Internet Business Optimization Tips and Ideas | Staying relevant is Useful in the Online Traffic Formula

Staying relevant is Useful in the Online Traffic Formula

Filed Under Internet Marketing


Not What You're Looking For? Search Again.

Custom Search


by Trisha Frauenhofer

For going on forty years, the mantra of marketing is that he who yells loudest is heard. There’s been an ever growing backlash as people get tired of being manipulated by marketing, and a growing case of ennui about marketing and options. You’ve seen this for yourself - you’ve probably seen TV ads that made you go “Eh, no” about their claims, and the revolt against advertising has taken many forms.

Marketing ads can be easily blocked out of all audiences in simple steps. With the ever increasingly popular Tivo and DVR, programs can be watched without the commercials. On the internet, pop-up ads can be easily blocked or screened. Over 90% of ads everywhere are being blocked. So, how do you get noticed or heard?

Like all things related to Web 2.0, the key is to trust your readers. Put in comments in forums, and let your readers review your products for you. Amazon broke new ground with this, and was quickly followed by eBay - and it’s now a virtual requirement for any online vendor. Customers will trust the relevance of a review from another customer over any slick marketing pitch; slick marketing pitches, they’ve heard for years on end someone who’s actually used the product and read the book? There’s someone to listen to.

Conversely, on your marketing site - how do you handle the occasional negative commenter? The smart answer is to let them be. They’re looking to get a rise out of you, to get a debate going and to generate traffic to the links they’re posting. The old Usenet adage still applies: Don’t Feed Trolls which is key part of your online traffic formula.


That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t read negative posts. Negative posts are a filter. They’re being put up by someone who cares enough about your message to tell you what didn’t work about it for them. If you make or design a product, this is the most valuable feedback you can get. Remember not to attack back - just thank them for their input, and if you can, offer a few suggestions, in the form of “In the interests of making this work for you, how do you feel about options A or B?”

Another thing not to do is scream for attention. Kids have fits to get attention, but it is negative attention. Don’t throw a fit. It has been proven that the more aggressive you get, the more the consumer distances themselves. Start connecting with your audience. Keep your attention positive. There are many rewards to being relevant. That is what consumers want and need.

Always try to connect with your audience, acknowledge that a negative reviewer has a valid point, and then try to solve their objection. Your online traffic formula aim is to provide a benefit for your regular readers to come back to your site repeatedly, and the way to do that is to rise above the fray.

In Amazon’s system, let’s take books for an example. When you pull up an item, they list other similar and relevant books relating to the keywords you typed. They also have what other consumers bought along with it and reviews. All these methods are successful in use with the online traffic formula.

About the Author:
Trisha Frauenhofer is an online marketing expert who loves teaching her most potent online secrets including the Online Traffic Formula