The name of the game is Traffic. Traffic is people who have an interest in what you have to offer.

Where does traffic come from? How do YOU find web sites on the internet? What do you do when you want to find something on the internet?

One of the hardest things to get through to people is DO NOT complicate the situation… Most people get so wrapped up in details that the basics slip through their fingers. Unless you have HAL or know every site on the internet, you are a “surfer” when you are looking for something on the web. And before anyone says porn is different, please, explain why the person looking for a “random display javascript” is so vastly different than the person looking for “cum sucking teens”.

Let’s start at the beginning, a potential surfer sits down at his computer and turns it on, logs in, opens a browser.

What will bring him to your site directly?

Email: (Be careful of email. It is excellent to bring them to your site. BUT, most affiliates will freeze your account if you use email directly to get hits to them.)
1. SPAM – You are one of those.
2. He is subscribed to a newsletter from a site you control.
3. Google, Yahoo groups member and has opted for email of posted messages.
4. Someone sends him/her an email with a link to your site.

Browser: (I am only looking at the ways he/she will see your URL before he starts to surf.)
1. Bookmark in the browser.
2. RSS feed on his home page.

Social Bookmarking sites: There are thousands of social bookmarking sites. (Everybody wants to start one and be rich before dark) (This is just a few and my results)
http://www.bloglines.com/search - excellent hits, the best social bookmarking site, bar none. (For me)
http://www.rojo.com/ - good hits
http://del.icio.us/ - good hits
http://rss.furl.net/ - good hits
http://feeds.feedburner.com/ - few hits, nothing spectacular
http://www.simpy.com/ - few hits, nothing spectacular

Search Engines:
Theoretically the number one way for someone to a site on the internet, (Which I whole heartily believe) also suppose to be the best traffic to convert. (That is speculation I have read)

Groups: (This is groups people belong to and will visit if they see there are new messages)
Google, Yahoo and several sites allow you to start a group that you control. (I consider this in conjunction with USENET)

Email, Browser, Social Bookmarking, Search Engines and Groups are the only ways I know of getting a surfer directly to your blog.

Traffic from Directories, TGP sites, Toplists, Feedlists, and bought traffic, links on other peoples sites, paid ads; all have to have an origin. Nobody suddenly decides to type in a URL at random when looking for porn. All of these “traffic sources” started as “Email, Browser, Social Bookmarking, Search Engines or Groups”.

Everybody should develop a marketing plan. How are you going to get hits to your blog?

I like to go for the traffic that has not been some where else first. I figure I got a better shot at a sale if the surfer sees my site first, PLUS, and this is a big one to me, 90% of the links on my sites lead to other sites I own. I have several sites the way off is to another one of my sites or close the browser.

Traffic Sources: (I consider these secondary since the best you can do is be the second site in line)

Trading links is not a traffic source. Good for PR. Excellent for social networking. Constitutes a traffic leak. Trading links is a necessary evil to me. I do not do it nearly enough.

Directories – if you own the directory it is golden, otherwise, it is a traffic leak. In defense of directories, the good ones that list new sites on the index page are good for quick starting a blog. If you automatically go into the directory and trade links – Sucker. Problem is, once you go into the bowels of the directory, all the directory is, is a traffic leak.

TGP sites – I do not actually considered this a source of traffic and my knowledge on this is very limited. Two excellent webmasters here, Hacker Jack and Trix, have spoken on the subject favorably as a revenue source. I do know you can put a banner to multiple sites and this is the reason I include it. If you ever have a TGP question, there are your trusted sources for info.

Toplists - if you own the Toplist, it is golden, if you are on top in the rankings, it is golden otherwise, a traffic leak. I was reading today that the way you use Toplists is to flood the Toplist with cheap bought traffic just before the Toplist updates, that way you are #1 and can suck up the traffic that has value that others are sending the Toplist.

Feedlists – This can be a good source of traffic. I have done very well on the feedlists I was on. The trick is to be on a niche specific feedlist and have good verbiage (descriptive text that makes a surfer click the link). I have also noticed that may of the feedlists are being ran honorable. I realize business is business but if everybody benefits we all prosper for the long run.

Bought Traffic – unless you are using it to pump up your standing or ranking, to suck up traffic from others that has value, all I can say is you are a sucker. That being said, I have read that there are some that claim to have actually made money with bought traffic. These people are the same ones that started designing websites full time in 92-93. (Using Flash) I do not think it is impossible to buy decent traffic but I would place the odds the same as winning the lottery.

Paid ads – I have done this and will NEVER do it again, ever… I do believe if someone made a study of this and put in serious time learning the art of making paid ads pay that it could be done. I just do not have the time to invest.

What is your marketing plan? Are you trying to be first in line or do you want to just swap traffic? Make a marketing plan and work the plan. Work one marketing approach at a time. There are many roads to success, but continuously restarting the journey will never get you there.