How to generate more traffic to my site? - HTML Forums

Unconscious · 07-13-2009, 06:12 PM

Our site had been doing very well for the first 5 months of launch, and we had been getting *many*unique visitors a month coming to check out our video game reviews, and interviews. However, due to a hiatus from content development, and a sudden decline in amount of active staff members, our site is dawdling.

Money is not so much an issue, so buying advertisements isn't completely out of the question, but I'd like to try any other alternatives before spending vast amounts of money.

I don't want to sign any contracts either, but I do not want to deal with small-time webmasters without security as I do not want to be cheated.

I have $50 free googleadwords and such, would this be worth using up? I've got no experience with these kinds of things, and all of my previous traffic came from links from other sites of our nature.

Thanks.

paul_norman_81 · 07-14-2009, 06:04 AM

If you have free marketing budget you might as well use it - summer hols and all...

How are you monetising your site? Just Adsense? Perhaps have a think about a partner? Flash games or something...

If you just want to drive traffic a banner driven affiliate scheme may work, but will eat your cash...

Unconscious · 07-15-2009, 04:35 AM

I've been looking for a partner site for a little while now, but have yet to find any websites that are interested.

paul_norman_81 · 07-15-2009, 05:20 AM

You will often have to make the first move to a lot of sites and then be patient / not pushy.

A few questions that you should answer yourself, and have available in tactfully phrased pieces for them...

- Do you have a business plan?
- What are your short / medium / long term goals?
- What would do with enhanced traffic / products to upsell from a partner?

- How are you tempting the partners / what are you offering them? (revenue share / traffic)
- Is the arrangement exclusive or will you partner with a competitor next week if they offer?

Unconscious · 07-15-2009, 01:49 PM

I think half of my problem is, I don't really have a business plan - I'm not hosting this site to gain money, or anything of that manner. I'm just trying to create a resource of information surrounding PC gaming. I guess, in the end, I do hope to get some more interviews with bigger companies (RWS is one we already have interviews with, and this doubled traffic. Which is always good.) such as Id Software, Valve, and various other companies.... but in order to do this, I need to get myself a place in the gaming world. Which is very difficult, considering our main competitors are huge corporations (Gamespy for example).

I'm not sure what you mean by the third point - could you rephrase that?

paul_norman_81 · 07-15-2009, 03:16 PM

The third point is just something I would ask if someone were to approach me for a partnership arrangement... And focuses on just two possibilities therein, "What would do with the enhanced traffic I could provide to you?" (as you seem traffic driven) and "If I gave you products to upsell how would you market them?"

But it seems that you have to ask what your goals are first. Why try to grow a resource such as Gamespy when it exists? I know you will have a good reason for this and this reason should form the basis of your business plan. Perhaps it's jounalistic desire, or the need to do something just a bit differently, but you should get it down on paper, it genuinely helps. And to be clear this does not have to be money focused in the slightest, but it should set out what it is you are trying to achieve. Call it a vision document, or project initiation document if you prefer.

Once you know your aims you can start focusing on putting the things in place you need to make it happen. For now I would imagine that involves lots of paraphrased content inter-mingled with bespoke news / interviews.

Unconscious · 07-15-2009, 06:41 PM

Yeah, I suppose my ultimate goal would be to offer something entirely new to the gaming community - currently, it's mostly indie game reviews, as there are a huge lack of them on the internet - but as they are indie and not mainstream, there is little demand for them.

I'd probably like to open an official store eventually too - not that Amazon sponsored rubbish in which I get 1% of any sale, but I'd like to open a real e-commerce website selling gaming supplies and such.

I'd also like to get around to doing video reviews, but I have yet to get around to actually doing any (Plus, perhaps I'm not the best person to do them due to my rather ridiculous English accent), but that's another goal.

I'm not entirely sure, I'll have to have a sit down and brainstorm.

nannabee · 07-20-2009, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unconscious

I think half of my problem is, I don't really have a business plan

wow, u found ur problem so why don't u just make a plan
with a plan in mind u will have more control of what to do , not so clueness

Unconscious · 07-20-2009, 03:34 AM

Well, the obvious plan would be to create a resource with reviews for as many PC games as possible, and exclusive interviews with companies. Maybe add some merchandising on if the site ever picks up the pace like it used to.

paul_norman_81 · 07-20-2009, 07:22 AM

That answers what you want to do, but doesn't touch the why. I'd think very hard about your motivations for it and what you want to do over Gamespy et al.

youtring · 08-03-2009, 03:38 AM

- Do you have a business plan?
- What are your short / medium / long term goals?
- What would do with enhanced traffic / products to upsell from a partner?

- How are you tempting the partners / what are you offering them? (revenue share / traffic)
- Is the arrangement exclusive or will you partner with a competitor next week if they offer?

rebelx · 08-12-2009, 10:35 PM

One way to get natural links back to your website is by setting up a blog for your company. Make sure you network online with other blogs that complement yours. If you share industry news and have useful and relevant content, you'll attract links. Reference other bloggers in your content and link to other blogs in your industry.

junosama · 08-31-2009, 08:59 PM

You need to invest money into SEO to get steady organic rankings. Also try starting your own blog and write link bait style posts that you can promote on sites such as digg, stumbleupon and reddit.

GeminiiGir · 09-10-2009, 08:47 PM

You can take advantage of online forums and online communities. The great thing about forums and online communities is that you can target a certain group that fits the certain demographic that you are looking for.

With online communities and forums you can build a reputation for your site. Show them what you are made of and wow them with your range of expertise about the subject, with that you can build a reputation and build trust with the people in your expertise and knowledge.

shoppinqueen · 09-16-2009, 03:21 AM

To have more number of people visit your site, your web site needs to have good exposure. You need to inform maximum number of people about your web site. And exchanging links is one of the simplest ways to do so. You just have to search for other web sites that complement your site in some way.

After that, you may contact the owner of that particular web site and ask him to put a link to your web site on his web site. In turn, you may offer him to put a link to his web site on your web site. It is a time-tested formula for generating web site traffic and you will surely benefit from it.