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Providing a reason to visit
The Internet is filled with so many sites, you have to give people a reason to visit
yours. One way to do that is to give them something useful that they can’t get any-
where else.
About 10 years ago, I was struggling to find work after the dot-com collapse. I knew
you could still make money from Web site ads, so I set out to build a Web site that
would attract as many visitors as possible. The site was designed to help IT profes-
sionals. I wrote about a thousand articles (literally) on every subject I could think of,
and I created a chat room to host live discussions with industry experts. Before I even-
tually retired the site, it was receiving more than 30,000 visitors a day. Keep in mind
that I accomplished that with absolutely no advertising budget.
Collect testimonials
As long as you provide an outstanding product or service, most customers are de-
lighted to provide you with their endorsement. Unfortunately, most businesses don't
implement an actual procedure to systematically get testimonials.
The natural reluctance to ask for testimonials can easily be overcome by setting up a
regimen that consistently asks your customers for their endorsement. You will be
amazed at the comments you receive and surprised by some of the criticism. Use this
feedback wisely to improve your business.
Community involvement
One of the best ways to attract attention to your site is through community involvement.
For instance, last spring my wife and I volunteered to help clean a historical site ahead
of its 150th anniversary celebration. By doing so, we were able to have our Web site
listed in the program that was passed out during the festivities and we were featured
on the foundation’s Web site. On a similar note, I am the half owner of a security con-
sulting firm. A few years ago, we increased our name recognition by sponsoring an
ethical hacking conference.
