You are Being Lied About Reciprocal Links!
© 2004 Vishal P. Rao
Exchanging links has been an important part of generating
traffic since the concept of Internet marketing was first
established, but at least 90% of people looking to trade
links don't understand the real benefits and, therefore,
fail to make the most of them.
The vast majority of web site owners think that exchanging
links is only helpful because it can boost their rankings
in search engines such as Google.com. They are however,
useful for this purpose since the number of links back to a
site is figured into ranking calculations. But according to
WebSideStory's StatMarket Web site optimization service,
search engines account for only little more than 13% of an
average web site's traffic.
The most important benefit of a link exchange is the
traffic resulting directly from these links. That same
StatMarket research found that 21% of site visitors get
there via links which means the links themselves are more
useful than the search engine listings!
Search engines are highly unpredictable. They keep changing
their algorithms every now and then. Your site is on the
top 10 results today but it may not be so tomorrow.
I don't say you should neglect search engines. However,
your main concern should be getting traffic from direct
links. Search engine ranking should be your secondary
concern.
Furthermore, your links page can serve as an excellent
resource for your visitors. As any Internet marketer will
tell you, it's the content that makes a successful site.
When you provide useful links for your visitors, your site
becomes more credible, more helpful, more likely to be
bookmarked for future visits. All of which adds up to a
steady stream of traffic.
So how do you identify sites that can send you more of
direct traffic? Here are some pointers to consider while
exchanging links:
1) Look out for sites that have good content
Content is the #1 reason people go online. If a site has
good content, more number of repeat visitors it'll have.
2) Look out for sites that display a prominent link to
their links page on their home page as well as on rest of
the pages
When I say prominent, I don't mean a link with h1 font
size! What I mean is that the link should not be less
prominent than the rest of links on the site.
Many web masters, particularly those who want links to help
only their search engine ranking, will hide their links
page or place it only on their home page, some where at the
bottom with a -1 font size. The most common reason for
doing this is a fear of losing visitors, but that fear is
absolutely unfounded when you really understand how the
Internet works.
Say your web site has a 1% conversion ratio. That means for
every 100 visitors that visit your site, you make one sale.
Now what about the rest 99. They are looking for something
else, isn't it? So what do they do? They have 3 options:
a) Go back to the previous site.
b) Visit your links page (if you have one), hoping that
they would find the information on sites listed there.
c) End their browsing session.
So which do you think is the best option? I would
definitely want my visitors to go to my links page and
visit my link partners rather than go back. Because I know
that my link partners would send some visitors in the same
way to my site.
Now this exchange would only happen if we had a prominent
link to our links page on all the pages of our site, should
our visitors decide to leave us any time.
-----Side Bar-----
There are some sites that have their links page designed
for link partners rather than for their visitors!
They'll use the following texts to link to their links
page: "Let's Trade Links", "Trade Links" and
so on... Such
sites are more interested in finding link partners than
providing information to their visitors. The end result is
link partners visiting each other's site.
-----Side Bar-----
3) Look out for sites that have tightly themed and
categorized links page
Sites that trade links solely for search engine rankings
have links to sites on almost all the subjects on their
links page. Typically ranging to hundreds of them on a
single page. These pages are never going to be visited by
those looking for additional information.
Whereas sites that have their links categorized are more
user friendly and are more likely to attract visitors.
Conclusion
There is no point in looking for quality sites when YOUR
links page is designed without keeping the interests of
your visitors in mind. Only when we start thinking of our
links page as a service to our visitors rather than a tool
for higher search engine ranking, we'll be able to make the
most from reciprocal links.
Vishal P. Rao is the editor of Home Based Business
Opportunities - A web site dedicated to opportunities,
ideas and resources to help you start and run a home based
business. Visit him at:
http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com
Five Foolproof Ways to Improve Your Web Site Sales
© 2003 Vishal P. Rao
When you run an online home-based business, your web site
is more than simply a company location. It's also your
primary source of advertising and marketing. If you've
noticed that sales are lagging or if you're simply looking
for ideas for a site you're building, the following five
tips can help you boost revenue and develop an even more
successful web presence.
1) Stress Your UPS
In this case, UPS isn't referring to the delivery company.
Instead, it stands for Unique Positioning Statement and
it's one of the most important ingredients of your
business. Your UPS is basically a statement of what sets
you apart from your competition.
Think of it as an answer to the question: Why should I do
business with you? You may choose to focus on service,
price, or any other special feature of your business that
would appeal to customers. Whichever feature you choose
should be stressed in all your web site's content. Don't
shy away from telling others what sets you apart.
2) Add Interactivity
Consumers are shying away from passive activities where
they just sit and watch. Instead, they want to be a part of
the action, so you need to give your potential customers
several ways to participate at your site.
Possibilities include message boards, polls, chat rooms,
and surveys. By adding these types of elements, you are
giving visitors more of a reason to stick around, to
return, and to recommend your site to their friends.
3) Stress Credibility
No one wants to buy a product from someone they don't
trust, so building a sense of credibility with your site is
crucial to your success. You can accomplish this in a
number of ways:
* Adding an "About Us" section * Providing complete
contact
information * Offering a money back guarantee
These methods work for several reasons. An "About Us"
section allows visitors to get a picture of who they will
be doing business with while the contact information gives
them the security of knowing they can reach someone in case
there is a problem.
Furthermore, the guarantee expresses your confidence in
your product and that confidence is contagious.
Testimonials, client lists, and awards are also effective
for building credibility.
4) Test Everything
The problem with most unsuccessful business owners is that
they jump right in to things without ever taking the time
to test their site, their product, their layout, even their
links. The result is that too much money is spent on things
that do not work.
Any changes you make to your site need to be tested before
being adopted permanently. For example, if you change your
headline on your home page, compare your sales for the week
of the change and the previous week.
If the numbers drop or stay about the same, go back to the
drawing board. If the numbers go up, check one more week's
sales numbers and if the numbers are still high, you may
have a winner.
5) Provide Reasons to Return
While it may only take a visitor to your site once trip to
make a purchase, you want to give them reasons to come
back. Otherwise, how will they know when you add new
products? The key is to continue to update your site,
perhaps with articles or news, that may be of interest to
your target audience.
If your site becomes one of your visitor's primary
resources for the latest information on a subject they are
interested in, you can be sure they will bookmark your site
and come back frequently.
Also consider having a mailing list. A mailing list will
allow visitors to provide you with their email addresses so
that you can send them notifications of updates, specials,
and changes to the site including ads and marketing
materials for new products. These email messages will also
provide them with a reason to come back.
When you do business online, your web site takes the place
of your sales force. If it's not pulling in the numbers you
had hoped for or if you've seen your numbers going down
recently, you need to evaluate your site and decide where
changes can and should be made.
Content, layout, graphics, even navigation all play a role
in the success, or failure, of your site and your company.
Don't let a small problem with your web site become the
reason you go out of business.
Vishal P. Rao is the editor of Home Based Business
Opportunities - A website dedicated to opportunities, ideas
and resources to help you start a home based business.
Visit him at:
http://www.home-based-business-opportunities.com
