Like a slow-moving tortoise, traffic for many Internet sites slows down in the summertime. That’s true for TV ratings, too.
So, consider suggestions by Peter A. Prestipino, editor-in-chieft of Website Magazine. His article refers to the slowdown as the “Web summer doldrums.”
From his experience spanning about a quarter of a century, he offers five tips for helping your summer Web traffic.
They include:
Create 30, 60 and 90-day plans – Mr. Prestipino suggests developing and implementing strategies in 30-day increments.
“The 30-60-90 strategy is ideal as an outline of what you will accomplish, what you want to accomplish, and, finally, what you wish you could accomplish,” he writes.
“In 30 days you will want to have created a media center on your site; in 60 days you will want to have had 10 bloggers written about your website or its products and services, and in 90 days you will want to get coverage from at least one major media news source,” he adds. “There are clearly a lot of steps involved to get there but writing down your plan will get you thinking about how to achieve them. When you plan, you plan to succeed.”
Complete Big Projects – Mr. Prestipino asserts that in the process, you will uncover a challenge that needs to be solved.
“…big projects might be a Website redesign, link building campaigns, conversion testing, etc,” he writes. “When it comes to selecting which big project you want to complete, you’ll need to weigh the potential return against the time commitment and legwork necessary to get the project done.”
He points out the most-complex projects usually don’t provide short-term benefits.
“Decide what would most benefit your business (creating social media campaigns, email marketing campaigns, etc.) and stick with it,” he explains. “When you know what you need and resolve to complete the task, it will make a difference to the bottom line in the near and long term.”
He says a good summer-investment of time is working on your connections and contacts.
Network until Your Fingers Hurt – He says a good summer-investment of time is working on your connections and contacts.
“If you’ve established a Facebook Fan page, recruit new members,” he writes. “If you’re a LinkedIn user, find colleagues, customers and others in your industry to connect with.”
He believes social media endeavors are vital and it’s important to be uncompromising in your efforts.
“The best place to look might just be in your own customer list and even your own inbox,” he suggests. “Start there and shore up your friend and fan base this summer for long-term Web success.”
Stockpile Information and Ideas – He says even if you want to take easy in the summer, at least start accumulating ideas and information.
“It will undoubtedly be a challenge not to act on the information you encounter on the Web as much of it will probably motivate you to act on the suggestions provided, but doing so will ultimately give you a library of ideas you can leverage in the future,” Mr. Prestipino writes.
He says he always generates about 30 article ideas and another 10 to create revenue for his magazine.
“Stockpiling information and ideas will serve you well when you hit those creative blocks or when you finish one project and want to start another,” he explains. “When you are prepared, your chances of success are that much higher.”
Learn One New Thing – Mr. Prestipino suggests learning at least one new concept.
“Learning is a process,” he philosophizes. “The more you know, the more prepared you are to achieve success — Web success.”
He also invites readers to share their ideas at www.websitemagazine.com.
He deserves a big thumbs-up for his excellent counsel. Actually, his Web site is a must-read if you want timely information.
From the Coach’s Corner, if you haven’t focused on your social-media potential but want to start, why not now?
Search engines incorporate social media activity to assess Web-site relevance: So, increase your site’s search-engine prominence by joining LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Business Exchange, etc.
Whenever possible, synch your social media accounts. Press releases with pictures are beneficial, too. You, can become No. 1 in your niche by attracting links from credible sites with a strong Google page rank. You don’t even have to be a specialist in search-engine optimization.
Strategies include:
- Frequent changes (invite search engines to check your site frequently)
- Quality content
- Use most relevant keywords
- Use social media and search engine press releases
More Web strategies:
- Is Your Web Site Losing Visitors? Best Practices to Fix the Trend
- 11 Tips to Make Money on Facebook
- Google Insights – 23 Key Questions about Your Web Site
“Your premium brand had better be delivering something special, or it’s not going to get the business.”
-Warren Buffett
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