Why does google love my junk websites?

I really suck at building websites!

Honestly, I do.

Looking back over the years (wow, almost 8 years now…I am getting up there), I have built some of the funkiest, stinkiest looking websites around.

Graphics…bah. A waste of time right?

A fancy template with lots of bells and whistles…I had no need for that.

An ugly (by conventional rules), bare looking “homemade” website with quality and relevant content. That is what I was interested in creating.

I didn’t enjoy creating graphics and good thing…I would have likely sabotaged my sites!

I know Carson spoke to you last week about the importance of a website in this day and age. To be honest with you, I think it has always been important. What is not as important is how it looks…sites that I created in 2003 are still effective.

In fact, sites without any “template at all” are still effective. Flat white background with a small border around it with good sales copy, and relevant pages within still work.

So, if technology has produced so many killer ways to build websites with a lot of flare and a lot of graphics, why hasn’t the way people view websites changed?

Think about this for second…

If you were searching for a solution to “change your dodge caravans spark plugs” in Google and were taken to a revolving door to your solution, what would you HOPE for on the other side.

CONTENT on how to change your spark plugs.

If the content is of quality, you could care less about the picture of the caravan in the banner, the moving image on the right, the beautiful detail that went into the table layouts and graphics….YOU WANT CONTENT.

People search Google for content.

And marketers that deliver the “sought after” content are those that succeed. And that leads me to the idea of…Read more plus get free stuff here.

Using Web 2.0, Social Media sites Get Website Traffic

Today in the world of Web 2.0, Social Media sites are one of the most important sources of website traffic for your online business.

Using these Social Media sites the right way can bring in large amounts of Website Traffic very quickly to your sites. NOT using them correctly can KILL your business.

First of all, let me explain to you what the 3 most important types of Social Media Sites for your online business are.

1. Communities - These are sites that people go to on a regular basis and hang out. People set up profiles and make them personal by adding photos, writing blog entries on their own pages and making comments on their friends pages. Examples of communities are FaceBook and MySpace.

2. Libraries - These are sites that contain collections of information provided by their users. Examples of libraries are Digg and Technorati.

3. Notice-boards - These are sites where people go to and make recommendations to other sites or make posts to on a regular basis. Examples of these types of notice-boards are Twitter and blogs.

So what is the right way to use these sites?

The best way to use these types of sites is by signing up and creating a profile, read the TOS (Terms of Service) to find out what can and can´t be done on the site, spend some time in the site watching what others are doing and then do the same.

The reason why you should do all of this is because if you just sign up and start posting content linking to your site, there is a very strong chance that the site members will see you as a spammer and ban you from the site.

So sign up and take a look around and get a feel for the site. Set up your profiles like the other members are and then do the same as others are doing.

Get more informtion on traffic and using Web 2.0 succesfully and Responsibly ...

Need Traffic To Your Web Site, Try Going Off Line

So you have a web site, you placed the e-zine ads, done your pay per click campaigns, placed your on-line classifieds, and completed your sites search engine optimization. Well done, you may be getting your traffic counter spinning, or your visitors may be building more slowly. No matter how that visitor count is looking you can always use some more , right?

If you are searching for more unorthodox methods of marketing your web site, try thinking off line. Before you start your next on line campaign, consider trying some of the old tried and true traditional promotion techniques .

Many Modern online webmasters or businesses are guilty of becoming blinkered to the world outside of cyberspace, Yes it is still there. Nearly every niche or subject has its own publication, and there are still newspapers and magazines. Many of these can bring a flood of highly targeted visitors to your web sites door.

If you operate a web site that sells an amazing new product. You can stretch your advertising budget by placing ads that contain only your URL, in a publication that your target audience will read. An ad that reads www.bestxboxgamecontroler.com, would attract plenty of traffic from curious gamers, in an Xbox magazine for example. While other companies are using their ad space to explain their product, you’ve provided a compelling reason (curiosity) for gamers to hit your site. Since you only advertised the URL, you don’t require considerable space to explain your idea, hence the cost of your ad will be very reasonable. If your main URL doesn't have a compelling keyword in its title, register one that does, and place a free redirect on it to your main site (this costs less than $10 per year typically).

You probably already write articles on your web sites subject, for your search engine optimization efforts, Instead of on line publication why not get it published in old fashioned print, It will be just as effective, if not more effective, than on-line publication. So get your articles and news releases out to these publications, no matter where they are published. There’s a magazine for just about everything these days, so whatever your area of expertise is, you’ll find an editor who might be interested in running your article.

It's true that the on-line world is a tremendous place to market your products and services, But don’t forget about the rest of the world, or you’ll miss out on some tremendous marketing opportunities, and traffic.

Interview With A Traffic Expert

Michael Cheney, one of the most-respected names in Internet marketing, has been online since 1995 and is the man behind the 6-Figure launches of AdSense Videos and 11 Days To List Profits. He has unveiled a new videos product - "Michael's Traffic Videos" which covers everything to do with traffic and comes with 100,000 instant ad credits and a tailored Fast-Track To Traffic Action Plan.


We managed to grab some time with him recently and quiz him on his favorite topic - traffic.


You'll get a lot out of this interview including a killer 40-page E-book on traffic that Michael has written to help you avoid the Top 20 Traffic Disasters!


So let's get started.


Q. Firstly Michael, thank you for joining us today in your busy schedule.


A. Hey no problem. Good to be here.


Q. We all know that traffic is important but could you just explain a bit about traffic for the beginners out there?


A. Sure. Traffic is the lifeblood of any business online. Without it you just die. We all know that. But what a lot of us don't realize is that just like everything else on the Internet traffic changes very quickly. That is, the methods of getting traffic are changing all the time and that's where people get caught out.


Q. What do you mean by "caught out"?


A. Well people fall into the trap of thinking that just because they know one or two traffic generation methods that they are some sort of traffic master. In reality just because you know how to start a pay per click campaign or a little bit about search engines doesn't make you anywhere near a traffic expert. I'm trying to spread the word that there is a massive array of traffic tactics that most people aren't even aware of, let alone using or mastering.


Q. Can you give us some examples?


A. Sure. Offline for example. You might immediately think that getting traffic is a purely online activity but the truth of the matter is that there are lots of things you can be doing offline to get people into your website. And it's usually these sorts of areas that are being under-utilized and therefore there is less competition for that traffic as well.


Q. So by offline you mean advertising offline?


A. Not necessarily. That is one method, yes, but I'm thinking of more creative ways to get people into your website. It all comes down to the fact that having asked people on my list it came as no surprise that most people want to know about free rather than paid traffic sources. I've had to become an expert in free ways of getting traffic in my time online.


Q. What do you mean - I thought you were running a successful online business with lots of cash flow?


A. I am. But it's not always been this way. When I first started out in 1995 I had nothing. No money to play with. Just my own initiative and imagination.


Q. So are you saying you're against paying for traffic online?


A. No. No I'm not saying that at all. What I'm saying is that, especially when you first start out, you always want to focus on the free methods. You get the traffic in for free, make some sales and then you can reinvest some of that money into paid methods of getting traffic. This speeds up the process.


Q. So what particular offline methods are you referring to - can you give us some examples?


A. There's one tactic I used that costs nothing to implement, is relatively quick and ended up getting me thousands and thousands of targeted visitors into my websites. When I've shared this tactic with other marketers at seminars they've started laughing and slapping their foreheads when they saw how easy it was. They were also embarrassed that they had failed to use this tactic. It was quite amusing.


Q. So are you going to tell us what this method is?


A. No! (laughs) It's in my course! I truly believe in rewarding those people that are most eager to learn so instead of giving away all my traffic tactics in interviews like this I've put some of them in an E-Book I've written. It is free though if people want to get it.


Q. So how can people get hold of it?


A. It's called "How To Avoid The Top 20 Traffic Disasters" and you can get it by going to Michael's Traffic Videos - you'll see it mentioned on that page.


Q. What's in it?


A. Well I really wanted to raise the bar on a free E-Book so I spent a lot of time creating it. It's 40 pages long and stuffed with juicy content on what NOT to do when it comes to traffic. As far as I'm concerned too many people out there tell you what you should do but not what you shouldn't do. That's where this E-Book comes in.


Q. Okay. I think we're about done is there anything else you want to tell everyone?


A. Just that if they are serious about getting more traffic into their website they need to goto Michael's Traffic Videos and get that free E-Book.


Q. Cool. Well thanks for your time Michael and speak to you soon.


A. My pleasure. Speak soon.