishClub.com spoke of? He knows what he's talking about because he deals mainly in niche-specific traffic, people who are looking for information, images and content that pertains to a specific category or interest. If your traffic is interested in something such as bondage, providing text information about bondage interests like knot tying, different bondage materials and regional communities or gatherings, can really "sell" the surfer on the subject. If he/she is just learning about the niche because of a recently sparked interest, the information can be a bigger turn-on and sales tool than all of the hardcore photography you could serve up.
And because you're just giving informational content and not movies, images or other "traditional" adult site content, you're essentially proving to the surfer that you and your site know what you're talking about with regard to this particular niche. This also tells the surfer that once inside, they'll find even more targeted content and information, specific to their interests. Text content is also an amazing way to get the attention of search engines, directories and other spidered listings. Those spiders munch down on all of that text information, giving you bigger and better listings than you might even get with a paid ranking.
Know about what you're writing - and write about what you know. If you don't live the niche, you should at least have an in-depth understanding of what turns these people on and what makes them tick. You should also play up your personal high-points or achievements - toot your own horn! Find your "hook" and run with it. HomeGrown always calls attention to the fact that they've been around the longest and that they are "seen on TV." They use those hooks on each page of their tour and are proving themselves, increasing awareness of their branding success to the public, and showing the surfer beyond any doubt that they are "the" place to join if they want the best amateur content.
MAKING THE SALE...
Sales is all about overcoming objections, by anticipating the customers reaction to what is available, and proving that what you have to sell is exactly what they're looking for. So how do you know if you're doing it right? How do you know if you've taken a wrong turn- off the path to success? "If you listen to your customers and look at your numbers," says Agboola, "You can't really go wrong. But when you run out of information - and your idea doesn't seem to be connecting, you have tons of traffic, and you're NOT selling - it's time to get more information."
"In general," said Ays in closing, "You can start something new without shutting off what you have. A lot of webmasters fail because they quit too soon, and aren't committed for the long haul. It takes a function of time to make things work."
|
Printer
Friendly Version