Suggestions for more Traffic?

[sideshowmom]

I've had a business website for a year and a half and I get very little traffic and no sales. I've listed with the search engines, put keywords in the meta tags, and given out countless cards with the address on them. I just added paypal ordering and will be listed with some local artsearch sites. What else can I do?

[tamarian]

Getting into search engines is the most important thing to draw traffic. Site optiomization is not just about keywords in a meta tag, some engines will just ignore them. If your site is commercial business, you might want to invest in a the services of a search engine consultant. If it's just a hobby/side project, getting hints from SE resources can help in trial and error until you get in at the right spot.

http://searchengineforums.com/bin/Ultimate.cgi

[Stoker]

Being on top of all search engines is pretty much impossible.. I managed to get a site up to number 4 once on google and yahoo; What I did was to use the keywords I thought was the most common ones to use (tax free cigarettes in this case), I noted down all the keywords and the main content within the first 1 kilobyte of the sites showing up as number 1 and 2, i deployed pretty much similar content and keywords/descr to this site (www.salamancacigaretteoutlet.com), after about 2 and a half month, it was listed as number 4 with yahoo and google. If I tried any other keywords, it went far down, after about a week, it dumped down quite a bit, now, several months later I believe it is down to infinity again (>25), even if I have been submitting their page every month without doing any changes, and the pages that "beats it" doesn't seem to have been changed either.. So what it takes to stay in the top 10 is difficult to find out, maybe they're paying the engines? About paying agents and consultants, I would be careful, some of them might just be stealing your money. I believe more in listing your site in directories which deals with your spesific business, if paying the search engines helps for others than getting your changes/page up faster, I don't know... If you have a popular product, widely used by the masses, you might consider banner advertising with e.g. Microsoft's bcentral.com
It might be useful to include a lot of text on your first page wich has words related to your business/products, something that not many people care about reading but that the search engines will believe is relevant, not repeating the same words for every 5 words, but write a real long description of what kind of services you have and so on. Sometimes it might be useful to write a mini-font or hidden text about what you not do, just to show up in a couple of more random searches, such sas "this site does not contian sex,xxx,porn,babes,auto,truck,beer,bud" and so on... again, some search engines ignores lists of words on a page, or rates it pretty low.

[mainstay]

I took a very quick glance at the site with few visitors...I remember using a search engine optimization software package that highlighted pages with NOT ENOUGH text. Perhaps this is a problem. I would also recommend you get rid of the counter. You can check the visit to the site with the stats and get far better information, like where the visitors are coming from.

[cwhtree]

Search engines and directories are important places to have your site listed.

You might try finding other sites that are art, artist related and simply send an email asking about swapping banners or a text link with them.

I have been researching art/artists sites for a client but have had little luck with finding any so far.

Hope this helps.

[Dolphyn]

(1) It looks like you haven't submitted to Google.com; even when I entered your NAME for the search, your site didn't come up. Google is a biggie, so do it.

(2) People are hesitant to click "add to cart" unless you tell them what you're selling and how much you're charging for it. If you're selling matted prints for $35, I think you should tell people this before they click "add to cart."

(3) Even after adding to cart, the pricing is confusing. I added two items, and (after a JavaScript error) the cart showed the following, which is confusing because 35+35 is not 60:
Nichols Fountain (matted print) 139-1-7 $35.00
"Recorders" matted print 139-3-3 $35.00
Subtotal $60.00
Shipping $10.00
Total $70.00

(4) You might want to include larger images so that people can better see the quality of your work before ordering.

(5) I agree, more text would help. The main text on your home page is in a graphic, so search engines will miss it. At the very least, your home page text should include words like photography, nature, matted prints, for sale, black and white, etc.

Good luck!

[Xkot]

Search engines and such are great, but word of mouth is usually better at selling products and services. The problem is how do you establish word of mouth over the web?

One idea... Since you're a photographer, maybe you could find someone with a high-traffic website and offer to do some portrait work for them at a discount or for free, on the condition that they include a link to your site when they use the photos.

[sideshowmom]

The shopping cart problems are in Paypal's programs, it aparently adds the shipping price into the item price, that's how 35+35=60. I will talk to them about the confusion with the shipping charges.

Dolphyn- Google is on the list in the CPanel utility, so if I'm not on that one, it's not that I didn't submit it. I will go to the Google site directly and try again.

Great suggestions! Keep them coming and thank you!:baby:

[Stoker]

Google (and also Yahoo and others) are really slow to add new domains (they want you to pay)... Typically 2 to 3 months, I have seen that several times.. Some domains appear to show up quicker, unknown for some reason.. The cpanel submit script has submitted it if you got the "success" symbol I believe..

Add: What a language I came up with there... :p

[Melanie]

Google doesn't charge for a listing; it actually uses the dmoz directory. You can add your listing either at Google (http://www.google.com) or at www.dmoz.org (http://www.dmoz.org). That will also get you in AOL's and Netscape's directories (as well as many others), as they also use dmoz. But Google goes a step further with the data. Taken from their site regarding "page ranking":

PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page's value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important."


What might help is to find your most pertinent categories/search terms in Google (in their Directory Listing (http://directory.google.com)) and see if any of the high ranking sites have link exchange or banner exchange programs or link directories so that you can get your site linked from them. It wouldn't hurt for you to have a "links" page yourself linking back to them, as google and most other search engines will spider your page and follow those links, then at those sites it will find links back to your site which will help your ranking.

Also, Google is the search engine for Yahoo, which is another important reason to get listed with google. They don't seem to update their directory daily...I haven't figured the update timeframe yet. I've also noticed that if you select a category that doesn't have an editor (you'll notice at the bottom of the page it will either list an editor's or editors' name(s) or it won't and will have a link to "become an editor"), you're less likely to get your site listed in that category, or at least it will be a slower process.

Yahoo is extremely difficult to get into unless you're willing to pay for the listing. You can keep submitting your site to them every few weeks (but don't overdo it or they'll keep you out for spamming), but there's no guarantee they'll add it and it often takes up to a year or more. It's worth the perseverence, though.

You're better off at most directories/search engines submitting your site manually. There are some that won't accept auto-submissions. And some sites want you to enter a brief description; others will just pull text from your site or from your meta tags. (Different directories/search engines have different requirements for the length of the description....you might write out in advance two or three different descriptions to have ready depending on the site's requirement....for example, Yahoo limits you to 25 words.) I agree with what others have said about adding text to your main page...several search engines use that text for the description in their directory or listing and will use it for keywords and search terms.

[Xkot]

One other thing about DMOZ... volunteer editors get their own bookmark category. If you have trouble getting listed, you can always become an editor and link to your website in your DMOZ bookmarks. Instant listing.

Now, that's kind of a naughty way to do it, but I was a volunteer with them for a long time and they did some dirty things to us too. :)

[tamarian]

I'll say ditto to what Melanie said :)

DMOZ/ODP while it send very little traffic, it influnces the big guys. And manual submission is a must, to insure everything is typed as you intended. While most are tempted to submit ASAP, it is better to wait until you are sure you page is optimized to it's best. Human editors will describe your site as they see it, no matter what the meta tags say. So spend some time making the main page "say" what the editor should say. Once a page is submitted, it's hard to change anything.

I wasn't sure the site you are talking about is the one in your member's profile. But there's many things to do before submitting. The page title is essential, particularly for AOL which depends on DMOZ.

Instead of "Jon Doe's page on the ultimate widget" it should be "Widget's ultimate page by John Doe". This is in case 'widget' is the most popular word for your category. This is the rule of thumb, unless 'John Doe' is more popular and searched for than 'widget'. Little things like that can effect your ranking. In my experience, if you are ranked on the 3rd page of results for your key words and phrases, you might count yourself out of that engine. ;)

[austina]

Hey here are a few tips that eventually gave me some hits. First off I am 15 and I am sure that you’re probably an adult <one who can drive and buy liquor>. Most of my business was spread through word of mouth around my place of work (high school) and you should try the same at your place of work. There are lots of other ways to get word of mouth out. Try handouts and stuff. Oh and post your site all over the internet, on forums, on Free For All Link pages, guest books, anything, Starting here would have been a good start. Or make a program if possible, post it on some download service and let people download. Don’t make my mistake though, use a download CGI script so that people don’t just waste your bandwidth and not give you their email or anything. If you cant do that I would say either do the word of mouth think like I did, but at your workplace, and hopefully that will lead to sales, or if you sell a product, put a news paper ad or something. Oh and by the way, Search engines are useless. What are the odds that someone types in "Mr. Anonymous’s Hidden Business that needs lots of hits.com" because most likely that’s the only way that your going to be listed on a major search engine near the top. If you email me at austin@austina.net telling me what you sell i can give you my opinion not that it matters or anything. I don’t know exactly what it is you do, but here is what i did incase you care. I go to high school, and i build computers, do graphic/web design, and program, so i decided to tell all my friends about what I do. After about 4 months, everyone knew who i was and what i did. They all wanted to buy computers from me, but only a few did (what are you going to do?). So i built them computers, and made lots of money. One of the kids i built a computer for had a mom who worked at a middle school. That middle school needed 40 new computers to put in its computer lab, and someone to maintain their network. so I did it, i built 11 computers, and ordered the rest because I am lazy. I also maintained their network for 2 months, and that was really starting to annoy me because kid’s didn’t know how to use computers and were messing everything up. So I told them to hire a Network Admin. After all of this, one kid from that school told their dad about me. And i built him a small network too. But then all this hype died down. That’s when I launched the program. I now have another one coming out. And when that comes out I am going to need to upgrade to a different plan at Host Matters, or pray that some how my bandwidth isn’t counted.
Sorry for such a long post. Its night and I am bored.

[IlliniComics]

Hit EVERY photography/art message board you can and post like crazy (url in your sig). Link exchange, link exchange, link exchange.

If you're doing custom work, you're probably looking for things in your area. Just because it's a website, doesn't mean you have to advertise on just the web. Hit photography stores, bridal shops, etc and put up flyers. Put an ad in the paper.

If it's a new site, or a site with low activity, you can't just expect people to show up. Plan on spending an hour or two EVERY day promoting yourself.

[Jumping Frog]

This may have been a coincidence. I knew that most of my visitors were going to be from the UK, so I listed my site with yahoo.co.uk. It was listed very quickly, just a few days, and if it's listed in yahoo.co.uk, then it is (correct me if I am wrong) automatically listed in yahoo.com.

Being as yours is a more "traditional business", your website should only be regarded as a suplement to "traditional" marketing techniques. If I was looking for a photographer, I would check friends first, then the good old yellow pages before looking on the web. If the yellow pages ad included a URL, I would certainly check the website before making a decision.

Hope that helps.

[adanalys]

I stumbled across your post, and since we both live in Missouri, here's a few suggestions you might want to consider to get more sales...

Although you do offer items for sale, your site is essentially an "information" site, not a "selling" one.

Here's a few ways to make your site SELL:

TARGET YOUR MARKET:
To lift sales your target market should be a clearly definable niche of prospects. I can't tell from looking at your web site who you are selling to. I'm sure you've heard this before: "If you try to be everything to everyone, then you'll be nothing to nobody." This old cliche applies to an ecommerce site in spades. While hunting around your site, however, I did find a clue to whom you might want to target in your "Statement." It seems to me your ideal target market are people who buy inspirational items. Assuming they are your target market, you need to seek them out, and aim your selling messages at THEM.

THUMBNAILS:
Make your thumbnail photos interesting. The way to make them interesting is with words (spelled advertising copy). Use words to give your visitors a reason to buy. As a minimum include a title and description for each thumbnail. The title and description should be loaded with benefits. And by the way, don't think of your thumbnail images as "thumbnails." Think of them as "Product shots" because that is what they really are.

Example Thumbnail title: Your title, "Recorder Still Life" is, well... boring. Change it to something that would appeal to your "inspiration buyers." Make it something like, "Sounds of the Muse." Okay, it's not great, but you get the idea. Oh, and where's the benefit? The benefit of "serenity" is implied.

Example Thumbnail description: "Your family and guests will dine in serenity. And it's perfect for your living room or den, too! This deluxe matted custom print bathes any room in peaceful, relaxing harmony. Makes everyone in the room feel warm, blessed and cozy."

See how the copy is aimed directly at your "inspiration buyers?" How can they resist buying that picture now? Incidentally, except for a word or two about the matting, I didn't say anything about the actual artwork. This is an example of how to "sell the sizzle, not the steak."

Tip: It's not what you have to sell, it's what your customer wants to buy.


SCROLLING BANNER ON HOME PAGE:
Studies consistently show that scrolling banners REDUCE sales. (the theory is that they scream "amateur!") I would get rid of it.


LENS MONITOR CALIBRATION LINK:
Unless you are marketing to hi-tech professionals who are seriously interested in color correction and all that stuff, I would get rid of it. I can't imagine that "inspiration buyers" would want to calibrate their monitors. Worse, I believe the calibrator distracts prospects away from the sale.


WEB RING LINKS:
You've worked hard to get visitors to find you. Why do you want to send them away as soon as they locate your home page? I would get rid of it (or at least make it open in a new browser window).


COMPANY NAME/MOTTO:
Malinda Welte Photography/Fine Art Gallery: Lacks USP (Unique Selling Point). In other words, what sets you apart from the competition? Hosting Matters excellent USP is "Superior service. Sensible price."

Your USP might be something like: Inspirational Handmade Photos for Home and Office.

RESOURCES PAGE: Would these "inspiration buyers" be interested in the links on your Resources page? Probably not.


PORTRAIT GALLERY:
Unclear if you want me to hire you to take my picture, or if you want me to buy the pictures on display. I also noticed that most, if not all of the images are not for sale. If you want more sales, why make "items not for sale" a feature of your ecommerce web site?


TALK DIRECTLY TO YOUR VISITORS:
Instead of "Contact Malinda if you are interested in displaying her work." Let them know you are a real live human being by talking directly to them like this: "Contact me if you would like to display my work." I notice this is an email link. You'll lift response if don't make them have to figure out what to ask for. So better yet, make it something like "Want to display my work? Just send me a blank email and I'll send you all the details."

TECH NOTE:
You can specify what appears in the subject line of the email message automatically when the link is clicked in many email programs by formatting your email message like so:

mailto:you@yourdomain.com?subject=Send Display Details

You can also specify what appears in the body of the message,
like this:

mailto:you@yourdomain.com?body=Example

Note: These tricks don’t work in all email programs, so it’s a
good idea to also specify what you want people to type into the
subject line or message body.


One more item and I'm outa here--

This free search engine optimization email course worked for me. I've found myself on the top page of Google quite a few times lately.

To get the free course click here (http://www.1stSearchRanking.com/index.htm?2205) , then go way down to the bottom of the page to subscribe. (Truth in advertising: If you buy any of their products I'll earn a commission.)


You seem a prime candidate for "Make Your Site Sell (http://AdAnalysis.com/05help/tools/03tinternet.html)" by Ken Evoy. It's under $25. The link takes you to a page on my web site with a brief description of "MYSS."


You might also be interested in my own newsletter, "Best Winning Ad Secrets." You can browse the archive here (http://AdAnalysis.com/04newsletters/bwas/bwas_archive.html).


If you try any of these ideas - and they work, I wouldn't mind hearing about it.

Sorry for the dissertation. I guess I got carried away.


Best of luck to you!