How to Convince Your Visitors to Return Often

One visit does not make a sale. Be sure to make your Web site attractive to your visitors so that they want to come back. You don't win their trust right away. It may take 4-7 visits before they buy.

Here's Five Ways:

1. Check and Correct What's Not Working

First, be sure you don't have long passages of bio or information about yourself on your home page. People don't care about you and they want information short and sweet. They want solutions to their challenges and they want free information.

Second, test all of your links often to make sure they work. Nothing discourages buyers more than disorganized copy, links that don't work, and difficulty getting to where they want to go.

2. Upload New, Original, and Useful Content Often

On every Web site page put a notice "Bookmark our Web Site. We update material weekly."

Follow up by uploading new "free articles," book excerpts, ezines, and tips as promised. Blatant ads such as banners turn visitors off. Give them original information they can't find anywhere else, and make it free. Giving freely is a proven online marketing philosophy.

3. Publish Your Own Ezine

Without an original ezine, you can't stay in touch with your potential buyers easily. They want regular, ongoing information to develop the trust it takes to buy. You need to prove you are the industry expert and a savvy friend. If you don't stay in touch, your readers will forget you and your products.

Start with a monthly ezine then see if bi-weekly works for you. Start writing short tips and articles to include. You can later recycle these to the opt-in ezines and other Web sites that want free, new information. If you think you lack content, start subscribing to ezines in your targeted market. Other authors gladly allow you to use their information when you include a signature file.

If visitors like your ezine they will recommend it to others.

4. Offer a Questions and Answers Page

To get visitors to return offer them answers to typical questions they may have. Freely given, you not only establish yourself as the expert, you gain their trust and support.

5. Offer a Navigation Bar of "Useful Links"

Your visitors will appreciate the ability to contact others in your field. These links add value to your site because people like the convenience of checking out products and services--all on one Web site--yours! This method also may raise your standing with the search engines. An added benefit--you meet others to network with, to support as they will you.

Web visitors appreciate new content and contacts to make their quest for information, service or products easier. You'll reap many rewards when you accommodate them.

Judy Cullins ©2004 All Rights Reserved.

Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Judy is author of 10 eBooks including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Your Targeted Web Traffic, and Power Writing for Web Sites That Sell. She offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, "The BookCoach Says...," "Business Tip of the Month," blog Q & A at http://www.bookcoaching.com and over 185 free articles.

Email her at Judy@bookcoaching.com or Cullinsbks@aol.comPhone: 619/466-0622 -- Orders: 866/200-9743

Make Life Meaningful Monday: Goal Setting Crookston Daily Times (blog) I think I've taken goal setting to the level of art-form. I make spiritual growth goals, homemaking goals, parenting goals, exercise goals…you name it! And I don't just set giant goals, like vacationing in Europe next year or running a marathon.

The Bay City Times - MLive.com

Public welcome at Bay City goal-setting session Saturday morning The Bay City Times - MLive.com 9 goal-setting session, the Bay City Commission agreed to create a list of what residents want to see. That exercise turned into a list of 34 items that attendees at Monday night's Town Hall meeting were asked to help prioritize. Trenton Robinson complaint investigation complete, Bay City police chief saysMLive.com all 4 news articles »

Petoskey News-Review

Boyne City goal-setting still under way Petoskey News-Review 12 city goal-setting session at St. Matthew parish hall in Boyne City. Last time around, the vast majority of participants in the exercise shared their two cents without attending the public meeting, either. "It's a more comprehensive review of things ...

Lexington Herald Leader

Job search: Be willing to reinvent yourself to achieve your goals Lexington Herald Leader By Lenroy Jones — Contributing Columnist What: Join career columnists Lenroy Jones and Theresa Mickelwait and Shalyce Jackson of Just Ask! Consulting Services & Associates to learn about "Goal Setting: Fresh Start on Your Career Search.

Petoskey News-Review

Petoskey goals, actions updated Petoskey News-Review Petoskey's focus on the year ahead took center stage at a weekend goal-setting retreat. Elected city leaders and key staff members gathered Saturday at city hall to discuss the city's goals and update its action plan, part of the city's annual planning ...

New Goal-Setting Toolkit Available from Innovation Strategist Lea Strickland NCTechNews (press release) (Cary, NC) A new goal-setting toolkit for personal and professional success is now available at no charge from international strategic business consultant and noted expert on how to start and manage a profitable business, Lea Strickland, ...

New York Post

Giants win NFC Championship on OT field goal, setting up Super Bowl rematch vs ... New York Post By PAUL SCHWARTZ SAN FRANCISCO — On the road. In the NFC Championship. In overtime. The Patriots, already in, awaiting the winner. Harsh weather affecting every move. A draining, physical battle. A field goal to win it. “Everything that happened is ... and more »

Achieving goals requires thought and action insideTORONTO.com When starting your own business, or to keep your existing business current and profitable, planning and goal-setting are the keys to success. If you don't have attainable and concrete goals and a plan to make them happen, just like in life, ...

Council Holds Goal Setting Session KIMT MASON CITY, IA- We told you last week about the Curbside Chat. That's when a representative from a Minnesota non-profit group stopped by Mason City. Their goal was to share ideas when it comes to running a town, and even changing perspectives if ... Council sets goals for yearMason City Globe Gazette all 2 news articles »

The Arizona Trail should rank as one of the great American achievements Examiner.com This year, while it is celebrating its Centennial, Arizona can celebrate an amazing accomplishment, which may not garner much international attention, but is also testament to American initiative, goal-setting, persistence and work ethic.