Sticky Sites Rule The Internet
by Bonnie Jo Davis
Published on this site: May 1st, 2005 - See
more articles from this month...
Read through the hundreds of forums and bulletin boards on the
internet and you will find dozens of threads centering on the lack
of web site traffic. All the other remaining threads bemoan the
difficulty of getting visitors to return long enough to buy something.
Then there are the threads about the complexity of getting listed
and ranked well in important search engines.
All of these dilemmas have the same cure - CONTENT. Content that
is pertinent to the subject of a website and updated regularly
makes a site "sticky." Sticky sites drive and keep occupied
all the visitors you could possibly handle. Search engines drink
from the fountain of fresh and interesting content provided by
savvy webmasters who enjoy increased rankings and sales.
You too can enjoy these benefits with just a little effort and
a small budget if you create or find content appropriate to your
topic. Add some or all of the following types of content to your
site and your traffic will increase and visitors will return often.
Articles - There is no doubt that free reprint articles
are the best way to populate websites. You can maximize the benefits
of articles by writing them yourself or by offering a small fee
to writers for customized versions of their popular articles.
Quotes - An interesting set of quotes on topic will help
motivate and inspire visitors. Add and delete quotes regularly
to keep your site fresh. Find quotes at http://www.annabelle.net/ and http://www.brainyquote.com/.
Puzzles - People love games and puzzles. Appeal to the
child that exists inside all of your visitors and they will reward
you with their time and attention. One place to get a new monthly
puzzle is http://tinyurl.com/6spgk.
Consider investing a small sum to have a custom crossword puzzle
developed for your site.
Forums - Follow in the footsteps of successful websites
by adding free forums to your site. Check out forum software at http://www.yabbforum.com/ and www.phpbb.com Ask
loyal visitors to serve as moderators for specific topic threads.
Feedback/Guestbook - Allow visitors to ask questions or
comment on an issue raised by your site or your blog. Make this
information public (so long as it is in good taste) and searchable
by visitors.
Reviews - Unbiased reviews are universally popular. Add
reviews of books, software, hardware, scripts, movies, television
shows, schools or spas to your site and visitors will return again
and again.
Case Studies/Success Stories - Everyone loves a success
story. Interview your best customers and add their stories to your
website to bolster your credibility and satisfy your content needs.
Be careful to make the success story interesting and motivational
rather than commercial.
Jokes - A sense of humor is often lacking on the internet.
Imagine how impressed you would be by an attorney who has such
a good sense of humor that he keeps all the best attorney jokes
on his website. Follow in the footsteps of that attorney and visitors
will look forward to visiting your site.
Newsfeeds - Does your site cover a topic that frequently
generates breaking news? Add current news to your site via feeds
available at such websites as http://www.news4sites.com/services/index.php?t=sites and
enjoy a higher rate of return visits from your readers.
Resource Directories - Instead of the usual reciprocal
link campaign consider adding a resource directory to your site
that actually points your visitors to valuable sites that complement
your own. List only the sites you choose and do not incur search
engine wrath by insisting upon reciprocal links. All links in the
directory should open to a new browser window.
Newsletter & Archives - You don't have to recreate
the wheel and attempt to create a huge list for your newsletter.
Offer regular updates by e-mail or blog to current and potential
clients and include links to pertinent articles or resources. Keep
archives publicly accessible and search engines will visit often.
Blogs - Why should you jump on the current trend of blogging?
Search engines adore blogs and visit them often because they tend
to be updated frequently. You can use a blog to replace your e-mail
newsletter and to feature your product or service reviews and other
bits of pertinent information that do not merit a special e-mail
to your customers.
Job Listings - Consider adding fresh job listings to your
site that fit your topic. For instance, you could feature telecommuting
jobs if your site topic is "work at home." Make sure
you have the permission of the employer prior to posting their
openings on your site.
Testimonials - Request testimonials form current and past
clients and sprinkle them throughout your website. Remove outdated
testimonials and add fresh ones on a regular basis. Give your clients
live links (opening in a new browser window) to their website within
the testimonial.
Please remember that you need permission to use content created
by someone else and at all times follow the rules of the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. You can read the full text of
this law at
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c105:H.R.2281.ENR:.
The internet was conceived as a method of sharing information
with people around the world. If we all return to these roots by
filling our websites with topic appropriate content then we will
be rewarded by search engines. Forums complaining about the lack
of website traffic will disappear and be replaced by recommendations
of interesting websites to visit.
Bonnie Jo Davis teach you how to create the content you
need
to entice search engines and visitors to return again and again.
Visit http://www.ArticleSubmissionSites.com today!
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