A very common perception is that if a website is setup, it will attract visitors and generate sales. This is, however, not true. Your target audience needs a reason to come.

If you want to use your website to promote something, you will need to publicize your website, and attract visitors to it, otherwise there will be no visitors. It’s just that simple. A website is merely a passive form of marketing, much like a public signboard displaying the products and services you have to offer.

Some of the ways in which you can generate traffic are:

1. You can offer some sort of freebie. You could give some form of free content or information. Original, interesting and relevant content is always considered to be of significant value.

2. Another option is to offer your website readers a free subscription to an electronic magazine. Add value by giving a free gift along with the subscription.

3. You can also offer a directory of interesting ebooks and ezines for free, inviting contributions and reviews from others. If the content of these books is of significant value, then people will continue visiting your website.

4. A free ebook or software download as a gift to your readers also makes an attractive incentive to get them to visit your site often. You can outsource the content of the ebook or your software creation, if you want. You may include advertisements for your products and services in the items, too.

5. You can also hold classes or seminars online, and the live interaction will attract a large audience to your website. These can be organized in your website’s chat room and it will also serve to position you as an expert about any topic relevant to your field.

6. Another important money-spinner is to hold free contents with prizes of interest to your visitors. The promise of prizes will attract a large audience, and ensure that people who enter the contest come back to your website in order to check the results of the contest.

7. Giving away free downloads will also attract a large number of visitors and ensure that they keep on visiting your site regularly. You may even create a listing or directory of downloads. If the software is one that you have created, you can include your advertisement inside it and let other people distribute it as well.

8. You can also consider giving away free services from your website will attract a large number of customers as well. These can be search engine result collation, unique mail addresses, and proofreading and similar services.

9. Offering inexpensive service as a consultant in your field is another good way to attract others. Give valuable advice to your potential customers, and they may think about returning to you for their future purchases.

10. Creating an online club generates a feeling of community and also helps to promote your website, where the online club might have its discussions.

It is extremely important to remember that the Internet is used by many as a free source of information and that readers are not always interested in buying. Thus, you have to gain their trust by giving them good advice, tips and other info.

People who trust you often end up happy clients down the road. They even come back for repeat purchases and send their friends!

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