When it comes to growing your online business, you're always asking yourself two questions:
- How Can I Make MORE Money Online?
- How Can I Get MORE Website Traffic?
The simple answer is: do more of what's working. It is by far the easiest way to make more money, get more traffic - or both. Basically you analyze what already IS working in your online business... and do more of that.
Sounds too easy, doesn't it? Let me explain...
(This IS going to be super easy. Putting this one tip into consistent practice could make a huge difference in your online business.)
How To Know What IS Working In Your Online Business
You might be throwing your hands in the air and saying:
"I don't even know what's working. Nothing is working! I've tried everything and I'm getting no results..."
Or you might be saying:
"I seem to have a little success here and there, but nothing consistent. How can I consistently make money online, without constantly trying new tricks to keep the money coming in??"
These are both common reactions. But once you smooth your feathers back out, you'll realize that if you've been "working online" for any amount of time at all - you DO have some base stats to work with.
Start there, and analyze your site stats. How much traffic do you get now?
Where is that traffic coming from? How can you duplicate those sources?
Looking at my site stats, I learned that I got far more click through's on pingbacks than I did on blog comments. This means I need to do more pingbacks, and less blog commenting - more of what's working, and less of what's not.
For more on that, see: Pingbacks vs Blog Comments.
You may find that you got a surge of traffic from a guest blog post, but then it trickled off. Do more guest blogging! Your stats may show you are getting highly targeted traffic from a longtail keyword phrase. Create more pages/posts that are optimized for longtail keyword phrases and/or increase your ranking for the phrases that are already bringing you visitors.
Maybe you created a short report to sell, and made a few sales. But when that trickled off you looked for another way to bring in money, or started considering new info products to create. Go back to your original report and look at how you made the sales you did make. Do more of that.
You can also take that one product and expand on the marketing strategy. Set up an affiliate program. Do guest blogging and article marketing to get your report in front of potential buyers. Do joint ventures with market leaders in your niche. Take the one product and make it sell. This is FAR easier than creating more products, one after the other, and just selling a few of each.
This may sound overly simple, but that's the genius of it. Why constantly chase new ways to increase sales or traffic, when you can simply build on what you already know works. Turn a trickle into a steady flow!
Want Consistent Results? Be Consistent...
One of the main things that gets in our way of being consistent, is the ever alluring promise of a new or different strategy. It's much more fun to try a million different things, than it is to consistently use methods that work.
Let's say you know for a fact that SEO and pingbacks bring you great (highly targeted) traffic. But it's much more fun to research and test and play with widgets... than it is to sit down and write, optimize & link.
You do need variety in your marketing strategy and in your link-building plan. Pick a few things that work though, and stick those out. Even the new, fun, trendy, shiny things will only work if you implement them consistently. That's the key. Find out what works in your market, with your keywords, and in your business model specifically - and just do that.
If you need some basic methods and ideas for increasing traffic, and making sales (or MORE sales), see: Getting Traffic & Making Sales. It was written for Affiliate Marketers, but much of it will apply very well to ANY online business model.
I would love to hear what's working in your business...
Leave a comment below if you have any questions, or want to brainstorm ways to make more money or get more traffic. This is a great time to analyze what has worked for you this year, and create a solid strategy for success in the New Year...
Best,
p.s. In the next post we'll look at ways to increase traffic to your site - free! Be sure to subscribe by email below so you don't miss a single post:
About Lynn Terry
This post has perfect timing as this is something that I am trying to make more myself consciously aware of currently. The fact that I now have several sites has really driven home that what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another.
Every blog is different and every audience is different. Figuring out what makes each tick can sometimes make or break a site. You can only run around in circles for so long.
*make myself more* Oy..I shouldn't try to type so early in the morning.
You're absolutely right, Angie - but it's a point often missed. Not every marketing strategy works the same in every niche, or even with every keyword. Commercial searches vs Informational searches is a good example.
The key is to find out what *does* work in your market, and focus on growing from there.
Great post. If you want to get traffic to your website you need to stop asking, "How do I get traffic?" and start asking, "How can I attract more visitors to my website?"
By the way I give this a thumbs up on StumbleUpon.
--
Nick, The Traffic Guy
Thank you Nick 😀
Since I have decided to put my attention on my blog instead of an affiliate site, what I really need is traffic. Commenting on blogs hasn't brought in much. I'll look into your link for pingbacks. It seems as though I get the most traffic from search engines. But they never stay long. Will keep working on it.
judi
Free search engine traffic is my best source for new visitors. When you say "they never stay long", what do you mean exactly?
Consistency - or lack of it - seems to be my biggest downfall. I feel like I'm so scattered that I'm not doing enough of any one thing to even know if it gets results. Maybe I need to concentrate on one method for a while, then evaluate the results before moving on to the next.
You probably have enough stats to work with already. Start there and expand on the things that are working. You still need variety, so choose 2-3 strong methods to focus on to start. Consider things you can easily scale, or that have long term results - such as article marketing & SEO.
Yes Consistency is the main core of been successful online..if your not then you must just get offline. If you can manage your time and get things done and have faith in your marketing..then good things will happy.
"Black Seo Guy "Signing Off"
I have had some success with blog and forum commenting. Also twitter helps some too.
As usual practical and sound advice Lynn. You remind me so much of my nutty little sister Margaret, (you even look like her) Nutty because she is so blunt and practical that she often embarrasses people in public. Not on purpose, but she is just a "duh" kind of person. Real bubbly and lovable but so real that she has little sympathy for a whiner and isn't one herself.
She really enjoys life and tells it how it is. You remind me much of her in your practical "no excuses, not even for myself" style. Thanks so much for a great post! Staying tuned for the next one...
LOL Jen - that's the first time I've been called Nutty and considered it a compliment! haha 😀
This is a perfect advice Lynn, I think the solutions and strategy you are suggesting provide a lot of security that simply cannot fail.
With a french written blog, I managed to hit the #1 ranking position on Google for my main keyword, it was a huge SEO work on the articles, but finally the french keyword that braught the most of my readers is not bringing in enough visitors (my blog is about writing tips and ideas for amateur and professional readers: ecrire-conseils.blogspot.com). Plus they are most of the time very young people from 12 to 16 years (I used the easiest words I could in my articles, but the content is appreciated by all ages.)
These last days I am working on creating my very first english "website" (with hosting and domain name) and I will target two precise goals:
1- Create the most helpful content possible to my visitors
2- Hit the #1 spot on Google for my main targeted keyword.
I have so much ideas to hit the first ranking on Google, I can't wait to experiment with them : )
I think it will be ok to experiment since my main objective will be to provide very helpful content, so I wont be selling stuff right from the beggining (or should I?)
I wish you all the best pleasure and succes in your business(es) : )
Friendly,
SSG
Hi SSG. Very interesting. What is your ultimate goal with both sites, in regards to monetizing? The keyword phrases you target bring in a specific type of visitor, which you've already discovered, so that's definitely something to experiment with. Are you targeting a buying market at all?
@Anjie: mourning dyslexic? ^^"
Last week, something strange happened to me three days in a raw: I got up, I plugged the computer and pushed "on," then I went to the bathroom/kitchen etc... when I got back: I found the PC unplugged!
It happened 3 times lol, and no there was no one else...
i.e: I certainly was "mourning amnesiac"... if it ever exists ^^"
By the way, this remembers me that sometimes I just forget what really worked before in my efforts, or that I just forget about how to use some very effective methods because I did not practice them enough, but could try them in a much better way than I did in the first try.
Your stats are the best place to start, to see which of your efforts did bring in results and are worth exploring more 😉
Basically what has been working like gangbusters for me is forum marketing, forming one on one relationships with people on twitter, and mailing low cost offers to my email list. I also get traffic from commenting on blogs.
Posting 4 times a week and commenting regularly has inceased my trafffic flows.
John
Great post Lynn!
Here's one topic I would LOVE to hear your take on - split testing. I've heard just about every top marketer talk about the importance of split testing and how to use that data to help improve your site but I've never seen a simple, straightforward guide to doing it. I feel like you probably have a very commonsense way of doing it that can be explained easily and simply and not via some massive manual full of stats!
Thanks for entertaining the idea! 😉
Yudi
Hi Lynn and thank you for your response,
I had a long Internet disconnexion, it is very disturbed during these two last days…
Quick edit: my blog is made for francophone amateur and professional “writers”, not “readers.” I said “readers” by mistake.
I will answer your questions Lynn:
- “What is your ultimate goal with both sites, in regards to monetizing?”
1- With my francophone blog for writers, I planned to monetise it using Google Adsense since the beginning. It’s making a couple of dozen euros every month but it’s not serious income.
I already know my readers needs in regard of services (they need one on one coaching) so I will look for professionals to help them and maybe create an online membership program.
Lately I am planning to try some CPA offers and affiliate programs, I tried Amazon affiliate program long ago but It did not work at all because I had very poor visits.
2- For my brand new “Anglophone” website, I ill create an online free resource for people who need to learn new skills fast, (really really fast,) but don’t have time and are very often discouraged by the “looong” courses and complicated learning programs… related to Internet Marketing!
My one objective will be to simplify the basics, and make them easily available and understandable by anyone who needs them, really fast!
This is because I am still learning myself, and I find myself taking notes all the time and keep references for authors and technique sources (and I know I was not organised enough.)
I am planning to monetise this new Internet Marketing website with Pay Per Action programs (pay per lead…) and offers that are free, in the beginning.
Next I will use some affiliate programs related directly to the help I’ll be providing in the courses and super fast tutorials, and at the same time I may provide a paid service for clients directly on the same website, for example: a web design service.
Nothing is clearly decided for monetization yet, as I am about to try something totally new.
Maybe I should not say this but I am quite sure this is going to be an exciting big adventure, and I will focus on creating a true “fast Internet Marketing learning” website, cutting fluff, providing practical steps. (I will try to make it easy t use too.)
Anyone could enjoy it, with or without experience.
I did not yet create the content because I am still working on the website technically: it is time consuming since I am not really a geek in computer science… but at the very second it will be installed online, I will be creating super fast tutorials on a daily basis, and the “help” will grow fast.
An example of the content: fast video tutorials, quick tips and tricks, strategies, “TOOLS” and also another section just for case studies (later.) all this with comments activated : )
I wonder to what it will lead, I’ll refocus the website’s aim at any level if needed, or just split projects that may not be compatible in terms of visitors needs, and create separate websites accordingly.
Lynn,
You are right about the keywords targeted, and the visitor types (buying people, or just searching for information)
My main targeted french bkeyword was "how to write a book." (comment écrire un livre" and the secound and more difficult to compete with is "writing" (écrire) which I am ranked at 5th position over 54 million results (sometimes I hit the first position) (Big competition on Google.) If I was targetting a buying market: not exactly, I had no other plan than to create something really useful, and let it mature, next step will be to make a professional design and host the blog along with a pro domain name.
For the statistics, I saw that I have 300 to 500 page views per day, and the traffic is groing slowly but increasingly, and that's a good point. But I am focusing on building my next anglophone website, and it's taking 100% of my time, once it will be up and running, I will come back to my francophone blog and try to target another set of kaywords to get more visits (and develope the Facebook fan page I created for it too.)
One of my most important goals for 2011 is to get way more traffic to my affiliate blog.
I intend to really start guest posting in 2001. If I don't, you can kick my butt! 🙂
@Satu
Your experimentations seem to be very interesting and fun, I will take a closer look : )
Unless you have a time travelling machine, you can just start guest posting in 2011 instead of 2001 ^^"
I wish you the best pleasure in your adventures : )
SSG
Coming at a time when I am just thinking of plans for next year, the timing of this post could hardly be better!
Planning often seems difficult but taking it down to doing more of what is working and less of what is not a superb way of cutting through the complexity.
🙂
Lynn, although I rarely comment on your blog posts, I confidently state that of all the informational blogs/sites I have reviewed and/or been members of over the last 2 years, your's, by far, is the best source for anyone attempting to understand the nuances of Internet Marketing. You simplify the complex and offer real-time advice backed with foundational depth that is unmatched on any other blog - recommending your blog is a no-brainer for me and except for specific blogs/sites that are relevant to my business, I have essentailly discontinued all others...Thanks Again!!!
Steve Bagley
Great minds think alike! Check out this new post on the ClickBank blog titled 3 Steps to Skyrocket Your Sales in 2011 with specific ways to boost the number of sales you're currently making online. Enjoy!
I'm a painter, the other day I put a video on youtube showing before and after pictures of our work. The next day it was #1 on google videos. How much, if any website traffic should this generate.
Hello Tom,
Just put the Google Analytics code in your website, put your website name obviously in the vid and description, then analyse the results that GG Analytics will tell you, so you will know exactly how much traffic you get : )
Hope it helps you?
Have a nice day,
SSG
That's it, right there:
'Want Consistent Results? Be Consistent...'
For me, this is the one lesson that everyone who is making online has learned and everyone who isn't, hasn't. Once you find something that works, do it until you're good at it. Only then can you start adding other strategies to it, continually doing the original thing to build to a crescendo.
Thanks for the timely reminder.
Matt
Thanks lynn,
As usual, I have gained so much from your post. I believe been consistent and doing what seems to work is the ultimate answer to making money money online.
I never thought about this before until now.
I will forever remain your reader.
You blow my mind and I'm getting better at internet marketing
by the way.
Goodnews: I received my first clickbank commission last week.
It was $267.09. I hope to make money this month.
Thanks for all your tips, advice and expert critics.