Expert Author Gihan Perera
Most of the advice you see about Internet marketing is about getting more traffic to your Web site. But that's not always the easiest - and most profitable - way to generate more sales. If you focus instead on how to do more with the traffic you're already getting, you can often get better results from the time and money you put into your Internet marketing efforts.
Most Web site owners don't spend enough time on this, though. That's not surprising, because it isn't as attractive and alluring as trying to get more traffic. Every day we hear of a new online tool that can help get us more traffic - Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, iPhone apps, whatever. The really big ones capture media attention - and hence the public's eye - and that makes it seem like the most important thing to be doing now on the Internet. So it's tempting to drop everything else and focus on that new Bright Shiny Object.
But that's not a smart strategy. First, that new tool is only popular now because it's new, not necessarily because it's any good. So it might be getting a disproportionate amount of attention now, but that doesn't mean it's the best option for you right now. It might even never be right for you and your business.
There's an even more important point, though. Almost every new Internet marketing platform is a way for you to lead more people to your Web site, and that's not necessarily the most profitable area of focus.
I'll explain...
It's not easy to get more traffic
Suppose you know that 1 out of every 100 people who visit your site go on to make a purchase. That's a 1% conversion rate, of course, which is generally considered very good. That means the other 99 people leave without taking the action you wanted them to take. But when your main focus is on traffic, you simply ignore those 99 people, and instead try to get another 100 people to visit. If you're successful, you'll double your sales and double your profit.
But at what cost? You've probably done everything you know to get the first 100 people, and now you have to do even more to double it! That's not easy. You might need to work with a new tool, or learn some new Internet marketing techniques, or outsource this work to somebody else. None of these things are easy, and some of them can be quite expensive as well (especially with your time, which is precious).
More importantly, you've ignored what could be a far better approach: Trying to get one of those first 99 non-buyers to become a customer.
Focus on conversion
Instead of trying to get more traffic, focus on your conversion rate - that is, the percentage of people who buy.
This is usually much easier because you're working with the people who have already expressed interest (by visiting your site). So they have already taken one step on the path. Your job is to convince them to take the next steps.