After long hours of putting together a content website, many webmasters face a common dilemma; how to increase site traffic. One of the easiest and most compelling means of promotion is through the visitors that you do have. If you can get your visitors to share your site, you'll create a snowball or viral effect and you'll easily increase targeted web site traffic!

Some of the basic ways of attracting website visitors are actually easy to accomplish. These techniques can be used by both newcomers to the Internet world and seasoned pros alike. Here's a list of some of the more common approaches to getting others to share your site:

* Encourage links to your site

* Write articles

* Set up an affiliate program

* Use press releases

* Encourage word of mouth recommendation

* Simplify the process of sharing web content

* Encourage subscribers to share your emails and newsletters

* Offer a download that carries your marketing message

By encouraging links to your site you will gain in page rank and increase site traffic. You may need to add the link of the other website to your content before they will consider adding yours. Links from respected authority sites in your niche will establish your site as reputable.

Write articles (or pay to have articles written for you) with links to your website in the resource box. This is an easy way to establish yourself as an authority and to gain backlinks to your site. Be sure to allow others the right to use the article as content as long as the resource box is left intact.

Set up an affiliate program on your website for any products you may have. This is a form of network marketing that provides a monetary incentive for other webmasters to link to your site. Create an offer that is hard to refuse; in other words, provide great commissions and tools for your affiliates.

Send out a press release every time you do anything noteworthy. This includes adding a new service to your website or program, the addition of a new download, or a contest. Use your imagination for events worthy of a news release.

Add scripts to your site that make it easy for your visitors to tell others about your site. Many are available; some are even free. As with anything, word of mouth recommendations are often the best form of promotion.

Look for scripts that make it easy for your readers to share web content with others. You may have an outstanding article on a particular topic that many readers would like to email to their friends - make this a simple process. Always remember, your visitors do not want to work while they are visiting your site. Treat them as the guests that they are.

With every email or newsletter you send to your list be sure to add a phrase that lets the reader know you would love for him/her to share the message with a friend. This can be a very effective way to get your emails sent from one reader to another and, of course, within every email there will be a link to your site.

Consider offering a game, screen saver, toolbar, calendar, or other download that carries your marketing message. The more useful or fun the download is the better because that means it will be used more frequently. Again, include the information that the download can be shared freely.

Using these tips will get the ball rolling. In a short time your name will be recognized as one of the authorities in your niche and much of that recognition will have come through word of mouth. Your credibility will be established and you will increase targeted web site traffic - a webmaster's dream come true.

Lisa Rae Preston may be contacted at http://www.lisaraepreston.com lrpreston@msn.com
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Author Box - Lisa Rae Preston is the creator of Instant Niche Emails, software that helps you create a year’s worth of relationship building, follow-up marketing messages in any niche! Discover exactly how to create highly profitable email series by reading her free report, Insider Secrets to Follow-Up Fortunes at http://www.instantnicheemails.com