My wife and I just got back from the Utah Shakespearean Festival and there were a few things that I learned about getting traffic and building business online.
(Yes, even while on vacation I am thinking about how to get traffic.)
Our experience with a local motel
While on our trip we stayed in local motel for a few nights. And guess what we will always remember about our stay there…
No we won’t really remember the free breakfast, nor the free wireless Internet, nor the 32″ flat-screen tv with a zillion channels.
Instead we’ll remember that bed was as hard as a slab of cement and neither of us slept well. And the lack of sleep made everything about the trip a little less enjoyable.
A year from now that’s what will stick out in our minds about the motel. And we’ll most likely never stay there again nor refer our friends. Worse yet, we’ll advise our friends and family against staying there.
What are people going to remember about your site?
When people come to your site for the first time what do you want them to remember about their stay? Are they going to remember the annoying flash elements that takes too long to load, the eye-popping advertisements, and the popups?
Or are they going to remember that they found the exact information they were looking for and bookmark your site for future visits?
Does your site offer so much value that first-time visitors turn into return visitors?
Remember that return visitors are the best kind of traffic you can get; these people will comeback to your site, refer their friends, and are 100 times more likely to buy stuff you sell or recommend because they trust you.
Take action
Write down 1 specific thing you want your visitors to remember about your site.
For example, I want visitors to remember that my site, Nick’s Traffic Tricks, is the best resource online for learning about how to get traffic.
Then look over your site and write down 2 things you can do improve your site so people will remember what you want them to remember about your site.
For example, I need to make my older traffic posts more available to first-time visitors.
About the Utah Shakespearean Festival
If you like going to the theatre then you’ll love the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Every summer they do a fantastic job of putting on plays from Shakespeare and other famous playwrights.
It is located in Cedar City, Utah, USA. Learn more: http://bard.org
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great tips. It is very important that people feel like they found a treasure when they first visit your site. If you don't impress them in the right way they won't remember you, just like in real life. ]
BTW Great blog. Very useful for any web guy. Thanks for your work.
Thanks. Let me know if you have any questions.
Pretty neat Nick that you were able to make a correlation between Vacation and your web-work. That lasting memory is so true, and in fact I would say it extends on so many levels. Example… if you have a frequent visitor to your site, but all of the sudden you stop consistently blogging.. and maybe only update every week, well guess what that reader is going to pick up on that habit and likely only re-visit you about once a week , etc. Just small details can have a big impact on the huge picture. Just like your bad bed.
Till then,
Jean